KOKOMO, Ind. — No one, perhaps not even Wapahani, expected the Raiders to make it this far in the state tournament.
A historically successful program, the Raiders had plenty of questions coming into the season after graduating a strong 2021 class. Was a sectional title still an expectation? Sure. But a regional? Semistate? Those seemed like far-fetched goals in March.
Head coach Brian Dudley tweaked the lineup throughout the year and a number of players, including some first-time varsity players, stepped up. Slowly, the Raiders gained confidence, produced a 24-win season — which included postseason wins over top-10 opponents Monroe Central and Carroll (Flora) — and booked a trip to the IHSAA Class 2A semistate.