Lapel girls basketball head coach Zach Newby was recognized by the IBCA as the 2023 District 2 Coach of the Year.
The Lapel Lady Bulldogs gather backstage at Gainbridge Fieldhouse along with head coach Zach Newby before their IHSAA Girls Class 2A Basketball Finals in Indianapolis. Forest Park defeated Lapel, 38-37. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2023. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)
Lapel head coach Zach Newby in the teams locker room at the IHSAA Girls Class 2A Basketball Finals in Indianapolis. Forest Park defeated Lapel, 38-37. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2023. (Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)
Lapel’s Laniah Wills listens to head coach Zach Newby prior to the beginning of the second half of their game against Greenfield-Central Thursday Dec. 1, 2022
LAPEL — After already being named District 2 Coach of the Year by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, Lapel head coach Zach Newby is adding another honor to that list.
Newby has been named the head coach for the Girls Indiana Juniors All-Star team, the IBCA announced in a press release.
Newby, who guided the Bulldogs to the Class 2A state championship game, will be assisted by Brodie Garber of Class 3A state champion Fairfield.
Newby has led Lapel to an 82-42 record in five seasons, including a 22-8 finish in 2022-23. Garber is 180-89 in 11 seasons at Fairfield, including a 28-2 record this season. Garber was an IBCA District coach of the year along with Newby.
Newby joins another Frankton-Lapel Community School coach as a 2023 all-star coach. Frankton’s Brent Brobston will serve as an assistant coach on the Indiana Boys’ All-Star team.
The junior all-star roster that Newby will be coaching includes three groups, and plenty of new faces. The Core Group who will play in both games on June 4 and June 7, the Red Group who will join the core group on June 4, and the Blue Group who will replace the Red Group for the June 7 game.
The Core Group consists of Alli Harness (Carroll), Jordyn Poole (Fort Wayne Snider), Chloe Spreen (Bedford North Lawrence), Iowa State commit Reagan Wilson (Noblesville), Indiana commit Faith Wiseman (Indian Creek), and Juliann Woodard (Jennings County).
Making up the Red Group is Lauren Foster (Indian Creek), Talia Harris (Fishers), Rachel Harshman (Mooresville), Ellie Kelleher (Westfield), Avery Kelley (Evansville Memorial), and Ellery Minch (Mt. Vernon).
The Blue Group is made up of Aniyah Bishop (Lake Central), Joh’nea Donahue (Fort Wayne Snider), Kennedy Fuelling (Norwell), Kyra Hill (Goshen), Camryn Runner (Hamilton Heights), and Adrianne Tolen (West Lafayette).
In five years of games against the Kentucky Juniors, the Indiana Junior girls lead 10-1 and the Indiana Junior boys lead 7-4. Games against the Kentucky Juniors previously have been played in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The junior teams from Indiana and Kentucky will play in Jeffersonville on June 4 with the girls playing at 2 p.m. and the boys to follow. The Indiana juniors will face the Indiana seniors at 6 p.m. June 7 at a site yet to be determined.