| 3/4/2003 3:00:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Déja Vu: Southwestern coach Donna Cheatham (left) and Shenandoah coach Todd Salkowski at Monday’s girls state finals press conference. (Staff photo by David Campbell.) |
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Old Friends, Burgeoning Rivals
Cheatham, Salkowski have been here before.
By: David Campbell, Courier Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — When Donna Cheatham sat down at the dais for Monday’s state finals press conference at Conseco Fieldhouse, she greeted Todd Salkowski as if the two were old friends.
“Hey, Todd. How have you been?” she asked.
“Great. And yourself?” Salkowski answered.
In a sense, the two high school coaches are old friends — and burgeoning rivals.
On Saturday, Cheatham’s Southwestern Rebels will face Salkowski’s Shenandoah Raiders for the IHSAA Class 2A State Championship for the second straight year. In addition, the two teams played each other in the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle in late December.
“Todd and I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other quite well,” said Cheatham.
The 2003 State Finals will get under way Saturday at 10:36 a.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tri-Central (22-4) will face North Vermillion (26-0) in the Class A title game with Shenandoah (23-5) and Southwestern (21-7) meeting in the 2A game. Session II begins at 6:36 p.m. with the 3A title game featuring South Bend St. Joseph’s (24-2) and Beech Grove (27-1) and the 4A game with Kokomo (25-0) meeting Perry Meridian (24-4).
While Cheatham and Salkowski and North Vermillion’s Ken Gentrup all have been through this before, of the other five schools, only Kokomo has even reached this level and the Wildkats are making their first appearance since 1996.
Southwestern and Shenandoah’s showdown also marks the first time there will be a rematch in state finals history and it could mark the rubber match for the two programs over the past calender year. Southwestern prevailed 70-64 a year ago to win the Class 2A title while Shenandoah won 72-60 in New Castle two months ago.
This is the third straight year that Salkowski and his Raiders have played for the biggest prize in the state, falling to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 55-39 in 2001.
“We do have a sense of urgency,” said Salkowski. “There is no quotes for four times.”
Advance tickets are $10 for one session and $18 for the full day.
Players’ and cheelerleaders’ families can purchase tickets at 4 p.m. today and faculty, staff and season ticket holders can buy tickets at 5 p.m. today at the high school library. General sales will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to Noon Thursday the Southwestern concession stand. While tickets are available at the door, Southwestern receives a percentage off all tickets sold by the school.
A community pep rally is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and a schoolwide send-off is slated for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
There will be a fan bus sign-up sheet at the Middle school administrative office. The cost to ride the bus is $5. In addition, the school is currently taking orders for T-shirts (sizes adults small through 3X) at a cost of $10 per shirt.
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