Greenfield-Central head coach Luke Meredith talks to his team before the second half. The team and coaching staff wore pink Friday for the team’s Coaches vs. Cancer game.
The Daily Reporter Photo
GREENFIELD — The greatest start in school history has evolved into the greatest winning streak in school history.
Greenfield-Central’s boys basketball team quickly disposed of Franklin County in a 62-32 victory at Dellen Automotive Gymnasium Friday.
The Cougars, ranked No. 6 in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (all classifications) poll and No. 5 in the Associated Press Class 4A rankings, improved to 19-0 with the win, the best start in school history. It also eclipsed last year’s record 18-game winning streak.
Greenfield-Central has won 37 straight regular season games, dating back to last season, and is the only remaining team in the state without a loss.
The win was head coach Luke Meredith’s 81st as the team’s head coaching, tying Cliff Hawkins, who went 81-72 from 1985-92, as the program’s winningest coach. Meredith, in his fifth season, is 81-32.
“It’s one of those things, we used to go nuts after every single win, because we weren’t used to winning,” Meredith said. “Now, it’s almost a relief to win. It’s cool to be here five years and already be tied with the all-time winningest coach. It’s pretty awesome. It’ll mean more if we get one more. That magical number when you talk about magical seasons is 20. If we were able to go back-to-back (2o-win seasons), that’d be pretty special.”
The Cougars were never challenged Friday.
They jumped out to a 17-2 lead. Boston Willard, who had a career-high 23 points, hit three first-quarter treys. He had a career-best seven triples on the night.
His first trey gave G-C a 3-0 lead. Franklin County followed with a bucket by Carter Dozier, but the Cougars scored the next 14 points. Senior Braden Robertson hit a pair of free throws. Dallas Freeman had a steal and dunk and Braylon Mullins and Willard hit back-to-back 3s.
After a Mullins free throw, Willard’s third 3 made it 17-2 with still four minutes remaining in the period.
“We came out early and stuck shots and made plays,” Meredith said.
In addition to a big night on the court, it was G-C’s Coaches vs. Cancer and “Pink Out” Night. The team wore pink uniforms and the coaching staff wore pink shirts. Many fans at the game were also wearing pink.
“I didn’t want it to be a trap game because I know [tonight at Avon] is a big game. I did know it was going to be an emotional game being Cancer Awareness Night,” Meredith, who lost his mother to cancer late last year, said.
After a pregame video presentation, Meredith presented a flower to his dad in the stands.
“We hadn’t been at home in a while. To have a Friday night with a great community turnout, with the Pink-Out and Cancer Awareness, it’s one of the things that makes Greenfield special, turning out and showing out in this fashion against Franklin County on a Friday night,” Meredith said.
Following Willard in the scoring column, Mullins finished with 10 points. Robertson and Brady Johnson each had eight and Freeman scored seven.
The Cougars have, on paper, their biggest remaining regular-season challenge tonight at Avon (11-8), winners of the Hendricks County Tournament. They are the only remaining team on the schedule with a winning record.
Greenfield-Central wraps up the regular season with a road game Feb. 17 at Martinsville (3-14) and a home game on Feb. 21 against Perry Meridian (4-16).
Last year’s team set a school-record in victories for a season with 21.
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Greenfield-Central 62, Franklin County 32
Franklin County;7;10;5;10;—;32
Greenfield-Central;21;17;14;10;—;62
Franklin County (7-12): Carson Allen 3 0-0 8, Blake Stephenson 3 1-4 7, Carter Dozier 3 3-4 9, Quinn Gillman 1 0-0 2, Eli Butt 1 0-0 3, Isaiah Kemp 1 0-0 2, Brady Foster 0 0-0 0, Kayden Kerr 0 1-2 1, Jack Seals 0 0-0 0, Ezra Kolb 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 5-10 32.
Greenfield-Central (19-0): Dallas Freeman 3 0-0 7, Braden Robertson 2 3-4 8, Jacob Hinton 0 0-0 0, Braylon Mullins 3 3-4 10, Boston Willard 8 0-0 23, Brady Johnson 3 0-0 8, Cooper Robertson 1 2-4 4, Tucker Brown 1 0-0 2, Blake Evans 0 0-0 0, Gavin Markus 0 0-0 0, Clay Mullins 0 0-0 0, Isaac Roberts 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 8-12 62.
3-point goals: Franklin County 3 (Allen 2, Butt). Greenfield-Central 12 (Willard 7, Johnson 2, Freeman, B. Robertson, B. Mullins).
