Beech Grove’s Miraculous Cinderella Jounrney

   “We all knew that we would make it far. We just had to play together.” Those were the words of Beech Grove Junior, Jeremiah Alexander. 

   The Hornets have swarmed up a near-impossible postseason under Head Coach Mike Renfro and now stare into the eyes of a state championship. Though the trophy is just within their reach, their story doesn’t come without hardships and triumphs. Playing as the “Cinderella” team has not been an easy road for Beech Grove, but the ultimate reward is bound to come in the player’s eyes. 

   Beech Grove lost 4 of 5 games between December 23rd and January 19th. In the time following the slump, BG lost to only 4A powerhouse Mt. Vernon (Fortville). The drastic turnaround led to an impressive postseason and now a potential championship. 

   Junior Jaleel Edwards has been one of many stars on the hornets. When asked how the team stayed motivated up to this point, he said “We all had an end goal and it was to be where we are now. Trust me, we had ups and downs, but we ended up buying into each other for this.” When speaking with multiple Beech Grove student-athletes, it was clear that the family dynamic was crucial for the squad’s success. 

   Jeremiah Alexander told us “(We are) finally starting to get together and learning how to play with each other. We all know how good one another is and what we are capable of doing. Our chemistry connecting on the floor has really helped us as of now.”

   Coming into championship week, business seems to be handled as normal according to Junior Anthony Ball. “We’ve been more serious but besides that, we always have been locked in as a team,” Ball said. His goal is to get “every rebound, block, steal and dunk.”

   It’s undeniable that Beech Grove will have a heavy heart this Saturday. Beloved previous head coach Matt English passed away of brain cancer in 2018. With the team’s deep playoff run, the community has rallied around the squad in honor of Coach English. “People are saying they wish he was here to see this and they hope he’s looking down from heaven, watching them, and yelling when they make stupid calls,” a source close to the team told us. 

Saturday will be a day to remember for the Beech Grove community.