Former Columbia City prep basketball standout Andrew Hedrick goes up for a layup for Team Indiana during the Nancy Rehm Border Classic at the University of Saint Francis.
Former Columbia City prep basketball standout Andrew Hedrick goes up for a layup for Team Indiana during the Nancy Rehm Border Classic at the University of Saint Francis.
David Vantress
Former Columbia City prep basketball standout Andrew concentrates on a free throw attempt during the Nancy Rehm Border Classic.
FORT WAYNE – Former Columbia City High School guard Andrew Hedrick has had quite the Indiana high school basketball career.
And as Hedrick’s high school days come to a close and college beckons, Hedrick this past weekend had one last chance to put on an Indiana high school basketball uniform. He was chosen to represent Team Indiana in the 2023 Nancy Rehm Border Wars Classic against Team Ohio at the Hutzell Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Saint Francis campus.
Hedrick and his Team Indiana teammates made it a sweep, defeating Team Ohio, 88-85. The Team Indiana girls did their part earlier in the day, besting Team Ohio, 92-81.
Hedrick tallied seven points on a pair of field goals and 3-of-4 free throws.
But for the former Eagle star, the entire experience was special.
And as an added bonus, Hedrick got a sneak peak at a gym he’ll often get to play in the next four years: Hedrick will play at Bethel University this fall. The Pilots compete in the NAIA in the Crossroads League, which also includes Saint Francis.
Hedrick also got the chance to make some new friends.
“Most of the guys I knew, but I met a couple of new guys,” Hedrick said.
Hedrick added that like other area seniors, it’s starting to sink in that this chapter is coming to an end and a new one is on the horizon.
“I’m excited,” Hedrick said.
Hedrick will be on campus at Bethel this summer for camps and workouts as he starts to get into the groove of NAIA college basketball with the Pilots. He’ll be joined by several other area players, including West Noble’s Austin Cripe, with whom he got to play alongside on Sunday.
Wayne head coach Byron Pickens was the head coach for Team Indiana and had a blast guiding some of the best players in northeast Indiana along with his staff.
With 11 players on the roster, finding playing time for all was a challenge, but Pickens and his assistants had five-man rotations coming in and out of the game regularly.
Pickens also tried to strike a balance between giving his guys chance to shine, putting on the show fans came to see, and winning what’s become a good regional rivalry with a neighboring state.
“I told the guys to treat the first half like an all-star game and the second half like a regular game,” Pickens said. “I’ve gotten to watch these guys grow up, coach against them, and it was nice to get to coach them one last time.”
The Nancy Rehm Border Wars Classic is held in honor of Nancy Rehm, a late Bishop Luers standout and 2009 inductee in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
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