GREENWOOD – Joey Ortman played just one game with his new Roncalli basketball teammates when the junior transfer from Greenwood went down with a back injury that would keep him out almost the entire regular season.
Having played just two games since and wearing a hard brace, the 6-4 Ortman entered Saturday’s Class 3A sectional championship game against many of his former teammates midway through the first quarter after senior forward Joe Taylor picked up his second foul.
His impact was almost immediate. Ortman scored 15 straight points for Roncalli in the second quarter, giving them what would be an insurmountable lead in a 56-44 win.
“It’s been a struggle,” said Ortman, who finished with a game-high 19 points. “It was hard sitting on the bench the whole time, but I knew I was going to be back eventually. So I knew I had to keep cheering on my team, and when I was back, just playing my hardest for my guys.”
With the game tied 8-8, Ortman’s first impactful play was a subtle one, passing out of an open baseline three to Luke Feldman who buried an open look from the top of the key for an 11-8 lead the Royals would take into the second quarter. He was just getting started.
After playing peacemaker following a hard foul and players from both sides going nose to nose, Ortman drove, scored and drew the foul with his conversion lifting Roncalli to a 19-11 lead. On the Royals’ next possession, Ortman ran baseline and drilled an open three from the corner for a 22-14 lead. He did it twice more, burying corner threes and playing to the crowd after. His encore was draining a shot from the top of the key for a 31-17 Roncalli lead.
“I got in, had an and-one on my first shot, got hype, and that got me going a little bit,” Ortman said. “And then I shoot a three, get the student section going. I’m hyped. I knew I was hot, so I had to keep going. Big win for us.”
Roncalli (17-7) will face No. 4 Northview (21-5) in Saturday’s 3A regional. After making the sectional championship game the previous two years, the crown is the program’s first since 2011.
“It took really good players, a lot of a lot of time, and commitment, a dedication to our program,” said fourth-year coach Jamin Wernke. “We’ve been to the sectional championships the last couple years, and maybe we just weren’t ready yet. Joe Taylor’s a three-year starter. Will Hegwood is a three-year starter as a junior. Conner Kesler has been a real impact player for the last three years. We’ve been building towards this for four years. I’m just so happy for our guys to be able to climb that ladder and cut down those nets.”
Greenwood did claw its way back, though, and got within two at 38-36 heading into the fourth on a bucket inside by Parker Doolin. Roncalli had a strong start to the fourth, with Feldman burying a corner three to make it 46-36. Greenwood made one final push, but Hegwood drove inside following a steal and kicked out to an open Ortman, whose 3-pointer with 3:51 left made it 51-41 and brought the Roncalli crowd to its feet.
“A big reason we won today was Joey,” said Taylor, who finished with nine points. “He can shoot the ball, and he had some fire under him coming back to his old school. He came out hot, kept shooting, and made a big impact.”
Junior forward Benjamin Hommell led Greenwood with 15 points and Doolin scored 10. Hegwood added 10 points for Roncalli.
“We didn’t want to be in the situation we’d been in the past two years, making it to a championship, and not finishing the job,” Taylor said. “So this just means everything. We’ve just gotta keep going. One game at a time.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Joey Ortman sat most of season with back injury. He returned at right time for Roncalli
Reporting by Paul Shepherd, For IndyStar / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
