COMMENTARY

It was opening weekend at Butler High School and three teams from the Gazette coverage area were all part of the 4 Decades Tipoff Classic. The classic is a girls basketball event held at Vandalia Butler High School to honor the history of the sport in the Dayton area.

Both Butler and Milton Union won their games at the event, while Tippecanoe battled the regional finalists down to the last shot before losing by one point in their game.

To sum it up, the area teams competed well on the big stage in front of a good crowd of basketball fans in the Student Activity Center.

The event also saw several former players and coaches recognized for their time in girls basketball in the last 40 years at halftime of various games. Former Tippecanoe Hall of Fame coach Tom Rettig was brought back to be part of the 90’s Throwback celebration during the halftime of the Tipp game, along with Denise DeMange, an all-state basketball player during her days in the '90s. She is also the mother of Brooke, Ashley, and Emily Aselage, all three multisport standouts during their Tipp careers.

Former Butler coach Monte Ross was brought back to be honored during halftime of the Butler/Brookville game, along with former Butler all-state point guard Kacie Cassell.

Longtime Tipp boys basketball coach Frank Goldsberry returned along with several of his former girls players during his time at CJ. They were recognized for their iconic battles with Beavercreek.

Also honored was current Tipp Middle School Athletic Director Kaci Matthews, who was recognized during the Milton Union/Oakwood game. She is the all-time leading scorer at Milton Union during her days.

All three teams played well during the event. I thought Tipp shook off the nerves after a horrific start that saw them fall behind 11-0 in the opening 90 seconds before battling back to compete well, losing by one. It was great to see Courtney Post improve her game at the post, she controlled things well at the rim.

Freshman Abbi Mader scored 30 in her high school debut and showed the world what they had to deal with the next four years. Saying she is a special player isn’t enough. The ceiling is unlimited for her. It is just a matter of her adjusting to the defenses that will be thrown at her once her film gets out. It will be crucial for them to get her open so she can create for the offense. I also liked Macey Griffin's leadership skills, as her ability to do a lot on the floor will be key for them.

Butler battled a tough young Brookville team and got the win. Noel Smith is a steady floor leader, and Dillan Bardonaro has really grown her game after a good freshman year.

Milton opened the event with a two-point win against a solid Oakwood team. Jenna Brumbaugh showed that she is the best player in her league with leadership. I also liked the presence of Kate Copp, who showed a lot of improvement heading into this season.

It should be an amazing year of basketball, as the boys have also opened the season.