Westview senior Charlie Yoder speaks on being named an Indiana All-Star

On April 6, Charlie Yoder was named the first Indiana All-Star in the history of Westview basketball.

Although the Warriors fell short of postseason titles during the 2019-2020 season, the honor was a big step for Yoder and for the program. Yoder, a senior undecided at this point on his college choice, was also part of the Indiana Junior All-Star core team.

“It means a lot to me and my family,” Yoder said. “I have had a lot of great teammates and this is just as much a testament to them as it is me and just our program; that means a tremendous amount to me.”

Yoder was consistently a triple double threat during his senior season as he transitioned into playing just as much at the point guard as any other position. Despite the lack of returning experience, Westview thrived and so did Yoder. His scoring went up, while his assist numbers did too. He finished the year averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 assists and 11 rebounds per contest. Westview shared the NECC regular season title with Churubusco.

Team success – and individual success, to a degree – is not new for Westview. The school has won 20 Sectional titles, including six in the last decade. The Warriors have also won six Regional titles, three Semi state titles and back to back Class 2A state titles in 1999 and 2000. The program has had just three losing seasons in the last 20 years. Yet, still no Indiana All-Star until Yoder.

The most recent hope other than Yoder was Elijah Hales, who was a Junior All-Star in 2018 but did not make the All-Star team as a senior.

“Our community, we’ve had a great program and had a lot of great players but we’ve never had an Indiana All-Star. For me to be able to be the first really means a lot. I think it will mean a lot to our community too because we’ve had a lot of success but not an Indiana All-Star,” Yoder said.

11 of the players named Indiana All-Stars are going to play Division I basketball; Yoder is the only player still undecided on his college choice. He also averaged the second most points of all 13 All-Stars, just behind Northwestern’s Tayson Parker and his 28.8 points per game.

“Growing up an Indiana basketball fan my whole life and being a small school up here in the north, never having an Indiana All-Star – never even having one in the county – I think we just feel very blessed or fortunate…lucky, whatever word you want to use,” said Rob Yoder, Westview’s coach and Charlie’s father.