A year of experience, heartbreak in big games, and growth has laid the foundation for what could be a big season for this Railroader group. With four returning starters, the program enters the new campaign with confidence and unfinished business after last season’s frustrating near-misses in multiple title games.
Leading the charge is junior forward Isaiah King, a returning All-State and First Team All-Conference selection who sets the tone with his energy, scoring touch, and relentless rebounding. King’s versatility makes him a matchup nightmare, able to dominate the paint while stretching defenses on the perimeter after leading Garrett with 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. King will start the season on the sideline after a summer injury, but upon his return the Railroaders will grow significantly.
Fellow junior Carter Coffman—also an All-State and First Team All-Conference guard—brings leadership and offensive firepower. Coffman’s ability to score in transition, hit from range, and distribute the basketball will be pivotal to the team’s offensive rhythm. After starting as a freshman, Coffman took his game to a higher level last year, averaging 14.8 points, 4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
The backcourt is further strengthened by senior Ari Hippensteel and junior Dawson Hedges, with Hippensteel’s court vision and Hedges’ defensive pressure providing help. Senior Gabe Armstrong, a KPC Honorable Mention honoree, made big strides last season with his defensive tone setting.
Inside presence will be important to balance Garrett’s guard play, especially while awaiting King’s return. Junior Kohen Smith (3.9 ppg, 55% shooting) brings toughness and size to the forward rotation, while senior Jake Gonya adds experience and rebounding coming off a strong football season. Both are expected to play key roles in a frontcourt that will be tasked with setting the tone defensively and controlling the glass.
Junior forwards Ayden O’Neal and Aiden Reed and senior Camden Masek are going to add depth to that frontcourt. Reed provides length and athleticism that bolster depth and he also was able to knock down a couple of big time shots in limited varsity action last season.
The loss of last year’s senior leaders—Parker Reed, Royce Fuentes, and Jakob Hoover—creates big shoes to fill, both statistically and in leadership. Reed’s First Team NECC performance and steady presence as captain set the example for what’s expected.
That culture remains a defining focus. The program’s identity centers on defensive intensity, rebounding dominance, and transition execution, three pillars that fuel their success says their coach. But growth areas remain, most notably shooting consistency and performing under pressure in big moments. The team struggled with efficiency in key games last season, dropping two championship contests and a sectional semifinal by large margins.
“Expectations are high for all of us. We are excited to continue to build a program that our Garrett community takes pride in and is proud of along with bringing back a championship back to Garrett and adding on to the tradition of our program,” said coach Logan Traylor.
WHY #10?
Garrett had one of the best turnarounds in the state of Indiana last season, going from a 5-win team (for three consecutive seasons) to a 19-win team that made it to the NECC Tournament finals and to the Sectional semi finals.
That great story and two returning all-state players has Garrett still in focus for a lot of the area. They took some bumps in a packed and competitive top end of the NECC, but their two wins over a very tough Angola team make them considered among the conference top contenders again.
Can Garrett move up beyond 10th place in Bounce’s Power Poll over the season? That depends on just how well they can replace one of their top players lost to graduation and how they adapt until they are fully healthy.
KEY GAME
January 27 vs. Westview
The Railroaders went to Westview twice last year in an eight-day stretch and lost twice by an average of 30 points between the NECC Tournament finals and the regular season. It felt a lot like a successful team that wasn’t use to big moments visiting a seasoned program that “been there, done that.”
This year, the Warriors will head to Garrett and it comes right after a conference tournament where they may also meet again.
But this one remains big. Despite conference losses to Angola and Fairfield a year ago, Garrett’s biggest losses on the scoreboard came at Westview, something that may have derailed them a bit late in the season. Garrett needs to secure a solid game here, win or lose, to prove that they have grown since last year’s two lopsided losses.
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