Shelbyville High School senior Brody Runnebohm, with Mar Nicholson behind him, prepare for a half-court offensive possession against Greenwood on Tuesday. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Shelbyville earned a significant early-season win Tuesday night with a victory over ranked Greenwood at Garrett Gymnasium, improving to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play. The Golden Bears will face two more tests this week with road games Friday at Mt. Vernon and Saturday at Yorktown.
Shelbyville, unbeaten and recently elevated to No. 6 in the USA Today Network Indiana Class 3A poll, looked composed from the opening tip. Behind a senior-heavy lineup that has grown up together in the same system, the Golden Bears controlled long stretches of the game, building early momentum and responding with poise each time the Woodmen closed the gap.
“We knew coming into this game this would be one of our real first tests,” senior Mar Nicholson said. “It showed where we’re at right now, and what we still need to work on.”
Shelbyville jumped out to a 10–2 lead behind early ball movement, defensive pressure and a student section featuring an elf and an impressive Christmas tree costume. Nicholson scored eight in the quarter, Brody Runnebohm hit two three-pointers, Caden Claxton also hit a three and Cole Schene had key plays at both ends of the floor. But Greenwood answered with athleticism of its own. The Woodmen closed the first quarter behind repeated attacks by Braden Reynolds and Parker Doolin, who finished multiple plays at the rim, trimming Shelbyville’s advantage to 19–17 on a Doolin dunk at the buzzer.
Rather than panic, Shelbyville leaned into its experience.
Claxton hit an early three, Nicholson continued to score through contact inside and the threat of Runnebohm’s perimeter shooting stretched Greenwood’s defense. The Golden Bears extended the lead to 36–29 at halftime, a margin built on key defensive plays, including Camden Thoman breaking up what could have been an easy Greenwood lay-in near the buzzer.
“We knew we had to up our intensity and physicalness,” Claxton said. “I thought we did a great job of that.”
Greenwood made its strongest push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to one possession and forcing Shelbyville to execute in the half-court. Claxton responded with a particularly determined sequence, missing twice inside before grabbing his own rebound again and converting an and-one. Runnebohm knocked down a key three late in the period to maintain a 49-44 lead heading into the fourth.
The decisive moment came then.
After Doolin converted his fourth dunk of the night to pull Greenwood within striking distance, the Woodmen pushed again in transition, looking for another highlight finish. This time, Claxton tracked the play from behind, met Doolin at the rim, and stripped the ball clean, a defensive stand that immediately flipped momentum.
“I wasn’t letting that one go,” Claxton said.
Shelbyville followed with timely free throws, strong rebounding from Reed and Schene and clock management that left Greenwood chasing. The Woodmen, down nine, called a timeout in the final seconds. A nearby fan joked that the coach was “drawing up his nine-point play.”
Whatever the reason for the break, the Bears held on to claim a 67-58 win. Runnebohm finished with 21 points, Claxton with 19, Nicholson with 18, Schene with 5 and Thoman and Reed each scored 2.
For head coach John Hartnett, now in his fifth season, the night reflected more than a single result. All five starters are seniors, most of whom have played together since middle school, a continuity that allows the team to operate with shared trust.
“You don’t want to overcoach them,” Hartnett said. “Sometimes they see things out there that I don’t, and they’re not afraid to talk about it.”
That approach extends to Hartnett’s staff, which includes longtime assistants Brady Claxton, John Hartnett Sr., Zach Phelps, Bryan Fischer and AJ Hounshell.
“I couldn’t do what we’ve done the last few years without those guys,” Hartnett said. “They’re loyal and they care about this program.”
The night also included a moment of pageantry before tipoff, when Isa Figueroa performed a trumpet solo of the national anthem, accompanied by Megan Childres holding the music.
It was all part of the show that the Bears have so far continued as they rise in the rankings. But Hartnett said the team’s focus remains internal.
“Rankings are fun,” he said. “But they can change quickly. We’re worried about getting better and being ready at the end.”
After the final horn, a Golden Bears fan leaned toward the bench and summed it up: “Good test tonight.”
Shelbyville passed it, and now heads on the road to see what comes next.