CARMEL – There were freshly-printed, commemorative championship t-shirts tucked away out of sight, along with a 1,000-point milestone banner with senior Kayla Stidham’s name on it, but none of the Hamilton Southeastern Royals knew about them.
Not until the final horn sounded on Saturday night inside the Eric Clark Activity Center.
Nothing was revealed until the Class 4A seventh-ranked Royals (20-4) completed their task – winning back-to-back Sectional 8 titles.
HSE’s Kayla Stidham on sectional win
Hamilton Southeastern’s Kayla Stidham on sectional win and reaching 1,000 career points.
A team doubted by some after the graduation of multiple seniors, including 2025 Indiana Miss Basketball Maya Makalusky, the Royals were a defending sectional champion carrying the moniker of underdog.
For their sectional championship game against rival Carmel (10-14), the duo of Stidham and senior Kennedy Holman, a 2026 Indiana Miss Basketball candidate, decided it was due time to shed that label.
Holman, who was limited to two points during the semifinal round the night prior, finished with a game-high 22 points, while Stidham broke the 1,000-point plateau in the second quarter en route to 15 points, as the Royals completed their repeat by beating Carmel 50-34.
“Three years ago, when we lost at home (to Noblesville in the final), I think that really hit hard for us, so I’m glad we came back and were able to win sectional two years in a row,” HSE senior Antonette Green said.
The Royals’ back-to-back championship was the focal point on their white t-shirts with bold blue lettering, which the players’ parents created in anticipation of the team’s probable feat.
Marking the program’s first sectional repeat since 2006 and 2007, the title was HSE’s sixth all-time and third since 2019.
And it required grit, trust, a first-half spark provided by Holman and Stidham and most importantly, some hallmark HSE defense.
“I said going into the year that I thought offense would be our forte, and we’d have to come along defensively,” HSE coach Brian Satterfield said. “But from the beginning of the year, our defense has been our staple. This year our identity has been at the defensive end.”
As has become their M.O., the Royals’ patience on offense and pressure defense fed their tempo, and an over-and-back turnover by Carmel opened the door late in the first quarter.
Down 8-7 before Stidham, a Bowling Green commit, drove the lane to flip the score 9-8, the turnover led to a spinning layup by Holman, a Florida commit.
Hamilton Southeastern’s KK Holman
HSE’s KK Holman after Royals’ sectional championship win over Carmel.
In the second quarter, consecutive 3-pointers by sophomore Piper Brinley (5 points, 7 rebounds) and Stidham, who reached 1,000 points on her long-range jumper, put HSE’s destiny in their hands.
“What I love about those two and what makes them special is they put in the work, so they’re ready for the moment,” Satterfield said. “To see them come out here and do what they do, that’s what I’m so proud of. I know all the hard work, the commitment and the time they’ve done to have this opportunity and then to come through and get it done.”
The tandem left no doubt in the third quarter.
Carmel cut into its five-point halftime deficit, 22-17, with a three-point swing to start the second half, but Stidham and Holman combined for seven points during HSE’s 12-2 run that effectively showcased four different scorers.
A Brinley layup assisted by Holman increased the lead 27-22. A 3-pointer by Green off another Holman assist put HSE ahead 34-22.
Holman tallied five assists, three steals, a blocked shot and six rebounds.
“Tonight, she came ready to play, and she shows what she’s capable of and shows why she’s a Miss Basketball candidate,” Satterfield said.
The Royals’ defense held Carmel under 10 points in every quarter but the first, and all five HSE starters scored 3 points or more.
Carmel senior Sydney Bonds led the Greyhounds with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
When both teams played during the regular season on Jan. 2, HSE won 46-36, but without Holman, who was sidelined for three games due to an injury.
The lessons gained by her absence have become a factor this postseason.
“The last time it was a good game. They did it without me, so just being able to help them this time meant a lot to me,” Holman said. “I was upset for a little bit when I was out but seeing my team get it done without me was a good feeling, and it helped them gain their confidence. We grew from it a lot.”
They grew closer, and it bolstered their unselfish philosophy. Though, when the situation calls for it, Stidham and Holman are always ready to take over.
“It’s no different than when we had Maya (Makalusky) last year. We have certain things set up, but when they try to take that away, you’ve always got other options for other people,” Satterfield said. “Tonight, we were able to get some of those options before we had to go to the second and third options.”
Stidham buried a trio of 3-pointers while grabbing six rebounds and blocking a shot. Green, the Royals’ semifinal hero, had five points. Junior Abigail Orme, the team’s quarterfinal scoring leader, added three points.
“It’s special. I think it just shows the culture of HSE. Everyone is there for each other,” Stidham said.
The memorabilia was a nice touch, too.
“We had no idea,” Green said. “We had no idea about the t-shirts, but they’re amazing. I’m so glad we have them as a memory, especially as seniors, all the seniors. We have these to remember our back-to-back.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.indystar.com ’
