This sectional title means something to Hanover Central’s Henry Maurer.

The Wildcats’ first such achievement in basketball since the 2019-20 season, which was abbreviated by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, is the culmination of a multiyear process for Maurer and five other seniors who lost in sectional finals in each of the previous two seasons.

“It’s a great feeling,” Maurer said. “I’ve never had it before. I mean, I did freshman year for football. But coming up short two years in basketball, to finally that senior year have that feeling of success in the playoffs, it’s a great feeling, especially with these guys.

“Quite a few of us have been playing varsity for almost four years now, so it’s the same group every year coming back, coming back, coming back. To finally get it that fourth year, it’s a great feeling to have.”

Maurer and the Wildcats (15-11) will try to add to that feeling when they play East Chicago Central (19-8) in the Class 3A Michigan City Regional on Saturday. Hanover Central will be seeking its first regional title after defeating River Forest 67-50 in the Kankakee Valley Sectional championship game on March 8.

Maurer, a 6-foot-3 guard/forward, is averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds — standout senior forward/center Brad Rohde leads in both categories — and a team-high 2.8 assists on a team with five seniors in the starting lineup.

Maurer is also in his second season as a captain, a responsibility he shares with Rohde and senior guard Max Wiancek.

“Henry is very good to play with and to lead a team with,” Rohde said. “Over the past three years both starting, we’ve developed very good chemistry on and off the court, along with Max, who’s been starting since sophomore year with us as well.

“Every game, he guards the other team’s best player, which isn’t an easy task, but he’s always up for it. On offense, he’s shooting the three great this year and has been very good around the rim as well.”

Maurer started a handful of games as a freshman but was primarily the sixth man. He entered the lineup as a sophomore, averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds, before posting 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-high 2.8 assists last season.

“I’m bigger and stronger, for sure,” Maurer said. “But I’ve also grown mentally. Whenever I’m faced with difficulty or struggle or adversity, I handle it much better now than I have in previous years.

“I’m better at communicating, better with the ball in my hands, better off the ball. My overall skill in general has improved.”

Hanover Central coach Brad Stangel has watched Maurer grow.

“What you see is what you get,” Stangel said of Maurer. “He’s a great kid. He’s found his voice as a leader. He’s always a hard worker. He’s always led by example.

“We asked him to do some things as a freshman. We asked him to do a little more as a sophomore. Over the last three or fourth months, he’s found his voice as a leader. That’s important. This group, which is as close a team as any I’ve ever coached before, they like each other. They give each other a hard time once in a while. But the cohesiveness and camaraderie of this group has prepared them for success. Him finding his voice and not having to run into a wall all the time has helped us.”

Stangel, who led Andrean to the Class 2A state title in 2019 and is in his fourth season at Hanover Central, believes this team has paid its dues to reach this point.

“It’s one of those things you don’t see very much anymore in sports,” he said. “They stick together. They lose as sophomores, they lose as juniors, but they stick together. No one leaves, and they get over the hump. I just don’t see that anymore.

“People are so quick to jump, so quick to go other places or complain about this, that or the other thing. These guys stuck together, and with some of the young guys, it was a really gratifying win for them on Saturday (in the sectional final against River Forest). That was great.”

Maurer has taken his position in that group seriously.

“Being a captain of the team, I do like to take the leadership role,” he said. “We all lead in our own ways — example, voice and some like to teach. I try to do my best to check every box of leadership on and off the court. It’s important to lead not only the team but individuals too. Everyone works differently.”

Maurer learned from his brothers Adam, a golfer who graduated in 2017, and Luke, a regional qualifier in the long jump who graduated in 2020.

“Having two older brothers to beat up on you when you were a little kid definitely makes me tougher now,” Maurer said with a laugh. “Even some of the trash talk from the other teams, you just laugh it off because you’re so used to it because of your brothers. They’re a big reason why I’m the guy I am today.”

Maurer started on Hanover Central’s football team for three seasons, playing wide receiver on offense and linebacker and safety on defense. He said he enjoys both sports but considers himself more of a basketball player.

Maurer could’ve had opportunities to play in college, but he intends to go to Purdue to study construction management technology.

“I want to build houses when I get out of college,” he said. “I want to get an internship hopefully sophomore, junior year, and then hopefully it just takes off from there. I want to be the reason why families stay safe at night. I want to build a secure home for them. That would be pretty cool for me.”

Maurer is prepared to play recreationally.

“I’m going to try to walk on,” Maurer said. “I understand it may not be that realistic because they’re DI, Big Ten and all that. I don’t know if I’m that good. I have the talent to play at a D-III or an NAIA or possibly a DII level. But I’ve done a lot of thinking about it. I’ve done a lot of talking about it with my family.

“I’m going to miss playing with a team, playing for a crowd, playing for fans and something bigger than me. But I can enjoy basketball and what I can do alone and just being able to play on my own time.”

Maurer hopes to extend his time with the Wildcats for as long as possible.

“It’s the team morale,” he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of things together on and off the court. This year, we’ve really made it a focus to become one, not to have our own little separate groups, just come together as a team. It really does help.

“Everyone talks about, ‘Oh, hey, team bonding outside of school.’ It’s like a cheesy thing sometimes. But I really do think it’s important for that aspect of the team to come through.”