Sectionals 2014
■ ■ YO U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 8 9 5
The Herald
DUBOIS COUNTY, INDIANA monday, March 3, 2014 SECTION B
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Surprise! throughout the progression of each basketball season, someone or something usually emerges as a pleasant surprise. this season is no different. whatever or whoever it is, each team has found some sort of surprise factor that just might serve an an x-factor come sectional time.
herald staff photos
Clockwise from top left: Caleb Sabelhaus of Heritage Hills, Rhiley Eckert of Jasper (33), Tristan Linne of Northeast Dubois, Gaage Fetter of Southridge and Ben Wendholt of Forest Park (24) have all provided a pleasant surprise of some sort for their respective ballclubs this season.
Rhiley Eckert: Looking outside in Rhiley Eckert was once a spot-on 3-point shooter. At least, in his own mind. “I like to think that,” he says with a coy smile. Either way, his days of slinging shots from the perimeter are pretty much history. All throughout his high school career, and even a few games into this season, Eckert operated as a guard. These days, the Jasper junior doesn’t even bother trying 3-pointers in warm-ups. “Never do anymore,” he says matter-of-factly. Eckert was aligned for a varsity position this season all along, so it’s not that his presence in the lineup is a surprise. It’s where Eckert now roams that is the unforeseen twist. He left behind the perimeter for
the paint, transforming from guard to forward in a swap that has essentially been no big deal, the way Eckert explains his timeline in hoops. In sixth and seventh grade, he filled the big-man role. Then he stopped growing and morphed into a guard. He’s come full-circle this year, making the switch again for a team well-stocked on the perimeter; four of Jasper’s top five scorers are guards. “I like it down there,” says Eckert — as well he should, shooting at a 64 percent clip from the field. “At first, I didn’t actually know how it was going to be, but then I found out (it was) pretty nice.” Many times this season when the Cats have earned their most wide-open looks at the basket, it’s been Eckert either on the giving or receiving end as he’s utilized both his old passing skills and his newfound instincts around the basket. His 4.5 points per contest are nice, but to Jasper coach John Goebel, a penchant for defense is what elevates Eckert’s value. It’s not an easy life for someone with
Eckert’s dimensions; he admits that his roster height of 6-foot-1 is fudging it by a good inch. But while frontcourt mates Austin Alles and Philip Huebschman wield upper arms like nightclub bouncers and get it done with bullishness, the springy Eckert offers a different layer of athleticism. “He has good instincts and good reflexes, and he jumps really well, and he just has a good feel for the game, because he uses his body well and maneuvers well,” Goebel said. Oh, and there’s one more thing makes Eckert effective in his new realm. Goebel marvels at how Eckert just “has a good way of sneaking the ball in the bucket.” “Me and Austin Alles, we have a joke, we always make fun of him for not getting any (rolls), and the ball just finds a way to get out of the rim, actually,” Eckert says. “And mine always tend to fall in.” More so than those old 3-pointers, especially. — by Brendan Perkins
Southridge guards: Catching up fast They say a lot can change in a year. So it’d be hard to believe Southridge coach Jeremy Rauch didn’t have a worry when thinking about how his backcourt would change this year with the departure of both starting guards —and nearly 40 percent of the Raiders’ scoring — from last year’s squad. Not to mention, the next-in-lines weren’t exactly sure things. Cam O’Bryan played in just one varsity game last year before two knee surgeries knocked him out for the season’s remainder; Evan Julian had suffered from multiple stress fractures in his foot his freshman season and played primarily for the C-team squad as a sophomore, alongside Gaage Fetter; and Connor Craig didn’t even play SURPRISES continues on Page 14
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 3
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LET’S GO ALL THE WAY!
page 4 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
WILDCATS ... Win This Sectional ...
Courtland Betz Senior
Nonte Chiropractic
1450 S. Executive Blvd., Jasper – 634-2474
Kyle McWilliams Senior
Philip Huebschman Senior
The Mutt Hut
Tyler Begle Junior
Gudorf Supply Company
2622 Brosmer Street, Jasper – 482-6336
1280 3rd Ave., Jasper – 634-5101
Brosmer Land Surveying Klink’s Hallmark Shop Shoney’s Germantown Shopping Center, Jasper – 634-2223 231 South, Jasper – 481-1466 & Engineering, Inc. 205 E. 6th Street, Jasper – 482-9819 Uebelhor & Sons, Inc. Edward Jones-Craig Hanneman www.uebelhor.com 416 Jackson St., Jasper – 481-1035 Headquarters, Inc. 201 Main St., Jasper – 482-3411 Kunkel Insurance Agency, Inc. Jasper Embroidery & Screenprinting 310 Main St., Jasper – 482-4787 Drs. Brad & Kim Wilson 414 Jackson St., Jasper – 482-4556 288 Northwood Ave., Jasper – 482-1855
Nolan Ahrens Junior
Rhiley Eckert Junior
Austin Alles Junior
Craig Shepherd Sophomore
Batteries Now
Gudorf Contracting, Inc.
Springs Valley Bank & Trust
Eck-Mundy Assoc.
Chem Dry Carpet Cleaning
TablEx
Hurm Construction
Dairy Queen / Orange Julius
VU Jasper Campus
Papa John’s Pizza
Krempp Lumber Company
Adventures Recreation & Gear
2603 Newton St., Jasper – 482-1236
450 11th Ave., Jasper – 634-8001
1339 W. 36th Street, Jasper – 482-6306
Hwy. 231 S., Jasper – 482-1166
Justin Goebel Sophomore
Jasper – 812-482-1081 or 812-309-0661
Denise & Greg Luegers 482-5328
at the “Y” in Jasper – 482-2766
216 Main Street, Jasper – 482-1961
Alex Allen Sophomore
1500 Main Street, Jasper – 634-1010
555 Cathy Lane, Jasper – 481-1177
Peyton Gentry Sophomore
850 College Ave., Jasper – 482-3030
331 Mill Street, Jasper – 482-3757
Tyler Nottingham Freshman
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 5
sectional history
YEAR WINNER RUNNER-UP HOST SCHOOL SCORE 1925 Huntingburg Orleans Jasper 23-21 1926 Huntingburg Winslow Jasper 23-14 1927 Huntingburg Winslow Huntingburg 37-29 1928 Spurgeon Petersburg Petersburg 24-15 1929 Spurgeon Holland Jasper 20-13 1930 Huntingburg Holland Huntingburg 21-12 1931 Stendal Jasper Petersburg 45-30 1932 Stendal Jasper Jasper 24-20 1933 Jasper Ireland Huntingburg 41-7 1934 Jasper Huntingburg Petersburg 23-7 1935 Huntingburg Jasper Jasper 28-13 1936 Jasper Holland Huntingburg 36-24 1937 Huntingburg Jasper Petersburg 40-34 1938 Jasper Huntingburg Jasper 30-25 1939 Stendal Jasper Huntingburg 37-35 1940 Huntingburg Petersburg Petersburg 36-22 1941 Winslow Holland Jasper 25-19 1942 Jasper Spurgeon Jasper 49-33 1943 Jasper Winslow Jasper 32-28 1944 Jasper Spurgeon Jasper 50-43 1945 Jasper Holland Jasper 61-30 1946 Jasper Spurgeon Jasper 51-41 1947 Jasper Huntingburg Jasper 36-27 1948 Jasper Spurgeon Jasper 51-49 1949 Jasper Winslow Jasper 48-39 1950 Winslow Jasper Jasper 64-46 1951 Winslow Jasper Jasper 49-42 1952 Jasper Spurgeon Huntingburg 52-47 1953 Holland Huntingburg Huntingburg 49-46 1954 Winslow French Lick Huntingburg 67-53 1955 Huntingburg Holland Huntingburg 55-50 1956 Jasper Winslow Huntingburg 73-69* 1957 Jasper West Baden Huntingburg 77-68 1958 Springs Valley Huntingburg Huntingburg 66-41 1959 Huntingburg Springs Valley Huntingburg 41-39 1960 Jasper Winslow Huntingburg 84-38 1961 Jasper Winslow Huntingburg 85-58 1962 Jasper Ireland Huntingburg 59-51 1963 Ireland Springs Valley Huntingburg 20-19 1964 Springs Valley Ferdinand Huntingburg 77-74** 1965 Springs Valley Huntingburg Huntingburg 72-65 1966 Springs Valley Jasper Huntingburg 59-57** 1967 Holland Jasper Huntingburg 62-52 1968 Holland Ferdinand Huntingburg 57-53 1969 Springs Valley Holland Huntingburg 54-34 1970 Huntingburg Holland Huntingburg 55-53 1971 Jasper Dubois Huntingburg 86-65 1972 Jasper Forest Park Huntingburg 61-53 1973 Jasper Southridge Southridge 47-46 1974 Jasper Perry Central Southridge 73-49 1975 Jasper Forest Park Southridge 75-74*** 1976 Southridge Forest Park Southridge 57-45 1977 Northeast Dubois Jasper Southridge 60-55* 1978 Perry Central Jasper Southridge 56-55 1979 Southridge Northeast Dubois Southridge 46-44 1980 Southridge Northeast Dubois Southridge 55-45 1981 Jasper Southridge Southridge 69-68 1982 Southridge Forest Park Southridge 48-44 1983 Southridge Jasper Southridge 63-53 1984 Northeast Dubois Southridge Southridge 49-36 1985 Southridge Forest Park Southridge 57-37 1986 Southridge Jasper Southridge 55-53 1987 Southridge Northeast Dubois Southridge 42-41 1988 Northeast Dubois Jasper Southridge 52-39 1989 Jasper Southridge Southridge 49-37 1990 Forest Park Jasper Southridge 55-42 1991 Southridge Northeast Dubois Southridge 47-36 1992 Southridge Forest Park Southridge 55-40
YEAR WINNER RUNNER-UP HOST SCHOOL SCORE 1993 Forest Park Pike Central Southridge 46-40 1994 Southridge Forest Park Southridge 46-34 1995 Jasper Southridge Southridge 70-51 1996 Jasper Northeast Dubois Southridge 61-43 1997 Pike Central Southridge Southridge 67-56 1998 Gibson Southern Pike Central Washington 63-47 Evansville Bosse Evansville Memorial Boonville 72-71* South Spencer Evansville Mater Dei Southridge 69-68 Cannelton Northeast Dubois Tecumseh 70-61 1999 Gibson Southern Pike Central Washington 64-53 Heritage Hills Boonville Boonville 58-53 Evansville Mater Dei Perry Central Southridge 62-56 Tecumseh Cannelton Tecumseh 66-42 2000 Princeton Vincennes Lincoln Washington 61-46 Evansville Mater Dei Evansville Bosse Boonville 86-60 Paoli Tell City Southridge 73-69 Northeast Dubois Springs Valley Orleans 71-46 2001 Jasper Vincennes Lincoln Washington 71-69* Evansville Mater Dei Heritage Hills Boonville 72-59 Crawford County Tell City Southridge 65-64 Northeast Dubois Orleans West Washington 61-30 2002 Jasper Pike Central Washington 66-39 Gibson Southern Heritage Hills Boonville 53-43 Crawford County Southridge Southridge 50-46 Tecumseh Evansville Day Wood Memorial 64-52 2003 Sullivan Vincennes Lincoln Washington 38-37 Heritage Hills Gibson Southern Boonville 38-36 Forest Park Crawford County Southridge 59-45 Tecumseh Evansville Day Tecumseh 48-37 2004 Vincennes Lincoln Washington Washington 64-54 Evansville Mater Dei Heritage Hills Boonville 59-55 Forest Park North Posey Southridge 64-42 Orleans Crothersville W. Washington 45-33 2005 Washington Vincennes Lincoln Washington 83-60 Evansville Mater Dei Boonville Boonville 47-38 Forest Park Southridge Southridge 61-46 Orleans Northeast Dubois Springs Valley 42-40* 2006 Washington Vincennes Lincoln Washington 63-53 Evansville Mater Dei Evansville Bosse Boonville 66-64 Forest Park South Spencer Southridge 50-37 Orleans Northeast Dubois Orleans 67-44 2007 Washington Vincennes Lincoln Washington 71-63 Evansville Bosse Evansville Memorial Boonville 56-54 Southridge Tell City Southridge 42-41 Orleans West Washington W. Washington 70-43 2008 Washington Vincennes Lincoln Washington 76-49 Evansville Memorial Princeton Boonville 67-58 Evansville Mater Dei Tell City Southridge 54-41 Orleans Springs Valley Springs Valley 32-24 2009 Washington Vincennes Lincoln Southridge 42-34 Princeton Evansville Memorial Princeton 60-51 Forest Park Evansville Mater Dei Boonville 69-60 Northeast Dubois Orleans Orleans 40-39 2010 Washington Jasper Washington 43-30 Forest Park Evansville Mater Dei Southridge 66-44 Northeast Dubois Orleans Springs Valley 44-42** 2011 Washington Southridge Southridge 47-36 Forest Park North Posey Boonville 43-41 Trinity Lutheran Orleans Orleans 53-40 2012 Vincennes Lincoln Jasper Washington 56-41 Forest Park Evansville Mater Dei Southridge 73-51 Orleans Northeast Dubois Orleans 61-47 2013 Vincennes Lincoln Jasper Washington 48-25 Perry Central Evansville Mater Dei Southridge 56-54 Northeast Dubois Tecumseh Wood Memorial 69-60* * overtime ** double overtime *** triple overtime
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GO JASPER WILDCATS
WIN IT ALL!
page 6 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Class 3A
@ Huntingburg Memorial Gym Jasper Wildcats Record: 11-9 Coach: John Goebel (80-72 in seven seasons at Jasper; 166109 in 12 seasons overall) Opponent: vs. Mitchell (6-13), 7 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 30 sectionals, 14 regionals, 1 semistate, 1 state title (1949) Probable starters: G T.D. Nottingham (5-7 Fr.); G Tyler Begle (6-1 Jr.); G Nolan Ahrens (6-0 Jr.); F Austin Alles (6-3 Jr.); F Alex Allen (6-2 Soph.) Team tidbits: Jasper is 12-3 all-time
Heritage Hills Patriots Record: 15-6 Coach: Matt Sisley (70-84 in seven seasons) Opponent: vs. Vincennes Lincoln (15-7), 5:30 p.m. CST Wednesday Postseason history: 9 sectionals Probable starters: G Sam Scherry (6-1 Sr.); G Gavin Schaefer (6-4 Jr.); G Devon Merder (6-4 Sr.); G Tyler Ward (6-0 Jr.); C Spenser Minto (6-4 Sr.) Team tidbits: Scherry and Merder both average around two steals per game for a Patriot defense that allows 52.3 ppg, an improvement of nearly nine points from last
Pike Central Chargers Record: 7-13 Coach: John Mokris (10-30 in two seasons) Opponent: vs. Jasper (11-9) or Mitchell (6-13), 6:30 p.m. Friday Postseason history: 1 sectional, 1 regional Probable starters: G Colton White (5-10 Fr.); G Kegan Aldridge (5-8 Sr.); F Tyler Toopes (6-3 Soph.); F Garrett Elliott (6-0 Jr.); F Gabe Elliott (6-3 Fr.) Team tidbits: The Chargers’ seven wins are one short of their combined total from the prior three seasons. ... Gabe Elliott has made an impact in his first season,
against first-round foe Mitchell and knocked the Bluejackets out of the sectional the last two years, winning 62-28 and 62-42. ... Ahrens tops Jasper at 11.8 ppg and has kicked that average up to 14.4 over the last nine games. ... Alles (52 percent), Ahrens (53) and Allen (56) all shoot better than 50 percent from the field; the Cats are just over 50 percent as a team. Keep an eye on: The championship. The Cats have a favorable draw to get there and are shooting to finish the deal after losing in the final three of the last four years. Moment to remember: Begle’s two gamewinning free throws against Mount Vernon on Feb. 15 gave the Cats a 54-52 win and clinched a share of the Big Eight title.
Southridge Raiders
year’s mark. ... The Patriots are 1-9 all-time against first-round foe Lincoln, with six of those clashes coming in the postseason. The Alices grazed the Pats 64-61 in OT in the 2011 sectional and 41-37 in ’12. Keep an eye on: Post defense. The Patriots will need to monitor Lincoln’s physical duo of Avory Mickens and Josh Sprinkle; that duo combined to score 26 of the Alices’ 45 points in the regular-season meeting while hitting 9-of-16 shots and 8-of-8 free throws. Moment to remember: Merder netted his 1,000th point and drilled the game-winning 3-pointer last Tuesday when the Pats edged a 16-win Princeton team 59-58. That gave the Pats 15 wins, their most since winning 19 contests in 2003-04.
Mitchell Bluejackets
averaging a team-best 11.3 ppg. Aldridge provides 9 ppg while Toopes scores 8 ppg and also leads the team in blocked shots and steals. ... Pike Central shoots 72 percent from the free throw line, with White the most accurate at 78 percent. Keep an eye on: Consistency. The Chargers can play like the team that gave Southridge, Princeton, Heritage Hills and South Spencer close games. But they can also play like the team that has dropped six of its last 10 games by 15 or more points. Moment to remember: After falling behind 29-8, the Chargers surged back for a 55-50 road win at Forest Park late in the season. They finished with three conference wins, their most in the last six seasons.
Vincennes Lincoln Alices
just to be asking: HAILEY LUBBEHUSEN a senior cheerleader from southridge showed she’s got game: before a recent girls sectional game, she hit a trick shot in which she executed a forward handspring while picking up a basketball, then swished in a half-court heave all in the same motion. and she only needed three tries to bury the shot, which was captured on film and soon went viral. So Penny Altstadt (your cheer coach) brought the idea up to you at the beginning of the season? Actually, it was probably less than a month ago. She put a video up on our cheer page on Facebook, and she was joking around saying, “I want you girls to try this.” And we’re like, “Oh, you’re crazy,” thinking she was just trying to be funny, but I was going to show her a new one. I was like, “You know what, I am going to try this.” That’s awesome. So did anyone else on the team actually give it a shot? No. (laughs) Wow. So how did the training go about? Did it come naturally or were there times you fell flat on your head? Well, we were actually at the (girls basketball sectional) game (against Jasper) and Penny’s niece goes to school there. So she got her to give us a basketball, because we were like, “Let’s try it.” And I just tried the flip first, just to make sure
I didn’t kill myself. And I was trying to put my hands on the outside of the ball on the floor and trying to pick the ball up on the way up, and that wasn’t working. But I never fell, I just didn’t pick the ball up. Well (Penny) explained to me, “Hailey, you’ve got to put your hands on the ball.” And I’m thinking, “Are you crazy? I’m going to bust my head out there.” But then she kind of talked me through it and gave examples of (cheerleading maneuvers) I already knew that were kind of like it, so I was like, “Oh, OK. I understand.” So I did it and flipped on top of the ball, and from there she was like, “OK, go out to the middle of the floor. ... No one’s here, it doesn’t matter if you make it or not.” So I go out to the middle and the first time, didn’t even hit the backboard. And there’s like 10 people in the audience
Record: 17-4 Coach: Jeremy Rauch (56-30 in four seasons) Opponent: vs. Washington (6-14), 8 p.m. Wednesday Postseason history: 12 sectionals, 2 regionals, 2 semistates Probable starters: G Connor Craig (5-10 Jr.); G Cam O’Bryan (6-4 Jr.); F Chad O’Bryan (6-8 Sr.); F Henry Steckler (6-4 Jr.); F Cody Thompson (6-5 Sr.) Team tidbits: Southridge permits just 44.1 ppg, the 15th-best defensive average in the state and third-best among 3A teams. ...
Record: 6-13 Coach: Doug Thomas (12-28 in two seasons) Opponent: vs. Jasper (11-9), 7 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 12 sectionals, 1 regional, 1 semistate Probable starters: G Alex Speer (6-0 Sr.); G Daniel Jenkins (5-10 Jr.); F Shane Coulter (6-0 Sr.); F Jared Vance (6-2 Jr.); C Drew Passmore (6-5 Soph.) Team tidbits: Mitchell has surrendered its sectional opener in six of the last seven years. Of the sectional teams, the Blue-
Record: 15-7 Coach: Jeff Hein (85-52 in six seasons at Lincoln; 257-191 in 20 seasons overall) Opponent: vs. Heritage Hills (15-6), 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Postseason history: 70 sectionals, 19 regionals, 4 semistates, 2 state titles (1923, ’81) Probable starters: G Brandt Nowaskie (6-0 Jr.); G Ethan Claycomb (6-3 Soph.); G Conner Barmes (5-9 Jr.); F Avory Mickens (6-3 Sr.); C Josh Sprinkle (6-5 Sr.) Team tidbits: The Alices have lost to just
Washington Hatchets Record: 6-14 Coach: Gene Miiller (152-61 in nine seasons at Washington; 620-289 in 39 seasons overall) Opponent: vs. Southridge (17-4), 8 p.m. Wednesday Postseason history: 46 sectionals, 20 regionals, 6 semistates, 7 state titles (1930, ’41, ’42, 2005, ’08, ’10, ’11) Probable starters: G Colten Garland (6-0 Soph.); G Connor Brown (5-11 Soph.); G Matthew Stephens (6-0 Fr.); F Matthew Sparks (6-2 Jr.); F Jake Bedwell (6-1 Soph.) Team tidbits: The Hatchets are 0-9 away and they’re giving me the weirdest looks I think I’ve ever seen. And announcers are there and they’re just staring at me thinking, “This crazy cheerleader, I don’t even know what she’s trying to do.” And by the third shot, I have a little crowd going around of kids trying to figure out what is happening, and it goes in and everyone just starts screaming. And I guess it was pretty loud because we had peopl e running in the building asking “What happened?” and “Why is everyone yelling?” So it only took you three shots on the first day that you tried the shot to actually hit it? Yeah. (laughs)
The Raiders are 18-2 on their home floor over the last two seasons. ... The Raiders commit just 12.4 turnovers per contest while opponents average 16.7. Keep an eye on: The 3-point arc. On both sides. The Raiders shoot just 28 percent from deep, but if the 3s fall, they can accent Southridge’s robust inside game. Meanwhile, the Raiders will open against a Washington team that made seven treys in the regular-season meeting between the squads; 20 of Washington’s 39 shot attempts came from 3-point range. Moment to remember: The Raiders waxed conference co-leader South Spencer 48-31 on Feb. 21, picking up the 13th Pocket Athletic Conference crown in program history.
jackets and Pike Central share the longest drought; the last title for both came in 1997. ... Vance shoots 63 percent from the floor while Jenkins has drilled a team-high 33 3-pointers; 86 percent of Jenkins’ shot attempts come from behind the arc. Keep an eye on: Speer. He sank six treys and scored 20 points against Jasper in last year’s regular-season meeting, though the Cats limited him to six points in the sectional. Speer isn’t just a shooter; he also sports an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 2-to-1. Moment to remember: In late December, the Bluejackets walloped North Knox 61-39 for their lone victory against a team with a winning record.
one team (Mount Vernon) with a losing record. Fifteen of the Alices’ 22 opponents finished with a winning record. ... Mickens (16.4 ppg) and Sprinkle (12.3) pace the Alices from the inside, while Nowaskie scores 10.4 ppg from the outside. Keep an eye on: Tyjuan Hawkins. The junior averages 7.3 ppg and offers a versatile shooting/slashing threat off the bench. He scored just three points in the regular-season meeting against Heritage Hills but can be a considerable X-factor if he gets hot. Moment to remember: Behind 19 points from Mickens and a 19-10 flurry in the fourth quarter, the Alices went on the road to knock off defending SIAC champion Castle 51-48 in late January.
from home, including three one-point losses. ... Garland has shot well in games this year against sectional opponents, hitting for 14 points against Southridge, 21 versus Heritage Hills and 23 against Vincennes Lincoln. Keep an eye on: Youthful potential. Despite injuries and defections on a team with just one senior who plays, the Hatchets may be the sub.-500 team no one wants to face. Washington played Jasper and Southridge tough in the first half, took Vincennes Lincoln to overtime and led Heritage Hills by 15 points before losing 70-69. Moment to remember: The Hatchets picked off a 21-win Mount Carmel team 67-61 in late February as Garland and Stephens merged for 36 points. Did you expect to get it that quickly? No. I think I was more shocked than anyone else in that room. What was the scene like when that shot went in? It was actually really quiet in the gym. ... And actually, on one of (the clips of one of) the girls who was videotaping, a boy actually turned to her and said, “This is going to be the shot.” And everyone was like, “What?” And it was silent. And the ball went about half way and everyone took a breath of air thinking, “Oh my goodness, that one may go in.” And it’s See CHEERLEADER on Page 7
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 7
Jasper players Tyler Begle, left, Hunter Gossett, Alex Allen, Peyton Gentry, Nolan Ahrens and Philip Huebschman listened to coaches before the start of a January contest against Washington. The Wildcats scored regularseason wins over Vincennes Lincoln and Washington, the two programs that have combined to win the last 10 Class 3A sectional crowns. Jasper’s hoping for similar success this week as they chase the program’s first sectional title since 2002. Rachel Mummey The Herald
Wildcats reboot with hope this is their year By BRENDAN PERKINS Herald Sports Editor Tyler Begle developed an inkling that this was going to be “the” team. Two years ago, the Wildcats arrived in the sectional championship wielding 14 wins — their most since 2004 — and a 1,000-point scorer in Begle’s big brother, Caleb. Perhaps the biggest indicator the Cats were on the verge of a breakthrough was that they reached the sectional final after a domineering win over a Washington team in the first year of the post-Zeller regime. “Every year, you think this is going to be the team that’s going to bring Jasper basketball back on the map,” he said. “And two years ago when (Caleb) was there, it definitely seemed like it was Jasper’s time.” The wait has proved cumbersome. For a solid decade, at least one Zeller populated the lineup at Washington, hoisting the Hatchets to seven sectional titles and four state championships. It wasn’t just Jasper, but everyone in Class 3A from Indianapolis southward, that was left empty-handed thanks to one family jammed with NBA-level talent. For the Wildcats, there was a smidge of consolation in that.
But when their window opened up two years ago, the Cats absored a 15-point defeat to Vincennes Lincoln in the sectional final. The chance appeared even more ripe last season when the Cats and Alices tangled again in the sectional finale with Lincoln standout Avory Mickens serving a suspension. But Jasper crashed, scoring just 25 points in a 23-point defeat. When the Cats show up to Huntingburg Memorial Gym this week, they’ll do so with the understanding they’ve got as good a shot of anyone of being the one who’s celebrating on Saturday night. But there’s also the realization that they’ll have to navigate a winning equation they haven’t mastered since 2002, the year of their last sectional crown. “You need to get the right draw, your players have to have the right attitude, you’ve got to have a little bit of talent, you’ve got to have a little bit of luck in close games,” Jasper coach John Goebel said. “Getting all those things to fall into place is not easy.” Recently, it’s just been the final step that’s proved elusive, as Goebel noted the Cats have played in the sectional championship three of the last four seasons. “We do have experience winning sectional games,” Goebel said, “we just haven’t been able to win that big one.”
In the hunt The six other squads in the Class 3A sectional will all be gunning to end Vincennes Lincoln’s two-year grip on the title. Team — last sectional title Vincennes Lincoln — 2013 Washington — 2011 Southridge — 2007 Heritage Hills — 2003 Jasper — 2002 Mitchell — 1997 Pike Central — 1997 As Goebel sees it, the gap in sectional success isn’t an indictment of the program. He points out that Jasper has gone 14-4 in conference games over the past three seasons, and that the Cats are willing to accept the blemishes that come from a schedule that includes five 4A schools. In peeking at the Sagarin ratings that compute teams’ strength of schedule, Goebel also points out that Jasper’s schedule is rated as the toughest of the seven sectional squads. “We’re going to keep it that way, too; we don’t have any plans on changing that,” Goebel said. “We want to play the best teams even if that means some years our win-loss record is not what it could be if we had a lesser sched-
Cheerleader (Concluded from Page 6) still quiet, and that breath of air, and then (the shot) goes in and everyone starts screaming, like one of those silent moments that they play in movies that nobody makes a sound. And then they were screaming. So did everyone flood the court after that? Well, there weren’t many people there since we got there with the players. It was like an hour before the game started, so there were
just a couple of grandparents in there. But the cheerleaders flooded the court. They were excited. Incredible. Now, I hope you’re planning on doing this again. Are there plans for a repeat performance? I’ve thought about it. I tried it another time afterwards, but it’s one of those things that I’ve tried it because other people have asked me to and I wasn’t really prepared to do it. It didn’t go in at all. I think it hit the rim a couple times. But I’ve had people come
ule. But the trade-off is we feel like that makes us better. “We know that we’re getting the most out of our kids with the talent we have. ... As a program, we’re successful.” What Goebel wants out of this year’s group is stability, and signs are beginning to point that way. Claiming the sectional will require piecing together three consecutive wins, which the Cats have accomplished just once this season, when they followed an overtime conquest of Vincennes Lincoln by topping Washington and Pike Central. The Cats haven’t been mired in any losing streak longer than two games, either, but the Cats realize the on-again, off-again blues won’t equate to a lengthy postseason stay. “I think we’ve been a little bit of a roller coaster. We’ve been as good as any team on our schedule and we’ve been as bad as any team on our schedule. It’s just been a wide range in regards to the level of our play,” Goebel said. “But we feel like in the last seven games of the regular season, starting after the New Albany game, we’ve been a lot more consistent team. ... We’ve shown much greater consistency down the stretch and a lot better toughness.” The grittiness factor was one of the chief things that Goebel was seeking at the outset of the
season. The influx of talent was there, he thought, but the Cats just had to adopt a more physical edge. Now that the pieces have gradually settled into place, the question is re-introduced: Is this Jasper’s year? Begle and Goebel said the frustration factor hasn’t been overwhelming through the sectional drought, but the undertone of urgency remains. A smile crept over Begle’s face as he explained that bragging rights are part of his motivation, too: “Having one thing Caleb doesn’t have is a sectional championship. That’d be kind of fun,” he said. And Begle added there’s the itch to accomplish what other teams around school have reveled in — since the 2011-12 school year, seven of the 10 Wildcat boys sports programs have reeled in a sectional crown. “I think pretty much everybody has gotten a sectional this year and years past in the boys sports for tennis and baseball and stuff like that,” Begle said. “We’re definitely hungry to finally get a sectional championship. Hopefully we can do that, and I think we’ve got a pretty good chance.”
Contact Brendan Perkins at bperkins@dcherald.com.
Visit us up to me and say, “Hey, I don’t want you to try it again because I don’t want the magic to die.” So I’ve got a lot of people that want me to do it again but there are a lot of people who don’t want me to do it again just so I can leave that last shot as the shot that went in. Any chance you’ll break the skill out in 10 years for someone that has no idea you can do it? Oh yeah. There’s no way I can keep this a secret.
duboiscountyherald.com OR facebook.com/DuboisCountyHerald
page 8 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Heritage Hills senior Devon Merder raised his hand as he was introduced before Tuesday’s home finale in Lincoln City, where the 6-foot-4 guard went for 27 points, reached the 1,000-point mark for his career and hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the Patriots’ 59-58 win over Princeton. Points are only part of the story for Merder, whose efforts as a four-year varsity player have extended far beyond the court. Carolyn Van Houten The Herald
Prosperity comes with care for Patriot star By JOE JASINSKI Herald Sports Writer As the junior varsity game continues on the court, Trent Sisley meanders through the Heritage Hills locker room and coaches’ office with a ball in his hands. The first-grader waits for his buddy to show up. Until then, he’ll entertain himself with the occasional dribble. Finally, after five minutes of stretching, the pal of Patriot coach Matt Sisley’s son is finally ready to hang out. Trent and senior Devon Merder toss the ball around, always along the lockers on the left side of the room, always until Matt Sisley walks in to give his pregame talk. “It’s our little pregame ritual,” said Merder, whose team will wrestle with Vincennes Lincoln (15-7) at 5:30 p.m. CST Wednesday in the Class 3A sectional at Huntingburg. A 7-year-old and a 1,000-point scorer. It’s quite the combo. But when you get to know Merder, it shouldn’t surprise you. “Devo,” as he’s called by teammates and coaches, is the same way with Sisley’s 11-year-old son,
Blake, and with assistant coach Pete Lashley’s three boys — Carter, 7, Pierce, 9, and Grant, 13. “The reason they’re all sitting in there,” Lashley said, pointing to his boys stomping around in the locker room, “has very little to do with what he does on the basketball court.” Maybe it’s a little pay-it-forward. Back in fifth grade, Merder was brought into the locker room by his own childhood idol, Ted O’Brien, the son of assistant coach Steve O’Brien, when Ted was a senior on the Heritage Hills squad. O’Brien took Merder out for the pregame shootaround, where he “was just scared to death just chucking up shots,” Merder recalled with a laugh. That memory with Ted, who gave Merder his letter jacket upon graduating (Merder’s still got it) and has coached Merder’s AAU team the past two seasons, left something a bit deeper with Merder, too. “When I was young and in that locker room, I guess I could see myself being a part of this program one day,” Merder said. “And I guess I took that to heart at a young age.”
He took it to heart then, and very little has changed since. And that’s the thing Sisley stresses most about his senior: Everything Merder does is earnest. “Just see his work ethic. A lot
of times when a player has been around a program for four years, they settle. They find ways to short-cut drills. They get way too comfortable,” Sisley said. “He’s still our hardest-working player.”
Merder is pushed more than most. Sisley will admit to it. After taking a more supportive approach See PATRIOT on Page 9
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 9
Southridge senior Chad O’Bryan (10) hoisted an arm in celebration alongside teammates Payton Mattingly, left, Cody Thompson and Chance Tretter after a recent Raider win against Washington. Behind O’Bryan’s reserved veneer is a quirky side that teammates have come to revere. Equally appreciated is O’Bryan’s diverse skill set that’s been on display during Southridge’s win streak of 11 games entering the Class 3A sectional. Carolyn Van Houten The Herald
O’Bryan’s oddities perfect relief for Raiders By JOSEPH FANELLI Herald Sports Writer Southridge senior Cody Thompson had known classmate Chad O’Bryan since almost first grade, but it wasn’t until almost seven years later that Thompson said he witnessed the real O’Bryan on display. “I remember in eighth grade whenever we’d go on bus trips, he’d put on his headphones and start singing to “A Thousand Miles” (by Vanessa Carlton),” Thompson remembered with a laugh. “Just the way he sang it. He was so animated with it. He’s got his headphones in sitting there jamming to it, being as loud as he can. I mean, that’s one of the most vivid things I remember from middle school basketball. That’s when I kind of realized how Chad was.” “Animated” is not a word usually associated with O’Bryan. Tall, quiet, serious maybe. But a purveyor of emotions? Not exactly. O’Bryan is a man of little words, scorer of many points and also, according to his teammates, one
of the funniest people alive. The mere mention of him sends them into giggles. On the court, he’s calm and reserved, always maintaining the same concentrated look. His play has been one of the key components to the Raiders’ 11game win streak, the third longest in program history. And if Southridge plans on stretching its run into the postseason, which starts Wednesday at the Class 3A sectional in Huntingburg where the Raiders take on Washington (6-14) at approximately 8 p.m., the team will more than likely continue to lean on its 6-foot-8 forward. But behind the scenes is, allegedly, a much different picture. “He’s such a goofy kid,” Thompson said. “It’s more how he acts than what he actually says. He doesn’t say a whole lot a around us either, it’s just how he is.” Where to start? Well, there was all of last season when O’Bryan brought a “sock monkey” into the locker room before games to dance with it as part of some sort of pregame ritual. Or just this last Wednesday when he belted whiffle
balls at his teammates. He’ll actually tell you about that one. “In the locker room there was a whiffle ball bat and whiffle ball and I was sitting down, so, you know, I picked it up and swung the bat and hit real hard and hit it next to Cody and they all started freaking out, like, ‘What are you doing?’” O’Bryan explained. “And I did some stupid laugh and just ran off.” Or there is what junior Henry Steckler refers to as just O’Bryan’s general “awkwardness”: How Thompson will deliver some sort unifying message before O’Bryan follows with a non sequitur. “It’ll be before games and Cody will say, ‘We’ve got to work hard,’ and Chad will just come up and say, ‘Kick them in the mouth,’” Raider junior Connor Craig said. “He’s just getting our mind off of (things).” It’s all part of the side that won’t show when O’Bryan is conversing one sentence at a time. But it’s there. Even coach Jeremy Rauch can confirm it. “I’ve seen (that side) in small
doses because I’ve been around him for long enough to see a little bit of that, but for the most part ... it kind of takes him a while to open up,” Rauch said. “We don’t see a whole lot of that. And by the time we come onto the floor, we don’t see hardly any of that.” Which is just perfect for Rauch. As long as that goofiness stays off the court, he could care less how odd his forward behaves at times. And for all the talk about O’Bryan, he says his teammates have adopted his quirks as well. The leading disciple in the House of O’Bryan seems like it should be younger brother Cam, who is generally tight-lipped himself. But it’s actually junior Evan Julian, who’s lived next door to the O’Bryans since grade school. “I’m going to have to say Evan is the biggest clown on the team. He’s just an odd person. Just the laugh he does is ridiculous,” Chad said. O’Bryan says he’s even one of the ones that has to “baby-sit” players, especially when Craig and Cam are behind the bench
“acting like idiots; being clowns.” Although that is one claim Thompson might refute. “At the beginning of the year, I said me and Chad would have to be baby sitters this year because how goofy some of (the players) are,” Thompson said. “But come to find out, Chad is the one of the kids, too.” One of the biggest, apparently. But all the laughs just roll off O’Bryan, the same way the chaos of a game never seems to affect him. He says he’ll give refs an occassional disapproving glance if he feels wronged, but other than that, it’s just the unchanging vanilla expression. But beneath the surface, he’s having fun, because if you’re not, what are you doing there? “You definitely have to have fun or what’s the point of playing the game?” he said. “You can’t always be so serious. You’ve got to take time off the court and have fun with your teammates. We are a group of friends.”
he’s upped his field-goal clip seven percentage points from last season to 57 percent. “Catch-and-shoot guys are a dime a dozen,” Sisley said. “Guys who can get to the rim like he did against Princeton, that’s taking it to a new level.” Yet what teammates and coaches love about Devo seems just as rooted on that off-the-court stuff. And it’s always been that way. Classmate Zach Zoglman thinks back to kindergarten at Nancy Hanks Elementary School after he and his family moved from Newburgh. “I remember the first day of school, I did not know anybody there,” Zoglman said. “I was walking around lost and Devon looked at me, pulled up a chair and said, ‘Hey sit here, buddy.’ That’s why we’ve been best
friends ever since.” Even now, when Merder serves as a cadet teacher for his mother, Donna, during sixth and seventh periods each day at Nancy Hanks, there’s Merder in the hallways giving high-fives to kids as they walk by. When you ask him about his performance on the court, it seems like an internal race at times for Merder to redirect responses toward the efforts of a teammate or of the collective whole. The talent is there, and so is the character. “They worship him,” Sisley said of his two sons. “And I just don’t think it’s (because he can) put the ball in the basket. It’s how he treats people.”
Contact Joseph Fanelli at jfanelli@dcherald.com.
Patriot (Concluded from Page 8) with Merder his freshman season, Sisley “started to get into him a little bit” as a sophomore, the coach remembered. “And we kind of knocked heads some, which is good. I knew he wasn’t going to back down. But he knew he had to bring more to this program as a leader.” And after a string of games last season in which Sisley wasn’t seeing what he wanted out of Merder, “I absolutely came unglued on him and said, ‘Son, if you don’t rebound, this team is not going to win,’” Sisley said. At that point, Merder’s penchant for taking ownership, well ... it took over. “Ten rebounds, 11, 10, nine, eight, 10. And I’m like, ‘This kid does whatever you tell him to do,’”
Sisley said. “He just took it to a new level and he’s been a different kid.” Once scouted as solely a shooter, Merder’s path is a prototype of progression. Last year, a game-saving block at the buzzer to solidify a 56-54 road win over Forest Park typified a renewed devotion on defense. This year, in an early-season surge past Northeast Dubois, Merder scattered 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two thefts. “He knew he had to bring more to this program as a leader, as a passer, as a defender, as somebody who can do more,” Sisley said. The Huntington University recruit, who became the sixth Patriot player to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau during last
The Merder file The career offensive statistics for Heritage Hills senior and Huntington University recruit Devon Merder: Points: 1,030 (6th in program history Field goals: 379-of-790 (48 percent) 3-pointers: 107-of-317 (34 percent) Free throws: 165-of-197 (83.8 percent; well ahead of pace of Ben Lambeck’s program career record of 79.9 percent). week’s game against Princeton, now stamps his mark nightly on nearly all facets of the game. He leads the team in rebounds (6.6 per game), and is second in assists (3.5) and steals (1.8). Plus,
Contact Joe Jasinski at jjasinski@dcherald.com.
page 10 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Members of the Jasper boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Philip Huebschman, Adam Schwartz, Courtland Betz and Kyle McWilliams. Second row: Craig Shepherd, Rhiley Eckert, Luke Sermersheim, Tyler Begle, Justin Goebel, Alex Allen, Andrew Schmitt and T.D. Nottingham. Third row: Nolan Ahrens, Hunter Gossett, Austin Alles, Grant Theil, Peyton Gentry, Luke Foster and Cal Krueger.
Members of the Southridge boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Payton Mattingly, Corbin Neu, Connor Craig, Gaage Fetter, Harrison Steckler and Chance Tretter. Second row: Cam O’Bryan, Evan Julian, Cody Thompson, Chad O’Bryan, Henry Steckler, Jonathan Schum and Dillion Ramsey.
the herald â– Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional â– page 11
Members of the Forest Park boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Damon Wilmes, Austin Egloff, Cody Tempel, Dakota Begle, Joel Weyer and Ben Englert. Second row: Austin Bromm, Jaxon Cronin, Dylan Buechler, Ben Wendholt, Dacotah Deel and David Lusk.
Members of the Northeast Dubois boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Gage Knies, Cameron Riecker, Tyler Haas, Bill Schepers, Tristan Linne and Kaden Quinn. Second row: Luke Kerstiens, Brayden Wineinger, Jarah Gordon, Eric Dodson, Jacob Gress and Drew Jacob.
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Jasper Wildcats
Members of the Jasper boys basketball coaching staff are, from left: Jason Ahlbrand, Jeremy Wolf, Eric Dall and John Goebel.
Student managers for the Jasper boys basketball team are, from left: Austin Hopf, Levi Eckert, Jordan Fischer and Ricky Juarez. Members of the Jasper cheerleading squad are, from left, first row: Kiersten Lorey, Julia Ariens, Bailey Wigand and Morgan Kissel. Second row: Mackenzie Mendel, Demi Lorey, Emily Lichlyter, Alexis Lilly, Annie Ariens and Kendra Seger.
SEASON RESULTS (11-9) OPPONENT W/L SCORE at Evansville Harrison L 74-64 EV. MEMORIAL L 76-51 ^ at Boonville W 76-49 at Southridge W 54-48 EVANSVILLE CENTRAL L 67-59 at Paoli L 62-61 ^ VINC. LINCOLN W *63-60 ^ WASHINGTON W 67-52 at Pike Central W 54-42 at Forest Park L 62-58 at Bedford N. Lawr. L 69-55 NORTHEAST DUBOIS W 77-66
STATISTICS
OPPONENT W/L at New Albany L ^ MOUNT CARMEL W HERITAGE HILLS L EV. MATER DEI W ^MOUNT VERNON W ^at Princeton L FLOYD CENTRAL W at Loogootee W
SCORE 60-40 *58-56 57-55 62-55 54-52 54-53 66-47 57-40
* overtime ^ Big Eight Conference game
PLAYER G PTS HI AVG FG 3PT FT-FTA Nolan Ahrens 20 235 22 11.8 83 25 44-68 Courtland Betz 17 166 19 9.8 59 18 30-36 Tyler Begle 20 174 16 8.7 62 18 32-43 Alex Allen 20 138 11 6.9 62 0 14-28 Austin Alles 20 136 20 6.8 57 0 22-38 T.D. Nottingham 20 136 14 6.8 48 9 31-39 Rhiley Eckert 20 89 12 4.5 39 1 10-22 Philip Huebschman 19 71 10 3.7 30 0 11-15 Hunter Gossett 10 15 6 1.5 4 0 7-10 Justin Goebel 6 6 3 1.0 2 2 0-0 Grant Theil 2 2 2 1.0 0 0 3-2 Kyle McWilliams 9 8 2 0.9 4 0 0-0 Craig Shepherd 6 4 2 0.7 0 0 4-6 Cal Krueger 5 3 3 0.6 1 1 0-0 Peyton Gentry 8 0 0 0.0 0 0 0-0
Southridge Raiders
Members of the Southridge boys basketball coaching staff are, from left, first row: Jeff Tooley, Steve Rust and Matt Block. Second row: Jeremy Rauch and Don Buse.
Members of the Southridge cheerleading squad are, from left, first row: Hailey Lubbehusen, Megan Wehr and Clairissa Holmes. Second row: Brittany Smith, Kaylyn Long, Ashley Folz, Jessica Hilsmeyer and Jessica Lubbehusen. Third row: Skylar Kemp, Bailey Barrett, Justin Reed, Natalie Ahlemeier and Erica Buechlein.
SEASON RESULTS (17-4) OPPONENT W/L ^ TELL CITY W ^ at Pike Central W at Springs Valley W JASPER L # Brownstown Central L # Clay City W # North Posey W ^ at Gibson Southern W ^ at Tecumseh L at Northeast Dubois L PERRY CENTRAL W ^ at Heritage Hills W
SCORE 51-38 50-44 70-28 54-48 57-39 67-52 56-41 49-41 54-50 57-59 66-51 *67-64
at Paoli ^ FOREST PARK CRAWFORD COUNTY ^ at North Posey at Loogootee WOOD MEMORIAL WASHINGTON ^ SOUTH SPENCER BOONVILLE
Student managers for the Southridge boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Louis Dubon, Baden Pund and John Miller. Second row: Haley Barnett and Allie Yother.
STATISTICS W W W W W W W W W
66-56 35-31 43-38 51-37 33-25 54-36 61-52 48-31 55-38
* double overtime ^ Pocket Athletic Conference game # Graber Post Buildings Classic
PLAYER G PTS HI AVG FG 3PT FT-FTA Cody Thompson 21 278 19 13.2 110 2 56-79 Chad O’Bryan 21 250 18 11.9 81 22 66-84 Connor Craig 21 195 19 9.3 61 17 56-85 Evan Julian 21 111 16 5.3 39 14 19-33 Cam O’Bryan 21 100 13 4.8 31 5 33-52 Henry Steckler 20 90 10 4.5 32 4 22-30 Gaage Fetter 14 32 6 2.3 10 9 3-4 Corbin Neu 21 26 6 1.2 10 0 6-15 Jonathan Schum 16 12 4 0.8 5 0 2-2 Harrison Steckler 11 7 3 0.6 1 0 5-8 Payton Mattingly 16 8 2 0.5 3 0 2-2 Chance Tretter 8 4 2 0.5 1 0 2-2
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 13
Forest Park Rangers
Garrett Winkler is the student manager for the Forest Park boys basketball team.
Members of the Forest Park boys basketball coaching staff are, from left, first row: Jordan Johnson, Billy Harris and Aaron Berg. Second row: Jeff Litherland, Phil Winkler and Kyle Greulich.
Members of the Forest Park cheerleading squad are, from left, first row: Kayla Knust, Tabbi Bolte, Jenna Bieker, Amie Weyer, Tiffany Singer and Moriah Fleck. Second row: Morgan Uebelhor, Kari Begle, Adley Spayd, Alyssa Gogel, Shelby Olinger, Payton Prechtel and Gina Steckler.
SEASON RESULTS (11-10) OPPONENT W/L SCORE CRAWFORD COUNTY L 48-42 LOOGOOTEE W 51-31 at Washington L 50-47 at Northeast Dubois W 77-72 # at South Spencer W *67-64 # Heritage Hills L 59-39 # Crawford County L 56-48 ^ TELL CITY W 61-44 PERRY CENTRAL L 56-53 ^ at South Spencer W 46-43 ^ NORTH POSEY W 43-42 JASPER W 62-58 ^ TECUMSEH W 59-53
OPPONENT W/L ^ at Southridge L at Ev. Mater Dei L at Wood Memorial W ^ at Heritage Hills L at Barr-Reeve L at Boonville W ^ PIKE CENTRAL L ^ GIBSON SOUTHERN W
STATISTICS SCORE 35-31 57-41 54-48 *68-59 62-41 59-43 55-50 56-36
^ Pocket Athletic Conference game * overtime # PSC Holiday Classic
PLAYER G PTS HI AVG FG 3PT FT-FTA Joel Weyer 21 265 22 12.6 81 43 60-80 Ben Englert 18 183 21 10.2 67 1 48-74 Damon Wilmes 21 206 27 9.8 75 28 28-60 Dakota Begle 21 176 17 8.4 57 7 55-101 David Lusk 20 93 14 4.7 37 7 12-21 Austin Egloff 21 86 10 4.1 33 2 18-35 Ben Wendholt 20 55 12 2.3 20 6 9-14 Cody Tempel 21 23 8 1.1 9 0 5-20 Dacotah Deel 12 6 3 0.5 2 1 1-2 Dylan Buechler 12 5 3 0.4 1 1 2-2 Austin Bromm 8 3 2 0.4 1 0 1-2 Jaxon Cronin 7 0 0 0.0 0 0 0-0
Northeast Dubois Jeeps
Student managers for the Northeast Dubois boys basketball team are Michelle Seitz and Talia Terwiske. Not pictured: Kendra Schroering and Reid Ziegler. Members of the Northeast Dubois boys basketball coaching staff are, from left, first row: Cody Ziegler and Travis Schroering. Second row: Bruce Terwiske, Terry Friedman and Dwayne Knies.
Members of the Northeast Dubois cheerleading squad are, from left, first row: Allysia Overton, Madeline Paterson, Ashton Knies and La’Kiegha Fawks. Second row: Kaytlynn Dodd, Kateland Bailey, Cheyenne Rampersad, Emily Epple and Hayley Thewes.
SEASON RESULTS (9-12) OPPONENT W/L SCORE ^ at Washington Cath. W 62-21 at Orleans L **74-69 HERITAGE HILLS L 74-54 FOREST PARK L 77-72 at Crawford County L 60-38 # West Washington W 49-48 # at Springs Valley L 55-45 ^ BARR-REEVE L 64-45 ^ at South Knox L 52-50 SOUTHRIDGE W 59-57 ^ VINCENNES RIVET W 59-57 ^ at Loogootee L 56-51 at Jasper L 77-66
OPPONENT W/L SCORE ^ at Wood Memorial W 65-51 ^ at North Knox L 64-48 SPRINGS VALLEY W 67-46 at Paoli L 63-55 PERRY CENTRAL W *79-75 ^ SHOALS W 71-33 PIKE CENTRAL W 77-54 *overtime ** triple overtime ^ Blue Chip Conference game # Springs Valley Tournament
STATISTICS PLAYER G PTS HI AVG FG 3PT FT-FTA Tyler Haas 21 433 35 20.6 161 5 106-191 Cameron Riecker 20 259 21 13.0 96 17 50-69 Eric Dodson 21 192 22 9.1 81 0 30-48 Jacob Gress 19 127 14 6.7 41 6 39-63 Tristan Linne 18 77 12 4.3 26 13 12-19 Gage Knies 21 78 11 3.7 25 15 13-20 Drew Jacob 6 17 9 2.8 5 2 5-5 Brayden Wineinger 15 16 5 1.1 5 0 6-9 Luke Kerstiens 20 19 7 1.0 5 0 9-15 Kaden Quinn 13 5 2 0.4 1 0 3-7 Bill Schepers 21 7 3 0.3 2 1 2-7 Jarah Gordon 8 2 2 0.3 1 0 0-3
page 14 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Heritage Hills Patriots
Student managers for the Heritage Hills boys basketball team are, from left: Olivia Morris, Preston Van Winkle, Nathan Guth, Jordan Schaefer and Lauren Kane.
Members of the Heritage Hills boys basketball coaching staff are, from left: Steve O’Brien, Josh Wetzel, Matt Sisley and John Becher. Members of the Heritage Hills cheerleading squad are from left, first row: Ally Wanginger, Tiffany Parks, Linzee Morgan, Brenna Arnold and Bailey Pierson. Second row: Alexa Gengelbach, Jayde Loper, Derian Scales, Bekah Barnett, Shelby Klueh, Lauren Hohl, Olivia Hitz and Kayla Wilkerson.
SEASON RESULTS (15-6) OPPONENT W/L SCORE ^ NORTH POSEY W 73-48 at Northeast Dubois W 74-54 MOUNT VERNON W 83-44 # Boonville W 70-47 # Forest Park W 59-39 # Corydon Central L 72-58 at North Harrison W 75-46 ^ at Gibson Southern W 50-34 WASHINGTON W 70-69 ^ at Pike Central W 50-43 ^ TECUMSEH W 78-54 ^ SOUTHRIDGE L **67-64 EV. MATER DEI L 63-56
STATISTICS
OPPONENT W/L SCORE ^ at South Spencer L 57-50 BOONVILLE W 80-50 at Jasper W 57-55 ^ FOREST PARK W *68-59 at Vincennes Lincoln L 45-38 ^ at Tell City W 69-40 PRINCETON W 59-58 at Perry Central L 56-54 * overtime ** double overtime ^ Pocket Athletic Conference game # PSC Holiday Classic
PLAYER G PTS HI AVG FG 3PT FT-FTA Devon Merder 21 386 30 18.4 148 33 57-63 Gavin Schaefer 21 263 27 12.5 87 28 61-84 Spenser Minto 21 237 22 11.3 108 0 21-39 Sam Scherry 21 171 16 8.1 68 2 33-51 Tyler Ward 21 120 14 5.7 43 18 16-28 Caleb Sabelhaus 14 40 10 2.9 18 0 4-5 Justin Crane 14 34 8 2.4 12 6 4-4 Mason Becher 1 2 2 2.0 1 0 0-0 Sam Collins 11 17 9 1.5 7 1 2-2 Andy Sickbert 16 23 4 1.4 9 0 5-16 Torrin Madden 16 20 6 1.3 9 2 0-2 Zach Zoglman 21 21 5 1.0 6 3 6-8 Sean Schaefer 9 1 1 0.1 0 0 1-2 Logan Wilkerson 8 0 0 0.0 0 0 0-0 Alec Meunier 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0-0
Surprises (Continued from Page 2) basketball last season. Things were a bit bumpy in this year’s early stages. Turnovers plagued the team on occasion. Finding the right blend of backcourt complements was a process as well. By the time mid-January rolled around and the Raiders knocked off Perry Central, who’d dismantled Southridge by 27 points in the regular-season encounter last year and by nine points in the sectional rematch, the Raider guards seemed to be molding. The Raiders’ results supported the notion, as they haven’t lost since. Plus, the jitters appear to be gone; the Raiders have averaged just nine turnovers a game in their last six contests. In the second game of a win streak that now stands at 11 games, Fetter saw his first action in a game that wasn’t well in hand — a tightly contested Pocket Athletic Conference battle with Heritage Hills. Rauch and his coaching staff had told the sophomore during the previous year’s end-of-season player evaluations that if he kept polishing his jump shot, he’d have a chance at cracking the varsity lineup the following winter. “He really, truly, bought in last March when we told him that,” Rauch said. Against the Patriots, Fetter poured in a 3-pointer in the second quarter before sinking two foul shots in the later stages of Southridge’s double-overtime victory.
Nervous? A little. But with the tune of confidence strumming from teammates and coaches, Fetter’s head became a lot less cluttered. “I just had to calm myself and hit the open shot,” Fetter said. “My teammates helped me and told me to calm down and just play hard. “The coaches told me just to go in and have confidence in myself and hit the open shot, and I’m glad they told me that because that really helped out.” Now, “you can pretty much mark him down for two (points) a game,” Rauch said with a laugh. It’s pretty true. Before an 0-for-2 night in the regular-season finale, Fetter was 8-of-11 from beyond the arc and has averaged 2.8 ppg dating back to the Heritage Hills win. And the other guards have surged concurrently. A day after the Heritage Hills win, Julian registered a career-high 16 points at Paoli. Craig pumped in 19 against Wood Memorial on Feb. 13 and O’Bryan melded seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the recent conference title clincher against South Spencer. “We just had the feeling that it was going to be a process,” Rauch said. “When those guys started to blend into their roles and play good basketball, we really started having a lot of success. And I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with how they’ve done this year.” — by Joe Jasinski
Forest Park sophomores: living the American dream Forest Park coach Jeff Litherland tells his players all the time, “It’s old America around here.” “You get what you earn and I’m not afraid to play any 12 guys on the roster,” he says. Still, the ascension of two of Litherland’s underclassmen into meaningful bench contributors has surprised even him. Sophomores Ben Wendholt and David Lusk have emerged as two players who haven’t let their age and minutes detract from their impact. For Wendholt, a broken foot from the football season cost him just one basketball game, but the down time between September (when he broke it) and December was enough to set him behind in conditioning. “I was definitely out of shape at the beginning,” Wendholt acknowledged. “(The ankle has) felt good since about two weeks after I came back, but my legs haven’t been all the way (ready). But they’re starting to catch up with me and everything is clicking.” As he gained stamina, his impact on the floor increased also. In a December clash against South Spencer at the PSC Holiday Classic, Wendholt connected on the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime. And twice in the last
five games, he’s led the Rangers in scoring. “He can do a little bit of everything,” Litherland said. “He can defend the post, he can guard, he can Lusk rebound the ball, he can shoot. And he’s just a sophomore. He’s only played a few games at the varsity level. He’s going to get better every day.” It’s the same kind of improvement Litherland has witnessed from another sophomore. Lusk averages less than five points a game but balances his offensive totals with heady play and a tough mental game. He’s
tied for second on the team in steals with 22 and has become a guy Litherland knows he can rely on, especially lately with starting guard Ben Englert limited by a bum ankle. “I can remember David Lusk two summers ago; it was like, ‘This kid is not going to be able to play.’ But he’s worked so hard. He’s improved so much — his quickness, his strength; and he’s one of the toughest we’ve got mentally,” Litherland said. “He just knows the game and he’s always in the right spot.” It’s two sophomores that haven’t let age or injury keep them down. Only in America. — by Joseph Fanelli SURPRISES concludes on Page 20
Wishing All Area Teams Good Luck in the Sectional!
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 15
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Rangers find pride in rebuild By JOSEPH FANELLI Herald Sports Writer Last Tuesday in Ferdinand, after the Forest Park boys basketball team dispatched Gibson Southern in its regular-season finale, there was a sense of giddiness around the Ranger confines. The players howled inside the locker room, and even coach Jeff Litherland couldn’t help but relax. That’s because Tuesday was also Forest Park’s 11th win of the season, positioning the team with a winning record in the regular season a year after an 8-14 campaign and first-round sectional exit. “There’s a lot of people around here that probably didn’t even think we’d get 10 wins, and for us to suffer through some of the losses we’ve had and the games we’ve given away and still have 11 wins, it’s, ‘Hey, we’re winners now,’” Litherland said. “We’ve built a foundation for not only the tournament but next year’s team.” It was Step 1 of the Rangers’ rebuilding year. First, finish above .500. Then, compete for the Pocket Athletic Conference title — which they had a outside chance of capturing before a loss to Heritage Hills in February — and then finally, win the Class 2A sectional, which kicks off Tuesday at Boonville. Forest Park will face the winner of Evansville Mater Dei (11-9) and South Spencer (13-8) on Friday at approximately 8:30
Heather Rousseau/The Herald
Forest Park coach Jeff Litherland addressed his team in a timeout during last week’s game against Gibson Southern, which tipped the Rangers above .500 to finish the regular season. This week, the focus becomes reclaiming the Class 2A sectional crown at Boonville. p.m. EST. Litherland has already made a habit of reminding his players that because they play the second of two games on Friday, the Rangers will be one of three teams remaining when they take the court that night; giving them a “33 percent shot at winning the sectional.” It’s the kind of odds any team can hope for — and especially for
a group of Rangers playing just as much for the future as the games right in front of them. “We have a big tradition (at Forest Park) of playing in the sectional and we want to bring that back since we’ve kind of had a slump the past year,” senior Austin Egloff said. “It means a lot on paper, but we kind of hoped to go a lot over
.500. But it still feels really good to achieve the goal that we set,” he added. “And I think it’s a positive for the program as a whole and they can move forward instead of having to build up to something.” The word “foundation” comes up frequently around Forest Park players and coaches. Eleven victories in a season may not be a landmark achievement — especially
for a program that’s totaled at least 15 wins 10 times since 2000 — but it’s that type of progress and forward momentum needed to reestablish a winning culture. All steps are not created equal, though. Forest Park’s road to 11 has been marked by the kind of See RANGERS on Page 17
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 17
Class 2A @ Boonville High School
Forest Park Rangers Record: 11-10 Coach: Jeff Litherland (16-15 in two seasons) Opponent: vs. Evansville Mater Dei (11-9) or South Spencer (13-8), 8:30 p.m. Friday Postseason history: 10 sectionals, 5 regionals, 3 semistates, 2 state titles (2005, ’06) Probable starters: G Joel Weyer (5-10 Sr.); G Ben Englert (6-0 Jr.); G Damon Wilmes (6-2 Jr.); F Dakota Begle (6-4 Sr.); F Austin Egloff (6-4 Sr.) Team tidbits: One more win can guarantee
North Posey Vikings Record: 7-14 Coach: Heath Howington (16-28 in two seasons) Opponent: vs. Tell City (5-15), 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 1 sectional Probable starters: G James Marshall (6-1 Jr.); G Michael Bender (6-3 Sr.); G Bryce Martin (6-2 Jr.); F Reed Gerteisen (6-4 Sr.); F Cody Ungetheim (6-4 Sr.) Team tidbits: North Posey has won three in a row entering sectional play; that streak came on the heels of a six-game losing skid. ... The Vikings are 1-8 in true road
South Spencer Rebels Record: 13-8 Coach: Ted O’Brien (first season) Opponent: vs. Evansville Mater Dei (11-9), 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 8 sectionals, 3 regionals Probable starters: G Dakota Risse (6-0 Jr.); G Grant Allen (6-3 Soph.); F Nathan Kuester (5-10 Sr.); F Malin Webb (6-1 Sr.); F Isaac Hebner (6-5 Sr.) Team tidbits: South Spencer’s first winning season since 2005-06 has been full of streaks: a run of five wins to open the
the Rangers a winning season. Forest Park, which was 8-14 last year, hasn’t endured consecutive losing seasons since 1996-97 and 97-98. ... Weyer scores 12.6 ppg and has also picked up 52 steals, more than double the amount of any other Ranger. Weyer’s 70 assists are 31 more than any other Forest Park player. Keep an eye on: Free throws. It’s been a worn-out topic this season for the Rangers, but it’ll also be vital for a 58 percent free throw shooting team to convert its chances in close games. Moment to remember: With a 23-point fourth quarter, the Rangers rallied to overturn county foe Jasper on Jan. 24 amid a season-best win streak of four games.
Ev. Mater Dei Wildcats
games this season, though that one victory came against South Knox, which is 16-5. ... Bender posts a team-best 12.1 ppg while Gerteisen provides solid totals of 10.4 points and 7.8 rebounds. Keep an eye on: Bombs from Bender. The Viking senior shoots 43 percent from 3-point range, sinking 63 treys on the season. Nearly two-thirds of Bender’s field goal attempts come from long range, and no other Viking has made more than 10 3-pointers on the season. Moment to remember: Though the Vikings lost two of three games in the Graber Post Buildings Classic over the holidays, one of their best wins came there in a 56-46 takedown of Class 1A No. 8 Orleans.
Perry Central Commodores
season, an 0-5 dry spell at midseason, then a spree of five consecutive victories. ... The Rebels have played seven games against sectional opponents, and six of those were decided by margins between two and eight points. Keep an eye on: Anyone who steps on the floor. The Rebels don’t have anyone averaging in double figures, but nine guys score at least 4 ppg. In particular, Hebner (9.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg) has elevated his production near the end of the season. Moment to remember: South Spencer took the Spencer County War on Feb. 1, owning a 28-18 rebounding advantage and picking up 10 points apiece from Webb and Hebner in a 57-50 conquest of Heritage Hills.
Tell City Marksmen
Rangers (Concluded from Page 16) steep highs and plunging lows expected out of a team that returned just three varsity contributors from a year ago. The team’s season-defining wins — a 62-58 triumph over county rival Jasper, two tight victories on South Spencer’s court, a monstrous fourthquarter rally against Northeast Dubois — have been countered with deflating losses to Perry Central and Pike Central; both defined by blown double-digit margins. As much as Litherland enjoys the sensational performances, he’d settle for consistency. “We don’t want to get too high, we don’t want to get too low, we just want to be consistent on the defensive end and execute on offense and try to be as good as we can,” Litherland said. The joint diagnosis is that the Rangers tend to raise their games against rivals and then sink the other way in less-heated contests. “I think the big problem is we play down to our opponent’s level,” Egloff said. “We play a team that’s really talked-up and we kind of have rivalries with and friends on the team, and we really play a lot harder and a lot more intense. I think that’s the main problem:
Record: 11-9 Coach: Kurt Wildeman (82-77 in seven seasons) Opponent: vs. South Spencer (13-8), 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 9 sectionals, 5 regionals, 2 semistates, 1 state title (2004) Probable starters: G Will LaRue (6-0 Jr.); G Josh Price (6-1 Jr.) G Jacob Stauber (6-3 Jr.); F Seth Kruse (6-2 Sr.); F Ben Sellers (6-4 Jr.) Team tidbits: After reaching the semistate in 2008, Mater Dei hasn’t won a sectional crown since; the Wildcats have been
Record: 16-5 Coach: Matt Carter (95-63 in seven seasons) Opponent: vs. North Posey (7-14) or Tell City (5-15), 6:30 p.m. Friday Postseason history: 3 sectionals Probable starters: G Trent Schraner (5-9 Sr.); G Andrew Huber (5-10 Jr.); G Austin LeClere (5-9 Sr.); F Dacota Schaad (6-2 Sr.); F Dillon Hubert (6-3 Sr.) Team tidbits: Despite graduating four starters off last year’s regional finalist squad, the Commodores have regrouped thanks
Record: 5-16 Coach: Brent Owen (9-32 in two seasons) Opponent: vs. North Posey (7-14), 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Postseason history: 34 sectionals, 5 regionals, 1 semistate Probable starters: G Gant Miller (5-10 Soph.); G Drew Mowery (6-0 Sr.); G Hunter Rowe (6-0 Soph.); F Reese Miller (6-1 Sr.); F Brennan Malone (6-3 Sr.) Team tidbits: Tell City is 0-6 against other sectional teams this year. In nine true road games this season, the Marksmen have
bounced in the sectional championship four of the last five years. ... Mater Dei sinks an average of nearly eight 3-pointers per game and shoots 38 percent from the arc. Martin has nailed more than 50 treys and scores 10 ppg, while Stauber’s 16.4 ppg are tops on the team. Keep an eye on: LaRue. The four-year starter leads the squad in assists and is second in steals, and Wildeman said his point guard “has played well at the end of the season in our wins.” Moment to remember: The Wildcats worked extra in perhaps their two biggest wins of the season against Evansville Memorial (58-55 in double overtime) and Castle (84-79 in triple OT).
to balance. Huber leads the way at 13.6 ppg, with LeClere adding 12.9, Hubert providing 9.7 and Schaad chipping in 9.6. ... The Commodores score 65 ppg as the sectional’s highest-scoring team; Mater Dei (57.9) is next. Keep an eye on: Experience. The Commodores feature seven seniors, and the backto-back talented senior groups over the last two years have helped Perry Central forge a 55-15 record over the last three seasons. A favorable draw doesn’t hurt as the Commodores shoot to defend their title. Moment to remember: In a rematch of last year’s sectional championship, Perry Central slid by Mater Dei 78-72 in midDecember with LeClere netting 18 points.
been outscored by more than 13 ppg. ... Malone is one of the area’s top rebounders at 8.5 per contest. He also scores 10.5 ppg behind Mowery (11.5) and Rowe (11.1). Malone also shoots 56 percent from the floor for Tell City, which grabs 39 percent of its rebounds on the offensive glass but shoots just 57 percent on free throws. Keep an eye on: Turnovers. Tell City and its young backcourt had too many of them in the regular-season meeting against firstround foe North Posey in a 70-42 defeat. Moment to remember: Tell City won its only true road game by pulling past Springs Valley 66-59 in overtime Feb. 1 on the strength of 22 second-chance points; Malone and Rowe both offered 17 points.
just to be asking: KEVIN DAVIS We go into a team where they are not so competitive, they’re not doing so good in the season, and we stoop to their level and don’t play our hardest.” It’s a dilemma with a relatively easy solution: just play hard all the time. But it’s the exact answer the Rangers haven’t been able to master. Tuesday’s win against Gibson Southern was a good start, though. Only for a moment did the Titans threaten the Ranger lead in the fourth quarter before Forest Park breezed to the finish in a 56-36 win. “It’s kind of a sign that we grew from last week because (against Pike Central) we had a huge lead and they made a run and we didn’t stamp it off,” Egloff said. “It kind of shows our growth as a team.” The good news moving forward is now that the postseason has arrived, every game matters. And if there’s anything to galvanize the Ranger players and fan base, it’s a sectional championship. “They are starting to believe, and if they can come out with the intensity I know they can and play the way I know they can, we’ve got as good a shot as anyone,” Litherland said.
Contact Joseph Fanelli at jfanelli@dcherald.com.
the boonville athletic director is once again allowing the 2a sectional party to take place in his school’s gym while the pioneers are away at another sectional. How were guys were able to host the Class 2A sectional? We decided to move our 3A sectional to Princeton this year with their new gym. In the past, the 2A sectional has always been at Southridge. Well, with Southridge moving up to 3A, that closed that gym down and then there’s really no facility that can host this 2A sectional in the comfortable manner like ours can. And the way our community feels is we feel like we should have a sectional in our gym every year. What’s the environment like? Is it kind of odd to have all these non-Boonville people showing up at your place? You know, we host so many sectionals; we’ve had the boys 2A sectional, we had the 3A sectional for girls this year and had a huge crowd. Boonville is not playing every game in those sectionals so it’s nice to see that place packed with good basketball fans even if they’re not our fans. It’s all southern Indiana people that you know, and you’re rooting for the game of basketball and those kids. Do the Boonville fans tend to show up anyway? Oh yeah. We’ve got die-hard fans that come back and reminisce about whenever it was one class and about how it was always full and the rivals
were Castle and South Spencer and all those teams that came into that sectional. You guys are playing at Princeton while the sectional is going on in Boonville. Who’s in charge at Boonville? Virgil Ferguson (North Posey athletic director) is the tournament director, so he and I worked hand in hand with our facility, with workers, tickettakers, parking, security, custodial, scoreboard, announcers, everybody. ... We’re also going to have our custodial guy here to clean up any spills, take care of bathrooms because the concession stand is run by our band. Will you be there or will you be at Princeton? I will probably start out here (at Boonville) getting the gym set up ... and making sure I talk with the scoreboard operator; make sure he understands any nuances that we have that are different from North Posey. Then I’m going to Princeton to watch the game. And depending on how our game goes, if we’re playing Friday night then the same scenario will happen Friday night and Saturday if we make the championship. But otherwise, it also gives me the opportunity to have a Friday night off if we’re not playing. So you’re really handing it off to North Posey as far as running the show? Yeah, and (North Posey) is very excited about it. We feel very comfortable. This happened a couple years ago and they did fine with it. ... This is not a new thing; it hasn’t happened in three or four years, but they are very professional in making sure they take care of our facility and our equipment.
page 18 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Jeeps know script of turnaround tale By JOE JASINSKI Herald Sports Writer A team’s journey rarely travels along a straight path. Bumps, roadblocks and detours are inevitable, and much comes down to a team’s resolve once it has stumbled. What will the players do in those circumstances when the road isn’t clear? How Dodson will they come out on the other end? If any team could lay claim to being the Magellan of high school hoops — finding ways to navigate the twists, turns and unfavorable early-season aches before realizing success in the year’s latter chapters — it’s been Northeast Dubois over the past few seasons. In 2010, the Jeeps limped to a 3-12 record before winning seven of their next eight, including the program’s seventh sectional. Two seasons later, they reeled off 11 wins in their next 13 tries after starting the season 4-5. Last season, a 3-9 start was reversed by a 9-3 stretch resulting in sectional crown No. 8. “I think the whole team realizes the biggest games are yet to come. And unfortunately, that’s maybe not the best attitude to have going through the season,”
Jeep senior Cameron Riecker said with a chuckle. “But I think we’re developing.” Riecker experienced the resurrection firsthand as an 11.2-ppg guy on last year’s regional-qualifying team. And this year, the muscly guard soldiered some personal ups and downs in battling and returning from an illness that limited his contributions during the holiday break. Alongside Riecker, teammate Eric Dodson has had his bouts with sickness as well. Last summer, between Dodson’s freshman and sophomore year, he came down with mononucleosis, which left him fatigued, unable to eat and restricted to the couch most days. It also meant he missed team camp and all other summer training. He dropped 20 pounds and didn’t return to his true form on the court until late last season, Jeep coach Terry Friedman said. This summer, Dodson made up for lost time. He was in the weight room, and calls the weight loss from mono “a blessing in disguise.” As he trained with 2003 Northeast Dubois graduate and assistant track coach Seth Matheis, who had the 6-foot-7 tower plowing up hills by the Jeeps’ baseball field carrying logs across his shoulders, the now trimmer Dodson was only adding muscle.
Northeast Dubois senior Cameron Riecker drove the ball down the court Friday night during the Jeeps’ 77-54 win over Pike Central. Northeast Dubois enters the Class 1A sectional after winning four of its final five regular-season contests. Thanks largely to the emergence of 6-foot-7 center Eric Dodson and the steadfast play of Riecker, the Jeeps are once again thriving off a lateseason push.
See JEEPS on Page 19
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the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
sectional ■ page 19
Class 1A @ Tecumseh High School
Northeast Dubois Jeeps Record: 9-12 Coach: Terry Friedman (93-88 in eight seasons) Opponent: vs. Cannelton (2-18), 7 p.m. EST Friday Postseason history: 8 sectionals, 1 regional Probable starters: G Gage Knies (6-1 Sr.); G Jacob Gress (6-1 Jr.); G/F Cameron Riecker (6-3 Sr.); F Tyler Haas (6-5 Sr.); C Eric Dodson (6-7 Jr.) Team tidbits: Northeast Dubois is 5-2 in February, fitting with a trend in recent years of finishing strong. In the past six seasons, the Jeeps are 38-12 in February and
Evansville Day Eagles Record: 7-13 Coach: Kelly Ballard (179202 in 17 seasons) Opponent: vs. Wood Memorial (7-15), 8 p.m. EST Tuesday Postseason history: 1 sectional Probable starters: G Derek Hammelman (6-0 Sr.); G/F John Grimm (6-2 Jr.); F Jack Cinelli (6-0 Sr.); F Joey Ballard (6-2 Soph.); F Will Stevens (6-3 Sr.) Team tidbits: Day School went 52-16 over the last three years and has struggled this season, though the Eagles beat South Spencer, gave Mount Carmel and Princeton
Wood Memorial Trojans Record: 7-15 Coach: Josh Thompson (14-31 in two seasons at Wood Memorial; 44-111 in seven seasons overall) Opponent: vs. Evansville Day (7-13), 8 p.m. EST Tuesday Postseason history: 5 sectionals Probable starters: G Sam Trader (5-8 Sr.); G Tyler Bottoms (5-10 Soph.); G Nick Casey (6-1 Sr.); F Jacob Jarboe (6-1 Soph.); C Conner Sevier (6-4 Jr.) Team tidbits: Wood Memorial enters the postseason on a seven-game slide. Still,
beyond. That’s a winning rate of 76 percent and an uptick from the Jeeps’ overall winning percentage in those seasons (56 percent). ... Northeast Dubois has scored more than 70 points in three straight games. That’s happened just one other time in program history (1978-79). Keep an eye on: Strength of schedule. It pays off at this time of the year for the Jeeps, who’ve had 10 losses this season to teams with winning records. Moment to remember: The Jeeps knocked off county rival Southridge 59-57 on Jan. 11, and it’s a signature win considering the Raiders haven’t lost since then. That also launched the Jeeps to a finish of seven wins in their last 11 games.
Cannelton Bulldogs
games and lost just 57-55 to defending 1A state champ Borden. ... Stevens averages 20.2 points and 7.2 rebounds, while Hammelman (8.7, 6) is the lone returning starter from last season. Keep an eye on: Grimm’s health. He’s been out more than three weeks with an ankle sprain, and coach Ballard said “we will need John back if we expect to make any kind of run.” Grimm and his recent replacement in the lineup, Brevin Tilmon, both score 8.9 ppg. Moment to remember: Day School clipped South Spencer on Jan. 10 as Stevens hit 22-of-23 free throws and scored 35 points to fend off the Rebels, who had nailed a halfcourt shot to send the game to overtime.
Tecumseh Braves
the Trojans have won two of three matchups this season against sectional foes, including a 53-48 triumph over Tecumseh. ... Sevier provides 16.8 ppg and 6 rpg while Jarboe and Trader combine for 15 ppg. Casey is the only Trojan who’s hit more than 10 3-pointers. Keep an eye on: Sevier. Earlier this season, Southridge coach Jeremy Rauch praised him as the type of player who can take over a close game. On a team with shaky guard play — and in a sectional with quality big guys — Sevier will have to accept a heavy load for the Trojans to compete. Moment to remember: On Jan. 3, the Trojans tripped Loogootee 32-31, with Trader tipping in the winning shot at the buzzer.
Jeeps (Concluded from Page 18) “He’s pretty intense,” Dodson pointed out about his personal coach. Soon enough, Dodson had cracked the Jeep starting lineup in his first full season on varsity. And while the 225-pounder has menaced opposing frontcourt gangs, he’s also allowed Riecker to thrive where he’s perhaps most dangerous. Size was never an issue entering the season, but with Dodson installed, the 6-foot-3 Riecker has presented matchup nightmares as an oversized guard all season long. The biggest concern: Who defends him? Some teams, like South Knox, chose to fight speed with speed against the breakneck dribbler. “I had their point guard on me and I could see over him no problem when we were both standing there,” said Riecker, who went for 16 points against the Spartans on Jan. 10. Even when Riecker sporadically charges at a kamikaze pace, giving the impression he’s gone out of control, the senior remains surprisingly steady. If teams opt to match the 200-pound Riecker with muscle, it makes “one of the most unselfish ballplayers” Friedman has ever seen all the more lethal. “When teams start having to look for both Cameron and Eric and then Tyler (Haas), they have to make a decision,”
Friedman said. “‘Who you going to guard?’ and ‘Which part of that are you going to take away from Northeast Dubois?’ With Riecker piercing the lane, there’s really no good decision. Not only does the guard lead the Jeeps in assists (three per contest), but he also shoots 63 percent from inside the arc. And considering he’s played the most minutes of any Jeep this season, the dilemma pops up more than the opposition would like. Yet Dodson sees Riecker’s influence being felt off the court just as much as on it. The team’s intensity was an issue early in this season, Dodson admitted, but he added that Riecker prescribed the remedy: just pull some hair. While standing outside the locker room before a game in early January, Riecker started tugging on teammates’ mops in an effort to fire up the squad. It worked. Backto-back wins over Southridge and Vincennes Rivet followed, and the ritual stuck. “He kind of just came out of blue,” Dodson joked about the routine, “but it’s still going.” So, too, are the Jeeps, winners of three straight entering Friday’s Class 1A sectional semifinal fray with Cannelton (2-18). “We’re coming together at the right time,” Riecker said. “And we’ll be strongest come tournament time.”
Contact Joe Jasinski at jjasinski@dcherald.com.
Record: 2-18 Coach: Brian Garrett, 39-171 in 10 seasons Opponent: vs. Northeast Dubois (9-12), 7 p.m. EST Friday Postseason history: 6 sectionals Probable starters: G Tristan Simmons (6-0 Sr.); G Elijah Littles (5-11 Sr.); G Damon Powers (5-8 Soph.); F Marvin Walls (5-10 Sr.); F Quinn Duke (6-4 Sr.) Team tidbits: Cannelton gives up 68.8 ppg, though it’s the first time in the last four seasons the Bulldogs have not allowed in
Record: 10-12 Coach: Kevin Oxley (281234 in 22 seasons) Opponent: vs. Evansville Day (7-13) or Wood Memorial (7-15), 8:30 p.m. EST Friday Postseason history: 12 sectionals, 2 regionals, 1 semistate, 1 state title (1999) Probable starters: G Alex Hall (6-1 Sr.); G Jackson Fowler (5-8 Soph.); G Keenan Lautner (5-11 Soph.); F Adam Grannan (6-2 Sr.); F Ty Webb (6-2 Sr.) Team tidbits: The Braves are amid their fifth straight sub-.500 season, a stretch
excess of 70 ppg to opponents. ... Cannelton’s wins came against Bloomington Lighthouse (52-47) and Kentucky school Whitesville Trinity (68-59). ... Cannelton has managed just one sectional win in the last 14 seasons, which came in 2012 against now-consolidated New Harmony. Keep an eye on: Simmons. He’s Cannelton’s chief scorer at 16 ppg and also claims 6.7 rebounds per contest. The Bulldogs do sport some balance with Littles (9.2 ppg), Powers (8.3) and Duke (7.8). Moment to remember: It may not be a win, in their regular-season finale Friday, the Bulldogs were competitive in a 70-55 loss to Rock Creek Academy, a team with 13 victories.
that followed a run of 13 consecutive years with winning records. ... Hall scores 11 ppg, while the leader is Grannan, who averages 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds and shoots 51 percent from the floor and 41 percent on 3s. He scored 27 points in last year’s sectional final against Northeast Dubois. Keep an eye on: The source of inspiration on the bench. The Braves are playing this season for Parker Buse, a senior and former starter who’s been stricken with cancer. Earlier this season, Tecumseh players shaved their heads in a show of support for Buse. Moment to remember: The Braves won five straight at midseason, including victories over Southridge, North Daviess and 2013 semistate finalist University.
just to be asking: talia terwiske it’s been all basketball, all the time for a northeast dubois senior who played for the girls team and serves as a manager and stat keeper for the boys squad. First thing I’m interested in knowing: Did your dad (Bruce Terwiske, an assistant for the boys team) talk you into managing? Yeah, he definitely did. My first year I did it (as a sophomore), he got an app on his iPad (for statkeeping), he wanted me to mess around with it for a while. And the first game I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is ridiculous, there’s no way I can do this.” And then I just got better at it, and I really like doing it. It’s a good time. Was it a case of your dad handed the iPad to you and said, “See if you can figure out how to work this”? Yeah, he found this app. He thought it looked easy. And I told him, “Dad, this is not easy.” But leave it to the kid to figure out the technological device, huh? Yeah, I always end up helping him. He gets all these gadgets and he doesn’t know how to use them. (laughs) When your season was going on for the girls team, how did you strike that balance between the two teams? There was only one conflict one year where I had to miss an away boys game. I left practice a couple minutes early a few games on Fridays, normally, if there was an away (boys) game. But it was more just like never being home and I never got a break; I was always going. So three of the four managers for the boys team are girls. It’s sort of rare — like a female takeover of the manager positions. How did that happen? We’re all pretty good friends, so we all manage with each other. (The players) wouldn’t know what to do without us, though. We do so much stuff for them, and I think we’re better at it than a guy would be, because we’re willing to do all of it.
Touche. What sort of things do you do in particular, or what sort of things does a female influence make a difference with? Well, the guys are really demanding … we have to give them their water bottles all the time, and they don’t reach back for it. With the girls team, we’re in charge of our own water bottles, our own towels and everything. We have to give them whatever they need, whenever they need it. (laughs) Leave it to the guys to be difficult and demanding, huh. Back to statkeeping — I’ve seen the stats from when Coach Friedman sends them, and those are pretty involved, too. You’re not just keeping track of one or two things, you’re keeping track of about 50 things, it seems like. Yeah, the guys are like, “Hey, do you keep this (stat)?” I’m like, “Yeah.” They go, “What don’t you keep?” That’s a lot of basketball throughout the year with playing and managing; adds up to 40-some games. Do you ever get sick of it, or are you one of those people that’s a basketball junkie? I don’t think I’m a basketball junkie, but I’ve grown up around the sport, and around all my sports, and I’m constantly doing something. I don’t think I could ever get tired of it. I love basketball and all the stuff that goes along with it. You’ve seen every boys game this year, so from watching them all along and seeing their progress throughout the year, how do you like their chances of repeating the sectional title this year? Pretty good chances, I think. We have a really talented group of guys here, and I know they all want it pretty badly. Hopefully we can come out with one. I think they’re up for that challenge. It’s a pretty determined group of guys here, so I think they just really want this sectional pretty badly.
page 20 ■ sectional
the herald ■ Monday, March 3, 2014
Members of the Heritage Hills boys basketball team are, from left, first row: Sean Schaefer, Torrin Madden, Justin Crane, Zach Zoglman and Tyler Ward. Second row: Andy Sickbert, Sam Collins, Spenser Minto, Caleb Sabelhaus, Gavin Schaefer, Devon Merder and Sam Scherry.
Surprise Concludes from Page 14
Tristan Linne: Not just a shooter Northeast Dubois junior Tristan Linne never expected any serious varsity time this season. In fact, he was pretty comfortable on the JV squad. There, he could dictate the offense as a primary scoring option, driving to the paint and searching for his own shots. Now, as the Jeeps’ first option off the bench, he’s settled into a more complementary, if not substantial, role. Gone are the days of scoring 17 points in a game, which Linne did against Heritage Hills in a JV contest in December, but he’s relished his new function built on energy, defense and the occasional outside bomb to offset the Jeeps’ roughand-tumble inside scoring. “He fills in a need for us out front there because his ball movement and passing out front really kind of helps key our offense,” Jeep coach Terry Friedman explained. “The fact that he can shoot is a nice plus, but mainly it’s his energy and his ball movement and taking care of the basketball that’s earned him some time.” Linne first started seeing more varsity time during the holiday tournament at Springs Valley when an onslaught of sickness had opened up more time for reserves. Now, two months later, Linne has locked up a spot in the varsity rotation. He leads Northeast Dubois in 3-point accuracy (37 percent), but it’s a rededication to defense that’s transformed his game.
“I’ve been trying to work on my defense because I know it’s big,” he said. “It’s something you need in a basketball game because everybody can score and not everybody plays good defense. I just try to work hard, do my best.” Linne spent extra time this summer in the weight room adding strength and quickness as well as trying to perfect the Jeeps’ one-on-one containment drill, a workout in which a defender guards an opposing player who dribbles back and forth the full length of the court. Linne admits “I don’t like it all,” but can’t deny its impact on his defensive game. He’s gathered 10 steals this season in his limited time. He’s also perfectly understanding of his new role on offense, where he defers to the Jeeps’ taller and more prominent players. “I usually just sit around (the perimeter),” he said. “I try to give it to the big guys on varsity because they’re some big people, but I usually try to feed it to them and get assists and pass it to somebody for the open shot. More of a ‘let-them-score’ type of deal.” It’s been a transition, but one that an expanded Jeep rotation has appreciated. “His play has really stepped up and he seems now to be getting pretty comfortable in that varsity role for us,” Friedman said. — by Joseph Fanelli
Caleb Sabelhaus: Quietly coming on Heritage Hills coach Matt Sisley is the first to admit, the veterans on his senior-laden squad aren’t exactly the timid type. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Caleb Sabelhaus. The quiet Patriot junior prob-
ably won’t be the one howling in the pregame huddle or roaring after muscling in a putback. But when it comes to players less likely to assert themselves, “you’ve got to go out and you’ve got to discover them,” Sisley said. “You’ve got to find them.” And thanks to Sabelhaus’ uptick in production, foraging for the potential of the 6-foot-5 athlete is becoming more and more a priority for the Patriots. Getting to this point, however, took patience. First came the misfortune. Trudging through a three-man weave drill with medicine balls his freshman year, Sabelhaus was struck in the lower leg with a pass that snapped his fibula, forcing him to play catch-up for a while. Last season, he started showing promise on JV, but Sisley opted to keep him from varsity for one more season. After hitting the AAU circuit with teammates Sam Scherry and Devon Merder during the offseason, Sabelhaus “started to show the same promise again this year,” Sisley said. “And this time, we ran with it.” And through the tuition of fellow big man Spenser Minto, Sabelhaus has steadily become one of the squad’s most consistent bench performers, while bringing “another dimension” to a guardheavy crew, Sisley said. For the junior, it’s mainly about being “more of a defensive threat, contest shots, rebounds, putbacks, more of that kind of mindset,” Sabelhaus said. He’s donned a brace on his left wrist since diving on the floor in the Pats’ 57-55 win over Jasper in early February. “I guess I fell on it,” Sabelhaus said with a smile and a shrug. It hasn’t stopped him. Against Princeton last Tuesday, he dove toward a loose ball around midcourt, sliding right into the sideline bleachers.
His production hasn’t waned. Against the Tigers, Sabelhaus stocked six points on 3-of-4 shooting during his 20 minutes on the floor. In 16 minutes against Tell City, he finished all three of his shot attempts. And in the Pats’ overtime win over Forest Park, Sabelhaus donated 10 points without missing a shot in 22 minutes. Yet as his efforts become more and more noticeable, don’t expect
to hear much from the tallest Patriot who’s “not big into conversation,” Sisley kidded. “I keep telling him he’s going to get better and to keep competing harder and he just give me the head nod. ‘OK, Coach,’” Sisley said. “And he’s going to have to compete in (the) 3A sectional with the physicality that’s in that.” — by Joe Jasinski