The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, November 27, 2019 B-1 SPORTS Submit sports items: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: sports@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg LADY CHARGERS BASKETBALL LOOKS TO BUILD OFF FIRST WIN Charger footballers recognized during banquet By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central football team host- ed its annual awards banquet on Mon- day, Nov. 25 at the Moose Lodge in Pe- tersburg. It may have been a tumultuous sea- son for the Chargers, but the team didn't quit on each other, despite being severely undermanned in every game. Senior wide receiver Connor O'Ne- al was awarded Offensive Player of the Year. O'Neal had many of the Pike Central single-season and career re- cords in his sights before suffering a season-ending injury late in the year. He finished with 66 catches for 691 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown and finished with more than 200 yards on kickoff returns. Sophomore Wyatt Frasure was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Frasure seemed to be in on every tackle this season for the Chargers. Junior Cody Davis received the Men- tal Attitude Award, and junior Stephen Kreig took home the Newcomer of the Year Award and the Academic Award. Junior Colson Dillard earned the Charger Pride Award, which is given to the player the coach feels most em- bodies what it means to be a Charger football player. PC boys' basketball scrimmages Ev. North By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central boys' basket- ball team had a great learning ex- perience when it hosted Class 4A Evansville North in a scrimmage on Wednesday, Nov. 20. It was the Chargers' final tune- up before the start of the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Northeast Dubois. "Scrimmaging North allows us to play a team that is more athlet- ic than a large part of our sched- ule, which is a good thing," Pike Central head coach Hunter Elliott said. "The speed and athleticism of North definitely bothered us at times and made us speed up, which we simply can't do." Pike Central had some good stints where they played well, but the scrimmage definitely revealed some areas that need improve- ment. "Our half court defense had some really good stretches where we forced them into shots that we want them to take and finished the possession off with a rebound," El- liott said. "But we had way too ma- ny turnovers, especially live ball turnovers that allow the other team to get out in transition. We need to be more patient and hunt our shot rather than the first avail- able shot. When we slowed down and played our pace, we executed and did some good things." Junior Jaden Guth played well for the Chargers. He played very solid defense, stayed under control and at his pace. "He took a charge, which is big for us," Elliott said. "We can nev- er miss an opportunity to take a charge, it is the single most self- less play you can make. He is a play- er that can really score the ball and I expect good things from him this year." Senior Hunter DeHaven was also impressive. Elliott said he expects DeHaven to be a major impact play- er for the team this season. "I was also pleased with the play of Gabe Caldwell and Jaylon Mills," he said. "This was their first real game in several years and it was not an easy opponent. They really held their own and did some good things." By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Lauren Vaughn poured in 21 points as Pike Central picked up its first win of the young girls' basketball season with a 54-49 victory at Wood Memorial (1-4) on Friday, Nov. 22. Jaylyn Nelson added 12 as the Chargers improved to 1-3 on the year. "Lauren and Jayln did a good job scoring the ball," Pike Cen- tral head coach Kyle McCutchan said. "Overall, I was pleased to get the victory and proud of the girls for their effort." Pike Central had just 11 play- ers between the varsity and ju- nior varsity teams to start the game due to some lingering in- juries. Then they were forced to go ever deeper into their bench due to three players fouling out of the game. "We were limited with num- bers," McCutchan said. "But I'm proud of the junior varsity play- ers who stepped up and helped us get this win." Vaughn paced the team with seven points and the Chargers led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter. The team extended its lead to 26 -16 at halftime. Pike Central continued to play well in the third quarter and led 39 -27 to start the fourth. "I thought times in the first half we played great and through the third quarter, we made some nice plays," McCutchan said."We made a few turnovers in the fourth, but I think we got impa- tient on offense and forced up a few shots instead of being patient until we got a great look." The Trojans made things in- teresting and exciting in the fi- nal quarter. They got hot shoot- ing the ball and outscored Pike Central 22-15 to narrow the Char- gers' margin of victory. "Wood had struggled shoot- ing the ball," McCutchan said. "But [Cleo Dennison], who we had done a good job of taking her shot away, got hot and hit 3-three pointers, which was big for them." Dennison and Madison Fred- erick led Wood Memorial with 11 each. Dennison scored all of her points in the fourth quarter. Vaughn and Kenzie Pow- ell each made some clutch free throws late in the game to secure the win for the Chargers. Vaughn sank two shots from the charity stripe with about 20 seconds remaining to give Pike Central a 52-47 advantage. However, the Trojans were fouled on their next posses- sion. They made the first free throw and missed the second, but a Wood Memorial player was able to pull down the offen- sive rebound and get the put- back to make it a single posses- sion game, 52-49, with 17.6 sec- onds left. Powell made both of her free throws with less than 10 seconds left on the clock. A final heave by Wood Memorial at the buzz- er was no good. The Chargers' other scorers were Powell, Jenna Horrall and Mallory Hunt with six points each; Kya Leighty with two; and Hailey Parker with one. Sophomore Wyatt Frasure, junior Cody Davis and senior Connor O'Neal stand for a photo following Pike Central's annual awards banquet for football on Monday, Nov. 25 at the Moose Lodge in Pe- tersburg. Girls blast Washington Catholic; Boys split at Heritage Hills By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central girls' middle school bas- ketball team picked up a nice win on Mon- day, Nov. 25, when they defeated Washing- ton Catholic 38 -10. The seventh- and eighth-grade teams combined to play one game against the Cardinals. The Chargers were led by Brailey Miller with 14. She was followed by Jamie Sallee with eight; Ruby Sallee, Anna Whitehead and Zoey Myers each scored four; and Shel- by Meadows and Kelby Leighty each had two. The teams did play an additional two quarters after the official game had been completed. Pike Central defeated Washing- ton Catholic 15 -3 in the extra time and were led by Emma Hunt with eight; Myers with five; and Ashlynn Kirk with two. "The girls did great," Pike Central sev- enth-grade girls' coach Austin Kendall said. "They worked together and it paid off with a big win." The Pike Central seventh- and eighth- grade boys' basketball team traveled to Her- itage Hills to take on the Patriots on Thurs- day, Nov. 21. Pike Central won the eighth-grade game, 32-29. The team was led by 13 points from Quade Morton. Chase Ridao added eight; Julian Gish had six; and Ethan Meadors had five. "We played from behind all game, didn't lead until the fourth quarter," Chargers eighth-grade coach J.J. Howald said. "I am really proud of the kids for fighting through adversity and finding a way to win ugly." The seventh-grade team fell 32-8 to the Patriots. "Heritage Hills is one of the best teams we will face this year," Pike Central sev- enth-grade boys' coach Jacob Robinette said. "They are fundamentally sound. Not too many teams will beat them. Heritage Hills came at us with a full court man press and it got us rattled right after their first bas- ket of the game. At times, we had no prob- lem breaking it. They have some good size and were getting a lot of steals off passes." MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP Call us at 812-354-8500 or email sports@pressdispatch.net GOT SPORTS NEWS? Jenna Horrall drives past a Wood Memorial defender in Pike Central's 54-49 win on Friday, Nov. 22. See BUILD on page 4 See PCMS on page 4