The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1189528
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 4, 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 www.UebelhorGM.com • Jasper • 1-800-937-8721 Pike Central girls stumble at Boonville By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central girls' basketball team suffered a setback at Boonville on Monday, Dec. 2, after winning back-to-back games. The Lady Chargers (2-4, 1-0 PAC) lost 59 -38 to the Lady Pioneers (4-1, 0 -0 Big Eight). "We struggled to get stops and we just couldn't get shots to fall," Pike Central head coach Kyle McCutchan said. "We had several good opportu- nities to score, but we just couldn't finish." Mallory Hunt and Jenna Horrall led Pike Central with 10 points each. They were followed by Mallory Hick- ey with five, Jayln Nelson with four and Kenzie Powell with three. Lauren Vaughn, Kya Leighty and Liberty Taylor each scored two. Boonville's leaders were Na'Jyia Einerwold and Alaysha Brandenburg- er with 18 and 17 points, respectively. "Boonville has a very good player in Brandenberger," McCutchan said. "We keyed on her, but they had other girls who hit shots for them." The Chargers did get a boost in Samuel Theising swims on the Pike Central 200-yard medley re- lay team against Heritage Hills on Monday, Nov. 2 at PCHS. Pike Central's Charlotte Dudenhoeffer com- petes in the 200-yard individual medley against Heritage Hills on Monday, Dec. 2 at PCHS. CHARGERS BASKETBALL PLANS TO LEARN FROM LOSS By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central boys' basketball team played competitively for most of the game at Northeast Dubois on Wednesday, Nov. 27, but foul trouble and turnovers allowed the score to get away from the Chargers. The Jeeps (1-0, 0 -0 Blue Chip) won 47-27 in each team's season-opener. "It was definitely a game we need to learn from," Pike Central head coach Hunter El- liott said. "I need to make sure we value the basketball better moving forward and contin- ue to put our players in situations in practice that is more difficult than the games. This group is not afraid of work and we will learn from this and get better." Pike Central got off to a bit of a sluggish start and trailed 13-5 at the end of the first quarter. However, the Chargers narrowed the Jeeps' advantage to 15 -13 at halftime af- ter their defense allowed just two points in the second quarter. "Our half-court pack line defense looked pretty good and I thought we really rebound- ed the ball well," Elliott said. Jaden Guth sparked the Chargers offense in the first half, where he scored all eight of his points. "Jaden Guth did get off to a great start and I thought he played really well all game," El- liott said. "He did not get sped up and played at his own pace the whole time. We definitely need to make sure we are getting him sever- al looks throughout the game." Northeast Dubois was able to build its lead to double digits by the end of the third quar- ter, 31-20. "Once Ethan Scott and Sean Hanselman picked up their fourth fouls late in the third quarter, they opened it up," Elliott said. "We were unable to fight back from a deficit." Many members of the team had some sil- ly fouls that landed them on the bench in the second half. "We can't afford for them to be sitting over by me for long stretches during games," El- liott said. The Jeeps were led by Reece Bauer's 32 points. Bauer was an All-Blue Chip Confer- ence selection last season after he finished the season averaging 17.3 points per game. "Reece Bauer is a very solid player for them that has played a whole lot of varsity basketball," Elliott said. "We did a nice job on him in the first half, but in the second half, he got us in foul trouble and really im- posed his will." Bauer scored 24 of his 32 points in the sec- ond half. Turnovers were an issue for Pike Central for most of the game. The Chargers turned it over 23 times, with the Jeeps turn- ing many of them into quick and easy points. "They sped us up at times and we did not make great decisions when that happened," Elliott said. "Our live ball turnovers also al- lowed them to get some easy transition buck- ets. We really need to get better at valuing the basketball and not turning it over, I have to make sure we provide them with solutions to anything the defense throws at us." Pike Central was led by Ethan Scott with 12 points, five assists, two assists and a steal. He was 4-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe, but Elliott believes his tal- ented point guard has just scratched the sur- face of his potential. "Ethan Scott has to do a better job of get- Pike Central guard Ethan Scott drives to the basket in the Chargers' regular season opener at Northeast Dubois on Wednesday, Nov. 27. See LEARN on page 2 See STUMBLE on page 3 See OPENER on page 10 By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central swimming and diving teams lost their home openers to Heritage Hills on Monday, Dec. 2. The Chargers' boys fell 117-48 and Brayden Cooper, in the 50 -yard freestyle, was the team's lone first place finisher. "The boys, led by the seniors, came out strong in their first meet with some strong finishes and good times," Pike Central coach Travis Cochren said. "Heritage Hills' boys al- so came into this meet with some powerful upperclassmen, and an advantage in num- bers." Cooper won the 50 freestyle in 25.76 sec- onds. He also finished second as a member of the 200 individual medley relay team with Coleman Henson, Samuel Theising and A J Hill. Cooper and Sam Theising were third and fourth in the 100 backstroke. Henson was third, Readle was fourth and Isaac Theising was fifth in the 100 breaststroke. Sam Theising and Isaac Theising finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 100 butterfly. Henson was third and Isaac Burdette was fifth in the 100 freestyle. Hill placed third in the 500 freestyle. Michael Burkhart was third and Burdette was fifth in the 200 free- style. Burkhart was also fourth in the 50 free- style. Draven Readle was fourth in the 200 individual medley. Burkhart, Readle, Burdette and Hill were third in the 200 freestyle relay, and Sam The- ising, Henson, Hill and Cooper were third in the 400 freestyle relay. The boys will compete in a triangular meet with Gibson Southern and Boonville on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Boonville. The team should receive a boost with two new swim- mers to the active roster. The Pike Central girls' were slightly more competitive, falling 102-68. The 200 medley relay team of Lily Rice-Frederick, Emma McKinney, Jenna Meyer and Charlotte Dudenhoeffer earned the Lady Chargers a win in the first event of the meet. They finished the race in 2:16.01. McKinney also won the 100 breaststroke in 1:22.63, and was second in the 50 freestyle Patriots victorious in Chargers home opener The Chargers' Jayln Nel- son passes to an open team- mate at Wood Memorial on Nov. 22. Trio of Chargers earn All-PAC honors By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central had two seniors and a sophomore recently recognized by Pocket Athletic Conference. Seniors Connor O'Neal and Levi McCarter, and sophomore Wyatt Frasure were recently named All- PAC honorable mention selections. All three served as captains for the Chargers football team this past season. O'Neal, a wide receiver and line- backer, had many of the Chargers' receiving records in his sights be- fore missing the final two games with an injury. He finished the sea- son with 66 catches for 691 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 17 carries for 54 yards and a score, returned 16 kickoffs for 200 yards, and made 35 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss. McCarter mostly played defen- sive end and tight end for Pike Cen- tral this past season. McCarter fin- ished the season with 39 total tack- les and two tackles for a loss. He also hauled in nine catches for 54 yards. Frasure served as the team's top running back and linebacker. He led the Chargers with 77 total tack- les and four tackles for a loss. He rushed for 506 yards and four touch- downs on 125 carries, and had three receptions for 28 yards.