The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, August 22, 2018 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 PCMS boys' soccer team posts wins over Gibson Southern, South Spencer The Pike Central Middle School boys' soccer team improved to 3-0 with a 4-2 victory over visiting Gibson Southern on Thursday, Aug. 16, and a 6 -0 win at South Spencer on Saturday, Aug. 18. Pike Central 4, Gibson Southern 2 A fter battling the Jr. Ti- tans to a 0 -0 halftime tie, the Chargers got two goals from By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Seniors Alyssa Jenkins and Taylor Lamey had six kills each as the Pike Central High School volleyball team defeated visiting Evansville Central 25 -21, 25 -15, 25 -15 on Thursday, Aug. 16. The victory was the first of the season for the Lady Chargers, who opened the season two nights earlier with a 25 -9, 25 -17, 25 -14 loss to visiting Vincennes Lin- coln before dropping a 21- 25, 25 -18, 25 -13, 25 -22 loss at Washington on Wednes- day, Aug. 15. "We're very pleased," said first-year head coach Bran- di Chestnut. "They came out with a spark that they should have come out with the first two games, and they stayed with that. We're very proud of them. We couldn't be any happier with the way that they played." Trailing 10 -9 in the first set, Pike Central went on an 8 -2 scoring run – includ- ing two following serves by both junior Audrey Keep- es and senior Kylee Shoultz and one following a serve by Lamey – to take a 17-12 lead. The Lady Bears would close to within 23-21 before Pike Central scored back- to-back points, with the game-deciding tally coming on a kill by Jenkins. In the second set, the La- dy Chargers, leading 4-3, scored 11 straight points – including 10 following serves by junior Aubrie Dawson – to open up a 15 -4 lead. "That really gave us a cushion that we needed to maybe sub in some girls," Chestnut said. "But we still kept the spark and we still kept it going. That's all we By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School girls' golf senior Natalie Bohnert broke the school record for an 18 -hole score by shooting a 4-over-par 76 during the Washington Invitational at the Country Oaks Golf Club on Saturday, Aug. 11. Bohnert's 76 broke the previous school record of 81 set by then senior Natalie Bur- khart during last year's sec- tional tourna- ment at the Country Club of Old Vin- cennes. "She actu- ally started with a double bogey and a quadruple bo- gey so she was 6 -over after three holes," Lady Char- gers' head coach Jarrod Gideon said of Bohnert. "She played the last 15 holes in a scorching 2-un- der-par." "She is about as good as anyone in the area," Gideon added. "She beat ( Vin- cennes Rivet senior Grace) Waggoner, who has won the last two sectionals, by three strokes." Bohnert – who also owns the school record for a nine-hole score with a 36 she shot as a junior – fired a 13-over-par 85 during the Washington Invitational as a junior. Her previous personal-best 18 -hole score was 84, which she carded during last year's sectional tournament at the Country Club of Old Vincennes. "She is playing well right now," Gide- on said. "She is really focused and goal-oriented this year." In addition, juniors Hadley Holder and Madison Warner both shot a 105 for the Lady Chargers while freshman Carissa Moudy had a 126. Junior Em- ma Rainey added a 128. As a team, Pike Central finished ninth out of 15 teams with a score of 412. Bedford North Lawrence was first with a 300, while Evansville Memori- al was second with a 319. Washington placed eighth with a 401, while North Daviess was 15th with a 451. Evansville Memorial junior Mallo- ry Russell was the individual medalist with a 1-over-par 73. By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central High School football team proved to be its own worst enemy as the Chargers opened the 2018 season with a 34-22 loss to Indianapolis Lighthouse East on Saturday, Aug. 18. Pike Central committed six turnovers, five of which the host Pythons converted into touchdowns – including two on inter- ception returns in the first quarter. "It's not the way we wanted to open," first- year Chargers head coach Dave Stephens admitted afterward. "At the end of the day, football's a really simple game. You just can't give the ball up six times. That is all there is to it." The game was originally scheduled to be played at Indianapolis Manual but was switched early Saturday morning to India- napolis Arsenal Tech's Howard Longshore Stadium instead. Pike Central athletic director Dustin Pow- ell announced the change via social media. However, Stephens' father didn't get the message and missed watching his son's first high school football game as a head coach. "I got a voicemail from him that said, 'Hey, I'm here at Manual and there's no game go- ing on,'" said Stephens, who did not get the message until after the game. "I felt so bad because I can't believe I forgot to call my dad and let him know that the game had been moved to Arsenal." "I felt horrible," Stephens added. "But he can make another game, I'm sure." The game got off to a bad start for the Chargers as they fumbled the opening kickoff, which was recovered by Indianap- olis Lighthouse East at the Pike Central 27-yard line. Five plays later, the Pythons punched the ball into the end zone to take a 6 -0 lead with 9:23 left in the first quarter. The Chargers, after being flagged for an offsides penalty 1st-and-10 from their own 27, lost five more yards when junior slotback Connor O'Neal was tackled after catching a shovel pass from junior quarterback Ma- rio Fields. A fter Fields completed a nine-yard pass to senior wide receiver Judah Leathco on 2nd-and-20, the Pythons scored again on a 37-yard interception return to extend their lead to 12-0 with 7:51 left in the first quarter. Pike Central, starting its second posses- sion at its own 20 -yard line, ran five straight rushing plays – including four by senior run- ning back Eli Coleman – to advance the ball to the Python's 44-yard line. Three plays later, on 3rd-and-5 at the In- dianapolis Lighthouse East 39 -yard line, Fields broke through the line for a 24-yard gain, giving the Chargers a fresh set of downs at the 25 -yard line. The Pythons were subsequently drawn offsides for a five-yard penalty that gave Pike Central a 1st-and-5 at the 20 -yard line. However, on the next play, a pass by Fields was intercepted and returned 80 yards for another touchdown which – following the two-point conversion – stretched Indianap- olis Lighthouse East's lead to 20 -0 with 3:46 left in the first period. "I think that not having a true scrimmage really kind of came back on us," Stephens said. "I think it took us a quarter to realize, Bohnert breaks school record during Washington Invitational CHARGERS' TURNOVERS PROVE COSTLY IN 34-22 LOSS TO PYTHONS Pike Central High School sophomore Josh McHargue (71) leads the way for junior quarterback Mario Fields (5, with ball) during varsity football action against Indianapolis Lighthouse East on Saturday, Aug. 18, at Indianapolis Arsenal. The Pythons defeated the Chargers 34-22. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Kylee Shoultz (10) goes up to hit the ball while junior Audrey Keepes (6) and senior Becca Crow (5) look on during varsity volleyball action against visiting Evansville Central on Thursday, Aug. 16. The Lady Chargers won the match 25-21, 25-15, 25-15. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Eli Coleman (2) looks on as several of his teammates try to make a tackle during varsity football action against India- napolis Lighthouse East on Saturday, Aug. 18, at Indianapolis Arsenal. The Pythons scored 20 points in the first quarter and held off the Chargers for a 34-22 victory. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central Middle School's Quintin Sanders (left) battles Gibson Southern's Vann Rose (2) for the ball during boys' soccer action on Thursday, Aug. 16. The Chargers won the contest 4-2. Ed Cahill photo Natalie Bohnert See CHARGERS on 3 See PCMS on 4 See WIN on 2 See NET TERS on 2 PCHS boys' netters drop 4-1 loss to Gibson Southern The Pike Central High School boys' tennis team dropped a 4-1 loss to visit- ing Gibson Southern on Monday, Aug. 20. At No. 1 singles, Chargers sopho- more Ethan Huck lost to Titans junior Jarrett Klusmeir 6 -0, 6 -1. At No. 2 singles, Chargers junior Dal- ton Williams lost to Titans senior Dan- iel Knapp 6 -0, 6 -1. At No. 3 singles, Titans sophomore Evan Birch won by forfeit. At No. 1 doubles, the Chargers' team Lady Chargers post three-set win over Evansville Central for first victory