The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, September 19, 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 By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central High School football team slipped to 1-4 over- all – and 1-2 in the Pock- et Athletic Conference – with a 41-17 loss to visit- ing Forest Park on Fri- day, Sept. 14. The Rangers, who improved to 1-4 over- all and 1-2 in the PAC, scored on each of their first five offensive pos- sessions to take a 35 -3 halftime lead. "They came out in something that was a unique formation," Chargers head coach Dave Stephens said. "But I felt like, after the first drive, we made the adjustments, so align- ment shouldn't have been an issue after that." "Going back and watching the film, I think that trust in what we're talking to them about is a fragile thing," Stephens added. "The second that there's not success with what we're preaching, it's easy for guys to go into business for themselves." And the end zone camera, unfortunately, doesn't lie. "I felt like we were getting physically dom- inated, but when I go back and watch the film, we're playing, you know, hero football," Stephens said. "We're out there for ourselves and not playing part of our scheme." "I can point at every play, on film, where I've got five, six guys just ab- solutely flat out not do- ing what they've been instructed to do," Ste- phens added. "That's on me, and that's on us as a coaching staff. We have to get those guys to do what we have instructed them to do." Pike Central scored its first points of the game when senior place- kicker Braxton Rice connected on a 27-yard field goal attempt to cut the Rangers' lead to 28 -3 with 3:55 left in the first half. Rice's field goal capped an 11-play, 63-yard drive highlight- ed by a 32-yard pass from junior quarter- back Mario Fields to ju- nior wide receiver Con- nor O'Neal that gave the Chargers a first down at Forest Park's 16 -yard line. Trailing 35 -3 at the intermission, Pike Cen- By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net A goal on a penalty kick by senior Luke Leffert with 29:04 left in the second half snapped a scoreless tie as Heritage Hills defeated vis- iting Pike Central 1-0 in boys' varsity soccer action on Thursday, Sept. 13. With the win, the Patriots – ranked No. 5 in Class 2A – improved to 9 -1 overall and 3- 1 in the Pocket Athletic Con- ference, while Pike Central – ranked No. 11 in Class 2A – slipped to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the PAC. "Coming into the game, we knew Heritage Hills was a great team that liked to control possession," Char- gers head coach Jacob West- ern said. "We game planned all week to defend as a team and try to counter as quick- ly as we could because Heri- tage Hills always had so ma- ny numbers forward." "The whole team defend- ed really well and the com- munication was the best we have had all season," West- ern added. "Noah Whann came up with plenty of big- time saves and was great in goal all night. Having the on- ly goal come from a PK is al- ways difficult." For the game, Whann had 14 saves. Pike Central had several chances to score throughout the match but could not get a shot past Heritage Hills ju- nior goalie Sam Scott. One of the best scoring op- portunities for the Chargers came less than three min- utes after Leffert's PK goal as senior Hayden Kabrick – driving with the ball toward the goal – appeared to get taken down from behind just inside the 18 -yard box but no foul was called, which result- ed in a yellow card being is- sued to junior Ethan Scott. "We had plenty of opportu- nities to put a goal away and I thought our offense was productive even though we only attacked three or four players most times," West- ern said. With the win, Heritage Hills avenged a 2-0 loss to the Chargers last season – the Patriots' first-ever loss to Pike Central. "It was sectional-type at- LADY CHARGERS ADVANCE TO REGIONAL AS A TEAM FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School senior Na- talie Bohnert shot a four-over-par 74 to place first in the girls' golf sectional tournament on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Country Club of Old Vincennes. Bohnert – who broke her own 18 -hole school record score of 76 that she set earlier this season during the Wash- ington Invitational at the Country Oaks Golf Club – became the first Lady Char- ger to earn low-medalist honors at the sectional tournament in the program's history. "Really, my whole game just kind of came together," said Bohnert, who shot an 80 in the sectional tournament as a junior in 2017, preceded by a 90 as a sophomore in 2016 and a 98 as a fresh- man in 2018. "When I would have a bad shot, the next shot would fix whatever happened on the previous one." Bohnert made par on six of her first eight holes and birdied the other two before a bogey on the ninth hole left her with a 1-under-par 34 at the turn – six strokes ahead of three-time section- al champion Grace Waggoner, of Vin- cennes Rivet. "I can't say enough about the way Natalie played Saturday," Pike Central head coach Jarrod Gideon said. "She was paired with the defending champi- on and former state qualifier from Rivet and not only matched her shot for shot, but was actually up by about six strokes through the first six holes." "She was absolutely torching the course for a while," Gideon added. "It was some of the most impressive iron play I've seen at the high school level, boy or girl." Bohnert had four bogeys and one dou- ble-bogey along with one birdie on the back nine to finish three strokes ahead of Waggoner, who shot a 7-over-par 77. "It was pretty incredible to be able to play with Grace," Bohnert admit- ted. "She's an amazing player. It kind of helped me keep focused and keep my mind set on what I wanted to do." "She cooled off a bit on the back nine, but never put herself in a terrible spot, and was a rock mentally, which is what eventually won it for her," Gideon said. "Waggoner made a charge like we knew she would, as she's a great player and competitor – and Nat never flinched." Adding icing on the cake for Pike Central was the fact that the Lady Char- gers finished third as a team and will advance to the regional tournament – which will be played at the Country Oaks Golf Club on Saturday, Sept. 22 – for the third straight year. Sixth grader Xavery Weis- man placed first overall as the Pike Central Middle School girls' cross country team defeated visiting Vin- cennes Clark 16 -30 during the Lady Chargers' final home meet of the season on Thursday, Sept. 6, at Prides Creek Park. "Our practices leading up to the meet were spent focus- ing on identifying each in- dividual's strengths as well as points of progress," Pike Central head coach Bridget Butcher said. "Throughout our season, each runner has kept a running journal to log their thoughts and race times, and I believe the ath- letes have really started to understand themselves bet- ter than before." Weisman completed the 2.1-mile course with a per- sonal record time of 11:48, beating her previous PR time of 12:19 by 31 seconds. Weisman's time also marked a personal course record, beating her previous per- sonal course record time of 12:21 by 33 seconds. Chargers seventh grader Anna Whitehead placed sec- ond with a personal record and personal course record time of 12:43, beating her previous PR and personal course record time of 13:06 by 23 seconds. Fourth grader Kylie Mey- er placed third with a per- sonal record and personal course record time of 13:04, beating her previous PR and personal course record time of 14:33 by 89 seconds. Rangers tame Chargers, 41-17 BOHNERT FIRES SCHOOL-RECORD 74 TO BECOME FIRST PCHS GIRLS' GOLFER TO WIN SECTIONAL Pike Central High School senior Natalie Bohnert points to her name after winning low-medalist honors during the girls' golf sectional tournament at the Country Club of Old Vincennes on Saturday, Sept. 15. Bohnert is the first Lady Charger golfer to win the sectional tournament. Submitted Photo Pike Central High School senior Hayden Kabrick chases after the ball during boys' varsity soccer ac- tion on Thursday, Sept. 13 at Heritage Hills. The host Patriots won the contest, 1-0. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School junior wide re- ceiver Connor O'Neal (3) looks for some running room during varsity football game action against visiting Forest Park on Fri- day, Sept. 14. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Braxton Rice (58) kicks a 27-yard field goal out of the hold by senior Judah Leathco (14) during var- sity football game action against visiting For- est Park on Friday, Sept. 14. Ed Cahill photo Derek Lunsford placed second in the 2018 IFBB 212 Olympia compe- tition on Saturday, Sept. 15, in Las Vegas, Nev. Lunsford, the 25-year-old son of Javona Miller, of Petersburg, and Scott Lunsford, of Washington, graduated from Pike Central High School in 2011. Submitted Photo Pike Central Mid- dle School eighth grader Dallas Reute- pohler competes in a boys' cross coun- try dual meet against Vincennes Clark host- ed by the Chargers at Prides Creek Park on Wednesday, Sept. 12. Reutepohler placed first with a personal record time of 11:13. Ed Cahill photo PCMS cross country teams race past Vincennes Clark in final home meet Penalty kick boosts Heritage Hills past Chargers See BOHNERT on 6 See PENALTY on 7 See CHARGERS on 4 See R ACE on 3