The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, July 3, 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 dchosp.org/pediatrics • Six convenient locations. • Board-certified pediatricians. • Appointments available! Pediatric care from newborns to teens. Services from check-up to specialized care. Let DCH care for your little ones. BIG CARE WE ARE PROFFESIONAL GRADE uebelhorgm.com 1-800-937-8721 Jasper, IN Conference realignment changes landscape of area high school athletics By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net l The dust has started to settle on the high school ath- letic conference realignment in Southern Indiana, even if further details have yet to emerge. What is known is that Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln are headed to the Evansville-based Southern Indiana Ath- letic Conference [SIAC] and Boonville, Mount Vernon, Princeton and Wash- ington will join the Pocket Athletic Con- ference [PAC], at the start of the 2020 -21 school year. "When it is all said and done, it will be good for everybody involved and it will make the PAC more competitive than it al- ready was, which is a good thing for athletics in South- ern Indiana," Pike Central Athletic Director Dustin Pow- ell said. The nine PAC athletic directors voted 9 -0 in favor of the remaining four Big Eight joining the conference during their end-of-the-year meeting on Tuesday, June 4 at Sul- tan's Run Golf Club. Everything was put in motion when Mount Carmel (Ill.) was basically forced to leave the Big Eight because the Il- linois High School Association revamped its postseason football format for 2020. The changes made it impossible for the Illinois school to stay in an Indiana conference and still qualify for the Illinois playoffs. The next domino to fall was Jasper and Vincennes Lin- coln announcing they would join the SIAC next year. Since the Big Eight was formed in 1980, Jasper has won the all-sports trophy every year except 1995 -96 ( Vin- cennes). This left the four remaining Big Eight teams in a sort of limbo. The addition of the four teams most likely means the league will split into two divisions that are based on en- rollment. Gibson Southern improves its schedule with tougher opponents, while the smaller schools, like Pike Central, play schools with comparable enrollment. "There are still a lot of unknowns," Powell said. "All we know is those four teams are joining the PAC. Besides that, we still have a lot of work to do as [athletic direc- tors] to figure out what we are going to do with each sport and how we form the conference and possible divisions. Is it going to be big and small, east-west or north-south? " The PAC also keeps the option to play non-conference games, which several of the schools supported. Powell said he believes from a football standpoint, that there has always been a desire to combine the PAC and Big Eight, and he doesn't anticipate a big change in trav- el expenses because Pike Central already plays most of the teams. "Mount Vernon is only one that we don't play in a major- ity of sports," he said. "But most sports are traveling more than an hour for three or four games already." The SIAC was also interested in Gibson Southern and Boonville to make it a 12-team league, but the Pioneers declined because they felt like they couldn't compete in the much tougher SIAC. "It's no secret that just last year we outscored our op- ponents by 40 -plus points a game in football and had the most losses we have had in the past seven years," Gibson Southern Athletic Director Jon Adams said. "That does nothing good for anyone involved; the student-athletes, coaches or fans. I had a conference AD tell me that when they played us and Heritage Hills it was a two-week loss for them due to injuries and other factors. Playing a sched- ule that prepares us for the postseason in all sports is ap- pealing. Yes, the SIAC would have presented that, but I believe adding these four schools does as well." Gibson Southern has played in four state championships (soccer, baseball and softball two times) and also made the Class 3A semi-state game four of the past seven sea- sons in football. "We want to keep our foot on the gas," Adams said. "So anytime we have a chance to improve schedules or any- thing for that matter for our kids and ultimately put them in a better position to have postseason success, we will do that." Gibson Southern coaches voted 19 -0 in favor of making the switch to the SIAC. "That's what our students, coaches, parents and com- munity expect," Adams said. "They each put a great deal of hard work and commitment in bettering our teams so when opportunities arise, we owe it to all of them to ex- plore those opportunities." Adams said the adding the four remaining Big Eight schools made a lot of sense because the schools are sim- ilar in size and the Titans already play all of the teams in every sport except football. "We are happy in the PAC and contrary to popular be- lief, we have never in my 10 years as AD considered leav- ing the PAC, but as I said when the SIAC called, there was some interest," he said. "We have one of the best confer- ences in the state with administrators that all want what is best for their student-athletes. Every season, the PAC has teams making deep tournament runs, so having an opportunity to add four schools that add to the competi- tive balance of our conference is a win-win in our opinion." OCU cross country signs Huff By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net l Recent Pike Central graduate Draven Huff will be continuing his education and athletic career at Oak- land City University. Huff signed to run for the Mighty Oaks during a ceremony at the high school on Thursday, June 27. "Oakland City is a really nice col- lege," Huff said. "It's small and kind of quaint. A lot of people like to stay out late and do all types of crazy things, but when I wake early and go out and run, it makes me feel good and energized throughout the day." Huff will join three former Pike Central teammates on Oakland City's cross country team in Abby Hillyard, MaKaila Mason and Hal- ley Powers. "I know a bunch of people who go there already," he said. "It's right down the road from my house. I get to stay at home and save a lot of mon- ey." Huff qualified for the semi-state meet the past two seasons. He fin- ished 52nd with a time of 17 minutes and 3.9 seconds this past season. He also qualified for the regional meet in his sophomore season, which was his first year as a member of the team. Huff said the thought of run- ning cross country in college hadn't crossed his mind until OCU head coach Will Niederhaus approached him after a big race at Barr-Reeve. "He asked me if I wanted to run in college," he said. "A fter that, I start- ed to think that maybe I could do it." Huff helped lead the Chargers to a third-place finish at the sectional meet this past season. He said he will miss his high school teammates, but looks forward to forming new rela- tionships in college. "I think transitioning over to col- lege is going to be a little hard for me," he said. "High school being over really hasn't hit me yet because I still go out with the team and run. They are really part of my family." Huff also played basketball and baseball while attending Pike Cen- tral. He joined the cross country team thanks to some encourage- ment from his basketball coach, Jer- emy Roach, after he was easily win- ning distance runs during summer conditioning. Huff said he was apprehensive at first, but his coach talked him into it. The decision was mutually ben- eficial because Roach also served as the Chargers boys' cross coun- try coach. "Everything just kind of clicked," Huff said. "It felt really good running because I was good at it." Huff plans to major in business and sales management, and hopes to eventually own a business. "It's a great situation for our kids anytime they get to go to that next level and compete athletically and, of course, get an education," Pike Cen- tral Athletic Director Dustin Powell said. "It's great for the school and community that we have kids going to that next level and representing Pike Central High School." Friends and family gather as 2019 Pike Central graduate Draven Huff signs to run cross coun- try at Oakland City University. Pictured are, (l to r): Pike Central Athletic Director Dustin Powell, Sydney Brooks, Joe Chamberlain, Draven Huff, John Davis and Danie'll Davis. Dennis Marshall photo. Staff Report Petersburg native John Voyles finished 16th at the Fishing League Worldwide [FLW] Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine that concluded on Sunday, June 30. Voyles started the event strong. He finished the first day tied for sec- ond place with a five-bass total of 20 pounds and seven ounces. Voyles re- mained in second place after day two (18 -5) with a total haul of 38 -12, but the third day was much tougher, as his total weight for the day was just 14-4 and brought his three-day total to 53-0. Only the top 10 fished on the fourth day. Casey Scanlon, of Lake Ozark, Mo., won the event with a to- tal of 76 -2. Lake Champlain is locat- ed in New York, Vermont and Que- bec, Canada. Voyles places 16th at national FLW event John Voyles makes a catch at the Fishing League Worldwide [FLW] Tour at Lake Champlain. Photo contributed. NETEDITION VIDEO