The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, Februar y 5, 2020 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 See OPENER on page 3 See SECTIONAL on page 4 CHARGER MATMEN SEE IMPROVEMENTS, ADVANCE FOUR TO REGIONALS www.UebelhorGM.com Jasper • 1-800-937-8721 CHEVROLET Lady Chargers look to avenge loss in postseason opener By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central girls' basketball team traveled to Princeton for the open- ing round of Sectional 31 Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The Lady Chargers looked to get some vengeance against Vincennes Lincoln (18 -4, 5 -0 Big Eight) after an early regu- lar-season loss to the Lady Alices. "They have a good combination of size and shooting," Pike Central head coach Kyle McCutchan said. "We know we will have our hands full, but we have to take care of the basketball and be pa- tient on offense. You can't turn the ball over against them and expect to win, and we need to hit some shots from the pe- rimeter. They are bigger than us, so it will be tough to get into the paint. We al- so have to keep them off the backboard for put backs. We know it will be a chal- lenge and I am looking forward to com- peting against them." Pike Central has shown potential this season, but has lacked consistency. The team started the season 6 -5, but strug- gled down the stretch against some tal- ented teams and lost nine of their final 11 games to finish the regular season 8 - 14 overall with a 3-5 conference mark. The Lady Chargers ended the season with back-to-back losses to Heritage Hills (15 -6, 7-1 PAC) and Tecumseh (16 - 5, 6 -2 PAC). "We knew both Tecumseh and Her- itage Hills would be tough games, but with the illness we were dealing with, it made it that much tougher," McCutchan said. "Both are good teams that present By Dennis Marshall Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central wrestling team had 11 of its 13 total wrestlers place at the Section- al 28 Tournament at Southridge on Satur- day, Feb. 1. The Chargers also had four athletes fin- ish in the top four of their respective weight class, which qualifies them for the Region- al 14 Tournament at Bloomington South on Saturday, Feb. 8. "That's a pretty good day," Pike Central head coach Ryan McCain said. "On the downside, we only got four through to re- gional again. I'm not real happy about that. I had us taking at least six, so we did not deliver on that. What's frustrating is three kids we beat in the first round were able to fight back and advance to regional where our kids did not. That is frustrating." Pike Central's top finisher was Isaiah Greer. He placed second in the 113-pound weight class for the second consecutive year. Greer advanced to the championship match after he received a bye in the first round, pinned New Albany's Amari Dejesus in the second round and pinned Mitchell's Wyatt Woolston in the semifinals. He came up short by a 7-3 decision to For- est Park's Isaac Brosmer in the champion- ship match. "Greer looked good going into the last round," McCain said. "I don't know if nerves got to him or what, but he's better than he showed in the championship. He beat that kid soundly earlier in the year. We have to regroup, win our first match at regional and try to place as high as we can to get a good draw at semi-state. Blake Henson finished fourth at 138 a week after he claimed the Pocket Athlet- ic Conference crown. He also received a bye in the first round, pinned Forest Park's Dylan Niehaus in the second round, and lost to Floyd Central's and eventual champion J. Conway in the semifinals. Henson came back and beat New Albany's Austin Firkin in the conso- lation to advance to the third-place match, where he was defeated by Jasper's Camer- on Eckstein. "[Henson] showed a lot of heart on Satur- day," McCain said. "He was coming off his big win at the PAC, but he had some stiff competition this weekend. He beat a solid kid from New Albany to break through to regional for the first time." Freshmen Griffin Boyd and Jackson Stuckey were the Chargers' other two athletes to qualify for the regional. Grif- fin claimed third at 106 and Stuckey was fourth at 152. "It's a big accomplishment to get through to regional, let alone doing it as freshmen," McCain said. "Hopefully this will motivate these guys to really step up their game in the offseason so they can see how much fur- ther they can take it the next three years." Henson and Stuckey will face the champi- ons from the Bloomington North Sectional, Boyd will see the runner up and Greer will take on the third-place finisher. "We have a lot of work to do this week," McCain said. "All four will have to bring their A game in order to break through to semi-state. We will be ready." Pike Central had five wrestlers in Dal- ton Williams (120), Ryan Gladish (126), Jon Cannon (145), Corey Goeppner (195) and Cody Davis (220) who placed fifth and barely missed out on a trip to the regional. "They have a chance to get into regional as an alternate if someone from their sec- tional cannot wrestle," McCain said. "So I have to have these guys ready to go as well." Isaiah Greer competes in the 113-pound weight class sectional champion- ship at Southridge on Saturday, Feb. 1. Pike Central's Griffin Boyd takes down an opponent during the sectional tournament at Southridge on Saturday, Feb. 1. Pike Central's Jackson Stuckey competes in the sectional meet at Southridge on Saturday, Feb. 1. Mallory Hickey plants herself before going up for a shot against Heritage Hills on Thursday, Jan. 30. Jayln Nelson puts up a shot over a Heritage Hills defender on Thursday, Jan. 30.