The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/221682
B-1 Wednesday, December 4, 2013 The Press-Dispatch Lady Chargers fall short in 49-44 loss to Tell City Chargers slip past Heritage Hills in season opener By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School head girls' basketball coach Randy Graham resorted to everything but bubble gum and baling wire to cobble together a game plan when the Lady Chargers hosted Tell City on Tuesday, Nov. 26. However, with three of his eight regular varsity players – freshman guard/forward Jolene Whitehead (left ankle), junior forward/center Lindsey Nixon (concussion) and junior forward Lindsey Catt (right knee) – sidelined by injuries, Graham's McGyverlike improvisations fell short as Pike Central dropped a 49-44 loss to the Lady Marksmen. "It's very challenging because when you have three regulars out and you have one day to prepare for a game, not only are you trying to game plan for your opponent, but you're also trying to worry about the things that you do," said Graham, whose Lady Chargers fell to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in the Pocket Athletic Conference. "The chemistry's going to be off and the timing's going to be off on a lot of things. It just takes more time than a day." "It just comes down to, yeah, we miss those kids, and some of those things were off, but we feel like we still had opportunities to win today," Graham added. "We've got to take advantage of some things, and we didn't do that." Dressing eight junior varsity players, one of whom – junior guard Kimberly McCammon – was inserted into the starting lineup, Pike Central fell behind early as Tell City's Kassidie Hayes, a 6-foot-1 junior center, scored the game's first five points. After the Lady Marksmen (3-1 overall, 10 in the PAC) stretched their lead to 7-1, senior Emily Howes hit a three-pointer off an assist by senior guard Stephanie Richardson to pull the Lady Chargers within 7-4 with 2:36 left in the opening period. Following an exchange of baskets by Tell City junior center Taylor Gentry and Howes, the Lady Marksmen scored six straight points to open up a 15-6 lead early in the second quarter. After Richardson scored to pull Pike Central to within 15-8, Tell City, on a basket and a free throw by freshman forward See TELL CITY on B-3 Pike Central senior Stephanie Richardson (32) goes up for a shot while Tell City senior Logan Flanagan (left) defends during high school girls' basketball action on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Ed Cahill photo. Pike Central senior Nick Baker tries to break loose from a headlock by his Heritage Hills opponent while competing in the 132-pound weight class in the Turkey Classic at Mount Vernon on Friday, Nov. 29. Ed Cahill photo. Pike Central freshman Chaney McKinney placed first in the boys' 100-yard butterfly as well as in the boys' 200-yard individual medley during a high school swim meet against visiting Heritage Hills on Monday, Dec. 2. Ed Cahill photo. By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Freshman Chaney McKinney placed first in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly as the Pike Central High School boys' swimming team edged visiting Heritage Hills 87-79 on Monday, Dec. 2. In addition, senior Kyle Keepes was first in the 100-yard backstroke, junior Aaron Keepes recorded his personal-best time while winning the 100-yard breaststroke, and senior Colton Corlett took first place in diving. Kyle Keepes, Aaron Keepes, McKinney and Corlett also teamed up to win the 200-yard medley and the 200-yard freestyle relays. "We're very pleased," said Pike Central head coach Jason McKinney. "We have a lot of new swimmers this year and we weren't for sure how we'd stack up with them. But the kids swam really well and they turned out a 'W.'" Chaney McKinney, who is the coach's son, won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:26.75, nearly four seconds ahead of Heritage Hills' Logan Ayer. He then won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:09.07 while Kyle Keepes placed second with a personal-best time of 1:12.38. "(Chaney) was really nervous going into this meet," Jason McKinney said. "I put pressure on him. He has pressure from his teammates, he knows where he stands on the team, and he puts a lot of pressure on himself." "He did really well," Jason McKinney added. "He kept his composure and swam really well and swam some really good times. I was really pleased with him." Jason McKinney said he was also pleased with the performances of two other freshmen, Evan Marchino, who placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Reid Craig, who placed fourth in the 200-yard freestyle and fifth in the 100-yard backstroke. "Evan swam a couple of his best times as a freshman, and Reid was another one," he said. "Didn't get that first-place finish or second, but those third- and fourth-place fin- ishes, they pull points for us. Kids like that, we've got to have them. We've got to have every point we can get." Corlett, who also placed second in the 50-yard freestyle, subbed for freshman sprinter Collin Sallee, who is currently sidelined by a broken leg, in the relay events. "Colton stepped up and filled a big set of shoes and swam real well," Jason McKinney said. Also posting a second-place finish in an individual event was Aaron Keepes in the 200-yard freestyle. Posting third-place finishes individually were sophomore Austin Kendall in the 50-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle and senior River Mosby in the 100-yard freestyle. Posting fourth-place finishes individually were freshman Jimmy Krietemeyer in the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke and senior Laron Griffith in the 500-yard freestyle. Posting fifth-place finishes individually were Griffith in the 50-yard freestyle and Alex Lin in the 100-yard freestyle. In addition, the team of Kendall, Mosby, Griffith and Marchino placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay and third in the 200-yard freestyle relay. "Overall, for all of our new swimmers, it kind of opened up their eyes to really see why we work hard," Jason McKinney said. "They did a really good job." In the girls' meet, despite first-place finishes by Pike Central freshman Maya Frederick in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke events, Heritage Hills won 118-66. Frederick, in fact, posted a winning time of 2:15.69 in the 200-yard freestyle, which is within a second of the school record. "I was really pleased with her," Jason McKinney said. "Heritage Hills has got a team that's got a lot of year round swimmers and Maya came through last night. As a freshman going up against a pretty stacked team of girls like Heritage Hills has got, and coming away with two first places, that's really saying something." Lady Chargers posting second-place finishes in individual events were freshman SylSee SWIMMING on B-2 Roberts, Carroll go 8-0 as grapplers open season at Turkey Classic By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Senior Alex Roberts and freshman Blake Carroll both went unbeaten in eight bouts as the Pike Central High School wrestling team won five of eight matches during the Turkey Classic held Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, at Mount Vernon. Roberts, competing in the 195-pound weight class, and Carroll, competing in the 106-pound weight class, recorded three pins apiece. "Alex had a nice weekend of wrestling and stepped up big in some matches against people that beat him last year," Charger head coach Billy Hewig said. "He had three pins and gutted out a couple of close decisions that were very gutsy on his part." "Blake really wrestled well and we are looking for some good things from this freshman," Hewig added. Senior Dalton Miller, competing in the 285-pound weight class, went 7-1, while junior Jacob Day, competing in the 220-pound weight class, went 5-1. "Jacob had four pins in his five wins," Hewig noted. "He strained a muscle in his neck and could not wrestle the last two matches, but really had a nice weekend for us at 220." Senior Nick Baker, competing in the 132-pound weight class, senior Devin Phillips, competing in the 152-pound weight class, and junior Caleb Hawkins, competing in the 113-pound weight class, all went 62, while sophomore Cordale Kenley, competing in the 120-pound weight See TURKEY on B-2 3rd and 4th Grade Future chargers Ashlyn Shoultz (right, with ball) looks for an open teammate while being guarded by Ella McGuire (left) as the 3rd and 4th Grade Future Chargers play during halftime. Ed Cahill photo. Ashlyn Shoultz (left, with ball) takes a look at the basket while Haylie Fulcher (right) jumps to block her shot. Ed Cahill photo. Kennedy Willis (left, with ball) pulls up to attempt a shot while Ashlyn Shoultz (4) defends as the 3rd and 4th Grade Future Chargers play during halftime of the Pike Central-North Knox varsity girls' high school basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 30. Ed Cahill photo. Haylie Fulcher (right) prepares to shoot the ball while being defended by Shelby Keeker (2). Ed Cahill photo. Chloey Graham (right) prepares to fire up a shot while being defended by Haylie Fulcher (left). Ed Cahill photo. Kahle Young dribbles the ball as the 3rd and 4th Grade Future Chargers play during halftime of the Pike Central-North Knox junior varsity girls' high school basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 30. Ed Cahill photo. Shelby Keeker dribbles the ball as she drives toward the basket while Madelyn Fiscus (right) defends. Ed Cahill photo.