The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, June 7, 2017 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 During a ceremony held at Pike Central High School on Thursday, June 1, Colton White – who lettered in four different sports during his fresh- man, sophomore, junior and senior years – signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Indiana Wesleyan University. Indiana Wesleyan Uni- versity, which describes itself on its website as an "evangelical Christian comprehensive universi- ty," is located in Marion, Ind., approximately three hours from Petersburg. "I had a couple of op- tions, and then I went and visited there and it was just beautiful," said White, the 18 -year-old son of Sta- cy and Clifford White, of Petersburg. "Everything was nice. They seemed interested – and the pro- gram's going up." This year, the Wild- cats went 27-30 under second-year head coach Rich Benjamin after go- ing 37-25 -1 in 2016 – the program's first winning season since 2008 – while advancing to the NAIA National Championship opening round for the first time. "The coach that he's go- ing to play for, he's a very good guy," Chargers head baseball coach Josh Mc- Donald said. "I personal- ly know him, so it's a good fit for him. " "Halfway through the season, we were unsure, and then (Benjamin) came on pretty hard," Mc- Donald added. "And I was happy to see it." "(Benjamin) came from a different college, and they had a winning pro- gram," said White, who is undecided as to what he will major in at Indiana Wesleyan. "This school did not have a winning pro- gram, and then last year he bumped it up a lot. So, hopefully, that keeps go- Senior Colton White (seated, center) signed his national letter of intent to play baseball at Indiana Wesleyan University during a ceremony held at Pike Central High School on Thursday, June 1. Seated beside White are his moth- er, Stacy (left) and his father, Clifford (right). Standing are, from left to right, Pike Central High School head baseball coach Josh McDonald and American Legion Post 25 head baseball coach Jesse Simmons. Ed Cahill photo PATOKA VALLEY OUTDOORS By Sam Whiteleather Strip Pit Fishing See WHITE on 2 WE ARE PROFFESIONAL GRADE uebelhorgm.com 1-800-937-8721 Jasper, IN Pike Central High School sophomore Noah On- yett tees off during the sectional boys' golf tour- nament on Friday, June 2, at the Country Club of Old Vincennes. Onyett shot an 82 and won a sudden-death playoff with Princeton senior Na- than Sandusky to advance to the regional meet – which will be held on Thursday, June 8, at the Country Oaks Golf Course – as an individual. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School junior Lincoln Vaughn sinks a putt during the sectional boys' golf tour- nament on Friday, June 2, at the Country Club of Old Vincennes. Vaughn shot an 80 to advance to the regional meet – which will be held on Thurs- day, June 8, at the Country Oaks Golf Course – as an individual. Ed Cahill photo VAUGHN, ONYETT ADVANCE TO REGIONAL BOYS' GOLF TOURNAMENT See ADVANCE on 2 By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Two members of the Pike Central High School boys' golf team have advanced – as individuals – to the regional tour- nament, which will be held on Thursday, June 8, at the Coun- try Oaks Golf Club. During the sectional tournament at the Country Club of Old Vincennes on Friday, June 2, junior Lincoln Vaughn shot an 18 -hole score of 80, the lowest total posted by an individu- al from a non-advancing team on the par-70 course. Sophomore Noah Onyett, meanwhile, won a sudden-death playoff with Princeton senior Nathan Sandusky – on the sec- ond hole – after he and Sandusky both shot an 82 to tie with the third-best score by an individual from a non-advancing team. The sectional tournament's top three teams and the top three low individuals from a non-advancing team qualify for the regional tournament. Ties for third place must be played off in order to advance. "Two individuals advancing – I don't remember us ever doing that," Chargers head coach Jarrod Gideon said after- ward. "We've advanced as a team, but I don't remember two individuals advancing before." In addition, sophomore Hayden Kabrick fired a 93, se- nior Colton Potter fired a 94 and sophomore Austin Hold- er fired a 98. As a team, Pike Central had a score of 349, placing fifth behind Vincennes Lincoln (312), South Knox (334), Gib- son Southern (336) and Princeton (346). Washington (351) was sixth, followed by Vincennes Rivet (355), Washington Catholic (391), Wood Memorial (399), North Knox (419), Barr-Reeve (423) and North Daviess (454). Tecumseh al- so participated but did not have enough golfers to qualify for a team score. The Chargers' team score was a 20 -stroke improvement the 369 it shot during the sectional tournament in 2016, as well as a 41-stroke improvement over the 390 they put up during the Vincennes Invitational at the CCOV par-70 course on April 8. "If you have told me 349, I would have taken it," Gide- on said. "It's 41 strokes better than where we were earlier in the year over here, in that invitational. So, yeah, we did pretty well." Vaughn – who shot a 93 during the sectional tournament as a sophomore – had one birdie, nine pars, six bogeys, one "It's green all around us," Jacob says as he looks up from the radar on his phone. Over his shoulder, I glance at a few yellow rays of sunlight that jet up the side of a billowing ash gray cumulus cloud tow- ering over our small boat. The cloud's reflection rests on the surface of the deep- ly dark and undisturbed water. I say nothing in re- sponse to Jake's statement but, rather, pull back my rod and make a long cast toward the bank where I know a willing bluegill must be. As my lure strikes the surface and sinks, my eye rests on the stripper bank with its lush green vegetation standing next to a crumbling rock high- wall that leers decrepitly above the water. The sound of distant thunder rolls through the air with a subdued voice full of a contained ener- gy. A split second after the thunder's voice qui- ets a turkey's gobbles in response, as if trying to trump the thunder with its own powerful voice. The sound of the gobble is a throaty eruption of cutting notes descending deeper and deeper in tone and volume. I cast again. I notice how the fading evening light brings a mysterious air to the place. It's that sort of eerie, half dark, half light that one encounters just prior to sunset. It's a time when shadows creep and every slight movement or odd shape takes on a threatening persona. This Luna Moth lighting adds to the remarkable stillness of the pit and I am easily sucked into a drifting re- spite until distant light- ning reminds me again of the looming storm. We fish on. One cast is followed by another until I feel the quick bump of a bluegill hitting my lure. It pulls, turns and flips from side to side before mak- ing a long run away from the boat, causing my fish- ing pole to sing as the line goes out. When I final- ly pull the fish into our boat, it's dressed in tones of crimson yellow, deep ocean blue and rustic or- ange, a color scheme in- imitable by even the most polished artist. Decades ago, the pit that Jake and I fish was an ac- tive coal mine. What was once a quagmire of men operating noisy, ground shaking earthmovers, booming with dynamite explosions, has now been reclaimed by the flora and fauna of southern Indiana. Men once came here to earn their pay; now they come here to earn their respite. Another rolling throb of thunder is followed close- ly by a lightning flash. Jake and I glance at each oth- er. A mind game of phys- iological endurance en- sues. I want so bad to say, "We better go in," but the words will not come. I will not be the first one to call it quits. Jake says nothing but steadily flings and re- trieves a top water jig, hop- ing for a bass strike. All the stories and warn- ings I've read about fish- ermen getting struck by lightning now start to nag at my conscience. I picture Rena quietly weeping as she gets a phone call from the sheriff's department letting her know they've found my body. "Let's fish our way along the bank, back to the boat ram." "Probably a good idea," Jake quickly re- sponds. I know I've lost the mind game, and I'm OK with it. For I'll live on with the ability to pull this evening from my memo- ry bank and relive a mo- ment of quiet beauty on the verge of a looming summer thunderstorm. White signs to play baseball at Indiana Wesleyan Davis, White named to PAC All-Conference baseball team O'Neal receives honorable mention Pike Central High School seniors Chase Davis and Colton White have been named to the Pocket Ath- letic Conference's All-Con- ference Team for baseball. In addition, senior Colton O'Neal received honorable mention. Davis – who was named to the PAC's All-Conference Team as a catcher following his sophomore and junior seasons – received all-con- ference honors as a utili- ty player after batting .403 with nine doubles and six home runs while scoring 25 runs and driving in 27. White, meanwhile, re- ceived All-Conference hon- ors as an infielder after bat- ting .447 with seven dou- bles, two triples and four home runs while scoring 29 runs and driving in 20. White also stole 12 bases. O'Neal received honor- able mention accolades as Lady Chargers' Scott, Croak named to PAC All-Conference Team Sorgius receives honorable mention Pike Central High School senior Madison Scott and junior Demi Croak have been named the Pocket Athletic Confer- ence All-Conference Soft- ball Team while junior Pey- ton Sorgius received hon- orable mention. Scott, who received All- PAC honorable mention ac- colades at catcher as a ju- nior, was named to the PAC All-Conference Team as an infielder after batting .594 against PAC foes. In eight PAC contests, Scott collected 19 hits in 32 at-bats – including three doubles and one triple – while scoring 14 runs and driving in seven. Overall, Scott batted .439 with a team-high 36 hits – including four dou- bles, one triple and one home run – in 82 at-bats while scoring 27 runs See CHARGERS on 3 See PAC on 3