The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Sports Wednesday, August 30, 2017 B- 5 rushing yards on 14 car- ries while O'Neal gained 56 yards on five rushing at- tempts. Boger had 38 yards on four carries while also catching two passes for 36 more. Maleek Hardiman led Princeton's offense by com- pleting 13 of 31 pass at- tempts for 215 yards. Bustos and Wilkerson both caught four passes, for 83 yards and 41 yards, respectively, while Dovonte Hardiman had two receptions for 83 yards. The Tigers also gained a total of 204 yards on the ground, with Dovonte Hardi- man picking up 81 yards on 11 carries and Maleek Hardiman rushing for 64 yards on seven attempts. "I thought our defense played well, but, you know, playing well for us is not a shutout," Mattingly said. "Our defense can play well, but we're going to give up some points. It's just kind of the nature of football nowa- days and the type of defense that we've got. We knew we were probably going to have to outscore them." Pike Central will return to action on Friday, Sept. 1, when the Chargers will play at Pocket Athletic Con- ference rival Heritage Hills. The Patriots – ranked 18th in Class 3A – are 2-0 over- all and 1-0 in the PAC af- ter opening the season with wins over Mount Vernon (Posey) and Tell City. Mattingly described Her- itage Hills – which has won 44 of the 45 meetings be- tween the two schools – as a "storied program." "I remember when I was coaching at Boon- ville, I would get Heritage Hills tape," Mattingly said. "That's what a young coach does – you watch great teams. Bob Clayton there had some great teams, did some great things there. (Todd) Wilkerson is doing some great things there now. I would put them right at the top of any program in southwestern Indiana. When I think of Heritage Hills, I think of wishbone, go-kick-your-butt offense and play great defense." In the meantime, Matting- ly said that he and his coach- ing staff would be continu- ing to work on areas that need improvement. "We'll watch tape and there'll be a 1,001 things that we need to clean up to make ourselves better," Matting- ly said. "We'll have three or four game-plan things. We'll just concentrate on moving our feet on our blocks ... and not turning the ball over. I mean, we're going to keep it pretty simple." However, Alvey said that he and his teammates were planning to savor the pro- gram's first win against Princeton since 2011. "Coach said we have 24 hours," Alvey said. "We can celebrate tonight, come back in the morning and cel- ebrate a little bit more, but then, on Monday, we've got to get ready for Heritage Hills. We can't go on what happened last week. We've got to keep working hard." Kickoff on Friday night is set for 8 p.m., Eastern time. PAST Continued from page 3 Call us at 812-354-8500 or email sports@pressdispatch.net GOT SPORTS NEWS? PATOKA VALLEY OUTDOORS By Sam Whiteleather Spare Change "That'll be $4.39," the convenience store clerk says courteously. I look down at the counter where I've dumped all the money I have on me. One crumpled-up dol- lar bill, eight or 10 quarters and a few sorry looking pen- nies lay in a scattered mess. "Crap," I say to her. "I don't have enough and I left my wallet at home." She gives me a blank stare waiting for my next move. "Wow," I imagine she's thinking to herself, "I've seen people run short of cash when try- ing to buy beer or cigarettes, but never when trying to buy bait. This guy must be really hard up." She smiles polite- ly before turning her back to me to grab a pack of Marl- boro Lights from the ciga- rette rack for the next cus- tomer in line. I scoop the money from the counter into my pocket, put the night crawlers back in the mini fridge, and head for the door. When I climb into the truck, my father-in- law, Mark, asks me where the night crawlers are. "The money we scrounged from the cab wasn't enough," I re- ply. "I have a 20 dollar bill on me, but I didn't want to break it" he says. "That's nice," I think to myself. "I just made myself look like a broke fishing bum while my father-in-law sat out in the truck with a 20 dollar bill." But I really can't say much since I'm the guy who left his wallet at home. "They wanted too much for their bait anyway," I say. Mark quickly agrees, there- by putting the blame for the mishap onto the store. He pulls the diesel truck onto the highway and we head for the banks of the local river, where we hope to spend the day catching smallmouth bass. When we get to the riv- er, Mark pulls the truck to a stop and shuts the clatter- ing diesel engine off. I'm the first one out of the cab and quickly tie a small craw- fish crank bait to the end of my ultra-light fishing pole. Walking to the edge of the river, I wade knee deep into its cool clear waters and be- gin to cast. Above me, the sky is blue and spotted with white fluffy clouds. The woods that grow down to the edge of the river are lush and, in places, form a dense jungle of stinging nettle, sycamore saplings and touch-me-nots in full bloom with orange and yel- low flowers. The spot I'm casting is a deep pool below a low-head dam. The noise from the water falling over the dam is a low roar that adds a feeling of underlying energy to the place. A fter dragging my crank bait over the moss-covered boulders that dot the bottom of the pool without any hits, I decide to try the pool above the dam. I climb up and over the big broken slabs of con- crete that lie on the side of the dam and begin fishing the upper pool. A fter casting for sever- al minutes without a bite, I decide to change over to a tube-jig. As I tie the tub-jig on, I hear the rattling call of a kingfisher above the sound of the rushing wa- ter and look up to watch the bird as it flies low over the water before rising to land on a perch. The deep blue of its feathers make its white "belt" below its head stand out as it reflects the bright rays of the sun. I finish tying the jig on and fling it hard to the front side of a large boulder. As it drops in the water, a bronze blur darts out from the boul- der to intercept it. A fter a good hook set, I'm soon do- ing battle with one of Indi- ana's top fighting fish, the smallmouth bass. A fter a se- ries of several runs and one jump, the fish is played out and I lip it to work my hook free. When I release it back into its cool water home, it darts for cover and is quickly lost amongst the moss-cov- ered boulders. I continue fishing upriver from the dam and catch and release several more nice smallmouth. Each time I set the hook and feel the strong shoulder of a fish behind it, my heart rate quickens and rises into my throat. All of the random thoughts and worries that continually float around my mind drop away until it's only me and the fish. When it's all over and I've sent the fish on its way, I start casting again, hoping anxiously for the next bite. The bright sun that has warmed the back of my neck all morning is now starting to work its way to- wards the horizon. I meet up with Mark back at the dam. I raise my voice to project over the sound of rushing water and ask how he did. "What? " he calls back. "Did you catch anything? " I say, almost shouting, "Yeah, caught several," he replies. We continue fishing for a little longer before de- ciding it's time to head for home. We climb into the truck and are soon on the state highway winding our way through fields of corn. When we drive past the con- venience store, I think of how we didn't need live bait anyway and hope that I won't have to go back in there any- time soon. MAC'S HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 812-789-3065 104 E Center St, Winslow • macshtgac@hotmail.com T H I S F E A T U R E I S S P O N S O R E D B Y : JACOB SISK has played Football four years for Pike Central, and also participates in Wrestling. He has been named the Defensive Line MVP, and received the Coach- es' Award in Wrestling. His favorite classes are Math and Advanced PE. He en- joys disc golf, weightlifting and fishing. He is the son of Jason and Darlene Sisk, of Petersburg. HALLEY POWERS runs Cross Country at Pike Central, and also participates in Basketball and Track. She was named All-PAC in Cross Country and received the Mental Attitude award for both Cross Country and Basketball. Halley's favorite classes are Peer Tutoring and PE. She is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, helps in her church as a children's teacher, nursery teacher and Powerpoint operator, and works at Days Inn in Jasper. Originally from Newton, Ill., Halley is the daughter of Jeff and Tammy Powers, Pike Co. residents. PIKE CENTRAL OF THE WEEK Mac's Heating and Air Conditioning recognizes the Pike Central seniors who are involved in athletics. PCMS football teams sweep past Washington The Pike Central Mid- dle School seventh and eighth grade football teams opened the 2017 season with a sweep of a doubleheader against visiting Washington on Thursday, Aug. 24. The seventh grade squad kicked off the evening with a 12-0 win over the Hatchets. "Our seventh grade team played well across the board," Chargers head coach Jeremy Howald said. "Offensively, we ran the ball decently and passed effec- tively to drive the ball down the field on numerous oc- casions. We have things to clean up, though – too many penalties over silly things." "Defensively, we disrupt- ed the Washington offense all night," Howald contin- ued. "We need to do a lit- tle better containing on the outside and not giving up the sideline, but, that being said, it's hard to complain about a shutout." The eighth grade squad capped the evening with a 26 -8 victory over the Hatch- ets. "Our eighth grade team played well," Howald said. "Wyatt Frasure and Zane Collins ran the ball extreme- ly well for us, and our offen- sive line, who were outsized by Washington's defensive line, held their blocks all night. Defensively, we set the tempo and played very aggressively with much suc- cess." "My hat's off to the eighth grade Washington kids, though," Howald added. "They had to play iron man football with only bringing 11 kids to play. They played hard and gave everything they had the whole game. That kind of effort is to be admired." Pike Central will travel to North Knox on Thurs- day, Aug. 31, and to Gibson Southern on Thursday, Sept. 7, before returning home to host Heritage Hills at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. PCHS boys' tennis team drops losses to Rivet, Lincoln, Tecumseh The Pike Central High School boys' tennis team dropped losses to Vincennes Rivet and Vincennes Lincoln in a round-robin tournament played at Vincennes Lincoln on Saturday, Aug. 26. Vincennes Rivet 4, Pike Central 1 At No. 1 singles, Char- gers senior Jackson Keepes lost to Patriots junior Colten Mouzin 6 -2, 6 -3. At No. 2 singles, Chargers senior Carlos Stewart lost to Patriots junior James Han- cock 6 -4, 6 -1. At No. 3 singles, Chargers freshman Ethan Huck lost to Patriots freshman Samuel Hinkle 6 -1, 6 -2. At No. 1 doubles, the Chargers' team of junior Kyle Williams and sopho- more Quinton Sorgius lost to the Patriots' team of ju- nior MaCaine Claycomb and sophomore Noah Donovan 6 -3, 6 -2. At No. 2 doubles, Char- gers sophomores Andrew Claridge and Colin Craig de- feated the Patriots' team of sophomore Grant Freeman and freshman Charlie Nie- haus 0 -6, 6 -2, 10 -7. Vincennes Lincoln 5, Pike Central 0 At No. 1 singles, Char- gers senior Jackson Keepes lost to Alices senior Brayden Seger 7-5, 6 -2. At No. 2 singles, Chargers senior Carlos Stewart lost to Alices junior Isaac Lane 6 - 1, 6 -1. At No. 3 singles, Chargers freshman Ethan Huck lost to Alices senior Sam Corrona 6 -1, 6 -2. At No. 1 doubles, the Chargers' team of junior Kyle Williams and sopho- more Quinton Sorgius lost to the Alices' team of junior Trevor Stenger and fresh- man Kyle Stenger 6 -4, 6 -3. At No. 2 doubles, Char- gers sophomores Andrew Claridge and Colin Craig lost to the Alices' team of se- nior Blake Bobe and soph- omore Dustin Altstadt 6 -3, 6 -3. In a junior varsity match, Chargers sophomore Dalton Williams lost 8 -3. • On Thursday, Aug. 23, Pike Central dropped a 3-2 loss to visiting Tecumseh. At No. 1 singles, Chargers senior Jackson Keepes lost to the Braves' Woody Bruck- en 6 -4, 6 -4. At No. 2 singles, Char- gers senior Carlos Stewart defeated the Braves' Reid Pemberton 6 -1, 7-6. At No. 3 singles, Chargers sophomore Dalton Williams lost to the Braves' Jalen Ox- ley 6 -2, 6 -1. At. No. 1 doubles, the Chargers' team of junior Kyle Williams and sopho- more Quinton Sorgius lost to the Braves' team of Logan Arnold and Kinzer Flowers 6 -4, 1-6, 6 -4. At No. 2 doubles, Char- gers sophomores Andrew Claridge and Colin Craig defeated the Braves' team of Trevor Cox and Dylan Greenburg 6 -1, 4-6, 7-5. In a junior varsity singles' match, Chargers freshman Ethan Huck defeated the Braves' Ethan Hall 8 -0. Pike Central (1-7 overall, 0 -3 in the Pocket Athletic Conference) played at Wash- ington on Tuesday, Aug. 29. The Chargers will return home to host South Spen- cer at 5:30 p.m. on Wednes- day, Aug. 30, and Wood Me- morial at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs- day, Aug. 31. PCMS boys' tennis team opens season against Tecumseh The Pike Central Middle School boys' tennis team split two rounds of match- es with visiting Tecumseh on Thursday, Aug. 24. In first-round singles matches, the Chargers' Parker Knust lost 8 -0, J.J. Bellmore lost 8 -0, and Alex Clark lost 4-8. In first-round doubles matches, the Chargers' Carter Blackwell and Adon Lemond lost 8 -0, and Alex Gray and No- lan Bailey lost 8 -0. In second-round singles matches, the Chargers' Parker Knust won 6 -1, J.J. Bellmore won 6 -4, and Alex Clark won 6 -0. In second-round doubles matches, the Chargers' Dietrich Dunigan and No- lan Bailey lost 6 -0, and Carter Blackwell and Adon Lemond lost 6 -0. "Overall our team played well," said Pike Central head coach Phil Knust. "We had only one middle school player on our team playing, with the rest of the team being fifth and fourth graders. I'm not making any excuses, but the teams we play mainly only have sixth, seventh and eighth graders on their teams." Phil Knust described the sea- son-opening match as "a great experi- ence for our younger players." "The goal is for them to keep working hard and learn the game and not get dis- couraged with the outcome of matches," he added. "They are working towards getting ready to play in high school, if that is their goal." The Chargers will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 7, at Southridge. J.J. Belmore hits a return while playing at No. 2 singles for the Pike Central Middle School boys' tennis team against visiting Tecumseh on Thurs- day, Aug. 24. Bellmore lost by a score of 8-0. Ed Cahill photo Parker Knust prepares to hit a return while playing at No. 1 singles for the Pike Central Mid- dle School boys' tennis team against visiting Te- cumseh on Thursday, Aug. 24. Knust lost by a score of 8-0. Ed Cahill photo PCMS girls' and boys' cross country teams place fourth in Southridge Invitational The Pike Central Middle School girls' and boys' cross country teams both placed fourth in their respective divisions during the South- ridge Invitational on Tues- day, Aug. 22. In the girls' race, Lady Chargers fifth grader Xav- ery Weisman finished sixth with a time of 13 minutes, 21 seconds; sixth grader Ruby Sallee was 19th with a time of 14:08; eighth grader Mor- gan Sallee was 22nd with a time of 14:14.76; and fifth grader Kaylyn Warner was 23rd with a time of 14:22.06. Also: • Eighth grader Quinlan Teague was 28th with a time of 14:38. • Eighth grader Bella To- man was 30th with a time of 14:47. • Fifth grader Eibhlin Teague was 31st with a time of 14:48. • Eighth grader Laney Johnson was 33rd with a time of 14:55. • Eighth grader Anna Whitehead was 35th with a time of 15:00. • Fifth grader Izzy Luker was 37th with a time of 15:19.22. • Sixth grader Lexie On- yett was 38th with a time of 15:19.68. • Sixth grader Michaela Gray was 44th with a time of 16:20. • Fourth grader Gracie Hill was 47th with a time of 17:29. • Fifth grader Desti- ny Jackson was 51st with a time of 18:59. • Fifth grader Ella Hart- ke was 52nd with a time of 19:02. • Fifth grader Karlee Bolin was 53rd with a time of 20 :12. • Fifth grader Brenna Potts was 54th with a time of 20 :17. • Eighth grader Hailey Parker was 55th with a time of 21:02. As a team, Pike Central scored 107 points, trailing Southridge (30 points) and Heritage Hills and Barr- Reeve (tied at 54). Shoals also participated but did See PCMS on 6