The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/870146
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, September 6, 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 Peyton Howald scored two touchdowns as the Pike Central Middle School sev- enth grade football team de- feated host North Knox 16 -0 on Thursday, Aug. 31. The shutout victory was the second in as many out- ings for the Chargers, who opened their season with a 12-0 victory over Washing- ton one week earlier. "Our defense has been a pleasure to watch so far," Pike Central head coach Jer- emy Howald said. "They are a very aggressive group of boys, and the defense that we are running suits them By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net The Pike Central High School boys' cross coun- try team set out on a mis- sion when it hosted a dual meet against North Knox at Prides Creek Park on Tues- day, Aug. 29. "The whole mindset go- ing into the race was not to worry about times at all," Chargers head coach Josh Roach said. "They wanted to compete, pack together, and take as many of the top spots as they could." That mission was accom- plished, and then some, as Pike Central claimed the top four spots – and seven of the first nine – to easily defeat the Warriors 16 -45. Junior Draven Huff placed first out of 19 runners with a personal record time of 18:10, besting his previous PR time of 18:10 ; freshman Ijaa Chambers placed sec- ond with a season-best time of 18:32; senior Caden Arm- strong placed third with a season-best time of 18:40 ; and freshman Colt Arm- strong placed fourth with a season-best time of 19:16. In addition, senior Garrett Manges placed sixth with a season-best time of 19:58; senior Jacob Bohnert placed eighth with a season-best time of 20 :31; and sopho- more A.J. Hill placed ninth with a personal record time of 20 :49, besting his previ- ous PR time of 21:52. Meanwhile, freshman Sam Jones placed 11th with a season-best time of 21:11; sophomore Sam Theising placed 13th with a time of 22:32; senior Lane Rid- ao placed 14th with a sea- son-best time of 22:42; and freshman Lane Potts placed 15th with a season-best time of 24:15. "The funny thing is, even though they didn't worry about their times, we had two personal records set by returning runners, four re- turning runners get their best time this year, and four freshmen runners get their best time this year in this race," Roach said. "So we took the pressure off our- selves a little and it allowed us to run a little better." "I feel that lesson might end up benefiting us more than any other lesson we Last week, the Pike Central High School girls' golf team defeated three Pocket Athletic Conference foes – Gib- son Southern and North Posey on Tues- day, Aug. 29, and Forest Park on Thurs- day, Aug. 31 – to improve to 13-2 in nine- hole meets this season. Pike Central 182, Gibson Southern 183, North Posey 210 Junior Natalie Bohnert shot a 4-over- par 40 and senior Natalie Burkhart fired a 5 -over-par 41 as the Lady Chargers avenged a 10 -stroke loss to four-time de- fending PAC champion Gibson Southern in a match that was played at Cambridge Golf Course on Monday, Aug. 14. "I believe it's been at least five or six years since we have beat them," Pike Central head coach Jarrod Gideon said. "They have been a very good team for several years." "This is a very big win for us and, hopefully, a confidence boost," Gideon added. Strong finishes by both Bohnert – who shot 2-under-par over the final four holes after posting a 6 -over-par on the first five holes –and Burkhart – who shot par over the final five holes after posting a 5 -over- par score on the first four holes – spurred Pike Central to the one-stroke win over the Lady Titans in a tri-meet played at Prides Creek Golf Course. Gideon described the manner in which both Bohnert and Burkhart fin- By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Senior Malachi Yeager rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Heri- tage Hills High School football team to a 49 -6 victory over vis- iting Pike Central on Friday, Sept. 1. During the first quarter, Yeager scored on runs of 47 yards, 14 yards and 7 yards as the 15th-ranked Patriots took a 20 -0 lead that stretched to 27-0 at halftime. "That was about as bad a way as you could start a foot- ball game," said Chargers head coach Erik Matting- ly, whose team slipped to 1-2 overall and 0 -1 in the Pocket Athletic Conference. "We've got to move on to Tell City, like, now. This can't linger around. This happens when you play good teams." Heritage Hills (3-0 over- all, 2-0 in the PAC) began the game by recovering an onside kick by Pike Central junior placekicker Christian Benson at the Chargers' 47-yard line. On the first play from scrim- mage, Yeager ran up the mid- dle and into the endzone, giv- ing the Patriots – following the successful point-after kick by junior Carson Leibering – a 7-0 lead with 11:49 left in the first quarter. A fter forcing the Chargers to punt on 4th-and-8 from their own 24-yard line, Heritage Hills senior Caleb Keller field- ed senior Clint Boger's punt at his own 40 and returned it 31 yards, giving the Patriots ex- cellent field position at the Pike Central 29 -yard line with 9:29 remaining in the opening period. Three plays later, on 1st- and-10 at the Chargers' 18 -yard line, a fumble by Her- itage Hills sophomore Jacob Wetzel was recovered by Pike Central junior Lane Doades at the 15 -yard line. The reprieve proved short- lived, however, as Keller inter- cepted a pass by Chargers se- nior Christian Alvey and re- turned it to the Pike Central 14-yard line. On the next play, Yeager dashed up the middle of the field and into the end zone as the Patriots – following Leiber- ing's extra-point kick – extend- ed their lead to 14-0 with 8:15 left in the first quarter. The Chargers, starting By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net As New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra once said, it was deja vu all over again when the Pike Central High School boys' soccer team – ranked 7th in the state in Class 2A – played at Princ- eton on Saturday, Sept. 2. A year ago, the Chargers had opened the season with seven straight victories when the two teams squared off in Petersburg and appeared heading for an eighth after taking a 2-0 second-half lead. However, Princeton scored twice in the final 10 minutes to rally for a 2-2 tie. On Saturday, back-to-back goals by junior Austin Holder and senior Kyson Western – within a 39 -sec- ond span – gave Pike Central a 3-1 lead with 18:42 left in the second half. However, Tigers junior Brantley Muckerheide would score twice – also within a 39 -second span – as Princeton pulled even at 3-3 with 17:08 remain- ing. Neither team would score the remainder of the contest. "You've always got in the back of your mind that teams are hungry and are wanting to get that win and get that win against a good team," said Char- gers head coach Chad Western, whose team fell to 6 -1-1. "So we never really feel comfortable. It's just ... lose a little focus and that's what happens." For the match, Pike Central took 25 shots on goal, but Tigers sophomore goalkeeper Braden Matthews recorded 21 saves. "Their goalie is probably, if he's not the best, he's one of the best two goalies we'll see all year," Chad Western said. "He's really strong. You just can't get anything by him. So you've always got to do some- thing special, or play it out wide and beat him an- other way. He's a very high quality goalie." A fter the two teams battled to a 0 -0 tie during the first half, Pike Central took a 1-0 lead when senior Breyton Booker scored off a shot by Kyson West- ern that ricocheted off of Matthews' hands with Yeager leads Heritage Hills past Chargers, 49-6 Strong finishes by Bohnert, Burkhart boost PCHS girls' golf team past Gibson Southern PRINCETON RALLIES FROM 3-1 DEFICIT TO TIE PCHS BOYS' SOCCER TEAM Pike Central High School senior Kaleb Claridge (left) tries to keep Princeton junior Brantley Muckerheide (right) away from the ball while Chargers junior Christian Ben- son (center) looks on during varsity boys' soccer action on Saturday, Sept. 2. Muckerhe- ide scored two goals as the host Tigers rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the Chargers, 3-3. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School senior Breyton Booker (21) turns the ball up the field as junior teammate Hayden Kabrick (back- ground, left) looks on during varsity boys' soccer action on Saturday, Sept. 2. Ed Ca- hill photo Pike Central Middle School's Peyton How- ald (23) looks for some running room during a seventh grade football game at North Knox on Thursday, Aug. 31. Howald rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers' 16-0 victory. Ed Cahill photo Pike County High School senior Jacob Bohnert competes in a boys' cross country dual meet with North Knox on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Prides Creek Park. Bohnert placed eighth over- all with a personal re- cord time of 20:31. Ed Cahill photo Pike County High School junior Erin Craig competes in a girls' cross country dual meet with North Knox on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Prides Creek Park. Craig placed 11th overall with a season-best time of 26:31. Ed Ca- hill photo Pike Central High School se- nior Mackinzie DeWeese follows through on an approach shot during a girls' golf match against Gibson Southern and North Posey on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Prides Creek Golf Course. DeWeese shot a 15-over-par 51 as the Lady Chargers edged four-time defending Pocket Ath- letic Conference champion Gib- son Southern by one stroke, 182-183. Jim Capozella photo See GOLF on 4 See CHARGERS on 3 See WIN on 3 See PAST on 2 See TIE on 4 WE ARE PROFFESIONAL GRADE uebelhorgm.com 1-800-937-8721 Jasper, IN PCMS 7th grade football team improves to 2-0 with 16-0 win at North Knox PCHS cross country teams race past North Knox