The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, November 8, 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 Boyd, Claridge net goals in PostYourT East/West All-Star Soccer Games Pike Central High School seniors Gavin Boyd and Kaleb Claridge scored one goal each to help lead the Boys West (Blue) team to a 5 -1 victory over the Boys East (Red) team during the PostYourT East/West All-Star Soccer Games on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Knight- stown's Don Willard Field. In addition, four other Charger se- niors – Breyton Booker, Cameron Hen- son, Tyler Tormohlen and Kyson West- ern – all dished out one assist apiece. The Boys West (Blue) team was coached by Pike Central head coach Chad Western, who was assisted by Charger assistant coaches Jacob West- ern and Tanner Gray. "It was a lot of fun," Chad Western said. "We had players from Pike, Wood Memorial, Switzerland County, Jen- nings County and Tri-Central. All the guys got along so well, and were smil- ing when they were going in or out of the game." The Boys West (Blue) team was comprised of Booker, Boyd, Clar- Sullivan leads PCMS 8th grade girls' basketball team to season- opening win at Fort Branch Kya Sullivan scored a team-high nine points to lead the Pike Central Mid- dle School eighth grade girls' basketball team to a 21-15 season-opening victo- ry at Fort Branch on Thurs- day, Nov. 2. Ashton Catt and Hailey Parker added four points each in the winning effort. Albany Ashley and Mallo- ry Hunt netted two points apiece. "We started the year off with a big conference win against Fort Branch, on their court," Lady Chargers head coach Eric Knight said. "The girls were very nervous and it showed. They worked the offense well and had numerous open looks at the basket, but the shots were not fall- ing for us. They kept their heads up and kept pound- ing the ball inside to take the win." Knight said that Sullivan played a key role in the vic- tory. "She did a great job of running the offense and taking care of the ball," Knight said. The Lady Chargers' oth- er Kya – Kya Leighty – starred defensively, espe- cially in the second half when Knight put her on Fort Branch's Alex Holmes, who had scored seven first- half points. Holmes was held to just three points in the second half as Pike Central out- scored the Lady Twigs 9 -3 to snap a 12-12 halftime tie. "(Holmes) was their go- to girl and gave us a lot of trouble in the first half," Knight said. "At halftime, we switched up our defense some and put a box-and-one on her – Kya Leighty was my one-girl – and shut her down in the second half." "She worked her tail off and gave me everything she had to face guard Holmes and keep her from getting the ball," Knight said. "I was very proud of her." Sophie Carnahan, de- spite being held scoreless, and Hunt both played well, Knight said. "They got the ball in scor- ing opportunities all game but could not get them to fall," Knight said. "I could tell they were getting frus- trated and down on them- selves, but they kept bat- tling and played big under- neath the basket for us." "Their shots will start falling and they will be hard to stop and a big factor for this team's success,' Knight added. "I look forward to seeing them grow and get better each game this year." Knight said that Ashley, Catt, Allie Holder and Han- nah Woodford all came off the bench and played well. The biggest issue, Knight added, was the team's per- formance from the free throw line, as the Lady Chargers hit just three of 14 attempts. "This is something we can work on as a team and spend hours a week devot- ed to shooting," Knight said. "Overall, I was very pleased with the way the girls played and know that By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net A three-point play by sophomore Lauren Vaughn sparked an 18 -2 scoring run as the Pike Central High School girls' basketball season rallied from a 19 -16 sec- ond-quarter deficit to defeat visiting Evansville Reitz 54- 34 on Thursday, Nov. 2. Vaughn scored nine of her career-high 14 points during that stretch as Pike Central forced the Lady Panthers to turn the ball over 13 out of 15 possessions, including nine on steals – three each by Vaughn and senior Brook Nalley while seniors Natalie Burkhart and Erika Hen- drixson and sophomore Jayln Nelson added one apiece. "We weren't getting after it; we were just playing the game at their pace," said first-year Lady Chargers head coach Kyle McCutchan. "Then, toward the end of the second quarter, we picked up the intensity and made a few steals. Once we got a few steals and layups, then it started to turn around." Pike Central (1-0) took an early 4-0 lead as Hendrix- son hit the second of two free throws with 7:35 left in the first quarter before sinking a three-pointer with 7:15 re- maining. A fter back-to-back baskets by sophomore Rylee Greer and freshman Catie Shane pulled Evansville Reitz (0 -1) even at 4-4, the Lady Chargers took a 6 -4 lead on a steal and a lay-up by Hendrixson with 4:21 left in the open- ing period. A three-pointer by sophomore Mackenzie Groben gave the Lady Panthers their first lead of the contest – at 7-6 – with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter. Following an exchange of baskets by Hendrixson and senior Sydney Emig left Evansville Reitz holding a 9 -8 lead, Pike Central senior Audra Stone hit a three-point shot, giving the Lady Chargers an 11-9 lead with 3:03 left in the opening period. A fter the Lady Panthers pulled even on a pair of free throws by sophomore Jada Compton with 2:31 remaining in the first period, play was stopped because of a score- board malfunction. The officials subsequently put 4:50 on the clock and resumed play. By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net University of South- ern Indiana redshirt se- nior Cain Parker earned All-Midwest Region hon- ors by placing eighth out of 198 total runners during the NCA A Division II Mid- west Region Champion- ships at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio, on Sat- urday, Nov. 4. Parker, who graduated from Pike Central High School in 2013, completed the 10 -kilometer run with a personal record time of 31:38.4, besting his pre- vious PR time of 31:43.15 – which he set during the NCA A Division II Midwest Region Championships in 2016 – by more than two seconds. "A fter the GLVC Cham- pionships two weeks ago, I had a conversation with Cain about changing his race strategy a bit," Screaming Eagles head coach Mike Hillyard said. "Instead of pressing hard from the gun, Cain laid back more and was able to close very well, moving from 13th to 8th in the final 600 meters." "This was certainly the best performance of Cain's career, and bodes well for his chances to help the team reach the podium at the NCA A Division II Championships in two weeks." Three of Parker's USI teammates also earned All-Midwest Region hon- ors by placing in the top 25 – senior Bastain Grau, who placed seventh overall with a time of 31:36.6; sopho- more Austin Nolan, who placed 16th overall with a time of 31:52.4; and ju- nior Darin Lawrence, who placed 17th overall with a time of 31:54.0. Rounding out the scor- ing for the Screaming Ea- gles was sophomore Javan Winders, who placed 29th with a time of 32:27.1. James Meandu of Tiffin (Ohio) University placed first overall with a time of 30 :11.8. As a team, eighth-ranked USI advances to the NCA A Division II National Cham- pionships after placing second out of 28 teams with 72 points. Grand Val- ley State (Mich.), which placed first with 58 points, and Lewis University (Ill.), which placed third with 107 points, will also advance. The NCA A Division II National Championships will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Angel Mounds State Park in Evansville. Last year, Parker – the son of Mitch and Kend- rea Parker of Petersburg – placed 122nd out of 244 total runners at the NCA A Division II Championships, which was held at St. Leo, Fla., with a time of 32:39.8. In 2015, when the NCA A Division II National Cham- pionships were held in Jo- plin, Mo., Parker placed 144th overall with a time of 31:52.90. Pike Central High School senior Erika Hendrixson (23) looks to take a shot over Evansville Re- itz freshman Catie Shane (35) during varsity girls' basketball action on Thursday, Nov. 2. Hendrixson scored a game-high 15 points in a 54-34 season-opening victory over the visiting Lady Panthers. Ed Ca- hill photo Pike Central High School senior Halley Powers (33) tries to dribble past Evansville Reitz senior Sydney Emig (right) during varsity girls' basket- ball action on Thursday, Nov. 2. Ed Cahill photo Pike Central High School sophomore Jayln Nel- son (20) drives toward the basket during varsity girls' basketball action against visiting Evansville Reitz on Thursday, Nov. 2. Ed Cahill photo Cain Parker Parker garners All- Midwest Region honors See CHARGERS on 2 See PCMS on 3 See SOCCER on 3 LADY CHARGERS OPEN SEASON WITH 54-34 WIN OVER EVANSVILLE REITZ WE ARE PROFFESIONAL GRADE uebelhorgm.com 1-800-937-8721 Jasper, IN