FOOTBALL: Bulldogs lose high-scoring affair at Castle 56-49

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEWBURGH – New Albany came up short in a shootout last Friday at Castle Stadium, falling to Class 5A No. 4 Castle 56-49.

At the 5:33 mark of the third quarter, the Bulldogs (1-1) took a 42-35 lead when senior running back Darquan Richardson made a 33-yard touchdown run.

But the Knights (2-0) answered by scoring three consecutive touchdowns to go up 56-42 with 5:02 left in regulation. Two of the scores were on TD receptions by senior wide receiver Triston Wilkinson.

With 3:34 remaining, Richardson had a 49-yard TD run to slice the New Albany deficit to 49-42.

The Bulldogs looked like they were going to have a chance to make a potential game-winning drive. But with 1:50 left, they muffed a punt return. The Knights recovered the fumble and ran out the clock after that.

Richardson ran the ball 31 times for 250 yards with four touchdowns. New Albany quarterback Dylan Clark completed 18-of-24 passes for 298 yards and two touchdown passes. Bulldog junior receiver Devon Gummer made 10 receptions for 192 yards and caught both of Clark’s TD strikes. New Albany accumulated 629 total yards, 331 coming on the ground.

Knights’ quarterback Brycen Moore threw for 362 yards on 24-of-31 passing and five TD tosses. Wilkinson made 13 receptions for 276 yards. He caught four of Moore’s five TD passes.

The Bulldogs will host Jennings County (1-1) at 7 p.m. Friday. It will be the Hoosier Hills Conference opener for both squads.

CASTLE 56, NEW ALBANY 49

New Albany         14 14  14   7-49

Castle                   28    7   7 14-56

First quarter

C – Brycen Moore 1 run (Brock Wandel kick), 10:30.

NA – DeTre Payton 29 run (Noah Litzelswope kick), 8:27.

C – Triston Wilkinson 30 pass from Moore (Wandel kick), 7:56.

NA – Devon Gummer 38 pass from Dylan Clark (Litzelswope kick), 5:38.

C – Wilkinson 73 pass from Moore (Wandel kick), 4:05.

C – Cale Mattingly 26 pass from Moore (Wandel kick), 3:17.

Second quarter

NA – Darquan Richardson 4 run (Litzelswope kick), 11:29.

NA – Gummer 23 pass from Clark (Litzelswope kick), 6:51.

C – Jadrien Higginson 3 run (Wandel kick), :38.

Third quarter

NA – Richardson 22 run (Litzelswope kick), 9:56.

NA – Richardson 33 run (Litzelswope kick), 5:33.

C – Wilkinson 51 pass from Moore (Wandel kick), 4:11.

Fourth quarter

C – Wilkinson 10 pass from Moore (Wandel kick), 10:51.

C – Higginson 2 run (Wandel kick), 5:02.

NA – Richardson 49 run (Litzelswope kick), 3:34.

FOOTBALL: Providence suffers 62-19 loss to rival Highlanders

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

FLOYDS KNOBS – Visiting Providence dropped to 0-2 last Friday in a 62-19 loss against archrival Floyd Central at Ron Weigleb Stadium. The last time the Pioneers surrendered at least 60 points in a game was a 60-34 setback to the Highlanders on August 30, 2013.

In a rare occurrence, run-oriented Providence had more passing yards than rushing yards. Pioneer quarterback Joe Denis completed 13-of-22 passes for 195 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Providence wide receiver Manny Schmidt had nine receptions for 93 yards, including a 13-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. Denis’ first TD pass was a 40-yard strike to Bishop Edwards in the third.

Pioneer junior running back Kaden Williams was held to under 60 rushing yards for the second consecutive game. Williams scampered for 53 yards on 14 carries along with one reception for 35 yards.

Williams did reach the end zone on the defensive side of the ball. He returned a fumble 74 yards for a score at the 8:43 mark of the second quarter, cutting Providence’s deficit to 21-7.

The Highlanders (1-1) accumulated 450 total yards. Floyd senior quarterback Matthew Weimer was 9-of-14 passing for 231 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Highlander senior Jon Gunn made five receptions for 109 yards, including an 80-yard TD catch in the first quarter. Floyd senior running back Devon Stikes rushed for 56 yards on nine carries. Teammate Jason Cundiff had six carries for 53 yards and three touchdowns.

The Pioneers will host Silver Creek (2-0) for their home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday. The game was originally scheduled for Friday. But both schools decided to move the game up to Saturday because of heavy rain expected Friday from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey.
The Highlanders will travel to Madison (1-1) for their Hoosier Hills Conference opener at 7 p.m. Friday.

FLOYD CENTRAL 62, PROVIDENCE 19

Providence             0    7     6   6-19

Floyd Central      14  17  17  14-62

First quarter

FC – Jason Cundiff 3 run (Cole Hussung kick), 4:43.

FC – Jon Runn 80 pass from Matthew Weimer (Hussung kick), :03.7.

Second quarter

FC – Cundiff 20 run (Hussung kick), 11:53.

P – Kaden Williams 74 fumble return (Nathan Striby kick), 8:43.

FC – Zach Rodgers 67 pass from Weimer (Hussung kick), 8:26.

FC – Hussung 37 FG, 3:20.

Third quarter

FC – Cundiff 15 run (Hussung kick), 11:42.

P – Bishop Edwards 40 pass from Joe Denis (pass failed), 9:22.

FC – Brandon Striegel 79 kick return (Hussung kick), 9:09.

FC – Hussung 21 FG, 2:54.

Fourth quarter

P – Manny Schmidt 13 pass from Denis (pass failed), 10:11.

FC – Braxton Cerqueira 55 pass from Weimer (Hussung kick), 9:57.

FC – Landon Deweese 18 blocked punt recovery (Hussung kick), 8:27.

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL: Sectional assignments revealed

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The IHSAA recently announced baseball and softball sectional assignments for the next two academic years after classes were reclassified.

Below are the Southern Indiana baseball and softball sectional fields:

BASEBALL

CLASS 4A

Sectional 15: Bedford North Lawrence, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County, New Albany, Seymour.

Sectional 14: Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Shelbyville.

CLASS 3A

Sectional 30: Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, North Harrison, Providence, Salem, Scottsburg, Silver Creek.

Sectional 29: Batesville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Madison, Rushville, South Dearborn.

CLASS 2A

Sectional 46: Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern, Henryville, Lanesville, Paoli.

Sectional 45: Austin, Milan, South Ripley, Southwestern, Switzerland County.

Sectional 47: Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Mitchell, North Knox, South Knox, Southridge.

Sectional 48: Evansville Mater Dei, Forest Park, North Posey, Perry Central, South Spencer, Tell City.

CLASS A

Sectional 62: Borden, Christian Academy of Indiana, New Washington, Shawe Memorial, South Central.

Sectional 60: Hauser, Jac-Cen-Del, North Decatur, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, South Decatur.

Sectional 61: Crothersville, Medora, Orleans, Trinity Lutheran, West Washington.

Sectional 64: Cannelton, Northeast Dubois, Springs Valley, Tecumseh, Wood Memorial.

SOFTBALL

CLASS 4A

Sectional 15: Bedford North Lawrence, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County, New Albany, Seymour.

Sectional 14: Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Shelbyville.

CLASS 3A

Sectional 30: Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, North Harrison, Salem, Scottsburg, Silver Creek.

Sectional 29: Batesville, Franklin County, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Madison, South Dearborn.

CLASS 2A

Sectional 46: Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern, Henryville, Paoli, Providence.

Sectional 45: Austin, Milan, South Ripley, Southwestern, Switzerland County.

Sectional 47: Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Mitchell, North Knox, South Knox, Southridge.

Sectional 48: Evansville Mater Dei, Forest Park, North Posey, Perry Central, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Tell City.

CLASS A

Sectional 62: Borden, Lanesville, New Washington, Shawe Memorial, South Central.

Sectional 60: Hauser, Jac-Cen-Del, North Decatur, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, South Decatur.

Sectional 61: Crothersville, Orleans, Trinity Lutheran, West Washington.

Sectional 64: Cannelton, Northeast Dubois, Springs Valley, Wood Memorial.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Langford cuts list of colleges down to seven

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – Both The Courier-Journal in Louisville and scout.com reported Monday that New Albany senior standout Romeo Langford has narrowed his list of prospective universities to seven schools.

Tim Langford, Langford’s father, told both media outlets that the list includes Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and Vanderbilt.

Langford is the front-runner for this year’s Indiana Mr. Basketball award. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard averaged 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game last season as the Bulldogs posted a 25-4 record. Langford helped New Albany capture its fourth consecutive outright Hoosier Hills Conference championship and fourth Class 4A Seymour Sectional title in a row.

Langford received several honors for his 2016-17 season, including spots on The Associated Press All-State first team, the All-USA Indiana Boys’ Basketball Team and the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Underclass Supreme 15 All-State squad. He also earned several All-America honors.

This summer, Langford played on USA Basketball’s U19 World Championship team that competed in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.

In his sophomore season, Langford led the Bulldogs to their second state championship in a 62-59 victory over McCutcheon in the 2016 Class 4A state title game. Mavericks’ senior guard Robert Phinisee, who played in the 2016 state final as a sophomore, recently gave a verbal commitment to play at Indiana.

VOLLEYBALL: Jeff loses at Rock Creek last Thursday

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

SELLERSBURG - Jeffersonville's record dropped to 1-4 last Thursday with a 25-21, 25-17, 25-17 loss at Rock Creek.

Red Devil sophomore Alayna Lacy distributed seven assists and spiked three kills. Jeff sophomore outside hitter Jenna Lake had three kills and three service aces. Teammate Lauren Jacobs dished out five assists.

The Lions had three players with eight kills each in Ligia Williams, Katie Thompson and Julia Anderson. Teammate Bailey Brown had 13 assists.

ROCK CREEK 3, JEFFERSONVILLE 0

Jeff                 21 17 17

Rock Creek   25 25 25

JEFF STATISTICS

Alayna Lacy: 7 assists, 3 kills, 1 block, 1 ace.

Jenna Lake: 3 kills, 3 aces.

Dishaylyn Thomas: 2 kills.

Marriya Henry: 2 kills, 1 block, 1 ace.

Kaylee Falkenstein: 1 kill.

Megan Gallagher: 1 kill.

Samantha Shelley: 1 kill.

Adley McMahel: 1 kill.

Lauren Jacobs: 5 assists, 1 ace.

VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs prevail in HHC opener over Jennings

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – Last Tuesday at The Doghouse, New Albany won its Hoosier Hills Conference opener over Jennings County 25-15, 25-15, 25-20.

Bulldog senior middle blocker Allyson Cathey smacked a match-high 19 kills. She also made eight digs and four blocks. Teammate Shea Collett wound up with five kills and four digs.

New Albany junior setter Kyla Weber distributed 34 assists and made five digs. Bulldog freshman Bree Martin had nine digs and served five aces.

NEW ALBANY 3, JENNINGS COUNTY 0

Jennings Co.          15 15 20

New Albany           25 25 25

NEW ALBANY STATS

Allyson Cathey: 19 kills, 8 digs, 4 blocks.

Kyla Weber: 34 assists, 5 digs, 2 blocks.

Bree Martin: 9 digs, 5 aces.

Shea Collett: 5 kills, 4 digs.

FOOTBALL: Red Devils win shootout with HHC foe Seymour 48-37

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

JEFFERSONVILLE – Jeffersonville and Seymour engaged in a shootout Friday night at Blair Field, and the Red Devils of coach Alfonso Browning came out on top by a score of 48-37.

Jeffersonville (1-1 overall, 1-0 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) never trailed in the contest, yet Seymour (1-1, 0-1) seemed to remain within reach until the last half of the final quarter.

Jeff’s lead got as high as 18 points at 48-30 with 5:10 remaining in the game. But Seymour cut the lead to as few as five at one point in the third period.

The Red Devils’ defense rose to the occasion when necessary, but Seymour as well as Jeff racked up big yards on offense.

Browning was ecstatic with the win, especially with it being a conference victory and after his team lost much to graduation after last year. He sees a tremendous amount of upside for his inexperienced squad.

“I think I’m probably going to have to say this for quite some time,” said Browning. “We’re young and we’re all over the place. We’re going to be up and we’re going to be down. Once this group figures it out, how to do this on a consistent basis, they’re going to be special for us.”

The Red Devils put the Owls in a hole in the first period, finding the end zone twice while holding Seymour at bay.

The first score came on a 14-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Shaun Wimberly to Isaiah Carter with 4:21 remaining in the opening frame. On the final play of the period, Kam Fuller rambled 8 yards, and after the extra point, Jeff led 14-0 after one stop.

Wimberly and Fuller were Jeff’s two main offensive threats. Fuller carried the ball 22 times and accumulated 108 yards. Wimberly, looking nothing like a first-year starter as a sophomore, completed 17-of-32 passes with an interception for 328 yards. He also scrambled for 35 yards on the ground.
Wimberly credits his offensive line for the bulk of his success for the game.

“I was ready to have fun out there,” he said. “Being with my linemen and my boys is something I love to do. I’m impressed with the team. My big old boys, the offensive line played the best.”

One of Wimberly’s targets for scores was Carter. The pair hooked up for two touchdown passes, one of 14 yards and one of 29 yards. Wimberly also found Jackson Jolley-Little open for a 10-yard score as the first half closed.

“Whether I throw for five touchdowns or no touchdowns, I just want to be there for the team,” Wimberly added.

Seymour cut the deficit to 14-7 on a 1-yard run by quarterback Alan Perry with 8:54 to play in the second quarter.

Perry, a senior, also had a good offensive showing for the evening, racking up 301 yards in the air on 16-of-29 passing with an interception. He ran for two touchdowns himself and threw three TDs to a favorite target for the night in Tyler Bullard.

The Red Devils led 28-13 at the half and 35-23 after three periods. They put the game away in the final quarter on the second Wimberly-to-Carter connection with 10:01 remaining in the game, putting Jeff ahead 48-30.

Seymour scored a final time on Perry’s second quarterback sneak with just 14 seconds to play in the game. The extra point gave the final score of 48-37.
Jeffersonville will go on the road next Friday to Bedford North Lawrence (2-0, 0-0), which edged Terre Haute South 44-41 Friday night. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. Seymour will host Class 5A No. 1 Columbus East (1-1, 0-0) next Friday.

JEFFERSONVILLE 48, SEYMOUR 37
Seymour             0  13  10  14-37
Jeffersonville   14  14    7  13-48
First quarter
J – Isaiah Carter 14 pass from Shaun Wimberly (Seth Scott kick), 4:21.
J – Kam Fuller 8 run (Scott kick), :00.
Second quarter
S – Alan Perry 1 run (Mikkel Ladegaard kick), 8:54.
J – Wimberly 1 run (Scott kick), 7:54
S – Tyler Bullard 6 pass from Perry (kick blocked), 1:38.
J – Jackson Jolly-Little 10 pass from Wimberly (Scott kick), :07.
Third quarter
S – Bullard 31 pass from Perry (Ladegaard kick), 8:10.
S – Ladegaard 25 field goal, 4:56.
J – Jeremiah Thornton 81 kickoff return (Scott kick), 4:45.
Fourth quarter
J – Fuller fumble recovery in end zone (Scott kick), 10:01.
S – Bullard 55 pass from Perry (Ladegaard kick), 9:40.
J – Carter 29 pass from Wimberly (run failed), 5:10.
S – Perry 1 run (Ladegaard kick), :14.

OLD KEV’S FOOTBALL PICKS – WEEK 2

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

JEFFERSONVILLE – After a productive Week 1 for Old Kev in the football picks, he tries to build off that momentum in Week 2.

Let’s get to Friday’s picks:

SEYMOUR (1-0, 0-0 HHC) AT JEFFERSONVILLE (0-1, 0-0), 7 P.M.

Thanks to running back Kam Fuller, the Red Devils’ 49-28 loss to defending Kentucky state runner-up Pulaski County was not as bad as expected. But this young Jeff team still has lots of growing to do and it does not get any easier against an experience Seymour team.

The Red Devils better hope the Owls are looking a little bit ahead to their huge Hoosier Hills Conference home showdown with Class 5A No. 1 Columbus East next week to keep this one close.

Old Kev’s pick: Seymour 42, Jeff 24.

NEW ALBANY (1-0) AT CLASS 5A NO. 7 CASTLE (1-0), 8 P.M.

The Bulldogs defeated archrival Providence in their season opener last week 34-0. They could have won by more if they did not commit a plethora of penalties for 105 yards. A couple of the infractions negated potential scoring drives.

New Albany cannot afford to make a bunch of penalties against the always formidable Knights. Along with trying to avoid penalties, the Bulldogs must fight off the demons that all Clark-Floyd teams face when they make the dreaded two-hour bus ride down Interstate 64 West to play an Evansville-area school.

Old Kev’s pick: Castle 35, New Albany 21.

PROVIDENCE (0-1) AT FLOYD CENTRAL (0-1), 7 P.M.

It’s pretty simple – Kaden Williams has to have huge games running the ball if the Pioneers are going to win this season.

Last Friday versus New Albany, Williams rushed for only 50 yards. That is just not enough if Providence expects to win Class 2A Sectional 39 this season. The Pioneers’ offensive line has to improve and Providence has to find a way to throw the ball a little bit to make defenses get out of lining up at least eight defenders within the tackle box.

It will not be easier against a veteran Highlander squad that held its own against perennial Kentucky power Louisville Male for more than half of the game last week.

Old Kev’s pick: Floyd Central 24, Providence 13.

OTHER PICKS

Salem 23, Silver Creek 20

Brownstown Central 30, Charlestown 14

Eastern 35, Clarksville 17

Tecumseh 45, Rock Creek 21

Terre Haute South 38, Bedford North Lawrence 19

Columbus East 37, Columbus North 34

Madison 26, South Dearborn 17

Jennings County 22, Greensburg 17

North Harrison 39, Scottsburg 20

Corydon Central 17, Paoli 13

West Washington 38, Crawford County 14

OLD KEV’S RECORD LAST WEEK: 9-1.

OLD KEV’S SEASON RECORD: 9-1.

VOLLEYBALL: Red Devils fall at CAL on Monday

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOUISVILLE – Jeffersonville suffered a 25-15, 25-17, 25-19 loss Monday night at Christian Academy of Louisville.

Junior Sami Shelley led the Red Devil offense with eight kills. She also made six digs.

Jeff sophomore Alayna Lacy recorded 11 digs, 10 assists and six kills. Fellow sophomore Jenna Lake chipped in six digs.

“Our offense executed decently. However, our defense and serve-receive struggled against the offense of CAL,” first-year Red Devil head coach Samantha Calabro said. “Our blocking and dig percentage are not where we would like it to be. CAL was a competitive team and we did have very good moments throughout the match.”

Jeff (2-3) will travel to Rock Creek on Thursday. The varsity match will start at about 7:30 p.m.

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY OF LOUISVILLE 3, JEFFERSONVILLE 0

Jeff               15 17 19

CAL             25 25 25

JEFF STATS

Adley McMahel: 2 digs.

Alayna Lacy: 11 digs, 10 assists, 6 kills, 1 ace.

Erynn Dickson: 1 ace, 1 dig.

Jenna Lake: 6 digs, 1 ace, 1 kill.

Kaylee Falkenstein: 2 kills, 1 block, 1 assist.

Lauren Jacobs: 6 assists, 2 digs, 1 kill.

Marriya Henry: 1 kill.

Megan Gallagher: 1 dig.

Natalie Williams: 2 digs.

Sami Shelley: 8 kills, 6 digs.

VOLLEYBALL SHOWCASE: New Albany learns lesson in capturing Bulldog Invite crown

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – Last Thursday in its home opener, a youthful New Albany team suffered a five-set loss to Heritage Hills.

Last Saturday in the Bulldog Invitational, the New Albany players showed they learned some important lessons from the setback to the Patriots.

The Bulldogs claimed the Bulldog Invite title by defeating the formidable Castle Knights in another five-set thriller at The Doghouse 12-25, 25-22, 30-28, 19-25, 15-13.

“All teams in every sport have finishers and that’s what we did. I thought we showed a lot of toughness in that fifth game,” New Albany head coach John Breeding said. “I think (the Heritage Hills loss) was a learning experience. But at the same time in that learning experience, certain people made the right choices to get the ball to who needed to get the ball and put the ball away and finish.”

New Albany won the first match of the annual three-team round-robin tournament over Hoosier Hills Conference rival Jennings County 25-17, 25-13, 25-17. In the second match, Castle rolled past the Panthers 25-10, 25-6, 25-15.

The Bulldogs (3-1) had a lackadaisical start versus the Knights in the 13-point loss in Set 1. Immediately after the opening set, Breeding had a talk with his players in the Vincennes Street foyer entrance of The Doghouse.

“We said you guys are standing around watching instead of being doers,” Breeding said. “I wanted to make sure that they understood that if we’re going to go out there, we’re going to give it our all - win or lose. We weren’t doing that in Game 1.”

New Albany responded with narrow victories in Sets 2 and 3. Trailing 23-20 in the second set, Castle (3-1) pulled within one after a kill by junior Jessica Nunge and a service ace by sophomore Carly Harpenau. But the Knights did not get any closer after making a service error, then an attack error.

New Albany built a 23-19 advantage in Set 3 when sophomore Riley Winslow delivered a kill. But the Knights responded with a 6-1 run to go up 25-24.

With the score tied at 28, the Bulldogs sewed up the set with back-to-back kills by senior standout Allyson Cathey and sophomore Danielle Grant.

However, instead of clinching the match in the fourth set, New Albany went back to its Set 1 ways. Castle bolted out to a 12-3 lead. The Bulldogs trimmed their deficit to 15-12, but that was the closest they got.

“Not taking anything away from Castle because (Knights’ head coach Daniel Watson) has got a good team,” Breeding said. “But in both (Sets 1 and 4), it’s kind of like we just stood back and waited for things to happen instead of making them happen.”

Trailing 9-8 in the fifth set, Castle reeled off four consecutive points to go up three.

But New Albany had the last laugh. Down 13-10, the Bulldogs went on a match-winning 5-0 run as Cathey smacked three kills during that spurt.

“I thought we made some great plays during the whole match. We’re always looking for people to compete,” Breeding said.

Cathey, a Western Kentucky University recruit, recorded 34 kills and 11 digs.

“What I’m most proud about Allyson Cathey is her overall play,” Breeding said. “Everybody knows that the girl can pound the ball. Everybody knows that the girl can block. But she has improved her entire game from serve reception to serving to playing defense. That’s what I’m most proud of. She’s becoming a good leader out on the court.”

New Albany senior outside hitter Shea Collett also had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Collett served four aces.

Bulldog setter Kyla Weber distributed 50 assists and made 17 digs. Winslow had nine digs and eight kills. Also for New Albany, freshman Bree Martin had 13 digs and senior Mary Claire Meyer wound up with 11 digs.

Nunge led Castle with 29 kills.

Cathey paced the New Albany offense against Jennings County with 17 kills. Weber dished out 16 assists.

The Bulldogs will host the River City Invitational this coming Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.

BULLDOG INVITATIONAL

NEW ALBANY 3, JENNINGS COUNTY 0

Jennings Co.               17 13 17

New Albany                25 25 25

NEW ALBANY STATS

Allyson Cathey: 7 kills, 5 digs.

Riley Winslow: 3 kills, 2 digs.

Shea Collett: 4 kills, 3 digs.

Kyla Weber: 16 assists, 3 digs, 1 kill.

Danielle Grant: 3 kills.

Tess Owsley: 2 kills, 2 digs.

Mary Claire Meyer: 3 digs, 2 assists.

Saylor Knoy: 2 digs.

Bree Martin: 4 digs.

NEW ALBANY 3, CASTLE 2

Castle                   25 22 28 25 13

New Albany         12 25 30 19 15

NEW ALBANY STATS

Winslow: 9 digs, 8 kills.

Cathey: 34 kills, 11 digs, 4 assists, 3 aces, 2 blocks.

Meyer: 11 digs, 2 aces.

Collett: 10 kills, 10 digs, 4 aces, 1 assist.

Weber: 50 assists, 17 digs, 1 kill.

Martin: 13 digs, 1 kill.

Grant: 6 digs, 2 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace.

Owsley: 1 kill, 1 dig.

Knoy: 1 assist.

FOOTBALL: Wagner is Providence’s unsung hero

By KEVIN HARRIS
kevinharris1972@gmail.com

CLARKSVILLE – They are the players who stay out of the limelight and do not get the headlines.

They are the unsung heroes – the players who will do anything to help the team to win.

For the Providence Pioneers, their unsung hero is Jack Wagner.

The senior leader is making a major sacrifice for Providence this season. After playing fullback last year, Wagner is moving to guard for the 2017 campaign to help fill voids left on the offensive line. The Pioneers graduated four offensive linemen and a tight end from last season’s 6-5 team.

“I talked with (Providence head coach Larry Denison) about it and I think we agreed that it was best for the team,” Wagner said. “We lost four seniors from last year’s team on the offensive line, so those were spots that needed to be filled. (Providence junior fullback) Kevin Smith was the back-up fullback last year, but he’s a great player. There won’t be no loss there.”

On defense, Wagner plays a position that he is very familiar with as he is a middle linebacker.

Statistically speaking, Wagner was not one of the top tacklers on last year’s team with 39 tackles. But his outstanding leadership ability is the main reason why the coaching staff will allow Wagner to call some of the defensive plays during games.

“There are a lot of times in our game plans that we’ll let him call the defense sometimes for us. We’ve got all the faith in the world in him,” Denison said. “As far as playing linebacker for us, he’s been a rock for us in there. He’s very smart and can make all the calls for us defensively and get us aligned properly.”

Being a more effective leader is an item Wagner has concentrated on in the offseason. One thing that he has tried to become is a leader by example for the younger Pioneers.

“(Being a leader) is helping people in the weight room. It’s helping people during practice and on the field,” Wagner said. “But it’s also in the different things that we’ve done this season. We raised money for the (new tile floor in the locker room) as we have an annual mulch sale. That’s a big part of being a leader, too. You are putting in the work that’s needed and showing the younger guys how to be a Providence football player.

“As a senior, my role is to be a leader for everyone. Obviously, I’ve been here the longest. I think all eight of our seniors understand that role. On the field and off the field are where you have to step up and be a leader. It’s just not on Friday nights. It’s in the weight room, in the film room and at every practice.”

Wagner’s main goal this season is to provide something the Pioneers have not claimed in 10 years. That item is a sectional championship.

With perennial power Evansville Mater Dei no longer in the same Class 2A sectional as Providence, Wagner feels confident that the Pioneers can capture the sectional title for first time since 2007. Mater Dei has beaten Providence in sectional play the past two seasons.

“I’m really excited about our potential this year to win a sectional,” Wagner said. “It’s a new sectional and Mater Dei is not in it. But I don’t really care who’s in it because the team we’ve got this year I think will be able to compete (for the sectional title). It will be the first one in 10 years, so I’m really excited about that opportunity.

“I’d like to win a sectional obviously. I think that’s always the end goal. I’m really excited about the season because I think we have a good chance. We’ve got a lot of good players coming back and everyone is really excited and focused on winning the sectional.”

Wagner thinks a more difficult regular-season schedule will prepare his team to make a run at the sectional championship.

The Pioneers had a rough season opener Friday, losing at archrival New Albany 34-0. They will have another road rivalry game this coming Friday at Floyd Central. That will be followed by three consecutive Clark County foes in Silver Creek, Clarksville and Charlestown. The Dragons replace longtime opponent Jeffersonville on Providence’s schedule.

The Pioneers will have two new opponents at the end of the season when they travel to Class 2A No. 9 Milan on Friday, Oct. 6 and defending Class A state champion Linton-Stockton on Friday, Oct. 13. The Miners have been moved up to Class 2A this season because of the IHSAA’s success-factor rule.

“We picked up some good teams in Milan, Linton-Stockton and Silver Creek,” Wagner said. “I’m excited for the season just because some of the teams that we dropped were teams that never really competed with us. I think this schedule will test us more and get us ready for the postseason.”

Wagner thinks the matchup with the Dragons has the potential to start another intense rivalry for Providence. The Pioneers will host Silver Creek on Friday, Sept. 1 at Murphy Stadium.

“They’re a close team (in proximity). I know during my middle school days, they were always a team we had to compete with,” Wagner said. “It’s our home opener and I think it’s going to be a big night for both teams in terms of the excitement for that game.”

Along with being a solid leader on the football team, he is a model student at Providence and takes a lot of pride in that. Wagner entered the 2017-18 school year with a 3.85 grade-point average. He wants to study business in college.

“I think it’s a major emphasis at Providence and Coach (Denison) stresses it, too,” Wagner said about academics at Providence. “When you come to Providence, you’re not just coming to play football or compete in athletics. It’s a school first and I think everyone on the team understands that. We have study sessions before practices and that gives underclassmen the opportunity to ask for help from the guys who have been through those classes before. It helps add an emphasis on the student part of student-athlete.”

Denison is blessed to have Wagner in his program.
“His contributions to the program have been enormous,” Denison said. “He’s a very intelligent kid. He’s a model kid, both on and off the field for us.”

FOOTBALL: Red Devils drop season opener on road 49-28

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

SOMERSET, Ky. – Jeffersonville lost its season opener Friday night in the Don Marshall Bowl at Southwestern (Ky.) High School, losing 49-28 to defending Class 5A state runner-up Pulaski County.

Red Devil running back Kam Fuller scored three touchdowns, with two of them coming on kickoff returns in the third quarter. With Jeff down 35-7, Fuller made a 90-yard TD return at the 1:41 mark.

After Pulaski County freshman Tristan Cox had a 1-yard TD scamper with 17 seconds left in the third to put the Maroons up 42-14, Fuller answered with a 79-yard TD kickoff return 12 ticks later.

Fuller’s lone rushing touchdown came with 8:58 left in the first, running 65 yards to the end zone for Jeff’s first score. Fuller wound up with 107 rushing yards, with 92 happening in the first half.

Red Devil sophomore quarterback Shaun Wimberly completed 50 percent of his passes (12-of-24) for 176 yards. Jeff wide receiver D’Andre Rutherford made seven receptions for 146 yards. Red Devil sophomore Ronald Brown had a 4-yard touchdown scamper with 30 seconds left in regulation.

Jeff will face Seymour (1-0) in its home opener at 7 p.m. next Friday at Blair Field. It will be the Hoosier Hills Conference opener for both squads. The Owls defeated visiting Evansville Harrison on Friday night, 40-20.

PULASKI COUNTY (Ky.) 49, JEFFERSONVILLE 28

Jeff                      7 0 14 7-28

Pulaski Co.       21 7 28 7-49

First quarter

PC – Jake Sloan 17 pass from Wiley Cain (Jaxson McAlpin kick), 10:30.

PC – Cain 5 run (McAlpin kick), 9:10.

J – Kam Fuller 65 run (Seth Scott kick), 8:58.

PC – Tristan Cox 4 run (McAlpin kick), :34.

Second quarter

PC – Sloan 5 pass from Cain (McAlpin kick), :00.

Third quarter

PC – Matt Hendricks 39 pass from Cain (McAlpin kick), 1:57.

J – Fuller 90 kickoff return (Scott kick), 1:41.

PC – Cox 1 run (McAlpin kick), :17.

J – Fuller 79 kickoff return (Scott kick), :05.

Fourth quarter

PC – Hendricks 9 pass from Cain (McAlpin kick), 9:03.
J – Ronald Brown 4 run (Scott kick), :30.

FOOTBALL: Despite penalties, Bulldogs blank Pioneers 34-0 in Cooley’s NA debut

By GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

NEW ALBANY—New Albany had a penalty problem at Buerk Field against Providence on Friday night. But in the end, the Bulldogs seemed much less fazed by opening-game jitters than did their guests.

The charges of coach Steve Cooley knuckled down on defense and presented him with a shutout win in his first game at the helm of the Bulldogs, 34-0. It was the season opener for both teams.

“We were calm, they were ready and the kids were focused. It’s a great win for New Albany against a good team,” said Cooley, who took a year off from being a head coach last year after spending time at Jeffersonville and Clarksville. Cooley was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator last season.

For Providence, some untimely turnovers, lack of execution and an inability to turn New Albany mistakes into something meaningful spelled its doom. The Pioneers accumulated just 89 total yards for the game.

Numerous New Albany penalties — some of which turned around huge gains and even a touchdown — gave the Pioneers opportunities, but they amounted to nothing. The Bulldogs amassed 105 yards from flags.

“We had first-game jitters in a lot of ways,” said Providence coach Larry Denison. “They made some mistakes, and we couldn’t capitalize on them.

“We’re a better team than we showed tonight. The kids know that, the coaching staff knows that. We’ve got to be better executing than we did.”

Providence received the opening kickoff, but went four-and-out. New Albany promptly scored on its first possession, covering 60 yards in seven plays. Bulldog running back Darquan Richardson found the end zone from 2 yards out to score the season’s first touchdown. On the series, Richardson carried the ball five times for 14 yards, and he also connected with quarterback Dylan Clark on a reception for 17 yards.

New Albany’s defense bottled up the Providence offense the entire night, effectively shutting down the Pioneers’ main offensive weapon, Kaden Williams.

Providence earned only two first downs in the first half. Williams, meanwhile, was held to right at 50 yards for the night, with the bulk of those coming on a 38-yard run.

“I was pleased with our game management for Game 1,” said Cooley. “Our defense did a really good job on Williams. He’s a good little player. He got around us once or twice, but we did a pretty good job on him overall.”

A 42-yard punt return by New Albany’s Devon Gummer put the ball at the Providence 29-yard line, and set up the second New Albany score. After a 20-yard-run by Richardson, Clark hooked up with RJ Johnson in the end zone, making the score 13-0 with 5:47 to play in the second period.

A 30-yard pick six by Luke Kaiser put the Bulldogs up 20-0 with 2:07 remaining in the first half.

New Albany presented the Pioneers with plenty of second chances and opportunities due to penalties, but Providence could not generate anything.

The Bulldogs’ DeTre Payton and Richardson each damaged Providence, with Payton accumulating 105 yards on the ground and Richardson 85. Payton also had a 52-yard run reversed by a holding call, one of the numerous occasions the Pioneers benefitted from penalties.

After a scoreless third quarter, a play happened in the fourth quarter that seemed to seal Providence’s fate and New Albany’s victory. A Pioneer punt had the Bulldogs with their backs to the end zone at their own 3.

On the first play, though, Richardson rambled 70 yards to the Providence 27. Three plays later, Richardson ground out a 14-yard touchdown run to make the score 27-0 after the extra point at the 10:13 mark.

The final score came with 7:22 remaining in the game when the Bulldogs’ Koran Givens picked up a Providence fumble and carried it 40 yards to the end zone.

“Hopefully, we can use this as a learning lesson and go forward,” said Denison. “We made too many mistakes for a young team.”

New quarterback Joe Denis had difficulty for the Pioneers.

“Joe played like he was making his first start,” said Denison. “He hasn’t played quarterback for a long time. He’s going to get better. He just needs the reps. We’ve got a lot of faith in Joe.”

The 34-0 win was the first shutout for New Albany since 2013 when it blanked Bedford North Lawrence 48-0.

“We’re just going to get better and better and come out against Castle (next Friday),” said Cooley.

The Bulldogs’ meeting with the Knights will be at Castle Stadium, starting at 8 p.m. EDT. Providence will travel to Floyd Central at 7 p.m. next Friday.

NEW ALBANY 34, PROVIDENCE 0

Providence         0   0 0   0–  0
New Albany       6 14 0 14–34
First quarter
NA – Darquan Richardson 2 run (run failed), 7:24.

Second quarter

NA – RJ Johnson 9 pass from Dylan Clark (Noah Litzelswope kick), 5:47.
NA – Luke Kaiser 30 interception return (Litzelswope kick), 2:07.

Fourth quarter

NA – Richardson 14 run (Litzelswope kick), 10:13.
NA – Koran Givens 40 fumble recovery (Litzelswope kick), 7:22.

OLD KEV'S FOOTBALL PICKS FOR WEEK 1

New Albany 24, Providence 17
Pulaski County (Ky.) 38, Jeffersonville 14
Louisville Male 34, Floyd Central 23
Silver Creek 28, Charlestown 20
Clarksville 13, Scottsburg 10
Brownstown Central 40, Corydon Central 13
North Harrison 35, Salem 26
West Washington 38, Eastern 21

VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs fall in five sets to Heritage Hills

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

NEW ALBANY – New Albany suffered its first loss of the 2017 season Thursday night at The Doghouse, falling to Heritage Hills 20-25, 26-24, 26-24, 23-25, 15-13. It was the Bulldogs’ home opener.

New Albany senior middle blocker Allyson Cathey led the Bulldog offense with 30 kills. The Western Kentucky recruit completed a double-double with 16 digs.

New Albany junior setter Kyla Weber distributed 54 assists and made eight digs. Teammate Riley Winslow spiked nine kills and had nine digs. Also for the Bulldogs (1-1), senior Shea Collett made 10 digs and delivered eight kills and sophomore Saylor Knoy had four service aces.

New Albany will host the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. The Bulldogs will face Hoosier Hills Conference rival Jennings County in the first match of three-team round robin. The Panthers will square off against Castle in the second match, followed by the Knights taking on New Albany in the final match.

The Bulldogs won their season opener Monday night at North Harrison 25-19, 25-23, 25-16.

HERITAGE HILLS 3, NEW ALBANY 2

Heritage Hills            20 26 26 23 15

New Albany               25 24 24 25 13

NEW ALBANY STATS

Allyson Cathey: 30 kills, 16 digs.

Riley Winslow: 9 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces.

Shea Collett: 10 digs, 8 kills, 3 aces.

Kyla Weber: 54 assists, 8 digs, 3 aces.

Saylor Knoy: 4 aces.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES: Star Boys game recap

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOUISVILLE – The Indiana Star Boys team’s talent was too much for Kentucky to handle in the 20th annual Battle of the Bridges on Saturday at MidAmerica Sports Center.

All 15 Hoosier Stars scored in their 102-92 victory over the Bluegrass Stars. Indiana head coach Keith Phillips liked coaching a team stocked full of some of Southern Indiana’s best players.

“They actually made it a little easier for me. The talent level was just so high, so I really enjoyed that. It makes my job a lot easier,” said Phillips, who also was the head coach of the Indiana Star Girls squad. “They were a great group of kids and I was fortunate to be able to coach them.”

Floyd Central junior Cobie Barnes, who has received NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Evansville, IUPUI and Miami of Ohio, paced Indiana with a game-high 22 points. Barnes scored 13 points in the first half, as he knocked down three 3-pointers.

Barnes says he has really focused on 3-point shooting in the offseason and it showed Saturday.

“I knew it was one of my weaknesses, so I needed to get into the gym and fix that. It turned out it helped me in this game,” Barnes said.

Phillips said Barnes was a pleasure to coach.

“I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with him and actually coach him,” Phillips said. “He’s a phenomenal player. He’s got a great attitude. Obviously, he can shoot the ball. He can get to the rim. He plays above the rim. At the next level, I think he’s going to be really good.”

New Albany senior guard Sean East collected the Indiana MVP award with 15 points. Clarksville senior Christian Stewart chipped in nine points.

Four Hoosier Stars each scored seven points, who were Providence senior Blake Murphy, Henryville senior Nick Walker, Jeffersonville senior Jaden Coleman and Floyd Central senior Luke Gohmann. Murphy transferred from New Albany to Providence this summer.

After leading 54-45 at halftime, Indiana built its lead to as high as 23 points in the third quarter. The Hoosier Stars began the period with a 20-4 run to go up 74-51 with about two minutes remaining in the stanza.

“I had to settle them down,” Phillips said about his halftime speech to his team. “We were just trying to play too much 1-on-1. We had to be locked in. We had to really move the ball well. Once we started doing that, we got our kids in spots for good shots. We were making smart decisions.”

Kentucky got within 95-88 with 1:13 left in regulation on a 3-pointer by South Oldham senior Devin Young. But Indiana closed out the game with a 7-4 spurt to seal the victory.

Young earned Kentucky MVP honors with a team-high 20 points. Young scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, which included five 3’s.

Louisville Trinity junior David Johnson tallied 17 points for the Bluegrass Stars, while Trinity senior Jay Scrubb added 13. Also for Kentucky, Fern Creek senior Ahmad Price had eight points and Elizabethtown senior Darius Harding and Newport senior MeKell Burries each scored seven.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES

STAR BOYS GAME

INDIANA 102, KENTUCKY 92

Kentucky             21 24 15 32-  92

Indiana                28 26 22 26-102

Kentucky: Devin Young (South Oldham) 20, David Johnson (Louisville Trinity) 17, Jay Scrubb (Trinity) 13, Ahmad Price (Fern Creek) 8, MeKell Burries (Newport) 7, Darius Harding (Elizabethtown) 7, Pierce Kiesler (Louisville St. Xavier) 6, Clint Wickcliffe (Fern Creek) 6, Jordan McClendon (Louisville Manual) 4, Tre’Saun Edwards (Louisville Iroquois) 2, Sam Weining (Louisville DeSales) 2, Ethan Driskell (Louisville Holy Cross) 0, Cam McDonogh (Louisville St. Xavier) 0.

Indiana: Cobie Barnes (Floyd Central) 22, Sean East (New Albany) 15, Christian Stewart (Clarksville) 9, Jaden Coleman (Jeffersonville) 7, Luke Gohmann (Floyd Central) 7, Blake Murphy (Providence) 7, Nick Walker (Henryville) 7, Noah Williams (Christian Academy of Indiana) 5, Bailey Falkenstein (Jeff) 4, Isaiah Harris (Clarksville) 4, Brendon Hobson (Floyd Central) 4, Terrence Browning (Rock Creek) 3, Stephen Cook (Christian Academy of Indiana) 3, Derrick Stevenson (New Albany) 3, Zane Gross (Silver Creek) 2.

3-point field goals: Kentucky 12 (Young 6, Johnson 3, Burries 1, Harding 1, Scrubb 1); Indiana 11 (Barnes 3, East 3, Cook 1, Gohmann 1, Murphy 1, Stevenson 1, Williams 1).

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES: Star Girls game recap

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOUISVILLE – The Indiana Star Girls let a 15-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter in the 20^th annual Battle of the Bridges on Saturday at MidAmerica Sports Center and lost to Kentucky 67-62. In the final quarter, the Bluegrass Stars outscored the Hoosier Stars 31-13.

Kentucky turned up the heat in its full-court press defense, forcing Indiana into several turnovers in the fourth period. As a result, the Bluegrass Stars converted those miscues into points to spearhead their comeback.

“We just weren’t making the smart passes. We wanted to dribble through (the press) instead of moving the ball,” said Indiana head coach Keith Phillips, who also was the sideline boss for the Indiana Star Boys team. “You’ve got to understand situations. The ball can’t stop. You can’t dribble through a press every single time. You have to move the basketball for the best shot.”

In the opening stages of the fourth, Jeffersonville senior Jaylynn Brown hit two free throws to put Indiana up 51-36. But Kentucky went on an 11-0 run to cut its deficit to 51-47 with 4:58 left in regulation.

With Indiana up 54-50, the Hoosier Stars scored four straight points to increase their lead to eight.

Kentucky, though, did not go away. The Bluegrass Stars went on another 11-0 spurt to take a 61-58 advantage with less than two minutes left. Kentucky grabbed the lead for good at 59-58 when Louisville Male senior Ciaja Harbison hit two free throws at the 2:16 mark.

Mishawaka senior Meghan Urbanski nailed two foul shots with 1:46 remaining to pull Indiana within 61-60. But Kentucky responded with six unanswered points to go up 67-60 with 38.1 seconds left.

Leading 17-12, the Hoosier Stars went on a 10-2 run in the second quarter to go up 27-14 late in the stanza. At the 4:13 mark, Indiana upped its lead to 38-24 when Jeff senior guard Jacinta Gibson put her own missed shot back into the bucket.

Late in the third, the Hoosier Stars claimed a 47-32 lead thanks to a pair of free throws by Castle senior Jalaya Dowell.

“We were sharing the ball and we were moving it. We were making smart decisions, good passes and not turning it over,” Phillips said. “But then they started pressing us and we lost our minds. We kind of got on our heels and backed down from it.”

Brown and Urbanski each paced Indiana in scoring with 13 points. Urbanski, who was named the Indiana Team MVP, scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half. Dowell had eight points and Heritage Christian senior Hadassah Harris added seven.

George Rogers Clark senior Sha’maya Behanan captured the Kentucky Team MVP award with a game-high 14 points. Eleven of her 14 points came in the fourth quarter.

Louisville Manual’s Tyonne Howard had 11 points with seven coming in the final stanza. Harbison chipped in 10 points. Also for Kentucky, Manual senior A’Niah Griffin tallied nine points and Louisville Central junior Darian Neal scored eight.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES

STAR GIRLS GAME

KENTUCKY 67, INDIANA 62

Kentucky             8 10 18 31-67

Indiana              11 17 21 13-62

Kentucky: Sha’maya Behanan 14, Tyonne Howard 11, Ciaja Harbison 10, A’Niah Griffin 9, Darian Neal 8, Cameron Browning 5, Joelle Johnson 4, Jaida Wiggins 4, Maleaha Bell 2, Alexis Smith 0.

Indiana: Jaylynn Brown 13, Meghan Urbanski 13, Jalaya Dowell 8, Hadassah Harris 7, Hannah Wolford 5, Jacinta Gibson 4, Rachel Stewart 4, Kelsey Taylor 4, Julyen Condra 2, Sophia Kreag 2, Ryann Bunting 0.

3-point field goals: Kentucky 3 (Griffin 1, Howard 1, Neal 1); Indiana 2 (Urbanski 1, Wolford 1).

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES: Future Star Boys game recap

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOUISVILLE – A talented Indiana Future Star Boys team rolled past Kentucky in the 20^th annual Battle of the Bridges on Saturday at MidAmerica Sports Center 76-47.

Two Hoosier Stars scored in double figures and three of their teammates tallied at least nine points. Jeffersonville sophomore Tre Coleman led Indiana with a game-high 18 points. The 6-foot-6 forward registered 12 of his 18 points in the second half.

Jeff sophomore guard Jacob Jones earned Indiana Team MVP honors with 13 points. Pouring in nine points each were Christian Academy sophomore Bailey Conrad, North Harrison freshman Langdon Hatton and Jeff sophomore Caleb Mason.

Also for Indiana, Austin junior Drew Buhr had eight points and New Albany sophomore Julien Hunter tallied six.

Leading 13-9 after the first quarter, Indiana proceeded to outscore Kentucky in the second 18-8 to go ahead 31-17 at halftime.

The Hoosier Stars started the third with an 8-2 run to extend their lead to 20 points at 39-19 with about five minutes left in the period. The advantage grew to as high as 24 in the stanza. The 29-point final margin was Indiana’s largest lead.

Lousville Male’s Tyren Moore paced Kentucky with 16 points, accumulating all those points in the second half to collect the Bluegrass Team MVP award.

South Oldham’s Luke Morrison added eight points, while Louisville Ballard’s Lewis Richards scored seven for Kentucky.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES

FUTURE STAR BOYS GAME

INDIANA 76, KENTUCKY 47

Kentucky                9   8 19 11-47

Indiana                 13 18 25 20-76

Kentucky: Tyren Moore (Louisville Male) 16, Luke Morrison (South Oldham) 8, Lewis Richards (Louisville Ballard) 7, Terron Toney (North Bullitt) 5, Thomas Dozier (Louisville Butler) 4, Joshua Williams (Fairdale) 3, Noah Courtney (Male) 2, Ashton Myles-Devore (Woodford County) 2, Quintin Anderson (Louisville Moore) 0, Terrance McDaniels (Louisville Trinity) 0, Cameron Underwood (Butler) 0.

Indiana: Tre Coleman (Jeffersonville) 18, Jacob Jones (Jeff) 13, Bailey Conrad (Christian Academy) 9, Langdon Hatton (North Harrison) 9, Caleb Mason (Jeff) 9, Drew Buhr (Austin) 8, Julien Hunter (New Albany) 6, Caleb Brown (New Albany) 4, Andrew Slaton (Scottsburg) 0.
3-point field goals: Kentucky 5 (Morrison 2, Richards 2, Moore 1); Indiana 4 (Buhr 2, Jones 1, Mason 1).

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES: Future Star Girls game recap

BY KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

LOUISVILLE – Indiana held off a Kentucky rally to win the Future Star Girls game in the 20^th annual Battle of the Bridges on Saturday at MidAmerica Sports Center 38-36.

Indiana led 18-5 in the closing stages of the first quarter and was up 24-13 with 1:45 left in the second when Decatur Central junior Ajulu Thatha made a putback.

Kentucky responded with an 8-2 run to end the first half to pull within 26-21 at halftime. The Bluegrass Stars continued that momentum into the third. They sliced their deficit to 31-29 when Louisville Male’s Joelle Johnson converted a layup.

With about 50 seconds left in regulation, Kentucky got within three points at 37-34 on a steal and a layup by Louisville Mercy’s Hope Sivori.

But Jeffersonville junior Jasmine Lilly knocked down the front end of a 1-and-1 to put Indiana up four points at 38-34. Kentucky made a bucket in the closing seconds, but could not get any closer.

Thatha led Indiana with eight points, while Jeff junior Tori Handley had seven. Lilly and Bedford North Lawrence junior Jacy Hughes each tallied six.

Lexington Catholic’s Jay Ballard paced Kentucky with nine points, followed by Shamaria Stikes from Louisville Central with seven.

Charlestown sophomore Jackie Biscardi earned the Indiana Team MVP award. Johnson was named the Kentucky Team MVP.

BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES

FUTURE STAR GIRLS GAME

INDIANA 38, KENTUCKY 36

Kentucky             7 14 8 7-36

Indiana              18   8 7 5-38

Kentucky: Jay Ballard (Lexington Catholic) 9, Shamaria Stikes (Louisville Central) 7, Hope Sivori (Louisville Mercy) 6, Joelle Johnson (Louisville Male) 4, Kennedy Igo (George Rogers Clark) 3, Trinity Shearer (Lincoln County) 3, Dejah Chatman (Louisville Manual) 2, Taziah Jenks (Mercy) 2, Kennedy Griffin (Bullitt East) 0, Jordy Stephens (Casey County) 0, Alana Striverson (Male) 0.

Indiana: Ajulu Thatha (Decatur Central) 8, Tori Handley (Jeffersonville) 7, Jacy Hughes (Bedford North Lawrence) 6, Jasmine Lilly (Jeff) 6, Chelsea Gibson (Jeff) 4, Ally Willis (New Albany) 4, Gracie Hale (Floyd Central) 2, K’Ja Talley (Warren Central) 1, Jackie Biscardi (Charlestown) 0, Makenna Fee (Seymour) 0, Kalissa Fosskuhl (Floyd Central) 0, Lucy Robertson (North Harrison) 0.

3-point field goals: Kentucky 4 (Ballard 1, Igo 1, Shearer 1, Stikes 1); Indiana 4 (Hughes 2, Handley 1, Lilly 1).