TERRE HAUTE — Of the existing Vigo County high schools — Terre Haute South, Terre Haute North and West Vigo — only once has one of their football teams turned in their gear at the end of the season with an undefeated record.
In 2002, West Vigo concluded its regular season with a 9-0 mark. But after those Vikings defeated Edgewood 39-22 in first-round sectional action, they lost to Indianapolis Chatard 49-13 in the second round. So they ended up with an outstanding record, 10-1, but that’s not undefeated.
The “undefeated” distinction belongs to South’s 1973 squad, which ended up 10-0 but didn’t qualify for Indiana’s old-style playoff system at the time.
“We had a lot of good athletes then,” reflected 51-year-old Houston resident Mark Stoehr, who was a junior linebacker and back-up running back/wide receiver on the ’73 Braves. “We didn’t pass on first down a lot, because we had power up the middle and speed on the outside. We had a very sound offense. Our offense rarely turned the ball over.
“The defense was so good, again with some very good athletes, that it usually gave the offense great field position. The offense was starting [drives] on the 50-yard line a lot of times… We had some very good tacklers. Every single [defensive] starter was an excellent tackler.”
Coached by Bob Clements, South opened that eventful campaign with five consecutive shutouts (6-0 over Evansville Memorial, 21-0 over Alton, Ill., 14-0 over Lafayette Jeff, 26-0 over Perry Meridian and 30-0 over Evansville North) before an opponent scored on it. Even then, the Braves won their sixth game 24-14 over Vincennes Lincoln.
Convincing decisions over Clinton (26-0), Terre Haute Schulte (39-8) and West Vigo (35-0) set the stage for a grand homecoming finale Nov. 2 at Memorial Stadium.
The only obstacle: North’s 5-4 Patriots, who also were celebrating their homecoming week.
Both teams carried momentum into the contest. The week before, while South was blanking West Vigo, North was winning at Evansville North 19-14.
With queens Robin Williams (South) and Anne Mattingly (North) reigning over the festivities, coach Gene Shike’s Patriots grabbed the lead on a 27-yard touchdown run by tailback Monte McDonald in the second quarter. Although the Braves managed to block the extra-point kick, they didn’t expect to find themselves trailing 6-0.
“We knew we needed to do our jobs,” Stoehr said of the team’s reaction to a rare deficit. “So we decided, ‘Let’s do it.’”
The result was a 13-6 South advantage by the end of the first half. The Braves’ first TD came on a 17-yard screen pass from Matt Stoehr, Mark’s brother, to burly fullback Bob Selge, who overcame a slight injury from a bicycle accident one day before the game. Their second TD came when Matt Stoehr hooked up with speedy tailback Bob Carter from 31 yards out.
That turned out to be the final score, thanks in large part to two second-half interceptions by junior linebacker Chuck Blackwell.
North kept sending McDonald on runs in the second half, but the Braves eventually slowed him down.
“I just remember he would line up deep in the backfield and he had really good vision,” Mark Stoehr mentioned. “All he would need was a little bit of a crease. At least we did a better job of handling him in the second half.”
According to statistics kept by Terre Haute Star sportswriter Carl Jones, McDonald finished with 109 yards rushing on 19 attempts. On the other hand, North held South to 61 yards on the ground on 38 carries.
“That was a really, really tough game,” Mark Stoehr emphasized. “I remember seeing stars a lot in that game. They hurt us because they would run off-tackle… It was really a game of field position. Once we got the lead, we felt comfortable.”
The victory enabled to South to claim the Liberty Bell for the third straight year and clinch the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference and Vigo County championships. But because one of the Braves’ opponents — Schulte — had a low enrollment figure, they did not receive an IHSAA playoff bid.
“The disappointment was we didn’t qualify for the playoffs,” Mark Stoehr admitted. “We thought we could beat any team in the state with our defense.
“But it was still a special year. It was a great team.”
High School
Terre Haute South Blast from the Past: ’73 Braves avoid upset to conclude 10-0 season
- High School
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It’s a rivalry-filled Memorial Day for sectional contenders
Longtime rivalries figure to determine high school baseball sectional champions throughout the Wabash Valley today, with semifinal and final games scheduled at four sites and a stand-alone championship game at a fifth.
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South tops Oldenburg to win tennis semistate
There was no evidence of rally caps, rally towels and certainly no rally squirrels, but Terre Haute South’s No. 1 singles player Maddie Kesler needed a rally in the worst way.
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New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
For so many years, the road to the IHSAA girls tennis state finals for local teams ran through Vincennes (regional) and Jasper (semistate). In other words, south and more south.
This year, their trip was re-routed through Greencastle (regional) and Center Grove (semistate). So it cnahged to east and more east. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Robinson tops Greenville in sectional semifinal
Robinson jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then cruised to a convincing 12-3 victory over Greenville in a IHSA Class 2A Vandalia sectional semifinal game on Thursday.
Ashlyn Sullivan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs to lead the winning Maroons. -
West Vigo baseball falls in sectional to Owen Valley
West Vigo overcame the odds to win 20 high school baseball games this season with a lineup that often included four freshmen and few seniors.
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South Vermillion softball's late-season surge comes to end
A late-season surge by South Vermillion wasn’t quite enough to halt a high school softball sectional winning streak by the host team Thursday night, as Edgewood got on top early and held on for a 5-2 win in the championship game of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.
The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, however, haven’t lost a sectional softball game for eight years in a row. -
South takes second, North third at boys track regional
Terre Haute South finished second and Terre Haute North third on Thursday night at the boys track and field regional at Evansville Central, with 11 individuals and three relay teams qualifying for the state finals June 2.
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PREP ROUNDUP: White River Valley baseball holds off Eminence
Three Eminence errors in the top of the sixth inning finally enabled White River Valley to score in high school baseball Thursday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 5-0 win in Class A Shakamak Sectional action.
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Feeling cursed: South bitten in sectional final again
Terre Haute South softball is not even close to being as cursed as a certain northside baseball team in Chicago, but it might just seem like it.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mundy, Porter, Knight individual regional winners
Chanli Mundy and Keirra Porter of Terre Haute North were among the individual winners in the IHSAA Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Thornton puts away South Vermillion
Cody Thornton’s three-run blast over the left-field fence was the finishing touch to West Vigo’s 10-3 victory over South Vermillion in the opening game of the Class 3A Greencastle Sectional on Wednesday.
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Lakers triumph, go home for regional
Shakamak took Class A Clay City Sectional honors in high school softball for the first time since 2009 Wednesday, defeating White River Valley 9-5 in the title tilt.
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North Vermillion avenges losses
North Vermillion avenged two high school softball losses during the regular season to win the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional championship Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over the host Panthers.
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Pats, Knights will meet in sectional
Adler Ingalsbe pooh-poohed his lack of velocity Wednesday night, yet the Terre Haute North pitcher was throwing BBs in the first game compared to Mooresville’s Brandon Topie in the nightcap.
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South outbattles Northview to reach sectional final
Even the best of high school softball pitchers can’t keep all the batters in the middle of Terre Haute South’s lineup down.
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Panthers get 20th win in sectional
Riverton Parke will face North Vermillion in the Class A softball sectional championship at Riverton Parke today, with action commencing at 6 p.m.
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Plainfield Sectional all about parity
Considering Terre Haute South has won five consecutive Class 4A sectional titles in high school baseball, naming the Braves as favorites to capture the 2012 Class 4A Plainfield Sectional would not seem far-fetched.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North Vermillion in title game
Casey West had a triple and three runs scored to help North Vermillion softball advance to the championship game of the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional on Tuesday.
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North takes second in track regional
Terre Haute North finished second with 74 points, six behind team champion Evansville Reitz, during the Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
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Wildcats advance to sectional softball final; West Vigo falls
Patience, patience.
South Vermillion exhibited great patience, being very selective at the plate and it paid off royally in the fourth inning. -
South, Crawfordsville win in regional tennis semis
Terre Haute South outlasted Fountain Central 4-1 in the first round of the girls high school tennis regional Tuesday, advancing the Braves into today’s championship match against Crawfordsville.
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Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
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Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
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Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
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Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
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Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
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Northview sectional groups 3 20-win teams
Three teams with 20-plus victories will attempt to claim the Class 4A Northview Sectional crown for high school softball this week, and most of the other Wabash Valley sectional fields also appear to be wide open.
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Terre Haute South softball takes Riverton Parke tournament
Terre Haute South is going into the Class 4A Sectional at Northview on Monday with momentum, confidence, a deep bench and a healthier pitching staff than it has had in quite a while.
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North baseball splits doubleheader with Indy North Central
Some of their incentive could have been sapped a couple of nights earlier, when Center Grove achieved an eight-inning victory over Warren Central to clinch the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball championship.
- More High School Headlines
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