With all his players returning except for one starter lost to graduation, you might surmise that second-year Turkey Run girls high school basketball coach Sam Karr has high expectations for his team this year.
And you’d be right.
Then why would Karr feel his team might not own quite as glittery a won-lost record after this season? Because of one of the tougher Class A schedules around, it may not muster up to last year’s 19-6 mark. But Karr is certain his team will reap the benefits when February rolls around.
The Warriors won their first sectional title in eight years last season, defeating Riverton Parke, Attica and Rockville. In the regional, they eliminated Lafayette Central Catholic, but fell to Southern Wells in the championship game.
“We return just about everybody,” Karr said. Their only loss from last year’s squad is 6-foot-2 center Sarah Patton, “who will be hard to replace.” Last year’s team was “very, very young,” starting three freshmen.
Headlining their four returning starters is 5-2 senior point guard Meghan Doss, who has committed to play college basketball at Vincennes University. Other returning starters are a trio of sophomores, 5-7 Chelsea Newnum, 5-9 Chelsea Francis and 5-11 Adrianne Francis.
A frontrunner for the fifth starting slot is 5-7 sophomore Shelby Davies. Karr says of Davies, “she played a lot of JV last year, had a good summer and is one of our best defenders.”
Karr is blessed with one of the deepest benches in Class A, with six other players expected to make contributions this season.
Those include 5-9 junior Tiffany Marshall, 5-7 sophomore Jordan Hunt, 5-10 junior Logan Cox, 5-8 sophomore Megan Francis — the Francis girls are triplets — 5-7 junior Amy Newnum and 5-11 freshman Holly Hopkins.
Marshall will be strong presence in the post and started as a freshman, but tore her ACL this summer and won’t be full-speed until after Christmas.
As for the schedule, the Warriors will face 11 teams above them in classification, including seven 3A-level teams. One of those 3A teams will be Griffith, the Warriors meeting them in the Region Rumble event on New Year’s Day.
Oh yes, Turkey Run also faces 4A school Terre Haute North tonight to open the regular season.
“Our schedule is as tough as it’s ever been … it will be hard to match our record of last year,” Karr admitted. “But it will hopefully make us tougher to beat at tournament time.”
• • •
The following are capsules of the three remaining Wabash River Conference teams in the Wabash Valley:
• North Vermillion — The Falcons’ fortunes have been either feast or famine the past few years. After a magnificent five-year run of 92-9, including a Class A state title, they were 3-58 the next three years — including a streak of 32 straight losses that was snapped early last season.
“Last year was a rebuilding year,” stated second-year North Vermillion coach Terry Naylor. His first Falcons’ team was 5-16. “We didn’t quite reach our goals [last year], but the girls have a year of me under their belt.
“We have a lot of varsity experience back, but are still young,” Naylor said. “We will start two sophomores and a freshman. We could easily be a .500 ballcub if we limit our turnovers and improve our shot selection.”
Three regular starters from a year ago return, 5-10 junior Hillary Lively, 5-6 senior Derryn Axtell and 5-6 sophomore Bethany Chew. Occasional starters last season returning are 5-7 sophomore Kylee West and 5-7 junior Taylor Poynter. Also expected to contribute are 5-7 senior Emily Yoho and 5-8 freshman Casey West (no relation to Kylee).
“That’s probably it,” Naylor said of his prospects for just a seven-player rotation. “We might have one of our guards up from JV to play sparingly. We’re low in numbers … if one of our girls gets hurt, we won’t be able to play a JV schedule.”
While the numbers are down at present, Naylor is looking ahead to the next few years with the influx of a talented eighth-grade team. Naylor said of his future Falcons players, “they haven’t been beat in four years … all 10 of the girls can play.”
But as for this season, Naylor confidently predicted, “We should have a winning season, definitely not below .500. Last year we didn’t know how to win but the girls finally figured it out. This year we expect to win.”
• Rockville — Jeff McCoy, a 1998 graduate of Rockville, is the first-year head coach for the Rox this season. Describing his coaching background, he laughed “I’ve coached all over Parke County and Vermillion County, both girls and boys.”
But seriously, he added, “I’ve inherited a real nice core from [previous coach] Jim Foster. I have some very smart players … ranked No. 2, 4 and 8 in their class. It’s like having a high school version of Rose-Hulman.”
Returnees include 5-9 senior Kieran McMullen, 5-5 senior Hilary Vukovits, 6-3 sophomore Beth Mahurin, 5-10 senior Morgan Burgess and 5-7 sophomore Lindsey Greene.
McMullen is their leading returning scorer at 13 points per game and is “expected to be a team leader”. Vukovits will be the point guard, while Mahurin and Burgess will provide the inside presence.
“Beth is a lot stronger this year,” McCoy said. “Volleyball is her favorite sport, but she has a lot of athleticism and we hope that transfers to basketball. She can be a force in the post.”
Off the bench will likely be 5-10 junior Sheyana White, who transferred from Riverton Parke last year. McCoy says White is “our most improved player.” Also expected to contribute is 5-6 junior Alise Harper.
The Rox were 7-15 last season, their last winning season was in 2001-02. “It’s been six years … I think its reasonable for us to have a winning season,” McCoy said. “It’s been 27 years since we were a WRC champion and won a sectional.”
• Riverton Parke — New coach Josh Douglass has been at Riverton Parke the past five years, serving as the girls junior varsity coach last season. He inherits a program that was 4-17 a year ago, with no winning seasons in eight years.
“We lost our two leading scorers from last year … so we need to find some scoring,” Douglass said on Friday, a day after hosting a controlled scrimmage with South Vermillion. Gone due to graduation are Amy Wheeler and Chelsy Riggen.
“But we return four juniors with a lot of varsity experience,” Douglass mentioned. “We have a couple of sophomores that contributed a lot of minutes … one big, one small. We also have a couple of freshmen looking at some playing time. They are young, raw, but not bad.”
The four juniors are 5-6 point guard Wendy Mathas, 5-6 Rosa Gossett, 5-10 Mackenzie Haltom and 5-10 Hannah Byers.
Mathas, Gossett and Haltom have all been on the varsity for three years. Mathas has been point guard all three years, and along with Gossett, are expected to pick up the scoring slack. Haltom and Byers are being relied on for defense and rebounding.
Other contributors are 5-6 sophomore Chelsea Dailey, 5-6 sophomore Andrea Jenkinson and 5-8 senior Sara Julian. Two freshmen are 5-7 Sheldan Falls and 5-11 Elizabeth Dickey.
Dailey “is one of the strongest girls on the team … has a knack for going after the ball,” Falls “started in the scrimmage and held her own. She’s a quick guard,” and Dickey “is injured right now. Opponents will have to shoot over her. Could be outstanding with some added muscle. A very good outside shooter,” Douglass noted.
As for goals this season, Douglass says, “I would love for us to above .500. Turkey Run and Fountain Central are the two teams to go after in the WRC.”
WRC SCHEDULES
Rockville Rox
Today — South Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday and Saturday — Banks of Wabash Tournament at Turkey Run, TBA
Nov. 17 — at North Central, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 — Riverton Parke*, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 — at Clay City, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 2 — at Southmont, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 — at North Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 6 — at Shiloh, 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Shakamak, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 — at Seeger*, 8 p.m.
Dec. 18 — Greencastle, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 6 — South Vermillion, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 8 — Turkey Run*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 — Georgetown-Ridgefarm, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 15 — at Covington*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 — at Cloverdale, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22 — Fountain Central*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 26 — at Attica*, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 — at North Vermillion*, 7:30 p.m.
* Wabash River Conference game
Riverton Parke
Panthers
Thursday and Saturday — Banks of Wabash Tournament at Turkey Run, TBA
Nov. 18 — Northview, 6 p.m.
Nov. 21 — at Rockville*, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 25 — at Covington*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 2 — Cloverdale, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 — Clay City, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 — at Shakamak, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Seeger*, 8 p.m.
Dec. 16 — at Turkey Run*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 — at South Vermillion, 8 p.m.
Dec. 27 — Loogootee Classic, TBA
Jan. 8 — at North Vermillion*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 — South Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 17 — Southmont, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 — North Central, 6 p.m.
Jan. 27 — at West Vigo, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 29 — Fountain Central*, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 — Attica*, 7:30 p.m.
* Wabash River Conference game
Turkey Run Warriors
Today — Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday and Saturday — Banks of Wabash Tournament, TBA
Nov. 18 — at Crawfordsville, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 25 — North Vermillion*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 — Southmont, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 6 — Clay City, 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 — at Attica*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 — Riverton Parke*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18 — at Covington*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 1 — vs. Griffith in Region Rumble, 4 p.m.
Jan. 8 — at Rockville*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 — at North Central, 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 15 — South Vermillion, 8 p.m.
Jan. 17 — at Fountain Central*, 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 — at Benton Central, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 22 — Seeger*, 8 p.m.
Jan. 24 — Greencastle, 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 — at North Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 5 — at North Montgomery, 7:30 p.m.
* Wabash River Conference game
North Vermillion Falcons
Today — Southmont, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday and Saturday — Banks of Wabash Tournament, TBA
Nov. 21 — Westville, 8 p.m.
Nov. 22 — at West Vigo, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 25 — at Turkey Run*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 2 — at Seeger*, 8 p.m.
Dec. 11 — at Fountain Central*, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 — North Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 18 — Attica*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 3 — South Putnam Tournament, TBA
Jan. 8 — Riverton Parke*, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 — Fountain Central, 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 — at Attica, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 — at South Vermillion, 8 p.m.
Jan. 22 — at Covington, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 — Georgetown-Ridgefarm, 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 — Rockville*, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 7 — North Central, 6 p.m.
* Wabash River Conference game
WRC ROSTERS
Turkey Run roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Meghan Doss 5-2 Sr.
Chelsea Newnum 5-7 So.
Chelsea Francis 5-9 So.
Adrianne Francis 5-11 So.
Tiffany Marshall 5-9 Jr.
Shelby Davies 5-7 So.
Jordan Hunt 5-7 So.
Logan Cox 5-10 Jr.
Megan Francis 5-8 So.
Amy Newnum 5-7 Jr.
Holly Hopkins 5-11 Fr.
Rockville roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Kieran McMullen 5-9 Sr.
Hilary Vukovits 5-5 Sr.
Beth Mahurin 6-3 So.
Morgan Burgess 5-10 Sr.
Lindsey Greene 5-7 So.
Sheyana White 5-10 Jr.
Alise Harper 5-6 Jr.
Riverton Parke
roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Wendy Mathas 5-6 Jr.
Rosa Gossett 5-6 Jr.
Mackenzie Haltom 5-10 Jr.
Hannah Byers 5-10 Jr.
Chelsea Dailey 5-6 So.
Andrea Jenkinson 5-6 So.
Sara Julian 5-8 Sr.
Sheldan Falls 5-7 Fr.
Elizabeth Dickey 5-11 Fr.
North Vermillion roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Hillary Lively 5-10 Jr.
Derryn Axtell 5-6 Sr.
Bethany Chew 5-6 So.
Kylee West 5-7 So.
Emily Yoho 5-7 Sr.
Taylor Poynter 5-7 Jr.
Casey West 5-8 Fr.
High School
Talented Turkey Run leads pack of Wabash River Conference girls basketball teams
- High School
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South’s Lough to wrestle for state title
The day didn’t start in a promising fashion for Wabash Valley high school wrestlers at the Evansville Semistate in Ford Center on Saturday — but it got better as it went along.
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TERRE HAUTE NORTH SECTIONAL: Mooresville tops South for fourth straight title
For Terre Haute South High School girls basketball fans, it might sound good that the Braves did not miss a shot in the first four minutes of their Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional championship game Saturday.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan rebounds from tough start for title
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Sullivan struggled mightily in the first half, eerily reminiscent of its eventual elimination in the final seconds of overtime by Edgewood in last year’s Class 3A girls basketball sectional. -
CLAY CITY SECTIONAL: Eels take third straight sectional crown
Clay City stood up to the pressure and to the Shakamak Lakers on Saturday night to win a third straight Class A sectional championship in the Eel Dome.
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NORTH VERMILLION SECTIONAL: Twenty years in the waiting
The Super Bowl came to a new city. A presidential election was ongoing. And Riverton Parke won a girls basketball sectional.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Rox clinch WRC
Class A No. 8-ranked Rockville knocked off Attica 50-35 in boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon, clinching the Wabash River Conference championship in the process.
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THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
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OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
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North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
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South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
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South runs into talented North Central team
Terre Haute South players and coaches knew when they got off the bus Saturday afternoon that they couldn’t run with the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Indianapolis North Central Panthers.
But they tried anyway. -
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
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O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
Matt O’Leary poured in a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half, to lead Terre Haute North to a dominant 69-46 home victory over Center Grove in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon.
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Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
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Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
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South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
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Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
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State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
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South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
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Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
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PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
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They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
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Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
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Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
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Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
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