I’m normally pretty punctual. Despite having to slip into the back pew at church on the occasionally tardy Sunday morning, I’m not in the habit of paying late fees on bills, standing at the back of any buffet lines, or being the last guy in the neighborhood to mow grass. As a matter of fact, I’m often the first employee to pull into the parking lot every morning.
But reading the sports section last week was as depressing as could be for me: Not only did Tom Reck, Craig Pearson, and Andy Amey beat the pants off me in their efforts to get columns in the newspaper about the latest installment of the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic, those fine and very capable souls also managed to scoop me on much of what I too had recorded in that little reporter’s notebook of mine.
But “no blood, no foul,” as we used to say in my pick-up game days; I still have plenty of observations from my time at the Classic, so I had better get started…
• All dressed up and someplace to go — I was pleased to see two entrants at the PHWVC brought their mascots along for the ride. As far as I could tell, of the 16 teams in the field, only Shakamak and Sullivan have a mascot, although a number of fans took it upon themselves to dress the part in support of their teams. The Lakers have a smartly outfitted student in Native American dress; the Golden Arrows are represented by a leather and tights-clad archer worthy of Errol Flynn.
• Perchance to Dream — I’m no rumor monger, but I keep my ear to the ground when I go to the Classic. I was rewarded with a whopper too, one, that according to tournament director Gary Fears, has no basis in fact. The story is that in the not-so-distant future, the Classic will expand to 32 teams. One 16-team tourney will take place at Terre Haute South; another 16-team field will play it out at North with the winners squaring off at one or the other gyms.
Gary wants everyone to know that although it is an “intriguing idea,” it’s not going to happen. “I don’t think we could get 16 more schools to commit to us”, he says. Oh, despite the standing-room-only crowds at this year’s tournament, the Classic isn’t moving to Hulman Center either. High school basketball is played in “gyms”; gyms are supposed to be crowded and hot, so this year’s tournament was perfect.
• Houston, we have a problem — Call it weather related, but South’s staff had a difficult time getting the temperature in the Braves’ gym adjusted during the Classic. The huge crowds may have contributed to the global warming in the gym, but it was a bit odd to see every door in the building open in January in an attempt to cool it off. Some fans took it upon themselves to dress accordingly… a number of folks were spotted in shorts and tank tops by the second day of the tournament, including a few in this humble reporter’s opinion that merited reviving the stocks as proper punishment for improper public attire. There are people who can wear shorts, and then there are some who should NEVER wear shorts…
• Lose one; win the big one — It’s been widely reported on television and by at least two Tribune-Star sportswriters, but one of the best human interest stories to come out of this year’s Classic was delivered when Linton’s coach, Darren Clayton, asked his girlfriend, Kim Frederick, to marry him just moments after his Miners had lost to Turkey Run on Saturday. Clayton definitely did it the right way with ring and roses on hand.
Not only did Kim say “yes,” Clayton’s team then went out and got its first win of the year two days later. “These kids are so important to me,” Clayton said of his team, “that I wanted to make them a part of this. They’re like a second family to me.”
• A pleasant problem — In what had to be the most pleasant problem a tournament director can have, Fears was faced with a dilemma as the evening wore on in Day 2 of the Classic: He had more people wanting in the gym than he had seats. I noticed that the crowds at this year’s tournament arrived early and stayed late. It can almost always be counted on that many fans will leave the gym after their favorite team has played, but this was the least fluid group I have ever seen at the PHWVC — people stayed in their seats and watched the games, game after game.
Fears confirmed that attendance records were broken, starting on Day 1 with the 10 a.m. game that pitted Shakamak against Turkey Run.
• This is “IT” — I usually spend the bulk of my time at the tournament at one end of the gym sitting in a nice comfortable chair, but on occasion I like to stand and gab with passersby. One of those transients, an older gent who should be able to recall, grabbed me by the arm at halftime of the South-Marshall semi-final game to let me know, “The old Valley wasn’t any better than this. This is it. This is the way it should be.”
• The Hymera Flash — I met Tom McClanahan for the first time at this year’s Classic. Well known locally for his work at WTWO, Tom was also a Hymera Shakamak who played in the old Valley in the mid-60’s. We spent a while chatting about old school nicknames — we agreed that it was Ashboro’s Shamrocks who could call themselves “Gym-less Wonders” — and he recalled his days facing Patricksburg and Rosedale on the hardwood. Okay, Tom: What was the nickname for Klondike High School? Get that one and we’re friends for life!
• I can’t believe I ate the whole thing — It appears as though seats weren’t the only things that were hard to find at this year’s Classic; Fears confirmed that one of his biggest challenges was keeping the faithful fans in pizza, particularly since the delivery vans (surely considered emergency vehicles) couldn’t find a place to park. Gary says that over 9,500 slices of pizza were consumed in four days at the tournament by the teams, hospitality room visitors, and fans. Keep in mind that all of the proceeds from the pizza sold during the Classic goes to the host school’s booster club.
• Old Friends and “Old School” — If there is one thing I most love about the Classic, it’s that it’s a reunion of sorts. I can’t possibly list all of the good people I spoke with over the course of the 21 games I was able to take in, but certainly seeing John Benton, Mike McCormick, Brian Miller, Chuck Culp, Brent Compton, Betty Harrison, Jeff Fisher, Bill Pastorius, Murray Melton, Doug Hawkins, the Roundtree boys, and so many others certainly made the Classic great fun for me.
I ran into Larry Adamson on Day 3. Larry, a local boy who “done good,” and who recently retired from the United States Golf Association, often sends late-night nostalgic basketball musings from his Tennessee home to a number of us e-mail junkies. In one portion of his last letter, which came on New Year’s Day, Larry was so impressed with the Classic that he said, “When I left each night, I felt I should stop by the ticket window and pay another fee as we all had gotten much more for our money than the price of a ticket.”
He summed up: “While I believe the class system that has been added to the program in Indiana has had a negative effect on the game, I still must say that the quality of play and the interest on the part of many is still alive. The patient is far from dead, or even in some locations, seriously ill. So before we say that ‘back in my day,’ maybe we need to stop and think.”
Now, weren’t Larry comments worth waiting for?
You can contact Mike Lunsford at hickory913@aol.com, or by regular mail c/o the Tribune-Star at PO Box 149, Terre Haute, IN 47808. His book, “The Off Season: The Newspaper Stories of Mike Lunsford” is available in several local stores, or can be ordered on-line by going to www.mikelunsford.com.
High School
Sidelines: When it comes to the Classic, it’s better late than never…
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West Vigo comes up short against 19-9 Brown County softball
West Vigo got off to a good start but Brown County finished better in Class 3A high school softball sectional semifinal action Tuesday night at Edgewood.
The Eagles bested the Vikings 7-5 and will meet South Vermillion, a 12-7 winner over Owen Valley, for the sectional championship on Thursday starting at 6 p.m.
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Valley baseball teams have been keeping busy heading into sectionals
When high school baseball sectionals begin around the Wabash Valley today, one complaint that’s not expected to be heard from any coach is that his team has had too much time off.
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Northview powers way past Terre Haute South in sectional semifinal
Northview unleashed power rarely seen in high school girls softball Tuesday night to eliminate Terre Haute South 8-1 in the Class 4A Sectional at Martinsville High School.
The Knights hit three home runs in an eight-run third inning to reach the championship game. -
Terre Haute North dominates field at regional
Keirra Porter took first place in two individual events and helped Terre Haute North win one of its relays as the Patriots captured the Evansville Central Regional team championship in girls high school track and field Tuesday night.
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PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis cruises into regional final
Terre Haute South didn’t lose a game en route to blanking Seeger 5-0 in girls high school tennis Tuesday to advance to today’s championship match against Crawfordsville in the Greencastle Regional.
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Terry enjoys strong year with Wildcats, and still enjoying suiting up to play
South Vermillion’s Tim Terry is the longest tenured coach in Wabash Valley high school baseball as his Wildcats are set to begin sectional play Thursday against Owen Valley.
But on the Yankees, a 35-and-over team in the Terre Haute Men’s Senior Baseball League, Terry is “just a youngster” if you ask Larry Roesch, his 68-year-old teammate on the Volkers Group Yankees. -
West Vigo softball holds off nemesis Edgewood in softball sectional
Ice cream was enough of a reward Monday night after the West Vigo Vikings beat eight-time defending champion Edgewood 6-2 in extra innings in the opening game of the Class 3A softball sectional at Edgewood High School. But that’s not what Vikings want.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Shakamak's Green hits two homers in win over West Vigo
Shakamak improved to 22-3 on the season behind a complete-game effort from Brett Yeryar, and Patrick Green hit two solo home runs in a high school baseball game Monday.
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Terre Haute North offense unable to get going in loss to Mooresville
Jack Kirchner chose to give credit Monday night to Mooresville pitcher Taylor Chitwood, not to the Greg Maddux-size strike zone she seemed to enjoy.
But if there were no excuses forthcoming from Kirchner and his Terre Haute North High School softball team, it wouldn’t have been hard to find a spectator or two to come up with extenuating circumstances about the Patriots’ 4-1 loss at the Class 4A Martinsville Sectional. -
Terre Haute North looking strong going into girls track regional
Terre Haute North might need an off night for anyone to catch them in the girls track regional at Evansville Central.
The Patriots are as well-rounded as they’ve ever been, and two relay teams are state contenders with times ranking No. 2 in Indiana among times recorded all spring.
Terre Haute South, Northview and Sullivan have athletes among the contenders in multiple events as well. -
South tennis ready for potential challenge in regional
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
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Softball sectionals up for grabs
All three Vigo County high schools and Northview appear to have a realistic chance of winning sectional championships in softball this week.
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Terre Haute South, Northview vie for tennis regional title
Terre Haute South and Northview take respective records of 10-5 and 11-5 into the Greencastle Regional today.
Coach Bill Blankenbaker’s Braves will play Seeger at 4:30 p.m., while coach Emily Goff’s Knights will take on Crawfordsville about 6 p.m. -
Vikings win in extra innings at Rockville
West Vigo scored six runs in its first two innings Saturday, then needed a ninth-inning single by Lucas Fagg to escape with a 7-6 extra-inning win in nonconference high school baseball at Rockville.
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TH South beats Northview in Big Four makeup baseball game
Terre Haute South wrapped up a share of the MIC baseball title and finished up the Big Four Classic with an 8-1 victory over Northview in less than 24 hours on Saturday morning.
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Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title
Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout. -
South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
Host Terre Haute South kept its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title hopes alive — and clinched no worse than second place in the process — by downing Lawrence North 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.
The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC. -
Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game
Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
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PREP ROUNDUP: North and South to face off for tennis sectional title
The winner of the Terre Haute sectional for girls high school tennis will come down to Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South.
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Terre Haute North gets 10 event victories to claim 12th straight sectional crown
Terre Haute North won 10 events Tuesday night while winning the Indiana High School Athletic Association girls track and field section at South Putnam High School for the 12th straight year.
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North, South to meet in first round of baseball sectional
The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced pairings for the baseball state tournament Tuesday and the draw offered up a Vigo County battle in the opening game.
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PREP ROUNDUP: West Vigo softball clinches share of WIC title
West Vigo clinched at least a share of the Western Indiana Conference softball title with a 6-4 victory over Edgewood on Tuesday.
Jacy McClain and Bailee Waters had RBI singles in the fourth inning to break the game open for the Vikings. -
Track sectional titles on the line
Expect one heck of a high school dual track meet Thursday night when Wabash Valley boys visit Terre Haute North for sectional action.
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Prep report: Patriots, Braves favored to advance from tennis sectional 1st round
Persons attending this week’s girls tennis sectional championship match at Terre Haute North might want to pack a lunch.
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Local ADs happy to see spring come to a close
Brian Mancuso is the most experienced of the high school athletic directors in Vigo County — and that’s a very relative term — but even he wasn’t quite ready for the headaches that have accompanied spring sports the last few weeks thanks to rain, rain and more rain.
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South baseball remains in first-place tie with Center Grove
Heading into Saturday’s Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference baseball doubleheader against Center Grove, coach Kyle Kraemer of Terre Haute South wasn’t completely optimistic.
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Kehrt Award goes to Emily Bell, Lee Davis
Emily Bell of Terre Haute South and Lee Davis of Terre Haute North are the 2013 recipients of the Willard M. Kehrt Mental Attitude Award.
Bell and Davis were nominated by their schools and chosen in a vote by the Kehrt Award panel. Both will be recognized at awards assemblies later in the month at the schools.
Bell played varsity basketball four years at South and is competing in track this season, running the 800 and two relays. “I wanted something to do my senior year,” Bell said.
She plans to attend DePauw University and play basketball. DePauw is the reigning NCAA Division III champ in women's basketball.
Bell tore an AÇL playing in a basketball tournament the summer after her sophomore season. She missed most of her junior season but came back to play her senior year and was second leading scorer and leading rebounder her final season.
Bell also was leading rebounder her sophomore year. - More High School Headlines
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