CLOVERDALE —
Jack Butcher, Howard Sharpe and Bill Stearman.
All Indiana legends, those are the only names above Pat Rady on the state’s career victory list for boys high school basketball coaches, although Rady tries to avoid talking about passing them.
Beginning his 48th season as a head coach and eighth season at Cloverdale, the 70-year-old Rady prefers focusing on the present and future more than numbers he accumulated in the past at Bainbridge, Winchester, Southmont, Shelbyville, Terre Haute South and Cloverdale.
With 711 wins under his belt after the Clovers finished 11-11 last season, Rady needs three to tie and four to pass Stearman (714) for No. 3 on the list and 13 to tie and 14 to pass Sharpe (724) for No. 2. Butcher, who retired at Loogootee in 2002, sits on top at 806.
Getting ready to run practice Wednesday afternoon, Rady understood why I brought up the possibility of him climbing the ladder. But most of his comments concerned his current team, which includes seniors Mitch Williams, Joe Fidler and Chuck Strunk along with one junior and at least three promising sophomores.
The Clovers’ first game will be Tuesday at North Central.
“I’m excited about the team we’ve got this year,” Rady emphasized. “I always take pleasure in watching a player improve and watching a group come together as a team.
“Before the year’s over, I think we’ll be competitive, but we may have some tough times early on … We are going to be fun to watch.”
“Fun” is the key word here and that’s what keeps Rady going after all these years.
“I love the game and I always have,” he explained. “This [coaching] is still as much fun as when I first started.”
Although Rady doesn’t want to look beyond this season, he figures he’ll take it “year by year” when making decisions about whether to continue coaching or retire. Regardless of what he chooses, he knows he’ll have the support of his wife Margaret and sons Patrick and Michael, whom he appreciates for all the personal sacrifices they’ve made during his career.
Patrick Rady, who worked as a part-time sportswriter here at the Tribune-Star in the 1980s, is again serving as a varsity assistant to his father at Cloverdale this season. Another familiar name, former Indiana State player Greg Thomas, is the Clovers’ junior varsity coach.
Pat Rady, who still substitute teaches at the high school and middle school in Cloverdale when needed, doesn’t avoid the past so much that he discourages contact from his former players and former coaches. On the contrary, he enjoys reminiscing about his times at all of the above-mentioned high schools.
That includes South, where he left in 2004, enabling longtime assistant Mike Saylor to become head coach. Saylor stepped down after the 2010-11 season and Rady understands why Saylor would want to do that in his early 50s.
“It’s become so demanding,” Rady said of coaching at the high school level. “It’s such a year-round thing and it’s so hard to spend time with your family.”
Still a Terre Haute resident, Rady insists that he frequently checks the Tribune-Star for South scores on the days after its games.
Yes, he specifically mentioned the Tribune-Star. I knew there was a reason I always liked him (insert “wink” symbol here).
• Better late than never — This was announced by the IHSAA earlier this month, but it’s still worth reporting: Mike Stoffers of Terre Haute was recipient of the 2011 Interscholastic Athletic Officials Association Award for excellence in the sport of volleyball.
According to its website, the IHSAA — in cooperation with the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association — recognizes and honors an outstanding official in each of 11 sports each year.
During his career, Stoffers has worked 13 sectionals, 10 regionals, three semistates and two state finals.
Stoffers was selected for this honor by a committee representing the officials associations, according to the IHSAA announcement. In Indiana, there are 24 associations made up of men and women who assist in providing activities for the student-athletes in our state. There are more than 8,000 officials licensed by the IHSAA in 11 sports.
A licensed referee for 16 years, Stoffers is a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association, He also is a licensed football, track and basketball official.
Stoffers is a 1977 graduate of Terre Haute South High School (hey, so was I) and a 1979 graduate of Vincennes University, where he earned a degree in horticulture.
Good job, Mike.
David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at 1-800-783-8742, Option 4, or at (812) 231-4224; by e-mail at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
High School
HUGHES NEWS AND VIEWS: Former South coach Rady makes it look easy
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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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