TERRE HAUTE —
When it comes to boys high school basketball in Indiana, reaching a level of sustained excellence shouldn’t be described by that familiar phrase — the gold standard.
For the last four seasons, you could just as easily call it the Golden Arrows standard.
Sullivan continued its mastery of Wabash Valley teams as it opened postseason play with a 61-29 victory over Sullivan County rival North Central in the opening round of the Class 2A North Knox Sectional on Tuesday.
In opening its postseason account with a relative ease, and with its 13th straight victory, Sullivan clinched its fourth consecutive 20-win season. In those four seasons, only three other schools in the state — Brownstown Central, Munster and Tipton — have reached the 80-win threshold.
Sullivan (20-3) is 84-14 in that period and its .857 winning percentage is the fourth best in the state over that span.
“It says a lot about program. We’ve had a lot of good kids come through here in the last four years,” Sullivan coach Jeff Moore said.
In the previous three seasons, Sullivan had current Indiana State forward Rhett Smith to lead the way. What’s impressive about the current crop of Arrows — and what’s scary for their opponents — is that they’ve maintained serve with different contributors and by altering their style of play accordingly.
“We’re a different kind of team than we were last year. They both rely on the same things, but we’re more balanced than we were last year. These kids have done a great job. We knew they’d be pretty good, but they’ve kind of exceeded our expectations,” Moore said.
Against the young Thunderbirds, Sullivan wanted to use ball pressure and its size advantage in the paint to carry the day. After an 11-11 first quarter, it was an open question as to whether that plan of action would work.
Sullivan big man Jake Kinnaman scored nine in the first quarter to keep the Arrows pointed in the right direction.
In the second quarter, Sullivan’s plan took hold with a vengeance. The Thunderbirds (7-15) committed nine turnovers in the period, several leading directly to Arrows’ points. Sullivan also got hot from long range as four different Arrows buried 3-pointers in the quarter.
“We didn’t hit some shots in the first quarter and I didn’t think our press was very effective, but our press became very effective and we knocked down some shots,” Moore said.
By the time all was said and done, Sullivan had outscored North Central 24-3 in the quarter and the Arrows had a 35-14 halftime advantage.
“We lost focus on what we were supposed to do against their pressure in the second quarter. We were trying to go four guys along the baseline and look to throw over the top. We did a pretty good job in the first quarter, but we got going crazy in the second,” North Central coach Ryan Kamman said.
The deficit was too large for the Thunderbirds to dent in the second half. Three Arrows finished in double-figures, led by Kinnaman who scored 15 points. Ian Perkinson and Michael Hutchcraft each had 10.
Tod Lebeda — the Thunderbirds’ lone senior — led North Central with 11 points. Andrew Nikirk added 10 more.
Though the Thunderbirds took their knocks Tuesday, Kamman thinks North Central will grow in the offseason, literally and figuratively.
“It was tough to tell tonight, but we’ve improved in every area. Defensively, we’ve come a long way. Offensively, what we’re trying to do and what these guys are good at, we’re not necessarily good at at the varsity level right now because we’re not there physically yet. If we can get in the weightroom in the coming year, we’ve got a bright future,” Kamman said.
Sullivan plays Bloomfield in Friday’s North Knox Sectional semifinal. Sullivan defeated Bloomfield 58-42 on Feb. 12.
“Against some teams here, we might not be able to press the whole game. Our half-court, man-to-man defense has to be good. I thought it was tonight. I think defensively, we’re pretty good,” Moore said.
Linton is in action at North Knox tomorrow. The Miners play South Knox at 6 p.m. Eastern Greene plays North Knox in the 7:30 p.m. nightcap.
NORTH CENTRAL (29) — Stanifer 1 1-2 3, A.Jewell 1 0-0 2, Lebeda 4 3-3 11, L.Drake 1 0-0 2, Stucker 0 0-0 0, Peterson 0 1-2 1, Nikirk 4 0-0 10, Greene 0 0-0 0, Vire 0 0-0 0, P.Drake 0 0-0 0, Howard 0 0-0 0, Adams 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 FG, 5-7 FT, 29 TP.
SULLIVAN (61) — Weszely 2 2-2 7, Willis 1 0-0 2, N.Pirtle 3 0-0 7, McPhail 0 0-0 0, King 0 0-0 0, Gregory 3 1-2 8, Perkinson 5 0-0 10, Kinnaman 7 1-2 15, Hutchcraft 4 1-1 10, J.Pirtle 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 FG, 5-7 FT, 61 TP.
North Central 11 3 10 5 — 29
Sullivan 11 24 13 13 — 61
3-point goals — Nikirk 2, Weszely, N.Pirtle, Gregory, Hutchcraft. Total fouls — NC 9, S 11. Fouled out — none.
Next — Sullivan (20-3) plays Bloomfield at 6 p.m. Friday in the North Knox Sectional. North Central concluded its season with a 7-15 record.
High School
No. 5 Sullivan keeps good times rolling in sectional opener
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
South softball's power display earns Braves share of MIC
The fun that the Terre Haute South high school softball team had Saturday — including those five home runs — was all the result of the hard work the Braves had put in before the game, coach Dwayne Stout said after the game.
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Pirtle takes medalist, leads Sullivan to WIC title
Sullivan took team and individual honors in the Western Indiana Conference boys high school golf championships played Saturday at Idle Creek.
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Prep roundup: Patriots drop doubleheader to Carmel baseball
Host Terre Haute North saw its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference baseball championship hopes suffer what was probably a fatal blow on Saturday as the Patriots lost a doubleheader to Carmel by scores of 8-7 and 11-8.
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Timely hits: After slow start, Terre Haute North rallies to beat Mooresville
No-hit through three innings, Terre Haute North’s bats came alive — especially Sam Wolf’s — just in time to rally for a 4-2 home victory over Mooresville in high school baseball Friday evening at Jennings Field.
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Linton’s Weber to coach at BNL
Bedford North Lawrence High School has announced that Steve Weber will be the Stars’ head coach for the 2013 season.
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Freshman group adds to Big Four teams' baseball tradition
The Terre Haute North-Terre Haute South high school baseball series wasn’t an inning old last week before T.J. Collett of the Patriots lashed a run-scoring single.
That hit helped the Patriots take a 2-0 lead, but in the top of the second inning a three-run double by Justin Jenkins sparked the visiting Braves to a four-run inning.
North tied the score in the bottom of the second inning, Collett driving in another run. And just before rain caused the game to be suspended, South called Logan Ames in from its bullpen for some solid pitching.
Not bad for a trio of freshmen. And the weekend hadn’t even started yet. -
Pairings drawn for high school softball sectionals
The IHSAA announced Thursday its pairings for the 2013 sectional softball tournament slated for May 20-25.
Regionals will take place May 28. -
North boys make it three consecutive Vigo County golf titles
Terre Haute North made it three in a row in Vigo County boys high school golf championship action Wednesday at Hulman Links.
The Patriots shot 161 to edge Terre Haute South with 165. West Vigo carded 222. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Wolf homers as North baseball wins 16th game
Terre Haute North erupted for seven runs in the third inning on its way to routing visiting White River Valley 14-1 in 41⁄2 innings of high school baseball Wednesday afternoon at Don Jennings Field.
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Northview's Carter strikes out 19 in 10-inning win against South Vermillion
Northview’s Taylor Carter and South Vermillion’s Daphne Dunegan locked into a 10-inning all-star softball pitching duel Tuesday night at Northview High School.
Unfortunately, one of them had to lose. -
PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP: South Vermillion 4-0 in WIC after 4-3 win at Northview
Jordan Branz won his ninth game of the season, scattering six hits over eight innings to lead South Vermillion to a 4-3 victory at Northview in a Western Indiana Conference battle.
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Thompson going into Indiana High School Football Hall of Fame
Former Terre Haute North High School standout Anthony Thompson is the newest member of the Indiana High School Football Hall of Fame.
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PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis wins against Oldenburg Academy
Playing on Ben Davis’ courts, Terre Haute South pulled out a 4-1 victory over Oldenburg Academy in girls high school tennis Tuesday.
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Multiple records fall in Big Four track meet
Terre Haute North dominated the girls competition, as expected, and Terre Haute South’s boys edged the host Patriots in what turned out to be a rain-soaked Big Four Classic high school track and field meet Saturday at North.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather, North’s girls set four meet records in compiling 132.5 points, outdistancing the runner-up Braves, who had 63.5. -
Four teams still in running for Big Four baseball crown
The 2013 Big Four baseball tournament was going to last longer than Saturday anyway, thanks to a schedule change this season.
Thanks to steady rain at Terre Haute North, it will last even longer than planned.
Terre Haute South beat West Vigo 2-0 in Saturday morning’s first game, and the second contest between Northview and the host Patriots was halted in the top of the third inning as the field became unplayable. - More High School Headlines
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