Progress for West Vigo High School girls basketball hasn’t come as quickly as coach Ryan Easton had hoped or expected it would, but it has still been progress.
This year there should be more — with a little luck, maybe even a breakthrough year.
The Vikings weren’t particularly lucky last year, especially in the injury department, and were 4-16. That was still progress, however, as many wins as the three previous Viking teams combined.
Injuries are already affecting a couple of players who could provide a lot of help this winter, but both could be back by the end of the season. And by that time, a nucleus of players that has both size and experience might welcome a little more help for a late-season surge.
The Viking roster includes 14 players, but nine of those are also listed on the junior varsity roster.
“Our quantity is down a little, but our quality is up,” Easton said.
The five varsity-only players are probably a good start in figuring out the Vikings’ prospects for the 2009-2010 season and seem to complement each other well.
Two of them are the team’s only seniors: 5-9 Marianne Umphries, the most experienced of the Vikings and a four-year contributor, and 5-9 Karen Beal, one of the team’s better outside shooters in addition to having the strength to help inside.
“Karen and Marianne do a great job of leading,” Easton pointed out recently.
The other three are sophomores, as are quite a few of the Vikings. Joining Beal and Umphries up front will be 5-10 Erin Barton — an eventual double-double threat, Easton believes — while 5-6 Cassidy Carlson and 5-3 Brooklyn Waters are a good backcourt. Waters, whose freshman season was too brief because of injury last year, has proven to be a strong, aggressive ball handler and Carlson a dangerous spot-up shooter.
The team’s only two juniors didn’t play a year ago but one of them, 5-6 Alicyn Woodward, is one of the school’s best female athletes who should be able to contribute in several ways.
The other junior, 5-10 Michaela Kaperak, is one of the Vikings currently on the injured list. She and 5-7 sophomore Jorden Brown may not be available for awhile — Brown perhaps not until the final month of the season — but will add to the team’s depth eventually.
“We just have two seniors and two juniors,” Easton noted, “but we have four or five sophomores who already have good experience … and a couple of the freshmen may get playing time sooner than they thought they would.”
The two current ninth-graders the coach referred to are 5-5 Ciara McClain and 5-6 Abby VanGilder. They are very much in the mix for playing time along with four more sophomores — 5-6 Mikaela Silcock, 5-4 Anna Soliday, 5-5 Allyson Walters and 5-4 Leslee Walters; the latter two are twins.
All of them, Easton stressed, are capable of making positive varsity contributions this year.
“They’re great kids, and every year the team’s basketball IQ goes up,” he said. “Things are looking up, but it comes down to the girls. Their work level is fantastic.”
Easton made no won-loss prediction, but said, “By the end of the season, we could be pretty good … I’m apprehensively optimistic.”
West Vigo schedule
Thursday — Owen Valley in HI-99/Terre Haute Savings Bank Classic, 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday — HI-99/Terre Haute Savings Bank Classic, TBA
Nov. 17 — At White River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 — South Putnam, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 1 — Sullivan (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 — South Vermillion (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 5 — Owen Valley (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Northview (WIC), 6 p.m.
Dec. 17 — At Terre Haute North, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19 — At Brown County (WIC), 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 2 — At Franklin Tournament, TBA
Jan. 7 — Shakamak, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 — At Cloverdale, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 — At North Vermillion, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 16 — At Marshall (Ill.), 2:30 p.m.
Jan. 26 — At Riverton Parke, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 29 — At Edgewood (WIC), 6 p.m.
Feb. 2 — Terre Haute South, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4 — At Covington, 7:30 p.m.
WIC — denotes Western Indiana Conference game
West Vigo roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Karen Beal 5-9 Sr.
Marianne Umphries 5-9 Sr.
Michaela Kaperak 5-10 Jr.
Alicyn Woodward 5-6 Jr.
Erin Barton 5-10 So.
Jorden Brown 5-7 So.
Cassidy Carlson 5-6 So.
Mikaela Silcock 5-6 So.
Anna Soliday 5-4 So.
Allyson Walters 5-5 So.
Leslee Walters 5-4 So.
Brooklyn Waters 5-3 So.
Ciara McClain 5-5 Fr.
Abby VanGilder 5-6 Fr.
High School
Girls Prep Basketball Previews: West Vigo hopes to continue last year’s progression, have breakthrough 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.
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