WEST TERRE HAUTE — A 19-6 season last winter with a bunch of little kids, almost all of whom weren’t exclusively — or even primarily — basketball players made West Vigo and coach Joe Boehler one of the feel-good stories of the season.
This year the Vikings have a lot of multi-sport standouts again, and if anything they are smaller than they were a year ago.
How good that feels has yet to be determined.
“One day we look really good, one day we look really bad,” said Boehler after one of the less-than-good practices recently, although two quarters of jamboree play on Friday revealed a West Vigo team that could resemble last year’s if all goes well.
The 2009-2010 Vikings don’t appear to have a platoon in the post involving a tennis player and a soccer player, but they have plenty of baseball players — who make the Vikings quick and competitive — and a few football players who add some strength, if not much height.
The two returning starters are 6-foot senior Tyler Wampler, the team’s leading scorer a year ago, its leading rebounder in the jamboree and one of the best penetrators in the Wabash Valley, and 6-0 junior Scott West, a 3-point threat and solid defender.
Zach Kent, a 6-1 junior who didn’t play a year ago, and 5-9 sophomore Jordan Houser are battling for the third backcourt spot. Two more experienced Vikings, 6-1 senior Brodey McCalister and 6-0 sophomore Cody Thornton, would be doing that too — except that they’re probably needed more to fill the vacancies on the inside.
“Hopefully we’ll rebound by committee, but that’s yet to be seen,” Boehler said.
A little more size is available from 6-2 junior Ryan Crowther and 6-2 sophomore Matt Flesher. Flesher, a two-way lineman for the football team, is by far the bulkiest Viking, and 5-11 juniors Cole Lydick and Dalton Mix add a little more muscle.
“Lydick and Flesher were all-conference football players, and they’re still shaking the rust off,” Boehler pointed out. Lydick also has a nagging injury to contend with right now, as do Houser and Mix.
Jordan Pearson and Jeremy Lucas, a pair of 2009 graduates who will be joined by Wampler on the Indiana State baseball team next year, will be missed defensively, Boehler noted.
“Jordan Pearson was our best defender last year, and someone has to take that role,” the coach said, “and Jeremy knew how to guard the post.”
Right now the post defender might be McCalister, who could play any of the five positions. Thornton might be the closest thing this year’s team has to Lucas as a rebounding threat.
In a loaded Western Indiana Conference, the Vikings will be the smallest team. They were last season too, however, and wound up sharing the conference championship with Edgewood.
“Every year you try to find ways to help your team play to its strengths,” Boehler concluded. “We have to figure out what everybody can do and can’t do, and I’m not sure we’ve done that yet.”
The Vikings open at home tonight against North Vermillion.
West Vigo roster
Player Ht. Yr.
Brodey McCalister 6-1 Sr.
Tyler Wampler 6-0 Sr.
Ryan Crowther 6-2 Jr.
Zach Kent 6-1 Jr.
Cole Lydick 5-11 Jr.
Dalton Mix 5-11 Jr.
Scott West 6-0 Jr.
Matt Flesher 6-2 So.
Jordan Houser 5-9 So.
Cody Thornton 6-0 So.
West Vigo schedule
Today — North Vermillion, 6 p.m.
Dec. 4 — South Vermillion (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 5 — Owen Valley (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 11 — Northview (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 12 — South Knox, 6 p.m.
Dec. 18 — At Terre Haute South, 6 p.m.
Dec. 19 — At Brown County (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 26 — Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic at Terre Haute North, TBA
Dec. 28-30 — Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic at Terre Haute North, TBA
Jan. 8 — At Riverton Parke, 6 p.m.
Jan. 9 — Greencastle, 6 p.m.
Jan. 15 — Terre Haute North, 6 p.m.
Jan. 22 — At Marshall, 6:45 p.m.
Jan. 23 — At Gibson Southern, 6 p.m.
Jan. 29 — At Edgewood (WIC), 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 30 — Fountain Central, 6 p.m.
Feb. 6 — At Rockville, 6 p.m.
Feb. 11 — At Sullivan (WIC), 6 p.m.
Feb. 20 — North Central, 6 p.m.
Feb. 26 — At Linton, 6 p.m.
WIC — denotes Western Indiana Conference game
High School
PREP PREVIEW: Undersized Vikings want to be big feel-good story again
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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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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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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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North seniors enjoy hot start
The appearance of balanced scoring in the Terre Haute North High School basketball lineup Saturday night was a little bit deceiving as the Patriots held on to defeat visiting Evansville Reitz 62-48 in North’s Senior Night contest.
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Ben Davis Giants top South Braves
Visiting Ben Davis nearly went to sleep on a sizeable lead against Terre Haute South in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school basketball Friday night.
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No. 3 Panthers too much for Patriots
After trailing by 15 at halftime, Terre Haute North’s boys basketball team got off to a nice start in the second half and cut its deficit to seven against Class 4A No. 3 Indianapolis North Central.
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Clay City gives Shakamak first SWIAC loss
Clay City shook up the top echelon of the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference with a solid 52-41 victory Friday over visiting Shakamak in a boys high school basketball game at the Eel Dome.
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Regional wrestlers know importance of opening-round matches
Eight in each weight class. Four of those advance to the semistate. No byes.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mahurin leads Rox to victory
Lane Mahurin tallied 10 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Rockville hold off Wabash River Conference foe Fountain Central 80-72 in boys high school basketball Friday night.
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Robinson rolls past Paris
Whenever Paris strung a few plays together, Robinson had an answer Friday night in an Apollo Conference boys basketball game. The host Maroons held on for a 52-36 victory to go to 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the conference.
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Sullivan girls focused only on team success
If you’re looking for a good omen for the postseason hopes of the Sullivan High School girls basketball team, you might want to consider how the Golden Arrows handled the ceremonies and hoopla surrounding Rhagen Smith’s 1,000th point recently.
There wasn’t any — no ceremony, no hoopla. In fact Smith, her family, her coaches and her teammates weren’t exactly sure when the 1,000th point happened (it was actually Jan. 12) — and that seems perfectly fine with everyone. - More High School Headlines
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