TERRE HAUTE — The landscape at the top of the Wabash River Conference boys basketball standings could change dramatically this year. Or will it?
Rockville (21-4 last year) has dominated the WRC the past two years, winning back-to-back sectional titles. After a brief stumble during the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic, the Rox closed out last season by winning 16 of 17 games before falling to Lafayette Central Catholic in the regional.
But this year, the Rox have plenty of holes to plug due to graduation.
A major force no longer on the Rox scene is Indiana State University freshman R.J. Mahurin — a huge loss, not just in physical size. Mahurin was a stat sheet stuffer a year ago, averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 blocks and shot field goals at a 58.2 percent clip.
Other Rox players departing were such stalwarts as Josh Reed, Aaron Bridge and Matt King.
So what are some coaches saying about the WRC this year?
“I don’t see anyone super this year,” Rox coach Dave Mahurin said. “I have a feeling people will get after us this year. But we will continue to show up every night ready to win.”
Turkey Run coach Joey Hart describes the sectional field as “wide open, very competitive. Rockville will be better than people might think, Attica returns everyone, Covington. But we can be in the mix too.”
The WRC has also “evened out” according to Riverton Parke coach Monty Kirk. “Rockville is a big rival, Turkey Run has a couple of horses back. Rockville, North Vermillion, Turkey Run … it should a a fun time this season.”
The following are previews of the WRC teams in the Tribune-Star area:
• Rockville — Coach Mahurin admitted he was fortunate the past few seasons as his teams were able to avoid the injury bug. But that is not the case this year. The Rox are saddled with injuries, transfer and non-basketball issues.
One of the best returning players, 5-foot-10 senior Caleb McMullen, suffered an ACL injury in the second football game of the season. He feels he can return by Christmas, but Mahurin thinks it might not be until mid-January.
Junior Zach Kempf (6-3) is a transfer from South Vermillion, but the Rox were still awaiting word from the IHSAA on his eligibility late last week. Senior David Parsons (6-0) won’t return until at least Christmas.
With the absence of McMullen and Parsons, that leaves one senior to start the season for the Rox in 6-4 Drew Kelley.
Others on the varsity include 6-2 junior Eric Lear, 5-10 sophomore Cody Jeffries, 6-2 sophomore Clint White, 5-8 sophomore Kyle Wheeler, 6-4 freshman Lane Mahurin, 6-3 freshman Jordan McFall and 6-1 freshman Joel Wittenmeyer.
“When I have all my guys, we’ll be pretty good,” Mahurin noted. “But it’s been one mishap after another. We will be bigger, we’ll be stronger. I’m not sure we can score points as in the past. Our goal is simply to get everyone well.
“We’re not the favorite, probably, to win the sectional,” Mahurin admitted. “But I feel we have as good a chance as anyone.”
• Turkey Run — The Warriors had one of their most successful seasons last year, going 16-9 and falling to Rockville 66-43 in the sectional championship game. But five of those players were seniors.
Key returnees are an All-WRC performer, 5-10 junior Jake Weaver, plus 6-4 senior center Seth Marshall and 6-1 senior Austin Cook.
“We know what we get with Weaver, Marshall and Cook,” Hart stated. “They have been really consistent players. But all the rest of the team is new … we have a long way to go.”
Who will join those three players in the starting lineup and regular rotation? Hart jokingly said, “the rest of the lineup … we’ll have to it pull it out of a hat.”
Battling for the remaining starting spots are 6-0 junior Calib McCombs, 6-1 sophomore Tyler Goddard, 6-1 junior Eric Newton, 6-0 freshman Jeff Woods, 5-10 senior Brett Tappan, 5-10 junior Jacob Hayn and 5-9 senior Jon Sowers.
“We’re small,” Hart stated. “But if we take care of rebounding, the rest should take care of itself. If we continue to grow as a team, we’ll get there. We have the right attitude, that’s not a problem.”
• North Vermillion — Seven is the key number for the Falcons this season.
“We are pretty much going to go with seven guys … most of them with quite a bit of varsity experience from last year,” coach Mike Ahrens said.
North Vermillion is coming off its 11th straight losing season — the last winning season was 11-10 in 1997-98 — and is just 9-54 the past three seasons. The Falcons (4-17 last year) lost 12 straight games to end the season, the final one a 95-52 beating by eventual sectional champion Rockville.
The “seven guys” include three seniors, 6-4 guard-forward Jacob Rankin, 6-0 guard Zach Jumps and 6-1 forward Ethan Clark; two juniors, 6-3 forward Scott Leigh and 6-0 guard Jacob Harrison (6-0); and two sophomores, 6-4 center Lane Clark and 6-4 forward Dalton McCool.
Others seeking to work their way into the rotation include 6-4 junior Jesse Grubbs and three sophomores — 6-0 Josh Belser, 6-2 Rylan Smith and 6-0 Dalton Weaver. Ahrens said a “couple of freshmen” could join the varsity later in the season.
“The guys played a lot over the spring in Danville, Ill.,” he said. “They played a number of summer tournaments and they lifted [weights]. We are way ahead of a year ago.”
Ahrens described his team’s schedule — just seven home games — as “difficult, a challenge … We’ll try to get up and down the floor and I feel we’ll be more successful at that this year. We have a lot more cohesiveness than a year ago.”
• Riverton Parke — With just one senior, the Panthers are a youthful team — but they do have several players with varsity experience in an attempt to halt a three-year string of losing seasons.
The Panthers were just 4-18 last year, narrowly losing to Turkey Run 39-37 in their first sectional game.
Jeremy Helton, a 5-9 junior, will be a starter at guard for the third year in a row. “We look for big things from Jeremy. We’re hoping for a breakout season from him,” Kirk stated.
Cody Vauters, a 5-9 sophomore, was a full-time starter a year ago as a freshman. Derek Engle, a 5-8 junior, started at the end of the season.
Giving the Panthers some much-needed size is 6-3 junior Garrett Lientz, a transfer from Owen Valley; his older brother Randy was a senior at OV last year.
The fifth starter should be 5-11 sophomore point guard Wade Stites.
Other contributors include 5-9 junior guard Kyle Yeargin, 5-9 junior guard Kyle Daugherty, 5-11 junior forward Tyler Yando and 6-1 sophomore forward Gary Secuskie. The lone senior is 6-0 forward Daniel Hardesty.
“Hardesty has had a bad couple of years,” Kirk said. “He was hurt last year and is just now returning from an injury in the football season. He will play valuable minutes and we need his leadership skills.
“We don’t play the center game,” Kirk described, noting his team only has three players at or above the 6-foot level. “We have worked a lot at the defensive end. Our goal is to hold teams under 52 points per game. Offensively, we want to push the ball up and down the floor even more than we did last year.”
High School
WRC teams hope to unseat Rox atop conference
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THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
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OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
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North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
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South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
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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
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Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
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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
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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
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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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