TERRE HAUTE —
Relationships established during the past four years made this a special week for Todd Evers and Troy Burgess as they prepared their teams for tonight’s Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game at Memorial Stadium.
Evers will direct the North All-Stars against Burgess and the South All-Stars beginning at 7:30 p.m. Four years ago, the two coaches were having their own beginnings.
Burgess, after stints at Owen Valley and Greenfield-Central, was taking over as head coach at South Putnam and replacing a future WVFCA Hall of Famer, Mark Wildman. Evers was joining the football staff at Marshall as its freshman coach.
Four seasons later the Lions were in the Illinois Class 2A semifinals, winning a school-record 11 games in Evers’ second season as head coach, and the Eagles were 8-3, their season ended by an overtime sectional loss to a Monrovia team that reached the state championship game. Those seasons earned all-star stints for their coaches — and for nearly a dozen of the Marshall and South Putnam players involved.
“That’s what makes this the most special,” Burgess said Friday at Memorial Stadium after conducting his final South All-Stars practice. “This group of seniors was my very first freshman group. For one more week, I get to spend time with these guys … and my coaching staff [two South Putnam assistant coaches are South assistants too] and coach Wildman [who is also helping coach the South team].”
“When I first heard about the opportunity to coach these [former Lions] one last time, I jumped on it,” Evers said Friday as his practice week ended. “I was their freshman coach when I came to Marshall … it’s a special feeling to have them.”
Tonight’s game is the sixth in the all-star series, with the North holding a 4-1 advantage. South’s first win came two years ago in a high-scoring, back-and-forth battle, but North regained the upper hand a year ago in a 32-16 win sparked by a three-quarterback attack that included West Vigo’s Landon Keith, Rockville’s Matt King and Casey’s Mitch Snyder.
Evers could have had similar depth at the position, but one of his three quarterbacks — Terre Haute North’s Chris O’Leary — had to miss the week to participate in a family wedding. North is still well stocked at the position, however, with Marshall’s Taylor Duncan and South Vermillion’s Andy Walsh.
“They’ll split time,” Evers said of his two quarterbacks. “They’re both the same guy to me … they’re clones, except one of them throws the other direction [Walsh is righthanded, Duncan a lefty].”
South Putnam fans in the stands to watch the six Eagles in the game might recognize some of the South All-Stars’ offense, Burgess predicted.
“Four of my five [offensive] linemen [including Indiana State recruit and first-team all-stater Adam Masters] are playing in this game, and so is my tailback [Drew Cash],” Burgess said, “so we’ll be able to run [South Putnam’s] offense … with some pretty good athletes to plug in around them.”
Burgess is equally enthusiastic about tonight’s South defense, led by linebackers Cody Bell and Billy Byerley of Terre Haute South and Stefan Sparks of Linton. “I’ll take these guys anytime and make a defense out of them,” Burgess said appreciatively.
Installing an offense and defense for the North to run was made easier, Evers indicated, by the fact that his quarterbacks’ clone-like attributes extend to their academic prowess.
“Putting in an offense and a defense was a big concern,” said Evers, coaching an all-star team for the first time. “How much stuff do you put in? How much stuff do you leave out? But these kids are so smart, they picked up on it real well.
“Getting to know the personalities of these guys has been the best thing,” Evers continued. “They’re all great athletes, they’re here for a reason, and they make our jobs as coaches very easy.”
“It’s been a terrific week,” Burgess agreed. “This is my first experience in this all-star game, and the kids have been terrific from day one.
“And there’s a load of talent there,” Burgess added. “Big, strong, athletic, and even though some of them might not have played any [sport] since football in the fall, they came in in great shape.”
• Notes — Three schools joined the WVFCA in the past year and will be participating in the all-star game for the first time. Players from Mattoon, Owen Valley and North Knox were recognized in the fall when the all-Wabash Valley team was announced, and will be all-stars tonight.
Also being recognized tonight are the winners of the WVFCA scholarships that were announced at Friday’s banquet — two Sir Thomas scholarships, one from each team, sponsored by Sir Thomas Automotive, that are chosen by the coaches; two Pete Varda scholarships, one from each team, selected by the players themselves; and the Brett Eitel Memorial Scholarship for the top academic performance by an all-star. Players chosen this year are James Kent of Rockville and Cash for the Sir Thomas scholarships, Darr Boruff of North Putnam and Derek Dean of South Putnam for the Varda scholarships; and Cody Mumaw of South Vermillion for the Eitel Scholarship.
Scholarship winners will be recognized during quarter breaks. The halftime will include some seven-on-seven competition among member schools.
• Traffic update — Due to road work being done on Brown Avenue, the only entrance to Memorial Stadium is from Wabash Avenue, and the main gate will be the only entrance open.
High School
All-Star coaches enjoying extra time with their first high school players
- High School
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Sullivan struggled mightily in the first half, eerily reminiscent of its eventual elimination in the final seconds of overtime by Edgewood in last year’s Class 3A girls basketball sectional. -
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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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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
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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
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South runs into talented North Central team
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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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O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
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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
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South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
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Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
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Sullivan wins battle in low post
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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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