TERRE HAUTE — To Matt King, his high school football career was all about winning, the 6-foot-21/2 left-handed quarterback leading Rockville to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a Class A state-championship game berth in 2007.
But King, who hopes to compete for a job on Indiana State’s quarterback depth chart in the fall, has also been as prolific a passer as the Wabash Valley has seen. His 7,880 career passing yards rank 12th all-time in Indiana.
King, whose roster on the North All-Star team includes a plethora of talented quarterbacks and receivers, expects the defensive units to have their hands full in Saturday’s Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game on Saturday at Terre Haute South.
“I think the offense has an advantage,” King said of the All-Star format. “It’s just to come out and have fun, work together. It’s just fun to come out and play and give one last shot for your high school.”
Making the first of two summer All-Star games — he’ll also play in the Indiana North-South All-Star Game in July — even more special is that his high school coach and father, Herb King, is the head coach for Saturday’s game.
“I’ll have chance to coach Matt in every high school football game he’ll play,” said Herb King, who will be an offensive coordinator for the Indiana All-Star game. “We were excited coming into the summer because it’s a real treat as a coach. I don’t know many people that have had that opportunity. It’s special for us as a family. It’s been neat watching him grow up. I never thought he’d be this kind of athlete. My wife Nancy and I just want him to be the best kid he can possibly be. That’s what high school athletics is all about.”
King is joined on the North roster at quarterback by West Vigo’s Landon Keith as well as Mitch Snyder, who helped the Casey Warriors achieve postseason success in recent years.
All three will be under center during Saturday’s game, and expect to see at least four wide receivers on the field at all times for the North team. King will also lineup alongside talented receivers such as Rockville teammates Aaron Bridge and Robert Clevenger, Terre Haute North’s Billy Sisson and Frank Willis, West Vigo’s Aaron Welch and Lucas Mackey, and Casey’s Aaron Rhoads and Taylor Biggs.
“It’s going to make things fun. He’s a football junkie. It just makes it kind of fun to let him play another position,” Herb King said.
Matt, who will also play baseball at Indiana State, has valued the chance to practice and mingle among some of the Wabash Valley’s best athletes.
“It’s an exciting group. We have a bunch of good players. Hopefully we get a win out of the whole thing,” Matt King said. “It’s fun playing a different position. I think I’ve played it before in practice, but it should be interesting to see what I can do in a game.”
Bridge, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver has changed his college plans to being a preferred walk-on for Indiana State so Saturday won’t be the last time he and King suit up together.
“ISU’s a better fit, closer to home,” said Bridge, who had planned to play at Division III Franklin College. “It should be fun. It’s going to be fun to play with Matt again.”
King also looks at the two All-Star games as a chance to get primed for ISU’s camp to open.
“It’s a good chance to get a good two weeks of football in to get ready for practice at Indiana State,” King said. “It’s fun to get out and play with a lot of guys that you’ve heard about but haven’t really seen play. It’s just fun to come out and compete.”
Sports
Good to be Kings: Father coaches QB in All-Star games
- Sports
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winner: Northview pitcher T.J. Decker rejoices as his team records the last out in their semi-final win. The Knights defeated Terre Haute North in the first game Monday at Plainfield.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
-
South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
Terre Haute South’s bid for a sixth consecutive high school baseball sectional championship took a scary turn Monday afternoon.
-
PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
Turkey Run routed North Vermillion 15-2 to capture the Class A Rockville Sectional championship for high school baseball Monday night.
-
Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
Linton blasted its way into the championship game of its hometown Class 2A high school baseball sectional as No. 9 hitter Beau Eaton cranked a pair of home runs to left field, and starting pitcher Tanner Butler capped Linton's scoring with a grand slam.
-
ISU chosen for NCAA baseball tournament
The Indiana State baseball team got its wish on Monday as it was chosen as an at-large team to play in the NCAA baseball tournament.
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume
Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time on Sunday and did it in dramatic fashion.
-
Sato’s move forces final caution to come out
In the “go or go home” world that is the Indy 500, Takuma Sato went for it and paid the price.
-
INDY 500 NOTEBOOK: Barrichello finishes 10th in 1st oval race
Rubens Barrichello, in his long racing career, ran in his first oval race and finished 10th, the highest finishing rookie in the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
- Local Interest
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Winner: Northview pitcher T.J. Decker rejoices as his team records the last out in their semi-final win. The Knights defeated Terre Haute North in the first game Monday at Plainfield.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
Linton and North Central were both defending high school baseball sectional champions, but the Thunderbirds’ move up to Class 2A did not go as they expected.
-
South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
Terre Haute South’s bid for a sixth consecutive high school baseball sectional championship took a scary turn Monday afternoon.
-
PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
Turkey Run routed North Vermillion 15-2 to capture the Class A Rockville Sectional championship for high school baseball Monday night.
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
- High School
-
-
Shining Knights: Northview tops both TH teams for title
A high school baseball game that had been tense all the way through reached angina-producing heights at the end Monday night, as Northview ended Terre Haute South’s sectional championship run by a single run and a fraction of an inch.
- Miners beat 2A newcomer for 3rd straight title
- South hangs on after scary moment in sectional semis
- PREP/METRO ROUNDUP: Turkey Run rolls to title
- Eaton’s pair of long balls put Linton in title game
-
- College
-
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
Forty-eight teams had been chosen for the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show and things were getting antsy in the Indiana State clubhouse on Monday.
-
Indiana State’s baseball fate to be decided today
At high noon today, the train arrives for the Indiana State baseball team.
-
ISU hurdler Swift becomes 5th Sycamore to make NCAAs
Indiana State sophomore Greggmar Swift became the second member of the men’s team and the fifth Sycamore overall to qualify for the 2012 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Finals at Drake University, placing second in the second heat of the 110 meter hurdle quarterfinals Saturday at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
-
FROM THE PRESS BOX: ISU baseball has pluses, minuses for tourney bid
Last Thursday, when Indiana State’s baseball jumped around in a celebratory dogpile after clinching the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship at Bob Warn Field, no one thought that a little over a week later, the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble would fly over Terre Haute. -
Lou Watson, former IU player and coach, dies at 88
Former Indiana University player and coach Lou Watson died on Thursday in Fairfax, Va., the school announced. He was 88.
-
Bubble intact: ISU headed to NCAA baseball tournament
- Sports Columns
-
-
KEGLER’S KORNER: New members of GTHBA Hall of Fame
The “winter” bowling season has come to a close, and with that realization, it’s time to find out who are the newest inductees to the Greater Terre Haute Bowling Association Hall of Fame.
- COLLEGE REPORT: Rockville’s Greene helps lead Illinois State to MVC title
- REDNECK QUAKER: Wabash Valley duo gets hooked on bow fishing
- FROM TERRE HAUTE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES: Thatcher having a good 0-for-May
- RUB OF THE GREEN: Hogan, small of stature, left big footprints
-
KEGLER’S KORNER: New members of GTHBA Hall of Fame
- Pro Sports
-
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
Just because Dallas Clark is now in Tampa Bay and Jacob Tamme has moved on to Denver doesn’t mean that the tight end position has become any less important to the Indianapolis Colts offense.
- Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
- Colts’ new QB has a lot to keep him busy
- Mr. Irrelevant may find home with Colts
- Colts fill need at cornerback
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
- Terre Haute Rex
-
-
Rex summer league team will have almost entire new pitching staff
Perseverance was one of the stories for the Terre Haute Rex during the 2011 season as manager Brian Dorsett took the team to its first playoff berth in its second year of existence.
- Heftier home schedule awaits Rex fans
- America’s (Class) Time: ISU students analyze Rex attendance data for class project
- No comeback this time for Rex
- Rex's pitching staff has big postseason potential
-
Rex summer league team will have almost entire new pitching staff
- Colts
-
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
Just because Dallas Clark is now in Tampa Bay and Jacob Tamme has moved on to Denver doesn’t mean that the tight end position has become any less important to the Indianapolis Colts offense.
- Colts working on rebuilding as Luck finishes at Stanford
- Colts have no plan to move from Anderson
- Colts’ new QB has a lot to keep him busy
- Mr. Irrelevant may find home with Colts
-
Colts have stocked up on tight ends
- Auto Racing
-
AP/Dave Parker Dario Franchitti, center, of Scotland, leads teammate Scott Dixon, bottom, of New Zealand, and Tony Kanaan, top, of Brazil, to the finish line on the final lap of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday.
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume
Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 for the third time on Sunday and did it in dramatic fashion.
- Sato’s move forces final caution to come out
- INDY 500 NOTEBOOK: Barrichello finishes 10th in 1st oval race
- Ganasi’s team on target for final practice, pit-stop competition
- TRACKSIDE: Sprint car event could generate close racing
-
Brick by brick: With 3rd win, Franchitti adds another layer to Indy 500 resume




