Tom Reck
Tribune-Star Correspondent
TERRE HAUTE — Some of the older basketball fans in the area will recognize the name of Michael Allen.
The son of former coach Herschel Allen held the career scoring record at Shakamak High School until it was broken this year by Billy Newton.
Michael has been the boys basketball coach at Norfolk Christian High School in Virginia for eight years and his team recently won the school’s first state championship.
Norfolk Christian defeated rival Cape Henry for the third time to win the Independent Division II championship, defeating Cape Henry 47-44 in the final game to finish with a 26-4 record.
Allen said 12 teams are invited to compete for the championship and his team had a bye in the first round, being the No. 1 team in the division.
“We had one senior in our top seven … and should have most players back next season,” he said this week.
James McAdoo is the top player on the team, averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds this season. The 6-foot-8 player is ranked the No. 2 junior in the nation by recruiters and already has committed to North Carolina.
The school’s girls basketball team has won back-to-back championships.
Allen served as an assistant at Indiana State, Lincoln Trail and Maryvale before taking the athletic director’s job at Norfolk Christian and being named the basketball coach his second year. His wife Jennifer graduated from the school and coaches the softball team.
The Allens are the parents of two daughters. They are 8 and 14.
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• Coaching changes — Lots of coaching changes have been made on the college and high school ranks in Indiana in the past week or so.
Indiana University assistant Roshown McLeod was let go by Tom Crean before the Big Ten tournament began. Crean said the move was “best for the program.”
In the prep ranks, football coaches have been hired.
Mark Bless is the new coach at Avon after compiling a 110-53 record in 15 years at Mooresville. He also had coached at North Vermillion — after being an assistant coach at Terre Haute North under Wayne Stahley — and has a 149-67 career mark.
Jed Richman, an assistant at Carmel, is the new coach at Western Boone. He succeeds Jeff Pearson, who retired after 25 years.
Beech Grove has named Doug Arrmstrong to coach football. He had a 47-31 record at New Palestine and his teams won two sectionals.
Rick Stippler has resigned as boys basketball coach at Evansville North. His teams were 129-172 in 13 years and one senior was on his most current team that finished 6-15.
According to The Indianapolis Star, Phil Spojanic will not be rehired at Pike in Indianapolis. He had a 29-16 record in two seasons.
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• Tom-Cattin’ It — James Kent of Rockville has been named to the South team as a defensive lineman for the annual North-South all-star football game that will be played in July.
West Lafayette quarterback Daniel Wodicka was named Mr. Football for the 2009 season. He says he will attend Johns Hopkins University, an NCAA Division III school in the East.
• Solomon Ficklin of Sullivan took 10-11 age-division honors in the Elks Hoop Shoot state finals. He hit 21 of 25 free throws in the finals.
• Sam Cooper of Owen Valley was one of the players in the Top 60 workout for senior girls.
• Former IU player Ben Allen is one of the top players for St. Mary’s basketball team. He scored 20 points in the Gaels’ victory over Gonzaga that earned the team an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament.
• Mitchell Patton of South Knox went over the 1,000-point mark in his career in the sectional tournament.
• Jeff Schroeder, long-time pro at Brickyard Crossing, has been let go in another cost-cutting move by Speedway officials.
• Arizona is not in the NCAA tournament, ending its string at 25 years.
Northern Iowa men’s and women’s teams will be competing in the NCAA tournaments with the women going for the first time in school history.
• Rice has hired former IU athletic director Rick Greenspan as its AD.
• We didn’t do so well in our boys sectional picks, going 3-3. We’ll have NCAA picks next week.
Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by e-mail at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.
