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PUTNAM COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS' BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Cougars sweep finals over Tiger Cubs (3/14/24)BAINBRIDGE – Loud storms across the state had competition for noise inside the gym at North Putnam Middle School Thursday night. The hosts met Greencastle in both halves of the final of the Putnam County Middle School Girls’ Basketball Tournament with Bella McElhany playing a key role in both games as the Cougars claimed a sweep of the county titles, winning the seventh-grade game 32-7 and the eighth-grade game 21-19...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Owen Huff, Greencastle (3/14/24)1Owen is a senior at Greencastle and participates in two sports, football and baseball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Owen Huff: “Sports are really important to me. I’ve learned a lot about leadership, teamwork and building relationships between my teammates and classmates.”...
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Beadles, Buis, Bernhardt to represent South squad at IFCA North-South All-Star Game (3/14/24)Greencastle senior Jackson Buis and South Putnam senior Aiden Beadles have both been selected to participate in the Indiana Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game on Friday, July 12 at Decatur Central High School. Buis and Beadles, along with Greencastle senior Owen Huff, were all named to the IFCA District 6 All-Star Team earlier this year, putting all three in a position to be nominated for the South squad at the All-Star Game...
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New Flight Deck (3/14/24)
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Greencastle returns to top of the podium at Putnam County Middle School Wrestling Meet (3/13/24)2CLOVERDALE – In 2022, Greencastle lost to North Putnam in a dual match early in the season before beating the Cougars at the Putnam County Middle School Wrestling Meet to win a county title. In a parallel to two years ago, the Tiger Cubs lost an early dual to North Putnam but got the win back on the way to winning the county title at th3e 2024 Putnam County Middle School Wrestling Meet...
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Emily Mann named Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year (3/12/24)3By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorThe past four years of Cloverdale girls’ basketball could be summed up in many ways, mostly coming down to a single thought: A struggle. The Clovers have won 15 games in the last four seasons, half of those coming in the 2021-22 season, and retention of players has been difficult during that time period...
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North Putnam sweeps South Putnam to advance to county final (3/12/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicThe North Putnam Cougars drove down U.S. 231 and took a clean sweep of the Putnam County Girls’ Middle School basketball tournament semifinals. The Cougar seventh grade used a big early lead to win 34-12, while the eighth-grade squad pounded the ball inside for a 34-17 victory over the South Putnam Eagles on Tuesday night...
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Greencastle downs Cloverdale to advance to county final (3/12/24)By TODD STEVENS, For the Banner GraphicThe Greencastle girls eighth grade basketball team advanced to the Putnam County championship by defeating Cloverdale 31-12 behind 13 points by Reagan Labhart and eight apiece from Kaylee Ames and Elyse Ensley. The Tiger Cubs got off to a great start in the opening quarter. Janae Greenlee got the scoring started. Ensley scored three straight and Ames added a basket to put Greencastle up 7-0 after one...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Matt Farrington, North Putnam (3/8/24)Matt is a senior at North Putnam and participates in three sports, soccer, basketball and track. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Matt Farrington: “Sports are very important to me. I always want to be doing something and sports mean a lot to me. ...
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Watts to amp up Manchester pitching staff next fall (3/7/24)Baseball season is just around the corner in Indiana. A bit of warm weather will greet teams as they get their first run outs of the spring next week while down at Cloverdale, preparations for a defense of its sectional title will be in full swing. Among those getting ready for the new season will be Caiden Watts, who will get the chance to put all his focus on the season after taking care of next year’s plans before the season starts...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL FINAL: Wolves deny Cougars' title hopes again (3/3/24)The conundrum of how to deal with Parke Heritage in the postseason goes on for North Putnam. For the fourth time in five seasons, the Cougars reached the final of IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 opposite the No. 16 Wolves. And as with the other meetings, North Putnam couldn’t solve how to take down Parke Heritage as the Wolves held the Cougars to single-digit scores in the first three quarters on the way to a 49-34 win at McAnally Center Saturday night...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Cougars hold off Mounties late, reach fourth final in five years (3/1/24)Survive and advance is the name of the game come tournament time. North Putnam has been proficient at doing just that in the past few seasons, reaching the IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 final for the fourth time in five years after slipping past Southmont 57-56 Friday night at McAnally Center...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Wolves outgun Tiger Cubs to advance to final (3/1/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicSometimes basketball is a simple game. A team needs to make shots and Parke Heritage did that a little better than did Greencastle in the semifinal game of the IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 at McAnally Center. The Wolves knocked down some shots in the second and third quarter to gain a lead they would maintain in the final quarter to defeat the Tiger Cubs 61-47...
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Hoops to fly on the Bayou with the Warhawk skiing team (3/1/24)1BAINBRIDGE – A large gathering of students, family and friends came to take in a sight that might be a long time coming again last week. While collegiate signings are nothing new, it is what Samie Hoops committed herself to at the University of Louisiana-Monroe that is well outside the normal scope of high school athletics as Hoops will be joining the Warhawk skiing team starting in the 2024-25 school year...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Samie Hoops, North Putnam (2/29/24)Samie is a senior at North Putnam and participates in two sports, basketball and track. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Samie Hoops: “Sports are something I really enjoy doing and give me an outlet to get away from the world in a way. ...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Tiger Cubs start hot, down Eagles to set up showdown with Wolves (2/28/24)1By TODD STEVENS, For the Banner GraphicThe Greencastle Tiger Cubs played one of their best games of the year when it counted most. The Cubs shot 69 percent from the field and had 16 assists as they handed South Putnam a 71-45 loss in the opening round of the Greencastle Class 2A Sectional No. 44 Wednesday night...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Wolves chow down on Panthers for third time (2/28/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicSometimes a team is just bigger, stronger, and faster than an opponent. That was the case on Wednesday night at McAnally Center in the Class 2A Sectional No. 44 contest between the Parke Heritage Wolves and the Riverton Parke Panthers. The Wolves exploded in the second half to take the contest 85-36 for their third victory over the Panthers this season...
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GREENCASTLE BOYS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL: Cougars sweep Clovers, advance to face Mounties Friday (2/27/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorAfter holding double-digit leads through eight minutes in the first two meetings, North Putnam had to wait until the second quarter to finally get separation from Cloverdale in the opening game of IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 Tuesday night...
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Jaicee Jackson to continue softball ride with Pomeroys (2/26/24)There was no shortage of friends and family taking pictures with Jaicee Jackson while waiting for all of her family to assemble Friday afternoon. The South Putnam senior was patient throughout the process and once all parties had arrived, Jackson was able to put pen to paper, signing on to join the St. Mary-of-the-Woods softball program ahead of the 2024-25 school year...
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Greencastle slashes through North Montgomery to end regular season (2/23/24)LINDEN – The difference three days can make has been noted throughout history. On the floor at North Montgomery Friday night, a Charger team that stonewalled North Putnam found Greencastle too hot to handle as Sam Gooch scored 25 points in a 52-32 win in the regular season finale for the Tiger Cub boys’ basketball team...
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South Putnam runs Indian Creek close in 66-61 loss (2/23/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicGood things happen when you play hard and compete. The South Putnam Eagles came into Friday night’s Western Indiana Conference matchup with the Indian Creek Braves as prohibitive underdogs, but battled throughout the game, coming up just short at home on senior night 66-61...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Zach Thomas, Cloverdale (2/22/24)Zach is a senior at Cloverdale and participates in two sports, basketball and golf. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Zach Thomas: “I’ve learned to be more like a man, to become a better man. (Cloverdale assistant coach Daniel) Varnes is big in to church, is a great man of God and what he does on a day-to-day basis for us strengthens by future as a man and hopefully as a husband.”...
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Monon Athletic Conference unveils name, logo (2/22/24)3The new athletics conference which Greencastle and North Putnam will join in the 2025-26 school year officially announced its name Thursday. The Monon Athletic Conference will comprise itself of Greencastle, North Putnam, Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, Southmont, Frankfort, Western Boone and Cascade...
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North Putnam flummoxed by stout, sharp-shooting North Montgomery (2/20/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorBAINBRIDGE – Who needs an offensive rebound if you just don’t miss a shot? It’s a theory that North Montgomery put to the test Tuesday night at North Putnam, one that successfully was carried out in the second half as the Chargers were 9-of-12 from the field, including 7-of-8 from three, turning around a nine-point halftime deficit into a 44-37 win over the Cougars...
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No. 10 Sullivan rolls through Cloverdale (2/20/24)By TODD STEVENS, For the Banner GraphicCLOVERDALE - The Cloverdale Clovers boys’ basketball team had the daunting task of taking on the 17-4 Sullivan Golden Arrows in their regular season finale Tuesday night. The Arrows were everything their record said they were, handing the Clovers an 86-36 loss to close the regular season...
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IHSAA Boys’ Basketball Sectional Draw (2/20/24)
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Offensive woes hamper South Putnam in loss to Owen Valley (2/19/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicButler legend Tony Hinkle said it best, “The team that wins the game is the one that puts the ball in the basket the most times.” That was never as evident as Monday night at the Eagles’ Nest in a high school basketball game between Owen Valley and South Putnam...
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South Putnam, Greencastle, North Putnam finish sixth, seven, eighth at Plainfield Swim Sectional finals (2/18/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorBy Trent Scott Sports Editor PLAINFIELD — South Putnam’s Brent Cunningham finished second and the 200 medley relay team finished third Saturday at the IHSAA Plainfield Swimming and Diving Sectional finals, helping to lead the Eagles to a sixth-place finish on 208 points...
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UPDATED: Beadles falls in IHSAA Wrestling State Finals opener (2/17/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorSouth Putnam's Aiden Beadles saw his quest for All-State honors in wrestling come up a match short after falling in the opening round of the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals Friday afternoon. The Eagle senior fell at 5:09 in the third period of his match against No. 3 Keagan Martin of Bellmont at the Ford Center in Evansville. Beadles finished the season 35-9...
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North Putnam runs away from Riverton Parke on the road (2/17/24)By TODD STEVENS, For the Banner GraphicMECCA - Things started slow, but finished fast as the North Putnam Cougars had four players in double figures and nine total scored in an 82-57 victory on the road over the Parke Heritage Panthers Saturday night. They scored 70 points in the final three quarters to explode to victory...
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Cloverdale gets second win on senior night over Eminence (2/17/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicCLOVERDALE — The Cloverdale Clover basketball team has faced its trials and tribulations this year with injuries and personnel losses. The Clovers used the explosiveness of Eli (Kelley) and the offensive patience of (Houston) Jobe to snap a 14-game losing streak with a convincing 64-40 win over the Eminence Eels on Tucker Court in Cloverdale Saturday night. This was a testament to the Clovers overcoming obstacles and staying together...
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South Putnam leads county swimmers at Plainfield Sectional Prelims (2/16/24)PLAINFIELD – South Putnam will hold the top seed in the 200 medley relay and a second seed in the 100 breaststroke ahead of Saturday’s IHSAA Boys’ Swimming Plainfield Sectional Final following Thursday’s prelims. The Eagle team of Wyatt Kendall, Brent Cunningham, Jonah Taylor and Keaton Chew beat out Cascade for the top spot in the medley relay in a time of 1:46.15 while Cunningham finished second in the breaststroke in 1:04.18; Chew was fifth in the same event in 1:05.73...
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Greencastle breaks 30-year drought at Owen Valley (2/16/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicSPENCER – There are unusual streaks in sports and the Greencastle Tiger Cub boys’ basketball team broke one of those streaks at Owen Valley on Thursday night. The Tiger Cubs had not (unofficially) won a basketball game in the gymnasium at Owen Valley since 1993. Five US presidents and four head basketball coaches at Greencastle had come and gone before Greencastle defeated the Patriots 61-28 in a Western Indiana Conference game...
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Unheralded, unranked Beadles striving to make mark for South Putnam in loaded field at 215 pounds (2/15/24)2By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorFILLMORE – In the middle of the gym at Fillmore Elementary school, a group of five wrestlers is working well into the month of February, a time when many are taking some downtime before spring sports get into full swing. The numbers out on the mats have dwindled over the past three weeks as the IHSAA Wrestling State Tournament has claimed all but one of the Eagles on the path to Evansville’s Ford Center in the lead up to the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals that take place Friday and Saturday...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Meredith Ball, Greencastle (2/15/24)Meredith is a senior at Greencastle and participates in two sports, cross country and swimming. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Meredith Ball: “Sports are, and have always been, a huge part of who I am. ...
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Greencastle sends Amis off with win over Cascade in home finale (2/13/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorTuesday night’s home finale for Greencastle against Cascade initially had the feel of another county game featuring the Cadets earlier the season. North Putnam and Cascade met Dec. 19, a game the Cadets won in a low-scoring affair 36-34, and by halftime Tuesday, the Tiger Cubs were behind 20-19 after a sluggish second quarter...
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South Putnam loses Hill, midweek matchup with Mounties (2/13/24)By CODEY EMERSON, For the Banner GraphicNEW MARKET —Both Southmont and South Putnam boys basketball are rounding third and heading into the home stretch of their seasons and both want to finish things strong as the two squared off at Southmont on Tuesday night. The first half was a battle between the two evenly matched teams with the visiting Eagles leading 14-10 after a quarter, but the Mounties outscored South Put 12-5 in the second to take a 22-19 lead into half...
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EVANSVILLE WRESTLING SEMI-STATE: State-bound Beadles finishes third again; Mowery-Shields falls one match short of finals (2/11/24)EVANSVILLE – Aiden Beadles will represent South Putnam at the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals next weekend, making a return trip the Ford Center in Evansville after finishing third at 215 pounds in the IHSAA Evansville Semi-State Saturday afternoon. Beadles and teammate Keenan Mowery-Shields were the final Putnam County wrestlers going into the penultimate weekend of wrestling and both nearly came out the other side still going...
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GREENCASTLE GIRLS' BASKETBALL REGIONAL: North Central rallies in second half to beat Bethesda Christian to first regional crown (2/10/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorOne of Bethesda Christian and North Central was walking out of McAnally Center with a piece of school history Saturday night at the IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Greencastle Regional. While both schools had several sectional titles to their name, neither had been able to crest the wave at the regional level but with the changes instituted last year, one team was going to rectify that deficit...
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GREENCASTLE GIRLS' BASKETBALL REGIONAL: Bishop Chatard rules the boards, bounces Indian Creek (2/10/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicIndiana high school basketball is always intense at tournament time. The deeper you go into the tournament, the higher the intensity and competition. The Class 3A regional meeting of Indianapolis Bishop Chatard squaring off against No. 6 Indian Creek was no different...
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PUTNAM COUNTY CLASSIC FINAL: Cougars complete historic four-year run with 61-37 win over Tiger Cubs (2/9/24)1By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorNorth Putnam had a chance to join rarefied air Friday night. For as many strong teams as there has been in Putnam County over the past few decades, no school had been able to win four-straight Putnam County Classic titles since its inception in the 1973-74 season...
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PUTNAM COUNTY CLASSIC: Eagles use 16-1 second quarter to glide past Clovers (2/9/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicRebounding is an underrated statistic at times in basketball. It was key for the South Putnam Eagles on Friday night against the Cloverdale Clovers in the consolation game of the Putnam County Classic. The Eagles punished the Clovers on the boards and used a 16-1 second quarter to defeat Cloverdale 63-47...
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PUTNAM COUNTY CLASSIC: Tiger Cubs ride Sutherlin, Adams, overcome 11 Eagle threes to reach final (2/8/24)By TODD STEVENS, For the Banner GraphicWhen the Putnam County Classic rolls around every year, one thing you come to expect is teams playing extremely hard. The opening game of the Classic was no exception as Nathan Sutherlin and Anthony Adams combined for 41 points for Greencastle, which outlasted South Putnam 69-54 Thursday night...
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PUTNAM COUNTY CLASSIC: Cougars blast Clovers early, reach final for fifth-straight season (2/8/24)By GARY HAZLETT, For the Banner GraphicNorth Putnam opened with a 10-0 run and added a 13-1 run in the first quarter to cruise to a resounding 63-27 victory over Cloverdale in the opening round of the Putnam County Classic Thursday night in McAnally Center. Nolan Hackleman had 14 points in the first quarter as the Cougars set the tone for the entire game early. North scored early and often while the Clovers could not find the range as the game got away from them early...
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Mowery-Shields, Beadles eye state berth at Evansville Wrestling Semi-State (2/8/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorBy Trent Scott Sports Editor When the bright lights at Evansville’s Ford Center turn on Saturday morning, two South Putnam wrestlers will be looking to take in the sights and sounds, then do it again a week later. Aiden Beadles and Keenan Mowery-Shields will represent the Eagles at the IHSAA Wrestling Evansville Semi-State this weekend, looking to become state qualifiers and make a return trip the following week with the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals being held in Evansville due to the upcoming NBA All-Star Game held at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, the normal home of the finals.. ...
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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Kolby Harcourt, South Putnam (2/8/24)Kolby is a senior at South Putnam and participates in two sports, football and wrestling Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Kolby Harcourt: “Definitely something I’ve learned is accountability, responsibility and being on time. I’ve learned all these things from sports over the years.”...
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Jackson Buis makes commitment to Saginaw Valley State official (2/7/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorThe question for Jackson Buis was not one of whether the Greencastle lineman would sign to play college football but who he would finally put his name on the dotted line for. It was a question answered Wednesday as Buis signed his national letter of intent to join the Saginaw Valley State University football program beginning in the 2024-25 school year...
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Bailey Brickert to battle on as hurdler at Marian University (2/5/24)2It wasn’t quite according to the timeline Bailey Brickert had set for herself but the South Putnam senior will not need to worry about future plans during the upcoming track and field season. Brickert recently signed to continue her track days with Marian University beginning in the fall of the 2024-25 school year, a decision the Eagle hurdler said came about thanks to the school’s strong medical program...
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SOUTH PUTNAM GIRLS' BASKETBALL SECTIONAL FINAL: Wolves reach the summit, take down defending champion Tiger Cubs 43-32 (2/4/24)For the first few minutes of Saturday’s IHSAA Girls’ Basketball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 final, Greencastle showed off some of its best basketball of the season in taking an early lead over No. 13 Parke Heritage. The Wolves, coming in off the back of a hard-fought win over Southmont on Friday, steadied themselves late in the first quarter and outscored the Tiger Cubs 23-5 across the rest of the first half and won a defensive second half to claim the school’s first sectional title since forming in a 43-32 win.. ...
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Beadles, Mowery-Shields advance to semistate from Mooresville Wrestling Regional (2/3/24)By TRENT SCOTT, Sports EditorMOORESVILLE – South Putnam wrestlers Aiden Beadles and Keenan Mowery-Shields both managed third-place finishes Saturday at the IHSAA Mooresville Wrestling Regional and advanced to this weekend’s IHSAA Evansville Wrestling Semi-State. The Eagle wrestlers were the only two of the Putnam County contingent to win their opening round matches as the tough Mooresville Regional claimed the other seven wrestlers, all but one suffering a loss by fall or tech fall...