High School Sports

Greencastle junior Brody Whitaker was voted as the Putnam County “Player of the Year” for boys’ basketball by the county’s coaches. Whitaker completed his junior season averaging 22.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, adding 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game...

Living with disappointment has become the new way of life this year for all members of the Class of 2020. Everyone lost something, and some lost more than others. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, Cloverdale senior Kassie Wade would be in Atlanta right now for the America Family High School Slam Dunk and 3-point Championship...

South Putnam seniors Brandon Demoret and Jackson Wood aren’t related by blood, but are as close as most brothers who are. Demoret moved in with Wood’s family for his final three years of high school after transferring from Crawfordsville, and it’s only fitting that the two long-time teammates will be playing college baseball at NAIA schools just 30 minutes apart in northern Indiana...

Allison Stevens admittedly considered not playing basketball this year. The Greencastle senior was coming off a severe ankle sprain suffered during volleyball season, and realistically could have used more rest and rehabilitation in the short window between the two seasons...

Abby Simmerman is a senior at North Putnam and participated in golf. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Abby Simmerman: “Sports have always been super important to me. I have played them since I was super little, and I have met all my friends through sports. It’s taught me how to work well with others.”...

The Indiana High School Athletic Association staunchly supports our Governor, our State Commissioner of Health and our State Superintendent of Public Instruction in their herculean efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are extremely fortunate in Indiana to have these exemplary leaders providing guidance and care to all Hoosiers...

When you look up the word “coach” in the thesaurus, you get the words mentor and teacher as your first two options. Putnam County sports fans have been very fortunate over the years. This small rural community has been home to several of the finest athletic coaches that the state of Indiana has had. Several hall of fame coaches have ran programs in this county either for a short time or the majority of their careers...

“Jim Brothers is North Putnam.” That is the first sentence in the nomination of Brothers for this award by North Putnam girls’ basketball coach Lukas Haworth, and a review of Brothers’ life path shows that it is a statement of absolute truth. A teacher for 40 years at his alma mater, Brothers also has served as a coach and/or athletic administrator for 33 of those years for the school located in Roachdale. ...

South Putnam senior Abby Teipen was recently named as one of 13 senior student-athletes to receive a 2020 C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship from the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Teipen has competed in volleyball, swimming, tennis and cheerleading at South Putnam while maintaining a 4.513 grade point average (weighted)...

Greencastle’s Conner Taylor was the individual runnerup in last year’s Attica boys’ golf sectional. With the winner having graduated, he was looking forward to having a good chance to be the sectional champ this year. The closure of schools due to the coronavirus has put this year’s spring sports in doubt. But, at least in a small consolation, Taylor is assured of being able to continue his golf career next year after signing earlier this month to play for Wabash College...

For high school seniors nationwide, the conclusion of the current school in whatever form it may take will result in a loss of the chance to make a final set of memories before life takes the graduates in different directions. Cloverdale senior Sammie Shrum is one of the many students caught up in the uncertainty. ...

Fifteen seniors and 15 underclass boys basketball players have earned IBCA/Subway “Supreme 15” All-State honors for 2019-2020, it was announced Thursday. The IBCA also named Large School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass) and Small School All-State players (15 seniors, 15 underclass)...

Good fortune on a fall break trip to Minnesota helped Greencastle senior soccer standout Jakob Foss to choose Gustavus Adolphus as his home for collegiate soccer. “I hadn’t really considered going there until my dad [Pedar] and I went to Minnesota on fall break,” Foss said on his signing day. “We talked to the coach and I absolutely loved it there. I loved the culture of the team and the campus, and it’s a very friendly and inviting place. I’m super excited to be going to Gustavus.”...

Trent Ross is a senior at Greencastle and participated in tennis and basketball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Trent Ross: “Sports have always been a very important part of my life, and they have shaped who I am since I was a little kid. I’ve learned the importance of working hard to achieve something, and never giving up even when things don’t go well for you.”...

Following Thursday’s directive by Indiana governor Eric Holcomb that all Indiana schools will be closed until May 1, the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday afternoon that this year’s IHSAA boys basketball state tournament is officially cancelled...

CLOVERDALE — Besides pitching, one of the most desirable commodities for college softball programs is power hitting. Cloverdale senior Haley Smith isn’t a pitcher, but her powerful bat will take her game to the next level at Indiana-Southeast this fall...

Leighla Hazlett is a senior at South Putnam and participates in golf. She plans to play softball is a season is able to happen. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Leighla Hazlett: “I’ve learned from sports that no matter how small your comfort zone is that you’re always going to have to come out of it and try new things. You’re always going to meet new people and build leadership. It teaches you how to connect with different people.”...

Greencastle volleyball coach Maggie Walters remembers Allison Stevens as a freshman, when her athletic focus was on basketball. “She didn’t have a ton of experience playing volleyball and didn’t know the game that well,” Walters said. “Thinking back to her ability as a freshman, it is truly unbelievable what she has accomplished.”...

Several Putnam County basketball players were honored recently as members of the all-Western Indiana Conference team. Representing third-place Greencastle on the boys’ team are Brody Whitaker and Cade Plew, while Cloverdale’s Kyle Thomas, North Putnam’s Mason Brooks and South Putnam’s Steven Schnepp all earned all-WIC honors...

Greencastle’s county championship in boys’ basketball in February narrowed the gap a little in the Putnam County Cup all-sports standings. Following the winter season, North Putnam remained in first with 26 points, while Cloverdale was second with 19, Greencastle was third with 17 and South Putnam was fourth with 15...

Fourteen players have been selected for the 2020 IndyStar Indiana Girls All-Stars, which was announced Thursday. Highlighting the list for Putnam County fans is Ella Collier of Danville. The school’s first-ever girls’ All-Star, Collier is the career scoring leader for all players in Hendricks County history...

Conner Taylor is a senior at Greencastle and participates in basketball and golf. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Conner Taylor: “Sports have been everything to me. I have been playing them as long as I can remember. ...

NEW MARKET - After falling behind early, North Putnam made a strong third-quarter comeback to trail No. 7-ranked Parke Heritage by one point entering the final period on Saturday night in the Southmont Sectional championship game. The Wolves were able to hold off the charge of the Cougars, and were flawless down the stretch at the free throw line to record a 61-49 win. Mason Brooks of North Putnam led all scorers with 28 points, and was the only Cougar in double figures.

Greencastle Athletic Booster President Brenda Meyer presents a $700 check to Greencastle High School Athletic Director Doug Greenlee at last week’s boys’ basketball sectional tournament held at McAnally Center.

1. E. Chicago Central Merrillville 45, Lake Central 42 2. Valparaiso Valparaiso 53, Chesterton 52 3. LaPorte Culver Academy 44, S. Bend Adams 43 4. Elkhart Northridge 60, Warsaw 38 5. Carroll (Ft. Wayne) Ft. Wayne Snider 59, Ft. Wayne Northrop 56 6. Huntington North...

NEW MARKET — Sometimes, no matter how well you execute or how hard you play, the other team will beat you in basketball for a variety of reasons. Friday night the Class 2A #7 Parke Heritage Wolves used a big third quarter to pull away from the South Putnam Eagles and win their semi-final match of the Class 2A Sectional 44 matchup, 59-34...

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. at Southmont Class 3A Greencastle Sectional Tuesday, March 3 Frankfort 50, Greencastle 48 Wednesday, March 4 Crawfordsville 81, Tri-West 80 Danville 74, Monrovia 55 Friday, March 6 North Montgomery 49, Frankfort 46 Danville 84, Crawfordsville 62...

Baylee Osburn is a senior at North Putnam and competes in soccer, basketball and softball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? BO: “Sports are a big part of who I am. I believe they reveal my character. In sports, I have learned leadership, work ethic, responsibility and how to work well with others. I have gained a ton of great memories and friendships in sports.”...

Tipoff: 6 p.m. at Southmont Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. at Southmont Class 3A Greencastle Sectional Tuesday, March 3 Frankfort 50, Greencastle 48 Wednesday, March 4 Crawfordsville 81, Tri-West 80 Danville 74, Monrovia 55 Friday, March 6 6 p.m. — North Montgomery (12-10) vs. Frankfort (7-16)...

NEW MARKET — A lot of coaches talk about going into the tournament with a 0-0 record and everyone is even. Most people still pick teams to win based on their regular-season records. South Putnam showed why everyone is even when tourney play starts, defeating the Riverton Parke Panthers 67-57 in the opening round of the Class 2A Sectional 44 at Southmont on Wednesday night and avenging a loss a week earlier to the Panthers...

NEW MARKET — The Cloverdale Clovers were faced with a daunting challenge on Wednesday night. The Clovers drew sectional favorite and Class 2A No. 7 Parke Heritage in the Class 2A Sectional 44 opening round game. The Wolves came into the tournament with a sparkling 20-3 record and hadn’t lost a game since January 4th...

Click here to see how your favorite teams did on Wednesday night!

Click here to see Friday night semifinal matchups at all 64 boys' basketball sectional sites.

Frankfort’s Hot Dogs had a lot of obstacles against them in Tuesday night’s opening game of the Greencastle Sectional. They had to make a long bus trip to play the host team on its own floor which was looking to defend its sectional title of a year ago...

NEW MARKET — It is not often that a team allows its opponent to shoot 62 percent, gets outrebounded by them by nine on the game and still picks up the win, but the three-point shot is a great equalizer. The North Putnam Cougars won their opening game of the Class 2A Sectional 44 game against Southmont 81-72 by burying 14 shots from behind the arc and taking care of the basketball by only turning the ball over seven times...

CLASS 4A 1. E. Chicago Central Merrillville 88, Hammond Morton 45 2. Valparaiso Chesterton 60, Lowell 47 3. LaPorte Culver Academy 62, S. Bend Riley 41 4. Elkhart Northridge 60, Concord 40 5. Carroll (Ft. Wayne) E. Noble 51, DeKalb 36 Ft. Wayne Northrop 52, Ft. Wayne North 48...

NEW MARKET — The state tournament in Indiana basketball is extremely unpredictable. Several favorites fail to advance, and teams rise up and win games that on paper they shouldn’t. North Putnam came into Friday night’s Class 2A Sectional 44 matchup against Cascade as the favorite according the websites and due to a big win over the Cadets earlier in the year, but…...

Frankfort (6-16) at Greencastle (15-7) North Putnam (11-12) at Southmont (7-14) South Putnam (5-18) vs. Riverton Parke (11-12) No. 7 Parke Heritage (20-3) vs. Cloverdale (9-14)...

INDIANAPOLIS — South Putnam’s Lee Haywood placed 13th in the IHSAA boys’ one-meter diving state finals on Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium. Haywood scored a 306.55 in the preliminary round on Saturday morning to reach the top 16, and then turned in a score of 413.90 in the finals to finish 13th...

LINDEN — Playing defense in the game of basketball is considerably easier when the participants are allowed to bump, push and grab opponents without retribution from the officials. North Montgomery found playing defense easy on Friday night, and the bigger and stronger Chargers muscled their way to a 62-54 win over Greencastle in the regular-season finale for both teams...

TRAFALGAR — The North Putnam Cougars finished their regular season on Friday night at Indian Creek. The Braves are one of the top teams in the area and they showed why as they pulled away in the second half to defeat the Cougars 80-51 in high school basketball...

Alexandria 73, Wes-Del 42 Angola 51, Lakeland 38 Avon 89, Danville 73 Barr-Reeve 63, Bloomfield 42 Batesville 52, Union Co. 23 Bedford N. Lawrence 72, Corydon 62 Bethany Christian 55, Fremont 51 Blackford 82, Anderson Prep Academy 50 Bloomington North 73, New Albany 60...

Ray Bates is a senior at Cloverdale and participates in cross country and track and field. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Ray Bates: “Sports are very important to me. They are the thing I enjoy the most about coming to start. ...

Greencastle (15-6) at North Montgomery (11-10) North Putnam (11-11) at Indian Creek (15-6) Class 3A Greencastle Sectional Tuesday, March 3 7 p.m. — Greencastle (15-6) vs. Frankfort (5-16) Wednesday, March 4 6 p.m. — Crawfordsville (12-9) vs. Tri-West (9-12)...

THURSDAY Batesville 49, Shelbyville 48 Blackford 80, Muncie Burris 46 Bloomington South 69, Northview 42 Brown Co. 54, Edinburgh 49 Caston 62, N. Miami 42 Christian Academy 73, Charlestown 34 Clay City 55, Riverton Parke 51 Delta 43, Greenfield 33 Edgewood 71, Eastern (Greene) 59...

South Putnam junior Lee Haywood will be competing in the Indiana High School Athletic Association diving state finals on Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. Haywood placed third in Saturday’s sectional meet at Terre Haute and also placed third in the diving regional at Brownsburg...

South Putnam got off to a hot start against visiting Riverton Parke on Tuesday night in boys’ basketball action, but the Panthers rode the hot hand of senior guard Brandon Hazzard to record a 71-60 victory. The Eagles ended the regular season at 5-18, while Riverton Parke is 11-11 heading into its regular-season finale on Thursday against Clay City...

CLOVERDALE — The Cloverdale Clovers hosted the Shakamak Lakers in their final regular-season game on Tuesday night. The game had been originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed. The Clovers overcame a sluggish offensive start to efficiently put away the Lakers, 62-53 to improve their record to 9-15 heading into tournament play. Shakamak dropped to 7-15...

CAYUGA — South Putnam’s boys’ basketball team had to do a major rebuild for this season, after losing more than half of its roster to graduation from last year. Last week, the Eagles needed to do another partial reboot when two of their leading scorers — Steven Schnepp and Eli Smith — were injured in practice...

TERRE HAUTE — The big schools dominated the top spot on the winner’s stand at the Terre Haute South boys’ swimming sectional on Saturday. Avon swimmers won six of the 12 event titles, yet placed only third in the team standings. Overall winner Plainfield won three events while runnerup Terre Haute North won two and fourth-place Danville won one...