High School Sports

CLOVERDALE – It had been just 10 days since Cloverdale and North Putnam met in the consolation game of the Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Tournament. With both teams having not played in at least a week, it took a quarter for the game to get up to speed and though the Clovers kept things close again, pushing the Cougars to the final horn, the visitors’ experience in tight contests this season helped them to prevail 40-36...

The South Putnam Lady Eagles used a balance offense, aggressive early defense and an unselfish brand of basketball to defeat the Crawfordsville Athenians 45-28 in a non-conference girls’ high school basketball game at the “Eagles Nest” on Tuesday night...

There were plenty of unknowns for Greencastle entering the 2022 volleyball season. There were multiple new faces joining the roster that would eventually cement themselves into the starting rotation. There were more experienced members of the squad taking on far more prominent roles and varsity sets than in seasons’ past...

Tough losses to open the boys’ basketball season Tuesday meant Saturday night was a chance for a refresh for Greencastle and Cloverdale. Both teams shot well early but a 9-0 run from the end of the first quarter into the second helped the hosts to a 10-point halftime lead and a solitary point for the Clovers in the third quarter was too much to overcome as the Tiger Cubs got their first win of the year 54-38...

Kyndal is a senior at North Putnam and participates in two sports, basketball and softball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Kyndal Brewer: “There’s not the most important thing in my life but they’re up there. I’ve learned how to be a leader, that when others are down, you have to bring them up. Sports are about being a family for me and while you’ll lose with those people, you’ll win with those same people.”...

Opening night at McAnally Center came with a new look lineup for the home team as Greencastle had three freshmen starting their first varsity boys’ basketball game against Crawfordsville Tuesday evening. Despite a sluggish start, the Tiger Cubs stayed with the Athenians but shots simply didn’t fall frequently enough for the hosts to start the season with a win, falling 58-48...

Tuesday was not the best shooting night for the Greencastle girls' basketball team. It didn’t matter when the defense suffocated Crawfordsville for 32 minutes. The Athenians were put to the sword by a Tiger Cub side that forced numerous turnovers and hounded the visitors all over the court defensively in a 52-8 rout...

BAINBRIDGE – The young North Putnam boys’ basketball team opened its season at home against the team that knocked it out of the state tournament, Southmont, last year. The Cougars used a strong defensive effort and some clutch play in the fourth quarter to achieve a 46-36 victory over the Mounties....

BAINBRIDGE – The North Putnam Lady Cougars used an efficient night shooting to overcome 34 turnovers and a late rally by Southmont to pick up a hard-fought 46-45 victory in the opener of a girls/boy’s doubleheader at North Putnam on Tuesday night. The Cougars shot almost 52 percent (15-of-29) from the floor on the game but needed all of those makes as they struggled to take care of the basketball...

NEW MARKET — This is the team that Southmont girls basketball coach Dan Burkman has been waiting to see. Monday evening after a disappointing Sugar Creek Classic championship loss to Western Boone, Southmont was back in action as it welcomed sectional foe South Putnam. From the opening tip it was all Mounties as they were firing on all cylinders and cruised to a 53-32 win over the Eagles. The 53 points are a season high for the Mounties...

CLOVERDALE – The end result of Saturday night’s Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Tournament championship game looked like a contest that was without a doubt at the final horn. Anyone watching had plenty of doubt which way it would finish until the final minutes as Greencastle struggled from the field most of the night but finished 24-of-34 at the free throw line to claim a 66-41 win over South Putnam and the title of county champions for the 2022-23 season...

CLOVERDALE — For the second-straight game, Cloverdale made one of its Putnam County rivals sweat at the Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Tournament consolation game. North Putnam needed a 17-0 run in the second quarter to create separation and yet the Clovers did not go away, trimming an 18-point gap to just five points in the fourth quarter before falling to the Cougars 49-39...

CLOVERDALE – “We wanted to get off to a good start tonight. North Putnam was 4-1 an won a lot of close games. We didn’t want it to be close,” Greencastle head coach Doug Greenlee said, understating what happened as Greencastle defeated North Putnam in the first round of the Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Tournament 75-19 to advance to the championship game....

CLOVERDALE - The South Putnam Eagles used a 33-point second half and 25 points from Kelsey Custis to outlast a pesky Cloverdale Clover team 60-43 in the first game of the Putnam County Girls’ Basketball Tournament. The host Clovers came out playing extremely hard and after five-straight points from Emily Mann, held a slim 5-3 lead well into the first quarter...

Two years of heavy senior class graduation has left Greencastle in a position where it will be building from the bottom up with a large group of freshmen bolstering the roster, several of which will see significant time on the floor during the 2022-23 season...

After finishing 13-13 in head coach Vince Brooks’ first season, North Putnam increased its win total the past two years, finishing 19-5 in the 2021-22 and runner up in the WIC with a 9-1 record. The Cougars retained their Putnam County Classic title as well and won 13-straight games during the season but were unable reach a sectional final for the third-straight season, falling to eventual champions Southmont in the semifinal round...

Of the four county teams, South Putnam brings back the most experienced roster from the 2021-22 season. That it comes from a team that was 5-19 a year ago and avoided being bottom of the WIC at 1-9 by virtue of a win over Brown County leaves plenty to work on, for new head coach Kyle Swafford, who many remember for his time at Monrovia coaching the Bulldog girls’ and boys’ basketball teams...

For the first time since the 2004-04 season, Cloverdale will have to build a varsity roster without a Rady at the helm. Also, for the first time in ages, the Clovers will not have a perennial scoring power to build around and will rely on a squad that head coach Karl Turk will guide after an 11-13 and 5-5 WIC mark during the 2021-22 season, though the new boss said numbers were booming early on...

Gloria is a senior at Greencastle and participates in one sports, basketball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Gloria Brewer: “They’re important to me but not the most important thing. I put God and family first, then sports. They teach you thing like communication, failure and success and how to handle both those things.”...

Winter may be settling in but it’s never too early to think of spring, especially for baseball players. For Levi Hilton, springtime will bring a final season on the baseball diamond at Cloverdale but it will also be a chance to work on his game ahead of heading to Trine University beginning in the 2023-24 school year...

The 2022-23 Putnam County Girls' Basketball Tournament takes place this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18-19, at Cloverdale High School. Ongoing construction at South Putnam, which includes several locker rooms still under renovation, leading to the change in venue for the tournament...

NASHVILLE – Greencastle is ‘brewing’ something special early in the season. The Tiger Cubs travelled down to Brown County and improved to 3-1 on the season and 3-0 in Western Indiana Conference play with a 64-53 victory over the host Eagles. Senior Gloria Brewer put together one of the most impressive individual nights that a player can have. She had 46 points, 22 rebounds, four assists and five steals...

ELLETSVILLE - The Edgewood Mustangs used a tough defense and three scorers in double figures to pull away from the South Putnam Eagles 50-35 in WIC girls’ basketball action Friday night. As the weather cooled outside, the offenses seemed to chill with them. The two teams combined to go 6-15 from the field in the opening quarter...

The Greencastle High School boys’ basketball Purple and Gray Scrimmage will be held Saturday, Nov. 12 with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. Admission to the event is free. Complimentary donuts, coffee and drinks will be provided by the Greencastle Boys’ Basketball Club. Cash donations will be accepted at the door with donations supporting the Greencastle Boys’ Basketball Club and Greencastle High School Basketball Cheerleaders...

BAINBRIDGE – North Putnam entered Thursday’s meeting with Covington hitting the quarter way point of the 2022-23 girls’ basketball season. The Trojans, meanwhile, were playing their season opener, which the Cougars tried to take advantage of early on, overplaying their own hand, before stepping back and using a solid second half to take home a 48-31 win...

Kelsey is a senior at South Putnam and participates in two sports, volleyball and basketball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Kelsey Custis: “Sports are very important to me. It teaches you a lot of important life skills, like how to be in certain places on time or, more importantly, early. ...

For the second week of the 2022-23 girls’ basketball season, the pace set by Greencastle and Owen Valley Tuesday night was more akin to the second to last week of the season. A bruising first half, one in which neither team gave an inch and the only thing that was tougher was the iron on each end of the floor, gave way to a Tiger Cub squad that got stronger as the night went on, topping the Patriots 56-42...

ROCKVILLE – The South Putnam Eagle girls’ basketball team had started the year 2-0 but travelled to Rockville to play the Parke Heritage Wolves and saw a different type of team and game. The bigger, longer, stronger Wolves pressured and pounded the Eagles into a 56-35 loss at the Rock-a-Dome...

CLAY CITY — During Jason Sinders’ five-year tenure as Clay City’s girls’ basketball head coach, the month of November has been a bugaboo for the program. Sporting a combined 3-18 record in the penultimate month of the calendar year during Sinders’ reign as the leader of the team, the Lady Eels entered Tuesday night’s home opener against visiting Cloverdale with something to prove...

BAINBRIDGE — Following up on its season-opening win at North Vermillion Tuesday, North Putnam hosted the Hoosier Heartland Tip-Off Classic Saturday, bringing in Riverside, Riverton Parke and Shakamak for two games each for all parties involved. The Cougars rolled the Argonauts in the opening game 58-13 but fell to the Lakers in the championship game 37-32...

South Putnam didn’t get its first game of the 2022-23 basketball season in Tuesday like the rest of the county teams. The Eagles had to wait for Friday night’s first Putnam County game of the season against Cloverdale to take to the court and while there were some opening issues to be expected, the expected result was also achieved with a 53-11 win over the Clovers...

ELLETSVILLE – The Greencastle Tiger Cubs showed their teeth and went into Edgewood, dominating the Mustangs for a 53-35 Western Indiana Conference victory in girls’ basketball. The Cubs got a strong all-around performance from senior newcomer Gloria Brewer and major contributions from almost everyone as they improved to 1-1 on the season as Edgewood dropped to 0-2. The victory also gives the Cubs a 1-0 WIC record...

Kylie is a senior at North Putnam and participates in two sports, volleyball and cheerleading. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Kylie Rust: “They are very important to me. I’m kind of sad that they’re over but I’ve learned a lot from them. ...

Opening night for the 2022-23 girls’ basketball season came with the usual amount of nervous energy one would expect as Greencastle and Southmont tipped off Tuesday night. It took three quarters for both teams to get into a rhythm, leading to a frantic pace in the fourth quarter, one in which the Mounties saw an eight-point lead whittled down to two before ultimately hanging on for a 40-37 win over the Tiger Cubs...

CLOVERDALE — Cloverdale’s young girls’ basketball team opened its season at home and the lack of experience showed in a 45-19 defeat to the Riverton Parke Panthers. The Clovers only made three field goals in the contest, while after competing well in the first half and leading early, the Clovers allowed the Panthers to score 18 straight points over the second and third quarters to put the game away...

INDIANAPOLIS – A week after knocking back the challenge of South Putnam, No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran welcomed Cloverdale in the second round of IHSAA Football Class A Sectional No. 47 play. The Clovers gave what they could but were outmatched across the board, falling 63-0 to the Saints...

The defending Putnam County Tournament and IHSAA Class 2A Sectional No. 44 champions North Putnam were going to have a lot to sort through going into the 2022-23 season. Graduating the entire sectional and regional finalist starting lineup, as well as losing a sixth man off the bench was already enough before also losing head coach Lukas Haworth just as the school year began...

Following a fourth sectional title in five years, South Putnam took a step back in the 2021-22 season, finishing 10-13 and 4-6 in WIC play. Even more changes are on the horizon for the Eagles with Putnam County Player of the Year Brie Miller among three departures that take the top three scorers out of a squad that lacks experience but, like others, has plenty of young players looking for time on the court...

It took time for Greencastle to get acclimated to the 2021-22 season. Eleven games, in fact. The Tiger Cubs finished 6-18 but ended the season 5-5 with a sectional win to boot and while losing three seniors, the squad retained a solid core to build around heading into the 2022-23 season...

Already a smaller squad than the rest of its county cohorts, Cloverdale saw five seniors graduate after an 8-16 season and 2-8 mark in WIC play. A balancing act will be required to get through the 2022-23 season with 12 players available for both varsity and JV action...

While the rest of the Putnam County teams prepared for the opening round of postseason play, Cloverdale got the chance to practice without the worry of having its season come to an end after the first round of IHSAA Football State Tournament play. That pressure is reserved for this week as the Clovers will make the same trek South Putnam did a week ago to face A No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran Friday night...

Levi is a senior at Cloverdale and participates in three sports, football, basketball and baseball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Levi Hilton: “They’re very important for me. They motivate me to do well in everything because I don’t think I’d care as much about a lot of things if it weren’t for sports. ...

INDIANAPOLIS — The second of South Putnam’s battles against No. 1 teams, traveling to Indianapolis Lutheran in the opening round of IHSAA Football Class A Sectional No. 47 play, was every bit, if not more, difficult than the first a week ago against Linton...

CLAYTON – The Greencastle Tiger Cub football team saw a promising early start to the game evaporate quickly at Cascade as the host Cadets scored 43 straight points from late in the first half and forward to end up with a 50-24 victory in Class 2A Sectional 37 play...

ROACHDALE - Rowdy Adams threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two more, as Sullivan used a second half comeback to defeat the North Putnam Cougars 35-14 in the first round of the IHSAA Football Class 2A Sectional No. 37 play. It was a tale of two halves Friday night. The defenses controlled play in the early going, as neither team was able to sustain drives. In surprising fashion, it was a scoreless first quarter of action. Sullivan did not have a first down until their third possession...

SHELBYVILLE — Greencastle freshman Landon Miller led the charge for the Putnam County runners taking part in the IHSAA Cross Country Shelbyville Semistate Saturday at Blue River Memorial Park. Miller (16:38.5) finished 55th overall in the boys’ race with teammate Charlie Menzel (17:03.8) finishing 80th overall...

It’s win-or-go home season. Friday, the IHSAA Football State Tournament begins for Classes A through 4A, a festival of gridiron goodness that finishes across the Thanksgiving weekend. Three of the four Putnam County teams will begin their quest for a state title tonight with Greencastle heading to Cascade and North Putnam hosting No. ...

Brighton is a senior at Greencastle and participates in one sport, football. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Brighton Boggess: “They’re very important. Especially football. It’s taught me a lot of discipline. When motivation kicks out, discipline is the first thing that kicks in. That’s what I fall back on when I’m down. It’s also taught me a sense of communication and teamwork.”...

Temperatures may be fluctuating but at Blue River Memorial Park, the heat will be on five Putnam County runners, as well as a strong field, looking to qualify for the IHSAA Cross Country State Finals Saturday morning at the Shelbyville Semistate. Greencastle’s Charlie Menzel and Landon Miller, North Putnam’s Brayden Monnett and Jeremiah Miles and Cloverdale’s Ella Szczerbik will compete against some of the state’s best runners, all looking for a place on the starting line at the Laverne Gibson Championship Cross Country Course next Saturday.. ...

There was one pattern to IHSAA Volleyball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 that no team wanted to be on the wrong side of. All six matches ended in 3-0 wins, a trait Greencastle was unable to break in the championship game against Southmont, falling 26-24, 25-17, 25-16...