High School Sports

After the event was lost due to COVID restrictions last year, the Putnam County Cheerleading Competition returned Saturday night with five schools taking to the mats and a boisterous crowd in attendance. As has become the norm the past few years as much as the event itself, the competition was moved indoors from the Putnam County Fairgrounds to Greencastle High School following a bout of heavy rain that passed through the area...

Faith is a graduate of Greencastle and participated in one sport, tennis. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Faith Hartman: “Tennis in particular has become important to me. I’ve met some of my best friends and feel most at home on the court. Growing up, I was not really an athletic kid and didn’t think I’d love a sport like I love tennis. I keep going back to it.”...

With the sporting calendar turning over in July, thoughts are turning away from taking time down on the river to fish and more toward the upcoming fall sports season. For South Putnam graduates Tyler Hanley and Dawson Cash, there’s still one more chance to grab their rods, gear and get out on to the lake to compete in Eagle colors...

Three members of the Greencastle baseball team earned a final accolade for their work in the 2021 baseball season as the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association announced the all-state teams for each class. Keifer Wilson was named as the Class 3A All-State Catcher while teammates Nick Sutherlin and Brody Whitaker were named Honorable Mention All-State players...

Allison is a graduate of Greencastle and participated in one sport, tennis. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Allison Fajt: “They’re pretty important. It’s something I also did for fun. Sports taught me patience and to not get as angry at things.”...

It wasn’t what anyone expected when the ball was first kicked off last week but no one in the South locker room could complain about a 45-7 thrashing of the North squad in the IFCA North-South All-Star Game. Brach Carrington certainly wasn’t. “It was a blast,” Carrington said. “Coming from the week of practice, which was fun as you got to know the guys, the game made the whole week of practice worth it.”...

Having helped South Putnam win three basketball sectionals during her four seasons of play, Chloe Custis has seen her fair share of success on the court. Improving on that will be a challenge that Lake Land College will offer the Eagle graduate as Custis signed on to join the Laker women’s basketball program starting in the 2021-22 school year...

ANDERSON – Brach Carrington finished with three tackles and a sack Friday night at the Indiana Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game held at Anderson University. The chance to make a bigger impact on the field was limited by the rest of the South defense, which had three interceptions, held the North running backs to eight yards rushing and got a pair of special teams touchdowns in a 45-7 throttling of the North squad...

Two weeks ago, football made its return to the limelight with the WVFCA All-Star Game. Greencastle graduate Brach Carrington was a name that popped up frequently throughout the evening, disrupting numerous plays and drives from his defensive end spot...

When looking at the South Putnam swimming and diving record board, it doesn’t take long to notice how many of the girls’ records have changed in the last two seasons. The high volume of change has been spurred on by constant improvement in the Eagle swim program and one of the cornerstones of the past few seasons was Sammi Jones, who holds two individual records and a leg of a relay record...

Sammi is a graduate of South Putnam and participated in two sports, swimming and tennis, along with cheerleading. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Sammi Jones: “Sports are extremely important. ...

North Putnam’s volleyball team will be holding a car wash and yard sale at the Bainbridge Fire Department Friday, July 9 from 10-3 p.m. The team is accepting any donations of household items, clothing and furniture for the sale from 8-10 a.m. before the beginning of the event...

For a long time, Sydney Doan had it in mind she would be headed to college as a single sport athlete after four years of soccer and basketball at Greencastle. After a few conversations, however, the opportunity to pick up both sports again at Franklin College was too good an opportunity to pass up as the Tiger Cub graduate will join the Grizzly women’s soccer and women’s basketball programs starting in the 2021-22 school year...

Any girl interested in playing golf at Greencastle for the upcoming 2021 fall season should contact head coach Steve Paquin at 765-721-6709 to sign up as soon as possible. Practices will begin July 12 at Tiger Pointe CC with the season beginning in August...

If you’re looking for Nick Sutherlin this summer, check a baseball field. Chances are pretty good you’ll find the Greencastle graduate on a ball diamond as anywhere else with the Olney Central College commit barely finishing his high school season before jumping straight into summer ball...

Wabash College goes by the moniker of the Little Giants. Adding a player like Mitchell Bock helps reinforce the image after the South Putnam tackle committed his blocking skills to the football program starting in the 2021-22 school year. Bock said the school’s standard of success was a draw as was the chance to broaden his academic desires...

Mitchell is a graduate of South Putnam and participated in one sport, football. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Mitchell Bock: “Sports are pretty important to me. When it came to conditioning, you’re working towards something as an individual or as a group and you have to hold yourself accountable. Most of the work is done off the field and it shows how much effort you’re willing to put into yourself and the team...

TERRE HAUTE – After being temporarily displaced a year ago, the Wabash Valley Football Coaches’ Association All-Star Game returned to Memorial Stadium on the campus of Indiana State University Saturday night. A physical, run heavy game played out on a steamy evening with the Black squad, manned by South Putnam and North Putnam players and led by Eagle head coach Chuck Sorrell, won a tightly-played contest over the Gold squad, which featured Greencastle’s Carrington brothers, 15-14...

With his high school career now concluded, Hayden Switzer can now focus ahead on what’s to come in his academic and football career. Those questions will be answered down along the Ohio River as Switzer committed to playing football at Hanover College starting in the 2021-22 school year...

Greencastle graduate Nick Sutherlin scored twice and drove in a run in during the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North-South All-Star Series this past weekend at the University of Evansville and Evansville Bosse High School. The South team swept the series, winning game one 5-3 with Edgewood’s Luke Hayden picking up the win, striking out seven and walking five in three innings of work...

TERRE HAUTE — The sights and sounds of pads popping on the football field is one that many graduates don’t get to relive again unless they are playing collegiate football in the fall. For 11 Putnam County athletes, they’ll get the chance to do it one more time as representatives of their schools at the 17th annual Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game this Saturday at Indiana State University’s Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m...

Football won’t be the only thing on the docket this weekend. Down in Evansville, 50 of the state’s best baseball players will convene for the 46th annual Indiana High School Baseball Coaches’ Association North-South All-Star Series June 26-27. Greencastle’s Nick Sutherlin will be among the 25 players representing the South team in the three-game set, which will be played between Charles H. Braun Stadium at the University of Evansville and at Bosse Field at Evansville Bosse High School...

Mason is a graduate of North Putnam and participated in one sport, football. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Mason Ray: “Sports are very important to me. I’ve learned so much from coaches and teammates. Sports brings joy to me.”...

BAINBRIDGE – With just a few days until the new IHSAA school year kicks in, North Putnam filled its athletic director position Thursday evening when the school board approved Bart Jochim for the position. Jochim comes from Southmont Middle School where he spent 16 years, teaching and coaching football, wrestling and track for 13 years before becoming the athletic director for the middle school for two years...

For a lot of seniors looking at their college options, getting far away from home is a common refrain when choosing a school. Bree Mahoney-Sutherland may have thought that way at one time but found that family ties were not binding but something to be cherish instead...

By Trent Scott Sports Editor After two season of work at Greencastle, Kellie Kirkhoff was named as varsity girls’ basketball head coach at Whiteland Community High School last month. Kirkhoff was 21-24 with the Tiger Cubs, starting off slowly in the 2019-20 season with a 2-11 record before a 9-2 finish to the season, including a spot in the Sectional No. 20 final...

At last week’s South Putnam School Board meeting, Matt Pickerill was appointed as the new varsity boys’ basketball coach. Pickerill arrives from the East Washing School Corporation, having been a teacher at East Washington Elementary School, first coaching at East Washington Middle School before becoming an assistant at Eastern (Pekin) High School for the past few years...

Ava is a graduate of South Putnam and participated in three sports: cross country, basketball and softball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Ava McHugh: “Sports are very important to me and a huge part of who I am. ...

By Trent Scott Sports Editor At the same time that Matt Pickerill will be moving into the boys’ varsity basketball head coaching position at South Putnam, one of the two prior head coaches of the Eagles will be back in the saddle elsewhere come next school year...

There’s plenty of talk around Greencastle about the changes and upgrades coming to the schools and athletic facilities beginning this summer. The Tiger Cubs are also getting an upgrade when it comes to livestreaming athletic events throughout the 2021-22 school year as the school recently inked a deal with Indiana Sports Radio Network...

Kennedy Trigg scored a goal or two at Greencastle. 108 of them to be exact. Despite being on the smaller side, there was no lack of interest in the Tiger Cub forward when it came to playing at the collegiate level. Getting Trigg on board required the schools in the hunt to offer the best bang for the buck, hoping to get the same in return once signed...

MONTGOMERY – The last step to the IHSAA Boys’ Golf State Final was along the fairways of Country Oaks GC for Greencastle and 17 other hopeful teams Thursday morning and afternoon. The Tiger Cubs would end the day 12th overall, finishing with a team total of 334, finishing behind Terre Haute South on fifth-score tiebreak as the Braves also shot 334...

With the 2021 spring sports season in the books, the WIC has announced its All-WIC teams and Academic All-WIC members for the final season of the 2020-21 school year. Athletes named to the baseball, softball and girls’ tennis teams were done so by a vote of the conference coaches...

Bryce is a graduate of Greencastle and participated in one sport, baseball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Bryce Barger: “Sports helped me learn how to control my emotions a lot and lock into a mental state. I’ve played baseball my whole life and sports have been a big part of my life.”...

ATTICA -- Anyone hoping a year between IHSAA Boys' Golf State Tournament rounds at Harrison Hills CC would deter Greencastle from picking up where it left off at the top of the sectional heap were mistaken Friday morning. The Tiger Cubs scored their second-lowest sectional winning total in the last five editions, three strokes behind the win in 2018, by putting together a round of 322, winning by 35 strokes over second-place Southmont, the larges gap in any of the wins by some distance. ...

Greencastle senior Nick Sutherlin will have one last opportunity to don the purple and gray of Greencastle after being selected to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North-South All-Star Series held June 25-27 in Evansville. Sutherlin was chosen for the South team as a third baseman for the event, one of 25 members selected for the team...

INDIANAPOLIS -- South Putnam's Bree Mahoney-Sutherland missed out on the finals but finished in the top half of the field by placing 14th in the shot put at the IHSAA Girls' Track and Field State Finals. Mahoney-Sutherland threw 38'3.75" on her second attempt, finishing four spots out of the finals positions. ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- North Putnam runners Colton Clifford and Gabe Garcia got their chance to step on the biggest stage of all Friday at the IHSAA Track and Field State Finals held at Ben Davis High School. Garcia would finish 17th in the 300-meter hurdles while Clifford finished 21st in the 400-meter dash...

After weeks of work and two stages they had to compete in, four Putnam County athletes will take part in the IHSAA Track and Field State Finals Friday and Saturday at Ben Davis High School. North Putnam duo Colton Clifford and Gabe Garcia will compete Friday in the boys’ state finals with the former taking part in the 400-meter dash and the latter competing int the 300-meter hurdles...

Ally is a graduate of Greencastle and participated in one sport, tennis. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Ally Schimpf: “Tennis always gave me something to look forward to after school. It helps me release stress and gets me out in the sun. Tennis taught me to put my best effort in as no matter the score, you can always work your way back up.”...

By trent Scott Sports Editor NEW MARKET — The writing was on the wall early for North Putnam in the final of IHSAA Baseball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 against Parke Heritage Monday night. The Wolves did what the Cougars had done in the morning, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first, but built on the lead immediately, adding six runs in the second inning and strolling to a sectional title 11-1 in five innings...

NEW MARKET — Sectional play has a way of tightening up contests that might have been decided by wide margins during the season. Such was the case Monday morning as North Putnam scored twice in the first inning against Cloverdale but couldn’t pull away...

Just before Greencastle’s school year completed, Bryce Barger added his name to the growing list of athletes that were able to put their future plans in place. The Tiger Cub graduate will continue to be one of the boys of summer, signing on to play baseball at Manchester University starting in the fall of the 2021-22 school year...

For many seniors, the end of the spring sports season means an end to their athletic careers. For Ava McHugh, a loss in the softball sectional last week was not the end of the road as the South Putnam graduate had signed on to keep the bats and mitt in action at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College starting in the fall of the 2021-22 school season...

BAINBRIDGE — For six innings, North Putnam had extracted itself from every jam it found itself in against South Vermillion in the championship game of IHSAA Softball Class 2A Sectional No. 44. With just three outs to win the sectional title, however, the Wildcats finally bared their teeth, tying the game on a bases-loaded single and walking off with a three-run home run to end the Cougars’ season 5-2...

Brandon is a senior at Greencastle and participates in one sport, baseball. ——— Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them? Athlete: “Ever since I was young sports are everything that I worked towards. It felt like I went to school just to go to practices at the end of the day. ...

BLOOMINGTON — Four Putnam County athletes will be competing next week in the IHSAA Track and Field State Finals after their exploits at the Bloomington North Boys’ and Girls’ Regionals this week. South Putnam senior Bree Mahoney-Sutherland finished second in the shot put Tuesday, throwing 40’10.75”, hitting the state standard mark in the process to ensure a spot in the finals...

INDIANAPOLIS – Chances didn’t come often for Greencastle Wednesday night in the opening game of IHSAA Baseball Class 3A Sectional No. 26 against Danville. The Tiger Cubs managed to scratch out runs in the first, third and fifth but could not keep the Warriors pinned down and saw their season come to an end in a 4-3 loss...

NEW MARKET — In game one of the 2A Southmont sectional baseball tournament, the South Putnam Eagles fell short to the Parke Heritage Wolves 11-5. The Eagles were quiet in the early going. Mitchell Crum led off the game with a single, but did not advance as Wolves starting pitcher Connor Davis retired the next three batters...