Julia Sanders played one of her best matches in IU Kokomo’s biggest match of the season.

The Triton Central graduate had 17 digs, one assist and one service ace Friday for the Cougars but it was not enough to get them past No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan in the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Sioux Falls, Iowa.

IU Kokomo defeated No. 23 Oklahoma Wesleyan Thursday, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-22 in the first of two pool play contests. Sanders had one assist and nine digs.

A win over Indiana Wesleyan would have advanced the Cougars to the National Championship Quarterfinal Round. Instead, Indiana Wesleyan advanced with a 25-20, 13-25, 24-26, 25-20, 15-8 victory that ended IU Kokomo’s season at 34-4.

The Cougars made their ninth-straight NAIA postseason tournament appearance and advanced to the Final Site for the fourth time in program history.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate had five points and an assist Monday in SMU’s 78-76 loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The loss dropped the Mustangs to 3-5 this season.

On Thursday, Chandler finished with two points and one rebound in SMU’s 85-61 loss to No. 13 Baylor.

Taylor Heath

The Triton Central graduate scored two points, dished out five assists and had one steal Saturday in Hanover’s 76-68 loss to DePauw in the 22^nd Annual McWilliams Classic hosted by Washington University in St. Louis.

Hanover opened the classic Friday with an 86-75 loss to Washington. Heath finished with five points and five assists.

Drake Moore

The Morristown graduate had 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals Saturday in Oakland City’s 90-88 double-overtime victory at Indiana University Southeast.

On Wednesday, Moore had two points, two assists, one blocked shot and one steal in a 70-55 loss at Midway University.

Tenleigh Phelps and Lizzie Graham

Indiana University South Bend improved to 9-0 Saturday with a 104-60 win over Trinity Christian College.

Phelps, a Triton Central graduate, had 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Graham, also a Triton Central graduate, had six points and one rebound.

The Titans moved within one win of tying the program record for consecutive wins to start the season.

On Wednesday, Phelps finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, one assist and one steal in IU South Bend’s 55-47 win at Holy Cross College. Graham finished with one rebound and one assist.

Lucas Mitchell

The Waldron graduate had one blocked shot and one steal for Wabash in an 84-42 win over Rose-Hulman.

Wabash is 6-2 this season.

Hadyn Ball

The Triton Central graduate lost a pair of matches Saturday for Wabash in the Indiana Little State Wrestling Tournament at Indiana Tech.

Ball, competing at 197 pounds, was defeated by Indiana Tech’s Nathan Crutchfield in his first collegiate match. In the consolation bracket, Ball lost to Trine’s Davin George, 13-2.

Kina Schultz

The Shelbyville graduate placed sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (9.87 seconds) Saturday for Muskingum in the Case Western Invitational in Cleveland, Ohio.

Madalyn Hudnall

The Waldron graduate finished fifth in the shot put (11.67 meters) and 12^th in the weight throw (9.56 meters) Saturday for Mount St. Joseph in the Scott Fangman Invitational hosted by the University of Indianapolis.

Zaleeya Martin

The Shelbyville graduate finished third in the 60 meters (7.94) and fourth in the 200 (27.27) in the Fangman Invitational in Indianapolis. The former Hanover sprinter was competing in her first meet for the University of Indianapolis.

Madisen Hinderliter

The Shelbyville graduate finished 10^th for St. Francis in the women’s weight throw (13.89 meters) Saturday in the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodon Opener in Fort Wayne.

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School spirit was at a peak at Shelbyville High School Wednesday night as teams squared off in the third annual boys interclass volleyball competition.

The seniors earned a hard-fought come-from-behind victory over the defending champion class of 2026 squad in the championship round to claim the crown. They will move on to face a team comprised of SHS faculty this week at a school pep session.

The event was sponsored by the Shelbyville High School Student Athletic Advisory Council.

“The athletic advisory council was started a few years ago to promote athletic participation and support for Golden Bear sports,” said varsity baseball and strength coach Royce Carlton, who along with girls basketball head coach Becca Hoefler, sponsors the group. “Our goal is to create a positive sports environment and encourage enthusiasm for school athletics.”

The student advisory council meets monthly during the school year to discuss topics and make suggestions and recommendations that relate to Golden Bear athletics.

“Each SHS sport selects two athletes to be part of the council,” said Carlton. “We also utilize the group to promote leadership skills. Designated members of the council attend conferences that offer lectures and activities designed to develop a leadership mentality.”

The seniors dominated the freshmen 25-6 in the opening contest behind the consistent serving of Reece Carlton.

The sophomores and juniors battled down to the wire with the sophomores, led by Aiden Smith and Corbin Martin, pulling out a one-point win in the night’s second match. Gavin Fisher and Corbin Deck spearheaded a valiant effort by the junior class.

The championship match was a thriller with the defending champs jumping out to a 5-0 lead behind the strong net play of Smith, before the seniors gathered themselves. The sophomores held a commanding 22-17 lead and appeared headed for a title repeat.

Brock Kuhn, Kohen Myers and Luke Brinkman initiated the senior comeback and the score became knotted at 23. The teams traded points and the match was tied at 24. The sophomores failed to return Carlton’s serve on the final point and the seniors celebrated a 25-24 victory.

“We lost two years in a row so getting this win was sweet,” said Brinkman. “We had a real team effort that was responsible for the comeback. (Ethan) Lambert, (Luke) Jackson, (Axel) Conover and everyone else contributed, and Carlton did a great job serving.”

“We made mistakes early but just focused on keeping the ball in play after that bad start,” said Myers. “Smith is very tough at the net so it took all of us working together to get this done.”

The SHS girls volleyball team provided coaching for the teams and also served as officials and line judges.

“The teams all practiced a couple of times before the matches and really worked to get better,” said Royce Carlton.

Proceeds from the event will provide Christmas gifts for children in need.

“This is always a good-natured but somewhat intense competition,” stated Carlton. “Everyone wants to win. It makes for a fun night and is excellent for promoting morale and participation at Shelbyville High School.”

CONNERSVILLE -- Shelbyville collected a second hard-fought road victory this season Saturday night at Connersville.

Senior Ethan Lambert and sophomore Mar Nicholson combined for 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots to lead the Golden Bears to a 50-44 victory over the Spartans.

“That was definitely a test for us with a tough, scrappy Connersville team,” said Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett. “They were physical and their guards rebounded very well. That was definitely a big test for us and we came out with a win.”

Shelbyville, now 3-0 for the first time since the 2018 season, proved it could win a game when it did not hit a bevy of three-pointers. On Saturday in the Spartan Bowl where the program is 0-4 in the last decade of the series, Shelbyville hit just 2-of-13 shots from beyond the arc – and one of the two makes was a half-court heave from Luke Brinkman that ended the third quarter with a bang.

“I feel like our height and physical play took over in this game with Ethan Lambert getting buckets down low and Mar Nicholson getting his rebounds and attacking the glass,” said Hartnett. “When the ‘3’ is not falling you have to find other things to do – and that is attack the glass and get offensive rebounds and putbacks.”

The strong play of Lambert and Nicholson also put Connersville’s only low-post threat in Blaine Hornsby (photo, guarded by Lambert) in foul trouble. The senior still finished with 13 points and eight rebounds but was never really a factor in the game.

Lambert, a senior forward, saw his minutes limited in Shelbyville’s 49-44 win at Triton Central one week earlier but responded with a powerful performance against an opponent that could not keep him away from the basket.

“We knew we were bigger than these guys and their biggest guy was 6-4 and I’ve got four or five of those guys,” said Hartnett. “Ethan Lambert played a heck of a game. He came out fired up and ready to go.

“Ethan knows that his strength is a lot stronger than a lot of people. He did a great job taking advantage down low, along with Mar Nicholson getting those offensive rebounds and putbacks.”

Shelbyville sophomore Brody Runnebohm

Shelbyville led 10-6 and 21-19 after each of the first two quarters but finally found separation in the third quarter. Lambert had six points and four rebounds in the quarter and the Golden Bears shot 57% from the field.

The quarter ended with a loose ball rebound punched away from the Connersville basket. Brinkman ran it down as time was running out and heaved a shot from in front of the scorer’s bench that went in for a 38-31 lead.

An 8-0 run sparked by another Lambert score in the lane and ended with a Caden Claxton drive and score opened the lead to 46-33.

A 6-0 run by the Spartans kept it close but five fourth-quarter turnovers killed any comeback attempt.

Lambert finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Nicholson had a game-high 14 points and five rebounds. Claxton finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Notes: Shelbyville’s junior varsity improved to 3-0 this season with a 39-27 victory. Gavin Reed scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half for the Golden Bears. Carter Dunagan had eight points. … Shelbyville will try and start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2006 when New Castle visits Garrett Gymnasium Friday for a girls/boys varsity-only doubleheader. The Trojans are 2-2. … With the win Saturday at Connersville, Hartnett secured career win No. 28 in his fifth season with the Golden Bears. His first three wins this year have come against head coaches Kerry Brown, Mark James and Dave McCullough who have a combined 1,538 career wins.

Steve Bush photos

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Triton Central closed out its season-opening run against Shelby County opponents with a 3-1 record.

On Saturday, eight different Tigers scored to secure a 65-36 win over Southwestern.

Eli Sego scored nine of his 15 points in the first quarter and Silas Blair scored 13 for Class 2A, No. 19 Triton Central. Taggy Goul and Sam Collier each scored eight points.

Just three Spartans scored in the loss. Ben Kahler finished with a game-high 19 points for Southwestern (0-2). Carter Snepp scored 14 and Mitchell Clements had a fourth-quarter three-pointer in the loss.

Southwestern is at Tri (0-2) Thursday. Triton Central travels Friday to Class 3A, No. 6 Greensburg (2-0).

In other prep events:

Boys basketball

Edinburgh 56, Waldron 51

At Waldron, the host Mohawks led by eight points in the third quarter but could not close out the Mid-Hoosier Conference win over the Lancers (3-1, 1-0 MHC).

Keith Settles led Waldron (0-3, 0-1 MHC) with 13 points. Jack Fischer finished with nine points.

Waldron won the junior varsity game, 59-34. Hunter Dodson had 15 points for the Mohawks.

Waldron hosts Morristown Friday in a girls/boys varsity-only doubleheader.

Hauser 54, Morristown 43

At Morristown Friday, a slow start hampered the Yellow Jackets in the loss.

The Jets led 12-6 after one quarter and 24-17 at halftime. Alex Cord and Ledger Gelfius each scored 12 points for Hauser (2-0, 1-0 MHC). Gavin Keller had 10.

Colin Kieninger scored a game-high 24 points to lead Morristown (0-3, 0-1 MHC). Kellen Crim finished with 12 points.

On Saturday, Knightstown improved to 4-0 this season with a 56-39 win over Morristown (0-4).

The Yellow Jackets are at Waldron Friday.

Girls basketball

Shelbyville 39, Batesville 18

At Batesville, the Golden Bears held an opponent under 20 points for the third time this season and improved to 6-3.

Shelbyville senior Ava Wilson scored a game-high 15 points and pushed her career scoring total to 910 points.

Ellie Keller hit a trio of three-pointers in the third quarter and finished with 11 points. Hannah Baker had nine points.

Kaylin Kathman led Batesville (5-4) with five points.

Shelbyville’s junior varsity upped its record to 9-0 with a 42-31 win at Batesville.

Shelbyville is at Hoosier Heritage Conference rival New Palestine (4-5) Tuesday.

Triton Central 83, Waldron 37

At Triton Central, the host Tigers scored at least 20 points in each of the first three quarters to pull away for their fourth-straight victory.

Maryrose Felling scored a game-high 29 points for Class 2A, No. 14 Triton Central (5-2). Brooklyn Bailey added 19 points and Sophia Burbrink scored 10 points.

Grace Fischer scored 16 points to lead Waldron (4-5).

The Mohawks host Jac-Cen-Del (6-2) Tuesday. Triton Central travels to Indianapolis Scecina (1-2) Tuesday.

Purdue Poly Englewood 65, Southwestern 36

At Southwestern, nine different Techies scored to get Purdue Poly (2-3) its second-straight victory.

Haley Casey and Emma Estes each scored seven points to top Southwestern (0-8). Ellie Gosser hit a pair of 3s for six points.

The Spartans are at Knightstown (4-3) Tuesday.

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FAIRLAND – The final and most emphatic scoring run went to Triton Central – and so did the win.

Triton Central retained possession of the Victory Bell Thursday over a pesky Waldron squad, 63-53.

The Tigers trailed 47-40 going into the final quarter on their home floor then outscored the Mohawks 23-6 over the last eight minutes to improve to 2-1 this season.

“We spent a lot of time on being aware of the clock, not rushing and I thought Max (Crouse) did a great job of keeping the ball in his hands,” said Triton Central head coach Mark James on his team’s improvement since its last game. “He did some good IQ things for us.”

Triton Central played without leading scorer Eli Sego (19.5 ppg), who was still suffering the effects of severe leg cramps during Saturday’s loss to Shelbyville. That put the ball in Crouse’s hands more and he delivered a 17-point, five-assist, four-rebound, two-steal performance. The sophomore hit four free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal the victory.

Silas Blair hit three second-quarter three-pointers to get Triton Central a 33-28 halftime lead. He then scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 28 points to go with four rebounds and two blocked shots.

“We challenged him after the Shelbyville game because we thought that sophomore, No. 1 (Mar Nicholson), took him to the basket,” said James. “We talked to him about guarding his man, being tall and helping people out. I thought he played really hard defensively tonight. It’s about as hard as I’ve seen him play physically.”

Without Sego, James needed someone to step up and fill that void and junior Sam Collier answered the challenge with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Waldron (0-2) was quick and the more aggressive team early on. The Mohawks were jumping passing lanes and racing to the basket at the other end. The result was a quick 8-2 lead.

“We try to score prior to attacking a set defense because you see a variety of (defensive) styles,” said first-year Waldron coach David Corder. “We really try to get some easy cheap baskets. (Triton Central) did a good job taking it away from us as the game went on and I thought their ability to drop their shoulders and get to the rim hurt us a little bit.”

Waldron’s early lead disappeared in what was a game of scoring runs but the Mohawks recovered to take an 18-14 lead into the first break.

Blair’s trio of 3s came in a span of just over two minutes in the second quarter that put the Tigers up at halftime.

The third quarter belonged to Waldron, outscoring the hosts 19-7. Six different Mohawks scored in part to Lucas Shaw dishing out six assists.

Triton Central had just two field goals in the quarter and four turnovers which helped the Mohawks build a 47-40 lead going into the final quarter.

Following a three-point play from freshman Henry Kemper, who played major minutes in the fourth quarter for Triton Central, Shaw stuck a 3-pointer from the top of the key to push the lead back to seven. It would be the only field goal Waldron scored in the quarter.

“It’s a little different here. I coached in Georgia a long time and you get about five weeks to practice before your first game,” explained Corder. “We have to come up with a come-from-behind offense, a delay game and a quick-strike offense and, frankly, we haven’t had time to work on that yet.”

Waldron hit just 1 of 11 shots in the fourth quarter.

Shaw finished with a team-high 16 points and had six assists and four rebounds. Jack Fischer had a career-high 10 points and Keith Settles finished with seven points and five rebounds.

Triton Central won the junior varsity game, 54-28.

Cael Butler led the Tigers with 14 points. Rex Lory had 12.

Ethan Moody and Jack Adkins each scored five points for Waldron.

The Mohawks open their Mid-Hoosier Conference schedule Saturday at home against Edinburgh (1-1).

Triton Central finishes its four-game run against Shelby County opponents Saturday when it hosts Southwestern (0-1).

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Danika Rutledge and Alexia Rogers combined for 26 points Tuesday to lead Morristown’s girls basketball team to its first win of the season.

Rutledge had 14 points and nine rebounds while Rogers finished with 12 points and three assists to get the visiting Yellow Jackets a 54-28 victory.

The win improved Morristown to 1-7. Hagerstown remains winless at 0-5.

Morristown raced out to a 15-5 lead after one quarter and maintained an 11-point lead at halftime, 28-17. That lead grew to 20 points, 43-23, after three quarters.

Also for Morristown, Jayla Keithley had seven points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Katie Theobald and Olivia Rude each had six points.

The Yellow Jackets host Franklin County (5-2) Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

In other prep events Tuesday:

Boys basketball

Oldenburg Academy 64, Morristown 46

At Morristown, Henry Wanstrath scored 15 points in the second quarter to help the Twisters pull away from Morristown and secure its first win of the season.

Connor Miles had a game-high 18 points. Wanstrath finished with 17 and Jacob Cornelius added 16 to get the Twisters to 1-1.

The Yellow Jackets (0-2) trailed 41-16 at halftime but outscored Oldenburg Academy 17-6 in the third quarter to make it interesting. Brayden Keithley hit a pair of three-pointers and scored eight of his team-high 13 points in the comeback effort that fell short. He also had three rebounds and three assists.

Owen Rinzel and Kellen Crim each scored 11 points.

Morristown hosts Hauser (1-0) Friday.

Girls basketball

Columbus North 51, Shelbyville 46

At Columbus North, the host Bull Dogs got out to a 17-11 lead after one quarter and made that advantage hold up to improve to 5-2 this season.

Freshman Avery Johnson led Columbus North with 20 points and three rebounds. Miley McClellan finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Hadassah Hurt had 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.

Ava Wilson topped Shelbyville (5-3) with 22 points. That pushed her career scoring total to 895 points. The senior is on pace to become the seventh member of Shelbyville girls basketball’s 1,000 point scoring club before the end of the 2023 portion of the schedule.

Ellie Keller and Hannah Baker each scored six points Tuesday.

Shelbyville’s junior varsity improved to 8-0 with a 37-23 win at Columbus North.

The Golden Bears travel Saturday to Batesville (5-3).

Waldron 63, Greenwood Christian 57

At Waldron, the host Mohawks scored 44 second-half points to defeat Greenwood Christian and even their record at 4-4.

Freshman Grace Fischer led Waldron with 21 points. Alyssa Benson and Alivia Fischer each had 11.

Freshman Annaleece Jackson hit seven 3s to finish with a game-high 27 points. The Cougars are 0-5 this season.

Waldron is at Class 2A, No. 14 Triton Central (4-2) Friday.

Henryville 47, Southwestern 26

At Southwestern, the visiting Hornets hit six second-half 3s to improve to 6-0 this season and keep the Spartans winless.

Emma Isgrigg led Southwestern (0-7) with 12 points. She made 8-of-12 free-throw attempts.

The Spartans host Purdue Poly Englewood (1-3) Friday.

Boys swimming

Franklin 138, Shelbyville 33

At Franklin, Will Rife had the Golden Bears’ top finish – third in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.36 seconds.

Brody Jeanette also scored a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:04.77) and 100 breaststroke (1:23.79).

Girls swimming

Franklin 130, Shelbyville 35

At Franklin, Miriam Garringer produced Shelbyville’s only event win, defeating the field in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.74.

Also for Shelbyville, Riley Everette placed runner-up in the 200 individual medley (2:28.58) and the 100 breaststroke (1:17.60).

The Golden Bears host Columbus East Thursday.

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Horseshoe Indianapolis is committed to racehorse aftercare on an annual basis and one organization that is vital to Indiana racing is Second Stride, Inc.

Located in Crestwood, Ky., the facility has placed many horses from the racetrack in Shelbyville, Ind. Horseshoe Indianapolis has donated $2,000 toward their ongoing program for retired racehorses.

“We are very committed to racehorse aftercare programs, especially those who have a direct impact on our racing program at Horseshoe Indianapolis,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We hope this donation assists Second Stride in their mission to ensure our beloved racehorses are transitioned into homes following their racing careers.”

Second Stride, a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited program since 2014, is unique in they take in other types of racehorses, including broodmares and colts who have never been in training. They have given more than 1,500 racehorses a second home through adoption from their curriculum.

More than 137 retired Thoroughbreds have been placed in 2023 alone. The former racehorses are now enjoying life off the track thanks to the commitment of those working at Second Stride.

In addition to Horseshoe Indianapolis’ donation, Loosen Up Stable made a donation of $500 on behalf of Unreachable Star, one of Indiana’s most successful racehorses. Now retired, Unreachable Star ended his career with $784,595, which at the time made him the richest Indiana bred ever. He won 17 races, many of which were stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Owners in Loosen Up Stable, Loren Hebel-Osborne, Dave Osborne, and Chuck Bebber are very committed to racehorse aftercare and make a donation in honor of Unreachable Star each year in coordination with the $250,000 Unreachable Star Handicap held on Indiana Champions Day.

For more information or to donate to Second Stride, visit their website at www.secondstride.org.

The 22^nd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing begins with a special April 8 racing program at noon for the Total Solar Eclipse Day in the area. Racing extends through Nov. 14.

For more information on live racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis.

Waldron graduate Bella Larrison scored 14 points on Nov. 21 to lead Anderson to an 84-77 come-from-behind victory against St. Mary’s College, who raced out to a 13-0 lead to start the contest.

Larrison was in the starting lineup and finished with four rebounds, one assist and two steals to improve the Ravens to 3-2 this season.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate scored eight points Saturday in SMU’s 80-67 loss to Harvard Saturday in the San Diego Classic in San Diego, California.

On Friday, Toledo defeated SMU in the classic opener, 74-73. Chandler finished with two points and one steal.

SMU is 3-3 this season.

Rylie Stephens

The Triton Central graduate had four points and one rebound Saturday in Samford’s 51-33 loss at Southern Mississippi in the Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

On Friday, Samford opened the classic with a 71-59 loss to North Texas. Stephens had two rebounds and one assist.

Samford is 4-2 this season.

Drake Moore

The Morristown graduate led Oakland City with 26 points, six rebounds and one assist Saturday in a 90-86 loss to Reinhardt University (Georgia) in The Show, a premier NAIA basketball showcase played at Meadowview Resort in Kingsport, Tennessee.

On Sunday, Webber International University (Florida) defeated Oakland City, 74-56. Moore finished with eight points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Tenleigh Phelps and Lizzie Graham

Phelps had 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal on Nov. 21 in IU South Bend’s 75-62 win over IU Northwest.

All five starters for the Titans (7-0) scored in double figures.

Graham, also a Triton Central graduate, scored three points off the bench for IU South Bend.

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It’s certainly not that Kyle Crim hasn’t played basketball in bigger arenas and in front of more boisterous crowds.

Crim was coming off the bench as a Morristown freshman when the Yellow Jackets routed Southwood for the 2018 1A state championship at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Even the week before that would qualify as thousands watched at Seymour as Morristown got by Barr-Reeve to win the semistate.

Fast-forward to 2023.  Crim and his Hanover College teammates opened the season on November 1 with an exhibition at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The 6’1” Hanover junior scored six points to go along with a couple of rebounds and assists on a special night that brought back some happy memories.

Crim with the mention of first-year Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsbury who engineered the game with his alma mater.  Shrewsbury, a Cathedral product, played collegiately at Hanover College where he was a three-year starter and tri-captain, while leading the league in free throw percentage and assists during the 1998–99 season.

Crim’s high school career grew into a starring role.  In 2020-21, Crim (17.8 ppg) combined with fellow senior classmate Drake Moore (18.5 ppg) for a backcourt that averaged over 36 points per game for a Morristown team that sported a 20-5 record but fell in double-overtime to rival Southwestern in the sectional championship game.

Moore is averaging over 13 points per game in his second season after transferring to Oakland City from York University.

At Hanover, Crim’s role hasn’t called for him to score as much as he did in his high school days. He says that adjustment wasn’t difficult. That was made even more true when he suffered an injury that took him off the court for a significant period of time.

Crim’s stat line this season actually mirrors his freshman season at Morristown.  Through six games he is averaging 3.7 points, two rebounds and two assists while playing about 15 minutes per game coming off the bench. Also, much like that historic Morristown season, it’s becoming obvious that Crim’s playing time will continue to grow.

For now, his thought process calls for getting the ball into the hands of Hanover scorers and knocking down the shots when they become available.

Crim gives credit to teammates, from his past to current day, for helping to shape him over the years.

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FAIRLAND -- Shelbyville has a different defensive presence with the addition of Mar Nicholson to the starting unit.

The six-foot, five-inch sophomore transfer from Franklin Central kept Triton Central’s Eli Sego away from the rim Saturday night, scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds on his own, and helped the Golden Bears to their first 2-0 start to a season since 2020 – also the last time Shelbyville defeated the Tigers.

Caden Claxton finished with 14 points for Shelbyville. Damon Badgley also reached double digits with 11 points and Nicholson sank a pair of free throws with 9.5 seconds on the scoreboard clock to secure a 49-44 victory.

“Triton Central is a very good team and I knew they would come out and give us everything they have and we would have to play really well to beat them,” said Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett. “It definitely feels good to get these two games under our belt over the Thanksgiving break and looking forward to the rest of our schedule.”

Shelbyville built a 14-9 lead after one quarter with Badgley (photo), Claxton and Luke Brinkman each hitting a 3-pointer.

Strong play off the bench from sophomores Brody Runnebohm and Cole Schene in the second quarter helped the lead grow to 28-18 at halftime.

“On the defensive end, we stress to our guys that if we’re going to win ballgames this year we have to get stops,” said Hartnett. “Know that on offense we have enough guys that can make plays and hit big shots, but defensively, we have to get stops like we ended up getting at the end of the game tonight.

“Cole Schene did an excellent job of bumping cutters and getting out on shooters and then recovering in the post and going straight up. … Brody will be a guy we will hang our hat on moving forward in years to come. He came in and hit a big 3 in the second quarter to get us jumpstarted.”

The knockout punch did not come in the third quarter as Triton Central started its comeback with Sego and fellow sophomore Max Crouse combining for 10 points.

The Golden Bears made it known ending a three-game losing streak to a county rival was a major goal this season. The Tigers were not going to just let it happen, though.

“I’m proud of our kids. They played hard. Shelbyville played hard. They just played smarter than we did,” said Triton Central head coach Mark James, who was honored before the start of the varsity game (photo) for getting career win No. 600 Wednesday at Morristown. “We didn’t play smart at the right time and turned it over a little too much. I think we will learn and grow from that.”

Shelbyville led 34-31 after three quarters and saw the game tied at 40-all after Silas Blair (main photo, rising for shot over Shelbyville's Cole Schene) scored in the low post with 3:12 to go. The Golden Bears went on a 9-4 run to close out the game – and the win.

Claxton hit a 3-pointer over a Schene screen. Taggy Goul added a pair of free throws at the other end to cut the lead to 43-42 but Claxton scored in the lane, Brinkman hit a free throw and Claxton did the same for a 47-42 advantage.

Meanwhile, Sego (photo), who finished with a game-high 18 points, was battling lower leg cramps over the final five minutes of the game.

Blair scored the final two points of his 10-point night but Nicholson sank two final free throws that set the final score.

Crouse finished with nine points in the loss for Triton Central (1-1), who hosts Waldron (0-1) Thursday.

Claxton also had five rebounds and four assists for Shelbyville (2-0), who travels to Connersville (1-1) for a Dec. 2 game at the Spartan Bowl.

Shelbyville improved to 2-0 with a 38-35 win in the junior varsity game. Gavin Reed scored a game-high 23 points for Shelbyville, who trailed 17-10 after the first quarter.

Brayden Hoover scored nine points for Triton Central.

Steve Bush photos

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A 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter put Shelbyville in a great position to upset Pendleton Heights Saturday afternoon. Finishing off the Arabians proved too much for the youthful Golden Bears.

Hannah Baker’s baseline drive and score with three minutes, five seconds left put Shelbyville up 44-38, but those were the final points of the game for the host Golden Bears.

Kaycie Warfel, the Hoosier Heritage Conference’s leading scorer at 27.5 points per game, hit a pair of free throws with 2:19 to go.

Olivia Jones hit a 3-pointer with 48 seconds left and a Shelbyville turnover led to Warfel racing to the basket and scoring to give the Arabians a 45-44 lead that would hold till the final buzzer.

Ava Wilson quickly attacked the lane at the other end but lost control of the ball, shuffled it to Lilly Marshall but she could not get a shot off in time.

For the second year in a row, Warfel scored the game winner in the game’s final seconds.

“We had it at the end there but it was key turnovers and a little bit of lack of experience in that pressure situation,” said Shelbyville head coach Becca Hoefler. “This season, we’ve been on the back side of it where we’ve had to come back from it. We were in control, I think it was a four-point lead toward the end and it was some key turnovers – and you can’t do that against Pendleton Heights.”

Warfel, a junior who secured her 1,000^th career point earlier this season, was kept in check with 16 points, four rebounds and five steals. Jones hit a trio of 3s on the way to 15 points. And six-foot, three-inch freshman center Adah Hupfer was held to four points but grabbed 10 rebounds  (seven on the offensive end) and had two blocked shots.

Ava Wilson led Shelbyville with 16 points – all in the first half when she led the Golden Bears (5-2, 0-1 HHC) to a 26-21 lead.

All five Pendleton Heights starters scored in the third quarter which helped the Arabians (6-1, 3-0 HHC) get the game tied at 34-all going into the fourth quarter.

Skylar Baldwin hit a short jumper to get Pendleton Heights its first lead of the second half but Shelbyville responded with a Ellie Keller 3-pointer.

Warfel slashed her way to the rim and scored to put the Arabians up again, 38-37.

Baker took an Ella Johnson pass and stuck a 3-pointer that started Shelbyville’s 7-0 run. Baker then rewarded Johnson with a quick slip pass on the next possession and the senior sank a 10 footer for a 42-38 lead.

Another stop on the defensive end led to Baker finding room along the baseline to convert again and take a 44-38 lead with 3:05 left.

Baker (photo, at Franklin County), a sophomore, finished with 10 points. Keller and Johnson each had six points while Johnson pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

“It’s just game experience and it’s learning,” said Hoefler of the outcome. “I told the girls I am not disappointed, more or less just frustrated with the situation. We will learn from this.

“It happened in our seventh game and on our 22^nd game when we are in the sectional, we will know we won’t handle it this way. It was a really teachable game there of what not to do and how to relax against the pressure of the situation.”

Shelbyville’s junior varsity squad improved to 7-0 under the direction of head coach Ben Sprinkle with a 49-25 victory. Sophia Asher led Shelbyville with 14 points.

The Golden Bears get their first look at a potential sectional opponent Tuesday when they travel to Columbus North (4-2), who have won four straight after losing their first two games of the season to Franklin (7-2) and Mooresville (6-2).

Steve Bush photo

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Michael Roberson scored a career-high 38 points to lead Knightstown to a 59-53 victory Saturday at Waldron.

The first half ended in a 25-all tie but the Panthers earned nine free throw attempts in the third quarter, converting eight, to outscore the Mohawks, 20-15, and take a 5-point lead into the final quarter.

Waldron was able to tie the game once again in the fourth quarter but Roberson was a problem. The senior made seven free throws in the final eight minutes and scored nine points to secure the road win and spoil new Waldron head coach David Corder’s debut.

Lucas Shaw led the Mohawks with a career-high 24 points. Keith Settles finished with eight points and Jacob Lindsey had seven points.

Knightstown won the junior varsity game, 36-34. Charlie Fischer led the Mohawks with nine points. Clayton Randolph added eight points.

Knightstown (2-0) travels to Union County (0-1) Friday.

Waldron is at Triton Central (1-1) Thursday.

In other prep events Saturday:

Girls basketball

Trinity Lutheran 61, Southwestern 32

At Southwestern, three different Cougars scored in double figures to capture the road win.

Liza Froedge had a game-high 16 points. Madison Keith finished with 14 and Laura Roeder had 10 points.

After a slow start and a 3-point first quarter, the Spartans put together three consecutive solid quarters scoring 10, 9 and 10 points but could not overcome Trinity Lutheran (2-2).

Claire Utley led Southwestern (0-6) with  nine points. Emma Isgrigg had eight points and Riley Engel, Ellie Gosser and Emma Estes each scored five points.

Trinity Lutheran won the JV game, 14-7. Utley had five points to lead Southwestern.

The Spartans host Henryville (5-0) Tuesday.

Wrestling

Southport Gobbler Tournament

Shelbyville had eight wrestlers produce top-three performances Saturday at the Gobbler Tournament hosted by Southport.

Six boys – Carson Nance, Kamden Turner, Tripp Garner, Brady Bryant, Jacob Harker and Reuben Martins-Thomas – and two girls – Pacey Virden and Ella Holmes – finished in the top three in their respective brackets.

The Golden Bears travel to Lawrence Central Tuesday for its first dual meet of the season.

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Shelbyville showed off a deep and athletic roster in a season-opening 51-19 win Wednesday over Rushville at William L. Garrett Gymnasium.

Eleven different Golden Bears saw meaningful minutes in the first half and limited the undersized Lions to just 11 first-half field goal attempts.

Caden Claxton (photo) scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the first two quarters as Shelbyville built a 25-9 lead.

“Caden had a good game and shot it really well (10 of 15 from the field),” said Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett. “We knew coming into this season he would be our returning leading scorer and he knows what he has to do in each game. He works at it so it’s no surprise he shot it like that tonight.”

Up 27-12 early in the third quarter, Damon Badgley hit back-to-back three-pointers and Claxton added another 3 to quickly push the lead to 36-12 and the Golden Bears were never challenged.

Rushville, under new head coach Kerry Brown who returned to the program from Connersville in the offseason, never made consecutive baskets at Garrett Gymnasium and finished shooting just 27% from the field and 10% from the arc.

Eight different Golden Bears scored and the team shot 59% in the victory.

“I knew at the start of the year we would have a lot of firepower coming out with some really good shooters and ball handlers,” said Hartnett. “I thought one of our biggest strengths tonight was pushing the ball in transition. That is something we are stressing this year – pushing the ball with the pass and beating everybody up the floor and see if we can get quick shots and get easy shots before we get set up in our offense.”

Mar Nicholson (photo), the Franklin Central transfer, scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in his Shelbyville debut.

Shelbyville will face a tougher opponent Saturday, traveling to Triton Central (1-0). The Golden Bears have lost three straight to the Tigers.

“We are looking forward to it. I know our guys have a chip on their shoulders from the last couple years. They’ve been close games,” said Hartnett. “Triton Central is a good team. Eli Sego and (Max) Crouse and (Silas) Blair can play. It will not be easy going into their house.”

Shelbyville won the junior varsity game, 51-26.

Kenny Owens led Shelbyville with 13 points. Nick Fischer finished with 10 points.

Liam Gurley topped Rushville with eight points.

In a freshman game in the auxiliary gym at Shelbyville, the Golden Bears defeated North Decatur, 60-10.

Steve Bush photos.

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Triton Central kept the offensive pressure on and pulled away for a season-opening 62-22 victory Wednesday at Morristown.

The win was the first for Hall of Fame head coach Mark James (photo) at Triton Central and career win No. 600 in his 42^nd year of coaching.

Sophomores Max Crouse and Eli Sego combined for 43 points to lead the Tigers. Crouse hit three 3-pointers and made 5 of 7 free throws to finish with a game-high 22 points. Sego made five 3s and finished with 21 points.

Silas Blair and Sam Collier each had six points.

Triton Central led 18-11 after one quarter and extended the lead to 40-14 at halftime.

Colin Kieninger led the Yellow Jackets with seven points.

Morristown hosts Oldenburg Academy (0-1) on Tuesday. Triton Central hosts Shelbyville (1-0) Saturday in Fairland.

In the girls varsity game Wednesday:

Triton Central 41, Morristown 25

Brooklyn Bailey scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Class 2A, No. 14 Tigers to their third-straight victory and fourth win of the season.

Triton Central’s starting five scored all 41 points Wednesday at the Hive. Maryrose Felling scored nine points and Quinn King had eight points.

The Tigers (4-2) led 19-17 at halftime then limited the Yellow Jackets to eight second-half points to secure the win.

Katie Theobald led Morristown (0-7) with nine points. Danika Rutledge finished with six points.

The Yellow Jackets are at Hagerstown (0-4) Tuesday. Triton Central hosts Waldron (3-4) on Dec. 1.

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Running was always an outlet for Shelbyville senior Hannah Wright – a way to get away and focus on herself. Now running is a way to set up her future.

The Golden Bears’ top distance runner, Wright has committed to run collegiately at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College near Terre Haute, Indiana. She will compete for the Pomeroys in cross country and track and field.

Wright, the daughter of Brad Wright and Melissa Winslow, will major in Nursing.

St. Mary-of-the-Woods cross country coach Aaron Crawn started following Wright’s success this fall and made her a focal point of his 2024 recruiting class.

“I settled on St. Mary’s because of the teammates, the coaches and the nursing program,” said Wright, who was Shelbyville’s lone regional qualifier this past season after producing an 18^th-place finish at the Shelbyville Sectional where she clocked a personal-best time of 20 minutes, 52 seconds on her home course at Blue River Memorial Park.

One week later at the regional, also hosted by Shelbyville, Wright finished 86^th in a field of 239 runners to close out her cross country career.

Wright transferred to Shelbyville from Beech Grove as a sophomore and quietly worked her way to the top of the roster.

“We are so grateful Hannah found her home here,” said Shelbyville cross country coach Whitney Campbell Tuesday at Wright’s signing ceremony in the Golden Bear Room at the high school. “It has been so much fun to see her progress through the years, especially in cross country where she has dropped a minute every single year she has been here. She broke through and broke that 21-minute barrier this year which has been a lot of fun.

“I know she will continue to work hard in track and make some new (personal records).”

Shelbyville track and field coach Nick Blakey spoke of not enjoying athletes that complain about workouts. That has never been an issue with Wright, who runs distance events for the track program in the spring.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a negative word out of your mouth with regards to workouts, practices or competitions. That has always made me a big fan of yours,” said Blakey. “I know that will serve you really well at the next level because things will get a little bit more challenging, but you will continue to improve as well. It will get a little bit harder but you will get a lot better too at the same time.”

Wright set a goal of reaching the cross country state finals her senior year to get an opportunity to compete one more time on the Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The Golden Bears ran there in September at the Nike XC Twilight Meet. Wright finished 31^st in her divisional race.

While she did not hit that state finals goal, her commitment leads her to many more opportunities competing at the state finals course near her next school.

“I love that course,” said Wright with a smile.

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A five-point run by Ben Kahler helped Southwestern cut Edinburgh’s lead to 17-12 early in the second quarter but that was as close as the Spartans would get in a season-opening loss Tuesday.

Over the next two minutes, Evan Londeree and Austin Brockman sank four three-pointers and the Lancers’ lead never dropped below 10 points on the way to a 58-36 victory.

Londeree hit four 3s in the win and finished with a game-high 16 points. Brockman finished with 15 and Connor Ramey filled the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Edinburgh hit 10 3s, including seven in the first half, which spread Southwestern’s defensive effort out to the arc and opened the lane up for an aggressive driver like Ramey.

“We were trying a little bit of everything. Defense with a young team is something that is going to take a little while to come,” said second-year Southwestern head coach Chris Ingels. “Guarding the basketball and getting your rotations down defensively is going to take awhile and we knew we would have to play some zone and switch some things up.

“We’re not going to be able to guard Connor Ramey one-on-one all night long so we knew we were going to have to switch some things up. And Londeree seemed like he hit every shot he took and Brockman hit a couple.”

Carter Snepp led Southwestern with 14 points and six rebounds. Kahler added 12 points and five rebounds.

The Spartans fell behind 17-7 after one quarter in part to seven turnovers. Five more miscues in the second quarter helped the Lancers build a 31-17 advantage at the break.

Southwestern’s 12 first-half turnovers limited the offense to just 12 field goal attempts.

“We were having trouble getting open but we were doing a lot of dribbling and a lot of standing and watching the dribbling as well instead of going and screening for somebody and getting open,” said Ingels. “As we changed up what we’re doing offensively and trying to get some motion principles going and getting guys reading screens and cutting hard, it’s going to take a little bit of time. We have to be stronger getting open and stronger with the basketball.”

Michael Clements finished with eight points but was the only other significant offensive threat after Snepp and Kahler.

“I thought Michael Clements was our player of the game. He played really well,” said Ingels. “He cuts so hard and his drives are effective because he goes so hard.”

Ramey and Jackson Hartwell combined to score 14 points in the third quarter when the Lancers opened the lead to 50-25.

Edinburgh won the junior varsity game, 46-45. Avynn Whitaker hit a free throw with 5.4 seconds left on the clock to seal the win.

Whitaker hit four 3s and finished with a game-high 26 points.

Landon Drake topped Southwestern with 13 points. Mitchell Clements added 11 points.

Edinburgh is at Indian Creek (0-1) Saturday. Southwestern returns to the hardwood Dec. 2 at Triton Central.

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Shelbyville High School’s swimming and diving team opened the season with a pair of losses Tuesday at Whiteland.

The Warriors won the boys meet, 96-61.

Will Rife won the 100-yard butterfly and the 100 backstroke. Andrew Duffy added a third event win for the Golden Bears, taking first place in the 100 breaststroke.

Whiteland secured the win over Shelbyville in the girls meet, 114-61.

Riley Everette captured the Golden Bears’ only event wins in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke.

Shelbyville returns to the pool on Tuesday at Franklin.

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Olivia Faust continues to work her way back into the Marian women’s basketball rotation, scoring eight points and collecting two rebounds and one assist Saturday in a 62-45 win over Grace College.

The Triton Central graduate started the first six games of her freshman season in 2022 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. She was averaging 10.8 points in those six games.

On Saturday, she played 13 minutes and helped No. 6 Marian improve to 6-1 this season and 1-0 in the Crossroads League standings.

Three nights earlier, Faust had three points and one rebound in just six minutes of Marian’s 110-69 win at Olivet Nazarene University.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level:

Julia Sanders

The Triton Central graduate had one kill, two assists and 11 digs Saturday to help Indiana University Kokomo to a 25-17, 26-28, 25-15, 26-24 NAIA Tournament Opening Round victory over Morningside.

The win improved IU Kokomo to 33-3 this season and advanced the program to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa. The Cougars are one of 24 teams split into eight pools with competition to determine a national champion starting on Nov. 30.

IU Kokomo, ranked No. 15 nationally, is in a pool with No. 23 Oklahoma Wesleyan and No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan.

The Cougars will face Oklahoma Wesleyan at 11 a.m. on Nov. 30 and Indiana Wesleyan at 11 a.m. on Dec. 1.

Brooklyn Schiffli

The Triton Central graduate had one assist, one service ace and two digs Friday in Jacksonville State’s 25-12, 25-15, 25-17 loss to No. 1 seed Western Kentucky in the Conference USA Tournament in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Jacksonville State closed the season with a 5-22 record.

Taylor Heath

The Triton Central graduate finished with seven points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal Monday in Hanover’s 89-86 loss to Centre College.

On Saturday, Heath had four points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals to help Hanover secure a 75-59 win at Earlham College.

The Panthers are 2-2 this season.

Kyle Crim

The Morristown graduate collected seven points, four rebounds and three assists Saturday for Hanover in a 77-62 loss at Washington University in the championship game of the Lopata Tournament in St. Louis.

On Friday, Hanover secured an 81-66 semifinal round win over the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Crim finished with four points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals.

Hanover is 3-2.

Kenneth Gipson

The Triton Central graduate was one of 16 Rose-Hulman football players selected All-Conference by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC).

Gipson was a First Team selection after helping Rose-Hulman average 42 points per game this season. The offensive line surrendered just seven sacks all season.

Hayden Kermode

The Triton Central graduate was named Second Team All-Conference by the HCAC after leading Franklin College’s football team with 61 tackles and having 7.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery.

Cameron Baker

The Shelbyville graduate finished seventh in the one-meter diving competition and seventh in the three-meter event for Franklin College at the Gail Moll Pebworth Invitational hosted by Wabash College.

Over 11 dives, Baker amassed 360.10 points in the one-meter competition and 369.45 in the three-meter competition.

Maiah Helfer-Vazquez

The Shelbyville graduate placed ninth in the one-meter diving event for Franklin College at the Pebworth Invitational.

Franklin College captured the team title, defeating nine other teams.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate had one assist in limited playing time Saturday in SMU’s 84-69 loss to No. 5 Colorado.

The loss was the first of the season for SMU (3-1).

Rylie Stephens

The Triton Central graduate had seven points and one rebound Saturday for Samford in a 69-47 win over Alabama State.

Samford, now 4-0, is off to its best start since the 2008-09 season.

Drake Moore

The Morristown graduate finished with four points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal Saturday in Oakland City’s 79-70 overtime win over Welch College.

With the win, Oakland City improved to 2-3.

Tenleigh Phelps and Lizzie Graham

Phelps, a Triton Central graduate, scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had two assists Wednesday in IU South Bend’s 88-65 win over Bethel College.

Graham, also a Triton Central graduate, had one rebound and one steal.

The Titans are 6-0 this season.

Bella Larrison

The Waldron graduate had six points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals Saturday in Anderson’s 98-45 win over Kalamazoo that evened the Ravens’ record at 2-2 this season.

On Wednesday, Larrison scored a team-high 14 points and had four rebounds in an 82-62 loss at No. 10 Ohio Northern.

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Hauser outscored Southwestern 18-2 in the second quarter Monday to roll to a 39-24 Mid-Hoosier Conference victory.

The game was tied 6-all after the opening eight minutes before the Jets created separation with four made three-pointers in the second quarter.

Braelyn Williams hit a pair of 3s and scored 10 of her 11 points in the period. Erykah Everroad splashed one of her four made 3s in the game that helped her score a team-high 15 points.

And Bella Kilps hit a pair of 3s on the way to 10 points.

Hauser (2-4, 1-1 MHC) led 24-8 at halftime and 34-14 after three quarters.

Riley Engel led Southwestern (0-5, 0-3 MHC) with seven points. Bailey Taylor scored five points.

The Spartans played without Tanna Tatlock, who suffered an ankle injury in Friday’s loss at Shelbyville.

Hauser won the junior varsity game, 19-9. Emma Estes led Southwestern with three points.

The Spartans return to action Saturday afternoon when they host Trinity Lutheran (1-1). Hauser hosts Rising Sun (2-4) Saturday afternoon.

In another girls basketball game Monday:

Monrovia 76, Waldron 64

At Waldron, the visiting Bulldogs outscored the Mohawks 22-14 in the final quarter to end Waldron’s three-game win streak.

Ruby Murrell led Monrovia with 26 points. Allie Tallent finished with 21 points.

Monrovia improved to 4-3 while Waldron dropped to 3-4.

The Mohawks host Greenwood Christian (2-4) on Nov. 28.

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A pair of Shelbyville Golden Bears were named All-Conference by the Hoosier Heritage Conference.

Senior Jacob Harker was selected as an All-HHC offensive lineman while senior Axel Conover (main photo) was honored as an All-HHC defensive back.

A total of 32 players representing eight schools were named All-Conference.

Harker (photo below), Shelbyville’s center, was joined on the offensive line selections by New Palestine’s Ian Moore, Delta’s Jay Crawford and Greenfield-Central’s Brayden Flener and Reese Hill.

The All-HHC selections at wide receiver are Mt. Vernon’s Tre Jones, New Palestine’s Kyler Kropp, Pendleton Heights’ Caden Sims, Delta’s D’Amare Hood and Greenfield-Central’s Kirk Knecht.

The All-Conference quarterbacks are Yorktown’s Mason Moulton and Greenfield-Central’s Dallas Freeman.

At the running back position, New Palestine’s Grayson Thomas, Mt. Vernon’s Joliba Brogan and Yorktown’s Ayden Ewing were honored.

Pendleton Heights’ Dominic Apo was selected as the all-conference kicker.

On the defensive side of the ball, the All-HHC defensive linemen are Delta’s Braxton Russell, Greenfield-Central’s Payton Foley, New Castle’s Brenndon Thompson and New Palestine’s Abe Walling.

At the linebacker position, Greenfield-Central’s Jake Hinton, Pendleton Heights’ Nick Trout, Yorktown’s Jayce Key, Delta’s Landon Brooks and New Palestine’s Garrett Ranes were selected All-HHC.

Conover, who led the Golden Bears with 64 tackles and three interceptions, was joined by Mt. Vernon’s D.J. Johnson, New Castle’s Tylin Thrine, New Palestine’s Mason Hiatt and Pendleton Heights’ Nolan Souders and Clint Miller as defensive backs bestowed the All-HHC designation.

The all-conference punter is New Palestine’s Jake Wells.

New Palestine’s Kyle Ralph was named HHC Coach of the Year after leading the Dragons to the conference championship with a 7-0 record. New Palestine finished its season at 11-3.

Greenfield-Central was HHC runner-up at 9-2 (6-1 HHC). Pendleton Heights (7-3, 5-2) finished third ahead of Mt. Vernon (7-5, 4-3), Delta (8-5, 3-4), Yorktown (5-6, 2-5), Shelbyville (3-7, 1-6) and New Castle (1-9, 0-7).

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Genaro Garcia earned his first Leading Trainer title in 2017. This year, he topped the standings again, winning his fifth title in the past seven years at the conclusion of the 2023 racing season at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville.

Garcia’s horses won 73 races during the 123-day meet with purse earnings of more than $1.7 million. The tally marks a new record for most money earned in one season by a trainer in Horseshoe Indianapolis history.

“I want to thank everyone who made this possible,” said Garcia. “Our whole team in the barn and all the riders had a hand in this. I thank all of them for their hard work.”

Of the five titles, the win tally in 2023 is the highest for Garcia. He completes the 2023 season with 495 career wins and has now taken over the top spot on the list of all-time leading trainers. He was the only trainer to score a four-win day and added one triple and 11 doubles to his stat line.

He had many horses standout during the meet, but his two-year-olds really shined, including Molly’s Town, who was four for four on the year, including two stakes wins.

“I’m always surprised with our two-year-olds,” said Garcia. “That’s what excites me every year. They give you hope each year and it’s real exciting to see them. And you are always looking for the next two-year-old. That’s exciting. We start with our babies in September and work with them for 60 days, then we give them a break and start back with them.”

Garcia, who calls Central Indiana home, will keep some horses at Horseshoe Indianapolis for winter training and racing at Turfway, but he plans to spread out and race at other tracks, including Oaklawn and Fair Grounds. His younger horses get a break until next year’s meet, which begins April 8.

Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager, and Chris Polzin, Director of Racing, made the trophy presentation to Garcia in the winner’s circle during the final program.

“This is the type of day you never forget,” added Garcia. “This is a day that is special when you win one of these (titles).”

Leading Quarter Horse Trainer

It’s hard to talk about Indiana Quarter Horse racing without including the name Tony Cunningham (photo, center). The Michigan native made a commitment to support racing in Indiana during the first year of pari-mutuel action for Quarter Horses in 1997.

The 2023 season saw him win his first Leading Quarter Horse Trainer title at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Although he is the state’s all-time leading Quarter Horse owner, Cunningham had never secured a leading trainer title. He has finished second nine times since 2008 and is ranked second on the list of all-time leading Quarter Horse trainers with 339 wins and more than $7.5 million in earnings.

He holds several Quarter Horse owner records for most wins by an owner in one season, and has garnered three titles in that category, showing the depth of his success over the past 27 years.

“This title means so much and I can’t do any of this without our team,” said Cunningham. “It’s definitely a team effort and this is the best year we have ever had for Quarter Horses. This team has been a blessing.”

One of the main components of the Cunningham team is assistant Salvadore Villalobos, who oversees operations during the meet at Horseshoe Indianapolis while Tony and his wife, Lisa, keep the horses at their farm in Michigan going.

“Salvadore works hard,” added Cunningham. “We try to keep the horses that don’t ship well at the track and then rotate the others in and out. He’s a big part of that, and he oversees it very well. We took him to Detroit to complete all the steps and he is now a U.S. Citizen. He’s been with us for 13 years now, and we rely on him a lot in the barn.”

In all, the Cunningham barn has 13 employees between two locations. Although they have always had a few Thoroughbreds, this season saw them soar to new heights in that category as well, scoring several stakes wins during the season with the Thoroughbreds in their operation.

Cunningham was joined by several members of his team, including Villalobos, for the Leading Quarter Horse Trainer award prior to the last Quarter Horse race of the season. It was only fitting their horse, Credible, ridden by Martinez, was the final winner of the meet, boosting Cunningham to 36 wins and more than $1.2 million for the season.

He was the only trainer to top $1 million this year at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Leading Owner

It was another successful year for the partnership of Roger Spiess and Randy Klopp. The duo teamed up for their third straight leading owner title to close out the 2023 racing season at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Running under the name Spiess Stable LLC and Randy Klopp, the ownership duo scored 33 wins from 168 starts with purse money of more than $834,000. It was their second highest tally for purses as they set a new record for most purse money scored by a Thoroughbred owner last year of $986,241.

 “This is absolutely great (winning another owner title),” said Klopp. “We couldn’t do this without great help in the barn and without Roger buying us nice horses at the sales.”

Both Spiess and Klopp also thanked assistant trainer Amara Kranz for her hard work as well.

“Randy and his crew did a great job again,” added Spiess. “Our partnership goes well beyond 20 years and the entire barn works hard. A special thanks goes out to everyone in the barn and all the jockeys. It was another great year.”

Leading Quarter Horse Owner

The final Quarter Horse race of the season was contested on Nov. 16 and two ladies could not be separated atop the Leading Quarter Horse Owner standings. Jessi Vazquez and Pattie Marshall each completed the meet with eight wins to share the title.

Vazquez (photo, fifth from right) established new records in the trainer standings last season for the Quarter Horse ranks. Her success carried over to the owner standings this season as she earned eight wins as a owner with $123,000 in purse earnings.

“We had a rough start to the meet, so I guess it’s been the worst best year ever,” said Vazquez. “The year turned around for us. As they say, when God shuts one door another one opens. We have great owners and we want to thank all of them for helping us have a great year as a team.”

Vazquez and her husband, Giovani Vazquez-Gomez, work side by side everyday in the barn. They met in Marengo, Ill. when Giovani served as the jockey for Jessi’s father’s horses. They have been together for 10 years and have four children, Zuria, Giovani Jr., Miranda, and seven-month-old Ismael. Jessi noted he was born the day before the 2023 racing season started in April, and she watched her first race of the year from her hospital bed.

“I’m so honored to win this award,” said Jessi. “Our racing stable is a family operation. Everyone is related to us. A lot of the people are Gio’s cousins. And we have to send a special thanks to Hugo Macias. He works horses in the mornings and although he doesn’t get to ride as much as we wish he could, he works so hard. He’s a big part of our team.”

Along with Vazquez, Pattie Marshall (photo, center with blue coat) earned honors as the co-Leading Quarter Horse Owner of the Meet. Marshall is the owner of the year’s top Quarter Horse, Red Headed Beach, who won six races. Although she isn’t at the track a lot due to her commitment to barrel racing, she has been a long-time owner and supporter of Indiana racing. She and her husband, Brad, have several horses involved in racing and are also in the breeding industry as well. Marshall completed the season with eight wins and more than $400,000 in purse earnings for a stellar year on the track.

Pattie and her husband, Brad, were in attendance for Red Headed Beach’s win in the Miss Roxie Little Futurity during Indiana Champions Day. Although she has had several top 10 finishes in the past five years in the Quarter Horse Owner standings, this marks the first title for her at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

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GIANT fm will air the Indiana High School Athletic Association state championship Class A and Class 3A football games Friday beginning at 11 a.m.

The Class A game kicks off two days of state championship games at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The first title game is a rematch of the 2022 Class A state championship game.

Class A, No. 1 Indianapolis Lutheran (12-0) is seeking a third-straight state title but will have to defeat No. 2 Adams Central (14-0) for the second straight year.

Adams Central’s last loss came to Lutheran, 30-13, in the 2022 state championship game. Lutheran enters the contest with a 42-game win streak.

Adams Central’s only football state championship came in 2000.

The Class 3A state championship game also features the defending state champion and No. 1 ranked team in the class.

Top-ranked Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (14-0) will face Heritage Hills (13-1) in the 3A state championship game scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Chatard has won three of the last four 3A state championships, including the 2019 title over Heritage Hills, 34-3.

Heritage Hills’ only state title in football also came in 2000. The program’s only loss this season came to Gibson Southern on Sept. 22, 31-28. That loss was avenged Friday in a semistate win by Heritage Hills, 23-20.

Chatard has won 16 state football championships.

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It was not without drama all the way to the finish as Joe Ramos scored his second consecutive Leading Jockey title by one win, coming down to the final race of the meet. Ramos completed the season with 109 wins over Fernando De La Cruz with 108.

 Ramos, a native of Puerto Rico, started the season off slow but kicked into gear about a month in and began climbing the charts. By August, he had taken over the top spot and led all jockeys by several wins until the final month of the meet.

De La Cruz closed in the final three weeks and at one time tied Ramos, but Ramos retook the lead and held onto the title.

“First of all, I thank the Lord because he keeps me healthy and gives me the opportunity to do this again,” said Ramos, who has made his home in Shelbyville. “There are a lot of people that work hard for me. I worked hard for this, and I dreamed of this, but it wouldn’t be possible without all the people around me. My agent, Bones (Kerry Wirth), deserves the credit. He is the one that gets my business going and when we struggle, he takes me out of that and gets me back going.”

Ramos topped his tally of 106 wins from 2022. He completes the 2023 season with $3,233,548. A win percentage of 18% boosted him to the top along with a 48% top-three showing. He was also the tracks leading Apprentice Jockey in 2019.

“I feel very blessed to work around some great people,” added Ramos. “I thank Randy (Klopp) and Roger (Spiess) for the opportunity to ride for them and also, a thank you to all the people that work on the backside, such as the grooms and hotwalkers. They don’t get a lot of recognition, but they work very hard and are responsible for the horses doing so well.”

 Ramos was joined by many family and friends for his Leading Jockey presentation. Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager, made the presentation along with Chris Polzin, Director of Racing following the final race of 2023 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Leading Quarter Horse Jockey

Giovani Vazquez-Gomez began the 2023 season on top of the standings for all Quarter Horse jockeys and he ended the season on top to score his first career title at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Vazquez-Gomez earned 29 wins and more than $546,000 in purses to win the title over Rolando Pina with 25 wins.

A native of Mexico, Vazquez-Gomez has been among the top 10 jockeys at Horseshoe Indianapolis for the past eight seasons with several third-place finishes. He is ranked third on the list of all-time leading Quarter Horse jockeys with 137 wins and more than $3 million in earnings.

“Gio (Vazquez-Gomez) was the one who made the decision to try out Indiana eight years ago,” said his wife, Jessi Vazquez, who interpreted for him during the presentation. “He works so hard. He does it all, top to bottom. Sometimes he shoes horses before he comes in to ride. I’m so proud of him and he’s so deserving of this award. He says he is so happy to win this. It’s a great accomplishment for him.”

Giovani and Jessi Vazquez met near her hometown of Elgin, Illinois. He was the jockey for her father’s horses. They have been a team for the past 10 years with Jessi breaking several of her own records this season as the top female Quarter Horse trainer in Indiana. She completes the 2023 season with 33 wins to finish second in the Leading Quarter Horse Trainer standings.

Vazquez-Gomez was presented with a custom belt buckle for his win as Leading Quarter Horse Jockey. He was joined by Jessi along with their four children, Zuria, Giovani Jr., Miranda, and Ismael along with many of their family members for the winner’s circle presentation.

Leading Apprentice Jockey

Hannah Leahey and McKenna Anderson have been in sync all season. Both jockeys came into Indiana in the spring as apprentice jockeys. Both lost their apprenticeship the same week in late August, and both scored 16 wins during that time frame to earn the title in the 10^th annual Juan Saez Leading Apprentice award.

“It’s really cool and nice to get rewarded from all the hard work that we both put in throughout the year,” said Anderson. “We have worked with some really hard-working people here and we thank them for giving us this opportunity to ride.”

Leahey added, “It’s such an achievement. McKenna and I have been riding together from the beginning. It’s a great feeling to share this award with her. We thank all the barns that helped us get here.”

Leahey, a native of Bloomington, Ill., was introduced to Thoroughbred racing when she took on a job to help pay for her event (show) horses. She eventually pursued a career full time as a jockey, and began her career in March 2022 at Turf Paradise, winning her third start aboard Freiburg.

An injury sidelined her for a while and delayed her career as a jockey, but she returned this season at Oaklawn in Arkansas, which led her straight to Horseshoe Indianapolis. Leahey continued to win races after losing her apprenticeship and now has 21 wins to rank among the top 15 jockeys in her first season of competition in Indiana.

A native of Washington State, Anderson headed straight to the track after graduation and began working as a groom. She worked her way up through the ranks and received her jockey license in 2021 at her home track Emerald Downs, winning her first race aboard Tippytap on Sand. Her career then took her to Turf Paradise in Arizona before a move to the Midwest.

Anderson is spending her second year at Horseshoe Indianapolis. After limited starts last season, she came back this year and her career took off. She is currently tied for 11^th in the standings with 23 wins.

The tie between Leahey and Anderson is the second in the 10-year history of the award. Joe Ramos and Kendal Sterritt also tied for the title in 2019. Leahey and Anderson become the sixth and seventh female jockeys to win the award.

The Juan Saez Leading Apprentice Jockey award is named in honor of the 18-year-old Panamanian jockey, Juan Saez, who was tragically lost in a racing incident in 2014 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He was posthumously awarded the Leading Apprentice title that season, and the award was officially named after him.

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As the 2023 season comes to a close, Horseshoe Indianapolis honors the top performers of the 123-day meet.

Itzforever, from the Tony Granitz Stable, was crowned 2023 Leading Thoroughbred Horse of the Year in Shelbyville with five wins and a total of $244,150 in earnings.

 A three-year-old daughter of Forever d’Oro, Itzforever (photo, right) has been with the Granitz Stable from the beginning. She was a $60,000 purchase from the Fasig Tipton October Yearling Sale in 2021 by David Walters, who has been an owner with Tony Granitz for more than 20 years.

Now a resident of Nashville, Tenn., Walters had the best season of his career with Itzforever.

“This filly (Itzforever) was a second foal from a mare Tom Dorris used to race and she made quite a bit of money, so I liked her breeding,” said Granitz. “We knew there was a $10,000 reserve on her, but we had to go all the way to $60,000 to get her. This is the best horse David has ever owned and she gave him his two biggest stakes wins of his career.”

Itzforever won the $100,000 ITOBA Stallion Fillies and returned on Indiana Champions Day for a win in the $200,000 Lady Fog Horn, a race that means a lot to Granitz.

“We were so thrilled to win the Lady Fog Horn with her since we used to train Lady Fog Horn,” added Granitz. “That is a special win for us and one of the highlights of the meet.”

Itzforever and members of the Granitz Stable were presented with a blanket for the honor as Leading Thoroughbred Horse of the Year. Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager made the presentation along with Rachel McLaughlin, Racing Broadcast Production Manager at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“This filly has really come around this year,” added Granitz. “She didn’t show a lot as a two-year-old, but she came back strong this year. The first time Marcelino (Pedroza Jr.) rode her, he said she was waiting on horses and needed blinkers. As soon as we did that, she won four straight. She ended the year with five straight races on the dirt. Our team, including exercise rider Caleb (Longworth), groom Jaime (Conche), and Juan (Gongora), my assistant, have worked hard with her all year.”

Quarter Horse of the Year

It’s been quite a year for Red Headed Beach. The near perfect two-year-old filly completed the season with six wins in seven starts, setting all kinds of records along the way to be named 2023 Leading Quarter Horse of the Year at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

A daughter of Escondido Beach, the state’s top stallion for numerous years, Red Headed Beach began her career with a third-place finish. That’s the last time she saw the heels of her opponents. She reeled off six straight wins, including titles in three Futurities, a first in the history of Quarter Horse racing in Indiana.

“She’s a great horse and a super horse to be around,” said trainer Tim Eggleston. “She got her name when she was little but she’s not like that at all anymore. She’s a super gate horse and doesn’t make mistakes. That’s all you can ask.”

Red Headed Beach (photo) completed her freshman campaign with a total of $365,779, which set a new record for most purse money earned in one season by a Quarter Horse or a Thoroughbred. Her six wins also puts her in pretty impressive company as she joins Beach Cartel and Beach Treat for most wins in one season. She also joins Pistolpacking Pepsi, Beach Treat, and Valiantinecandyrocks for most stakes win in one season at three.

“For a two-year-old to break records like she did, that’s phenomenal,” added Eggleston. “We’ve had a great team effort behind her. My wife, Keli, has worked with her since she was a baby, so she has a special place in our barn.”

Owned by Pattie Marshall of Michigan, Red Headed Beach is currently taking a break from racing. She is in Texas where she is undergoing embryo transplant procedures with the hopes of having a foal from her sooner than later from a reset mare.

“She will stay in Texas until probably January,” noted Eggleston. “Then she will head back home, and she’ll be back next year.”

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Shelbyville overcame third-quarter struggles to score 20 points in the fourth quarter to defeat Franklin County Saturday night, 40-36.

The Golden Bears, now 5-1, did not make a field goal during a 2-point third quarter that saw them fall behind at Franklin County, 27-20.

Ellie Keller hit half of her four three-pointers over the final eight minutes and the Golden Bears outscored the Wildcats 20-9 in the final quarter.

Keller finished with a team-high 13 points. Ava Wilson had 11. Ella Johnson added seven points.

Nicole Mears topped Franklin County (4-2) with 23 points. Ruby Singer had eight points.

Shelbyville won the junior varsity game, 34-21, to improve to 6-0 this season.

The Golden Bears will open their Hoosier Heritage Conference schedule Saturday against Pendleton Heights (5-1, 2-0 HHC). The Arabians added wins over Greenfield-Central (55-26) and Pike (64-40) Friday and Saturday, respectively, and saw junior guard Kaycie Warfel eclipse 1,000 career points in the conference win over Greenfield-Central.

In other prep events Saturday:

Girls basketball

Triton Central 67, Indianapolis Lutheran 26

At Triton Central, the Class 2A, No. 14 Tigers raced out to a 23-7 lead after one quarter and cruised to their third Indiana Crossroads Conference victory of the season.

Maryrose Felling scored a game-high 17 points for Triton Central (3-2, 3-0 ICC). Brooklyn Bailey backed her effort with 16 points and Hailey Harris finished with 10.

Triton Central led 43-14 at halftime.

Caitlyn Brooks and Grace King each scored seven points to lead the Saints (1-2, 0-1 ICC).

Triton Central dominated the JV contest, 70-9. Layla Compton led the Tigers with 20 points. Sophia Burbrink had 13 and Farah Coen scored 10.

Triton Central is at Morristown (0-6) Wednesday for the traditional Thanksgiving Eve girls/boys varsity-only doubleheader.

Waldron 61, Rising Sun 56

At Rising Sun, the visiting Mohawks scored 20 fourth-quarter points to seal a come-from-behind road victory to improve to 3-3 this season.

Grace Fischer led Waldron, winners of three straight, with 24 points. Emerson Lindsey finished with 13 points and Alyssa Benson and Audrey Hogg each scored eight.

Waldron led 29-25 at halftime but trailed 44-41 at the end of three quarters.

Rising Sun dropped to 2-4 with the loss.

Waldron won the junior varsity game, 30-27. Evelyn Campbell and Jackie Corlett each had eight points to lead the Mohawks (3-3).

Waldron hosts Monrovia (3-3) Monday.

On Friday at Waldron, the Mohawks improved to 2-0 against Mid-Hoosier Conference opponents with a 57-41 win over Hauser.

After a nearly even first quarter, Waldron outscored the Jets, 19-5, in the second quarter to take a lead it would never relinquish.

Benson led Waldron with 14 points. Fischer had 12 and Corlett finished with eight.

Norah Berkenstock and Erykah Everroad each had 11 points for Hauser (1-4, 0-1 MHC).

Hauser won the JV game, 37-30. Malia Murphy led the Mohawks with 14 points.

Boys wrestling

Cloverdale Invitational

Shelbyville won all five dual matches to claim the championship trophy for the second year in a row.

The Golden Bears defeated KIPP Academy (63-0), Sheridan (74-12), Covington (72-6), Cloverdale (56-24) and South Putnam (52-24).

Individual bracket winners for Shelbyville were Tripp Garner (113 pounds), Jaylen Eads (138), Kamden Turner (144), Brady Bryant (150), Julian Eads (157), Andrew Burton (165), Reuben Martins-Thomas (175) and Jacob Harker (285).

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