CHARLESTOWN — Defending state champion Silver Creek’s 11-12 All-Star softball team became the first District V champion of the year with a 4-1 win over Highlander Youth Recreation on Tuesday at Charlestown Little League Park.
Silver Creek advanced to the state championship tournament, which will be played from July 17-21 in Elkhart.
Leading Highlander Youth Recreation 3-2 after two innings, Jeffersonville 11-12 All-Star coach Derek Ellis pulled his team aside.
Ellis was unhappy with his team’s offense, which had produced 23 runs in Jeff’s first two games.
After a 16-6 loss to Highlander Youth Recreation on Thursday, the Jeff/GRC 11-year-old All-Stars were in desperate need of a win to stay in the title hunt.
Thanks to a solid pitching performance by Harrison Dale and some power hitting by its offense, Jeff/GRC got exactly what it needed — a 6-3 victory over New Albany on Monday.
Life as a Little League umpire can be pretty rough at times.
You have to make close calls in a split second, withstand the sultry weather of the summer months and put up with spectators who will dispute every call you make.
Ever since his University of Louisville baseball career ended in June 2007, Daniel Burton has been doing something most baseball players can only dream about — getting paid to play the national pastime.
Former Jeffersonville High School and Indiana University star Ben Hesen might not be a part of this year’s United States Olympic team, but he’s still finding ways to leave his mark on the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Neb.
With success comes expectations.
And the expectations are off the charts for New Albany and Jeffersonville in this year’s District V 11-12 All-Star tournament.
There is always life after basketball, but it doesn’t always take place on the court.
In Daniel Farmer’s cage, the thirst for competition had to be caged.
Jeffersonville native Ben Hesen’s pursuit to make the United States Olympic team came to an end on Friday. But he did not want to leave the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., without producing some excitement
For many the recent resignation of Indiana University athletic director Rick Greenspan was a welcome sight. For others a question of why did he have to go arises.
CHARLESTOWN — After getting help from Jeff/GRC on Wednesday, the Highlander Youth Recreation 11-12 softball team earned a spot in Tuesday’s championship game with an 11-5 win over Charlestown on Thursday.
Jeffersonville native Ben Hesen fell short in his second attempt to make the United States Olympic team at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., on Thursday.
Ricky West is a big kid for his age. And he hits like it, too
The New Albany 9-10-year-old All-Star warmed up by hitting a couple of towering foul balls before connecting on a three-run home run to put the punctuation mark his team’s 19-3 victory over Silver Creek in Wednesday’s pool-play matchup at Charlestown Little League Park.
Despite Ben Hesen failing to qualify for the Summer Olympics in the 100-meter backstroke on Tuesday in Omaha, Neb., his high school coach says the former Jeffersonville High School standout has nothing to be ashamed of.
For the third straight time in this week’s United States Olympic Trials, Ben Hesen set a personal-best time in the 100-meter backstroke.
CHARLESTOWN — Chase Smith’s opposite-field grand slam led to an eight-run fourth inning, an inning that keyed Highlander Youth Recreation’s 10-7 win over Silver Creek in the District V 9-10 All-Star tournament on Tuesday.
Earlier in the fourth, HYR had drawn even with Silver Creek with three runs. Kyle Peters opened the inning with a single and went to second on an error.
Since he started coaching basketball more than 30 years ago, Mike Broughton’s mentality has always been to chase down wins.
CHARLESTOWN — New Albany and Jeffersonville/GRC continued on their collision course in the District V 11-12 All-Star tournament on Monday at Charlestown Little League Park.
Jeffersonville native Ben Hesen is one race away from making his Olympic dreams come true.
When Amanda Sizemore was hired as the head girls’ basketball coach at Paoli, she gave administrators her full commitment with one caveat — if the New Albany job came open, she would pursue it.
You may remember a piece we had in this column some months ago about the color red, and our suggestion that you might want to have a word with your coach about changing your strip if it was any other shade.
CHARLESTOWN — Kyle Bramble hit a walk-off triple to give Highlander Youth Recreation a 5-4 win over rival New Albany in both teams’ opener in the District V 13-14 All-Star tournament at Charlestown Little League Park on Monday.
Ben Hesen has proven himself against the best in Indiana, and he’s grabbed conference and national championships at the college level.
CHARLESTOWN — For Jeffersonville/GRC’s 11-12 All-Star baseball team, pitching and defense are givens.
If it hits, it’s hard telling how far it could go.
CHARLESTOWN — Highlander Youth Recreation came back from 4-0 and 6-2 deficits to pull off a stunning 7-6 win in eight innings over Jeffersonville/GRC in 11-12 District V softball tournament on Saturday.
CHARLESTOWN — Defending state champion New Albany showed that it is going to be a force to be reckoned with again in 2008.
A record number of Southern Indiana players showed off their talent at this week’s U.S. Youth Region II Championships in Rockford, Ill.
Whether you are a golfer with a low handicap or one who has just picked up the game, Clark and Floyd County residents have plenty of area courses to choose from to fit their respective handicaps.
Johnelle Hardin’s high school football career got off to a late start.
Turns out it will take just a little longer for it to wrap up as well.
Every summer, tens of thousands of players throughout the United States play on American Legion Baseball teams.
However, for the past several years, Southern Indiana has not had a Legion squad.
That has changed this summer.
D.J. Zipp has always loved volleyball, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sometimes feel like work.
But the fruits of that labor will be evident on Saturday, when the head coach of the Borden volleyball team will host the 2008 edition of the Zipp Family Rumble on the River at Sacred Heart Church in Jeffersonville. The tournament will begin at 9 a.m.
Hannah Sullivan is never very quiet on the court, so this is likely a new experience for the former New Albany volleyball star.
I was a mischievous kid, prone to petty acts of vandalism and rebellion. So when I started high school, I was a little afraid of George Marshall.
For fans of Little League baseball, it’s like Christmas, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July all rolled up into one.
But this is a holiday that lasts more than two weeks.
A collective groan from disappointed golf fans from across Kentuckiana could be heard last week when Tiger Woods announced he would be out for the rest of the season, including the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, with reconstructive knee surgery.
However, local golf fans will still be able to see the best player in the history of golf up close and personal, thanks to Fuzzy Zoeller.
Six area players, including two from Jeffersonville High School, have earned honorable-mention honors on the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State teams.
Two Southern Indiana players have made it to today’s U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championship semifinals in Rockford, Ill.
With the high-school basketball season over for months and school out for the summer, New Albany center Donnie Hale has definitely earned some rest and relaxation.
Clarksville High School athletic director Troy Mitchell plays a lot of roles, but once a year he gets a to add another — event planner.
“I just gave a verbal commitment to Indiana,” said Baker. “That’s where I’ve been thinking I was going to go — it was just time to make it official.”
Becky Shafer almost calls it a gift.
The Jeffersonville High School softball coach loves the fact that her team gets an opportunity to continue playing games well into the summer months.
"Rondo was the star. He was the guy out there that made the plays, got the steals, pushed their offense into high drive and created havoc for us."
The biggest difference is athletic ability. Jordan is, hands down, the greatest athlete ever to grace the NBA hardwood. Kobe is merely a marvelous athlete.
The Jeffersonville baseball team opened the 2008 National High School Baseball Tournament without victory or defeat. Instead, Jeff found itself in the middle by earning a tie.
Here’s the kicker: Indiana still drew more than twice the fans Kentucky did two days later when it was time for them to play the role of host. Those hoops-loving Bluegrassers, all 2,200 of them, were treated to a pair of Kentucky wins.
Column: This was arguably the most lopsided championship series in NBA history that wasn't a sweep.
But this beauty belonged to the guys who really made it happen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. That's right, "The Big Three." It's a moniker this newest version earned. You win a championship, well, you are Big with a capital "B."
Floyd Central High School graduate Dallas Sims has landed on the mound in a new league — the Frontier League.
Sims, who just completed his collegiate career at Lee University in Tennessee, recently signed on as a member of the Windy City Thunderbolts.
Jeffersonville will serve as a host site this week for the 2008 National High School Baseball Tournament at Don Poole Field.
A record number of Southern Indiana players will travel to Rockford, Ill. this week to participate in the U.S. Youth Soccer Regional Championships.
They will be part of teams from Javanon, United 1996 and Mockingbird, which recently won the Kentucky State Open Cup in their respective age groups at the end of May.
LOUISVILLE — Braydon Hobbs wasn’t much of a factor, but then again neither were his Indiana All-Star teammates.
The former New Albany star played sparingly, spending most of the game watching the Kentucky All-Stars score from the inside, the perimeter and the 3-point line in Sunday’s 95-78 win over the Hoosier stars at Louisville Gardens.
The Celtics were banged up — center Kendrick Perkins didn't play because of a shoulder strain and point guard Rajon Rondo's ankle is still subpar — but L.A. deserves some credit.
Column
Ben Hesen had a senior year to remember at Indiana University.
The Hoosier swimmer was the star of the Big Ten Championships and capped off his final collegiate season by winning a coveted national championship.
Jeremy Hutslar is ready to leave his college baseball career in the past. He’s already begun making plans for the future.
But after a wildly successful and accolade-filled senior season at Lee University, the former Floyd Central star still had one more award left to collect.
William S. Johnson, Jr, a former Indiana All-Star at Jeffersonville and the son of the legendary Red Devil coach with whom he shared his name, passed away in Louisville on Thursday. He was 67.
Austin Hines is just one of those kids who can’t sit still.
Summer hardly means vacation time for the Jeff/GRC Little Leaguer, it’s just an extension of an already crowded sports slate for the 12-year-old.
INDIANAPOLIS - New Albany's Braydon Hobbs finally got an opportunity to play at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night.
And it was enjoyable.
A look at the Evening News and Tribune's top sports stories of the Spring
I did enjoy watching the Lakers fold like a cheap card table in Game 4 in front of all the Hollywood celebs, so it hasn't all been for naught.
Pierce, the L.A. kid who grew up loving the Lakers and despising the Celtics, simply put, bettered the best player in the world, Kobe Bryant. His block of Bryant's baseline jumper in the third quarter and then steal was a play I had never seen before against Bryant.
Braydon Hobbs has heard all the stories, now he’s living the life firsthand.
Hobbs, a recent graduate of New Albany High School, is basking in a life of stardom this week — a week he’s spent touring with the Indiana All-Star team.
Auto racing column: The lawsuit filed against NASCAR by a former employee ought to be a concern to the sport.
FRANKLIN — Entering Wednesday’s action in the IHSAA boys’ golf state finals at The Legends of Indiana Golf Course, Trey Pfund was one of the hottest golfers in the state.
Column
NBA Finals column:
Sports column: Professional baseball’s juiciest storyline of the season is the one yet to be penned. It’s hanging over home plate like a Tim Wakefield changeup just waiting to be knocked out of the park.
Sports column
FRANKLIN — The Providence boys’ golf team must wait a day to find out the answers to two important questions.
One, will the Pioneers advance to the final round of the IHSAA State Finals at The Legends of Indiana Golf Course?
It’s been a long, strange and successful trip for Maggie Gilstrap.
And now, even when it’s over, there’s still one more journey to make.
We are now in the midst of the busiest time in the youth travel soccer calendar.
Unfortunately for soccer mom and dads, it has coincided with gas prices hitting an all-time high at $4 a gallon.
But how much of an impact will it have? Will we see it hit the standard of soccer, with less participation at the higher levels?
Pro basketball column
NEW YORK (AP) — When Big Brown turned for home, something wasn’t right.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux knew the big bay colt was finished. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who guaranteed racing’s first Triple Crown in 30 years, knew it, too.
SEYMOUR — As it turned out, the gusty winds carried more than golf balls.
On a hot, sticky day at Seymour’s Shadowood Golf Course, the winds of change were in full force, as Floyd Central’s run of consecutive state championships officially came to an end at Friday’s boys’ golf regional.
The season ended on Friday for one dominant Silver Creek singles player and a high-powered doubles tandem for Floyd Central at the IHSAA State Finals at North Central High School in Indianapolis.
NEW YORK — The Triple Crown trail is littered with colts whose feet failed them along the way. Less than 24 hours before the biggest horse race in three decades, favorite Big Brown and his Japanese challenger, Casino Drive, took steps in opposite directions.
The cracked hoof that stood between trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.’s big bay colt and the sport’s first Triple Crown since 1978 was covered with an acrylic patch Friday, ending a weeklong drama.
"It was me," said Bryant, referring to his shooting problem. "I missed bunnies. I had a lot of good looks. I just missed them."
New Albany graduate Drew Haynes and the University of Louisville baseball team had a tough act to follow this past season.
Last year, the Cardinals reached the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., for the first time in school history, and the 2008 U of L squad faced high expectations in trying to duplicate that feat.
Defending a championship is one of the most challenging things to do in sports, especially when a team loses all of its starters.
The Floyd Central boys’ golf team has found that out the hard way this season. The two-time defending state champions have had several ups and downs in 2008 after losing each of their top five players to graduation.
Kyle Busch isn't the most popular driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but the results say to this point in the 2008 season, he's been the best.
Jeffersonville will have just one youth football league next fall, following a tense and often emotional meeting Wednesday night.
Pro basketball column
JEFFERSONVILLE — All season, the Jeffersonville baseball team has taken pride in its sound defense. As a result, the Red Devils won 24 games and captured their second straight sectional championship.
But on Wednesday night at Don Poole Field, Jeff’s defense did something rare — it collapsed.
With temperatures approaching the 90’s on a hot and humid afternoon at the ballpark, the last thing one may have expected to hear about was snow.
But once one thing went against Henryville in a 12-5 loss to Jac-Cen-Del in the Class A Regional — the snowball effect took over in a hurry.
Celtics-Lakers barely nudges the interest meter. Why? Because Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are a combined 99-years old, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might be 99 by now, that’s why.
SELLERSBURG — If you hadn’t heard that the Indianapolis Colts were coming to town, it probably didn’t take you long to figure it out.
The Jeffersonville and Henryville baseball teams will have to wait a day in trying to capture a regional crown.
FLOYDS KNOBS — At the start of the boys’ golf season, several people thought Floyd Central’s five-year reign as sectional champions could be in jeopardy after the Highlanders lost the entire nucleus of their 2007 state championship team.
A record number of Southern Indiana players have tasted success at the Kentucky State Open Cup tournament finals held at Bowling Green and Lexington.
The times have been set for Tuesday’s local IHSAA baseball regionals at Jeffersonville and Henryville.
Less-heralded than Rose in the eyes of NBA Draft experts, D.J. Augustin (Texas) and Russell Westbrook (UCLA) are point guards who are proven winners at the highest level of collegiate competition.
Got a team going places? Let us know it. Got a big event or camp on the horizon? Let us announce it.
