Men’s basketball opens Sectional against Fishers March 2, enters tournament without four seniors
March 2, 2010
SENIOR NIGHT: Senior Alex Payne is recognized at Senior Night for the men's basketball regular season finale against Brebeuf on Feb. 26, a game Carmel won 59-43. Payne, who scored 28 points in that game, will be the only Carmel senior to play in the Sectional tournament, which begins March 2 in the Eric Clark Activity Center. NICK JOHNSON / PHOTO
The men’s varsity basketball team starts off its Sectional tournament tonight against Fishers. The game starts at 6 p.m. at the Eric Clark Activity Center.
Despite the recent allegations that resulted in the removal of four senior players from the varsity team, Head Coach Mark Galloway said the team is solely focused on basketball at this point. Galloway refused to comment on the incident because it is still under investigation, but he said the team will continue to prepare for the tournament. Read more
Clutch shooting key in Sectional play
February 25, 2010
TO THE HOOP: Junior Joshua Baldridge drives in for a layup against Center Grove. Baldridge has proven to be a clutch shooter throughout the season, as he has shot the highest free throw percentage on the team.
By Parker Myers
<pmyers@hilite.org>
Walk into men’s basketball Head Coach Mark Galloway’s office and you’ll find a room dominated by Carmel basketball. One of the most apparent objects in the room is a large board that personifies Galloway’s heavy emphasis on free throw shooting. “We do a free throw ladder, and (junior Joshua) Baldridge is our number-one guy right now,” Galloway said. “He makes free throws; there’s no denying he can make 25 in a row.”
As the Hounds advance into Sectional play next Tuesday against Fishers at 7:30 p.m. , there’s no doubt that Baldridge’s ability to shoot free throws will come in good use. Many of Carmel’s games this season have come down to the wire, and the teams that win Sectional games tend to be teams that can hit free throws down the stretch.
Baldridge is averaging 6.8 points per game off the bench, along with 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He has also made 21 out of 22 free throw attempts, good for 95.5 percent, leading the Hounds in free throw percentage. Becoming the best free throw shooter on Carmel’s team didn’t come easily, however.
Baldridge said, “I used to shoot 100 free throws everyday.”
The hard work has paid off, and Galloway said he has certainly noticed. “Josh has played great. He’s given us exactly what we need off the bench,” Galloway said. “He is a tough kid; he exemplifies toughness and aggressiveness. He’s an exceptional shooter.”
Carmel takes a 13-6 record into tomorrow’s game against Brebeuf Jesuit despite owning the state’s toughest schedule according to the Sagarin Ratings. According to The Indianapolis Star, the Greyhounds have played six of the top 13 teams in the state, and their last seven opponents combine for a 71-24 record.
However, Sectional play has always come tough for the Hounds. The team has brought home a Sectional Championship only twice in the past 17 years and only one Regional Championship in the same span of time.
Nonetheless, Galloway said he believes this team has the makings of a strong contender. “You have to be able to defend. This team is capable of playing great defense,” Galloway said. “The championship teams we’ve had here have really been able to defend well, execute a game plan defensively and take things away from the other team.”
Baldridge listed the same characteristics of a Sectional Championship team. “We play well as a team. There’s not a lot of selfishness,” Baldridge said. “A team that plays good defense, good effort, is unselfish and plays well together.”
Galloway said his goal for defense has been to hold opposing teams to 55 points a game. So far, the Hounds are allowing an average of 54.1 points a game. But it may take more than strong defense to win a Sectional Championship.
Baldridge’s ability to shoot may be the key to success. In last December’s game against North Central, he hit a three-pointer with just over 40 seconds left to ice the game for the Hounds.
“He’s got a lot of confidence,” Galloway said. “If it’s a tight ballgame, we’ve got to have him on the floor.”
TIMEOUT TALK: Head Coach Mark Galloway gives the bench a pep talk during the Center Grove game as the rest of the team is on the court. The Hounds begin Sectional play March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eric Clark Activity Center.
Inclement weather makes golfers’ preparation difficult
February 25, 2010
ON PAR WITH PRACTICE: Senior Nathan Mueting works on his golf stroke at indoor turf at Prarie View Golf Academy to keep up his game during the winter months. Mueting works on his strokes by striking the ball out into the field that the indoor heated stalls open up to.
By Andrew Browning
Senior Nathan Mueting hasn’t played a round of golf in an uncomfortably long time. Last year at the State meet he shot the second lowest score on the team, 79, but the Hounds still failed to make the cut by six strokes. The team could have a legitimate chance as a title contender this season as it returns all five State participants from last year, but the harsh Indiana winter this year has prevented them from actually hitting the course. Yet Mueting and many of his teammates said they have found ways to work around the unforgiving climate and continue to improve their game.
“I just hit balls at Prairie View Golf Academy three times a week,” Mueting said. “It’s indoor stalls that are heated and you’re inside but you’re hitting out of big garage doors. It’s cool, and it’s an advantage for living in cold weather and still being able to hit outside.”
A common adage among high school sports coaches is, “Champions are made in the off-season.” But can that really be the case when all a player has to work with to improve his game is a heated garage? Head Coach Chad Carr said he still believes the winter is a valuable training period for his players.
“Players who take the game seriously know golf is a year-round sport. Players will work on their game in the winter, as this is a critical time to make improvements and focus on their swing,” Carr said via e-mail. “Some players will see a swing coach throughout the winter, hit balls out of heated stalls at the driving range, as well as work on their short game. The bottom line is they are doing something to keep their game in tune or working on ways to improve it.”
Although players have the option of working on their short game on indoor greens, Mueting said that is an aspect of the game that is tough to recreate indoors.
“Prairie View has an indoor green and you can putt on it but it’s not the greatest,” he said. “That’s one big disadvantage, but everybody’s going through it so when it comes to tryouts it’s a level playing field.”
Tryouts for the team begin March 15, the first day official practice is allowed. Senior Grant Meade said he expects the first few days to be a bit of a challenge since none of the players will have many rounds under their belt yet.
“It’s tough. That’s where, I guess for the first couple weeks talent kind of wins out, and everything relies on fundamentals,” Meade said. “You don’t really gain your feel until April.”
With the team’s first match of the year on March 30, a mere two weeks after tryouts, there could be some concern as to whether or not the players will be ready. Carr said it takes every golfer a different amount of time to shake off the rust, but those who have spent time working on their game over the winter, like Mueting and Meade, are typically quickest to find their stride.
“It depends on how much effort they have put in over the winter. Those who have prepared usually get back into the flow of things in a few weeks,” Carr said. “I have a team of dedicated players who are looking forward to our first match.”
Although they may not have very much time to prepare for their first match, the Hounds’ varsity golfers will still bring plenty of experience to the table. All five of last year’s State participants return this season as seniors, and Mueting said he hopes that leadership can help establish a winning work ethic.
“Obviously we are hoping to give it a run at State, and hopefully the people who need to step up can step up and everybody’s working hard,” Mueting said. “If everybody’s doing what they need to be doing things will turn out well.”
“The fact that I have five State participants returning is a wonderful thing,” Carr said. “But we can’t rely on what we did in the past. We can only focus on what we have to do in the future.”
The Varsity Decision
February 25, 2010
FIRED UP: Freshman lacrosse player Jenna Turner heads down the field, attempting to catch a pass from a teammate. The women’s lacrosse team practices at the Off the Wall sports facility after school.
When freshman Jenna Turner started her first year of high school, she decided to take the path less traveled by her older brother and sister throughout their high school careers. She decided to play lacrosse after running varsity track in middle school. Unlike her siblings, who had both competed in varsity sports, Turner instead turned to a club sport not sponsored by the school. By doing this, she joined a seemingly growing number of athletes choosing to forgo traditional school sports in favor of club sports. Read more
Peyton’s potential ‘peyday’ with new contract
February 25, 2010
‘PEY-ING’ BACK Peyton Manning takes time out of his professional schedule to visit Parker Bandy, a patient at the Peyton Manning’s Children Hospital. Bandy is a big fan of Manning, who offered him front row Colts tickets.
The question “Who dat?” is not asked when talking about Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning.
Right before the devastating loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, Manning received some not so devastating news about his future contract renewal. The Colt’s owner, Jim Irsay, announced he plans to keep Manning until he retires and is willing to pay a good amount of money to do so. Irsay said he plans to make Manning the highest-paid player in National Football League (NFL) history.
Being drafted in 1998 to the Colts, Manning signed a $48 million contract. He first renewed his contract in 2004, when he signed a $99.2 million contract and also received a $34.5 million signing bonus. According to ESPN.com, when his contract runs out in 2010, Manning is projected to be offered $20 million per year along with a signing bonus in the realm of $50 million.
As of 2009, Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers was the highest-paid NFL player, with an annual salary of $16.683 million. Carson Palmer and Manning’s younger brother, Eli, were not far behind Peppers. According to Irsay, the only person with comparable talent to Manning, is New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady who is also looking to renew his contract during the off-season. However Irsay said he is keeping an eye on Brady’s contract so that Manning’s offer will be the highest.
The top NFL salary has dramatically increased over time and many well-known players have gotten the honor. In fact, Manning’s father, Archie Manning, who coincidentally was the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, was declared the top-paid player in 1981. However, Archie’s salary was a bit smaller than the number his middle son is looking to see in the near future. Archie made $600,000 in that season, with Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton coming in a close second.
So, is Manning deserving of this big reward? In my opinion, this is not a hard question at all. It is a definite yes.
Manning primarily deserves the honor because of his contributions to the Colts and Indianapolis on the playing field. Manning is the first NFL player ever, to be named most valuable player (MVP) four times. He was also named the MVP of Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Manning is one of only four quarterbacks to throw for more than 50,000 yards. He is currently third all-time in career touchdown passes and he has played in the Pro Bowl nine times. Not to mention his two appearances in the Super Bowl within the last five years.
Although he has some of the best statistics of any quarterback in football history, he is not only deserving of the money because of his athletic talent, but also because of his generosity.
According to looktothestars.org, a Web site that tracks celebrity charity news, events, foundations and causes, Manning has continuously supported various causes such as AIDS research, disaster relief and human rights. He has previously donated to the Red Cross, and is now a member of the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet.
However, his two most prominent charities are the Saint Vincent Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and the Peyback Foundation. The children’s hospital was named for Manning on Sept. 6, 2007, because of his tremendous donations to the organization. The Peyback Foundation was founded by Manning himself to care for the disadvantaged children of Louisiana, where Manning grew up; Tennessee, where he went to college and Indiana, where he is currently living. Through the Peyback Foundation, Manning donated $10,000 to the East Tenth United Methodist Children and Youth Center. The center he funded was built to care for and educate the underprivileged children of downtown Indianapolis.
In fact, in 2007 alone, Manning donated $500,000 to 70 different youth-related agencies in Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana. Manning was even awarded with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2005, which is awarded to a NFL player for both his involvement in community service activities and his excellence on the field.
My opinion of the quarterback was further validated through a personal experience this past December. A family friend, Parker Bandy, was sent to the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital to receive surgery. After Bandy’s grandfather contacted the Colts saying what a huge fan Bandy was, Manning himself showed up in his hospital room to visit Bandy, take pictures and to offer him front row tickets to the Tennessee Titans game.
Peyton Manning has become a huge phenomenon and a key part of the Indianapolis Colts because of his talents and his character. According to a Harris poll survey taken in 2009, Manning is the seventh most popular American male sports star and the favorite American football player. Despite coming short of winning another Lombardi Trophy, Peyton is obviously an inspiration to people all over the country and is at the top of my list of athletes deserving this kind of reward.
Alex Mackall is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at <amackall@hilite.org>.
Women’s basketball team prepares for off-season
February 19, 2010
The CHS women’s basketball team ended its season on Feb. 10 with a first round Sectional loss to HSE, 47-45. The Hounds finished the season 14-7 and now have a few months to regroup before they begin preparing for next year.
Forward and junior Torrie Thornton said the team’s off-season begins after Spring Break in April, and she said she and her teammates will spend plenty of time playing basketball in the months that follow.
“Most of the girls on the team play AAU, so for the summer we are always playing,” Thornton said, “and our off-season will start in April, so we will be in the gym every day.”
Head Coach Scott Bowen said the team met on Feb. 16 to discuss the season that just ended and will continue working out a plan of attack for the next one.
“We sat down and talked about team goals, what we want to do as a team,” Bowen said. “Obviously we want to win our last game next year. We kind of came up with a team motto we are going to use next year and figured out some of the steps we are going to have to go through to accomplish that. A lot of them just have to do with talking more as a team and being better teammates—team chemistry is huge. We just need to get to that point where we are all on the same page.”
Although the Hounds had an early exit from the State tournament this season, Thornton said she has high hopes for next year. The team graduates only one senior, forward Annie Rubendunst, and Thornton said that returning six varsity players will play to the Hounds’ advantage next season.
“It’s definitely going to help with team chemistry,” Thornton said. “Even though we lost Annie who was our senior leader, all the sophomores will be back and a year older and Lucy (DeFruscio) and I will be seniors, so hopefully we can come together and do better next year.” By Andrew Browning <abrowning@hilite.org>
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