Brian Moore is the Managing Editor of High School Sports - The Magazine. A 1998 graduate of Indian Creek High School, Brian was an All-Conference and All-County athlete in basketball and baseball.

In 2004, Brian graduated from IUPUI with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Political Science. In June 2006, he finished runner-up in the nationwide FoxSports.com "Next Great Sportswriter II" contest. He also currently writes a weekly sports column for the Daily Journal in Johnson County. Brian and his wife, Christie, have two children, with a third on the way in June 2008.

His favorite sport is baseball and Brian's favorite team is the Boston Red Sox.

Here we are, winding down another sports season.

Girls tennis is complete, and we recapped Park Tudor's historic run for a fourth consecutive team title.

Softball state semifinals get underway Friday, with three local teams vying for a shot a state titles on Saturday (Franklin Central, New Palestine and Lutheran). Find out how they made it to this point here.

Boys and girls track teams ended their seasons last weekend down on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington. Many titles were won by local teams and student-athletes, so check out the boys results here and the girls here.

Friday, the Hoosiers Reunion All-Star Game will take place at the historic gym in Knightstown.

Needless to say, the recent storms have been reeking havoc on high school sports state tournaments. Last night's baseball regionals were postponed and we'll have to see how well the area golf courses dry out before Thursday's regional action.

Yet it's important to note how little some canceled events matter in the grand scheme of things. Many people have had their lives affected by the recent severe weather, and here at HSSTM we'd like to let them know our thoughts are with them.

A little short on time today, but I know it's been nearly a week or longer since I did, as Dave calls it, "a little blogger." Remember, we're busy working on some really cool things here, so I'll blame that on the length of time between blogs for me.

(That, and my Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference Finals showdown with the San Antonio Spurs.)

Heading out to New Palestine here in a few to check out the baseball sectional title game between New Pal and Rusvhille. New Pal has a dynamic team (26-2) and the Dragons pitching ace, senior Patrick Kraft, has been nearly unhittable this season. He went the full six innings and struck out eight to move to 10-0 on the season in the Dragons 1-0 victory against Hamilton Heights.

No. 2 New Pal has been on a tear during the month of May and a sectional title would certainly cap a terrific season - though I'm sure they won't want the tournament ride to end there.

Of all the games this week, I was highly intrigued by the Brebeuf - Chatard showdown in Class 3A baseball sectionals on Wednesday, and not just because I spent some time with the Brebeuf team in preparation for one of the feature stories in the new June issue. Chatard (25-4) came into the game ranked No. 3 in the state, while Brebeuf (21-5) ranked No. 7. A top 10 showdown in a sectional semifinal? Wow. The Braves topped the Trojans and will play for the title tonight at Brebeuf, with a game time of 6 p.m.

Track state finals are taking place today and tomorrow at Indiana University in Bloomington. The girls meet begins today at 1 p.m., while the boys have a similar start time tomorrow.

Five of the top 6 ranked girls track teams are from Central Indiana, and under the right circumstances and performances any can win: No. 1 North Central, No. 2 Lawrence North, No. 3 Warren Central, No. 5 Westfield and No. 6 Park Tudor.

North Central's strongest events are in the relays, long jump and shot put, as is Lawrence North's. Warren Central always runs strong sprints and hurdles, but are missing star Ebony Wright. Westfield could get in done on distance events, while Park Tudor will rely on Hannah Farley (first in the 400, second in the 200, anchor in 1600 meter relay) to put the Panthers in contention. Should be a great one today in Bloomington.

Enjoy the weekend, graduations and all these exciting tournament events!

Well, folks, here we are, just a few days/weeks (depending on your school locale) from the end of the academic and athletic year.

 There is always a gradual feeling of finality to late May and early June here in Central Indiana. High school seniors are moving on, spring sports state tournaments are winding down and even our favorite television programs are signing off until September.

Summer break is bearing down on us like a freight train. But there's no "real break" as well all know. Parents, coaches and administrators will keep working, preparing for the fall. Student-athletes will be busy busting their tails to get ready for the coming sports seasons.

Here at HSSTM, we're no different. In fact, we're busy working on some really cool stuff for our magazine and Web site that I just can't talk about right now (Yes, that's a tease.) But keep checking back online here, as well as in the magazine - as we have huge things planned for June, July, August and September. (All this hype will be worth it, trust me).

On with the news...

• Heritage Christian athletic director Jeff Hester will be taking over the same position at Columbus North. Though Columbus is slightly out of our coverage area, we wish Jeff the best and hope to keep in touch with him - perhaps we'll expand our coverage areas in the future and Columbus North and Columbus East will fall under that umbrella (ella, ella, ella).

Softball Sectionals

• Strong performance from Center Grove junior pitcher Emily Gwaltney in the Class 4A No. 1Trojans 2-1 victory against Whiteland at the Franklin Central softball sectional last night. Gwaltney (featured on the cover story from our April 2008 issue) struck out eight and went 2-for-4 at the plate in guiding Center Grove to an opening round win.

• Class 4A No. 5 Avon dominated Tech 18-0 in five innings at Decatur Central behind winning pitcher Jenny Esparza's two-run triple.

• Decatur Central topped Pike, 5-1, behind Farrah Mitchell's nine-strikeouts. Micah Docherty knocked in three runs to help the Hawks. Avon and Decatur Central will meet for the title on Saturday.

• Beech Grove got a strong performance from Beth Lewis, who hit a three-run homer and struck out eight on the mound, in a 14-3 victory against Northwest in five innings.

• Ty Bremer pitched a no-hitter, complete with 12 strikeouts, to lead Class 2A No. 1 Scecina to a 18-0 victory against Park Tudor.

• Another no hitter in Class 2A came from Indian Creek, in combined effort from Lindsey Richards and reliever Shino Kato in a five inning, 13-0 victory against Triton Central.

• Class A No. 2 Lutheran topped Morristown 12-0 courtesy of Morgan Lewis' two home runs.

Baseball

• In Brownsburg's 10-0, five-inning victory against Fishers yesterday, senior Mark Conover threw a no-hitter. Conover struck out seven and walked just three in this impressive performance. You may remember Mark's fascinating story in our April 2007 inaugural issue, which you can read again here.

Before we delve into the high school sports news from around the area, I thought I would pass along a little advice to all those between the ages of 18-25.

When you drive down the street, be it in a souped-up car or a pickup truck or a squeaky clean SUV, you've probably passed a minivan or two in your time behind the wheel. And more than likely, many of you have thought, "I will never own a minivan, it just won't happen. I'll put my kids in three cars before I buy one of those."

Everyone thinks this and truly believes it. Well, I've got news for ya: you will buy a minivan. Oh yes, you will.

And here's why: because invariably, everyone buys a minivan at some point in life. My wife and I, who are expecting a third child next month, always said we would never drive a minivan. I had a sweet truck with a 6-inch bodylift, chrome wheels, dual exhausts, leather seats, I'm telling you, the works.

But life started, the bills and babies came and before you know it, I found myself eyeballing a Chrysler Town & Country and thinking, "That one looks really good, it has the safety latches to strap the kids in and low mileage."

You don't believe me now...but it will happen to you too. Trust me.

On with the high school sports news from around Central Indiana:

• Got a nice note from New Palestine softball coach Ed Marcum yesterday, talking all about junior pitcher Sara Evans (pictured right) unbelievable performance on the mound last Friday. Evans, in the Dragons 10-0, 5-inning win over Connersville, struck out all 15 hitters she faced for a truly perfect game. "It was something I had not seen before and it was very exciting," Marcum said.

• Triton Central has revived the annual Tiger Scramble, a golf event to raise funds to help student-athletes achieve their very best. The school is hoping to raise enough money to provide scholarships for skill development camps and other opportunities for athletes who may not be able to go on their own. The scramble is on Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. at The Links Golf Course in New Palestine. Contact Tigers athletic director Bobby Thompson at (317) 835-3000 or bthompson@nwshelby.k12.in.us.

• Congrats to Cathedral, the 2008 City Tournament champions. Tyler Koors pitched a three-hitter for the Class 4A No. 4 Irish in a 11-1 five inning victory over Class 3A No. 2 Chatard.

• We've been tracking boys volleyball, a growing club sport here in Central Indiana, and have a nice look at the season so far and the upcoming state tournament here.

• Noticed that Ellie McCardwell of Pendleton Heights shattered the girls pole vault record at sectionals the other day. The original mark was 10 feet, 10 inches, but McCardwell cleared 12-2 in the finals. HSSTM will keep tracking her progress to state and so should you.
  

• The 2008 baseball pairings were announced this morning, beginning at 8 a.m. We'll have a breakdown of all the local teams in action in a showcase story on hsstm.com tomorrow or Monday at the latest. For a look at the softball pairings, which begin Monday, click here.

What is it parents always say, that patience is a virtue? As many can attest to, sometimes it's easier said than done.

But Beech Grove basketball player John Hart heeded his father's advice and remained patient while trying to determine his future plans.

Just a month ago, Hart was considering junior colleges. Today, he's committed to attending and playing hoops at Purdue and Boilers head coach Matt Painter, who loved Hart's athleticism.

The Marion County Player of the Year, who averaged 18.7 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Hornets, led Beech Grove to it's first sectional title in 16 years.

Congratulations to John and his family, for waiting for the right opportunity - Hart should be a good fit for the Boilermakers.

Other news and notes:

• After a bit of controversy, the Hamilton County boys track meet officially has a winner. Carmel protested the final score, which saw Noblesville win the meet 139-138, because Dan Porter's fourth-place finish in the 1,600 was not scored. After officials reviewed the score, they found Porter's four points were not counted and awarded the meet to Carmel, 142-139.

• If you've been outside of your home (or even just looked out the window) you're well aware it's been quite, uh, wet outside these past few days. It's certainly affected Central Indiana high school sports, including boys and girls track, boys golf, girls tennis, baseball and softball. Here's a look at some of the changes to the schedule:

• The Marion County boys track meet has been rescheduled for tonight at North Central, beginning at 5 p.m.

• The Marion County baseball tournament - as well as the City tourney - were to play at Victory Field this week, but with the weather and the Indianapolis Indians beginning a long stretch of home games, those have been moved to other locations.

• Class 3A No. 2 Chatard (20-2) plays 4A No. 6 Cathedral (16-3) at 5 p.m. on Monday for the City title at Butler, while Southport (9-9) faces Decatur Central (14-4) at 6 p.m. Monday at Franklin Central for the County title.

• The girls tennis City tournament will still take place tonight at Riverside Park, with preliminary round action beginning at 4 p.m. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for a 9.m. start Saturday at the Indianapolis Tennis Center, while the championships begin at 4 p.m. Monday at the Tennis Center.

• However, the Marion County girls tennis tournament was postponed due to rain for the second straight day. County matches will begin tonight at 4:30 p.m. and continue Saturday at 10 a.m. All matches are at Park Tudor High School.

Finally, be sure to tune in to 1260 AM today around 4:30 p.m., where I will be a guest on "The Drive with JMV." I'll talk high school sports and more with John Michael Vincent. You can listen live at http://wnde.com.

Enjoy the weekend - and I must wish a Happy Mother's Day out there to all moms, including my beautiful wife and my own mom. Enjoy your special day, I'll try to change all the diapers I can, whilst preparing a feast of epic proportions.

Not to go all Michael Jordan, circa 1995 or anything, but let me just state, "I'm back."

After a week in beautiful Orlando (where the the temperature never dropped below 85 and it rained for five minutes one day), I'm back in the office.

My wife (who's 32 weeks pregnant with our third and had to ride a scooter all week) and two kids had an amazing time with Mickey, Pluto, Goofy and of course, a Moore household favorite, Nemo. For proof, see the picture at left.

I even snuck our 6-year old son, Cole, on a water slide at Blizzard Beach and the kid went on the Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain (twice).

It's always invigorating to see your children in a mode of such pure joy. And I was quite the kid myself.

It's amazing how you can get lost in the Wonderful World of Disney. For one week, I couldn't access e-mail and had no idea what was the latest and greatest from the world of Central Indiana high school sports.

I went through a period of withdraw, but it's been nice to catch up today on all that's going on. (It was neat to hear there was a no-hitter from Fishers baseball and apparently four local teams will be the first to play on the field of the new Lucas Oil Stadium in late August.)

Anyway, I'm back. And I've brought a couple of aspirin for Dave McConnell, who so eloquently held the fort down in my absence. The M&M boys are at full strength, be on the look out.

There's so much going on here in Central Indiana high school sports, it feels like the earth is moving sometimes.

Obviously, that was a terrible joke - considering the earth really did move last Friday, with a 5.4 quake that shook the area (and has continued to in the 18 aftershocks since). Thankfully, no one was injured and no considerable damage was done.

There are, however, some who are doing considerable sports damage on the local high school sports scene - some movers and shakers, if you will - like Jordan Shepherd of Carmel.

• Shepherd, who led the Greyhounds baseball team in hits a season ago, is back at it again in 2008. The senior has 15 hits in 26 at-bats for a .576 average at the plate, which includes four doubles, a triple, a home-run and 12 RBI. Shepherd, the Hounds third baseman, leads Class 4A No. 1-ranked Carmel (8-0) against Richmond and Lawrence Central this week.

• Sticking with baseball, A.J. Zapp's first-year as head baseball coach at Franklin has anything but boring. The Grizzly Cubs started out 0-3, but reeled off six straight wins before Greenwood defeated the Cubs 7-5 in the second game of a double-header Saturday.  Franklin (6-3) squares off against a tough Mt. Vernon squad today. (Franklin's Brad Hook - pictured right - may have a prominent role in our May issue).
  

• The second-annual Flashes' Showcase track meet produced plenty of drama Friday night. The event features four showcase track events, two-mile races, the boys 1,600 meter relay and the girls 3,200 meter relay and included formal introductions of the runners.

            Noblesville junior Blake Dircksen was one of five runners to run the mile in under             4 minutes and 20 seconds. Dircksen placed fifth with a time of 4:19.7.

            Westfield freshman phenom Waverly Neer placed third in the girls track mile run             to Culver's all-everything Alex Banfich, who's won six state cross country and track             titles during her prep career and is headed to Princeton in the fall. Neer clocked in             at 5:07.2. Neer led the race until the final lap, when Banfich passed her and began             to pull away.

• Carmel boys basketball point guard Daniel Moore has turned down a scholarship  offer from Boston University in order to walk on at Indiana University. The 5-foot-10 Moore has always dreamed of playing for the Hoosiers and will be a part of the rebuilding process for Tom Crean.

• Speaking of Carmel, junior Morgan Newton, who guided the Greyhounds football team to the Class 5A title last fall, has become one of the most sought after players in the 2009 class. Newton has spoken with Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Clemson, N.C. State, Virginia and Kentucky.

Newton has already received scholarship offers from Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, Clemson, Louisville, South Carolina, Virginia, Louisville, Nebraska and Cincinnati.

Last season Newton completed 124-of-213 passes for 1,883 with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions, including 750 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

Be sure to check out HSSTM.com today for a Weekend Recap, the Weekly W2W4 and more!

Let me do my best impression of a wrestling ring announcer here.

(Clearing throat)...

The winner - and neeeeeeeewwwwwwwww - champion of the inaugural Mudsock Trophy is...Hamilton Southeastern.

The Royals defeated school district partner and Hamilton County rival Fishers for the traveling trophy on Tueday, when the HSE baseball team came back from an eight run deficit in the fourth inning to top Fishers, 14-11.

The Mudsock Trophy, a foot-tall muddy bronze sock, is in homage to the somewhat derisive term for towns that sat in bogs. "It all had to do with any time we'd get a lot of ran, your socks would get covered in mud because the ground would get soaked," Larry Reynolds told HSSTM writer Tom Hayes last fall.

Reynolds, who later created a hound dog cartoon character he coined "Mudsocks," gave his blessing on the creation of the trophy.

Hamilton Southeastern athletic director Jim Self said last fall that this was meant to be more about the community than it is about the kids. "We want this to be a positive rivalry," Self said.

The reason for gearing the Mudsocks trophy around the community was simple. When Fishers opened three years ago, the students of HSE were split, so most of the students at the schools have grown up together, playing sports together and attending class together.

It was only natural that a rivalry would be born.

"These are kids and families who have grown up together and have played in the same youth leagues," said Self. "This is a tremendous positive for this community."

Fishers athletic director Jon Miles agreed. "It's not very often that a community gets split up into two schools," he said, pointing to the rivalry that emerged between Lawrence North and Lawrence Central over 30 years ago when the Lawrence township school split in two.

The idea, brought to Miles by legendary Fishers residents Dub and Jeanne Clark, was to do something along the line of the Old Oaken bucket, shared by Purdue University and Indiana University each year in football, but to do it in all sports at the high school level.

Individual trophies are awarded to the winner the first time the schools square off in each of the 19 sports played.

The Mudsock's first year was a good one. HSE won 10 of the 19 events - it all came down to the aforementioned baseball game on Tuesday. Ironically, Fishers would defeat HSE on Wednesday night, the final game of a home and home series this year.

"We are doing this to help bring the community together and to give the community a sense of pride that two schools can compete hard against each other, but at the end of the day, we can root for each other and be happy with each other's successes," said Self.

In year one, it was mission accomplished.

You say the title to this blog too many times early on a Monday and you'll start to sound like Porky Pig. (At least, I felt like I was hearing the Looney Tunes staple in my head.)

It's always a good idea to look back on the weekend that was in and around high school sports. And aside from Spring Breakers coming back to frigid temps, there were a few headline makers over the weekend...

• North Central boys basketball coach Dough Mitchell coached the USA basketball team at the 11th Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. over the weekend. The U.S. team featured many of the top senior high school players in the country. USA won 98-78 over the World Select Team.

• Sticking with hoops for a moment, one of Central Indiana's own is coming home. Robert Glenn, a 6-foot-7 forward and 2006 Ben Davis graduate, made an oral commitment over the weekend to play basketball at IUPUI. Glenn played the last two seasons at Wabash Valley College and received Division-I All-America honorable mention at the junior college level, leading WVC with 19.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

• The Indiana School for the Deaf boys basketball team received the distinguished honor of National Deaf Interscholastic Athletics Council Co-Team of the Year, and award the school will share with Alabama Deaf.

• Swimming season may be over, but that's not stopping Hamilton Southeastern senior Lindsay Rogers from pursuing a dream. Rogers won the Ohio State Grand Prix in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1 minute, 10.23 seconds. That time puts Rogers among the world 50 fastest swimmers for the 100. The grand prix series, organized by USA Swimming in order to prepare for the Olympic Trials, is a step for Rogers towards her dream of competing in the Beijing, China Olympics this summer. Rogers had already qualified for the trials, to be held June 29 in Omaha, Neb., and is now just 2.5 seconds below the qualifying time. She is ranked 19th in the United States.

That's all, folks. For more information, be sure to check out HSSTM.com this week for news and updates.

With Kansas' 75-68 victory over Memphis in the NCAA men's basketball tournament championship last night, basketball season has officially ended (except for the three-month long NBA playoffs, which are just getting underway).

For many, when the screen goes blank at the end of CBS' "One Shining Moment," our sports world gets a little gloomy. Sure, there's baseball, the NFL Draft, the Masters (which, I've heard, is a tradition unlike any other) and the like, but those three weeks of madness always leave a void.

They build us up to break us down.

It's quite the abrupt conclusion - much like the collegiate career of North Central grad and now former Indiana University guard Eric Gordon, who yesterday declared for the 2008 NBA Draft.

The Big Ten scoring leader this past season, Gordon will join recent Indiana talents such as Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Josh McRoberts in "The League." Currently, Gordon is projected as a Top 10 pick in June's draft.

"I am doing this to compete at the highest level, not for fame," Gordon said at his press conference yesterday, held at the Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis. "I'm just glad to go on to the next level."

Here at HSSTM, we wish our inaugural cover subject all the best for a very bright future.

Speaking of former graduates or athletes we've previously covered here at HSSTM, let's catch up on some local athletes "In The News":

• Levon Bates, Jr., who was featured in our September 2007 issue for racing, was recently chosen by NASCAR's 'Drive For Diversity" program. Bates will be a part of the first partnership between the World Karting Association and the Drive for Diversity program.

• 2007 Miss Softball and Hamilton Southeastern graduate Morgan Melloh is one of the top pitchers in college softball. Melloh, a freshman at Fresno State, had a 23-3 record with a 0.98 ERA and 12 shutouts through last Friday. Fresno State had a 34-5 record and was ranked No.10 in the nation through that same date.
  

• The other HSSTM June 2007 cover subject, Drew Storen of Brownsburg, was 1-1 with two saves and a 3.18 ERA for 13th-ranked Stanford through the end of last week.

I was so sure of myself. Thought I knew it all, every turn, every road to be taken.

And then I ended up wondering where it had all gone wrong, wondering if I would find my way back.

Yep...I was lost.

On Tuesday, I headed to Eminence to conduct a series of interviews for a story I'm working on for the May issue.

Now, being someone who grew up around roads named things like "800 West" and "350 South," I was quite certain I knew where I was going - no weird street signs with eight intersecting roads was going to fool me. I knew Eminence was a small town just a little north of Martinsville. I just knew it.

Naturally, I printed out some Mapquest directions, you know, just in case I had to look at them.

But I was completely convinced I wouldn't need to even glance at the map.

I'm the same guy who drove 13 straight hours to Florida in college without even looking at the map; I am my father's son, as well, and to dear old dad, a map is nothing more than an extra napkin in the glove compartment.

Yet all my directional skills couldn't prevent me from the pride swallowing siege of calling up my man Dave McConnell and begging for help.

"Hey," The Mind answered.

"Help, dude," I said humbly. "I'm lost."

The words felt like I'd swallowed razor blades - they cut me to the core. My dad would be embarrassed (if I ever told him, which I won't).

Of course, Dave was a class act, got better directions, called me back and I arrived at my destination.

And after the interviews were over, one of the people I'd been talking to kindly gave me directions to the I-70, which was only five miles away the entire time.

Needless to say, I didn't come back the way I came.

Question (ala Dwight Schrute from "The Office"): If you write a blog on the Monday of Spring Break week, will anyone ever read it?

I guess anyone out there in cyberspace reading this will provide the answer. (Technically speaking, our Web tracking numbers will tell me how many of you showed up to read this, so I know who you are...)

But it does make you think, doesn't it? I've got Simon & Garfunkel on the brain, that much is certain.

Sometimes we can feel like Tom Hanks in "Cast Away" - only to an extent, of course. I'm not talking to a volleyball just yet, but it's going to be a strange week around Central Indiana. With half the schools out this week and the other half out either before or after this week, we're looking into the abyss of a spring sports week with very little sport.

Even one of our own, Dave McConnell, has been out of town since last Wednesday night, golfing it up in Arizona. There's tumbleweed rolling through his blog space and dust settling on his computer.

What shall we do?

• Well, there are a few things going on around town. Our intern, Bob, will break it down for you today on HSSTM.com.

• Also, you can recap the week that was before everyone became obsessed with suntan lotion and flights out of town.

• Also, check out my interview with UConn commit and Heritage Christian star Kelly Faris.

• We could talk about the NCAA men's basketball Final Four (the first time four No. 1 seeds have advanced this far in the big dance in tournament history). Our own Jennifer Temple will tell you all about it (her bracket remains intact).

• But there's also Major League Baseball's Opening Day. The Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's opened up the season last week in Tokyo, Japan, but the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves really did it statewide last night. The rest get started today and tomorrow. Now, that makes spring feel a little more real for those of us staring out at gray skies and rainclouds, doesn't it?

Let the countdown to the end of Spring Break begin!

Only those who've ever (A) been to Trafalgar, Ind. or (B) have lived in a small town will understand the enormity of what I am about to say:

A CVS pharmacy is being built in Trafalgar.

And specifically, for someone like me, who grew up there, it should be written like this:

A CVS PHARMACY IS BEING BUILT IN TRAFALGAR!

To most in Central Indiana, this is not a big deal. There is a pharmacy, grocery store, shopping mall, gas station and Starbucks within 5-10 minutes of anywhere in the area.

But for certain places, places like Trafalgar (home of my alma mater Indian Creek Braves) where there is one stoplight, a Dairy Queen, and a couple banks - this is a huge deal.

I rolled into Trafalgar on Tuesday afternoon to conduct an interview with a middle school track sprinter for our next issue (she's really, really fast, by the way). And as I pull into town, lo and behold, my wondering eyes gaze upon this construction site on the corner of State Road 252 and 44.

The sign in front reads: "Future home of CVS." Immediately, I was shocked. I felt the urge to pull over and process it all. What did this mean? Was Trafalgar becoming a commercial hub? What happened to my hometown? It used to be cornfields and open road, baby.

Maybe I'm overreacting (o.k., I am overreacting). It's just this notion you have in your head of what home looks like. You head off to face the world and all of its challenges following high school fully expecting to find everything the way you left it.

Well, as I've learned, you can go home again - it's just a different kind of home.

I make it down to Trafalgar about twice a year, to usually visit with friends. I've been slowly realizing the place was changing for years, following the addition of a second gas station about 10 years ago, the installation of said stoplight (we used to be a four-way flashing stoplight kind of place) and the expansion of the high school.

But this CVS thing just put it over the top for me.

In a way, I'm sort of jealous. When my family and I lived in the area, my friends and I would drive 30 minutes to see a movie, to eat dinner, or to go to the mall. So let me make it clear this isn't a bad thing - anytime you don't have to travel more than 15 minutes to get to the pharmacy it's a good thing.

It's not like I'm going to picket the area to stop construction. It's just, well...different. Suddenly, my small town isn't quite so small anymore. And time marches on.

Let's wrap this puppy up with some links of interest:

• The 2008 high school baseball season is underway and there's already been a huge early season upset.

• The IBCA announced its All-State teams this week. Here's the boys and girls rosters.

• Final congrats to the Brownsburg boys basketball team on their Milan-esque victory over Marion last weekend at the state finals.

• The April issue of HSSTM will hit newstands on Monday, but the digital magazine is available now.

We've been talking Central Indiana high school sports, the upcoming boys basketball state finals and the onset of spring sports around the blogs lately.

I'd like to interrupt your regularly scheduled high school sports blogging and talk a little about the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which begins in less than a few hours.

For some (and I would be included in this category), today and tomorrow are better than Christmas.

The anticipation of what might take place over the next 12 hours in today's first round games reminds me of lying in bed during my formative years, watching the clock and waiting until I thought the time was appropriate to wake my parents on Christmas morning.

I'm giddy over the possibilities. Upsets! Buzzer beaters! A soon to be outdated, contempo-pop version of "One Shining Moment" playing softly in the background of my mind...it's almost too much.

I think most of why this particular tournament is so special is because we're emotionally invested in the outcome of every game. We fill out our brackets (for fun, of course) and thereby we've got a rooting interest in every game.

For example, I can't even tell you what St. Mary's mascot is, but I picked them to upset Miami (Fla). in the first round, so they're in some ways as important to me as my favorite team, Arizona.

Add in the lengths we'll go to watch the games (I once brought a pocket radio to school and slipped the wire up through my sweatshirt sleeve so I could listen to games in class - bad idea, by the way: you'll only lose your radio) and this is truly a once a year event.

There's "boss buttons" and bracket busters, games that don't get over until midnight, Gus Johnson games and future stars (like HSSTM April 2007 cover subject Eric Gordon of Indiana).

There are lots of local kids playing in this tournament, and no doubt you'll be hearing about their hometowns during broadcasts - just another reason to watch.

Plus, you know you'll have your fill of Dick Vitale and his abuse of the word "baby" by around 10:30 p.m. tonight.

Around the HSSTM office, we're counting down the minutes until that first tip off. (Hey, it will help pass the time until the boys basketball state finals on Saturday and the lag in spring sports events.)

I say, let the madness begin.

Seeing as how this is a presidential election year, I thought in the spirit of debate we would open up a discussion about something that has become a recurring topic in some of the comments on my blog lately.

A few ground rules first. (1) No diverting from the topic. (2) Try, as much as possible, to leave your own feelings about a team or school, out of it. In other words, check your emotions at the door - or at least before your fingers start working the keyboard.

Alright, we good? Let's dive in. Here's the question:

Which would you rather be?
(A) Team that has steamrolled through it's tournament games;
(B) Team that has been involved with several highly contest match ups and come out victorious.

Now, the reason this conversation is relevant in the present is because tomorrow, the Brownsburg boys basketball team will face No. 1 New Albany, which is 26-0 on the year and have an average margin of victory of 22 points per game, in the Indiana high school state basketball tournament Class 4A semistate at Southport. The Bulldogs won their first three tournament games by 13, 17 and 17.

Does this mean that New Albany is just on another level? Certainly. But does it mean they can't be beat? No. As the old saying goes, any team can be beat on a given day.

But New Albany does present the argument for (A) above. The Bulldogs have been aggressive defensively; no school has scored more than 59 points on them this tournament. Plus, Jim Shannon's club is hungry in its own right, as New Albany has been close to advancing this far, but never made it out of regionals (two losses in the regional final in 2003 and 2007).

However, another group might argue that New Albany will eventually run into a team that gives them a close game. The question then becomes, how will the Bulldogs respond? Will they get tight? Will they wilt under the pressure?

The other side of this debate is just as intriguing. Brownsburg (20-5) has been in several see-saw battles this season and in the tournament.

Brownsburg has won its tournament games by 5, 7, 2, 4 and 4. The Bulldogs (yes, these two schools share a nickname) have been in pressure-packed situations throughout this postseason.

One could argue they are well-equipped at handling any situation that may arise this weekend, as evidenced by their nail-biting victories. Players like Julian Mavunga (who tallied 43 points and 30 rebounds last Saturday at regionals) and Gordon Hayward are building a reputation of coming through in the clutch.

Or you could argue that they've been flirting with the jaws of defeat. Or you could argue that they are tired and New Albany, by virtue of their blowouts, will have the fresher legs.

So what are your thoughts? Leave a comment below if you have more to say about this topic or would like to add to a point made already.

Personally, while I'm sure a little of both is true, I'm not sure which team is in the better position heading into tomorrow's showdown at Southport. I think they're both two great ballclubs and it should be a great game.

And no matter which team wins, I doubt this debate will be over anytime soon.

Be sure to check out HSSTM.com for all the high school happenings this weekend!

So as my children were watching Disney's live-action version of the classic cartoon "Underdog" late last night, it occurred to me there was a direct correlation to our favorite masked Beagle, Shoeshine, and several Central Indiana high school boys basketball teams.

(And yes, this is what happens when you watch the same movies with your kids over and over.)

"Never Fear, These Underdogs Are Here":

• Brownsburg - So these Bulldogs (20-5) were literally underdogs, but the 'Burg knocked out the defending Class 4A runner-up in North Central Saturday morning at Southport and then slayed a Top 10 Carmel team on Saturday night. Senior center Julian Mavunga was a beast down low, chipping in 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Greyhounds in the championship. What makes the 6-foot-8 Mavunga even more hero-worthy in our little story is that he had 26 points and 19 rebounds against North Central earlier in the day - making his one day total 43 points and 30 rebounds. That kind of play gets me humming the "Underdog" theme song.

• Rushville - While the Class 3A Lions (13-10)may not be in our coverage area, it would be a shame to let this moment pass without noting the incredible performance by Dan Carmony's squad Tuesday night at the Shelbyville Regional. The Lions defeated a game Danville squad, 105-101, in four overtimes. Let me repeat that: four overtimes. Senior star Kyle Morgan had a game-high, no make that career high, no make that school-record 52 points. Let me repeat that again as well: 52 points, 18 of which came during the overtime stanzas. Now the Lions face a highly ranked Batesville squad, which defeated Rushville 66-55 on Feb. 7. It should be noted that Rushville was undermanned for that contest - which occurred at Batesville. Now, on a neutral court, and with the momentum of an epic win last night, it should be a nip-tuck game at Shelbyville this evening, and these underdogs certainly have a great shot to advance to semistate.

• Lutheran - Didn't Jared Broughton, who is the subject of our March issue "Grill," say something about putting some boys sports banners in the Lutheran gym? I think it's safe to say that that's not a problem anymore. With the Saints (21-4) capturing the sectional title two weekends ago and the school's first regional crown this past weekend, there will be plenty of banners going up at the conclusion of this school year. And Broughton and the Saints aren't done yet. Broughton was Mr. Clutch in the regional final, hitting 7-of-8 from the line during the key stretch of the 4th quarter in a 54-42 victory.

Which teams will use their superpowers to advance to semistate and beyond? Tune in next week...

Also:

• For more on boys basketball regionals, click here.

• The Indiana high school gymnastics state finals are this weekend. Visit HSSTM.com for our preview later today.

• You can read my Editor's Cut on Guerin boys basketball coach Pete Smith here.

• The first girls track and field poll of the season is out, with Warren Central (two-time defending state champs) ranked No. 1. For the rest of the poll, click here.

How much longer do we have until Spring is officially here? I'm ready. You're ready. What's the holdup? (A big thanks goes to my colleague Dave McConnell for jinxing us yesterday by talking about the warmer climates we encountered on Sunday. Speaking of Sundays, don't forget to "spring forward" with Daylight Saving Time this weekend.

Though we're deeply interested and following the boys state basketball tournament, here at HSSTM we're starting to turn our attention to spring sports. We've got some great things on tap for our April issue, which will be out at the end of this month.

In the meantime, it gives a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that right now, spring sports are beginning to exit the hibernation stage. Girls softball practice began yesterday, baseball and boys golf officially start in a week with practice. And the boys and girls track season is about to take off.

A couple quick hits today:

• Be sure to check the calendar for some dates you want to make sure are on your schedule.

• Check out our boys basketball regional preview.

• So long, Brett Favre.

• The senior class at HSE is working to make a difference when it comes to world hunger.

 

Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you, oh
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right
Everybody's working for the weekend
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know...I know...I just led off my blog with lyrics from the '80s band "Loverboy" and the song "Working for the Weekend."

But in my defense, there's no better theme song for this weekend's high school sports action. This could be one of the most anticipated weekend's of the year: boys basketball sectionals tonight and tomorrow night, girls basketball state finals tomorrow - and don't forget about gymnastics sectionals tomorrow as well.

HSSTM will be there...will you? Look for magazines tonight at Class 4A Sectional 10 (Warren Central) and 4A Sectional 9 (Carmel). We'll also have the new March issue (which is available online for free as well) at girls basketball state finals - outside Conseco Fieldhouse.

But we've all been working for the weekend this week. We've all been waiting to see who's sectional dreams will be realized and who's dreams will be dashed. Here's a look at some of the more intriguing matchups tonight:

As you will find out in our March issue, the Pendleton Heights boys basketball team is a senior-laden group. This evening, the Arabians (13-9) will face Anderson (16-6) in Class 4A Sectional 8 at New Castle in game one. Pendleton Heights already knocked off Muncie Central (13-8), 66-57, on Tuesday.

Carmel vs. Hamilton Southeastern. Again. Seems like these two schools are rivals in just about every sport. The two will collide again tonight at Carmel in a Sectional 9 semifinal. Carmel (19-2) is ranked No. 5, but struggled a little bit against Zionsville on Tuesday before pulling out a 56-49 victory. HSE (14-7) took it to Westfield, 80-48 on Tuesday night and have played some tight games against outstanding teams this season. However, the previous meeting between the Greyhounds and Royals this season, on Jan. 26, yielded an 87-57 Carmel blowout. I would expect a much closer game tonight.

Sectional 10 - No. 4 Cathedral vs. Lawrence North. The Irish (21-2) have already survived a 67-66 shootout with Warren Central (Joshua Jones nearly hit a desperation heave at the buzzer to win it for the Warriors) and now, they square off against the height of Lawrence North. LN has struggled a little bit lately, going 3-3 down the stretch - but as they say, it's all about getting hot at the right time.

Sectional 11 - Wow. Lots of local teams with a chance here. To me, this is one of the more unpredictable (and therefore exciting) sectionals in the area. Perry Meridian vs. Southport at 6 p.m. and Franklin vs. Franklin Central following shortly after Game 1. Get there early and check out the play of Southport senior Corey Wickware, a fantastic player.

We could be headed for a Plainfield vs. Mooresville sectional championship in Sectional 13 at Martinsville, two outstanding teams that played an overtime game (won by Plainfield, 74-72) on Jan. 19.

In Class 3A, the two bigger sectionals are Sectional 26 at Beech Grove and Sectional 27 at Shelbyville. Chatard will face the host Hornets in Sectional 26, Game 1 tonight (should be a dandy), while Shelbyville and Rushville renew their rivalry (Shelbyville won a 76-75 thriller on Dec. 27) in Game 2 at Shelbyville tonight.

For a complete breakdown of sectional games, click here.

And continue to check back to HSSTM.com for updates and news. We'll take a look at the winners and who survived the weekend that everybody's been waiting for next week.

Enjoy! And good luck getting that song out of your head..."Everybody's working for the weekend..."

Today begins the 98th annual boys basketball tournament. No better way to prepare than to do what I did last night - watch "Hoosiers."

That's right, I sat down with my old friends Norman Dale and Jimmy Chitwood late last night. And while that kind of tournament (single-class) is no longer with us, there's still plenty of story and intrigue in this year's Indiana high school boys basketball tournament.

Here's a couple that come to mind:

• Who will come out of loaded the Class 4A Sectional 10 at Warren Central? No. 4 Cathedral would be the favorite based on record and ranking - but the Irish have to face the home team, Warren Central, in their first game. And with Walter Offutt possibly returning, Joshua Jones and so many others on a very talented Warrriors squad, Cathedral could be a top 5 team facing a one and down situation. Lawrence North has the height to challenge for a state crown, but the Wildcats went just 3-3 over their final six games.

• Elsewhere in Class 4A, can No. 5 Carmel make a run like the girls basketball team has? It would be an incredible story for the school: State titles in football, girls swimming, possibly girls basketball and boys basketball for the Greyhounds. As someone asked The Mind yesterday, has a school ever won 3-4 state titles in a school year?

• Looking at Class 3A, Sectional 26 may be just as loaded as 4A Sectional 10. Chatard (15-5), Beech Grove (16-3), Northwest (15-6), Roncalli (14-5) and Howe (15-6) all have a legitimate shot to not only win the sectional, but advance to the state finals at Conseco Fieldhouse next month.

• And can the Class 2A Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles keep up their unbelievable season? Pete Smith's 16-5 squad will take on Madison-Grant (14-6) tonight. Here's a look at all tonight's games featuring Central Indiana schools:

Class 4A
Sectional 8
Muncie Central (13-7) vs. Pendleton Heights (12-9), 6 p.m.
Anderson (15-6) vs. Richmond (12-7), 7:30 p.m.
Sectional 9 at Carmel
Carmel (18-2) vs. Zionsville (8-12), 6 p.m.
Westfield (5-15) vs. Hamilton SE (13-7), 7:30 p.m.
Sectional 10 at Warren Central
Cathedral (20-2) vs. Warren Central (16-6), 7 p.m.
Sectional 11 at Perry Meridian
Perry Meridian (12-8) vs. Center Grove (12-8), 7 p.m.
Sectional 12 at Brownsburg
Ben Davis (5-14) vs. Brownsburg (15-5), 7 p.m.
Sectional 13 at Martinsville
Plainfield (16-3) vs. Terre Haute South (18-4), 6 p.m.
Terre Haute North (8-13) vs. Martinsville (9-11), 7:30 p.m.

CLASS 3A
Sectional 25 at North Montgomery
Western Boone (15-5) vs. Southmont (8-12), 6 p.m.
Lebanon (2-17) vs. Crawfordsville (9-11), 7:30 p.m.
Sectional 26 at Beech Grove
Bishop Chatard (15-5) vs. Howe (15-6), 6 p.m.
Roncalli (14-5) vs. Beech Grove (16-3), 7:30 p.m.
Sectional 27 at Shelbyville
Shelbyville (6-13) vs. Mount Vernon (11-8), 7 p.m.

CLASS 2A
Sectional 40 at Tipton
Guerin Catholic (16-5) vs. Madison-Grant (14-6), 7 p.m.
Sectional 41 at Alexandria
Muncie Burris (4-15) vs. Wapahani (12-7), 7 p.m.
Sectional 42 at Hagerstown
Cambridge City (7-14) vs. Shenandoah (6-14), 6 p.m.
Union County (10-10) vs. Northeastern (8-11), 7:30 p.m.
Sectional 43 at Triton Central
Scecina (7-13) vs. Park Tudor (9-10), 7 p.m.
Sectional 46 at South Putnam
Covenant Christian (13-6) vs. Monrovia (14-7), 6 p.m.
Cloverdale (8-13) vs. Speedway (4-15), 7:30 p.m.

CLASS A
Sectional 58 at Edinburgh
Morton Memorial (8-11) vs. Greenwood Christian (3-14), 7 p.m.
Sectional 59 at Lutheran
Indiana Deaf (15-5) vs. Bethesda Christian (6-15), 6 p.m.