This past Tuesday, the 15^th, myself and cohort Brian Moore were fortunate and honored to attend the 2008 Thomas A. Brady Sports Achievement Awards at the Indiana Roof Ballroom – presented by the Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation and the IHSAA.

It might not seem like that big of deal, especially for folks not in attendance, but part of the nice aspect about not growing up in this area kind of allows me to see things from an “outsider’s perspective”. This can be a great thing and a not-so-great thing, depending on the situation of course. It also applies to my job every day here at the magazine.

As we sat down to dinner, I took a look at the program to see what was on tap. We knew some people that were going to be honored before arrival, but as I looked around the room, it was sort of a who’s-who of Indiana sports figures – both past and present.

It started with a live auction, with none other than the outspoken and truly entertaining Ron Hunter on the microphone. The men’s basketball coach at IUPUI, Hunter, who does a wide variety of community service efforts himself, was a perfect choice to bat leadoff for the show. With his charming personality, he helped raise tens of thousands of dollars with the auction and even agreed to caddy for a group who successfully bid on a golf package at Crooked Stick.

After the auction, the list of honorees included one of Indiana’s finest athletic role models in George McGinnis and a truly legendary coach, Jerry Yeagley. That duo each was presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards.

This is where that whole “outsider’s perspective” comes into play. Had I heard of George McGinnis? Did I know a little bit about him? Sure, on both accounts. But to hear him speak, to see the attention and respect he had from the crowd, told me a little bit more about how people here in the Hoosier State still admire his accomplishments.

The likeliness of McGinnis’ story recurring these days is slim to none. A true high school hoops legend, wins the state title with the Washington Continentals, takes home the Mr. Basketball honor, goes to play at the biggest in-state power at IU, and then continues his professional career in the same place with the Pacers of the ABA and NBA. Geez, just think about that. The only thing that could even come close, and I don’t think it’s that close, is if Eric Gordon is about to be drafted by the Pacers and goes on to have an incredibly successful NBA career here locally.

And that brings us to Jerry Yeagley, the soccer coach who took IU’s program from insignificance on the club level to a national powerhouse. Yeagley was a true gentleman accepting his award, talking about playing for the pride of the front of the jersey. After his experiences, leading IU to six national championships and several National Coach of the Year honors personally, that seems like a perfect message for Yeagley to send. Even before the huge high school soccer explosion in the ‘90s, there was Yeagley and his program at IU that set the bar so high.

I was familiar with Yeagley, and that started when I was as student at Butler. I had a group of five very close friends that played soccer for the Butler program – including local North Central product Cory Edgington – and every year when IU was next on the schedule, it was almost like the next coming of something higher up. The way my buddies spoke of IU and Yeagley in particular, buddies that truly understood college soccer, made me quickly realize what he meant to the game.

Most people in the crowd probably didn’t even flinch when they saw other prominent faces in attendance, including Dallas Clark, IU athletic director Rick Greenspan, Clark Kellogg, former Pacer Scot Pollard and many others. For me, not that I get star struck by any means, it was just cool to see that events like this can bring together figures from all different areas within sports – and all local flavor. Hoosiers should be proud.

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:

• One of HSSTM's December covergirls, Hamtilon SE diver Sarah Clay, has signed a letter of intent to join Michigan State University's swim and dive program next year.
• I have a correction from the magazine I would like to share. On page 11 of the current April issue, we have a photo and caption of Arsenal Tech girls tennis player Kelly Fritz. This spring, however, Kelly has decided to forego her high school tennis season and has joined the high school crew team with the Indianapolis Rowing Center. Best of luck to Miss Fritz, and apologies for any confusion.
• I also have some tragic and extremely difficult news to share, for those outside Boone County who may not have heard. Natalie Duke, a sophomore at Western Boone and the September issue Shelbourne Clinic Comeback Athlete of the Month, was killed in a car accident early this week. HSSTM sends our sincere condolences to the Duke family, and you can read the news story from The Boone Sun by clicking here. May this be a lesson and reminder to our young drivers, in part so that Natalie's memory will live on.

I headed out the door yesterday morning to go grab some breakfast, only to think that I was Walter Matthau in the opening scene of "Grumpy Old Men." Everybody now, hit that tune...

"We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave..."

Ah yes. And one of the first sure-fire signs of spring around my neighborhood? The traffic jam on the Monon Trail for a good 12 hours yesterday. Another sure-fire sign of spring? Well, it's March, and we've got hoops galore to discuss.

BOYS SECTIONALS

I went out to Warren Central for Sectional 10 semis on Friday night. Classic Hoosier Hysteria. What a second half between Cathedral and Lawrence North, although both programs ended their seasons this weekend. The crowd was great, but the action on the floor made this one suspenseful. Cathedral's full-court press put them within striking distance in the last minute, but LN was poised in icing the game on the foul line. But this sectional was all about North Central, who surprised many with its performance in Saturday night's title game. Fantastic coaching job by Doug Mitchell to do his best impersonation of Bruce Pearl and Tennessee, having his players remain relentless from baseline to baseline throughout all 32 minutes and finally wore down the Wildcats in the end.

How 'bout that finish at Beech Grove? The host Hornets did it the hard way last week by winning possibly the toughest three-game stretch out of anyone in the state. Eric Weathers' buzzer-beater against Northwest in the title game gave Beech Grove their first sectional title in 15 years, and that was after an 8-point win against Roncalli and another 2-point win against Chatard in the semis.

Another fantastic finish came out of 2A Sectional 46 hosted by South Putnam, where Tri West finally got over the hump with a sectional title. After heartbreak the past two seasons as favorites in that sectional, the Bruins earned the crown with a 50-49 win against Covenant Christian. Andrew Keck made the two most important shots of his life when he sunk two free throws with four seconds remaining to take the lead. And his arms were probably feeling like Jello at that point.

Keep an eye out this week on the blog and homepage for a look at upcoming regionals. There's still a few delayed sectional title games tonight as well, one at Carmel where the Greyhounds will take on Noblesville and one at Triton Central where Heritage Christian will be battling with Ritter.

GIRLS STATE FINALS

And the reason that the Carmel boys sectional game is being played tonight? Well, there was another pretty important game being played for the school on Saturday night at Conseco. The ladies were led by Chrissy Steffen's 31 points in capping off quite a memorable tournament for her individually. And for the school, the girls hoops program's first ever state championship resulted in No. 100 overall. The Greyhounds were on a mission throughout the tourney and made that clear by adapting their style of play to their opponents, including their best offensive effort on Saturday against a high octane SB Washington team.

"Three" was the magic number for Heritage Christian in the 2A title game, as the Eagles notched No. 3 in a row with a controlling 53-31 win against previously undefeated Oak Hill. A third quarter run sealed it for the Eagles, but it was the defensive effort that really set the tone in pulling away. Will this be a rematch of next year's 2A title game? Both teams return just about everybody.

And, although they didn't come out of Conseco with state titles, University and Chatard need to be commended for fine seasons on the hardwood. In 3A, Chatard fell in a nail-biter to Plymouth, 47-46, while University couldn't seem to get its offense rolling in a 36-32 loss to FW Canterbury. When you make it this far, it surely has been a fun ride despite the disappointment.

To wrap things up for today, I'd just like to say thanks to all of the players and fans that make this time of year so memorable for everyone...win or lose. As all of you can attest, it is the players on the floor who lay it all out on the line and show us what high school athletics is all about. Cheers.

• 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:

Welcome back everybody, and welcome to 2008. I bet everybody feels like a new person with the turn of the calendar, right? No? OK, me neither.
The 2007 year ended with all of the high school basketball action one could really ask for, with enough holiday and county tournaments to feed even the largest appetite. Today on "The Mind," a little recap with some thoughts on performances, starting last Thursday and going through the weekend.

• I went to the early-round games in the girls portion of the Hall of Fame Classic out in New Castle last Thursday. I was impressed by the balance that Lapel put on the floor in its 55-43 win over Huntington North, which wasn't ever much of a game on the scoreboard. But then to see how No. 13 Terre Haute South absolutely ran away from both Lapel in the championship and Greenfield-Central in the early round, they've got some things going. TH South's three losses of the season have come to No. 4 North Central (by 4), No. 12 Bloomington South (by 3) and No. 2 Ben Davis (by 26).
• Did you just read that? Yes, the Ben Davis Lady Giants beat TH South by 26 earlier this year. They also beat North Central by 12 and No. 5 Lawrence North by seven. Which brings us to the annual Ben Davis Holiday Tournament this past weekend. The Lady Giants continued to impress by beating No. 12 Bloomington South, 54-28, and a 10-4 Anderson team, 76-32. Please take this as no disservice to their opponents, but they aren't even close to Ben Davis in these games, save for LN. And they're good teams. If the Lady Giants found themselves in the state title against reigning champ and No. 1 SB Washington, that will be one to see.
• On the boys side at the Hall of Fame, held on Friday, No. 3 New Albany certainly made a name for itself here in Central Indiana. The Bulldogs notched an upset of No. 1 Marion in the opening round, 51-46, before taking down Batesville in the championship, 67-51. Will New Albany be the new No. 1 in the next Coaches' Poll? It would be tough to bet against that. And what about Marion? It will be interesting to see how the Giants, previously undefeated, bounce back after two losses in one day (the second to No. 10 Edgewood in the consolation).
• County tournaments are always a highlight on the schedule, and while most of the girls county championships have already completed, the boys are about to take the spotlight. And this past weekend, a county tourney "transition", if you will, took place when Hancock County played both its girls and boys tournaments. Here's a tip of the hat to the boys team at New Pal, who edged Mount Vernon 41-39. And on the girls side, congrats to Greenfield-Central as the queens of Hancock County with their 54-38 win over Mount Vernon as well.
• Back to the boys, I know myself and colleague Brian Moore have mentioned No. 5 Cathedral in this space the past few times we've written. Well, the Irish had an impressive performance on Saturday night with a 100-83 victory over a nice Howe squad. Cathedral had five players in double figures, including a monster 24-point performance by Jarrett Hamilton off the bench. It should be said that Howe's Larry Stone had an offensive explosion of his own, pouring home 40 points in the loss. Wish I would have seen that one...183 points in 32 minutes? That's some good bang for the buck as far as viewing pleasure is concerned. 
• And for a little HSSTM promotion, we have recieved word that our new January issues are being delievered and are set for distribution this Friday. We'll be sending out the digital copy to our online subscribers tomorrow, so if you haven't do so yet, sign up quickly here.

We’re working on laying out the Jan. issue here in the office today, but there were a couple of things I wanted to get to before I huddle with the incomparable Grant Glas, our graphic designer, and The Mind of McConnell himself.

• One of the most heralded football programs in all of Indiana will be looking for a new head coach soon. Cathedral High School football coach Jim O’Hara resigned on Wednesday after six seasons and a 50-24 record that included a state title in 2006.

O’Hara had to leave his alma mater due to the increasing pain of a ruptured disc in his back. “With a full load of teaching and trying to manage the program, it’s in the best interest of the school for me to give up the reins and take care of myself,” O’Hara told The Indianapolis Star. “It was a true honor to be head coach at Cathedral, (but) I have to try and get this body back into shape.”

The Irish had won 41 of their last 49 games under O’Hara, who did say that would like to return to coaching, should his body recover. Overall, O’Hara is 87-48 as a head football coach, which includes six seasons at Hamilton Southeastern.

 
As Cathedral athletic director Terry Fox pointed out Wednesday, it is a sad day for the Irish. O'Hara is a hard-working coach with a deep passion for Cathedral, the community, the student-athletes and the game of football. HSSTM wishes Coach O'Hara the best of luck in his recovery.

• Tough to see Briana Bass go down for North Central last night. The Miss Basketball candidate and University of Tennessee recruit had to leave the No. 5 Panthers game against No. 15 Fishers after taking an elbow to the face and bleeding quite a bit. North Central went on to defeat Fishers, 49-42, even without their star guard.

I spoke with Bass just a few short weeks ago for a piece that will be in the upcoming Jan. issue. She’s a great student-athlete, with a good head on her shoulders and completely embraces the role of a leader. And if there’s one thing I learned – she hates missing games and loves basketball deeply. I’d bet that she’ll be back as soon as possible. HSSTM wishes her the best as well.

• Quick musing: I think one of the most interesting dynamics in high school sports is the transition multi-sport athletes face as they end one season or sport and begin another, especially if they overlap. For football players from several Central Indiana schools, that’s certainly the case. Pike, Carmel, Chatard, Sheridan and others all have athletes who play winter sports such as basketball and wrestling. And the conditioning and style change to the mind and body force student-athletes to really show their mettle and maintain great focus.

Lastly, here’s wishing all students the best of luck with end of the semesters finals this week. It can certainly be a challenging time – with an extended holiday break lurking around the corner. Stay focused and study hard for those tests.

Thanks for being so patient as we worked out the bugs here on the blogs. Our good friends at Compendium have fixed the problem. Think of it as a winter cold…and the system just needed a good dose of Nyquil.

• Alas, we’re back and onto bigger and better things. I’m going to go bullet-style today with some random stuff you may find informational and resourceful.

• In case you haven’t noticed or we didn’t mention it enough, the December issue of HSSTM is out on newsstands around Central Indiana today. You can pick up a free copy (as always) at Marsh and Blockbuster locations. It’s also available for your viewing pleasure on our website (http://centralindiana.hsstm.com).

• Lots of feedback on the cover already – many people commenting on the smiles. If you have a comment or would like to get in Rants & Raves, then hit us up at letters.centralindiana@hsstm.com

• Speaking of the December issue, I’ve got to issue a mea culpa and apologize to our good friend and feature writer Mike Beas. His name was somehow inadvertently left off the byline on the Carmel-HSE girls swimming story “Catch 22.” Mike does a tremendous job for us each month and deserves more than a byline. I’ve apologized to him personally, but felt compelled to do so publicly as well. And as I said to him, it won’t happen again. If our blog had audio, it would be playing Brenda Lee’s hit song “I’m Sorry” right now.

• If you’re heading out to a game this weekend, be sure to look for copies of the new December issue. We’ll have magazines at the Broad Ripple @ No. 11 North Central boys basketball game tonight, as well as the No. 8 Carmel @ No. 15 Fishers girls basketball contest. Both tips are set for 7:30 p.m.

• As for what’s on tap with the December issue as it concerns the Web site – well, we’ve got some great things in the works. Over the next few weeks, you’ve get several “Editor’s Cuts” of stories featured in the magazine. As I’ve mentioned before, think of Editor’s Cuts as Director’s Cuts of movie DVD’s. We’ll make comments about the stories, the people we interviewed and throw in some unpublished quotes. Keep checking the Web site frequently for these to pop up on the main page “Showcase” section.

• This feels like a good time to pat ourselves – and you, our readers – on the back. HSSTM, since launching the new Web site, is slowly crawling up the list of Web sites most visited. Two months ago, HSSTM.com was in the 1,000,000 range. Last week, it was 768,000th place (roughly). As of today, we sit at 715,605. Thanks for helping us grow in leaps and bounds!

• Finally, in other news, like everyone else, I was stunned to see that Butler’s legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse will not host a tournament game this year. While I’m not privy to the information behind the scenes on this one, it’s certainly sad to see a tradition like Hinkle and Indiana high school basketball go this season.

This weekend, Bishop Chatard and Sheridan both have chances to repeat as state champs. Each team has won eight state titles (tied with Roncalli for the most in state history). Heritage Christian has an opportunity to capture the school’s first state football championship. Carmel and Pike, two schools that sit just thirteen miles apart, will meet in the Class 5A finale on Saturday evening at the RCA Dome.

Today, let’s do a mini-breakdown of the games featuring Central Indiana schools playing Friday.

CLASS A: No. 1 Sheridan (14-0) vs. No. 5 Rockville (14-0)

The only Class A programs left with undefeated records (thank you, Mr. Obvious), kick off state finals at 3:30 on Friday.

Bud Wright’s Blackhawks haven’t lost a game since 2005 – though they won the state title that year, too. Undefeated in 2006 (15-0), Sheridan boasts a winning streak of over 30 games. This season, Sheridan holds the state’s best average margin of victory (36.0). Basically, they’re aren’t many opposing teams even in the ballgame by the start of the 4th quarter.

My associate, Dave McConnell, has been boasting the strength and speed of Nick Zachery, Sheridan’s junior quarterback (who’s yet to not win a state title at the high school level). He’s the kind of All-American quarterback they make movies about. McConnell was dancing around the HSSTM offices earlier this week as he attempted to provide a visual of Zachery’s burst-a-bility. (I know, I just went all Jay Bilas on you.)

While Rockville certainly has a terrific team – you don’t get to 14-0 and a title game  without being good – I do like the Blackhawks in this game to capture a third straight championship and the school’s ninth overall.

CLASS 2A: Heritage Christian (13-1) vs. No. 7 Fort Wayne Luers (10-4)

First of all, tip of the cap to Heritage Christian head coach Ron Qualls, athletic director Jeff Hester and all the parents and athletes who’ve seen this football program come so far in less than a decade. That’s right, this time ten years ago, the Eagles didn’t have a football team; now, they’re a 2A power.

As someone who’s seen the Eagles in person this year, I can vouch for their skills. The offense is loaded with talent, and Heritage’s air-it-out style makes defenses stay on their heels. Senior quarterback Garrett Meador is one of the state’s best signal callers and moves through his progressions quickly, allowing him to find his open receiver(s) and get the ball to them faster.

If the Eagles are going to be successful against a talented and postseason experienced program like Luers, it will need that kind of decision making and play making ability.

FW Luers has won six state championships, most recently in 2002. You can bet they’re hungry for another. Should be one of the best games of the state finals.

More on Friday, when we’ll talk about Chatard-South Bend St. Joseph’s and Carmel-Pike. Until then, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Here at HSSTM, we’re putting the finishing touches on the December issue (had to get it done a little bit earlier this month due to Thanksgiving next week) – much the same as several Central Indiana high school football teams are trying to put the finishing touches on fantastic seasons. It's not over yet, but the lights are dimming on Friday night lights for the 2007 season.

Three teams have an opportunity to repeat as state champions: Sheridan in Class A, Chatard in Class 3A and Cathedral in Class 4A.

First, they’ll have to go through some tough competition at semistates this Friday. Class A No. 1 Sheridan (13-0) hosts No. 7 Churubusco (11-2); Class 3A No. 3 Chatard (10-3) hosts No. 1 Heritage Hills (13-0) on Saturday; Class 4A No 3 Cathedral (11-2) hosts No. 2 Evansville Reitz (13-0).

If these teams are to return to the RCA Dome this year for a chance for another state title, they’ll certainly have earned it.

Elsewhere, Class 2A Heritage Christian (12-1) hosts Southridge (10-3) on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Eagles have already gone farther than any football team in school history, and a trip to downtown Indy on Thanksgiving weekend would make for the Cool Whip on the pumpkin pie.

In Class 5A, No. 6 Carmel (11-2) hosts No. 4 Merrillville for an opportunity to return to the state title game. Last season, the Greyhounds fell to Warren Central at the Dome. It will be a tall order for coach Mo Moriarity’s squad this week – Merrillville has beaten Warren Central, Ben Davis and Penn already this season.

No. 2 Pike (13-0) will face Mid-Indiana Conference rival Columbus North (12-1) and ranked No. 5. North’s only loss this season? You guessed it – to Pike in a 33-14 game in Week 6 on Sept. 21. We’ll see what two months has changed for these two talented teams.

My diligent co-worker Dave McConnell will be at the Sheridan-Churubusco game tomorrow and will most certainly be breaking down the game on his blog and on the airwaves of ESPN 950 tomorrow night around 6:20ish.

And a final “Moore Musing:”

A while back I posted about how you could get involved in the Franklin Central “Swim-For-A-Cure: 20 hours for 30 years.” I’ve been informed by the event’s organizers (swim coaches John Sincroft and Vicki Roessler) that it was a tremendous success, raising more than $5,000. That number will continue to grow as more pledges and donations come in.

The event was held over two days (Friday, Nov. 9 & Saturday, Nov. 10) at FC. The school partnered with the Lymphoma Research Foundation, coming together in honor of Bart Braden, a former Franklin Central boys swim coach of 30 years who was recently diagnosed with T Cell lymphoma and is currently taking a semester off from teaching at FC. 

On Friday, December 7, the Flashes will present Braden with a check at the home boys basketball game.

If you wish to make a donation or pledge, the school is still accepting. Please contact Vicki Roessler at (317) 803-5635 or at vicki.roessler@ftcsc.k12.in.us for more information.

As with most things in life, the end of something almost naturally requires reflection. In this case, it’s time to take a look back at the season that was in Central Indiana high school football. After traveling around locally to some of the best games the area had to offer this year, I’ve compiled a fun list of things I noticed along the way.

I have to give credit where credit is to: thanks to HSSTM main feature writer Mike Beas for the idea.

And without further adieu, here’s the best the past season (if you need a soundtrack, pop in “The Karate Kid” soundtrack and put the song from the film’s finale, “You’re the Best,” on repeat. If it’s good enough for Mr. Miyagi, it’s good enough for me).

Best Game: Carmel 42, Warren Central 35. This doesn’t necessarily imply that this was the best game of the year – it was just the best game I saw in person. A rematch of last year’s Class 5A state championship game, this showdown between MIC powers was terrific from start to finish. A packed Carmel Stadium featured 8,500-9,000 fans on Sept. 28 thanks to homecoming festivities (and the matchup) was certainly one of the loudest places I was at all year. Watching Jewell Hampton scamper 70-plus yards twice was a thing of beauty; Carmel’s resilience at home was as well.

Best Game I Didn’t See In Person: Center Grove 32, Carmel 31 (OT). Heard it was one of the most thrilling regular season football games in a number of years, and CG head coach Eric Moore’s decision to go for two on the road against the No. 1 team in the state was gutsy – and the payoff was huge. Moore (no relation to me) earns Best Coaching Call of the Year for that as well.

Best Comeback: Ritter 28, Speedway 27. After a ho-hum first half, where Speedway jumped out to a 13-0 lead, Ritter looked drained and out of the game. And that was BEFORE they fell behind 20-0 by the mid-third quarter. But the Raiders responded behind young quarterback Ross Hendrickson and outscored the Sparkplugs – on the road, no less – 28-7 over the final 16 minutes of the game.

Best Press Box: A tie between Carmel and Pike. The Hounds press box is spacious, well stocked with food and drink and sits high up off the field, giving you a large view of the entire field. I was there twice (for the Greyhounds season opener against Cathedral and the showdown with Warren) and didn’t have blind spot which forced me to move while tracking all the action. Likewise at Pike’s new stadium, where the view of the field is impeccable.

Best Return to an Alma Mater: Indian Creek. It was like stepping directly into an episode of “The Twilight Zone” when I pulled into Trafalgar to cover the Triton Central vs. IC game on Oct. 5. I don’t think I’d been to a game at my old stomping grounds since 1999, and it was neat to run into so many familiar faces through the course of the night. The popcorn’s still a little to dry at the concession stand, but I found it extremely comforting in some strange way.

Best Player: Jewell Hampton, Warren Central. Again, I can only go off of the games I watched in person. I saw Hampton once, the aforementioned Carmel-Warren Classic, and it was certainly enough for me. Hampton tallied 271 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. His blend of speed and power left my jaw-dropped on several occasions. Looking back at it now, Hampton kept the Warriors in that game. And his season stats, over 2,000 yards and enough touchdowns to make Tom Brady jealous, are impressive.

Best Uniforms: A tie between Cathedral and Franklin Central. Maybe due to the fact I’m such a huge Notre Dame fan, I love the classic look of Cathedral’s uniforms. The plain gold helmets put it over the top. And the Flashes’ helmets invoke a San Diego Chargers inspiration, right down to the bolts on the jersey sleeves.

Got some “Bests” of your own from this season? Leave a comment below…

Heading into Week 2 of sectional play, several teams will face major obstacles in their quest to become sectional champions.

Dave McConnell and the HSSTM crew will be at Class 5A No. 3 Center Grove vs. No. 6 Columbus North. I’m sure the Mind of McConnell will preview that game tomorrow, as well as on ESPN 950 tomorrow night between 6-6:45p.m.

Here’s a couple more matchups that should have Central Indiana high school football fans ready to throw on a raincoat, grab a blanket and head out tomorrow night for some gridiron action:

No. 1 Pike (10-0) at No. 12 Ben Davis (7-3) in Class 5A, Sectional 6

Lots of sub-stories in this one. Pike’s resurgence under coach Derrick Moyers. Ben Davis’ storied history in the state tournament. The resurgence of MarQueis Gray, making the Giants a threat to Pike’s undefeated season (its first since 1944). And the fact that this game is at Ben Davis makes it even more interesting. Will No. 1 go down? This is the state’s toughest sectional – in my opinion.

No. 7 Carmel (8-2) at Noblesville (5-5) in Class 5A Sectional 4

These two Hamilton County teams are rivals in so many other sports that the Millers would enjoy nothing more than ending Carmel’s quest to return to the RCA Dome. Experts are giving the Greyhounds a big advantage against everyone else in this sectional. Weather could be a factor – as well as the pro-Noblesville crowd – but Carmel has the big guys in the trenches who can get it done in a game like this.

No. 2 Bishop Chatard (7-3) at Batesville (8-2)

If the Trojans are to repeat, they’ll need to win road games like this against good teams throughout the next few weeks.

No. 5 Triton Central (10-0) at No. 11 Heritage Christian

Talked a little bit about this earlier in the week; one of the state tournament’s best football games could take place at Heritage tomorrow night. Two explosive offenses. Defenses that step up in big spots. Great coaching. All the elements are there. With 19 combined wins and one loss, it would be a great matchup no matter who’s playing – yet factor in that Heritage’s only loss came at Triton in Week 2 and it just got a whole lot more interesting. Keith Jackson should call this game – there’s a dandy brewin’ here.

Moore Musings:

• If you’re up for it, head over to Terre Haute on Saturday for the girls and boys cross country state finals. Lots of local teams have their eyes on a state title – including No. 1 Westfield’s girls and Fishers top-ranked boys.

• Volleyball regionals get underway on Saturday as well – with Avon vs. Cathedral starting at 11 a.m. at Perry Meridian H.S., followed by Carmel vs. Perry at 1 p.m. The championship match begins at 7 p.m. that night.

• Boys and girls soccer regionals also take place Saturday at Kuntz Stadium (16^th and Michigan Rd, just across from the old Bush Stadium near downtown). At 10 a.m., North Central and Chesterton meet in the boys semifinal; at noon, Cathedral and Center Grove meet in a girls semifinal. The boys title game begins at 6 p.m. and the girls at 8 p.m.

It’s about that time again…Indiana high school football playoffs are nearly here. Though we have to wait another week before it’s officially time to get started, the sectional pairings were released last night and there are some interesting possibilities lurking for teams in Central Indiana with hopes of a state championship.

Here are some of the notable pairings/comments:

Class 5A:

Sectional 4: Anderson Highland at McCutcheon; Lafayette Jeff at Harrison; Carmel at Anderson; Noblesville at Kokomo.

Sectional 5: Lawrence Central at Fishers; Hamilton Southeastern at Richmond; North Central at Arlington; Warren Central at Lawrence North.

Sectional 6: Perry Meridian at Avon; Southport at Franklin Central; Tech at Pike; Brownsburg at Ben Davis.

Sectional 7: Bloomington South at Decatur Central; Martinsville at Terre Haute North; Columbus North at Terre Haute South; Center Grove at Bloomington North.

Comments: The trio of early favorites, No. 1 Center Grove, No. 3 Carmel and No. 8 Warren Central all have interesting match-ups looming in sectional play, should they advance. Center Grove could possibly face No. 6 Columbus North (7-1), Carmel could face No. 10 Kokomo (7-1) – whom the Greyhounds beat 42-3 early in the season – and four-time defending champion Warren could perhaps face Hamilton Southeastern, ranked No. 14.

Look at the talent in Sectional 6, it might be the hardest sectional in the state, with No. 4 Pike (8-0), No. 9 Franklin Central (7-1), Avon (6-2) and Perry Meridian. Whew! Whoever survives Sectional 6 has to feel like they’ve really accomplished something big.

Class 4A:

Sectional 13: Plainfield at Frankfort; Northwest at Lebanon; Mooresville at Zionsville; Westfield at Broad Ripple.

Sectional 14: Roncalli at Cathedral; New Palestine at Greenwood; Greenfield-Central at Franklin; Manual at Whiteland.

Comments: No. 4 and unbeaten Mooresville really faces some pressure against Zionsville in the opening game. The Pioneers haven’t beaten the Eagles in their last three tries. Plus, another showdown with No. 12 Plainfield looms waiting.

2-6 Roncalli gets another shot at its rival, No. 3 Cathedral (7-1). The Irish beat the Rebels in Week 6, 31-0. Whiteland could also challenge.

Class 3A:

Sectional 21: Crawfordsville at West Vigo; Danville at Greencastle;Southmont at North Montgomery; Western Boone at Brebeuf Jesuit.

Sectional 22: Hamilton Heights (bye); Beech Grove at Rushville; Bishop Chatard at Greensburg; Batesville at Howe.

Comments: At some point, I think we’d all love to see No.3 Chatard (5-3) take on either No. 9 Brebeuf (7-1) or No. 5 Danville (7-1).

Class 2A:

Sectional 29: Shenandoah at Centerville; Lawrenceburg at Indianapolis Washington; Heritage Christian at Union County; Knightstown at co-5 Triton Central.

Sectional 30: Speedway at Tri-West; South Vermillion at North Putnam; Cascade at Cloverdale; South Putnam at Monrovia.

Sectional 31: Clarksville at Paoli; Brownstown Central at Indian Creek; Eastern (Pekin) at Providence; Mitchell at Eastern Greene.

Comments: No. 5 Triton Central (8-0) in a rematch against Heritage Christian later in sectional play. This was possibly the game of the regular season in 2A, when Triton won 21-14. I’ve personally seen both teams and Heritage, with its explosive offense led by Garrett Meador, against Triton’s equally impressive trio of running backs and quarterback Jordan Martin, should be fun.

No. 10 Speedway certainly has an interesting game lurking against No. 2 North Putnam. And Indian Creek should challenge in Sectional 31, if they can get past old foe and sectional rival, No. 14 Brownstown Central.

Class A:

Sectional 36: Sheridan at Eastern (Howard); Lafayette Catholic at Clinton Central; Park Tudor at Clinton Prairie; Tri-Central at Guerin Catholic.

Sectional 37: Edinburgh at Lutheran; North Decatur at Indiana Deaf; Scecina at Milan; South Decatur at Ritter.

Comments: Defending state champion and No. 1 Sheridan (8-0) could face No. 3 Lafayette Catholic (8-0) – and that would probably be one of the best games to see in any class. Also looming in sectional play: No. 10 Scecina against No. 9 Ritter (last year’s Class A runner up).

It’s certainly going to be highly anticipated and mutually exciting when sectionals kick off next Friday, Oct. 19. We’ll find out who’s hard work…paid off.

This time around, the Martinsville girls golf team reversed its fortunes and it won them the state championship.

After coming in third the past three seasons, and leading the tournament after Day 1 this past Friday, the Artesians shot 14 strokes better than anyone else on Saturday to claim coach Sharon Most's 10th state championship. The second-day team score of 305 was the second best total posted in championship history, which propelled Martinsville to dominating the field by 19 strokes over all.

I asked coach Most if things could've gone any better for her team.

"No," she quickly responded. "No, it couldn't have."

The Artesians were led, once again, by the sister combo of Carleigh and Chelsea Silvers (featured in the September issue of HSSTM). Each shot a two-day total of 152. Chelsea, a senior, posted an even-par 72 on the final day as the pair tied for 12th individually. The depth and consistency of the Artesians was too much to handle, with sophomore Kelsey Benson (80-78) and seniors Molly Burpo (81-82) and Emily Habbel (86-80) all contributing to the title.

"It was a little like getting the monkey off our backs," said Most, talking about finally getting the title after three years of coming up just short. "The big talk on Friday (after the first day) was how we were going to switch things up and go from third to first instead of the other way around. And we did that."

Other area teams to commend for fine seasons include Hamilton Southeastern (2nd), Noblesville (4th), Brebeuf (T-5th), Roncalli (T-5th), Cathedral (7th) and Carmel (9th).

Individually, Brebeuf sophomore Sophie Hayashi claimed the state championship by defeating Carmel senior Milena Savich on the second playoff hole. Each shot a two-day total of 146 to earn a spot in the playoff. Cathedral senior Michele Nash finished third with a 149.

Other News & Notes 

• Had a chance to see Franklin Central running back Darius Willis during Friday's 35-13 win over Bloomington North. Wow, he's dangerous. It was more his style that I was impressed with than anything else. He has a rare combination of size, speed, aggression and explosiveness that is simply a joy to watch.
• Speaking of Franklin Central, its defense better shore up if the Flashes expect to have a chance to pull off the upset of Pike next week. Too many missed tackles, not enough pressure on the quarterback.
• Congrats to Carmel...wish I would have seen that win over Warren on Friday. Both teams should be noted really, what a fine high school football game. HSSTM's Brian Moore was sending me emails throughout the game, and it was almost as exciting to get the back-and-forth action that way as it would have been to actually see it.
• Also noted was Sheridan's close call in a 16-14 win over Tipton at Friday's PeyBack Classic. In my mind, you measure a team's strength, coaching and overall attitude by seeing how they play when things aren't going well. The Blackhawks were able to pull of a win in the face of a good defense and other miscues. It's very similar to the college ranks on Saturday, when USC was able to hang on and win over Washington when they had almost 200 yards in penalties, playing in inclement weather and clearly not having their best game.

The new Associated Press and Coaches polls are out following Week 1 of high school football. And you may notice a little something different at the top of the Class 5A poll. For the first time in a long time, Warren Central is not the No. 1 team in the state. That honor now belongs to Carmel, following the Greyhounds 28-21 win over Class 4A power Cathedral.

Other rankings of note: In the AP, Hamilton Southeastern ranks 2nd in 5A, but No. 10 in the coaches poll. Obviously, quite a discrepancy in the way those in the media and those on the field view the Royals. Ben Davis, No. 3 in the AP, ranks No. 2 in the coaches poll. Warren Central dropped to a tie for fifth and No. 9 in the AP and Coaches, respectively. Center Grove ranks No. 10 in the AP and No. 7 in the Coaches poll.

In Class 4A, Cathedral drops to 2nd, Mooresville comes in at No. 6, while Whiteland and Roncalli both rank in the Top 10 in the Coaches poll.

Chatard remains ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, while Speedway ranks Top 10 in Class 2A. Sheridan, on the heels of a blowout win over Western Boone, remains No. 1 in Class A, followed by Ritter at No. 2 in the AP, No. 3 in the Coaches poll. 

From the HSSTM Tailgate Party before the game until the final minute of action on the field at Carmel Stadium, it was an electric atmosphere Friday Night as the Class 5A No. 2 Carmel Greyhounds topped the Class 4A No. 1 Cathedral Irish 28-21.

The high school football season got underway in epic fashion. 

A physical battle throughout, Carmel got a much-desired season opening win, following two-straight season opening losses to Cathedral in 2005 and 2006. 

Carmel got outstanding play from senior All-State running back Aaron King, who finished the game with 180 yards and two touchdowns. But it was the play of junior quarterback Morgan Newton that caught my eye.  

The key moment of the game was a gutsy fourth-and-one call by Carmel coach Mo Moriarity with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter. 

Newton got a healthy push from his big, talented offensive line, but also made a spectacular second effort to ensure the clock kept running in the Greyhounds favor.

Carmel (1-0) was backed up inside their own 35 and would have been giving up a lot of valuable field position to the Irish, who were out of timeouts.

"On that quarterback sneak, I just listened to my players," said Moriarity. "I'll do that from time to time. It was Morgan's idea and they [the team] wanted to go for it."

Earlier in the game, Moriarity said he and his staff elected to punt on a fourth-and-one and the Greyhounds leader suggested that he wished they would have made a different decision.

Perhaps that's because Carmel sport's one of the state's best offensive lines, led by Louisville-bound senior Ryan Barnes (6-foot-7, 300 lbs.), All-State performer Matt Steele and Brooks Michel were too much for the Irish (0-1), blowing gaping holes for King and Newton to run through most of the night.

Yet despite giving up two huge offensive numbers to the Greyhounds - for the game, Carmel had 393 yards of total offense - the Irish hung in the game and made it interesting. 

Cathedral senior quarterback Andrew Pimentel threw for 146 yards, three touchdowns and two early interceptions. Despite losing numerous players from their 2006 state championship team, the Irish calmed their nerves and closed a 21-6 gap fairly quickly. 

It began with a furious drive to end the first half with a quick score, followed by another midway through the third quarter after Pimentel threw a miraculous completion down the visiting sideline to senior wide receiver Jonathan Horn. 

Yet it was Carmel's King who put the final scoring stamp on this classic with a five-yard touchdown run with under nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

From then on out, it as Carmel's defense, behind linebackers Brian East, Jordan Chapman, Conor O'Banion and Tyler Cruz, that seemed to sniff out every big Cathedral play.

"They got us stops when they had to and that allowed us to win the football game," Morairity said.

As for first-year starter Newton, Moriarity says he can't wait to see how the young signal caller progresses.

"What most people don't know about Morgan is that he just turned 16 a couple months ago," explained Moriarity. "We want to bring him along slowly, but he's got great vision and sees the field well. He's a natural leader."