• Waldron's girls cross country and track and field teams flourished in 1998, winning two sectionals
• Dave's middle name is William. (David William McConnell? That sounds like English royalty right there.)
• In the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, Norway dominated Germany in the championship game, as Norway had done to every other opponent prior to that.
• Northwest's mascot is the Space Pioneers.
• Brian grows a mean five o'clock shadow.
• Franklin's Brad Hook can absolutely CRANK out the long ball. (That sweet swing gives me chills.)
• Pike's basketball team was ranked second in the country in 2003, one spot behind LeBron James and his St. Mary-St. Vincent team.

Last night, the Phillies headed into the ninth inning down by three runs against the Astros, knowing they'd have to stage a comeback against a premier closer in Jose Valverde.

The ensuing inning was one of the reasons why baseball is one of the best sports around.

The Phillies' Chris Snelling hit a pinch-hit home run; Chase Utley was hit by a pitch; Pat Burrell hit a game-tying home run; and then Geoff Jenkins, who struck out but reached first after the ball squeaked past the catcher, scored the game-winning run off an RBI double from Pedro Feliz.

Down three...up by one. Game over. Enter celebration, jubilation, etc.

Last night is one of the hypothetical situations baseball fans live for, something we love to see regardless of our team affiliations.

I was debating whether I should start this blog out with a connection between Chelsea Clinton’s recent trip to Butler, which I partially attended, and something relating to high school sports, but I realized that there aren’t many common denominators between the two. A comparison of Chelsea’s reaction to the Monica Lewinsky question with, say, the Brownsburg’s state-winning boys basketball team just doesn’t make a lick of sense. Plus, CNN and other media are beating (and overdramatizing) the story to death.

So instead, since I’m an avid baseball nutcase, I figured I would focus on that wonderful sport that had the entire world shouting “Konnichiwa!” as the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics faced off in Japan yesterday.

I was able to catch the eighth and ninth innings yesterday morning, nearly wetting myself out of sheer excitement, and I got to wondering this somewhat arbitrary question: How many former Central Indiana high school ballplayers are floating around Major League Baseball?

Well, the answer was many more than I thought. Carmel and Brownsburg are known for producing high caliber players, and many have bounced back and forth between the minors. But here’s a look at two players, one from the American League and one from the National League, who are young and give hope to the current high school players who want to take a shot at the Majors.

Also, feel free to leave some comments on other Central Indiana high school baseball players, past or present, who epitomize America’s pastime.

Adam Lind, left fielder, Toronto Blue Jays

Lind graduated from Anderson Highland in 2002 as Indiana’s Mr. Baseball, and upon graduation, he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round. He took the more prudent (and more intelligent) route by attending South Alabama (the same South Alabama that got trumped by 20 against Butler this past Friday…I had to toss that out there) instead of signing right out of high school.

He was later drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth round after two years at USA. The former Highlander was ranked as the fifth best prospect within the Jays’ farm system, and he’s already played in the Majors for two years. Last year, he sported an unsightly .238 average, but he still managed 11 home runs and 46 RBI in 89 games.

I must also mention that Lind is still only 24 years old. He’s only six years removed from Anderson Highland, and he’s already making major league strides. He’s starting the year at Triple-A, but he most certainly should get the call back up. If you’re a Central Indiana fan, keep an eye out for him.

Jake Fox, right fielder, Chicago Cubs

The Beech Grove native graduated from Cathedral back in 2000 and later played for the University of Michigan. 

In the Cubs’ March 1 spring game against the Angels, Fox belted out a two-run homer, the only runs for the Cubs that game. His status on the Cubs Major League roster is uncertain, especially with the addition of Kosuke Fukudome, but it’s not like Matt Murton or Felix Pie have satisfied Cubs fans lately.

While at Cathedral, Fox led the team to two Indianapolis City championships. During his senior season, he hit a robust .586 and had 16 home runs to lead all Indiana players. Although those high school numbers aren’t directly indicative of Major League numbers, Fox is certainly not washed up. He’s not even 26 years old, for gosh sakes.

In high school, I was way too lanky to try out for the sport I love, basketball. The only difference between my body and a toothpick (even today) was that I have a head and limbs.

So during my freshman and sophomore years, I figured I would try out for a different sport that I loved to play: golf. No muscle needed there, baby.

Nothing felt better than walking a fairway during an 80-degree sunny day, having zero obligations other than trying to get that tiny ball into the stupid cup. Was I any good? Absolutely not. The tryouts were a testament to how bad I really was:


Last cuts were among the golf faithful. It was a rainy day, and we had to finish our nine holes. All golfers walked into the clubhouse after finishing their respective front nine and were tallying their scores. Our coach then rounded us up and started calling out names for the scores.

As the coach was making his way around the room, I was still on the phone with NASA trying to figure out my round. After I hung up, I heard the dreaded, "Herman?"

At this point, some guys were spouting off scores of 35 and 36...on a rainy day. I swallowed my last bit of pride and squeaked out the words "68." Every person in that room turned their heads toward me, bug-eyed, as if the most attractive girl in the world had just walked in. I couldn't blame them...for those of you unfamiliar with golf scores, 68 is not only bad -- it's almost grounds for immediately being removed from society.

So that's why even today I have a huge amount of respect for those people who can play golf so fluidly. (Our own Dave McConnell is quite the golfer, too, I hear.) The boys golf season is quickly approaching. Some tournaments will be starting as early as April 8.

Here's a quick rundown of schools who did well last year and who have a chance to light up the greens again this year:

• Cathedral: It won the Lawrence Central sectional last year, which included a plethora of teams, while also winning regionals. Cathedral also finished fifth at state, and Corey Ziedonis might be a golfer to watch.
• Warren Central: The Warriors tied for second in that Lawrence Central sectional, and the team will only be losing one of its top five golfers (Michael Johnston).
• Avon: Although the Orioles finished sixth at state and won the Martinsville sectional this past year, it has to replace three of its top five golfers. Avon will still be a team to watch, but maybe a team to watch in its rebuilding efforts.
• Other teams of note: Carmel (finished second in state last year), Plainfield, Center Grove (won the Greenfield-Central sectional last year), Noblesville and Roncalli (won the Southport sectional last year).

Well, it's here. It's been spring break for roughly five days for us Butler folks, and I'm sitting here at HSSTM typing away.

I can see Brian's and Dave's goofy looks from afar. The beloved Butler Bulldogs just handled Cleveland State last night for the Horizon League title, which also resulted in their tickets being punched for the Big Dance. There's exciting boys basketball going on (no need to say anything more than the Danville-Rushville game).

This turned out to be a fantastic spring break.

I don't need any stinkin' trip to Florida or my swim trunks. All I need are the friendly confines (no, not the overrated can that is Wrigley Field) of the HSSTM office and my gold and black windbreaker.

All of these things have been going on since spring break started: Julian Mavunga, Brownsburg's 6-foot-8-inch, size-16 shoe wearing stud, along with Gordon Hayward, Austin Fish and the rest of the Brownsburg team have been putting on a show. I definitely thought Brownsburg would capture the sectional, but now everything is gravy. Brownsburg will play its semi-state opponent this Tuesday.

Lutheran's sectional run is another that is pleasantly surprising the masses. The team wil play this Saturday at 1 p.m., so if you're in your NCAA, Cinderella-type mood, it'd be worth it to see the Saints this weekend.

Finally, now that the softball and baseball diamonds are appearing out of the melting snow (I can smell the low-cut grass of the outfield already), I quickly want to highlight a baseball and softball team who might make some noise. What's a spring break without the mention of some baseball and softball, am I right?

Please feel free to take a shot or two at my northern Indiana mindset trying to analyze the Central Indiana area:

• Noblesville baseball. The Millers were 23-10 last year, which is good, but who expected a Final Four finish in 4A? Noblesville was only three runs shy of up-ending eventual champion Cathedral, and I think after last year's showing, Noblesville has a great shot to get back to the Final Four and maybe even grab a state title. Six starters are returning, including Sam Swafford, Jake Wood and Ryan Wides.
  
• Avon softball. A sectional title defined the Orioles 2007 season, and the most impressive thing about this year's team will be its schedule. Avon will play Hamilton Southeastern, Scecina, Center Grove and McCutcheon, just to name a few, and the Orioles will also play in the Wendy's Spring Classic in April. Senior outfielder Lizzee Campbell, junior pitcher Jenny Esparza and junior catcher Helen Rogers are the names to watch.

In my high school days at Lake Central High School (St. John, Ind.), our hockey team was golden. It won two state championships in 2003 and 2005, but the amount of recognition the team and players earned, though, was incredibly low, especially for a two-time state champion. The day after the team won, it’d be a small blurb in the paper.

This weekend on Saturday and Sunday is the Indiana State High School Hockey Association championships, and I strongly encourage people to go check out the Central Indiana teams: Carmel Gold, Hamilton Southeastern "A", Noblesville, and Cathedral-Chatard. Even though hockey doesn’t get as much pub as it should, live hockey games are a treat, high school and professional alike. And these games are still incredibly important to those high schools involved (check out Dave McConnell’s article about the local hockey scene from the January issue, starting on p. 46).

It’s impossible to deny that hockey has been stumbling for the past decade or so. The Hartford Whalers were essentially pawned off like a 1987 RCA TV, and the NHL is still trying to crawl out of its toilet bowl after the players’ strike during the 2004-2005 season. But there are some signs of life. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby is the refreshing face of the league (and I’m more than three months older than him…what a weird thought), and fans are starting to routinely go back to the icy arenas.

This weekend, let the Pepsi Coliseum be your icy arena. Carmel, HSE, Noblesville and Cathedral-Chatard are trying to put a trophy in their schools’ trophy cases. It’s a big deal, and the schools that win will definitely be buzzing in class come Monday. Check out a full schedule for the state finals by clicking here.

Heck, it’s snowing out right now anyway, so hockey fits the weekend perfectly.

It's not even March, and the madness has already begun.

Tuesday night's Central Indiana boys basketball sectional matchups, which Brian Moore so eloquently previewed for us, resulted in some surprising finishes—most notably the game between Cathedral and Warren Central.

Sectional 10 has already not disappointed. Cathedral’s Sean Esposito and Errick Peck put the Offutt-less Warriors to the test and won in nail-biting fashion, 67-66.

The two teams combined for 48 points in a Phoenix Suns-esque fourth quarter, but Warren Central (16-7) could not muster the necessary comeback. The 6-foot-8-inch junior Ed Hazelett led Warren Central with 20 points, but Cathedral’s Esposito finished with a game-high 23 points while Peck finished with 17.

It’s shocking to see the sectional host go down in the first game, and Warren’s season is a head-scratcher considering it leaves a huge “What If”—What if Walter Offutt hadn’t gone down with the season-ending knee injury in December? But so it goes. Props to Cathedral (21-2) for pulling out the victory on tough ground. The Irish will now play Lawrence North Friday.

The other game that blew me away—not so much in the actual result, but in the dominating fashion it was achieved—was between Plainfield and Terre Haute South. Going into the game, TH South (18-5) was ranked No.17 in the state among all classes in the final IBCA Coaches’ Poll (the voters rank all Indiana schools in every class, so TH South was actually ranked higher in Class 4A alone), but Plainfield (17-3) handily disposed of the Braves, 78-58.

Four Quakers reached double figures: Grant Tolliver with 21, Blake Metcalf, Brian Mucho with 11 and Jameson Wheeler with 10. A 20-point defeat of No. 17 TH South? Plainfield has been good all season long, as its record shows, but this game proved that even more. They’ll take on the other side of Terre Haute now (TH North) on Friday. Look out for the Quakers, Sectional 13.

One last game I would like to highlight from last night is Brownburg’s 59-54 victory against Ben Davis. Brownsburg (16-5) certainly did not dismantle the Giants (5-15) by any means, but senior Julian Mavunga threw down a great performance—I’m talking “Charles Barkley” great (Tha’s a turrible comparison, Bob…just turrible). He put up 32 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and catapulted the Bulldogs into Friday’s matchup against an 11-9 Pike team.

I think it is Brownsburg’s sectional to lose (it helps the team is hosting), even though Pike won its sectional last year and even though Pike still has a formidable frontcourt.

Finally, Guerin Catholic’s sectional game was scheduled for 7 p.m. last night against Madison-Grant. However, it was postponed because Madison-Grant did not have school because of the always unpredictable Indiana weather. And if there’s no school, there are no extracurricular activities. I just hope those players enjoyed the snow day. I’ve been spoiled enough to experience a few during college, and quite frankly they never get old. But now it’s time for the two teams to lace 'em up as they face off tonight at 7 p.m. at Tipton.

Yes, it's true. The day has finally come where I am able to blog. I know, I know -- I'm sure everyone has been holding their breath and has been strapped to their computer chairs for the past two weeks on end (who am I kidding? This is the intern we're talking about here...I'll just keep my mouth shut, get some doughnuts for everyone and finish my TPS reports).

Regardless, I have been here at HSSTM Central Indiana for more than a month now, and I can honestly say it has flown by. I've had the pleasure of closely working with Brian Moore and Dave McConnell, along with the rest of the HSSTM staff.

I had no clue what to expect when I first started. I didn't know that I would drive in a Hummer for the first time in my life to go to a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at Warren Central, where I would see Clark Kellogg and gawk at him like a seven-year-old, star-struck Neanderthal.

I didn't plan on being able to go to the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches' Conference that was in the end of January, where I would see how devoted the track coaches were to help out their squads.

And I certainly didn't expect to learn as much as I've already learned about the surrounding area high schools.

I love Indiana high school sports, but I've never delved into the schools that geographically revolve around Indianapolis. I'm originally from Northwest Indiana, where I attended Lake Central High School, so I've heard of the Carmel teams and Hamilton Southeastern teams among others because, frankly, they've beaten the snot out of a lot of the competition from my area. (I'm still a firm believer, though, that Northwest Indiana high schools are some of the most competitive in the state.)

But now I've been able to learn about the other Central Indiana high schools that make the region so strong, too: Lapel, Perry Meridian, Cathedral, Roncalli and others. The Chico Adams story alone has been worthwhile. The kid has gone 53-0 the past two wrestling seasons -- I get weak in the knees just thinking how quickly he would beat me in a match.

Through the first month of my time here, though, the most important thing I've witnessed involves the actual production of this magazine and Web site. The amount I've learned about what it takes to run and produce a magazine is something I will never take for granted. It's not a simple task by any means.

Sappiness aside, I'm thrilled to start this blog, where I guarantee there will multiple future references to Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs basketball team. Although I eat, sleep and drink Bulldog basketball, I'll be sure to get my feet wet and check out what's happening around the area as well. The girls basketball state finals on March 1 and the boys basketball sectionals already have me on the edge of my seat.

Sorry this blog isn't as long as it could be, but I have to go wash Dave's car and pick up Brian's dry cleaning after I make a couple rounds of coffee. Have a good weekend, and be sure to watch the Butler-Drake BracketBuster game tomorrow at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.