By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The dreary setting inside Waldo Stadium on Tuesday night looked like blue skies and sunshine to Ball State’s bedeviled but unbroken football team.
In the midst of a steady rain that fell throughout the second half, the Cardinals found the resolve to finish off an unproductive season with a spark from an unexpected source.
The figurative bolt of lightning for the Cardinals hit with 7:57 remaining in the game when Charlie Todd dashed 87 yards for a touchdown on a punt return. The score erased a one-point deficit and lifted Ball State to a 22-17 victory over Western Michigan.
The win gave Ball State a final 2-10 record, including 2-6 in the Mid-American Conference.
The Cardinals hadn’t run back any form of kick or turnover for a touchdown all season, and Todd’s punt return TD was their first such score since 2005.
“They told me just to trust the wall and go,” Todd said. “It was raining and hard to move the ball, so I knew we had to do it on defense or with the return team.”
Todd broke into the open on a block by Koreen Burch. That gave him an alley along the Ball State sideline, and he ran untouched to the end zone to wipe out the Broncos’ 17-16 lead.
“I had a chance early in the game and I didn’t take it,” said Todd, a cornerback who tied for the team lead in tackles with eight. “I went inside instead of to my wall (of blockers outside). I felt good (after the TD) because I knew our defense wasn’t going to let the team down. I knew that would be the touchdown to win the game.”
Ball State’s defense was able to finish the job the rest of the way.
The Cardinals befuddled Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller, ranked No. 2 in the MAC in passing yards, for much of the game.
Hiller threw for 354 yards, but he needed 62 pass attempts to get there, and he was intercepted a career-high four times by the Ball State defense. He also lost the ball on a fumble on a sack by Brandon Crawford in the second quarter.
The last pick was by free safety Sean Baker on fourth-and-10 from the Ball State 40-yard line. Baker made the interception, his second of the game, with 22 seconds to play.
“We had a great game plan that put us in the right spots,” Baker said. “He’s a great player with a future ahead of him.”
But it wasn’t a memorable sendoff for Hiller, a senior.
His first interception, in the first quarter, led to Ian McGarvey’s 45-yard field goal and a 6-0 Ball State lead. Ball State converted Hiller’s third interception into a career-tying 48-yard field goal by McGarvey for a 16-10 Cardinals lead midway through the third quarter.
Western Michigan (5-7, 4-4 MAC West) took its only lead of the game at 17-16 when Hiller threw a 4-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the final quarter. The play gave him 99 career touchdowns, one shy of the MAC career record by Chad Pennington.
But the Cardinals refused to buckle after giving up a 13-0 halftime lead. And unlike several other games this year when they had a chance to preserve a lead or make a comeback in the fourth quarter, they accomplished that goal on Todd’s punt return six days after being buried 35-3 at home by Central Michigan.
“I knew we were all disappointed by our play against Central,” Cardinals coach Stan Parrish said. “Tonight we got turnovers and made a play in the kick game. We got good pressure (on Hiller) with a four-man rush.”
The Cardinals season tackle leader Davyd Jones left for the game when he suffered a knee injury (the severity was unknown) with 8:25 left in the second quarter. The Central High School product watched the second half from the sidelines in street clothes and on crutches.
z Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstymer@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Good news for Ball State: Its next opponent shudders at the mere thought of playing zone defense.

SIU-Edwardsville played a 2-3 zone Saturday and held the inside-oriented Cardinals to 33-percent shooting.

Bad news for Ball State: Its next opponent plays smothering man-to-man defense.

The Cardinals play their first road game of the season today, 600 miles away from the friendly confines of Worthen Arena. Ball State (2-0) faces Temple (2-1), an opponent as rugged as its home, Philadelphia.

“We make our money off man-to-man,” Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. “We have (zone), but it’s not something we’re great at, so we don’t think a lot about it. We’ll see how it goes, but it’s not something we do.”

The Owls held Delaware to 56 points on 33-percent shooting in their opener. Temple followed with a masterful defensive performance a week ago against Georgetown. The No. 19 Hoyas committed 16 turnovers and shot 35 percent from the field en route to only 46 points. The 46 proved to be enough, however, as Temple scored 45.

Temple faces the unenviable task of replacing shooting guard Dionte Christmas and his 19.5 points per game.

“Hopefully we can hang our hat on the defensive end, and then we’ll see what we can do on the offensive end,” Dunphy said. “As a coach, you say, this year we don’t have him and that’s the way it is. We have to see if we can make it up in a lot of different ways. We’ve been spreading the scoring around, and that’s what has to happen for us.”

Two guards top the Owls in scoring through the first three games. Senior Ryan Brooks averages 15.3 points per game, though on only 37-percent shooting. Sophomore Juan Fernandez follows at 13 points per contest. Two other Temple guards average 20-plus minutes a game in Luis Guzman and Ramone Moore.

On the surface, this game comes down to a showdown between the Ball State frontcourt and Temple backcourt. But 6-foot-9 junior forward Lavoy Allen (9.7 points and 12.0 rebounds) provides the Owls another player for the Cardinals to be concerned about.

“It’s certainly going to be a challenge for us to guard them, but you can’t disrespect their frontcourt either,” Ball State coach Billy Taylor said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us.”

For the Cardinals, a road test against this caliber of an opponent serves as an excellent barometer on where they stand early in the season. Ball State won only three of its 13 true road games last season.

“We just want to go out there and get that experience in,” sophomore forward Jarrod Jones said. “They’re a great team, so we should be ready to compete when we step on the floor.”

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009) KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Motivation.

The football team that musters up more of that characteristic in tonight’s football game between Ball State and Western Michigan probably will be the one that sends its program into the offseason with a positive feeling.

Both programs have suffered huge disappointments this season.

The Cardinals hoped to bridge last season’s 12-2 mark and a 2010 campaign they hope will be a Mid-American Conference West Division title challenging outfit with a team this year that perhaps could have a .500 record. Instead, they’ve lost 10 games.

The Broncos thought they had the right stuff to contend for the West crown this year, and certainly be invited to a bowl game.

Instead, they were drubbed by 32 points against West champ Central Michigan and 35 against West runner-up Northern Illinois, and almost certainly will be home for the bowl season.

“It will be kind of a psyche game,” Cardinals coach Stan Parrish said. “We have to get our psyche right, and I think we will. …

Western wants to be 6-6. This will be a great way for us to finish up, knocking them off.”

Ball State (1-10, 1-6 MAC West) will try to avoid tying a school record for most losses in a season, set when it was 0-11 in 1999.

The Cardinals have won their season finale just one time in the past seven years.

To beat the Broncos (5-6, 4-3 MAC West), the Cardinals will have to play better than they did in last week’s 35-3 home loss to Central Michigan. Parrish said his team must play with more energy.

“We had a lot of guys who didn’t play very well, and we can play better than that,” Parrish said. “We have to re-energize ourselves.

“We have to have a real good plan as coaches to get these kids out there … and give them a good plan to go (to Western Michigan) and play our best and win.”

A major aspect of the Cardinals’ plan will be to contain Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller.

Hiller, 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, has made major improvements in his game during his career. He was benched on three occasions in 2007, and now seems a sure bet to be selected in next April’s NFL draft.

Steve Muench, a draft analyst for ESPN Scouts Inc., told the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette that Hiller is grading out as a “third-round range” draft pick.

Hiller, the 2005 MAC freshman of the year, is second in the conference in passing yards per game (263.2) and tied for first in touchdown throws (22). He needs two touchdown passes tonight against the Cardinals to tie the MAC career record of 100 by Chad Pennington of Marshall.

Parrish said Hiller could be the best pure passer in the MAC this season.

“He’s a classic drop-back passer,” Parrish said. “He and (Bowling Green’s Tyler) Sheehan are a lot alike in that they’d rather throw than run it.”

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstmyer@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Monday, Nov. 23, 2009) MUNCIE — Malik Perry holds court in the Ball State media room as he advises everyone on what and where to eat in his hometown of Philadelphia.

The affable Malik leaves the crowd smiling and giggling, not so much for what he says but how he says it. The Ball State junior forward flashes a megawatt smile, bops his head and widens his eyes to emphasize certain words.

Malik acts as if he’s born to be a media darling, a notion his brother, 23-year-old Dominique Perry, scoffs at.

“The Malik you see now, when he was younger he was not the same Malik,” says Dominique, an assistant manager of direct marketing for Fortune 500 Companies in Hartford, Conn. “He was the devil. Everybody thought Malik was crazy. He had a chip on his shoulder. … I was always the goofy one telling him, ‘Malik, you got to relax.’ In middle school, it started to click. That’s when he started smiling, and he’s never lost it.”

The effervescent Malik returns to the City of Brotherly Love, aptly named in his case, to put on a show for family and friends. The Cardinals (2-0) play at Temple (2-1) on Tuesday in the unofficial Malik Perry homecoming game.

“He’s been talking about it since last year,” sophomore forward Jarrod Jones says with a smirk. “We hear a lot about him going to Philly. I’m glad to finally get it over with.”

The Malik tour will probably make a stop or 10 at his favorite Philly restaurant, Gennaro’s Pizza Steaks. Dominique says his brother downs their cheese steaks with a vengeance.

“He loves these cheese steaks. When mother and I would try to get a piece of it he’d just rant. He’d go crazy,” Dominique says. “He didn’t want to share. He’ll give you the shirt off his back if he had to, but when it comes to his food …”

Malik eats just about everyone under the table as evident by his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame. He utilized his stocky physique on the football field until high school when he chose to focus on basketball.

Friends nicknamed Malik “Leeknasty” at age 11 for his physical, and sometimes dirty, play on the Peewee football fields. He dove into piles and inflicted the sort of pain that turns baritones into sopranos.

He cleaned up his act as he matured and switched over to basketball, but “Leeknasty” resurfaces on occasion.

“There’s two sides to me,” Malik says. “The calm, happy-go-lucky person and then there’s nasty on the court, diving for loose balls, going for offensive rebounds, just hard nosed, so I feel I have two personalities.”

Like mother, like son

Malik says he inherited his tenacity from his mother, Michelle Perry. She raised him and Dominique on her own in downtown Philadelphia where distractions and negative influences loom around every corner.

Michelle put her boys on a strict schedule with mandatory family dinner times and a 10 p.m. curfew.

“I had to stay on them, because I didn’t want them to come up and be a statistic,” she says. “I didn’t fool around. I’d become the evil mom if I had to sit on the step and wait for them.”

The brothers sometimes escaped her wrath by visiting their maternal grandparents, William and Carolyn Walker. The grandparents lived literally around the corner until their deaths in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

“They would give us anything in the world and some things we didn’t even want,” Dominique says. “One time they got us hats with propellers on them, and we wore them because mom-mom and pop-pop got them for us. We definitely do miss them. I know they’re looking down and saying those are my grandchildren.”

Malik honors their memory with a tattoo on his upper right arm where their names sit above praying hands and a cross.

Pictures of his grandparents serve as another reminder. He considers those pictures his prized possession.

Memories of his grandparents powered him through some adversity as a Ball State freshman. Malik felt betrayed when the coach he committed to play for, Ronny Thompson, resigned in July of 2007. The subsequent hiring of Billy Taylor in August left the freshman uncertain about his future role with the program.

Thompson signed a total of eight players for his 2007 class. Only Malik remains with the program.

“He was a little disappointed, but he’s not a quitter,” Michelle says. “He was a little paranoid at times, not knowing much about coach Taylor, but he seems to have got it together. He wasn’t happy, of course, with the situation and neither was I, but we made the most of it.”

The pride of Philly

Malik proved to be an impact freshman for Taylor. He started all 30 games as an undersized center and averaged 6.7 points and 5.7 boards per contest.

His statistics dipped a bit as a sophomore. He averaged 4.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 3 1/2 fewer minutes per game, though he paid dividends as a defensive stopper.

“Malik is someone from his freshman year who’s guarded 7-foot guys,” Taylor says. “He’s never backed away from a challenge. It doesn’t matter to him. He’s got tremendous heart and competitiveness, and I know he’ll fight and play hard.”

Malik started his junior campaign with a bang. He scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the season opener against Valparaiso. He only scored three points before he fouled out Saturday against SIU-Edwardsville, but he shared game-high honors with six offensive boards in only 21 minutes of action.

If his last game in Philadelphia serves as any indication, then Malik is poised to put up better than average numbers Tuesday against Temple. He totaled eight points and nine rebounds as a freshman when the Cardinals played in his hometown against Saint Joseph’s.

Family and friends showed up in droves for that game, wearing shirts with his face screen printed on the front. Count on a similar entourage wearing customized Malik shirts Tuesday at the Liacouras Center, located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia.

Michelle considers this game a cause for celebration. Her son returns home to melt her heart with his million-dollar smile.
As for Malik, his mother stirs up those same emotions in him whenever she smiles back.

“She had to raise two boys, and she sacrificed for me,” Malik says. “I keep that in my mind. I hope I’m successful in life for her.”

(Published Monday, Nov. 23, 2009) BALTIMORE (AP) — The unbeaten Indianapolis Colts would almost certainly prefer every one of their victories to be a hassle-free rout.

That hasn’t been the case lately, but the Colts have no complaints — mainly because they keep on winning.

Indianapolis improved to 10-0 by defeating the Baltimore Ravens 17-15 on Sunday. It was their 19th straight victory, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind a 21-game run by the New England Patriots from 2006-08.

The Colts have won their last four games by a total of 10 points, which isn’t entirely a bad thing.

“If it was up to us, we’d try to blow every team out, but that won’t happen,” said Joseph Addai, who ran for 74 yards and a touchdown. “I think winning these tight games really shows the character of the team.”

On an afternoon in which Peyton Manning threw two interceptions and the Colts committed three turnovers, Indianapolis reached the 10-win mark for the eighth straight season. That’s the second-longest run in NFL lore behind the 16-year streak of the San Francisco 49ers (1983-98).

The Colts aren’t concerned so much with making history as they are reaching the postseason and winning a championship. And if that means playing hard for 60 minutes, so be it.

“To be able to come out of this game with a win is huge,” rookie coach Jim Caldwell said. “We’re not going to ever sneeze at being 10-0, but we’re doing it by a small margin these days.”

The Colts won because their defense kept the Ravens out of the end zone and Manning was good enough to drive the offense to a pair of touchdowns and the go-ahead field goal by Matt Stover with 7:02 left. Stover kicked for 13 seasons with the Ravens but was not re-signed before the season, and the Colts picked him up in October as a replacement for the injured Adam Vinatieri.

Baltimore (5-5) started the season with Steve Hauschka at kicker, then cut him and signed veteran Billy Cundiff on Wednesday.

Cundiff tied Stover’s team record by kicking five field goals in the game, but he also missed a 20-yarder that could have put the Ravens in front.

“We moved the ball pretty well. We weren’t able to put touchdowns on the board, but we had field goals,” Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said.

Not enough of them, though.

The Colts forced a field goal after Baltimore got a first-and-goal at the 1 in the fourth quarter, and after Stover’s kick, linebacker Gary Brackett sealed the win with an interception of Flacco in the closing minutes.

“I didn’t see the guy,” Flacco lamented.

Baltimore’s last chance ended when Ed Reed fumbled on a punt return with 17 seconds left.

The game was probably decided much earlier, when the Ravens failed to get a touchdown with three cracks from the 1.

“It’s frustrating. It’s first-and-1 from the 1, you have to put it in,” Ravens center Matt Birk said. “It’s just that simple. I could talk about it for an hour, but it doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

The Colts managed only 129 yards and a field goal in the second half, but it was enough.

“We really did a good job of holding them to field goals,” safety Antoine Bethea said. “With our offense, nobody is ever going to beat us kicking field goals.”

NOTES: Indianapolis has won seven straight over Baltimore, including a playoff game in which the Colts failed to score a TD. … The Ravens have lost five of seven after a 3-0 start. … Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs (knee) was inactive, ending his run of consecutive games at 105.

By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstmyer@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Friday, Nov. 20 2009) Any previous conversations about the best volleyball player in the history of Delaware County started and ended with Sacha Caldemeyer.

The former Burris setter won the 1992 national prep player of the year award, and she lived up to the hype at the University of Pacific as a 1996 All-American.

Caldemeyer remains at the top until proven otherwise, but she faces a formidable challenge from arguably the best college freshman in the nation.

Penn State freshman Darcy Dorton serves notice with every passing match that she deserves consideration for No. 1 all-time status. She ranks fourth in kills (211) and sixth in blocks (46) for the best volleyball program in the nation.

“Sacha Caldemeyer is the one that you have to draw the comparison to,” says Dave Shondell, whose Purdue Boilermakers play host to Dorton and No. 1 Penn State today. “… Darcy is on target to become the best. I think that would be fair to say.

Considering all the talented players that have come through that area, that’s quite a statement.”

Dorton cemented her legacy as one of the best from this county last fall when she powered Delta to the 2008 Class 3A state championship and won the national player of the year honor in the process.

She followed in the spring by winning two national club championships with the Munciana 18-1 Samurai.

Samurai coach Mike Lingenfelter says her rise to superstardom harks back to about two years ago.

“That’s where she started to evolve from being a big hitter to becoming a great player,” he says. “It was important to her to be the best player in America.”

Dorton proved to be the best on the prep stage, but her pursuit starts over in the college ranks. Shondell says she plays with arguably three of the top 10 players in the nation at Penn State.

Dorton left indentations in local gym floors last year as the ball flew off her hand and turned into a heat seeking missile. Her swings in warm-up drills before matches took everyone by notice.

Those same terminator swings barley draw a second glimpse at Penn State where a collection of powerful hitters possess the talent to put a ball down in the blink of an eye.

Some of the best matches in the country take place at Penn State practices.

“You have to play at a very high level all the time,” says Dorton, the five-time Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week. “If you come in slacking at practice, there’s always someone who’s ready to take your spot.”

Dorton thrives when challenged. Her fiery demeanor amps up another notch under pressure.

“Darcy came in and she was tougher than I thought she would be in some situations,” Penn State coach Russ Rose says. “We recruited Darcy on a) her skills and b) her court demeanor. She’s got a good crazy side to her. She’s not afraid to compete, and we’re looking for kids who want to compete.”

Dorton still tightens her fists and lets out a piercing scream after a crucial point, though those come fewer and farther between at Penn State. The Nittany Lions enter their match today against Purdue with only four lost sets to their credit. Penn State lost only two sets in 38 matches the previous season and own a staggering 91-match win streak.

For Penn State, the success of this season hinges on winning a third consecutive national championship.

“Anything less than that,” Dorton says, “isn’t meeting our goals.”

By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstmyer@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Friday, Nov. 20 2009) MUNCIE — Malik Perry momentarily confused Worthen Arena for Muscle Beach last Friday.

The Ball State junior posed WWE style, with his “guns” a-blazing, for the home crowd after a basket against Valparaiso.
Perry muscled his way through Valparaiso with relative ease as the Ball State frontcourt proved as formidable as advertised in the season opener. The trio of Jarrod Jones, Terrence Watson and Perry shot 15-of-23 from the floor and totaled 47 points, 22 rebounds and six blocks in an 88-78 victory over Valparaiso.

“Offensively they complement each other very well, and defensively it brings some more size, some more toughness to our frontline,” Ball State coach Billy Taylor said.

“Having Terrence out there, he can block shots. Malik Perry, who’s a great help defender and Jarrod Jones, who has length and athleticism, they all complement each other very well.”

Jones stands 6-foot-9 and towers over the other two forwards, but the 6-5 Watson and 6-4 Perry utilize their wide, linebacker-esque frames to hold their own in the paint.

“Us three, with Mo Hubbard in there, it’s going to be hard for teams to send guys over to me to double-team me, because when the shot goes up there’s going to be one of us there for offensive rebounds,” Jones said. “All of us working together, there’s not going to be anyone to lay off of on the inside.”

Watson debuted for Ball State in the season opener after transferring over from Mississippi. The senior topped the Cardinals with nine rebounds and four blocks, and he dished two assists.

Watson mirrors Perry in how he crashes the boards and plays lockdown defense. Perry possesses a better touch around the basket, but Watson handles and passes the ball better and acts as a point forward for the Cardinals.

“We complement each other greatly, because we have size, so most teams can’t match up with our size,” Watson said. “We can get a lot of offensive rebounds and mix the ball in there, and it frees me up or it frees Jarrod up or Malik.”

Their size proved advantageous against Valparaiso. Of course, the Crusaders resemble a YMCA pick-up squad with their tallest starter standing only 6-foot-7. Ball State plays host to another interior-inferior opponent on Saturday afternoon when SIU-Edwardsville (0-3) visits Worthen Arena. The Cougars possess size at center in 6-10, 240-pound Nikola Bundalo, but he averages a mere 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

How the Ball State frontcourt matches up against opponents with similar or superior size remains to be seen. Only Jones possesses the shooting touch to consistently score from outside the paint, so the defense wins anytime Perry or Watson shoot a jumper.

The Ball State frontcourt faces its first sizable challenge Tuesday at Temple. The Owls rotate three players, ranging between 6-9 and 6-11, at power forward and center.

No matter what Temple or any other future opponent, for that matter, throws at him, Perry promises to muscle his way to the basket, “guns” a-blazing.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Friday, Nov. 20 2009) YORKTOWN — For the six seniors on Yorktown’s boys basketball team, a head coaching change just before their final season of high school hoops could’ve spelled trouble.

New coach. New rules. New system. And by the time they finally would’ve adjusted, their varsity careers would be nearly over.
Thankfully, a familiar face — with a familiar approach — stepped in to save the day.

Blake Everhart, Yorktown’s assistant basketball coach the past five seasons, quelled any fears by filling the vacancy left by former Tigers coach Judd Moulton, who resigned in June to spend more time with his family.

Trouble averted.

Since taking over in July, Everhart has made a point not to make any major changes to the Tigers’ basketball strategy.

“The great thing about me coming into this system is we’re not overhauling everything and having to teach everything new,” Everhart said. “That, to me, is the greatest thing and the greatest advantage for myself. They know it. So when we hit day one, they were on the ground running.”

For the Yorktown seniors — and the rest of the Tigers, for that matter — the transition has been as smooth as satin sheets.

“It’s really good,” senior guard Nick Conte said. “We have the same offense, same stuff we were running last year. Everyone on the varsity knows him pretty well just because he’s been around since we were freshmen.”

The Tigers once again will pattern their offense after Butler University’s men’s basketball program. The offense features ball screens with guard penetration and a focus on kicking out to the open shooters.

Everhart spent parts of the last five seasons as either the head freshman or head junior varsity coach, all while working closely with players and coaches at the varsity level.

“He’s just kind of filling in for Coach Moulton, doing the same stuff,” senior point guard Elliott Kampen said. “He acts like a head coach. We’re pretty confident in him and feel it’s going to be a good year.”

Kampen, a 6-foot-5 All-Hoosier Heritage Conference selection as a junior, begins his senior season as the Tigers’ only returning starter off a 10-12 team that lost five of its top six players to graduation. This will be Kampen’s third year in the varsity starting lineup, and Everhart said he expected Kampen to have an increased role in the offense, learning every position on the floor, including the post — perhaps one of the only major changes to this year’s offense.

“What we don’t want from him is to feel like he has to do everything,” Everhart said. “He’s a good player. He needs to be able to do things for our team. But at the same time, he doesn’t have to do everything. We have some guys that can make some plays where Elliott doesn’t have to.”

Other seniors on this year’s team include Jordan Collins, Christian Campbell, and Kyle Weiss — the Tigers’ quarterback during football season. All three will occupy forward slots. Conte will fill a guard role, and Jason Martin, a 6-7 senior playing his first year of organized hoops, could play some at center.

Kampen, Conte, Campbell and Weiss represent the only Tigers to have already seen much varsity playing time.

Juniors Dan Clevenger, Zach Roberts and Alex McCartney also are expected to contribute to the varsity rotation this year as the season plays out.

“They know what I expect of them,” Everhart said of his team. “I think that’s key. Any time you have a new coach or change, the question is, ‘How long does it take for them to figure it out?’ ”

Everhart and the Tigers will soon find out. Yorktown’s first game is Nov. 28 at home against Central.

Contact prep sports reporter Jesse Temple at 213-5807.

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Friday, Nov. 20 2009) MUNCIE — The smattering of fans who attended Ball State’s final football home game of the season Wednesday might have been surprised to hear a player belt out his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. But backup center Jordan Applegate’s teammates have enjoyed his musical talents before.

“He has some good songs that I have in my iPod,” Cardinals quarterback Tanner Justice said. “He plays the piano with the best of them. He’s really talented.”

Applegate helped his fellow seniors remember their final home game by standing in the middle of the field to sing the National Anthem before the Cardinals’ game against Central Michigan in Scheumann Stadium.

Justice said Applegate sings a wide range of music — gospel, jazz, hip-hop, rhythm & blues — and has numerous tracks available online.

“I think after football, that’s something he is going to pursue,” Justice said.

Goal-line stand

The Cardinals turned in an impressive goal-line stand against Central Michigan early in the second quarter. The Chippewas gained a first down at the 1-yard line, then ran four straight plays for no gain to turn the ball over to the Cardinals.

On the fourth-down play, Ball State linebacker Davyd Jones stripped the ball from Bryan Schroeder and teammate Charlie Todd recovered.

“That was some good stuff,” BSU coach Stan Parrish said. “That was a great-goal line stand. Tremendous effort by the kids.”

Best team in MAC?

Ball State has the unique distinction of having played the four main challengers for the Mid-American Conference championship: Central Michigan and Northern Illinois in the West Division, and Temple and Ohio in the East.

The Chippewas were the preseason title favorite. So were they the best MAC team Ball State played?

“I can’t speak about the teams we haven’t played, but from the teams we played, definitely,” Justice said.

The Cardinals lost 35-3 to Central Michigan, but they held their own against the others, falling 26-20 to Northern Illinois, 24-19 to Temple and 20-17 to Ohio.

Injury report

Cardinals starting tight end Zane Fakes might not be available for the final game of the season Tuesday at Western Michigan (7 p.m. on ESPN2).

Fakes limped off the field early in the third quarter against Central Michigan after rolling an ankle. Parrish said Thursday he didn’t know what Fakes’ status would be for next week’s game.

If Fakes can’t play, the Cardinals have no other tight ends available for action. That means they would play with four wide receivers or two running backs and three wideouts in their base offense.

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Ball State football fans witnessed the eclipsing of a prestigious Mid-American Conference record Thursday night that at one time they perhaps thought one of their own might attain.

When the 2008 season ended, Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour had 9,467 career passing yards and Ball State’s Nate Davis had 9,233. Both were easily within reach of topping the MAC career record this season.

Davis’ pursuit of the mark ended in January when he opted to enter the NFL draft a year early, but LeFevour came back for his senior season.

The Cardinals’ plight without Davis this season is well known, but Central Michigan is steaming toward a MAC championship behind LeFevour’s play.

LeFevour led the Chippewas to the brink of the MAC West title and a spot in the conference championship game by directing the Chippewas to a 35-3 victory over the Cardinals in Scheumann Stadium.

Central Michigan (9-2, 7-0 MAC) clinched no worse than a share of the West Division title.

LeFevour continued his dynamic play this season by throwing for 344 yards and four touchdowns. That allowed him to reach 12,000 passing yards for his career, breaking the MAC record of 11,903 by Byron Leftwich of Marshall.

“It means a lot because a lot of great quarterbacks have played (in the MAC), and a lot of those guys have gotten a chance to play at the next level,” LeFevour said.

LeFevour dominated the Cardinals (1-10, 1-6 MAC West) during his career, passing for 1,220 yards and 11 touchdowns in four games, three of which were wins.

LeFevour was extremely sharp in Thursday’s game. He completed 25-of-28 passes before leaving with 9:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. He was 11-of-11 in the second half.

“He’s had a good career in this stadium,” said Cardinals coach Stan Parrish, referencing LeFevour’s 704 passing yards and nine touchdown throws in two appearances at Scheumann Stadium. “He has separated himself from everybody else in this league.”

Ball State was able to get in the backfield at times on LeFevour’s pass attempts, but his ability to scramble away from pressure befuddled the Cardinals’ defense.

“It wasn’t difficult to get to him, but he’s just a good player,” Cardinals defensive end Robert Eddins said. “He has good poise, and when we did get to him, he moved around well. … He’s just a good quarterback.”

Antonio Brown caught 11 passes for 170 yards to lead the Chippewas.

LeFevour threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in the first half to stake the Chippewas to a 21-3 lead at halftime.

They took control with two touchdowns in the final 6:32 of the first half, the first a 1-yard sneak by LeFevour and the second an 82-yard pass from LeFevour to Brown.

Ball State’s only score of the game was a 20-yard field goal by Ian McGarvey with 1:38 left in the second period.

The drudgery of a losing season finally appeared to weigh on the Cardinals during the game. They managed only 93 yards of offense in the first half, and finished with just 231.

“I think we ran out of juice,” Parrish said. “We didn’t move the ball, and I think the team sensed that. We mishandled plays in our Wildcat offense.”

Quarterback Tanner Justice completed 10-of-17 passes for 105 yards. Cory Sykes rushed for 85 yards on 10 carries.

“I remember handing off the ball one time and three (defensive players) came off the edge,” Justice said. “It was like they knew what we were running.”

Ball State will end its season Tuesday at Western Michigan.

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — A dose of good fortune never hurt any winning football team.

Central Michigan was deep in its territory late in the first half Wednesday against Ball State, facing third-and-11 from its 18-yard line. Quarterback Dan LeFevour cranked up a deep throw that appeared intended for Cody Wilson along the sideline.

But out of nowhere, Chippewas wide receiver Antonio Brown came into the area and caught the ball near the 50-yard line.

Wilson’s momentum carried him into Ball State safety Kyle Hoke, and he leveled Hoke to open a running lane for Brown.

Brown easily cruised through the opening and outran Ball State cornerback Charlie Todd to the end zone for an 82-yard touchdown. The play gave the Chippewas a 21-3 lead with 46 seconds left in the first half.

WR ties record

Central Michigan junior receiver Bryan Anderson tied an NCAA record when he made his first catch in the game.

Anderson has caught at least one pass in 51 consecutive games.

The catch that tied the mark was a 10-yard touchdown reception with 10:56 remaining in the opening quarter.

Anderson shares the record with Taurean Henderson of Texas Tech and Michael Larkin of Miami.

Cardinal clatter

• Backup C Jordan Applegate, a fifth-year senior for Ball State, sang The Star Spangled Banner on senior night before the game against the Chippewas. Applegate was one of 11 Ball State seniors honored before the game.

• Central Michigan freshman WR Cody Wilson is a son of former Ball State QB Dave Wilson. Cody Wilson entered Wednesday’s game with 13 catches for 112 yards and one TD this season. Dave Wilson was a four-year letterman for the Cardinals (1976-79) and ranks eighth in school history with 4,009 career passing yards.

• Ball State announced a crowd of 5,736 for the game. The actual number of fans in the stadium was about 1,500.

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — There’s really no shortage of ways to describe the plight of this year’s vertically challenged Burris boys basketball team.

Pardon the previous pun, but the Owls enter the 2009-2010 season facing a significant height disadvantage at nearly every position. The Owls are the bonsai plants to their opponents’ Chestnut oak trees. The Owls make Tiny Tim seem like Andre the Giant. The Owls … well, you get the idea.

“We’re not gonna outsize you by any means,” Burris coach Brian Carr says.

In fact, when the Owls take the floor for most basketball games, it’s possible that only one player will stand taller than 6-foot with a measuring stick. That would be senior Charles Wolfe, who tops out around 6-1.

The only other Owl likely to grace the court listed in the 6-foot range is senior Will Spengler. And that’s a bit of a stretch.

“I’m actually like 5-11 and three quarters,” Spengler said. “I’ve been to the doctor like three times and I’m just trying to get 6-foot, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get there.”

Even the team’s post player, senior Terrence Johnson, comes in at a diminutive 5-10. The rest of the rotation includes sophomore point guard Trevor Woodgett, senior guard Bryce Rector, sophomore guard Ryan Davis and junior guard Andrew Beatty, all of whom stand well below the 6-foot level.

Rector, the team’s starting off-guard, should be one of the shortest players on the floor nearly every game at 5-8.

“Well, 5-8 on a good day,” he said, smiling. “I’d say probably 5-7 is about right.”

Just because the Owls are short on inches, however, doesn’t mean they’re short on talent. Players say they can turn their height disadvantage into an advantage.

“We put in a new offense this year and a new break that we’re running, and I think we can definitely use our speed,” Rector said. “Pretty much everyone in our lineup can handle the ball and is pretty decent at getting to the hole.”

Carr noted that the combination of a speedy lineup and an experienced senior class would help get the Owls through tough in-game situations, regardless of height.

“We’ll just have to get up and down the floor a little bit, pressure you defensively and take care of the basketball,” Carr said. “Like any coach will tell you, if you can reduce your turnovers, good things will happen.”

Burris also will need to cash in on shots from the perimeter, where Rector says the Owls possess another edge. If not, look for opponents to turn right back upcourt following a long rebound.

Last season, when the Owls finished 8-13, they counted on 6-4 swingman Zach Jones, Tyler Bauchert and Will Pollard to aid in the rebounding effort. Now, much of that falls on Spengler while the Owls wait on the return of their tallest tree, 6-foot-2 forward Lucas Parsons. Parsons has been unable to practice thus far, saddled with painful shin splints.

“As one of the biggest guys, I’ll have to really step up and rebound,” Spengler said. “That’s been a problem in the past for small Burris teams. We can’t really board the ball. Especially with this offense, if we have five guys on the perimeter and someone shoots a 3, it will be hard to get in there and get the ball, but I think we’ll be all right.”

Burris begins its season Dec. 1 at South Adams. And that’s the long and short of it.

Contact prep sports reporter Jesse Temple at 213-5807.

By DOUG ZALESKI

dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

Ball State will play its final home football game of the season tonight, hosting Central Michigan. Here are some key points about the matchup:

1. MAC-tastic LeFevour
QB Dan LeFevour averages 241 yards passing and 65 yards rushing in Central Michigan’s eight wins, and 130 yards passing and 22 rushing in its two losses. But here’s the catch: the losses were to Arizona and Boston College and six of the eight wins were against MAC teams. Ball State absolutely has to somehow limit him to have a chance to win.

2. Can they defend it?
Perhaps the Cardinals can take away the running game from the Chippewas and force them to be one-dimensional with the pass. Ball State has limited opponents to an average of 114 yards on the ground in the past six games, including a season low in a MAC game of 134 by Northern Illinois last week. But be careful what you wish for here. If the Cardinals force the Chippewas to throw more, they’ll be asking their pass defense to do something it rarely has done this year: give a credible showing in limiting an aerial attack.

3. Shrink the spread
Take a trip with me, all the way back to the season-opener against North Texas. The Mean Green kept Ball State off balance and a half-step behind the action most of the game with their spread offense. Toledo piled up 422 passing yards with the spread against Ball State in October. Central Michigan runs the same offense, but it executes it a whole lot better than North Texas and Toledo. So have the Cardinals improved enough from those experiences not to get embarrassed by the Chippewas? They better hope so.

4. Let’s get funky
It is highly unlikely that Ball State can line up and battle Central Michigan toe to toe for 60 minutes and win. The matchups simply don’t favor the Cardinals in that endeavor. So they have to find a way to tip the scales in their favor. A good way to start is by extending some drives on offense to keep the ball away from the Chippewas. A few turnovers wouldn’t hurt. How about a punt, kickoff or interception return for a TD? The more weird the Cardinals can make the game, the better chance they have.

5. The skinny
It would be hard to argue against Central Michigan as the best team in the MAC this season. The Chippewas started the year losing only 19-6 at Arizona, then won 29-27 at Michigan State in their next game — and they’ve improved since then. The Chippewas are averaging 45 points against teams with losing MAC records, and it’s unlikely that trend will end tonight.
Prediction: Central Michigan 49, Ball State 10

By THOMAS ST. MYER
tstmyer@muncie.gannett.com

For the first time since Ball State hired him as its men’s basketball coach in 2007, Billy Taylor rode the uncomfortable recruiting conveyer belt last summer without the pressure of trying to land an immediate impact freshman.

The ride still proved as bumpy as some of the hotel beds he slept on during the recruiting evaluation period, but his discomfort officially paid off Tuesday when Ball State officially secured commitments from two players who fill future voids.

High School seniors Marvin Jordan (Peoria, Ill./Manual) and Matt Kamieniecki (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) signed their national letters of intent Tuesday to play basketball for Ball State.

The 5-foot, 11-inch Jordan fits the pass-first point guard mold. He averaged 11 points and four assists per game as a junior.

Jordan played quarterback for Manual until this past season and possesses a muscular physique. He prefers to set up the offense, but when called upon to score he prefers to penetrate and initiate contact.

“He’s not afraid to mix it, to attack the basket or play aggressive, physical defense, and I certainly like all those things,” Taylor said.

The 6-7 Kamieniecki primarily plays power forward, though he played some minutes at the three in AAU this past summer for the Michigan Mustangs. He averaged 13 points and nine rebounds as a junior for the 24-2 Clarkston Wolves.

“Another tough-nosed player with good length and agility,” Taylor said. “What he may lack at this point for bulk as a power forward he makes up for with agility and skill.”

Kamieniecki split time between basketball and baseball until this year when he decided to concentrate solely on basketball. His father, Scott Kamieniecki pitched in Major League Baseball from 1991-2000. He spent six of those seasons with the New York Yankees.

Taylor said earlier in the summer he anticipated signing four recruits for his 2010 class. He backed off his prediction of four Tuesday after landing only two in the early signing period. Taylor sliced the number to three with his sights set on securing a combo guard for the late signing period in April.

Barring a transfer or someone quitting, the Cardinals lose only two players after this season in forward Terrence Watson and point guard Brawley Chisholm.

“We feel very confident bringing in two to three guys, and we’ll make the right improvements to continue to move us forward,” Taylor said. “… We’re in a nice position to be in with a chance to evaluate rather than be in recruit, recruit, recruit mode.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

SELMA — How do you follow up the most successful boys basketball season at your school in more than a decade?

If you’re Wapahani coach Matt Luce, you start by stopping. Stopping the comparisons to last year’s team. Instead, you start focusing on the strengths of this year’s revamped group.

“We had a great year, but that year has moved on and it’s these guys’ time to shine,” Luce said.

The Raiders finished last season 17-4, capturing the Mid-Eastern Conference and producing their best showing since winning 17 games in 1996-97. But they also lost four senior starters from that squad, giving the 2009-2010 version almost an entirely different look.

There is reason to be optimistic, however, because the Raiders’ cupboard is not totally bare. It contains four returning varsity letter winners.

Senior Cory Thomas, who averaged 14 points per game as a wing a year ago, returns as the lone starter off laston’s team.

Wapahani also brings back three key reserves from last year’s 17-win squad. Senior Adam Robinson will play the forward spot after averaging seven points and six rebounds per game as a junior. Brandon Estep, a 6-foot-2 junior, will fill a guard spot. And senior Josh Randolph will handle the point guard responsibilities.

Thomas, Robinson and Randolph help form a six-man senior class for the Raiders. Also expected to contribute are seniors Devin Browning, Cody Mann and 6-foot-5 center Matt Walker, playing his first season of basketball for Wapahani. Junior Aaron McWhirt should see minutes as well at one of the guard spots.

“People have only been thinking we lost four starters last year,” Thomas said. “But what they don’t realize is we have kids that have experience, and we have six seniors on the team and all of us have played together pretty much since we’ve been in second grade.”

Knowing teammates’ tendencies on the court through years of floor time together is perhaps this team’s biggest strength.

So, too, is a demonstrated willingness in practice to scrap and claw for every basket the Raiders can get offensively. Both could go a long way toward making up for last year’s contributions.

That bunch averaged more than 60 points a game for the first time in 10 years, but players on this year’s team anticipate lower scoring affairs.

“We don’t have one dominant person that can shoot the ball lights out,” Robinson said, “but if we play right and we play together, we’re just as good.”

Of course, Robinson was not trying to make specific comparisons. This is a different unit with new ambitions.

Luce, in his third year coaching Wapahani, will be the first to tell you that.

“We’re not going to win 17 games this year.” Luce said. “I can tell you that straight up. But I can tell you that we’re going to have a chance to be in every game because our guys are willing to pay the price, they’re willing to work night in and night out.”

Wapahani’s season begins on Tuesday at home against Blackford.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

GASTON — Technically speaking, if Wes-Del’s boys basketball team wins even two games this season, the Warriors will have surpassed last year’s output.

Realistically speaking, a two-win season just wouldn’t be all that fun, either. Really, players say they’d like something a little more.

“I want to be above .500,” Warriors senior guard Jordyn Lemons said. “We play 18 games in a (regular) season. I would want to win way more than nine games. We can look at last season and say, ‘That’s not going to happen again by any means.’ ”

What happened last season was that the Warriors struggled mightily to compete over the course of their 20-game slate.

They finished 1-19, losing by an average of 29 points per game. They lost in several ways, but hardly ever by single digits — that occurred only twice.

Wes-Del coach Joel Roush said the bulk of those struggles came because most of his players had little to no varsity experience.

“At one pointhink I started two sophomores and a freshman,” said Roush, who begins his second season at the helm of Wes-Del’s program. “The two sophomores had come off of an 0-20 JV season. It’s just a situation where they were having to play a year ahead of where they were ready to play. That’s not the case anymore.”

With more seasoning, Roush says he believes the Warriors should be able to compete at a much higher level, and he’s been pleasantly surprised by what he’s seen thus far.

“I knew coming in that it was going to be challenging,” Roush said, “but I didn’t know that these guys would be willing to work this hard, so it’s been rewarding.”

Wes-Del returns five players who started at various points last season. Leading the way once more will be Lemons, who averaged over 20 points per contest as a junior. Junior forward Drew Featherston provides the inside threat after averaging nine points and five rebounds a game in his sophomore campaign.

Senior guard Tyler Bennett tallied 5.5 points a game a year ago, and junior guard Kody Ledbetter contributed four points. Junior forward Duell Hatfield also saw varsity action as a sophomore.

Additions to the varsity mix this season are junior center Tyler Niccum and sophomore guards Austin Prather, Zach Burcham and Dakota Whittenburg.

Featherston said his team had found more of a comfort level working with Roush in their second season together, and he sensed changes in the mentality of the program.

“None of us really have had a lot of winning seasons, so we don’t have a whole lot of experience with it,” Featherston said, “but we’re just excited to have the chance to do it this year.

Wes-Del can match last season’s win total in the season opener at home against Cambridge City Lincoln on Nov. 25.

Contact prep sports reporter Jesse Temple at 213-5807.

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Ball State has finalized its non-conference football schedule for 2010, and it picks up steam almost as soon as it starts.

The Cardinals will open the season at home on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Southeast Missouri State, and play another home game on Saturday, Sept. 11 against Liberty. Both schools belong to the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), and Liberty is ranked No. 16 in this week’s FCS national poll.

The next two games for Ball State will be on the road, Sept. 18 against Purdue and Sept. 25 against Iowa. Purdue handed Ohio State its only Big Ten loss this season, and Iowa was a contender for the BCS championship game before losing its past two games.

“Nobody can say we’re ducking anybody,” Ball State coach Stan Parrish said. “We’re playing two Big Ten teams back to back on the road. It’s a very good schedule, and a very fair schedule.

“If we’re a much improved football team that’s going to be a team that wants to get back in the mix in the MAC next year, like I know we do, we’re going to have to do well through those four games.”

Parrish expressed a wish this fall to perhaps move the Iowa game to another season to avoid consecutive road games against BCS opponents, but that isn’t likely to happen.

“Chances are we can’t move any games,” Ball State athletic director Tom Collins said. “You’re not going to say ‘never’ because once in a while something crazy happens.”

Collins said he would like to limit the Cardinals’ non-conference schedule to one BCS road game a year going forward.
“We’ll have to see what works best for the future,” he said.

Collins also confirmed published reports in Illinois that the Cardinals have agreed to a home-and-home series against Illinois State, an FCS opponent. Football Bowl Subdivision schools such as Ball State rarely play road games against FCS schools.

Ball State will open the 2013 season at Illinois State, and it will play host to the Redbirds to start the 2014 season. Both games are slated for the Thursday before Labor Day.

The 2011 schedule so far has two non-conference foes: at South Florida and home against Army. South Florida will play at Ball State in 2012, and the Cardinals and Army will play four more games between 2012 and 2017.

Other future non-conference opponents include Clemson on the road in 2012, and a home-and-home series against Middle Tennessee State in 2015 and 2016.

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.

By GREG FALLON
gfallon@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Two losses, zero wins and a whole host of other issues are suddenly the plight of the Ball State women’s basketball team.

In a home opener that began with a brief celebration recognizing last year’s successes of winning the Mid-American Conference Championship and a first-round NCAA Tournament game against Tennessee, the Cardinals looked pretty far removed from that squad Monday night in a 61-58 loss to Western Kentucky.

While the Cardinals never trailed by more than eight and led by two on two separate possessions, once in each half, it was BSU’s woeful second-half rebounding effort that provided WKU (2-0) the control it needed to keep Ball State at bay.

The Cardinals allowed 16 second-half offensive boards and were out-rebounded 29-18 in the second period.

“I said in our pregame discussion that if there is anything that makes me toss and turn at night right now, it’s wondering whether or not we are going to be committed to rebounding the basketball,” Ball State coach Kelly Packard said after the game.

Two specific instances in the closing 15 seconds — when Ball State would have regained possession with just a one-point deficit had it just grabbed a defensive rebound — were the daggers in which Western Kentucky emphasized it’s command on the boards.

“I think it’s a very, very clear statement that rebounding cost us this game tonight,” Packard said.

“When we rewind the film, I can promise you that we were not in great position. I don’t feel like we made great contact, I don’t feel like we were low. I certainly don’t feel like we pushed back in order to secure some of the defensive rebounds that we absolutely needed to have.”

The Cardinals out-rebounded Western Kentucky 23-14 in the first half. But the second was a different story as the Hilltoppers grew increasingly aggressive on the offensive glass as the game wore on.

“We just didn’t put a body on them in the second half,” said Ball State junior Emily Maggert, who led BSU with 22 points and 11 rebounds, her second double-double in as many games. “… We just need to take ownership and box out and rebound.”

Western Kentucky’s Arnika Brown finished with a game-high 15 boards, nine of them offensive, and a team-high 13 points.

Adding to Ball State’s early-season issues, on the other end of the court Ball State struggled to get any semblance of offensive rhythm.

With starting point guard Ty’Ronda Benning playing just 16 minutes, backup Patrice King saw the most action at the one spot. She was one of three Cardinals to score in double digits with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but she also turned the ball over seven times in 27 minutes of play. The Cardinals had 23 turnovers, running the team’s two-game total to 51.

The ragged play on offense contributed to a mere 29.6-percent shooting from the field in the second half for the Cardinals and an inability to feed Maggert the ball in the post for much of the period.

“Our point guards aren’t getting good depth down the sidelines in order to make some of those entry passes,” Packard said. “And then quite honestly, some of (the point guards’) development is that they just aren’t seeing what’s open when it’s open. When they recognize, then the defense has had time to adjust.”

Saturday’s result is the first time since the 2003-04 season — when BSU went 13-16, its last losing season — that Ball State has opened a year with two straight losses.

“Obviously, we have a lot of work to do,” said Ball State senior Audrey McDonald, who added 11 points. “We have a lot of new faces and they are learning and getting better every day. We just have to be patient.

“We’ll be fine. It’s just a growing period,” McDonald added. “We are going to get through it. How long? I don’t know. But we’re are going to get through it and we’ll do it together and we’ll come out strong.”

Contact sports editor Greg Fallon at 213-5876.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Mike King has a bit of a math problem on his hands.

King, Cowan’s fifth-year boys basketball coach, sees a Blackhawks team that averaged 61.4 points per game last season on the way to its first winning season in 13 years and the second round of sectional play.

He also sees that 35 of those points are gone this season to graduation.

What’s a coach to do? Retool and find a new way to solve the equation.

“I think we can do the same thing in terms of points, but I think it’s going to be a different style,” King said. “The goal is the same. The road is different.”

Gone are Stephen Jones, Alex Gannom and Matt Gaff. In steps point guard Grant Newlin, center Tanner Rutherford and guard CJ Longfellow.

Newlin and Rutherford combined to average just over 20 points per game last season but will likely need to up their point production to make up for the Blackhawks’ losses. Longfellow, a senior, adds a solid outside stroke in his first year at Cowan after transferring from Central.

King said while last year’s team relied on finesse moves and jumpers for points, this year’s squad would have to work harder, aggressively slashing to the hoop and turning defensive pressure into offensive success.

Players see it the same way.

“We’re a little quicker this year because we have a lot of guards, so we can press more,” Newlin said. “We think that we’re more conditioned than opponents, so we’re going to push the ball and get them tired, so late in the fourth quarter, we’ll be fine.”

Newlin’s decision-making and hard-nosed mentality at the point position will be vital to Cowan’s success this season, King noted.

“If Grant got into a fight with a buzzsaw, I’d bet on Grant,” King said. “I would bet on Grant and give the buzzsaw a three-round head start. That kid is tougher than nails, and all he does is work hard. … He’s every coach’s dream and every opposing point guard’s nightmare.”

King also is expecting an increased role from guards Garrett Cooper and Austin Carrier, both of whom primarily played junior varsity last season but did see some varsity action.

“They’ll step in, and I think they’ll do quite well,” King said.

At the forward spot, Skyler Toomey should see the bulk of action, with Kyle Horine providing crucial minutes as well.

That gives Cowan seven players who will see the majority of court time. Exactly how those players make up for last year’s lost points remains to be seen. But this much is certain. No single player will carry Cowan through the regular season, which is just fine with Longfellow.

“We’re not worried about our stats,” Longfellow said. “We just want everybody else to succeed. We want to succeed as a team, so we’re very unselfish.”

Cowan opens its season on Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at home against Liberty Christian.

Contact prep sports reporter Jesse Temple at 213-5807.

By JESSE TEMPLE
jtemple@muncie.gannett.com

YORKTOWN — Like he does every year around this time, Yorktown wrestling coach Trent McCormick recently held a preseason banquet for his team to kick off another year of Tigers wrestling.

McCormick, in his 22nd year as coach, addressed the usual goals and expectations, delivering his message in front of more than 100 wrestlers, siblings and parents in the school cafeteria.

Then, he did something he does not normally do. He showed those in attendance the rings.

There was the team championship ring he earned as a junior in 1985 as a wrestler at Delta, the second-place team ring in 1986 and the individual wrestling championship ring he snagged as a senior in ’86. Rings typically are reserved for top two team and individual finishers at state.

But McCormick’s three-ring show-and-tell session wasn’t about gloating. It served a different purpose.

“I held those up and said, ‘I want you to feel what I felt,’ ” McCormick recalled. “ ‘That special feeling. And you can do that. We have the potential if we do the right things this year.’ ”

You see, this year is not like most seasons at Yorktown. And McCormick knows it. Yes, the Tigers consistently maintain lofty expectations and possess the horses to qualify individuals at state on a regular basis.

This season, however, the Tigers believe they have more than horses in the stable. They think they’ve got thoroughbreds, with enough skill from top to bottom to go where no Tigers team has gone before: The Indiana high school wrestling final four.

Twice before, Yorktown has reached the quarterfinals of the team state tournament. In both instances, 2000 and 2001, the Tigers lost in the opening round. And individually, no Yorktown wrestler has captured a state title since 1979.

Climbing both hurdles appears to be a realistic goal this season.

“I honestly have never seen such a great compilation of wrestlers, even on the national teams that I’ve been on,” said senior Trent Castner, who will wrestle at 171 pounds. “All of these wrestlers have the potential to go to state, I’m sure.”

Yorktown is ranked No. 9 in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Tigers also are coming off their second consecutive team title at the Disney Duals at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. Yorktown won the small class team title, comprised of schools from all over the country.

Individually, Yorktown is equally strong, with eight wrestlers returning after placing in the top four at regionals.

Senior Derek Bevans enters the year ranked as the No. 3 wrestler at 125 pounds a season after going 42-4 to finish sixth at state in the 119-pound weight class. Junior Andrew Heistand received a preseason No. 3 ranking at 135 pounds. He polished off a 38-5 sophomore campaign with a sixth-placing showing at 125 pounds.

And senior Ross Janney also holds a preseason No. 3 rank at the 285-pound heavyweight division after finishing 37-6 in the same weight class last year.

Other Yorktown wrestlers who cracked the state-wide top 15 are Jake Anderson (12th, 119 pounds), Devon Jackson (eighth, 130 pounds), Caleb Smith (15th, 152 pounds) and Castner (12th, 171 pounds).

In total, the team has 13 seniors, nine of whom are in the Yorktown starting lineup.

Given all those numbers, there certainly is reason for higher-than-usual expectations at Yorktown.

Of course, talk is cheap. The Tigers will get their first glimpse of exactly where they stand when their season begins Nov. 28 against Peru.

“It’s easy to talk about all our goals,” said senior Cody Harper, who will wrestle at 145 pounds. “But we have to start putting in the hard work to get those goals accomplished.”

Do that, and perhaps a team championship ring is waiting for the Tigers come late February.

Contact prep sports reporter Jesse Temple at 213-5807.