NP boys, MV girls win titles

Had a great night of basketball tonight as the New Palestine boys and Mt. Vernon girls won the Hancock County championships.

The boys game was a down-to-the-wire nail-biter. The pace stayed slow -- at Greenfield-Central's liking -- for much of the first three quarters. The Cougars led 19-17 at half and 32-30 after three -- and built a 27-21 lead in the third. But it was nip-and-tuck all the way. G-C appeared to have the upper hand when Josh Mayes hit a 3 with 1:18 left, but NP's Justin Ikerd answered to knot it at 44 and, after a couple of misses for each team, send the game into OT. Ikerd hit a triple on the Dragons' first possession of the extra session, and NP never trailed from there, winning 54-48.

The win gave NP its fourth county title in eight years -- the third time beating G-C in overtime in a championship game.

Mayes scored 15 to lead G-C -- all on 3s -- while Jordan Conley added eight points and a lot of big rebounds. Ikerd also hit five 3s and scored 15, while Josh Penley scored 17 points -- 15 in the second half -- and was our tournament MVP. Penley, Ikerd and Michael Morris represented NP on the All-Tourney team, along with Mayes and Derek Conley of G-C.

Mt. Vernon won the consolation game 74-68 over Eastern Hancock behind 31 points from Quinn Williams and 17 from C.J. Coleman -- both All-Tourney Team selections. Dustin Smith led EH with 30 points. He had 53 over the two nights and was also on the All-Tourney Team.

In the girls tournament, MV used a 27-4 run over the second and third quarters to pull away from NP and win 55-32. Jessica Brown led the Marauders with 17 points, while Bethany Murrell scored 16 for the Dragons. G-C won the consolation game over Eastern Hancock.

Semifinal roundup

The Hancock County Tournament finals are set, and we're set to bring you both games Thursday from Eastern Hancock.

Girls: #1 Mt. Vernon (11-0) vs. New Palestine (5-5)
Boys: Greenfield-Central (3-5) vs. New Palestine (4-4)
Listen LIVE beginning at 5:40 p.m.

On the girls side, NP got there with a near record-breaking 61-15 win over Eastern Hancock. The Dragons held EH in single digits for the game's first 27 minutes, and allowed the second-fewest points in program history -- and the fewest since surrendering 10 to Morton Memorial in 1975-76. Bethany Murrell scored 16 points to lead NP, while Danielle Owens added nine.

MV pulled away late from Greenfield-Central 42-29. Anna Olson scored in double-figures for the Marauders.

So that sets up a rematch of the Dec. 16 game that went into OT before MV pulled away to a 58-46 victory. MV has now won 27 consecutive regular-season games, and that is NP's lone blemish in its last five outings.

On the boys side, NP won a thriller in OT, beating Eastern Hancock 76-74 on a reverse layup by Reid Clark with 2.8 seconds left. The Dragons trailed by 12 points late in the fourth quarter, but rallied and tied the game at 63 when Solomon Haynes hit a long 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation. Josh Penley scored 28 points to lead the Dragons, while Dustin Smith had 23 for the Royals.

G-C won a slow-down game against Mt. Vernon 31-22. The Cougars led for much of the game, and held MV in the teens until the latter stages of the fourth quarter. That sets up a rematch of the Cougars' 51-35 win over NP on Dec. 10, a game in which G-C hit 72% of its shots in the second half to pull away from an early deficit, and jumpstarted the Cougars to three wins in their last four games. NP is also on a bit of a roll, having won three straight since that game.

County boys preview

First up this year are the girls in the Hancock County tournament. The pairings, again ... all games at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Mt. Vernon (1-4) at Greenfield-Central (2-5)
Eastern Hancock (7-1) at New Palestine (3-4)
Thursday, Dec. 30
Consolation at Eastern Hancock Middle School gym
Championship at Eastern Hancock High School gym (LISTEN LIVE, 7:30 P.M.)
(FYI, the EHMS gymnasium is a long walk down the hallway from the EHHS gym).

The teams
Mt. Vernon (1-4)
The Marauders haven't played a lot of games, but they've played some incredible teams, falling to 4A No. 6 Hamilton Southeastern, 2A No. 2 Tipton, a Pendleton Heights team that should be receiving votes and a Hamilton Heights team that is. The one victory was over a solid Shelbyville team on the road. Steve Lynch's squad has been competitive in those games, and has an experienced leader in guard Quinn Williams. We saw him score 20 against Hamilton Heights and he's a hard guy to keep in front. Stephen Turner is a good scorer and is stepping up for the Marauders so far. MV is the two-time defending champ and has won the tourney three times in the last four years.

Greenfield-Central (2-5)
Just like the Marauders, don't be deceived by the record. G-C has a lot of experienced players back and the Cougars got a lot of confidence from back-to-back wins over New Palestine and Yorktown. 6-6 forward Tyler Stone and 3-point marksmanJosh Mayes provide a nice inside-out combo -- both are averaging more than 12.5 ppg. Brothers Derek and Jordan Conley are solid athletes, Jared Morris runs the offense nicely and coach Josh Johnson has everything on the right track. G-C is a legitimate contender to win its first county title since the inaugural 2003-04 season.

Eastern Hancock (7-1)
Record-wise, the Royals are the favorites. But the 1 loss was delivered by the team EH is playing on opening night -- New Palestine. The Royals would love to get past NP and play the title game on their home floor, where they're very solid and just posted an 80-73 win over a solid Blue River squad. EH is scoring -- 68.8 ppg as a team -- and Dustin Smith is as hot as any player in the state right now, scoring 40, 42 and 26 points in his last three games. He is averaging 25.1 ppg, making him one of the area's top scorers. Jared Pyle is also scoring in double-figures, and Smith, Pyle and wing Steven Stunda all total 5.4 rebounds per game. Throw in a solid point guard in Zach Kissick, a veteran crew with tons of game experience and an outstanding coach in Aaron Spaulding, and you've got the makings of a good team. If this were single-class ball, this would be the team everyone in the county (except, of course, that night's opponent) would be getting behind every night. The Royals have a chance to do a lot of special things this season, but beating two larger schools and winning the county title would be high on that list.

New Palestine (3-4)
The Dragons come into the tourney having won back-to-back games over Morristown and Beech Grove. They started 1-3 -- against teams who currently have a combined record of 26-3 -- and have since won two of three, with the lone stumble against Greenfield-Central on the road. Josh Penley (16.4 ppg) is leading the team in points, steals and is second in assists and is a solid all-around athlete. A strong FT shooter, he knocked down two at the buzzer to beat Eastern Hancock earlier this year. Taylor Rainey (11.9 ppg) is a solid outside shooter, and the inside players are athletic, with Michael Morris averaging a shade over eight points and a shade under seven rebounds per game, and Reid Clark throwing in 20 points in a win over Beech Grove Dec. 22. When EH and NP meet, the games nearly always come down to the wire. Every meeting since 2007 has come down to the final minute and has been decided by four points or less.

We're looking forward to a great tournament. Keep up with the scores on our blog, and on our Facebook & Twitter sites (be sure to subscribe!) on Wednesday, and listen to the title games on Thursday!

County girls preview

First up this year are the girls in the Hancock County tournament. The pairings, again ... all games at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 29
Mt. Vernon (10-0) at Greenfield-Central (5-6)
Eastern Hancock (1-9) at New Palestine (4-5)
Thursday, Dec. 30
Consolation at Eastern Hancock Middle School gym
Championship at Eastern Hancock High School gym (LISTEN LIVE, 5:40 P.M.)
(FYI, the EHMS gymnasium is a long walk down the hallway from the EHHS gym).

The teams
Mt. Vernon (10-0)
The Marauders are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A for a reason. They have one of the top starting fives in the state, with a Div. I post player in Makenzi Reasor (Indiana State), an outstanding floor general in Jessica Brown, a 3-point marksman in Rachel Houck, a do-everything athlete in Kayla Negley and a workhorse and glass-cleaner in Anna Olson. They fit together very well and complement each other well. Then, a future Div. I player in Erica Moore jumps off the bench and you can tell Julie Shelton's team is loaded. The Marauders can score, but what's most impressive about them is the 35 ppg defensive average. They've had some impressive wins -- 56-33 over Rushville, 64-55 over Hamilton Heights and 43-42 over Pendleton Heights courtesy of a FT by Negley in the final second. They also had a 58-46 OT victory over New Palestine in which the Marauders rallied from a seven-point deficit late in regulation and then pulled away rapidly in OT. Brown is the leader at 14.8 ppg, but five players average at least 8.4 ppg, and the one starter who doesn't -- Olson -- gobbles up eight rebounds per game. MV is the defending champion and, as the only team in the field with a winning record, the favorite to win again and extend its streak of 27 consecutive regular-season wins.

Greenfield-Central (5-6)
The Cougars are working in a lot of new players, but Doug Laker's squad has hit stride in the last couple of games, beating Richmond and Connersville, both on the road. The Cougars also boast an impressive early-season win over New Castle on their resume, and they're always formidable this time of year. G-C has advanced to five consecutive title games and had won three straight before last season. The Cougars have a tough floor general in guard LaRae Cruz, who averages 15.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. She, outside shooter Kyra Tweedy and outstanding sophomore wing Katie Peters form a strong trio of leaders for the Cougars. G-C has yet to play Mt. Vernon this season.

Eastern Hancock (1-9)
The Royals have struggled a bit in the won-loss department this season, but they are young, starting two sophomores, a freshman and a junior, and coach Lindsay Shaw has them playing very hard. When we saw them against Knightstown, seniors Aubrie Kincaid and Bethany Sickle were both in double-figures, but expect strong play from sisters Lana and Alora Marshall and sophomore post Kaytlin Eastes. EH has a 62-23 win over Muncie South to its credit.

New Palestine (4-5)
The Dragons' record is a bit deceiving, as they've played one of the state's strongest schedules. NP took both 3A No. 1 Mt. Vernon and a 10-1 Westfield team to OT on the road, and had Warren Central, a team who was ranked No. 8 in 4A at the time, on the ropes. NP is led in scoring by Bethany Murrell (17.7 ppg) and Danielle Owens (8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds per game), while the Dragons have a quick, athletic group that produces balanced scoring beyond that. NP is 3-1 in the HHC. The Dragons played EH twice last year and won both games by 20+ points.

County tourney: a little background

On Boxing Day 2003, eight basketball teams from four schools gathered for what has become a multi-day New Year's extravaganza -- the Hancock County basketball tournament.

With two exceptions, the county tourney was held annually from 1920-67, but as 10 county schools became five -- and then four, as Hancock Central was set to cease to exist -- the tourney seemed to outlive its usefulness -- a point hammered even more home in 1980, when the IHSAA gave us all a gift by creating the Greenfield-Central sectional -- four teams, two nights, the four county schools. That format lasted for 14 years, until a massive IHSAA realignment moved Lapel and Pendleton Heights into the sectional. Even though the original 1920-67 county tourney largely mirrored the sectional for many of those years, the "city school" Greenfield did not participate after 1925, meaning it was an opportunity for the smaller "county" schools to compete with each other on a level playing field before having to play in a similar tourney with the big county-seat school.

However, the onset of class basketball in 1998 meant the four Hancock County teams would never gather in a tournament setting again in March. Many counties decided to replicate their old sectionals with county tournaments, so we resurrected ours in 2003, with a unique format -- all four schools host something, with four games over two nights. It's pretty convoluted and confusing to figure out who's hosting what, but we've had some great basketball over the years.

First of all, this year's draw. Everything begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday with the JV tourney at Mt. Vernon. Then, things really get going on Wednesday, when Mt. Vernon visits Greenfield-Central and Eastern Hancock visits New Palestine. Consolation and championship games will be played simultaneously at Eastern Hancock Thursday night. Tipoffs for all varsity games are 6 p.m. for girls and approximately 7:30 p.m. for boys.

Of course, we will be broadcasting the championship games. To listen, CLICK HERE! Airtime is 5:40 p.m. Thursday.

In the current format, New Palestine and Mt. Vernon's boys have won three titles each, while the MV and Greenfield-Central girls also have three championships each. MV is currently in possession of both the boys and girls traveling trophies.

In the original tournament, Fortville won eight championships, while Mt. Comfort, Charlottesville, Eden and New Palestine all won five titles. Hancock Central -- a 1955 consolidation of Eden and Maxwell -- won four tournaments despite a very short existence.

Here's the tourney history:
Boys
2009-10
*Mt. Vernon 53, New Palestine 48
*Greenfield-Central 57, Eastern Hancock 55
Eastern Hancock 65, *New Palestine 60, consolation
Mt. Vernon 65, Greenfield-Central 41, championship
2008-09
Mt. Vernon 65, *Eastern Hancock 64
*New Palestine 60, Greenfield-Central 54
Greenfield-Central 52, Eastern Hancock 51, OT, consolation
*Mt. Vernon 51, New Palestine 19, championship
2007-08
New Palestine 75, *Greenfield-Central 69
*Mt. Vernon 54, Eastern Hancock 46
Eastern Hancock 59, Greenfield-Central 56, consolation
*New Palestine 41, Mt. Vernon 39, championship
2006-07
*Mt. Vernon 70, Eastern Hancock 43
*New Palestine 61, Greenfield-Central 38
*Eastern Hancock 53, Greenfield-Central 43, consolation
Mt. Vernon 74, New Palestine 55, championship
2005-06
New Palestine 62, *Eastern Hancock 47
*Greenfield-Central 51, Mt. Vernon 50
*Mt. Vernon 50, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
New Palestine 59, Greenfield-Central 57, OT, championship
2004-05
New Palestine 41, *Mt. Vernon 38
Greenfield-Central 53, *Eastern Hancock 49
Mt. Vernon 52, Eastern Hancock 45, consolation
*New Palestine 51, Greenfield-Central 50, championship
2003-04
Greenfield-Central 67, *New Palestine 53
*Eastern Hancock 53, Mt. Vernon 47
New Palestine 59, Mt. Vernon 49, consolation
*Greenfield-Central 75, Eastern Hancock 63, championship
Records
Mt. Vernon 9-5, 3 championships/1 runner-up
New Palestine 9-5, 3 championships/2 runners-up
Greenfield-Central 6-8, 1 championship/3 runners-up
Eastern Hancock 4-10, 1 runner-up

Girls
2009-10
*Mt. Vernon 48, New Palestine 27
*Greenfield-Central 64, Eastern Hancock 14
*New Palestine 51, Eastern Hancock 27, consolation
Mt. Vernon 48, Greenfield-Central 37, championship
2008-09
Greenfield-Central 55, *New Palestine 42
Mt. Vernon 61, *Eastern Hancock 22
New Palestine 48, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
Greenfield-Central 40, *Mt. Vernon 39, championship
2007-08
*Greenfield-Central 62, New Palestine 38
*Mt. Vernon 53, Eastern Hancock 32
*New Palestine 55, Eastern Hancock 29, consolation
Greenfield-Central 54, Mt. Vernon 38, championship
2006-07
Greenfield-Central 52, *New Palestine 33
*Mt. Vernon 55, Eastern Hancock 30
New Palestine 59, *Eastern Hancock 29, consolation
Greenfield-Central 62, Mt. Vernon 43, championship
2005-06
New Palestine 65, *Eastern Hancock 34
*Greenfield-Central 56, Mt. Vernon 39
*Mt. Vernon 47, Eastern Hancock 31, consolation
New Palestine 78, Greenfield-Central 75, 2OT, championship
2004-05
*Mt. Vernon 69, New Palestine 61
Eastern Hancock 55, *Greenfield-Central 50
*New Palestine 63, Greenfield-Central 44, consolation
Mt. Vernon 42, Eastern Hancock 35, championship
2003-04
Mt. Vernon 48, *Eastern Hancock 43
*New Palestine 72, Greenfield-Central 47
*Greenfield-Central 64, Eastern Hancock 54, consolation
Mt. Vernon 63, New Palestine 47, championship
Records
Mt. Vernon 10-4, 3 championships/3 runners-up
Greenfield-Central 9-5, 3 championships/2 runners-up
New Palestine 8-6, 1 championship/1 runner-up
Eastern Hancock 1-13, 1 runner-up

Original county tourney (boys)
1920: Fortville 34, Greenfield 4
1921: Fortville 29, New Palestine 14
1922: Greenfield 20, New Palestine 10
1923: Eden 16, Wilkinson 6
1924: Mt. Comfort 30, Greenfield 22
1925: McCordsville 36, Wilkinson 35
1926: New Palestine 25, Mt. Comfort 20
1927: Mt. Comfort 40, Wilkinson 30
1929: Wilkinson 9, Fortville 8
1930: Mt. Comfort 17, New Palestine 12
1931: Mt. Comfort 39, Westland 34, OT
1932: Eden 28, Westland 22
1933: Fortville 24, Westland 20
1934: Mt. Comfort 23, New Palestine 11
1935: Charlottesville 35, Maxwell 27
1936: McCordsville 29, Maxwell 27, OT
1937: Eden 29, Mt. Comfort 20
1938: Fortville 20, Eden 15
1939: Fortville 24, Wilkinson 19
1940: Fortville 42, Charlottesville 20
1941: Westland 26, Mt. Comfort 24
1942: Charlottesville 46, New Palestine 27
1944: Eden 46, Maxwell 35
1945: New Palestine 39, Eden 38
1946: Eden 19, Fortville 7
1947: Fortville 55, Eden 43
1948: Fortville 51, Mt. Comfort 24
1949: Charlottesville 52, Fortville 48
1950: Charlottesville 50, New Palestine 38
1951: Wilkinson 44, McCordsville 36
1952: New Palestine 54, Charlottesville 47
1953: New Palestine 56, Fortville 52
1954: Wilkinson 43, Eden 41
1955: Wilkinson 50, Eden 37
1956: Hancock Central 62, Wilkinson 50
1957: Charlottesville 73, New Palestine 60
1958: New Palestine 62, Mt. Comfort 54
1959: Hancock Central 60, New Palestine 57
1960: Vernon Township 55, Hancock Central 42
1961: Wilkinson 66, Vernon Township 64
1962: Hancock Central 81, Vernon Township 70
1963: Vernon Township 69, New Palestine 66
1964: Hancock Central 43, Wilkinson 35
1965: Eastern Hancock 49, Hancock Central 47
1966: Mt. Vernon 61, Eastern Hancock 54
1967: Mt. Vernon 88, New Palestine 74

Championships
Eastern Hancock (12 in its lineage). school created 1964, consolidation of Wilkinson & Charlottesville, Westland closed & consolidated into Charlottesville 1946.
Eastern Hancock (1): 1965
Charlottesville (5): 1935, 1942, 1949, 1950, 1957
Wilkinson (5): 1929, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1961
Westland (1): 1941

Greenfield-Central (10 in its lineage). school created 1969, consolidation of Greenfield & Hancock Central. HC was a 1955 consolidation of Eden & Maxwell.
Greenfield (1): 1922 (did not participate after 1925)
Eden (5): 1923, 1932, 1937, 1944, 1946
Hancock Central (4): 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964

Mt. Vernon (19 in its lineage). school created 1963, consolidation of Vernon Township & Mt. Comfort. VT was a 1959 consolidation of Fortville & McCordsville.
Mt. Vernon (2): 1966, 1967
Fortville (8): 1920, 1921, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1948 (did not participate after 1953).
Mt. Comfort (5): 1924, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1934
McCordsville (2): 1925, 1936
Vernon Township (2): 1960, 1963

New Palestine (5): 1926, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1958

Wednesday hoops

New Palestine's boys beat Beech Grove 67-64 Wednesday in front of a nice crowd at NPHS. Reid Clark had a big first half and led the Dragons with 20. NP led most of the game, but the Hornets -- coached by Greenfield-Central alum Matt English -- rallied late to give itself a chance to tie or win. NP had three players in double-figures -- Clark, Michael Morris (13) and Josh Penley (10).

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Tuesday night: Royals now 7-1

Eastern Hancock had a nip-and-tuck battle with Blue River tonight, but the Royals began pulling away midway through the fourth and made a couple of huge defensive stops late when the Vikings started to come back. The Royals won 80-73, with Dustin Smith again playing huge down the stretch and several other players contributing big, as well.

The Royals are now 7-1 on the year heading into their Dec. 29 county tourney matchup at New Palestine.

In girls basketball, Greenfield-Central won its second straight game, beating Connersville 45-43, surviving a last-second 3-point attempt by the Spartans. G-C is now 5-6 heading into its Dec. 29 county tourney matchup against 3A No. 1 Mt. Vernon.

EH's girls fell to 1-9 on the year after a 58-25 loss to Cambridge City Lincoln. Like their male counterparts, the Royals' next game will be at New Palestine (4-5) on Dec. 29.

On Wednesday night, New Palestine hosts Beech Grove in boys basketball. The Dragons are 2-4, having just come off a victory over Morristown last Friday night.

Saturday roundup

After playing deep into the night last night, Eastern Hancock's boys team kept rolling. The Royals beat Cambridge City Lincoln 86-52, improving to 6-1 on the season. EH is just a half-second away from being unbeaten, but the Royals have a tough test coming Tuesday against Blue River. After scoring 40 points last night, Dustin Smith eclipsed that with 42 tonight.

Mt. Vernon put a scare into Tipton before falling 64-61 on the road. Tipton, which is unbeaten, is ranked No. 2 in Class 2A. MV is 1-4 against a brutal early schedule.

In girls basketball, 3A No. 1 Mt. Vernon kept rolling, beating Union County 57-15. The Marauders head into the county with a perfect 10-0 mark.

New Palestine used a big first-half start to beat Yorktown 62-37. NP led by 23 points at halftime and kept stretching the lead from there. Tori Stephenson scored all of her 11 points and Danielle Owens scored eight of her 10 before halftime as NP built the early lead. Bethany Murrell scored 11 of her team-high 18 in the third quarter. NP is now 4-5 and 3-1 in the HHC.

Eastern Hancock dropped a 65-48 decision at home to Northeastern. The Royals fall to 1-8 on the year and play Cambridge City Lincoln Tuesday.

Also, want to relive the great games of this week -- Mt. Vernon's OT girls win over New Palestine on Thursday and Dustin Smith's 40-point performance for EH against Knightstown on Friday? Go to our broadcast page and check out the archives!

Our next broadcasts will be Dec. 30, when we bring you the boys and girls county championships from Eastern Hancock. The county semifinals draw this way:
Wednesday 12/29
Mt. Vernon at Greenfield-Central
Eastern Hancock at New Palestine
Thursday 12/30
Championships - EH main gym
Consolations - EH middle school gym
Both nights, girls play at 6 p.m., boys at approximately 8 p.m.

Royals rally to cap off DH

Things weren't looking too good for Eastern Hancock midway through the third quarter Friday, as the Royal boys trailed Knightstown by 15 points and were struggling to develop much offense.

Then, Dustin Smith got loose.

He squared up and hit a 3. Then another. Then another. Suddenly, the Royals were making a comeback at Knightstown. They cut the deficit to 42-36 by the end of the third, and then Smith went to work with another 3 and a driving shot ... then the dagger, a pull-up NBA-range triple with a hand in his face that gave EH the lead at 44-42. They never trailed from there and won 63-52.

Smith led a 16-2 run, and scored 40 points on the night, hitting 7-of-9 from 3-point range and 11-of-12 from the line. He also had 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. But equally big was the play of Jared Pyle, who had six big second-half points. Or Zach Kissick, whose pickpocket and layup in the backcourt gave the Royals a late cushion and took the wind out of Knightstown's sails late.

The Panthers had three players in double figures, but this night belonged to Dustin Smith. EH is now 5-1 heading into Saturday's game against Cambridge City Lincoln.

Knightstown did win the girls game by double-figures, with Kaelee Kuhn scoring 17 points after the Panthers lost Megan Hiner early to injury.

It was also a good night for the rest of the Hancock County boys teams. Greenfield-Central won its second straight, knocking off Yorktown 53-42. Mt. Vernon won its first of the year, winning at Shelbyville 43-39. And New Palestine beat Morristown, a team led by one of the nation's top players in Dylan Langkabel, 84-69.

Also, of interest in the HHC, Rushville beat Delta 66-44, Pendleton Heights beat Shenandoah 61-28. PH's girls also beat Shenandoah 61-17.

MV beats NP in OT

Great game tonight, and hopefully you had the opportunity to enjoy Chris & Al's call of Mt. Vernon's 58-46 overtime girls basketball victory over New Palestine. The Dragons led for much of the second half and led by seven late, but Jessica Brown hit a couple of huge late shots to rally MV back into it, and then hit a big 3-pointer early in OT to give the Marauders a two-possession lead they'd never relinquish.

Brown had 17 points for MV. Bethany Murrell 18 for NP.

We have a slight schedule adjustment Friday. The times have shifted for the Eastern Hancock at Knightstown games, so we will shift with them. Chris & Andrew will have two games for you Friday -- EH (1-6) at Knightstown (5-4) girls starting at approximately 7 p.m., followed by the boys game at approximately 8:30 p.m. EH's boys are a strong squad led by guard Dustin Smith, point guard Zach Kissick and wing Steven Stunda. Knightstown has an outstanding scorer in 6-4 Seth Apollos. The Royals are 4-1, Knightstown is 3-3, but the two teams are notorious for playing down-to-the-wire games against each other. In the girls game, Knightstown's Megan Hiner just hit the 1,000-point mark and the Panthers knocked off Greenfield-Central in their last game, while the Royals have a 1-6 mark but have put up some decent results this year, including taking Shenandoah down to the wire.

Of course, you can CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE!

Other boys games in the area Friday
Greenfield-Central (1-4) at Yorktown (1-3): The Cougars had a huge second half against NP last week, led by Josh Mayes' 18 points. Yorktown has a win and a loss in OT games, but was held in the 20s by both Muncie Central and Delta in other losses.

Mt. Vernon (0-3) at Shelbyville (2-2): The Marauders have played a brutal schedule to date, and the baptism by fire continues with another tough double-weekend. Shelby features Patrick Ellis, one of the HHC's top athletes, and home-court advantage. This is a rematch of last year's sectional title game.

New Palestine (1-4) at Morristown (3-2): The Dragons hit the road again to face a Morristown squad that features Dylan Langkabel, one of the state's top players.

Other HHC games Friday
Delta (3-1) at Rushville (5-0)
Pendleton Heights (5-1) at Shenandoah (4-1)
GIRLS: Pendleton Heights (8-2) at Shenandoah (3-6)

Saturday's games
BOYS
Mt. Vernon (0-3) at Tipton (3-0): The Blue Devils keep winning and winning. Brad Dickey's club has been a fixture atop the Class 2A rankings for quite some time.

Fishers (2-2) at Greenfield-Central (1-4): The Tigers have several members of a state championship football team being worked into shape. This game was initially to be played Nov. 27, but Fishers was busy winning said state title that night. Of note: Fishers varsity assistant Keith Andrews is a G-C grad and former coach for both the Cougar boys and girls teams.

Other HHC games Saturday (all at 7:30 p.m.)
Delta (3-1) at Muncie Central (2-2)
Franklin (1-5) at Shelbyville (3-2)
Muncie South (1-1) at Yorktown (1-3)
Rushville (5-0) at Pendleton Heights (5-1)

GIRLS
Mt. Vernon (9-0) at Union County (3-7), 1:30 p.m.: The Marauders survived a tough matchup on Thursday, now they have a chance to play a 2A foe with a sub-.500 record before Christmas break.
Yorktown (8-2) at New Palestine (3-5), 7:30 p.m.: The Dragons return home after five straight road games. They've played one of the state's toughest schedules, and it doesn't change now that an outstanding Yorktown squad walks in. The battle features two of the HHC's top scorers in Yorktown's Jill Hopper (22 ppg, 11 rpg) and NP's Bethany Murrell (17 ppg)
Eastern Hancock (1-6) at Northeastern (5-4), 2:30 p.m.: Just a few hours after playing Knightstown, the Royals turn around and hit the road again for an afternoon game.

Other HHC games
Rushville (7-3) at Delta (6-5), 1:30 p.m.
Shelbyville (3-7) at Waldron (6-3), 2:30 p.m.

Games on tonight

As of 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the snowstorm has not postponed school in Hancock County, and therefore it hasn't postponed any of the local high school basketball games.

The Mt. Vernon vs. New Palestine girls game is ON for tonight. Listen to our LIVE broadcast HERE!

Don't forget to join us Friday night for Eastern Hancock at Knightstown boys at the same link. Join us at 7:10 p.m. both nights.

Thanks for supporting HancockCountySports.com!

Saturday roundup

Good night for two Hancock County girls programs, as Mt. Vernon and New Palestine both win conference games to set up their showdown on Thursday.

3A No. 1 MV beat Yorktown -- a team that narrowly missed being in the top 10 -- 54-26 on the road today. The Marauders are now 8-0 on the year and 3-0 in conference play heading into Thursday's matchup.

New Palestine used a big third quarter to beat Shelbyville 55-38. Danielle Owens had 18 points and eight rebounds, while Bethany Murrell scored 14 and grabbed 11 boards for the Dragons. NP is now 3-4 overall and 2-0 in the HHC.

Their matchup Thursday will be broadcast LIVE on HancockCountySports.com. Join Chris Lambert and Allen Cooper at 7:10 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE

Greenfield-Central also played tonight, falling to Chatard 46-40 on the road. The Cougars are now 3-6, with a Tuesday visit to Richmond looming.

Tonight was a rare off-night for all four Hancock County boys basketball teams. They all resume action on the road next Friday. Our Game of the Week will feature Eastern Hancock at Knightstown. Also playing Friday are Greenfield-Central (at Yorktown), New Palestine (at Morristown) and Mt. Vernon (at Shelbyville).

Join us throughout the year on Hancock County Sports.com and CCSN!

Cougars' huge second half leads to win

Greenfield-Central and New Palestine had faced pretty brutal opening stretches to their schedules -- their opponents had a combined record of 22-3.

So tonight, something had to give. And what gave was Josh Mayes -- he just kept giving the twine a ripping in the second half. The G-C senior scored eight straight third-quarter points to reverse what had been a seven-point New Palestine lead, and then kept hitting. Mayes scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, as the Cougars hit 73 percent of their shots after halftime and rallied to a 51-35 victory.

G-C outscored NP 36-15 in the second half, largely behind Mayes and 6-6 post Tyler Stone, who scored 12 points, and a 2-3 zone defense that covered up NP's shooters and kept the Dragons from getting inside looks. NP shot 28 percent from the floor after the break. Josh Penley led the Dragons with 12 points.

Both teams are 1-4 and have the rest of the weekend off. G-C visits Yorktown next Friday and hosts Fishers Saturday. NP travels to Morristown Friday.

Elsewhere in Hancock County tonight:
Eastern Hancock 74, Northeastern 45: Aaron Spaulding's club is 4-1 and a fraction of a second away from being unbeaten. The Royals post a sizeable road win tonight, giving them a boost heading into next Friday's game at Knightstown, which will be our Game of the Week broadcast, starting at 7:10 p.m.

Pendleton Heights 52, Mt. Vernon 43: The Arabians jumped out to an early lead and held off a scrappy Marauder club. MV is 0-3 against one of the toughest schedules in the state.

Next week's broadcasts
We have two broadcasts next week
On Thursday, Dec. 16, the No. 1-ranked Mt. Vernon girls basketball team will host county rival New Palestine in a Hoosier Heritage Conference clash.

On Friday, Dec. 17, Eastern Hancock's red-hot boys team will head down U.S. 40 to face arch-rival Knightstown.

Airtime for both games will be approximately 7:10 p.m., with tipoff at 7:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE!

Saturday games

After a thrilling last-second win over Eastern Hancock, the New Palestine Dragons fell to 1-3 on the year after a 74-61 loss at home to Rushville. NP will travel to Greenfield-Central next Friday for a game we will broadcast LIVE on HancockCountySports.com.

Eastern Hancock improved to 3-1 with a 56-37 win over Southwestern (Shelby). EH plays its next two games on the road, starting with a visit to Northeastern next Friday.

Greenfield-Central (0-4) dropped an 84-51 decision to Southport, and will open conference play at home next Friday against NP on our Hancock County Game of the Week.

In girls action, Mt. Vernon beat Pendleton Heights 43-42 with a free throw in the final second. The second-ranked Marauders (6-0, 2-0) remained unbeaten.

New Palestine beat Delta 62-58, surviving a torrid 32-point fourth quarter by the Eagles. Bethany Murrell had 21 points, hitting 6-of-7 from 3-point range, for the Dragons (2-4, 1-0).

Greenfield-Central (3-4, 0-2) fell to HHC rival Rushville 55-36, as the Lions' Shelbie Justice scored 30 points and topped the 1,000 mark for her career.

Union County topped Eastern Hancock (1-5) 50-36.

What a night!

New Palestine and Eastern Hancock are notorious for playing barnburners. And, most of the time, the Dragons manage to win.

Tonight was no exception on either count.

Josh Penley hit two free throws with no time on the clock to give the Dragons a 57-56 win over EH in what became a see-saw game. The moment the second shot went through, Penley found himself mobbed by the entire Dragon student section, which poured onto the floor when the ball went through the net. It had been tied at 51-51 when Dustin Smith hit two FTs to put the Royals up 53-51 -- one answered by Michael Morris, who scored a putback. Austin Lee made it 55-53 with a shot on an out-of-bounds play with 34 seconds remaining, but Morris again picked the ball up out of a scramble and tied it with 11 ticks remaining. Smith went coast-to-coast, split a double-team and drew a foul with 6.3 left -- hitting one of the two FTs, setting the stage for Penley to catch the inbounds pass, drive coast-to-coast, and draw the foul as he was going up for the game-winning shot.

Penley scored 12 points, but didn't miss a shot -- 5-of-5 from the floor, 2-of-2 from the line. He wasn't the only star. Taylor Rainey scored 15 points, Michael Morris 13 and Reid Clark had six of his eight in the fourth quarter for the Dragons. Smith scored 16 points to lead the Royals, with many of those coming as tough points late in the fourth. Jared Pyle hit three 3s and scored 13 points.

NP beat EH for the 17th time in 18 meetings, but this was the fifth consecutive game between the teams that would be decided in the closing seconds.

It was a great game, and one that had a lot of big plays. Morris, Penley, Clark and Rainey all hit big shots for the Dragons at big moments. Smith tried to carry the Royals on his back down the stretch after Pyle's shooting helped EH rally from a 28-18 halftime deficit.

The Dragons (1-2) move on to play Rushville on Saturday night, before visiting Greenfield-Central next Friday for our next Hancock County Game of the Week broadcast. The Royals (2-1) host Southwestern (Shelby) on Saturday night, and then travel to Northeastern next Friday. They will then visit Knightstown on Dec. 17 -- a game we will also broadcast.

Click here to LISTEN LIVE to upcoming broadcasts and also to listen to our archives.

Elsewhere in Hancock County tonight:
Mt. Vernon fell to 0-2 after a 53-34 loss to a VERY strong Hamilton Southeastern squad.
Greenfield-Central dropped to 0-3 after a 46-25 loss at New Castle.
Elsewhere in the HHC
Rushville (2-0) knocked off arch-rival Connersville 67-55, spoiling Spartans head coach (and former Rushville coach) Kerry Brown's return to Memorial Gymnasium.
Shelbyville (2-1) fell to Columbus North 63-61 in a barnburner.
Delta (1-1) got its first victory for returning coach Stan Daugherty by beating Cowan 53-33
Yorktown (1-2) fell in OT to Muncie Burris 52-48.

Some good girls games coming up Saturday, one of the biggest being Mt. Vernon's visit to Pendleton Heights in a matchup of what could be two of the top teams in the HHC. Greenfield-Central (at Chatard) and New Palestine (at Delta) are also in action with afternoon games -- weather permitting.

We've already mentioned the NP and EH boys games Saturday night. G-C is also at Southport on Saturday, meeting up with a Cardinals team led by Wes Peek, a starter on G-C's 1998 sectional championship team.

Game night: Eastern Hancock at New Palestine

It's game night:
Eastern Hancock (2-0) at New Palestine (0-2)
LISTEN LIVE HERE! Airtime: 7:10 p.m.; tipoff 7:30 p.m.
The Royals had two impressive victories last week over Centerville and Frankton, and they sport a lineup that returns four starters, including leading scorer Dustin Smith. The wing scored 17 and 13 points in the two games last week, but as is a hallmark of Aaron Spaulding-coached teams, several other Royals contributed, as six different players scored in double figures for the Royals in at least one of the two games last week. New Palestine is 0-2, but rallied from deficits of 14 and 15 points to cut one lead to one, and to take the lead in the other game before succumbing in OT. The Dragons fell to two solid 4A schools. Again, they're balanced, with Josh Penley scoring 21 against New Castle and Taylor Rainey putting up 26 against Jennings County. NP is somewhat young, as Adam Barton's team has no seniors.

Elsewhere in Hancock County & the HHC
Mt. Vernon (0-1) at 4A #6 Hamilton Southeastern (1-0), 7:30 p.m.
The Marauders had a good showing last week against Hamilton Heights. Quinn Williams scored 20 points in an eventual 58-54 loss to HH. HSE is loaded, led by future major-college player Gary Harris.
Greenfield-Central (0-2) at New Castle (2-0), 8 p.m.
The Cougars suffered two close losses at the hands of Richmond and Whiteland -- the latter in OT -- last week. New Castle is a solid team and plays very well at home.
Connersville at Rushville (1-0), 7:30 p.m.: Former Rushville coach Kerry Brown returns to Memorial Gym as the head coach of the arch-rival Spartans.
Cowan at Delta (0-1), 7:45 p.m.: The Eagles look for their first win under old-turned-new coach Stan Daugherty, who both preceded and is succeeding Paul Keller as the Delta bench leader.
Muncie Burris at Yorktown (1-1), 7:30 p.m.: Blake Everhart's team had a nice win over Alexandria on Tuesday and plays an intra-county foe.
Shelbyville (2-0) at Columbus North, 7:30 p.m.: Tom Beach's club had two very solid wins last week to open the year. Led by Patrick Ellis and a very veteran cast of characters, the Bears are going to be a force.

Saturday's games (weather permitting)
Greenfield-Central at Southport, 7:30 p.m.: G-C graduate Wes Peek is Southport's head coach, so a chance for him to compete against the alma mater.
Rushville at New Palestine, 7:30 p.m.: The Dragons conclude four straight at home by opening conference play against the Lions. Both teams are getting up and down the floor this year.
Hamilton Southeastern at Pendleton Heights, 7:30 p.m.: Great matchup between future Div. I players Gary Harris and Kellen Dunham.
Delta at Muncie South, 8 p.m.

Also ... big girls game Saturday afternoon, when Mt. Vernon travels to Pendleton Heights for a 2:30 p.m. tipoff. Our friends at WEEM-91.7 will have the call on the game.

Next week: Dragons vs. Royals

The Hancock County Game of the Week crew will be headed to New Palestine Friday night for the first intra-county clash of the year when the young New Palestine Dragons host the senior-laden Eastern Hancock Royals.

Airtime is 7:10 p.m. with Andrew Smith, Chris Lambert and Allen Cooper. Join us then!

LISTEN LIVE!

Saturday redux

Two great games to watch today: #3 Mt. Vernon girls beat #4 Hamilton Heights 64-55, jumping up by as many as 17 points before Heights made a furious rally to get the MV lead to four points late. MV was led by Kayla Negley's 15 points and is now 4-0. It was a full team effort for MV. Jessica Brown hit a lot of FTs late, freshman Erica Moore was dominant in the third quarter, Anna Olson quarterbacked the defense and ran the boards.

HH defeats the new-look Marauder boys 58-54, despite a furious start by the Marauders. MV jumped ahead 24-12, but IU recruit Austin Etherington touched off a big run with a four-point play that got the Huskies back into it. Etherington had 16 points for the Huskies, while Quinn Williams had an excellent game for the Marauders, scoring 20 points and leading the Marauder defense.

Elsewhere in Hancock County, New Palestine's boys hung with New Castle, but fell 78-66. The Dragons next play Friday at home against Eastern Hancock.

Wednesday hoops: Royals win, Dragons fall

Boys basketball: Eastern Hancock 55, Centerville 51: In the renewal of an annual night-before-Thanksgiving tradition that dates back decades, the Royals got the upper hand on an always-solid Centerville team. EH, with four starters returning, has a solid core back this year. Royals face Frankton Saturday.

Boys basketball: Jennings County 78, New Palestine 75, OT: Taylor Rainey scored 26 points for the Dragons and NP started the fourth quarter on a 17-0 run to climb out of a 57-42 deficit. However, Jennings County rallied to send the game into OT and pulled away to win. NP hosts New Castle Saturday.

New Indiana Football Show & more

The final 2010 Indiana Football Show is posted, with a preview of the five state title games.
Listen to it here (right-click to download to your MP3 player).

From Tuesday night
Boys basketball: Richmond 54, Greenfield-Central 47: Josh Mayes 15 points for the Cougars.
Richmond Pal-Item

Tuesday roundup

Boys basketball: Richmond 51, Greenfield-Central 47
The Cougars open their season with a close loss to the Red Devils at the Tiernan Center. G-C continues on the road Friday at Whiteland. Saturday's home opener against Fishers has been postponed due to the Fishers football team continuing to play in the IHSAA State Finals.

Girls basketball: Westfield 66, New Palestine 64, OT
The Dragons fell to Westfield in OT, but not without some drama. Bethany Murrell scored 33 points, hitting a 3-pointer inside the final seconds of regulation to tie it, but the Shamrocks got two late free throws from 6-foot-2 center Jenn Anderson in OT to win. Emily Curry had 13 points, including four in OT, for the Dragons. Sophomore Katie Morris had 10 rebounds as the Dragons outrebounded the Shamrocks 44-24. NP is 1-3 and heads to Columbus East Friday.

Girls BB roundup

Mt. Vernon 56, Rushville 33: This was one of the most anticipated games of the week, and the Marauders didn't disappoint, beating the defending state runner-up by 23 points. MV is now 3-0 on the year and has put together two 20-plus point victories over solid competition. Next Saturday, we will broadcast MV's (3-0) next home game against Hamilton Heights at 2:10 p.m.

Warren Central 59, New Palestine 56: The Dragons led Warren for much of the game and put quite a scare into Class 4A's eighth-ranked team, but the Warriors rallied in the fourth to win a game that was close throughout. Danielle Owens led the Dragons with a career-high 17 points, while Bethany Murrell added 14. The Dragons (1-2) visit Westfield Tuesday.

Pendleton Heights 63, Greenfield-Central 39: The Arabians had a solid debut and backed it up with another impressive victory over the Cougars. G-C is now 2-2 and next plays a day game Nov. 27 against Marion.

New Indiana Football Show for semistate week

This week's Indiana Football Show previews all 10 of this week's semistate matchups, highlights some of the key players in each game, and also includes an interview with Daniel Engler of AlmanacSports.com, who is the GID's resident historian and has a tremendous list of the pre-1973 state champs (the "mythical" state champions). We also chat about Reitz & Mater Dei.

Click here to listen (right-click to download and save to your MP3 player).

Tuesday hoops

Girls basketball
New Palestine 59, Franklin Central 46: The New Palestine Dragons improved to 1-1 on the year with an impressive victory over Franklin Central. The Dragons outscored FC 19-9 in the third quarter to open up a 41-30 lead, and then boosted it to 18 points in the fourth. Bethany Murrell led NP with 21 points and nine rebounds. Tori Stephenson added 12 points, five boards and four assists. Karli Rodebeck also had five rebounds. Kyleigh Smock added nine points. The Dragons next play Friday against Warren Central. Franklin Central was led by Kyleigh Archer's 12 points. The Flashes are now 0-2. The Dragons' win was the first varsity coaching win for first-year NP head coach Jacki Negri.

Mt. Vernon 51, Lawrence Central 36: The Marauders improved to 2-0 with their second double-digit victory of the year over an impressive Lawrence Central team. MV now heads into conference play Friday against defending state runner-up Rushville.

Greenfield-Central 53, New Castle 45: Doug Laker's club posts an impressive victory over potential sectional rival New Castle. The Cougars are now 2-1 on the year and face HHC rival Pendleton Heights Friday.

Saturday girls BB roundup

Eastern Hancock improves to 1-1 on the year, beating Muncie South 62-23. The Royals next play Friday at Guerin Catholic.

Greenfield-Central fell to 1-1 after a 58-44 loss to the Franklin Grizzly Cubs. The Cougars next play at home Tuesday against New Castle.

New Palestine dropped its season opener 50-20 to Whiteland. Kyleigh Smock led the Dragons with six points. Drea Mize led Whiteland with 16. The Dragons hit the road to face Franklin Central Tuesday.

Friday-night wrapup

First, girls basketball season has fired up in Hancock County. Two teams opened their seasons Friday, and both won.

Greenfield-Central defeated Cambridge City Lincoln 62-42 in its season opener. The Cougars face Franklin tonight.

Mt. Vernon downed Connersville 67-42. The Marauders are next in action Tuesday against Lawrence Central.

New Palestine opens tonight against Whiteland (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Hancock -- which fell to Elwood 60-32 on Wednesday -- hosts Muncie South at 2:30 p.m. today.

Of course, you can catch all of the local sports action in-depth in the Daily Reporter.

We also take a look at the HHC football games on Saturday, and the final HHC team was in action in the regional, and Pendleton Heights gave Cathedral all it could handle early. The Arabians matched the Irish score-for-score in the first half, but Cathedral pulled away with 21 consecutive second-half points to beat PH 56-24. Congrats to John Broughton and the Arabians for a great season and representing the conference well in the regional.

Game recaps from the Indianapolis Star & Anderson Herald-Bulletin.

New Indiana Football Show for regional week

Something to load onto your MP3 player and listen on the way to the game Friday night or Saturday afternoon/evening (now that I've discovered the magic of the MP3 player, I do it every week :) ).

This week's Indiana Football Show previews all 20 of this week's regional matchups, highlights some of the key players in each game, and also takes an in-depth look at small-college football in Indiana with small-college football guru Barry Lewis (our own bearmo17). We will discuss the upcoming Monon Bell Classic in-depth, and also look at some of the other strong teams in the state.

Click here to listen (right-click to download and save to your MP3 player).

Saturday morning QB: Sectional championships

Sectional 13: Pendleton Heights 14, Greenfield-Central 0
We've already covered -- and broadcast -- this one, but Pendleton Heights celebrates its first sectional title on the back of 208 total yards and two TDs from Dezmon Nunn. Arabians move on to host Cathedral in the regional next week. Lots of media coverage of this one for reaction.
Daily Reporter | Anderson Herald-Bulletin | Indianapolis Star

Sectional 12: New Haven 28, Delta 7
New Haven RB Te'Vaughn Hurse put up some enormous numbers this season. Delta found out why, as Hurse ran for 200+ yards and all four New Haven scores to end Delta's 10-game winning streak and claim the sectional title. Austin Fuatavai scored the lone TD for Delta, which finishes the year 11-2.
Muncie Star-Press

We had an enjoyable football season. We'll continue to follow the remaining HHC team -- Pendleton Heights -- on SMQB each week. Keep posted to CCSN and Hancock County Sports.com for basketball coverage, starting with boys and girls games between Mt. Vernon and Hamilton Heights on Nov. 27.

Sectional championship: PH 14, G-C 0

Congratulations to the Pendleton Heights Arabians, who win their first sectional title in school history with a 14-0 victory over Greenfield-Central in a game I billed the "Redemption Bowl."

Both teams had avenged regular-season losses during the sectional. Both had turned around one and two-win seasons and finished third in a tough Hoosier Heritage Conference this year.

And PH pulled out a 14-0 win.

Arabian senior Dezmon Nunn ran 34 times for 176 yards, caught four balls for 32 yards and scored both of the game's TDs. PH came out conservatively, running and running and running to Nunn some more. PH drove inside the 15, but fumbled on its first drive. However, the Arabians forced a three-and-out, a short punt and Nunn cashed in on a 3-yard run. In the second quarter, a G-C fumble at the 47 was followed by a long pass to Kurt Talbert, which eventually set Nunn up to catch a 13-yard screen pass for a TD. QB Mitch Patishall was 9-for-14 for 85 yards.

Led by LB Patrick Butler and a host of others, PH's defense then took over from there, not allowing the Cougars to cross the 30-yard line the rest of the game and surrendering just one more first down.

G-C had some opportunities -- freshman Brant Boles-Lattimore nearly broke the opening kickoff, before being brought down by kicker Jon Furrow. The Cougars drove the ball to the one-inch line in the second quarter, only to have a fumbled snap lead to a turnover on downs. Derek Conley nearly broke a 50+-yard run for a TD, but the officials said his forward progress had been stopped. G-C's defense was strong, forcing four turnovers, but the Cougars weren't able to overcome the deficit.

The Cougars finish the year with a 7-5 record and their first appearance in the sectional title game since 1994. It was their best year since 2002's HHC championship team. PH is now 9-3, and is in the midst of its best year since sharing that 2002 HHC title with Greenfield-Central.

Coach Roger Dodson is to be commended for a tremendous turnaround with the Cougars, as does G-C's outstanding senior class and a tremendous defense.

Coach John Broughton and the Arabians are to be congratulated as they win the first sectional title in school history, and for Coach Broughton, the first in his 35-year career. PH has had some great football teams over the years, and the Arabians finally broke through and hoisted the trophy tonight, touching off a wild celebration.

PH hosts Cathedral in a battle of 9-3 teams next week in the Class 4A regional.

Jim Ryan and I had a great time broadcasting football for you this year. We will begin basketball broadcasts with two Mt. Vernon vs. Hamilton Heights games on Saturday, Nov. 27. The girls game broadcast will begin at approximately 2:10 p.m., with the boys game broadcast with yours truly and Chris Lambert at 7:10 p.m.

PH is the lone HHC team remaining, as Delta fell 28-7 to New Haven in Sectional 12 tonight. Best of luck to the Arabians next week.

Sectional championship game: Cougars vs. Arabians

IHSAA Class 4A Sectional 13 championship
Pendleton Heights Arabians (8-3) at Greenfield-Central Cougars (7-4)
6:30 p.m. Friday @ Cougar Stadium
LISTEN LIVE HERE

It's the Redemption Bowl. The Pendleton Heights Arabians and the Greenfield-Central Cougars were a combined 3-17 last year and finished seventh and eighth in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.

Next Friday night, one of them will be playing in a regional for the first time in school history next week.

This Friday, they get to decide who goes there.

PH and G-C have posted great seasons so far, as the Arabians are 8-3 and the Cougars 7-4 headed into the sectional title game. They tied for third in the always-tough HHC and both avenged multi-touchdown regular-season losses in the sectional -- PH doing so against Mt. Vernon and G-C upending New Palestine.

Jim Ryan and I will have the call from G-C's Cougar Stadium beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday night.

There are so many interesting subplots -- PH's run-and-shoot offense led by the dangerous Dezmon Nunn (1400+ yards) and QB Mitch Patishall against G-C's blitz-from-everywhere defense led by Jeremiah Wray, Jake Hoskins, Joey Adams, Derek Conley, Stephen Thomas, Jordan Conley and a ton of other people, and who can make the most big plays. G-C's ball-control option offense, which dictated the tempo of last week's 7-0 win over New Palestine, taking on an Arabian defense that was solid against both Mt. Vernon and New Castle in the sectional.

If the Cougars win, they'll equal their most victories since 1975's state runner-up team, which also won eight games.

G-C has a propensity to play in -- and win -- close games. PH has a propensity for big plays. Both teams are incredibly well-coached by veterans Roger Dodson and John Broughton. It should be an exciting game, and Jim Ryan and I are excited to bring it to you. Join us!

Indiana Football Show - sectional final edition

Good Indiana Football Show this week. Listen to a preview of all 40 games and interviews with Guerin Catholic's Andrew Kremer and Whiteland's Darrin Fisher. Download and listen on your way to your favorite game Friday night to get ready for the party!

Click here to listen (right-click to save to your MP3 player).

Edon 13th in state

New Palestine senior Courtney Edon finished 13th in the state cross country meet at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute.

Edon ran the 5k course in 18:48 on a windy day. She was 31 seconds back of champion Waverly Neer of Culver Military. Carmel won the team title.

Edon finishes her career as an All-State medalist, adding to a decorated senior year in which she was a county, conference, sectional and regional champion.

Saturday morning QB: Sectional Round 2

Sectional 13: Greenfield-Central 7, New Palestine 0
In a defensive struggle, Matt Dickerson's 17-yard TD run was the difference as the Cougars move to the sectional title game for the first time since 1994.
Daily Reporter
Pendleton Heights 49, New Castle 7
The Arabians scored 42 points in the middle two quarters, and QB Mitch Patishall was 10-of-12 for 206 yards in PH's victory. The Arabians, now 8-3, are looking to win the first sectional title in school history.
Anderson Herald-Bulletin

Sectional 12: Delta 28, Muncie South 6 Landon Lambert ran for 81 yards and Zach Overfield ran for 71 and each scored a TD. Muncie South ended the shutout in the closing seconds. Delta, winners of nine straight, goes to the sectional title game against New Haven with a 10-1 record.
Muncie Star-Press

Sectional 15: Franklin County 22, Shelbyville 14, OT
Shelby lost two fumbles inside the 10-yard line and saw Franklin County score a safety and a touchdown on the ensuing drive to tie the game in the fourth, before winning it on the first possession of OT. Shelby finishes 4-7.
Shelbyville News

Sectional 22: Hamilton Heights 22, Yorktown 14
The Tigers led at halftime thanks to scores from Joe Todd and Derek Kundenreich, and actually led 14-13 going into the fourth quarter. HH scored a long TD run and a field goal to take the lead for good. Kundenreich had 123 rushing yards. Yorktown finishes 3-8.
Muncie Star-Press
Batesville 45, Rushville 39, 2OT
No media reports of this one yet, but the Lions lose a wild on in the sectional semifinal.

It's Cougars vs. Arabians

Greenfield-Central pulls the upset tonight, beating New Palestine 7-0, with the Cougar defense setting the tone early. NP was held to 17 total yards in the first half, while the Cougars were able to make three big plays on one drive -- QB Carl Ellison with a 10-yard scramble on third-and-9, a 20-yard pass to Tyler Colclazier on third-and-11, and a 17-yard TD run by Matt Dickerson -- to go up 7-0 with 1:06 to go in the first.

G-C's defense made it stand up. NP had two first-half first downs. While NP took some control in the second half -- the Dragons outgained G-C 127-21 -- NP was never able to get into the end zone, the biggest play being when Jeremiah Wray recovered a Dragon fumbled snap at the G-C 13 yard line late in the third. NP had two more forays into G-C territory in the fourth, but was unable to score.

The Dragons finish with a 9-2 record and the HHC championship. G-C, now 7-4, moves on to face an 8-3 Pendleton Heights team at Cougar Stadium next week. PH beat New Castle 49-7 tonight to advance to the sectional final.

Jim Ryan and I will broadcast the Cougar-Arabian sectional final game next week, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Elsewhere in the HHC
Sectional 12: Delta beat Muncie South 28-6 and moves on to face New Haven (8-3) in next week's sectional final. Delta is 10-1.
Sectional 15: Shelbyville takes Franklin County to OT, but falls 22-14. Franklin County (7-4) faces EIAC rival East Central (10-1) -- which escaped with a 17-16 win over Greenwood. Shelby finishes 4-7.
Sectional 22: Yorktown (3-8) gave No. 2 Hamilton Heights a game before falling 22-14. Rushville takes Batesville to 2OT before falling 45-38. Lions finish 2-8.

New Indiana Football Show

A new Indiana Football Show is up, featuring Wheeler head coach Dan Klimczak. You can listen by clicking this link (right-click to download to your computer and sync to your MP3 player of choice).

Marauder spikers fall to No. 6 Batesville

Mt. Vernon's volleyball season ended Tuesday night in a five-game loss to Batesville on the road. The Marauders fell 25-15, 23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-6 in the see-saw match. MV's season finishes with a 28-7 record and a second consecutive sectional championship.

Volleyball update: Marauders beat NP

Mt. Vernon's volleyball team won its second straight sectional title with a tight five-game win over New Palestine, 25-11, 25-11, 19-25, 22-25, 15-13. The Marauders move on to face Batesville in a one-game regional on Tuesday. The match will be at Batesville.

Saturday daytime roundup

Volleyball: Dragons, Marauders meet in sectional final
Mt. Vernon beat a solid Shelbyville team in three games, 25-9, 25-20, 25-11; while New Palestine swept Rushville 25-17, 25-14, 25-13. The two teams meet at 7 p.m. tonight in the Hamilton Heights sectional final. Winner travels to either Greensburg or Batesville Tuesday for a one-game regional.

Girls cross country: NP's Edon headed to state meet
New Palestine senior Courtney Edon is headed to the cross country State Finals next week at the Indiana State University cross country course. Edon finished eighth in Saturday's Carmel semistate at Northview Christian Life Church, with a 5k time of 18:35. NP's Caitlynn Edon was 32nd in 19:25, the only other Dragon to finish in the top 100. NP finished 11th as a team. At New Haven, Mt. Vernon's girls finished 17th in the semistate. The Marauders were led by 67th-place Elizabeth Cook, who had a time of 20:32.

Boys cross country: Marauders 15th, Cougars 16th at respective semistates
At New Haven, the Mt. Vernon boys finished 15th in their semistate race. MV was led by 78th-place Luke Davis, who ran the 5k course in 17:07. MV's Nathan Bode finished 86th in 17:13. At Carmel, Greenfield-Central finished 16th, led by a 63rd-place finish from Tyler Wilcher, who had a time of 16:44. G-C's Darren Wise was 88th in 17:11.

Saturday morning QB: Sectional Round 1

Two Hancock County teams remain -- and they play each other next week. New Palestine and Greenfield-Central both boasted impressive second halves to win sectional openers. In the HHC, seven of the eight teams are left standing -- with the only one to be defeated so far, Mt. Vernon, being eliminated by a fellow HHC squad. Here's a look at Hancock County and HHC action from Week 1 of the IHSAA tournament.

Hancock County sectionals
Sectional 13
New Palestine 51, Anderson 21: Austin Cahoy runs for 46 yards and two TDs, Matt Siergiej runs for 78 yards and a TD, and Connor Simmons throws for 93 yards and two TDs and ran for one more in the Dragons' victory. It was costly, as players from both teams were ejected during a third-quarter melee started by the Indians after a Dragon touchdown. The 9-1 Dragons play at Greenfield-Central next week in the HancockCountySports.com Game of the Week broadcast.
Daily Reporter | Anderson Herald-Bulletin

Greenfield-Central 45, Arlington 14: The Cougars rallied with 21 points in each of the final two quarters to beat Arlington. Derek Conley rushed for 198 yards and four TDs in the Cougars' victory. G-C will host New Palestine next week.
Daily Reporter

Pendleton Heights 27, Mt. Vernon 10: Dezmon Nunn ran for a shade under 200 yards and two TDs, and caught a 24-yard TD pass as the Arabians win their first sectional game since 2006. MV finishes its season at 5-5.
Daily Reporter | Anderson Herald-Bulletin

Sectional 37
Clinton Central 48, Eastern Hancock 22: Steven Stunda threw for 138 yards, but the Royals fell to the Bulldogs in opening-round play.
Daily Reporter

Sectional 12
Delta 28, Fort Wayne Wayne 7: Delta's victory is marred by unsportsmanlike conduct that leads to the ejection of several Wayne players and coaches. Delta faces 8-2 Muncie South next week.
Muncie Star-Press

Sectional 15
Shelbyville 24, South Dearborn 21: Nick Eberhart kicked a field goal in the closing stages to give the Bears a victory. Eberhart kicked three field goals on the day. Patrick Ellis and Dominique Cox both ran for 100+ yards for the Bears, who rallied from a 21-10 second-half deficit. Eberhart kicked three field goals. Shelby hosts Franklin County next week.
Shelbyville News

Sectional 22
Yorktown 7, Howe 0: Joe Journay catches a 44-yard TD pass in the first quarter, and Yorktown's defense makes it stand up. The Tigers visit #2 Hamilton Heights next week.
Muncie Star-Press

Semifinals in sectionals involving HHC/Hancock County teams
Class 4A, sectional 13
New Castle (1-8) at Pendleton Heights (7-3)
New Palestine (9-1) at Greenfield-Central (6-4)
Class 4A, sectional 12
Muncie South (8-2) at Delta (9-1)
Fort Wayne South (3-7) at New Haven (7-3)
Class 4A, sectional 15
Franklin County (6-4) at Shelbyville (4-6)
East Central (9-1) at Greenwood (4-6)
Class 3A, sectional 22
Rushville (2-7) at Batesville (6-4)
Yorktown (3-7) at Hamilton Heights (10-0)
Class A, sectional 37
Sheridan (8-2) at Guerin Catholic (5-5)
Clinton Prairie (9-1) at Clinton Central (3-7)

Sectional Round 1 recap

Tonight's games
4A Sectional 13
Pendleton Heights 27, Mt. Vernon 10: The Arabians avenge a Week 5 defeat to Mt. Vernon by scoring on three straight first-half possessions and holding on to beat the Marauders. PH did it with a bruising ground game -- Dezmon Nunn had 32 carries for 199 yards, while Jacob Lyons had 61 yards, including a 45-yard run that set up PH's second TD of the night. The first TD was set up by Clint Nicholson's interception, which turned into QB Mitch Patishall's 1-yard run with 3:18 to go in the first quarter. Lyons' 45-yard run set up Nunn's 1-yard plunge with five seconds left in the first. On PH's next drive, Patishall hit Nunn for a 24-yard TD on a 3rd-and-10 screen pass that made it 21-0. MV had chances to get back into the game -- Matt Horton hit a 35-yard FG at the end of the first half to get the Marauders on the board, and then Tyler Dicks caught a 27-yard TD on fourth-and-10 early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 21-10 -- set up by Casey Neylon's INT. MV then got a chance to cut it to a one-possession game after a PH fumble, but the drive stalled and led to a missed field goal. Nunn then answered with a 70-yard run that put the game away.

PH moves to 7-3 on the year, and will host 1-8 New Castle next week.

New Palestine 51, Anderson 21: NP was scored upon for the first time since Week 5, but the Dragons' offense was too much. NP jumped out to a 28-14 lead at halftime, and Dakota Smith recorded a safety early in the third that sent the Dragons on their way to their ninth straight victory, and setting up a rematch with county rival Greenfield-Central on the road next week. The Dragons are now 9-1.

Greenfield-Central 45, Arlington 14: The Cougars trailed 7-3 at halftime, and then exploded for three TDs in the third quarter and three more in the fourth to break things open. Roger Dodson's team clinches its first winning season since 2002. The Cougars, now 6-4, host New Palestine next week.

Class A, Sectional 37
Clinton Central 48, Eastern Hancock 22: The Royals have their second-best offensive night of the year, but they fall to Clinton Central. EH finishes the season 1-9, while CC moves on to face county rival Clinton Prairie next week.

Elsewhere in the HHC
It was a great night for the Hoosier Heritage Conference tonight, as conference teams go 6-1 -- and the one loss was an intra-conference game.

In 4A's Sectional 12, Delta knocked off Fort Wayne Wayne 28-7 to notch the Eagles' eighth consecutive win. Delta is now 9-1 and will face county rival Muncie South in a rematch of a regular-season game next week.

In Sectional 15, Shelbyville was 3-6 in the regular season, but knocked off South Dearborn 24-21 to earn a date against Franklin County next week.

In 3A's Sectional 22, Yorktown beat Howe 7-0 for its second straight win, and will travel to unbeaten #2 Hamilton Heights next week. Rushville drew a bye and will play at Batesville next week.

Looking ahead
There are two Hancock County schools left, and they play each other next week. We will have the New Palestine at Greenfield-Central game next week. Airtime is 6:30 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m. We'll then follow the winner of that game throughout the tournament. Listen LIVE here.

Volleyball sectional roundup

From Thursday's action
At Hamilton Heights (3A)
Dragons beat host Huskies: New Palestine won three tight games to oust Hamilton Heights 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 from the Huskies' own sectional. In an all-HHC semifinal round, NP advances to face Rushville in Saturday's second semifinal. Defending champion Mt. Vernon will meet Shelbyville in Saturday's 11 a.m. semifinal. The championship match will be at 7 p.m. at Hamilton Heights.

At Knightstown (2A)
Royals fall to Cambridge City Lincoln: EH dropped a tight five-game match to CCL, falling 24-26, 25-21, 30-32, 25-20, 15-13 to the Golden Eagles. CCL moves on to face Shenandoah in Saturday's second semifinal. The first match will pit Knightstown against Union County.

Looking ahead
We're down to four fall sports still active -- football, volleyball and boys/girls CC. We'll have a full roundup of tonight's football games online Friday, and then volleyball and cross country by Saturday night.

It's sectional night

Time to look ahead at the sectionals.

First, the sectionals involving Hancock County schools:
4A Sectional 13
Pendleton Heights (6-3) at Mt. Vernon (5-4)
LISTEN LIVE HERE! (broadcast at 6:30 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m.)
PH has won three straight to end the season after a tough skid against MV and Delta in Weeks 5-6. MV won the regular-season matchup 37-17, but it was very statistically close, and very well-played by both offenses. MV's defense was very good last week, but the offense has scored once in three weeks. Both teams feature multifaceted offensive games -- the QB/RB/WR triumvirate of Mitch Patishall-Dezmon Nunn-Brad McNeil for PH against Austin Parker-Zach McKinney/Corey White/Anthony Burnett-Jake Davis for MV. This is probably the best first-round matchup of the sectional.
Winner hosts 1-8 New Castle next week

Anderson (4-5) at New Palestine (8-1)
The Dragons haven't allowed a varsity touchdown in half a season -- 4.5 games. The Indians have a 5A enrollment and a lot of talent. This is most intriguing first-round matchup of the sectional, as these two teams don't have any familiarity with each other. Anderson fell to unbeaten Kokomo 28-21 last week and is obviously getting better. NP has just overwhelmed teams with its size and soundness on offense -- especially with throwing RB Austin Cahoy at teams, who has 21 TDs on the year.
Winner plays either 5-4 Greenfield-Central or 3-6 Arlington next week

Greenfield-Central (5-4) at Arlington (3-6)
The Cougars have put together their best season since 2002, and are looking to clinch their first plus-.500 season since then. G-C hasn't scored in two weeks, but it has also played two of the area's top defenses in New Palestine and Chatard. Arlington can score -- 30 ppg -- but is also giving up 38 ppg and has given up 56+ three times. G-C has been playing phenomenal defense this season, giving up 6 points to an explosive Mt. Vernon team and 6 to an 8-1 Delta squad.
Winner plays either 4-5 Anderson or 8-1 New Palestine next week

The full draw:
Class 4A, Sectional 13
New Castle (1-8) - BYE
Pendleton Heights (6-3) @ Mt. Vernon (5-4)
Anderson (4-5) @ #7 New Palestine (8-1)
Greenfield-Central (5-4) @ Indianapolis Arlington (3-6)

1A Sectional 37
Clinton Central (2-7) at Eastern Hancock (1-8)
EH used to play CC in Week 9, so this is a deja vu game, just one week later. The Royals notched their first victory of the year last season when they beat Edinburgh 28-13. That snapped a two-week scoreless streak. EH's offense had scored eight times the first eight weeks before breaking out against the Lancers. QB Steven Stunda is a run-pass threat. The Bulldogs of third-year coach Mike Quick have had some good games -- beating Tri-Central and former CC coach George Gilbert 57-20, scoring 20 on a good Tipton team in a loss -- but they've been shut out twice and held to one score four other times. Looks like it could be an even matchup. Winner gets either Tri-Central (3-6) or Gridiron Digest No. 10 Clinton Prairie (8-1) next week. EH would be on the road in both situations.
Full sectional pairings
Lapel (2-7) @ #3 Sheridan (7-2)
Guerin Catholic (4-5) @ Indiana Deaf (0-8)
Clinton Central (2-7) @ Eastern Hancock (1-8)
Tri-Central (3-6) @ #10 Clinton Prairie (8-1)

Elsewhere in the HHC
4A Sectional 12
Delta (8-1) at FW Wayne (5-4)
Delta has been playing amazingly well the last half of the season -- especially since the last-minute rally against PH. The Eagles have outscored their last three opponents 103-17 and have won seven straight. Wayne's record is deceptive, as it plays in the tough SAC and hung tough with FW Snider before losing 16-7 last week.
Winner plays 6-3 Marion or 7-2 Muncie South next week
Full sectional pairings
#9 Delta (8-1) at Fort Wayne Wayne (5-4)
Marion (6-3) at Muncie South (7-2)
Fort Wayne South (2-7) at Muncie Central (0-9)
New Haven (6-3) at Jay County (2-7)

4A Sectional 15
Shelbyville (3-6) at South Dearborn (5-4)
Shelbyville has struggled this season, but this team does have Patrick Ellis. The tough HHC schedule should also prepare the Golden Bears to face the Knights, who finished with a 2-3 mark in the EIAC.
Winner plays either 0-9 Madison or 5-4 Franklin County next week
Full sectional pairings
Shelbyville (3-6) at South Dearborn (5-4)
Madison (0-9) at Franklin County (5-4)
Greenwood (3-6) at Connersville (0-9)
Franklin (3-6) at #6 East Central (8-1)

3A Sectional 22
Howe (2-7) at Yorktown (2-7)
Yorktown struggled early in the year, but posted a very nice victory last week against Rushville to give it a nice bounce going into the tournament. Kundenreich and Barnes are a solid 1-2 punch. Howe also won last week, beating upstart 1A program Monroe Central 49-6 (and also knocking off Arlington earlier in the year)
Winner plays either 9-0 Hamilton Heights or 1-8 Beech Grove next week
Bye: Rushville (2-7) (plays Greensburg/Batesville next week)
Full sectional pairings
Rushville (2-7), bye
Greensburg (4-5) at Batesville (5-4)
Howe (2-7) at Yorktown (2-7)
#2 Hamilton Heights (9-0) at Beech Grove (1-8)

Tourney roundup

Girls soccer: Hamilton Southeastern 1, New Palestine 0
The Dragons ' unbeaten season comes to a close against a very strong HSE team in the Zionsville regional championship match Wednesday. The Royals' Rebecca Romaine scored in the second half to provide the game's only tally. Holly Hilton made 12 saves in net for the Dragons. NP finished the year 17-1-3.

Volleyball: New Castle 3, Greenfield-Central 0
The Cougars fell 25-16, 25-21, 25-21 in the opening round of the Muncie Central sectional Tuesday, behind 12 kills from the Trojans' Lauryn Gillis. G-C went 17-14 on the year.

Reminder: Football sectionals Friday night

Just a reminder, we have football Friday night. Here are the sectional pairings involving Hancock County teams. We will be broadcasting Pendleton Heights at Mt. Vernon. CLICK TO LISTEN LIVE.

Class 4A, Sectional 13
New Castle (1-8) - BYE
Pendleton Heights (6-3) @ Mt. Vernon (5-4)
Anderson (4-5) @ New Palestine (8-1)
Greenfield-Central (5-4) @ Indianapolis Arlington (3-6)

Class A, Sectional 37
Lapel (2-7) @ Sheridan (7-2)
Guerin Catholic (4-5) @ Indiana Deaf (0-8)
Clinton Central (2-7) @ Eastern Hancock (1-8)
Tri-Central (3-6) @ Clinton Prairie (8-1)

MV soccer falls in regional

We had a great game between Mt. Vernon and Roncalli for the regional championship at Rushville on Saturday night. The shots were even, the run of play was mostly even, and the goals were even. Alex Sayre hit a rocket from just inside the box four minutes into the second half for MV, but Roncalli's Eric Cunningham answered on a similar shot with 15 minutes to go.

Everything came down to a shootout, during which Roncalli keeper Drew Oehrele made two saves and the Rebels won 3-2, to win the game 2-1 and earn a spot in the North Central semistate against Pike.

We had a great time broadcasting soccer, and we especially want to thank the Mt. Vernon parents and supporters that made the regional broadcasts possible.

Elsewhere in Hancock County tournament action:
Girls soccer
No. 15 New Palestine defeated Pendleton Heights 3-2 to win its fifth consecutive girls soccer sectional championship. NP trailed 2-1 at halftime, but Emilee Larson and Lauren Joray scored second-half goals to move the Dragons on. Kalli Shepler-Tucker also scored a first-half goal for the Dragons. The Dragons (17-0-3) will face Hamilton Southeastern in Wednesday's regional at Zionsville.

Girls cross country
New Palestine's Courtney Edon added to her stellar resume by winning the Rushville regional by seven seconds. Her 5k time of 19:00 outpaced the second-place runner, Jasmine Al-Anzi of Warren Central. As a team, NP finished third and will advance as a group to the Carmel semistate. NP's Caitlynn Edon finished 11th (19:58) to also place in the top 15. Eastern Hancock sophomore Shelby Wyatt finished 16th, one spot from transferring to the semistate.

Mt. Vernon was the runner-up to Jay County in the Pendleton Heights regional, as the Patriots outpaced MV 60-66. MV had three runners in the top 10 -- Amanda Jones (20:40), Elizabeth Cook (20:48) and Mandy Bode (20:56) finished seventh, eighth and ninth. Cassandra Eiler finished 17th. MV will compete in Saturday's New Haven semistate.

Boys cross country
Mt. Vernon finished third in the Delta boys cross country regional to advance as a team to Saturday's New Haven semistate. MV was led by Luke Davis and Nathan Bode, who finished 11th and 12th. Davis finished the 5k course in 17:18, one second ahead of his teammate. MV's Sean Hudson also finished in the top 20 at 19th.

Greenfield-Central finished fourth in the Rushville boys cross country regional to advance as a team to Saturday's semistate. The Cougars were led by Darren Wise, who finished 15th overall. Wise posted a time of 17:20. Cougars Tyler Wilcher and Jayke Thompson also finished in the top 20. New Palestine freshman Seth Eagleson finished 16th and missed qualifying for semistate by one spot.

Volleyball
Volleyball sectionals begin this week. Here are the pairings for the Hancock County teams:
4A Muncie Central sectional
7 p.m. Tuesday: Greenfield-Central vs. New Castle (winner plays Anderson at 11 a.m. Saturday in the semis. Championship 7 p.m. Saturday)
3A Hamilton Heights sectional
7 p.m. Thursday: New Palestine vs. Hamilton Heights
11 a.m. Saturday: Mt. Vernon vs. Shelbyville
12:30 p.m. Saturday: Rushville vs. NP-HH winner
7 p.m. Saturday: Championship
2A Knightstown sectional
7 p.m. Thursday: Eastern Hancock vs. Cambridge City Lincoln (winner plays Shenandoah/Hagerstown winner at 1 p.m. Saturday in the semis. Championship 7 p.m. Saturday).

Soccer regional final tonight

A reminder that the soccer regional final between Mt. Vernon and Roncalli will be broadcast live from Rushville tonight, starting at 6:45 p.m.

Click here to listen LIVE or listen in the stadium on AM 1630.

Week 9 roundup

New Palestine 7, Mt. Vernon 0
First-quarter score, end-of-game score. You kept expecting something offensive to happen, but the defenses just wouldn't give an inch. NP's defense has been solid all year, MV's had a real bounce-back night after struggling last week against Delta. But the Dragons -- normally a team that runs the ball and runs it and runs it some more -- scored the only points of the night by throwing it. Brandon Collins caught a 27-yard pass from Connor Simmons, and then Collins threw one himself -- a "double-pass" play that begins looking like a wide receiver screen, but Collins -- a converted QB -- caught the lateral and lobbed one to a wide-open Josh Penley in the end zone for a score.

Both teams threatened and got inside the 30 more than once, but couldn't finish. Not a single snap was made inside the red zone, as both defensive fronts were dominant. NP had 107 yards of total offense -- 61 by Austin Cahoy on the ground on 31 carries, and the rest through the air. MV had a few more -- 177 yards, including 116 on the ground from fullback Anthony Burnett, who grew up quickly in a new position as the game went on -- but had a couple of drives stall in NP territory. The defenses were incredible -- NP had four takeaways, MV two. But every yard was next-to-impossible to get due to the strong defensive play. NP's varsity defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in 4 1/2 games, and has only allowed two since Week 3.

NP wins the Boundary Rail for the sixth consecutive year, but again, this game is amazingly close. There's a chance for a rematch in three weeks -- but MV has to get through two tough games, including one against 6-3 Pendleton Heights, while NP has to do the same, facing 5A-sized Anderson in the first round (a team that came within 7 points of unbeaten Kokomo tonight).

Congrats to NP, the HHC champs, HHC Helmet owners and Boundary Rail owners for the off-season. NP (8-1/7-0) claims the title, while MV (5-4/4-3) finishes in a three-way tie for third.

Chatard 40, Greenfield-Central 0
Tough loss for the Cougars, but good in that they play a solid team for the second week in a row that will help prepare them for next week's game against Arlington. A win, and the Cougars will possess their first winning record since 1993. G-C finishes the regular season 5-4 and in a three-way tie for third in the HHC with a 4-3 mark.

Delta 35, Shelbyville 10
The Eagles keep rolling and finish 8-1/6-1 on the year, while the Golden Bears fall to 3-6/2-5. Delta has been playing very solid on both sides of the ball and should be a favorite to repeat in Sectional 12 next week. Delta is second in the HHC, Shelby finishes sixth.

Yorktown 42, Rushville 28
And seventh in the conference goes to ... Yorktown. The Tigers had such struggles early in the year, it's good to see Mike Wilhelm's team get a win over an opponent in the league (rather than a Class A charter school). Both teams finish 2-7 overall, Yorktown is 1-6 in the HHC and finishes seventh, Rushville 0-7 and finishes eighth.

Pendleton Heights 42, FW Concordia 19
Even though Concordia was winless, the Summit Conference is one of the state's best. Very impressive win for John Broughton's club, which is 6-3 on the year (and tied with G-C and MV for third in the HHC). The Arabians' win tonight cemented the second-best record in the state against non-conference foes for the HHC as a conference. PH gears up for a sectional rematch at Mt. Vernon next week.

In Hancock County: Eastern Hancock 28, Edinburgh 13: The Royals finally break into the win column with a win over Edinburgh. Congrats to Mark Reddy and his team, which plays Clinton Central next week.

Next week's broadcast:
Mt. Vernon vs. Pendleton Heights. Listen live on www.hancockcountysports.com.

It's Boundary Rail time

It's time for the Boundary Rail game between the Dragons and the Marauders. A lot of hardware is on the line between these two teams at Kelso Stadium on Friday night -- of course, the Boundary Rail trophy, but also the Hoosier Heritage Conference helmet and, for the Dragons, the outright HHC championship.

NP and MV have been playing varsity football since 1968, and this game is often a closely-contested, intense, well-played contest. This year marks the 43rd regular-season meeting -- they've played every year they've had football teams -- and the 47th overall meeting between the two teams (NP holds a 26-19-1 edge).

This year, it features the outstanding running game of New Palestine -- led by Austin Cahoy and Matt Siergiej, with 1,750+ yards between them -- and the excellent passing game of Mt. Vernon, led by QB Austin Parker and the county's leading receiver in Jake Davis. Both have solid defenses -- NP hasn't allowed a TD in meaningful minutes since Week 5, while MV -- last week excepted -- has been more than solid throughout the year. The coaches are two of the best, the players will be keyed up, and we'll be ready.

Kickoff is at 7:30, you can LISTEN LIVE beginning at 7 p.m.

Here's the game's history:
Series history
Total series: NP 26, MV 19, 1 tie
Regular season: NP 23, MV 18, 1 tie
Boundary Rail (introduced 2005): NP 5, MV 0
2009: NP 28, @MV 14
2008: @NP 21, MV 7
2007: NP 20, @MV 13
2006: @MV 17, NP 14 (sectional final)
2006: @NP 21, MV 20, OT
2005: NP 31, @MV 14 (sectional final)
2005: NP 20, @MV 0 (first Boundary Rail Game)
2004: @NP 20, MV 6 (sectional 1st round)
2004: @NP 21, MV 10
2003: @MV 38, NP 6
2002: @NP 12, MV 7
2001: MV 23, @NP 0
2000: MV 42, @NP 7
1999: @MV 36, NP 28
1998: MV 38, @NP 21
1997: @MV 48, NP 21
1996: NP 7, @MV 0
1995: @NP 36, MV 22
1994: @MV 10, NP 0
1993: @NP 61, MV 13
1992: NP 48, @MV 19
1991: MV 15, @NP 7
1990: @NP 19, MV 7 (sectional)
1990: MV 21, NP 20 (@Hoosier Dome)
1989: @NP 40, MV 6
1988: NP 34, @MV 13
1987: @NP 24, MV 8
1986: @MV 6, NP 0
1985: MV 12, @NP 6
1984: NP 8, @MV 6
1983: @NP 27, MV 24
1982: @MV 12, NP 6, OT
1981: MV 17, @NP 6
1980: @MV 19, NP 14
1979: @NP 20, MV 14
1978: NP 34, @MV 13
1977: @NP 28, MV 14
1976: NP 20, @MV 12
1975: MV 14, @NP 3
1974: NP 44, @MV 0
1973: @NP 12, MV 6
1972: @MV 12, NP 6
1971: MV 22, @NP 7
1970: @MV 8, NP 8
1969: @NP 24, MV 22
1968: @MV 28, NP 24
Games at Mt. Vernon: NP 12, MV 10, 1 tie (regular season NP 11-9-1)
Games at New Palestine: NP 14, MV 9 (regular season NP 12-9)
Longest NP streak: 5 games (2004-2006) (regular-season: 6 games, 2004-09)
Longest MV streak: 5 games (1997-2001)
Biggest wins: MV 38, NP 6 (2003); NP 61, MV 13 (1993).
Winningest coaches: Marvin Shepler, NP (17 wins); Doug Peacock, MV (8 wins).