News – Page 23

Review: Adele provides inspiration through her music

by Ricky Cummins

Adele has been a positive influence on me for my entire life. Ever since I was little, her music was all over the place. My mom would play Adele’s music when she was cleaning, cooking, sewing, pretty much anytime that there was a chore to do. Of course, there was other music, too. Adele stuck out the most.

Adele is an inspiration to people all around the world. She encourages individuality, finding our voices, and staying true to ourselves. She has been a trailblazer in promoting body positivity and self acceptance.

Adele is a 36-year-old English singer-songwriter who is known for her soulful vocals and sentimental songs. She has one son, Angelo, whomich she and her ex-husband share joint custody over. They even live across the street from each other in LA to do “what is best for Angelo.”

I appreciate her music so much and\ there are some songs that just put me in a trance-like state. They make me forget about things even if it’s for three and a half minutes. So many of her songs are playful and catchy and enlightening. And some are slower and have a deeper meaning.

Some songs that stick out to me the most are “Rolling In The Deep,” “Hello,” and “Oh My God.”

“Rolling In The Deep” sticks out to me for the reason that she sings about the displeasure and heartbreak of a past relationship. Adele sings about her anger and feelings of betrayal in the lyrics: “There’s a fire starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark.” She creates a feeling of realization when she sees him “crystal clear,” as she doesn’t see him how she did previously. I believe that “the dark” she refers to is the disillusionment of the relationship.

Adele’s “Hello” broke the record of most views in 24 hours. At 27.7 million views, she even surpassed Taylor Sswift’s “Bad Blood” at only 20.1 million views.

“Hello” speaks about regret and guilt. Adele admits her wrongdoings when she sings, “I must have called a thousand times, To tell you I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done.” She speaks up to honesty and boldness.

Adele sings about feeling dismissed or ignored when she sings, “To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart, But it don’t matter, it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.”

When I first heard “Oh My God,” I imagined Adele in a room full of mirrors, walking around and searching for an escape from herself. The lyrics “I’m a fool, but they all think I’m blind, I’d rather be a fool than leave myself behind-,” reveal an internal struggle of whether or not her choices are selfish or if it’s okay to put herself first. She has the same effect when she sings, “I am a grown woman and I do what I want to do.” It’s another unfolding of her journey, a part where uncertainty pervades everything.

Adele has had a great impact on me and countless others. Her soul and jazz music captivates many audiences all around the world.

Albums	Popular Songs
19	“Day Dreamer,” “Chasing Pavements,” Make You Feel My Love”
1988	“Chasing 1988: The Intro,” “First Love (Remot remix),” “Melt My Heart To Stone (kickdrums remix)”
21	“Rolling In The Deep,” “Rumor Has It,” “Turning Tables”
25	“Hello,” “Love In The Dark,” “All I Ask”
30	“Oh My God,” “I Drink Wine,” “Easy On Me”

10 Mar 202510 Mar 2025 by jhshyphen

Fast Feature: A conversation with coach Sherron Wilkerson heading into sectional play this weekend

Update: March 8 at 9 p.m.: JHS defeats New Albany 62-47 to win the 2025 sectional championship. Check back for more sectional coverage next week.

Update: March 7 at 9:20 p.m.: It will be a Red Devil-Bulldog rematch for the sectional championship tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in Seymour as Jeff will face New Albany.

Update: March 7 at 8:30 p.m.: JHS defeats Bedford North Lawrence 68-38 to advance to sectional championship; will face New Albany-Floyd Central winner tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

by Austin Bainbridge

During the busy playoff season I was able to sit down for an interview with head boys’ basketball coach Sherron Wilkerson.

During the conversation we talked about his confidence after Tuesday’s 82-49 win against the Scottsburg Warriors in the first round of sectional and what the team needs to do in order to maintain playoff success tonight against Bedford North Lawrence (9-12).

Do you think the blowout win against Scottsburg will affect your confidence throughout the rest of the playoffs?

“Yes I do. I don’t think it was necessarily the score that gave us confidence; the way that we played gave us confidence. We hit the goals we set out to accomplish.”

Do any players have their own personal goals?

“We set goals for them of one steal, one layup, one offensive rebound, and a putback.”

Does beating Bedford North Lawrence earlier in the season give you confidence going into the game on Friday, knowing that you have beaten them before?

“No, I think that it has to be just the opposite. Here’s why. Typically, when you beat a team in the regular season there is a tendency to go in overly confident. You have a tendency to overlook them. We are going to get Bedford’s best shot because last time we played them they thought they found some things that they could do better against us. So we have to go in with our most intensity yet so we can beat them.”

Has the team’s winning streak affected the way the players have played, such as playing more confidently?

“I think it makes them more confident in the things we are trying to do. I think it helps them to buy into our system more.”

With you not knowing who your opponent will be because the playoff games are so close together, how do you gameplan?

“Typically, what we do is in our practice plan (is) we’ll incorporate the main tendencies of the potential opponents we could play. So no matter who we play we are at least familiar with the two or three things they do the best.”

Do you treat every playoff game the same, no matter the opponent, whether it’s Scottsburg or the best team in the state?

“We treat it the same. We treat every team like they’re the best in the state. Virginia was a one seed and got upset by a sixteenth seed (in the NCAA tournament), so anything can happen. We see every team as dangerous and we try to play our best no matter what.”

If you win Friday you might have the chance to play New Albany. Do you see that as an opportunity to knock them out of the playoffs since they are a big rival.

“We don’t look at it as that. We look at it as an opportunity to hang another banner, no matter who the opponent is.”

What is the most important thing the team has to do to win these next few games?

“I think they have to stay locked in mentally. I think that is the hardest part, because you’ve been through an entire season. Coach has been pushing you. Coach has been constantly giving you messages that you have to carry out. Coach has been yelling and screaming at you to pay attention to details. It gets repetitive. This is the hardest part of the season, but also the most fun.”

Did anything stick out to you in the win against Scottsburg?

“The players’ mature approach. I think you could have a talented team, you could have a really good team, but if the team isn’t focused on what they need to accomplish, then they are in a really bad spot.”

What do you want to see from the team against Bedford North Lawrence tonight?

“We definitely have to guard the basketball. We have to make sure our shot selection is really good.”

JHS (18-5) plays Bedford North Lawrence (9-12) in the next round of sectional tonight at 6 p.m. in Seymour, followed by the New Albany-Floyd Central game. The winners will face off for the sectional championship tomorrow night.

Check back for sectional updates throughout the weekend.

Red Devils defeat Scottsburg 82-49 Tuesday in sectional play

For photo coverage of Tuesday’s JHS win over Scottsburg, click on the photos in the gallery below.

All photographs by Magdalene Conrad.

The Red Devils gather prior to facing Scottsburg Tuesday night in the opening round of the Seymour sectional. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

7 Mar 202513 Apr 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS Theatre presents ‘The Nightmare Story’ the next two weekends

JHS Theatre brings nightmares to the stage in the next two weekends.

The Nightmare Story is the tale of a boy who ventures into the unknown to find a cure for his mother’s rare disease before it’s too late.

The one-hour performance features inspiration from Eastern European folklore and old world cautionary fables, as the audience is guided by storytellers under lamplight.

Boy sets off across the countryside seeking a cure for his mother while encountering frightening nightmares in a musical that includes action and folk-style adventure.

The Nightmare Story features live instrumentation through ukulele and percussion, along with a variety of puppetry, foley work, and theatrical sequences.

Please be advised that this production contains loud noises and flashing lights.

The show runs this weekend and next: March 7, 8, 14 , and 15 at 7 p.m.; and March 9 at 2 p.m.

6 Mar 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS choirs perform in annual Ohio Valley Choral Festival

All photos by Elliot Swincher.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, JHS choir participated in the annual Ohio Valley Choral Festival, featuring Southern Indiana choirs from five different high schools.

To view photos, click on the gallery button below.

Choir director Kyle Broady speaks to the audience of the Ohio Valley Choral Festival on Tuesday, Feb. 25. This year the festival was held at JHS. Photo by Elliot Swincher.

3 Mar 20253 Mar 2025 by jhshyphen

Hyphen Top 5 Most Viewed Stories in February, 2025

Total views in February, 2025: 4534 views from 1727 visitors

Total posts published in February, 2025: 23 posts

Total views in 2025: 9501 views (21,598 this school year)

Total posts published since beginning of 2024-25 school year: 122 posts

2 Mar 2025 by jhshyphen

Teen mental health impacts Indiana students

by Kenzie Stubblefield

Teen mental health issues have become a growing concern, affecting millions of teenagers worldwide. Suicide is currently the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Center for Disease Control.

Some students have spoken out about having anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders as some of the most common challenges teens face, which are often triggered by academic pressure, social expectations, family dynamics, and personal insecurities. The rise of social media has also contributed to increased feelings of inadequacy, cyberbullying, and social isolation.

Freshman Jan Vissing said, “It could be better; a lot of issues are caused by other students and some staff members’ immaturity.”

Students and staff alike sometimes have issues getting along with each other, and the words of others can spread like wildfire.

Another student, sophomore Darryl Cordova, shared, “The class grades and the stress that comes with all the classwork can cause problems for a teen’s mental health. We also have to wake up at 6 a.m. almost every morning. That can get stressful for a lot of teenagers.”

This just goes to show that the environment teens are in every day has a real impact on their behavior and mental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified these struggles, leading to a surge in loneliness, uncertainty, and disrupted routines. Many teens have reported difficulties in maintaining motivation, focusing on schoolwork, and managing emotions.

Peer relationships, which play a crucial role in adolescent development, have also been impacted, leading to feelings of detachment and low self-esteem.

Senior Koy Raymer said, “Students’ mental health was, and still is, affected by COVID, and to add to that, the older generations were affected and don’t know how to help the younger generation.”

Warning signs of mental health struggles in teens include mood swings, withdrawal from activities, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and a decline in academic performance. Without proper support, these issues can lead to severe consequences such as self-harm, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

Fortunately, JHS has faculty and staff ready to offer support.

Administrative assistant and staff member Torin Clapp, said, “There’s a greater need for mental health resources now more than ever. We need more people in the mental health field to help students out. Not only is it a lot for the students to handle, but the staff can also become stressed by those situations.”

History teacher John Santry said JHS has resources to help students. “I think the help and resources students have here are great. The students have teachers and counselors that they can always go to for help; the only negative thing is that the state has cut services for mental health.”

To address these concerns, open communication, professional counseling, and school-based mental health programs are essential. Encouraging healthy coping mechanisms, fostering supportive environments, and reducing stigma around mental health can help teens navigate these challenges and build emotional resilience.

Counselors can help teens address these challenges, but Indiana lags far behind other states in the number of health care professionals in school buildings.

In TheStatehouseFile.com article “Bipartisan bill pushes to improve mental health in Indiana public schools,” Kate Breeden writes, “In 2021-2022, Indiana ranked the worst among student-to-counselor ratios, with only one counselor for every 694 students. The American School Counselor Association recommends a 250-to-1 ratio. Although the numbers have progressively decreased in the past years, Indiana still has a 497-to-1 ratio, almost double the recommended amount.”

The Indiana Suicide Prevention Program (ISPP) posted information entitled “Understanding Suicide,” which stated, “The more you know about how you are feeling and the help available to you, the better you can manage your stress. Learn more about teen suicide, including risk and protective factors, warning signs, and how to handle the situation when a friend talks about suicide or dies by suicide.”

So, if you, a friend, or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, call the suicide and mental health hotline at 988.

“I feel like, for teen mental health, in particular, I think it’s important to address any issues you’re having in or out of school and to address those with your counselor because I think that students need to have good mental health to be able to perform well and be successful academically,” said counselor Amy Colangelo.

Ultimately, Colangelo said everyone should have a person to lean on and talk to.

“I always say that whether it’s a teacher, student, staff member, counselor, or friend, it’s important to identify the people you can lean on when you need that extra help,” she said. “I think what’s great about Jeff is that we have so many people that want to help, so there is somebody that everybody can lean on.”

Students facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, concerns about alcohol or drug use, or just need someone to talk to can contact the JHS counselors, who are here to assist.

27 Feb 202527 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

Review: ‘Dragonball’ movie combines stunning visuals with well-written characters

by Keegan Fountain

A monster, a beast, Dragon Ball Z’s devil, Broly the legendary super Saiyan.

Even if you’re not a Dragon Ball fan, chances are you’ve heard of Broly. He was first introduced on March 6, 1993, in the movie: “Dragon Ball Z: Broly the legendary super Saiyan.” He was introduced as this huge, menacing villain that was a threat to even the likes of Goku. However, his character was rewritten to fit a new movie that released Jan. 16, 2019, titled: “Dragon Ball Super: Broly.” In this review, I’ll go over both the change with this new Broly, and how he contrasts the old one.

When the movie starts, we’re placed on Planet Vegeta. We meet many characters — King Vegeta, Frieza, Bardock — but who we want to focus on is Broly. He was only an infant, but displayed immense power. To protect both his planet and his pride, King Vegeta sends Broly off to another planet, Vampa. Broly’s father, Paragus, steals a spaceship and flies after him, finding and training his son for 40 years due to them being stranded.

After Frieza makes a move and steals 6 of the 7 dragon balls from Goku and the others, they track the last one down to intercept Frieza and his soldiers. However, that’s when they meet Broly, and Paragus immediately recognizes Vegeta as Prince Vegeta’s son. He sends Broly after him, and there’s a huge fight with Vegeta and Goku versus Broly, each of them pushing their limits and going through multiple forms. The fight eventually ends with Goku and Vegeta fusing into Gogeta, defeating Broly before he is ultimately teleported back to Vampa. Goku befriends a calmed down Broly and that’s where the movie ends.

This movie is beautifully written. The visuals are stunning, the characters are extremely well written, and I can never stop admiring the story in this film — it always makes me smile.

Another nod to an old Dragon Ball Z movie, the fusion Gogeta was first introduced in the 1995 movie: “Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn,” where Gogeta was made to defeat Janemba. They both share similar characteristics, despite Gogeta being more serious in his first appearance, so I won’t stay on him.

The differences between Z Broly and Super Broly are obvious. Z Broly is more one dimensional and flat, while Super Broly is much more developed and characterized. Z Broly was made purely for the instance of having a villain stronger than Goku, and that’s evident in his size and muscle mass. However, Super Broly was made to turn Broly into a more deep and sympathetic character. He is soft spoken, honest, kind, and only fights with Goku and Vegeta because his father wants (and forces) him to. There’s a moment near the middle of the movie that really shows Broly’s difference in the two versions of him.

After Broly and Paragus are found and rescued by Cheelai and Lemo, Frieza Force soldiers, Cheelai offers Broly proper food. Broly takes it and scarfs it down, but after which he is reminded by his father to use his manners. He thanks Cheelai, and even tries to replicate her little thank-you gesture she does. It’s also shown at the end when Goku befriends Broly. Broly doesn’t attack Goku at all, letting him speak and even smiling as he leaves.

This movie is a beautiful representation of the difference between two versions of one character that can be made. It also shows the symbolism between Dragon Ball characters. The world of Dragon Ball is met by two kinds of characters, good and evil. Without the good, the evil takes over and tips the scale, and if there’s no evil, vise versa. Broly perfectly shows this, because good and evil of him exist, both movies showing what could happen if he is good or evil. What I’m trying to say is, Broly perfectly encapsulates the path characters in Dragon Ball can go — they’re either Goku’s friend, like Vegeta, or his enemy, like Frieza.

This movie is beautifully written. The visuals are stunning, the characters are extremely well written, and I can never stop admiring the story in this film — it always makes me smile.

Movie title: Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Starring: Christopher Sabat, Vic Mignogna, and Sean Schemmel

Director: Tatsuya Nagamine, Kazuo Ogura (Art director), and Naohiro Shintani (Animation director)

Writer: Akira Toriyama

Rated: PG

My Grade: A

Platforms to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu, and Crunchyroll

27 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

Vaping has short and long-term consequences

by Abbigail Hollins and William Hudgins

At JHS a growing number of teenagers are turning to vaping, unaware of the hidden dangers that come with each puff. As e-cigarette use skyrockets, many people are concerned about the issue of students vaping.

Health professionals warn of the potential long and short-term consequences.

Registered nurse Julie Semones said there are a number of long- term effects to the unhealthy habit.

“It can affect, say, your brain function, cognition, brain and lung damage, and women can have reproductive issues.”

Semones also warns the long term effects on vaping

“For short term effects, it will cause coughing, sneezing, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, and many different side effects that can happen.”

Teachers express the concerns about the impact vaping can have on their students. They want to better educate students regarding the issue of vaping.

Science teacher Megan Phelphs said, “Actually having a conversation about it, or doing a lesson on it” is one way teachers can educate their students.

Phelphs said enforcement in school to prevent vaping among students is important. “A good check-in with students or asking to see their purse or on their person with parent consent. Also, having posters all over the room is a very effective way.”

Some teachers prefer their students to be disciplined to learn from the mistake of vaping.

Algebra teacher Scott Lowe said, “I would immediately send them to ISAP but I will also report them directly via email to (freshman principal) Dr. Bernard-Bramblett. Then I would let her take over from there.”

According to safety and security supervisor Brian Mitchell, there are even greater consequences for vaping that may involve the law.

“It depends. If it’s nicotine, it’s a school suspension and your parents will be notified. If it’s THC, a second offense right now is an arrest; a first offense they can give you an opportunity to go to a drug class and the paperwork will be submitted to the prosecutor and you possibly could still be charged.”

School Resource Officer Tyler Robinson said one way to prevent problems with vaping is to never start.

“For students to avoid it, don’t start and don’t feel peer pressured into doing it.”

Some students are against vaping and are worried the school is not addressing the issue.

Sophomore Shelby Ramge expressed her idea of how the school can improve the vaping issue.

“The school can improve with the vaping issue by monitoring kids who walk in and out of the bathroom and see which ones stay in there longer than the others, and keep track of the girls/boys who go in there repeatedly after every passing period.”

Freshman Wade Van Duyn expressed a different route of how the school can better improve the issue.

“I think we could improve the issue of vaping with better facilities for those who are struggling mentally and a less toxic environment.”

Greater Clark County Schools Board of School Trustees vice president Teresa Perkins said the school corporation must follow the law when enforcing guidelines to prevent vaping.

“We must follow the law if the vape contains controlled substances. Just like cigarettes, punishments can range from in-school suspensions to out-of-school suspensions. If they contain controlled substances, the police will intervene and the student could be arrested.”

26 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

Column: Love yourself for who you are and for who you were made to be

by Franki Jones

We are often inspired by social media and the influencers that come with it, whether the topic is about new clothing or shoes that have come out, or anything involving a celebrity. This is where the majority of us get our information from.

One thing that I find to be very overlooked when it comes to emphasizing and piquing the young adults’ interest is anything involving body shaming and body positivity.

I find this to be very interesting and it’s one of the problems with this generation. Many men and women often feel pressured to measure up and match the strict and unrealistic social and cultural beauty ideals. I believe that this is because it’s not hard to catch the attention of the new adults and even older people that may acquire social media.

Everyone is beautiful and we need to learn to love ourselves for who we are and who we were made to be. We are all here for reasons that nobody else in this world will understand unless we make it known.

Social media is the place where we see others that we believe look better than us or that may have a better body than us. It’s truly very sad that this is a common problem and society makes us feel badly for speaking up about it. They make us feel like loving ourselves for who we are and who we were made to be is one of the worst things to be done, and it’s truly not.

Body shaming is something that I never really understood. “Nobody is better than any other, so why do they treat people that way?”, is a question that I asked myself growing up.

Getting into my teen years, I started to see how others were treated because of how different they were from other people’s standards. It was wrong for a girl to be taller than 5’3, wrong for a boy to be shorter than 6’0. The difference in reactions that were given when someone that was bigger wore a skirt compared to someone who may be slimmer wore it conflicted me.

Why did it have to be this way?

Many of us do not realize that some of the people that we look up to and who we want so badly to be like or look like are some of the same that look right back at us, wishing that they had what we have.

We are beautiful and we need to learn to love ourselves for who we are and who we were made to be. We are all here for reasons that nobody else in this world will understand unless we make it known.

To read an objective story on the impact of social media on teens, click on the link below:

Social media can have negative effects on teens

25 Feb 202526 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

Social media can have negative effects on teens

by Layla Anderson, Isabella Murray, and Lola Mays

Social media impacts many people, but severely influences teenagers due to their generous use of time on social media.

One of the most popular apps among teenagers is TikTok. The Pew Research Center states, “…94% of teens say they use social media, with 46% of all teens saying they use it almost constantly.”

Social media is one of the contributing factors to the increasing poor mental health of teenagers. Yale Medicine states, “Over the last decade, increasing evidence has identified the potential negative impact of social media on adolescents. According to a research study of American teens ages 12-15, those who used social media over three hours each day faced twice the risk of having negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety symptoms.”

French teacher Dana Schenk agreed, saying, “It can be a potent influence on their mental health because they do not have the tools to protect themselves when it comes to things that make them depressed or sad or unhappy with their lives. They do not know how to find resources in themselves to move on and not pay attention to all that.”

Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings said on September 2023, “Mental health can be affected by social media when there is no clear understanding of how it works. Although teens know that not everything on social media is real, they may still be influenced and experience negative emotions that create feelings of worthlessness or low self-esteem.”

Teachers over the years have been seeing an increase in poor mental health in teenagers. But, poor mental health isn’t the only danger of social media. The influence of social media is alarming. Teenagers are being pushed to do all kinds of things, good or bad because they see someone online doing it or want to be like another person on social media.

A very common social media influence we see in teenagers is body image. Teenagers are driven to want to have this “perfect” body because they see someone online have it.

English 12 teacher Emmaly Rose said, “Teenagers are influenced the most by body image standards, materialism, and social validation. Social media platforms often prioritize beauty, wealth, and social status, which creates unrealistic expectations of what is ‘normal.’ Teens may feel pressured to conform to certain trends or viral challenges.”

When students feel badly about themselves, studies show that students project it onto other students and pick on or even bully their peers to make themselves feel better.

“Social media is one of the main contributors that we see when students are being picked on. Social media makes it easy because people can hide behind it. Sometimes they don’t even know who the identity is, which means it’s really hard to monitor inside and outside of school, and it’s very hard to control,” said assistant principal Jennifer Gohmann.

Social media isn’t just a problem online. It also brings in problems inside the school. If students argue over social media they will bring those problems into the school.

Rose said, “These outside problems can create a hostile or stressful school environment, making it harder for students to focus on learning. It can create tension in school hallways, among peers, and even in the classroom.”

Misinformation is also a result of relying too much on social media rumors.

“Some things to be wary of is: becoming isolated and not learning in depth. A lot of times we don’t verify the information. Believe everything you see. And nobody questions it if you have too much information. How do you sort through all that to make sure it’s from a verified source? Make sure you’re not following somebody that is giving you dangerous ideas and promoting bad things,” Gohmann said.

Just because there are some bad influences on social media doesn’t mean they can’t be good ones too. Some common good social media influences are better communication, finding your voice, growing businesses, building communities, connecting with new friends, and many more.

“You have a lot of very interesting people posting stuff on social media because it’s a platform for everybody, so as long as you have that good part and good influence that you have that you follow things that can teach you something and make you a stronger person or more understanding person or that you learn something, then it could have a very good influence,” Schenk said.

Teenagers can protect themselves by distancing themselves at times from social media distractions.

Schenk said, “Set a timer, be economical with your time, be greedy with the quality of what you’re watching. Always think of ‘Did I learn something today?’”

To read senior Franki Jones’s opinion column on social media and body image, click on the link below:

Column: Love yourself for who you are and for who you were made to be

25 Feb 202526 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS ends Brownstown’s win streak 61-43, plays Evansville Reitz tonight

JHS defeated the Brownstown Central Braves 61-43 last night, ending their 18-game winning streak and improving their record to 15-5.

The Red Devils face off with Evansville Reitz (14-3) tonight at 8 p.m. in Johnson Arena.

Click on the photographs in the gallery below for coverage of last night’s game, and check out thehyphennews.com next week for coverage of tonight’s game against Reitz.

All photos by Madison Pritchard.

Senior P.J. Douglas drives to the basket to score against Brownstown Central. JHS defeated the previously unbeaten Brownstown 61-43 and will face Evansville Reitz (14-3) tonight at 8 p.m. in Johnson Arena. Photo by Madison Pritchard.

21 Feb 202521 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils face Brownstown Central, Evansville Reitz in tough home tests tonight and tomorrow

Update: 9:15 p.m. Thursday — JHS beats Brownstown Central 61-43, improving to 15-5.

by Austin Bainbridge

With Sectional knocking on the door, the JHS boys’ basketball team is facing two tough opponents tonight and tomorrow, both contenders for the state championship.

Senior Tre Singleton, guarded by Jennings County sophomore Hayden Low, drives and prepares to take a shot, Singleton scored a game high 32 points in the win over Jennings County last weekend in a game in which the team wore Taylor jerseys to honor Taylor High School. JHS plays Brownstown Central tonight and Evansville Reitz tomorrow. Both games are at Johnson Arena. Photo by Madison Pritchard.

After securing first place in the Hoosier Hills Conference against New Albany and defeating Jennings County 72-69 last weekend, JHS (14-5) will play Brownstown Central (18-0) tonight, and Evansville Reitz (14-3) tomorrow night, both at home.

“This is a benchmark game. I think Brownstown is the epitome of high school basketball. I think if coach Bobby Knight were alive he would be extremely pleased with the way Brownstown plays the game of basketball. I think when you play teams and programs like this it offers you a true test of where your program is and your ability to win,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.

Brownstown Central has not lost since Jan. 5, 2024. Their record stands at an untarnished 18-0 on the season.

“To beat Brownstown, I think we are going to have to play extremely well on the offensive side of the floor. I think we will have to limit our turnovers, and we will have to make our free throws,” said Wilkerson.

With Sectional and the IHSAA state tournament right around the corner, the players and coaches know how to prepare for the pressure of big playoff moments.

“To prepare for the playoffs we make every practice as tough as possible. In fact, we create scenarios that get unfair to our guys so we can get used to playing under pressure,” said Wilkerson.

The fans are also geared up and ready for the playoffs.

“With the playoffs coming up soon I think Jeffersonville has a good chance of winning the state championship. I hope that they will come out with everybody healthy and ready to play. If they keep practicing to get better and play their style of game they will find success in the postseason,” said freshman fan Jacob Fifer.

In the playoffs the team expects four-star center Tre Singleton to get most of the attention from defenses, but that could open up opportunities for other players.

“Tre is the center of attention for our opponents’ scouting reports, and so with him, that can give other guys opportunities,” said Wilkerson.

Jeff won the Hoosier Hills Conference against rival New Albany, but the coaching staff still is focused on winning it all.

“Winning the division is a goal that we have had since the start of the season, and I think us doing that has shown our maturity and our ability to deliver under pressure, but we still have a larger goal of winning the state championship,” said Wilkerson.

Even though Brownstown is better than Evansville Reitz the coaching staff sees them both equally.

“We see both games equally. We might even see Reitz again if they win their sectional and everything shakes out right; they could be a regional opponent,” said Wilkerson.

The JHS-Brownstown game is tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Red Devils face Evansville Reitz tomorrow night at 7:30. Both games are in Johnson Arena.

Senior Michael Cooper, senior Shawn Boyd, senior Tre Singleton, and sophomore Caleb Jones during the JHS-Floyd Central game in January. The 92-54 win over the Highlanders contributed to the Red Devils 6-0 Hoosier Hills Conference record. JHS welcomes two ranked teams into Johnson Arena as they face Brownstown Central tonight, and Evansville Reitz tomorrow night. Photo by Madison Pritchard.

20 Feb 202520 Feb 2025 by jhshyphen