All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parker McCloskey and Mackenzie Stubblefield. Click on photos in the gallery below to view images.
New Albany defeats JHS 79-56
Category: Sports
JHS wrestlers defeat Providence during Senior Night on Wednesday
All photos by Malachi Conrad. Click on photos in the gallery below.
Red Devils battle New Albany tonight at 7:30 p.m.
by Austin Bainbridge
The Red Devils enter a hostile environment tonight against an imposing New Albany team after dropping three out of the last four games.
The environment at New Albany should add to the excitement of the rivalry game.
“New Albany’s a loud environment that really helps their players along with getting in the opponent’s head,” said sophomore guard Cornelius Weobong.
Red Devil fans are also ready to see Jeff get back to form.
“I don’t think New Albany has the basketball IQ to beat our guys,” said sophomore fan Preston McCombs.
Jeff is looking to get back in the win column by changing their approach.
“I think as a team we need to pick it up in practice and work hard to prepare for this team,” said senior point guard Elijah Cheeks.
The team is also looking for leaders to help get the young team ready to play.
“Me and (Terrence) Nord need need to pick up our leadership in game and practice; we have to get people to give it their all,” said Cheeks
The New Albany team is headlined by stars like sophomore shooting guard Noah Washington, who will be a struggle to stop.
“New Albany is looking dangerous this year — they have some good players, but I still have confidence we can stop them,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.
The team is also looking to get out to an early lead and retain it throughout the game.
“We want to come out on fire and not wait until our backs are against the wall to comeback and put up points,” said Cheeks.
Jeff has its own players to watch out for, especially junior Jacob Wilkerson.
“(Jacob) Wilkerson has to keep doing what he’s doing — he’s balling right now; he just has to keep on track,” said Cheeks.
While New Albany seems like an unstoppable team, Jeff sees weaknesses to exploit.
“They don’t play defense and don’t really want to guard the ball; I think with our offense we can take advantage of that and win this game,” said Cheeks.
Red Devils prepare to face New Albany this Thursday
Lawrence North defeats JHS 71-53 on Jan. 3
All photos by Parker McCloskey and Malachi Conrad. Click on photos in the gallery below.
Silver Creek defeats JHS 64-51
State championship rings handed out prior to last night’s game
All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parket McCloskey, and Isaiah Stewart. Click on photographs in the gallery below.
Red Devils prepare for Silver Creek tonight
by Austin Bainbridge
The Jeff boys’ basketball team faces one of the top-ranked schools in Indiana, Silver Creek, for their home opener in a big benchmark game tonight in Johnson Arena.
“This is an important game; even though it’s not a rivalry like Floyd or New Albany there is a very good team and a win would be huge,” said sophomore guard Cornelius Weobong.
Silver Creek is looking like one of the best teams in Indiana and is searching for a statement win against Jeff.
“They’re really good at sharing the basketball. They’ve got six guys that could score 20 on any given night. So they do a really good job of moving the ball,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.
Jeff isn’t looking as potent as last year’s state championship team but still sees this as a competitive game.
“Our biggest keys are — Number one, we’ve got to guard for basketball. Number two, we’ve got to rebound. Number three, we have to take care of it, we cannot turn the ball over,” said Wilkerson.
The fans are also looking forward to a competitive game like this early in the season.
“I’m excited to see our guys play at home. I hope that we can come away with a win against a team as good as Silver Creek — that would be a big momentum boost,” said English teacher David Kummer.
To come away with a victory Jeff is going to have to capitalize on opportunities and not give Silver Creek very many.
“We have a lot of time where you get a good cut, get the ball, and then we miss, we give them free possession again… and then on defense we have got to know where we were at and we’ve got to sprint to our spot. We can’t give them easy points,” said Weobong.
Silver Creek is good as a team, but they also have players who shine above the rest.
“Brandon Hunter — he just recently had a game where he had 13 rebounds at the point guard position. When you have a point guard putting up 13 rebounds, that means that he is worthy of being able to get you a triple double, which probably makes him the most dangerous player on the floor,” said Wilkerson.
The Red Devils are looking to overcome some of early year struggles.
“Our mental toughness and our physical toughness is probably our biggest hurdle right now. And I think that once we’re able to correct those two issues, I think then you will start to see us jell into a unit,” said Wilkerson.
This game has been on Jeffs’ calendar for some time and they’ve been preparing.
“We’ve been preparing for Silver Creek since the buzzer went off at Seymour; we’ve been gameplanning and preparing pretty intensely,” said Weobong.
This young Jeff team could put itself on the map with a Silver Creek win, and they’re ready for tonight’s challenge.
“A win would be huge for us because this particular group as a unit has not been through the fire yet. So it would be nice to be able to go through the fire and come out successful. These guys are ready to be recognized,” said Wilkerson.
In addition to tonight’s battle with the Dragons, Jeff players and coaches will be honored with the presentation of their state championship rings from last season.
‘Leader by example’
Junior Abi Lemon gives her all in four different sports
by Aubrey Cummings
Four different sports each school year seems impossible. How exactly does one do it?
Junior Abi Lemon does just that and has every year since she started high school. She participates in football, soccer, wrestling, and tennis.
“They are all so different but also help each other in their own way,” she explained.
She doesn’t just participate in these sports, though. She leads in them. She is the person coaches look to for an example. She is also the person her teammates look to when they need help.
Wrestling coach Danny Struck described Lemon as a leader on and off the mat.
“She leads by example. She’s involved in so many things. It’s what leaders do — they get involved. But she doesn’t just participate, she gives them her all.”
Lemon is constantly doing whatever she can to get better in each sport she participates in.
“I am constantly training, whether it’s for one sport or multiple. During soccer I’m also training for football, and when those are over, wrestling begins. And when in tennis I also train with the track team on occasion,” she said.
Her family plays a big role in why she plays the sports she plays.
“My mom is a really big soccer fan, so getting into it was for her, but I also found a love for it myself,” Lemon explained. “And my family is always playing tennis together.”
Lemon isn’t just an athlete, though — she is also a student, an employee and a friend. She is constantly having to find a way to balance all of this, which isn’t always easy.
“I am basically always busy, which means doing school work on the way to meets or games or even the period before it’s due,” Lemon said with a laugh.
Throughout the time Lemon has participated in these sports she has made friendships that she never would have had she not been a part of the team.
“Until I joined to football team, I never would’ve never even considered being friends with the guys, but when I joined I met them and now they are some of my closest friends.”
Lemon is a role model for those who want to try something new and for those who are already in the sports they love. She shows people how to push through challenges and she teaches people what it means to be a leader.
Red Devils defeat Columbus East 61-31 last Saturday, face Charlestown at home tonight
Photos by Gabrielle Watkins. Click on the photos in the gallery below.
JHS wrestlers use their competition to improve skills and confidence
by Isabella Stewart and May Smith
This year’s boys’ wrestling team is one of the “youngest teams” that they have had. This young team of wrestlers has not only grown throughout the first half of their season, but they have also worked hard to improve and win.
This upcoming weekend is one of the hardest weekends of their season. Varsity wrestlers travel to Evansville, followed by some of the junior varsity and varsity B teams heading to Louisville.
Junior Will Honaker has been practicing every day, preparing for this upcoming weekend. He said practicing with Coach Jeremiah Cain has benefited him the most “because he has taught me to practice harder; practicing with my teammates has allowed me to gain strength, sportsmanship, and confidence.”
Many coaches come to wrestling practice every day. Head coach Danny Struck not only been attending practices and coaching, but he has also been attending middle school meets and helping any athlete who needs it.
Varsity freshman Logan Vidt said, “Coach Struck is just an amazing coach to me. In practice, he is so helpful, and he makes us drill hard and go hard every time because he knows in time it will add up and we will be our best we can be, and I really do respect that.”
Sophomore Julian Alvarez talks about how much practice defines real-world situations that he can always overcome because “Coach Struck always tells us how wrestling is the hardest thing we do, and I believe that is true because without wrestling, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I have a tough mindset, strong skills, and great sportsmanship, and I think that all can go into defining your own character.”
Honaker said, “As much as I would like to win this weekend, I’m not just looking for a win — I’m really hoping that going against tough wrestlers will make me tougher. I think it’s all about my mentality. I believe if we really try as a team whole, we could make it this weekend.”
The boys’ wrestling team is on their climb for the gold, but every wrestler knows it’s not just about the gold and the glory, but it’s about the privilege they earn to wrestle and the people they do it with.
Vidt said, “We have our ups and downs, but the most important part of it all is that we keep our heads up and keep walking and never look back. I am so grateful to be a part of a team that pushes me past all my goals to go above and beyond.”
Pepa’s dedication to helping his athletes improve reveals the life of a swim coach
by Marcus Baker
Michael Pepa is the head coach of the boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving team, his second stint at JHS as a swim coach. For the second stint here, this is his tenth year as well.
He coached for two or three years in the early ‘90s. He has also been a swim coach for 34 years altogether, including college and high school teams on both sides of the Ohio River, as well as club, masters, and age- group teams.
His favorite aspect of coaching is that the interaction with the student-athletes is fun, and the biggest joy for him is helping other athletes reach their greatest potential, whether that’s at any level or their first year swimming, or whether they’re trying to win a state championship.
Having that student-athlete reach their potential is very rewarding, Pepa said. “Swimming is inherently motivating because you get to see your personal time drop. You see that empirical objective improvement that comes from self-motivation.”
He also said that he thinks it’s one of the joys of swimming. Regardless of what level an athlete is at, everyone’s goals are the same — trying to get a faster time.
He hopes by the end of the season that his Red Devil team is going to certainly improve. He said that his girls’ team is in a bit of a rebuild this season, while his boys’ side has a little more depth than he had in the past.
He expects his group of swimmers to train really hard and expects each one of them to get much much better position in February than they are in December.
Head dive and assistant swim coach Holden Henderson has been coaching for 10 years and has known Pepa since 2015.
Henderson said that coach Pepa always encourages the swimmers to practice like they want to compete. He tries to motivate his team so they can give it their all at practice, so it can be easier at the meets.
Henderson also helps his team out by helping them and supporting them, and wants to help out as much as he can.
Athletic director A.J. Moye met Pepa in the early summer of 2025, going to the Aquatic Center for swimming practice, and from then on, they have had a great relationship.
Moye attends swim practice three times a week to observe and help out. He said he would help the swimming team in any way he could throughout the season.
They have also been building a new place just for the swimming team, which will be an Olympic-level pool just for them.
Senior Litzy Rubio has been swimming since sixth grade and is now in her last year of swimming for JHS.
Rubio describes how she really likes his motivation, and she loves how he’s always supportive and makes her feel good. She said that his coaching style has a great blend of both strict and fun.
After she completes her final season she will miss her family on her team. Her teammates and her coach always supported her along and cheered whether she swam good or bad.
“Always cherish your team; they’re the ones who have seen you at your worst and your best, so don’t take your moments with them for granted,” said Rubio.
Freshman Christian Miller has been swimming since he was 11 years old. He made it to clubs, national states, and other more.
Miller said he likes how Pepa takes care of his swimmers and how much effort he puts into their training.
He said he helps him by breaking down his sets, which is what’s best for the swimmers. He also says his coaching style is unique and that he has a good way of coaching himself and his teammates.
Pepa encourages his student-athletes to become better swimmers and have fun during their season.
“Our goal is the same, to improve, get faster, and have fun.”
Red Devil wrestlers win inaugural Hoosier Hills Conference Girls’ Tournament on Saturday
The Jeffersonville girls’ wrestling team etched its name into the history books Saturday, powering past the competition to win the first official Hoosier Hills Conference (HHC) Wrestling Tournament.
The Red Devils finished with 217 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Floyd Central’s 192, a 25-point margin that underscored Jeffersonville’s depth and dominance across the brackets.
Champions Lead the Charge
JHS crowned two individual champions: Fatima Carrillo (120 lbs) and Scarlett McRae (145 lbs) Both wrestlers delivered commanding performances, setting the tone for the title run as they earned all-conference honors.
Depth Secures Victory
While the champions grabbed headlines, Jeffersonville’s strength came from across the lineup.
Five wrestlers earned runner-up finishes: Abi Lemon, Valeria Ramirez, Abril Andres, Envy Diaz, and Yarely Solis, each contributing critical points to the team tally. They earned all-conference honorable mention honors.
The Red Devils also picked up podium finishes from the following athletes:
3rd Place: Levi Evans, Justise Clubb-Leon
4th Place: A’lia Griffith, Daytona Tripp
5th Place: Chloe Fischer
Coaches React
Head girls’ coach Joe Somerville praised the team’s effort and resilience throughout the day.
“This was a total team win, from our champions to the wrestlers battling for third, fourth, and fifth, every single point mattered,” he said. “Due to illness, we were without our 100-lb #1 seed Kristin Brown, so the rest of the team was determined earn every point possible. That’s what makes this group special.”
Somerville was named Girls’ Coach of the Year.
JHS defeats Floyd Central 50-47 last night in Hoosier Hills Conference victory
All photos by Malachi Conrad. Captions by Malachi Conrad and Gabrielle Watkins. Click on the photo gallery below to view images.
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