All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Elliot Swincher.

Click on the photographs in the gallery below. More photographs and coverage of Saturday’s state title win will be posted throughout the week. Keep checking back.

by Austin Bainbridge

With Saturday’s state championship game drawing ever closer, I was able to interview head boys’ basketball coach Sherron Wilkerson. He detailed the pressure the players are under and how his experience gives him a unique insight into the biggest game of the year.

How would a win on Saturday affect this team’s legacy?

“They would be in the conversation for being one of the best teams to come through the program. I currently think that our ‘93 team was the greatest to come through here, but if these guys get it done, they’ll be in the conversation for one of the greatest teams to ever play for this program.”

Does being a player on the 1993 state championship team affect how you coach and view this game?

“Yes. I think it’s one thing to describe an event, but it’s one thing to feel that event with emotions. Those emotions are what bring it alive, so to actually be in the moment and to feel it is a unique feeling, so I think it’s something you have to go through to understand. Along with that, the experience of being a player is invaluable.”

How has the team’s style of play changed since the first game of the season?

“I would say that we are more patient. Our maturity has allowed us to understand what ball movement equals, and if you can understand what ball movement equals, you become more patient, and then you can take advantage of defensive breakdowns.”

Are you treating this game like it’s any other game in the season?

“Nah, this is something all on its own, and this is completely different. That’s because there will be no other game throughout the season where there will be this much pressure. So for the folks that say, ‘Ah, this is just another game,’ I just don’t think that is the case.”

Do you think the players are feeling that pressure to perform in a big game like this?

“I do think our players are feeling the pressure to perform, and I think that’s a good thing. Pressure busts pipes. So if you’re not in the situation to have the skills to deal with pressure. then you can’t compete.”

Does Fishers do anything in particular that sets them apart from other programs?

“There are two things they do really well that others don’t. Number one, they pressure you 84 feet in both directions. They pressure you 84 feet offensively, and they pressure you 84 feet defensively, and that’s very rare at this level. And the other thing I think they do really well at is they share the basketball really well. They have four players averaging double figures, and they have two averaging 8 or more.”

You have been saying all year you have two goals, to get players scholarships and to win a state championship. Now that those are both in reach, how do you feel?

“Blessed, truly blessed. That’s our goal every year as we start the season. We have two goals — those goals are getting guys to play at the next level to get a free education, and the next thing we set out to accomplish is to win a state championship. And I think if you can do both of those in one year, that is divine intervention at its finest.”

What do you expect from the players in this game?

“This is something these guys have been preparing for their whole lives. I expect the beginning of the game to be a little sloppy because they’re going to be so excited, and then once the emotion wears off, I think that we’ll settle down and we’ll be able to compete.”

What do the players need to do to win this game 

“The first thing they need to do is they can’t get intimidated by the moment. I think that’s the most important. And when you asked me about if it’s any other game, no, it’s not any other game. The atmosphere, the fact that it’s on TV, the fact that this is the first game we’re going to have media timeouts — just all the variables that play into the equation of making it different. They can’t get distracted by it.”

JHS will play defending state champions the Fishers Tigers this Saturday at 8:15 p.m. for the 4A state championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. More information here on the Jeff High Athletics website.

Win over Evansville Harrison sets up Red Devil return to semi-state this weekend; JHS plays Mt. Vernon at noon in New Castle in Game 2

All photos by Magdalene Conrad.

Click on photographs in the gallery.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 by Teagan Cofie

A historical marker with a long history, Taylor High School at 821 Wall Street in Jeffersonville was first built in 1891. It is a living representation of the turmoil and struggles that African Americans had to overcome just to receive an education.

Originally named “City School,” then later renamed after its first principal Robert Frank Taylor, Taylor High School stood as Jeffersonville’s designated black school until Jeff High’s integration in 1952.

Though segregation legally ended in 1954, before then many African American students in Jeffersonville had to overcome many obstacles to receive a fair and equal education.  Both Flora Clipper and Frank Baines attended Taylor High School during its operation as a segregated school in the mid-1900s. 

“The time, the times are different,” said Clipper, Taylor Class graduate of 1940.

According to Clipper, the typical day at Taylor had similarities and differences to modern schooling. Now, most students are driven by bus to and from school; however, there was none of this convenient transit at Taylor. To get to school, students’ legs were their best friends.

“I remember all was walking,” said Clipper. “There was no transportation. You would start [class] by about 8. School would start and you get in your classroom and we would move from class.”

Class sizes were also significantly smaller because of the modest size of the school. ”This is my graduating class – seven girls and six boys,” said Baines, holding up a photo of 13 former Taylor students. 

The school did not contain any designated room or section for extracurriculars due to lack of funding. As Clipper shared, “Taylor High School had no auditorium or anything that could accommodate. Even the high school that we had, they were just rooms.”

Flora said the lack of extracurriculars included a lack of yearbooks during her time there.

“We didn’t when I was coming up, we didn’t have any yearbooks…we [Taylor students] couldn’t afford it. But not long afterward when Frank came… in his days they had nice yearbooks.”

There were a few electives or skills that those who attended could participate in. Baines specifically spoke of typing classes. These classes were a way to give Baines opportunities in the military.

“I’m in the military and I spent the three years in the military as a clerk typist from learning typing,” he said.

Though opportunities like these were not often given to students, it’s very clear how beneficial they were in the long run for students like Baines who took these skills into the real world. 

This lack of funding and extracurricular activities limited the opportunities and didn’t give the students of Taylor the same array of choices that might have been given or received by white students just around the street.

Because of the school’s underfunding and society’s prejudice, others’ opinions regarding their intelligence were often unfairly misconstrued when compared to students at other local schools.

“Jeff High, even though it was a segregated school, it was a privilege to live on the street with some white girls, who were [white], but became as close as my own sister,” Clipper said.

She had one friend in particular, who she’d expressed her thoughts to. 

“I would tell her about how he would make us feel bad about it, ” Clipper stated, referring to a teacher who would compare Taylor High to Jeff.

“It’s even assumed that the students were doing much better than we…and sometimes she would help me with my work or I would help her,” she continued. 

The inherent racial prejudice and judgment that was placed on the shoulders of Taylor students just because of the color of their skin and the school they attended was not an accurate representation of the intelligence of Taylor students.

There were many issues that affected the livelihood of these students at the time, such as what is referred to as the Great Flood of 1937, from the destruction of many buildings and homes. Many students were forced to quit school and get jobs to support their families. Situations out of students’ control greatly affected their lives. 

Yet despite all these barriers, many African Americans still went on to have successful futures, examples like Clipper who worked for the United Methodist Church as a deaconess for over 38 years, all in community centers working with young children while living in seven different states. 

Additionally, Baines played for the Taylor basketball team and then joined the military as a clerk, typing for the military. He and Clipper both said they lived successful and complete lives, despite all they both had to overcome. 

There has been a major push in the last few years for some way to recognize the history of Taylor High School and its students and faculty. 

In addition to being designated as a historical marker, Jeff High will commemorate the Taylor school and community this Saturday, Feb. 15, during the Jennings County basketball game in Johnson Arena. Purple and gold Taylor High School gear will be worn by players, cheerleaders and staff as a way to pay tribute to the school’s long and important history. Taylor students and staff will be recognized, and WJHI will show a documentary during Saturday’s festivities.

Principal Pam Hall said Saturday’s event will bring light to the history of Taylor.

“It’s important to commemorate the impact it had on the city and community,” said Hall.

Senior forward P.J. Douglas said Saturday is “something that we need to know, something everybody needs to know. It’s important.”

Festivities will begin on Saturday after the junior varsity basketball game.

Check back next week at www.thehyphennews.com for coverage of Saturday’s event.

To read more about Taylor High School, read these Hyphen stories:

The History and Legacy of Jeffersonville’s Taylor High School

Taylor High School graduates share Clark County history in interview with Hyphen, WJHI

Additional reporting by Arissa Washington and Trista Denny.