Senior Caroline Elliott has been swimming competitively since she was six years old, but the 2017-18 season may be her final one. Although she has received offers to swim in college, she is still weighing her options.
For now, she will continue to perform for the Red Devils, and serve as a role model for the younger girls on the team.
“I want them to know to keep trying, because this team is something they’re going to get to grow up with,” Elliott said about the younger swimmers.
In the pool, Elliott competes in the 100-meter breaststroke, an event she hopes to go to state in.
Elliott’s best time in the event is a 1:08, which she pulled off at Sectional last year.
She has also swam a 26.1 in the 50-meter freestyle, one of the best times on the team.
“Caroline was an awesome teammate,” said JHS senior, and former teammate, Amber Dumstorf. “She always encouraged me before races and at practice,”
While Elliott has proved herself as a swimmer, one could argue her involvement with clubs and organizations around the school is even more impressive. Currently, Elliott is the president of Key Club and Reilly’s Dance Marathon, an officer of Friends of Rachel, and a member of National Honors Society and Anchor Club.
“I’m proud of my balance,” Elliott said. “Swimming is a very time consuming sport, and I’m proud that I’m able to juggle that while keeping my grades up and staying involved. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
For now, she’ll continue to compete at a high level for the Red Devils, while continuing her work in the community as a part of five different clubs at Jeff.
Category: Sports
Jeffersonville vs. Floyd Central Boys Basketball Preview
Preview
The Jeffersonville boys basketball team (10-1) faces another tough rival on the road next Tuesday — the game was scheduled for Friday, but will be pushed back due to incoming inclimate weather– less than two weeks after an 85-61 loss to the No. 3 New Albany Bulldogs.
Jeff will travel to Floyd Central (10-2) to take on the Highlanders, a match-up between two top-20 teams in the state. Floyd’s home court advantage will play a big factor against Jeff, but will be nothing in comparison to what the Red Devils faced against New Albany in the Doghouse.
For Jeffersonville, they head into this game with something to prove. Expect a quick start for the Red Devils, and for leading-scorer Bailey Falkenstein to come out firing. If Floyd comes out in their typical 2-3 defense, Jeff will look to dominate the low block, and kick out to Falkenstein and Jacob Jones once Floyd’s help defense starts to collapse.
If FC comes out man-to-man, Floyd may not have the athleticism to match-up with Jeff, especially the Coleman brothers (Jaden and Tre). Either way, I think Jeff has too much fire for Floyd to contain them on the offensive end.
Cobie Barnes and Luke Gohmann will handle the bulk of Floyd’s scoring, as per usual. These two are both very talented scorers, but will be put to the test against Jeff, who likes to push the pace on both sides of the court.
With that said, both players will put up a good offensive performance, but Jeff has the ability to limit their impact if they come out aggressive on the defensive end and force turnovers.
Prediction
Pace will determine this game.
If Jeff is able to move the ball up the court and get quick transition buckets, their athleticism will be too much for Floyd to contain, and Jeff will dominate the game. If Floyd is able to slow the game down and work in the half-court, Jeff will have trouble stopping the two-headed monster of Barnes and Gohmann.
I won’t predict a score because this game could really go either way, but I’d lean towards Jeff coming out with a victory. Whoever comes out on top, you can expect a hell of a game in Floyd County.
Conclusion
The Jeffersonville sports fan in me wants to say they will dominate come Friday, but the reporter in me knows this one is too close to call.
No matter who you’re cheering for, you can expect a great game next Tuesday. I believe fans in the stands will be pleased by the performance from both star-studded teams.
Starting Lineups
Jeffersonville- Jacob Jones, Bailey Falkenstein, Jaden Coleman, Zeke Smith, Tre Coleman.
Floyd Central- Matt Weimer, Gabe Shireman, Luke Gohmann, Cobie Barnes, Brendon Hobson.
Boys Basketball Preview
story by: Jalin Ernest
The season opener is right around the corner for the 2017-18 JHS boys basketball team, as they look to build upon the core that was started during the 2016-17 season.
After losing just two seniors (Cameron Northern & Michael Minton) from last year’s 14-win team, the Red Devils will open the season on Nov. 22, as they travel to Indiana’s capital to face off against the Southport Cardinals. In last season’s meeting, at Johnson Arena, the Devils upset the Cardinals, 65-52.
“This team is more familiar with the style of play and is better prepared,” said head coach Joe Luce, who has a 29-23 record in three seasons as the Devils head coach.
For this season, the clear leader of this young team is senior Bailey Falkenstein. As a Junior Falkenstein averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assist per game.
However the young talent for the Devils shined bright all throughout last season.
“We have a chance to make good run and anything’s possible with the type of team that we have but we’re just going to have to wait and see and let our actions speak louder than our words,” said Falkenstein.
Sophomores Tre Coleman and Jacob Jones looked to lead the team as freshmen. This season, the duo will look to improve on their already-impressive resumes: Tre Coleman picked up his first official Division 1 scholarship offer from the University of New Orleans on July 25, while Jones shined on the AAU circuit against some of the nation’s top teams in the Adidas Gauntlet.
The Devils finished with 14 wins and 11 losses last season, but their struggles came on the road, where JHS finished 1-7 away from Johnson Arena. However the team held an impressive 12-3 record at home.
Against other Hoosier Hills Conference opponents, the Devils finished 3-4, which was good enough for sixth overall.
The Devils look to add more length to their starting rotation, as Senior Jaden Coleman, who played JV last season after transferring from Rock Creek High School, looks to prove he can be a big factor on both end of the floor. “Our biggest strength is how long we are. This year our length should help us block shots, rebound, and deflect passes,” said Luce.
Boys soccer celebrates Senior Night (photos)
all photos by Caleb Sorrells
Boys tennis team celebrates 11th consecutive Sectional title
Thanks to the stellar singles play of the JHS tennis team, the Red Devils are Sectional champs for the 11th consecutive year.
Jeffersonville, currently ranked No. 11 in the state, needed all three singles points to down No. 26 Providence, earning a 3-2 victory to advance to the first round of Regionals.
In No. 1 singles, senior Keith Asplund downed Nicholas Boesing 6-3, 6-2. Jeff’s No. 2 singles player Jerid Inman made quick work of Jack Arnson, picking up an unscathed 6-0, 6-0 victory. Finally, senior Black Winchell defeated Sam Stricker 6-0, 6-1, giving the Red Devils their match-clinching third point.
In doubles, Adam Starr and Carson Carrico got the best of JHS’ Colby Kayrouz and Trey Bottorff, winning 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The No. 2 doubles tandem of Cullen Ebert and Aaron Agtuca defeated Adam Crawford and Matthew Monroe, 6-1, 6-2.
Next up for the Red Devils is the first round of Regionals, which will be held at Silver Creek next Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. Jeffersonville will look to extend their rivalry against New Albany in the opener.
Soccer’s Double Trouble: Konner and Kurtis Kimmel
story by Carlos Molina
Many sports have their fair share of siblings playing side-by-side.
From tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, to football’s Eli and Peyton Manning, playing with (or against) a sibling can help create a chemistry (or an advantage) between the two.
Jeffersonville High School’s Kurtis and Konner Kimmel fit that same category — the brothers both play Varsity soccer together for the JHS soccer team.
Growing up, Konner and Kurtis played on the same club soccer team (Javanon Soccer Club) for years. Since then, they’ve teamed up a couple of times on a 3-on-3 indoor team at Mockingbird Valley in Louisville, but have never played in anything more than recreational soccer together.
Despite this season being the first time the duo has shared a team on an organized squad, they have a pretty good idea of each other’s chemistry.
“He knows how I play and I know how he plays,” Kurtis said. “ I can always count on him to know what run I’m making and get me the ball.”
Konner, a freshman, agreed with his older brother.
“I am excited about playing with my brother because it is the first time I have gotten to play on the same team as him,” Konner said
With this being Kurtis’ last year as a decorated Red Devil footballer, Konner will have big shoes to fit. As a freshman, though, he is already showing big promise, as he is one of just two starting freshmen on this years Varsity team.
Boys soccer head coach Carson Webb has been there every step of the way with the Kimmel brothers, and sees the link between the two.
“Konner’s very competitive. He’s got his own drive,” Webb said. “They’re three years apart, but they know what they’re doing. Being on a high school team, they know where each other are going to be, (which) makes it neat to watch from the sideline.”
Despite being the older brother, Kurtis sees the potential in Konner’s game, but still claims to be the top dog in the family.
“Konner’s technique is exceptional for his age,” Kurtis said. “I think it’ll take some time before he develops vision and decision-making that I have.”
Being a senior, the role of team captain was awarded to Kurtis. A four-year starter, his involvement and dedication led to the honor.
For Konner, his career is just starting to take shape, and will continue even after his brother graduates.
“I think (Konner) will miss his brother like anyone else, but I also think he’ll step up and it’ll be good for him to be his own person instead of living under Kurtis’ shadow,” Webb said.
As the season comes to an end, so is Kurtis’ high school soccer career. With his departure, also comes Konner’s era to lead the team.
“I have always looked up go my brother,” Konner said. “Watching him play, I would like to learn how to be a team leader and improve the players around me.”
Athlete Spotlight: Trey Bottorff (video)
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story by Tristan Jackson
video by Sam Gatewood
As one pulls up to the tennis courts at Jeffersonville High School, they’ll probably notice “J-E-F-F” painted vibrantly along the wall on the side of the school.
From this wall echoes the boys tennis team, an energetic bunch, whose yells rival those of the student section cheering on the football team on Friday nights.
Of those voices, one tends to stand out. That is that of Varsity No. 1 doubles player Trey Bottorff.
“I focus on [being energetic] because it distracts me from thinking too much,” Bottorff said. “Tennis is such a mental sport and it helps me stay within myself and I truly think I play better when I’m energetic. I also use it as a weapon to get in the head of my opponents.”
Bottorff’s energy and passion for the game are what stands out when he plays, and it has proven to pay off. Last year he put up a 10-10 record alongside his partner Jerid Inman, who he has been playing with since their middle school years at Parkview.
The pairing proved to be vital to the team’s semi-state run last year, as they picked up the third, and deciding point, for Jeff in the first round of Regionals against New Albany.
“Clinching Regionals with Trey last year was easily my best memory and I wouldn’t have wanted to win it for our team with anyone else,” Inman said.
As Bottorff heads into his senior season, he looks to contribute on a Red Devils squad that has their eye on getting back to the state finals. Bottorff, along with teammates and fellow seniors Keith Asplund and Jerid Inman, already have experience in the state finals.
Ultimately, that is a goal for the team heading forward.
“The goal is to make it a step further than we did last year, which would mean returning to state for the second time in three years.” Asplund said.
This year’s squad looks to continue Jeff’s winning tradition and get far in the state tournament. To do that, Bottorff will have to play a pivotal role if the Red Devils are to make it happen.
PREVIEW: Boys Soccer
story by Braxton Troutman
Coming off a 2-1 heartbreaking loss in double overtime against Floyd Central in last year’s Sectional championship, the boys soccer team is looking to redeem themselves this season.
After the loss of six seniors to graduation, the 2017-18 squad is looking to move forward with a bright, young group of players. Top scorers of team include junior Jacob Clemons, Senior Ben Walter,and junior Leonel Esparza.
“I feel like we’re better than we were last year,” said senior Khaleb Khan. “Not saying we were bad last year, we’re just better this year. Things are looking good from here on. I think we’ll be successful, (win) titles.”
With victories against Atherton (KY) and North Harrison, in addition to an impressive 7-0 win against Christian Academy of Indiana, the season kicked off as a promising one for the Red Devils. Early losses, however, against defending state champs Evansville Memorial, and conference foe Seymour, have changed the team’s current morale. A “tie” game against conference foes Floyd Central ended with a power outage at the 26’ of the first half.
The team sits at 5-2-2 at time of press. With a tough schedule this year, they will have to face conference champions Seymour and will look to beat out Floyd Central for their Sectional crown.
Restoring History: the story of the Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse
story by Kyle Sanders
At 601 E. Court Ave in downtown Jeffersonville sits one of the city’s most historic buildings: the Nachand Fieldhouse.
This building, which used to hold Jeff High’s basketball games until 1971, is now seen as a place for friends to have a great time and hangout. However after being around for 80 years, the Fieldhouse has fallen in need of renovation.
The city of Jeff had visions of saving the historic gym, but would require major work, both inside and outside of the building, that would cost upwards of $1.8 million.
While this goal seemed impossible months ago, a recent donation from one of Jeffersonville’s most famous citizens has turned this pipedream into a reality.
“This location (the Fieldhouse) holds a special place in my heart,” said John Schnatter, JHS alumni, and founder and CEO of Papa John’s Pizza. “I grew up watching sports here as a kid, including local legends like Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, Mike Flynn. Jeffersonville has been good to me and I wanted to show my support for the community.”
Schnatter’s donation of $800,000 brings the Fieldhouse closer to meeting its goal of $1.8 million. Once this amount is reached, it will be renovated by the Jeffersonville Parks Department’s workgroup, Save the Fieldhouse.
The workgroup plans to use the money to pay for exterior brick work, restoration of the front facade, replacement and upgrades to both electrical system and bathroom, as well as replacing the heating system while adding air conditioning.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Charlie Nachand, son of former Jeff Parks Director Charles Nachand. “Without a donation like this, we would have no chance of reaching the $1.8 million we need to.”
Thanks to Schnatter’s donation, the Jeff Parks Department chose to add the southern Indiana native’s name to the historic fieldhouse, which will now be known as the John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse.
“We were tasked to determine the fate of the John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse,” explained Bill Burns, president of the Jeffersonville Park’s Authority. “At our first meeting, we knew the only option was to restore the building. Out of that, (the) workgroup born the thought of a private-public partnership to raise the money to restore the Fieldhouse.
“This project has been one of the most rewarding project I have had the privilege to work with,” Burns continued. “I never dreamed that the Fieldhouse had touched so many lives.”
According to the Parks Department, the Fieldhouse serves more than 15,000 people annually. Through the basketball and volleyball leagues, summer programs and Zumba lessons, the Fieldhouse still is in use to this day.
“I go to the Fieldhouse all the time,” said senior Tyler Wheeler. “These renovations are (going to) help bring in more people to play basketball with, and make the Fieldhouse even better than it already is.”
The John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse is a historic building in Jeff that’ll continue to live on, and is expected to remain open throughout the renovations.
PREVIEW: Girls soccer
The Jeffersonville girls soccer team is hungry for a comeback this year. With a record of 2-10-2 for the 2016-17 season, coach Jason Crane is looking for redemption.
“We always plan on improving our first touch and passing,” said Crane. “This year the extra improvement would be to gain some Red Devil pride and to get the job done.”
Junior Kylee Luce traveled to Spain over the summer with her club soccer team to participate in the Costa Blanca Cup. Luce thinks fans will be surprised with how much better the Devils have gotten this season.
“A lot of people think we are not a competitive team because of the results of the games, or our records from previous seasons. But if you actually come out to a game you would see how much we are improving and how much faster we play,” explained Luce. “We have a lot of potential this season.”
Freshman trio Olivia Jones, Kendra Salazar and Tiara Jones are who fans should look out for this year, according to Crane.
“Those three have some explosiveness about them, and within a year or two, could be hard to contain on the field,” said Crane.
Jones agreed with her coach’s opinion.
“I am most excited to see how much we grow as a team this season and these next four years,” Jones stated. “We have already shown so much progress since summer and I cannot wait to see how much we improve by the end of the season.”
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