A behind-the-scenes look at the JHS boys’ tennis team as they faced off with Borden High School.
Update: The Red Devils began Sectional play Thursday against New Albany at the Mark Reilly Tennis Center and defeated the Bulldogs.
They play Providence Friday at the Mark Reilly Tennis Center for the Sectional championship at 6 p.m.
by Ifrah Daber
Recent JHS football teams haven’t been known for their wins, especially with their 0-10 record in 2023. Since the beginning of the school year, however, many JHS football fans have noticed the team’s growth. As of Sept. 28, the varsity Red Devils are 4-2, with wins against Seymour, Bedford North Lawrence, Louisville Fern Creek, and Silver Creek.
This new school year is a chance for redemption for the Red Devils, and they have taken this challenge with pride.
First-year head coach Joe Washington leads these players and has shaped them for the season. He spoke about discipline and the importance of focus, along with prioritizing the fundamentals, when discussing the team’s success this year.
“Our biggest strength is our defense, and our biggest weakness is likely that we are new on offense,” Washington stated. He elaborated that the team was newer to some offensive plays and going by the book.
“It’s a rival and all records go out the window. It’s us versus us this week.” Washington stated about how he and the team viewed the upcoming game against New Albany.
Despite the challenge of learning and perfecting an offense with his team, Washington still shows confidence. He stated that the players are excited and have been playing well. The positive sentiment is not just believed by the coach, but also by many of the teammates.
One example is senior running back Dayzir Hughes, who has just begun his third year on the team. Hughes attributed the coaching staff’s dedication to the sport to the team’s improvement.
“They put heart into it; the coaches take the time,” Hughes stated.
Senior Glorie Tshimanga, a main tackle on the team for the last three years, described the biggest team weakness as their running game but also said the Red Devils have greatly improved in areas of defense.
He, too, credited the team’s improvement to the coaching of Washington and their other coaches, along with the team’s strong improvement in defense.
“All about a winning mindset, and showing that the team is capable,” stated sophomore Bryce Treat, an offensive guard who recently joined the team.
Despite Treat being newer to the team, he has great trust in his teammates.
Even some student managers chose to speak up about their faith in the team, including freshman Kendall Washington. Coach Washington’s daughter and football team manager stated that the team’s biggest strength is their camaraderie and brotherhood.
She stated that team discipline and a professional approach are the keys to the team’s success. She said that the Red Devils will do well if they keep it together and do not fall back into bad habits.
The team wants to take this year as a new start for JHS football. The words of the team and the coach show that they are focused and ready for more wins down the road.
“Jeff is back and better,” Treat stated, letting students know to look forward to the coming season.
JHS faces local rival New Albany (3-3) in a rare morning home game this Saturday at 11 a.m.
by Isabella Wemes
Junior varsity girls’ soccer coach Phoebe Bauer Watson meets with the junior varsity athletes to explain what drill they will do first. “We are sharpening our dribbling skills and one-on-ones,” said Watson.
To Watson, the athletes have worked hard and put in much effort.
“We have improved on defending, dribbling, and passing with each other to make a shot.”
From these drills at practice, the athletes feel they have improved at their positions.
Freshman Ivy Romine-Wykoff said, “The drills have helped me find my strengths, which are blocking somebody and passing.” Romine-Wykoff plays left defense.
Sophomore Zoey Johnson plays full back and center midfield. She, too, thinks that the drills have helped her improve. “The drills are fun and have helped me better my ball control and have a good pace.”
With the efforts of the athletes working together and becoming better at their positions, comes with how they stay fit during the off-season.
Romine-Wykoff stayed fit by doing basic core training, running on the treadmill, and weight training. Johnson stayed fit by playing soccer year-round.
With this, the athletes feel like the season is going well, even though they haven’t won a game yet.
“I think the team has been hard-working, and the season will go up from where it’s at,” said Romine-Wykoff.
“I think we’re doing pretty good and are on track to do sectionals,” said Johnson.
The athletes’ goals also play a big part in getting them to where they are or want to be.
“I’d like to improve on basic skills, build up my endurance, and play different positions on the field,” said Romine-Wykoff.
“I want to score a goal on varsity,” said Johnson.
Overall the team thinks they are doing well. Since the end of the season is approaching they are trying their hardest to win a match.
The varsity Red Devils begin sectional play next week.
by Sarah Jacobs
After warming up, the girls’ soccer players are split into teams to play a game of keep away. They practice their passes during a heated game. Head coach Julie Deuser advises the girls as they play.
“I think the soccer department is really going in the right direction,” said senior Jovie Golko as she reflected on her years playing soccer at JHS. She cited the new coach as a key factor as to why she is feeling optimistic about the current season.
Deuser has a history with coaching soccer, having coached and played during her college years.
“I want to have a winning season and build the team back up,” Deuser said. She believes the team has a strong core group who are familiar with one another.
Sophomore Zoe Johnson cited the team’s positive attitude as a key strength. “I think our defense is our strongest point,” said defensive player Golko.
Strong as the team may be, it’s not perfect. “We really need more girls to come out and play,” Deuser said.
Golko and Johnson believe the team’s ability to get control of the ball is its greatest weakness. If they can’t take control of the ball, it becomes harder to get scoring opportunities.
Training drills help improve these skills, though. The team trains in a variety of ways during the off season. The entire team does conditioning, but individual players have more variety in their routine. Johnson and Golko play indoor soccer separate from the school. Junior Aubrey Cummings does wrestling.
Johnson, Golko, and Cummings said their goal for the team this season is to win sectionals. With a unified goal in mind, the team, joined by their new coach, is working hard this season to achieve that win.
Soccer sectionals begin next week.
by Austin Bainbridge
Freshman former JV football player Jaxx Long trots onto the field feeling confident after his pregame rituals and a week of practice ready to help his team win the game.
“I always put the team first. I love it when we win because not just me but the whole team wins,” said Long.
Practice is four days a week and three hours long every day. Head football coach Joe Washington likes to see it go well because he puts a lot of effort into every practice and places a lot of importance on it.
“I’d say about 80% of winning games is practice because if we have a lot of talent but don’t know how to execute it we will probably fail,” said Washington.
Players also take practice very seriously, as they know of its importance. The practices throughout the week greatly impact games.
“I put in 100% effort into every play during practice because it helps me during games,” said sophomore JV player Landon Dauby.
Practice has many different activities. After all, athletes can do a lot in three hours. JV may not have the number one priority, but they get to do activities that varsity does not.
“We like to use a scout team with JV to get our varsity guys used to the other teams’ plays. Since they’re going against varsity players it can sharpen their skills. We also like to let them run our plays at the end of practice,” said Washington.
JV is often treated as a different part of the team entirely; it doesn’t usually get influenced by how the other teams play. They do get the benefit of playing against the same players they will play with on varsity in the future.
“The coaching staff doesn’t use JV as an example of how varsity will play and vice versa. We like to run more true read option plays with Little Cam. We also want to throw the ball more since our JV receivers are pretty good,” said Washington
Practice plays a large role in preparing for the week, but pregame rituals and traditions are also important. Without them, players may not be able to perform to the best of their abilities.
“Before the game, I listen to music to stay focused on what I need to do. I think it greatly helps me play to the best of my ability,” said Long.
Some people think JV has little if any purpose, but to the players it means a lot. They have a large portion of their lives centered around it and it makes them feel ready for life.
“Playing football makes me feel good; my body feels better overall, and I feel that I’m ready to do almost anything,” said Dauby.
People often don’t realize that a great amount of work goes into JV games. From Monday practice to kickoff on Saturday, players put their whole body and mind into it. They do not play football for the glitz and glamor, but for the love of the game.
“I play football because I feel better during and afterward. I love the camaraderie and brotherhood I get from the team, and I really enjoy just playing football to the best of my ability,” said Long.
by Ifrah Daber
With a new school year starting and seasons kicking off, many teams and coaches prepare for a year filled with hopeful achievements and golden medals. Through intense practice and hours of dedication that are put into these sports, student-athletes bring pride to JHS.
However, one must remember the coaches who built these players into the athletes they are today. A spotlight on several fall sport coaches reveals their backgrounds, interests, and goals for their Red Devil teams.
Girls’ Soccer Coach Julie Deuser
Coach Deuser is a new addition to the JHS athletic team, taking over for former soccer coach Kallee Thornton. With big shoes to fill, Deuser has come in with a strong sense of determination. She has a long history of coaching at many different schools and playing for several more herself. For example, she coached at New Albany and led her team to the IHSAA Sectional Championship in 2012.
But now, she has big goals for the JHS girls’ soccer team.
“My biggest goal for this team is to see the girls grow and learn the game. I want this team to be competitive and respected in the area. We want girls to want to come to Jeffersonville to play soccer. The program is going to be transforming over the next few years. Long term, we want to win games and championships.”
“I think she’s going to take the soccer program in a positive direction,” senior and varsity player Jovie Golko. She has been playing soccer for all four years of high school and has vocalized her faith in her new coach’s ability to lead her and the rest of the team.
Head Co-ed Swim Coach Michael Pepa
Pepa is a face many students recognize from his teaching College and Careers for many freshman classes, but he is also the head coach for the JHS award-winning swim team.
Pepa had been a swimmer for many years before he was known for his coaching abilities. He started swimming in high school and he, like many, wasn’t the best when he first started. But after swimming through high school to college, he eventually became a record-holder in his sport.
With his 30 years of experience, Pepa passes wisdom onto his students. He pushes an idea of personal best, wanting each student to reach their potential.
“I love Pepa; He’s an amazing coach who built me into the swimmer I am today,” stated Romier Hunter-Lawrence, a senior swim team member.
But even after 30 years Pepa has more plans and hopes for the new year, from strong talent new and old, and the addition of a new pool in the coming months. There is much to look forward to for the swim team in the coming years.
Volleyball Coach Wesly Briscoe
Originally Briscoe had no plans for becoming the coach we all know him as today. He originally wanted to do more of a journalistic view of sports. He was the news and sports editor when he attended Floyd Central High School. He even did radio and TV. It was when he went off and became a student at UofL, sitting around one day, when his mother gave him an offer to coach volleyball.
During the first few years of this new volleyball coaching career, Briscoe walked with a “chip on his shoulder.” He said he was coaching out of spite, but he learned to change his mentality.
His new values as a coach are that coaches should lead by example. They should strive for personal growth and push the students to be the best they can be.
“You could train like a tiger in the jungle or train like a tiger in the zoo” is one of Briscoe’s mantras about pushing himself and his students to train to be the best version.
This mantra is one any student should remember if they want to join the volleyball team in the near future. As Briscoe also shared, volleyball is not an easy sport to just pick up – it will take time and practice but the results will lead the athlete to find improvement and self-pride.
Assistant Wrestling Coach Evan Myers
Myers has been coaching at JHS his entire coaching career and similar to a past coach on the list, Myers didn’t originally plan on being a coach. He was interested in journalism, which led him to become an English teacher. Since he wrestled while in high school, along with a strong love for teaching, he took an opportunity to be a JHS wrestling coach when he heard that the position was available.
Myers said that personal responsibility is a key part of wrestling.. Unlike many other sports where athletes are surrounded by teammates on a field or court, wrestling has only the athlete and the opponent on the mat. This means each wrestler must carry the win or loss on his or her shoulders.
He added that the sport requires a lot of tough training from the strength that is required to pin another wrestler, which adds physical stress to the body.
However, this training can pay off, for example, for JHS senior Ben Land, who competed at National Tournaments, as well as for other wrestlers on the team.
“Great pain comes with great reward,” Myers said, believing that the best way to succeed is to work for it, as many of his students have done and have received the benefits.
Myers’s love for teaching, his students, and the sport drive him every year to push and grow the team. He has much hope for the upcoming year and for all the talent new and old that are in the team.
by Dahlia Karey
The Mark Reilly Tennis Center was recognized this Tuesday with the prestigious 2024 Outstanding Facility Award from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) at the U.S. Open in Queens, NY.
The Mark Reilly Tennis Center is named after the former Jeffersonville High School tennis coach and teacher, who has also been inducted into the Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame. This award is in the Large Public Facilities category, one of the five offered.
The 12-court facility serves the community in a variety of ways, including programming like youth camps, tournaments, and promotion of tennis in the community. These factors pushed the Mark Reilly Tennis Center past other nominees to win the award.
Current tennis coach Jerid Inman said, “We have implemented year-round clinics for elementary through grade school students, launched an elementary tennis initiative to introduce tennis to 5000 elementary students, hosted numerous high school and college tournaments, and have continued to build the facility into one of the best in the nation for high schools.”
Principal Pam Hall traveled with Reilly, his family, and athletic director Larry Owens to New York this week to accept the award and said that it was an honor.
“I can’t think of a more iconic place to celebrate than on the hallowed grounds where the greats of the sport, Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe, won open championships,” said Hall. “What an amazing day to be a Red Devil!”
Inman said, “A huge thank you goes out to the Jeffersonville Tennis CTA, the city of Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville High School, and the USTA for supporting the tennis program.”
The award will be displayed at the Mark Reilly Tennis Center.
With the NFL (National Football League) Kickoff less than a month away fans are already preparing to start their fantasy football seasons. Whether you play for money or for bragging rights, everyone’s goal is to come out on top. It’s always exciting drafting your first couple of picks because there is always a superstar available; however, most people’s drafts fall short when it comes to the later rounds. A successful sleeper pick can take your team to the next level, but it’s always a gamble considering no one wants to waste a pick. So here are the sleeper picks that will put you on top.
When it comes to Quarterbacks, you aren’t always going to be able to take a Top 5 QB in the league. However, Jalen Hurts has nothing but a bright future to look forward to with the Eagles. After only starting three games last season, Hurts has a lot to prove this season. Hurts will also have Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith as a new passing target, setting him up for a phenomenal season.
My top sleeper pick for running back is Antonio Gibson of the Washington Football Team. Washington played exceptionally well last season, sneaking into the playoffs. Antonio Gibson is the perfect example of getting the job done. He is one of the better receiving backs in the league making him a threat in the running and passing game. Gibson is not considered to be anyone’s first choice as a running back, but he can put up numbers like a first pick.
The top sleeper Wideout Pick has to be Darnell Mooney, ranked 69th in target accuracy in the league. With the Bears trading Anthony Miller to Houston, Mooney has a chance to pick up even more points this season. If Justin Fields lives up to his draft hype, Mooney looks like he will be set up for a solid season.
The Tight End sleeper spot goes to Dawson Knox. Knox being on the most pass-happy team in the NFL will certainly help his stats this season. He was second in the league last year for target separation at the TE spot. One of the things that restricts him is the amount of weapons in Buffalo. If he gets some more targets this year he has the potential to be an excellent sleeper pick.
As draft days near, remember everyone will get their star in the first rounds, but it’s the sleeper picks that make a champion.
Coach Melissa Voyles – Girls Basketball
Coach Melissa (Missy) Voyles took the head coaching job at Jeff High because it presented a great opportunity and a great challenge. Prior to coaching at Jeff, Voyles had coached at North Harrison. However, she wanted the chance to coach at a division 4A (the high school sports division for the largest schools) school like Jeff. She also saw the girls basketball team as a program with potential. “It’s always a program that could really be dominant,” she says.
Despite her optimism, there was a clear challenge for the Red Devils this year: injuries. Voyles said this season they had five ACL tears, one broken wrist, and two concussions. “I have never seen this many injuries,” she says. Despite these challenges she has been pleased with the level of dedication her players have shown, saying, “They play hard every day. I can’t fault them for that.” With this dedication has come improvement, according to Voyles.
Going into the season in a tough conference, and after losing a lot of senior talent last year, Voyles says, “I knew it would be a big struggle win-or-loss wise.” However, she credits her team’s leadership and hard work with their success this year, specifically, she credited Neveah Bates (junior), Baily Gibson (senior), Ajia Estes (senior), Tatum McFarland (sophomore), and Sofia Reese (sophomore) with creating a contagious positive atmosphere on the team.
For the postseason, the goal was simple for Voyles. “I want to compete with Bedford.” On Feb. 5, 2021, Jeffersonville fell to Bedford North Lawrence 62-36 in the Sectional Semi-final. Despite their season coming to an end, the Devils were able to keep the game within 10 points with the fourth-ranked Stars, until the fourth quarter.
Coach Andrew Grantz – Boys Basketball
Coach Andrew Grantz says he took the boys basketball job at Jeff High for many reasons, including “the history, the tradition, and the fan support here at Jeff.” Grantz also wanted to return to coaching in Indiana, and with the talent at Jeff High, he was excited at the opportunity to build the program.
For Grantz, the biggest difference between this job and his past coaching gigs is the community. “You know, Providence was a great place to be,” he says, “but you know with a private school, you’re pulling from all different directions.” He feels that the closeness in the Jeff High community really sets the program apart, and unlike Fort Myers, Florida (where he was for a past coaching job), basketball is a bigger deal here in Indiana.
For Grantz, his pride in his team was on display after the first semester when he learned the team had a GPA of 3.4 (highest in program history according to Grantz). For him this accomplishment was important as a coach because “they’re setting themselves up for life after basketball,” he says.
Leading up to the season, with all the confusion about COVID-19, he says the goal was simple: “Let’s just play games.” He also felt that despite the loss of a talented senior class last year, the team would be strong.
Despite his optimism, he does feel one of the major challenges was Jeff’s lack of a consistent feeder program. “Whenever I was younger there was the JYBL (Jeff Youth Basketball League), and if you look at the run Jeff had in the ’90s, that happened right after JYBL started,” Grantz says. He hopes to be able to tackle this problem, which he believes will really help the program as it has before.
Looking toward the end of the season, his goal for his team is simple: “We want to reach our full potential… if we do that or come close to that we have a chance to make a run in the postseason.” Over the season, he says the team has “had flashes of it.” But to reach his goal it’s about “putting it all together at once.”
By Max Fisher
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the way we live our lives in many ways, one major thing it has affected is athletes and their sports. Some sports are not as affected as others such as cross country, where they can still run the same trails while being socially distant.
Other sports that are close contact such as wrestling have had to change their routines significantly to keep at their success. Junior Wrestler Dillon Mouser says their entire practice schedule has been altered compared to last year. “Last year, we used to be able to just switch partners. Now we have pods of 4 people , and we can’t drill, lift, or practice with anyone outside of our pods. Typically we practice with only one person in our pod until it’s time to wrestle each other for a live match.”
Mouser says they also had to split up into separate rooms. “Stations 1 and 2 are mat 1 , and 2 are in the same room but divided by a curtain. Station 3 is the weight room. Station 4 is mat 3 , which we moved upstairs. Sixteen people on one mat, and obviously we wear our masks everywhere except for when we are on the mat, and every time we switch stations we sanitize.”
Practice routines aren’t just the only thing COVID-19 has affected. Varsity wrestler Evan Clayton decided to switch to online school to lessen his risk of exposure during wrestling season. “Online school makes it harder to get work done because you aren’t in the classroom learning first hand and you lack the motivation you would normally have in class,” Clayton says. “But it wasn’t a hard decision knowing I can maintain my grades and not risk missing out on a big part of the season,” he adds.
Over Christmas break, Clayton got quarantined, and not getting quarantined leading into sectionals was a big part of his decision. “I live fairly far from most of my family, but when I got quarantined over Christmas I was upset because I couldn’t go see my grandma, and that was pretty hard for me.” Clayton intends to stay in online school until he can finish up his season and the school quarter to learn the material easier and prepare for his AP tests.
The decision to participate in a team sport has affected some wrestlers at home also. Some athletes’ relatives have health problems that would put them at risk if they contracted COVID-19.
Even before COVID-19, being an athlete required making tough trade-offs. For athletes this year, the stakes seem more significant and the choices more complicated — but the drive to compete has not gone away
By Cameron Allen
Athletics are a big part of student life at Jeff High, which means there has to be an athletics director to keep sports running smoothly. Recently someone new has come to the position, Matt Barker. Having prior experience in the GCCS corporation and plenty of familiarity in the athletic department, Barker is ready for any challenge that comes his way. “I’m enjoying it, it’s a lot of work,” he says, “I’m really just trying to do the right thing.”
Barker has had a passion for coaching for most of his life, starting with his first coaching gig for a girls powder puff team as a junior in high school. He ended up coaching and teaching PE at Parkview Middle School, and after that Barker and his family moved to northern Indiana. He pursued his education and now has a bachelors from Valparaiso, a teaching license from Manchester, a masters in secondary education from IU Southeast and a masters in administration from Grand Canyon University. Having no plan to move, Barker was looking into an administrative position at a nearby elementary school when he got a call from an old friend from Parkview, Pam Hall (now Principal at Jeff High). Knowing the love he had
for coaching, she offered him a job as the Athletics Director. “I’ve always respected Pam. She was a really great leader. So I said let’s do an interview and I’ll let you know. I interviewed for it, I honestly, being a coach for 20 years, seeing the hours of work athletics directors put in, figured I didn’t want to do that. But I interviewed and everything was kind of what I wanted to hear, so I accepted the position.”
Jeff High can be a very intimidating place, but Barker feels right
at home. He explains that although things can be quite hectic, the people around him are truly helpful. “I’ve found in the couple months I’ve been in this job, the athletics director world is very open to helping people out.” When he first arrived during late October, Barker was informed that there was a little bit of financial strain in the athletics department. Naturally, he got right to work on this issue and a couple others, such as transportation. Barker makes sure to note that he puts emphasis on communication between coaches and student athletes. With the spring season quickly approaching, there is plenty more work to be done.
Working as an athletics director in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is complicated at best. Barker expresses his dejection about the crack down on fans allowed at games. “It sounds weird, you only have 500 people, but it would have been much easier to let 4000 people in.” He elaborates on the importance of proper mask protocol and social distancing.
Current events aren’t all Barker is focusing on, though. He is also making plans for the future. He believes that an important part of bringing up a good athletics program is a comfortable atmosphere and well-kept equipment. “My goal is to make sure that when people come to Jeffersonville — whether you’re an official, an opposing player, opposing coach, a fan — that you come here and you have a great experience.” This summer he wants to clean up the basketball lobby before the next season starts, and in the more distant future he hopes there will be turf on all of Jeff High’s fields and a new weight room. Barker isn’t only concerned with
the aesthetics of our facilities; another concern of his is our hospitality. “When you get an email about how welcoming you were as a school, that’s a great feeling.”
Barker conveys that success isn’t all in the wins and losses. He values sportsmanship and the overall experience for student athletes. He feels the most important part of his new position is getting students ready
for the world outside high school. Looking to give athletes team working and communication skills for future opportunities, he hopes that sports can be a well-needed escape for high schoolers.
By Emily Proctor
Jeffersonville High School athletes are trying to keep in shape and healthy even as there are some concerns about how things will unfold this year with COVID-19.
Basketball, a winter sport, presents many challenges specific to the sport such as physical contact, touching the same ball, and being played inside. Sophomore boys basketball player Conner Lyons has some concerns but is ready to start the new season. He says his most pressing concern is “guarding people and close contact,” but Lyons’ concerns are overpowered by his drive to get back out on the court. “It’s always been my dream and that’s what I want to do when I get older,” he says. As of right now, the first game for Jeffersonville boys basketball is scheduled for December 5.
Members of the Jeff High baseball team, who have already lost their spring season this year, are trying to stay positive but realistic despite losing some senior talent. Baseball also has the benefit of being a more spaced out game that is played outdoors. Sophomore baseball player Sam Whallen isn’t getting his hopes up, saying, “we might not end up playing this season because of COVID.” The Jeff High baseball team’s first game is scheduled for April 2.
Members of the Jeff High softball team are also trying to prepare for a spring season in 2021. Senior Danielle Monroe says the team is beginning winter workouts, which are different this year because of social distancing. Still, she feels like the effort will pay off in the spring. “I’m hopeful. I think we’ll have a season,” Monroe says. “I really hope so because it’s my senior year.”
The Indiana High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) has said the organization is committed to letting students play, saying they believe it is “essential to the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes to return to organized physical activity and build team relationships with their peers and coaches.”
Although every sport has its own precautions for the safety of players, coaches and fans, they have one thing in common: in the age of COVID, athletes are optimistic but unsure about the future.
Story by Caleb Vincent
