Sports – Page 18

COLUMN: Jeffersonville and New Albany renew heated rivalry Friday night

Story and Photos by Phillip Steinmetz

Jeffersonville and New Albany play each other in basketball at Johnson Arena on Friday night. Is that a big enough statement for you to read further? It should be.

The two prominent programs meet for what looks to be another heated battle. New Albany “supposedly” leads the all-time series 81-76 after winning the last four matchups with some pretty lopsided victories (aka the Romeo Langford effect) but we’ll talk about that later.

The Red Devils sit currently at 7-3, coming off a third place finish in the Teddy Throckmorton Tournament, while New Albany is 8-2 after playing an excruciating schedule to begin with. Last time the Bulldogs played at JHS they won by 42 points (wow the Red Devils were bad then.) Don’t expect that type of outcome to play out this year.

Okay, I said I’d talk about “him” later and later is now (what a wait you had to experience).

ROMEO LANGFORD IS THE BEST HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYER OUT OF THE STATE OF INDIANA SINCE GREG ODEN.

This is the fourth time Langford will be facing the Red Devils — in the last matchup he had 24 points to go with 13 rebounds in the sectional championship. Oh yeah, he’s only a junior now and shot up all the way to second in ESPN’s Top 60 recruiting rankings.

How do you stop a player of his caliber from tearing your team to shreds? It’s simple, you don’t. There’s no way to hold him from scoring 25 or more points against a defense of Jeffersonville’s caliber. That means there are only a few ways the Red Devils can make this a respectable game throughout.

Not a single player other than Langford can score in double digits for New Albany.

That’s easier said than done considering the Bulldogs have two other outstanding scorers in Isaac Hibbard and Sean East who each provide matchup problems. Hibbard is the senior guard that can shoot lights out but can be a liability on defense at times but seems to never be rattled by the big moment. East is the starting point guard who can hit open three’s and might be the fastest player on the court. Jeffersonville will have their hands full with Langford but can’t forget to get a hand in the face of both of these players if they want success.

img_3373-2 — Bailey Falkenstein fighting through CAI.

Bailey Falkenstein will be the second best player on the court.

The junior guard leads the Red Devils in scoring and is a prime candidate to score 20 or more points against the rival Bulldogs. Last season, in their regular season matchup he did score 25 points as a sophomore despite the ugly loss. Falkenstein is one of the strongest guards you’ll see step on the court and his play shows it. He’s at his best driving to the basket absorbing contact as he finishes the double clutch layup. Falkenstein is also known to drain a couple three’s a game to compliment. He will be leaned on even more Friday night to try to make Langford’s scoring total not look completely insane by scoring a ton himself.

Jeffersonville is at their best when they are hitting shots.

img_3371-1 — **Michael Minton with the jumpshot against Northeastern.**

This could be said for every team but the Red Devils truly live and die by the three. In their win against CAI they went 9 for 13 from behind the arc and in their loss to Cathedral the same day, they only scored three points in the second quarter. Gerrin Moore, Joe LaGrange and Michael Minton will be looked on heavily to drain their open shots as the Bulldogs will dare Jeff to beat them from the outside. If a few shots fall early, we could have ourselves a shootout but if NA extends their defense and makes the Red Devils uncomfortable at the very beginning, the game could be over by halftime.

Freshman will need to step up for Red Devils.

img_3363-1 — **Tre’ Coleman fighting through Carroll County defenders.**

Two freshman play big minutes for JHS as 5’8 Jacob Jones is the pestering point guard and 6’6 Tre’ Coleman comes off the bench as the defensive specialist. Jones will be tasked of keeping up with East but he’s frustrated guards all season and will need to carry more of a load offensively. Coleman might earn his first career start against NA because of how great a defender he really is. It’s almost impossible to get a shot off against him which he proved in the last couple of games blocking shots left and right. He’ll also be used to pound the glass which is a weakness for the Bulldogs. Both of these players will be looked upon to play well above their years for Jeff to have a chance Friday.

So, what will happen?

It’s a rivalry game, anything can happen. The Red Devils need to be hitting their shots early and often while forcing New Albany to shoot extremely deep shots for most of the game. Last game, NA went 1-22 from three against the 3rd ranked Logansport (Loganberries really?) and still dominated the game. Obviously they can beat you in other ways including their defense but I believe Jeff is one of the better offensive teams in the state.

Second year head coach Joe Luce will have his young Devils ready to play against the reigning state champions. This could become a game just like last year if Langford gets in foul trouble but I don’t think it’ll be much of one come the fourth quarter. I’m a Red Devil for life but I think the scoring and pure intimidation of this team will be the downfall for Jeff. Can they make this a close game? Of course they can with their scoring ability but Romeo Langford is still one of the best players in the COUNTRY and is almost impossible to beat without someone of his caliber playing for you.

PREDICTION: Jeffersonville 65 New Albany 78

3 Jan 20173 Jan 2017 by phillipsteinmetz

Red Devils finish 3rd in first annual Teddy Throckmorton Tournament

Photos by Phillip Steinmetz

Tre Coleman falling after throwing up the layup.

Bailey Falkenstein with the contested layup.

Tre Coleman with the pass to Michael Minton.

Tre Coleman with the pass to the corner.

Bailey Falkenstein with the three point jumper.

Joe LaGrange with the third point jump shot.

Gerrin Moore with the mid range jump shot.

Joe LaGrange with the pass to Gerrin Moore.

Jacob Jones trying to dribble around the defender.

29 Dec 2016 by phillipsteinmetz

Jeffersonville defeats Carroll County in first round of Teddy Throckmorton Tournament 94-61

Photos by Phillip Steinmetz

Bailey Falkenstein laying it up through the defenders.

Michael Minton shooting the three pointer.

Bailey Falkenstein finishing through contact.

Gerrin Moore throwing it back out of the paint.

Bailey Falkenstein with the aggressive layup.

Bailey Falkenstein with the off balance layup.

Jacob Jones throwing the pass inside to Tre’ Coleman.

27 Dec 201627 Dec 2016 by phillipsteinmetz

Jeffersonville falls to Silver Creek 71-63 (Photo Gallery)

Photos by Phillip Steinmetz

Jacob Jones passing it to Gabe Gallahar to the three point line.

Cameron Northern going in for the layup.

Bailey Falkenstein fighting for the layup.

Bailey Falkenstein looking for the pass.

Jaden Coleman (JV) throwing down a dunk after an ally-oop off the backboard.

Jaden Coleman (JV) goes up for the cram.

17 Dec 2016 by phillipsteinmetz

College Football Playoffs Should Not Expand

By Pat Duerr

The College Football Playoffs are less than a month away, and the top tier football teams have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons, given the chance to play for a National Championship.

But there will be teams left out that may feel the new college football system needs some change.

With the College Football Playoffs entering its third year, some flaws are clear to the public: the main one being that title contenders get left out. This fact leaves teams wanting an expansion to eight teams, which would include even more talented teams.

However this could mean cause chaos to not just football, but sports in general.

The College Football Playoffs already run into early January, keeping fans’ eyes on football when it’s already deep into basketball season. So making the playoffs run another week would cause more distraction.

Eight teams would also guarantee some colleges a spot weeks before the season ended, since a loss or two would not cause a big fall. An expansion would leave more room for error, and a championship team should be contenders all year long.

The current College Football Playoffs has its issues, and the ranking system may seem flawed at times, but an expansion is not the right idea, nor is it in the books anytime soon.

The four-team system is the best option for not only college football, but also the rest of winter sports.

14 Dec 2016 by patduerr

Commentary: College Football Playoff Expansion

By Adrian Blair

The College Football Playoff debuted shortly following the 2014 regular season, and has only grown since. From Larry Culpepper, the Dr. Pepper guy, to the weekly release of the new College Football Playoff rankings, college football owns November and December.

However, there is one area where improvement is needed. We, as college football fans, want an expanded playoff bracket, preferably to eight teams.

With eight teams, it is likely that no Power Five conference champion is left out, like in years past (sorry 2014 Baylor and TCU). Eight teams also gives an opportunity for two teams in the same conference to be in the playoff, via Michigan and Ohio State from the Big Ten.

Sports and money go hand in hand, and it honestly confuses me why they haven’t expanded already. Behind its “big brother” in the National Football league, college football is the No. 2 viewed sport in the American television market. TV equals money, so why not? Giving the fans what they want and making even more money doing it sounds pretty great to me.

Another area worth looking at is the media exposure. Last season, the final College Football Playoff rankings were released on Dec. 6, 2015, with the National Championship on Jan. 11, 2016.

During that 37-day span, media outlets across the country absolutely devour the College Football Playoff. Media coverage equals money. If it wasn’t already brought to your attention, money is the main root of why the College Football Playoff is even in existence.

Having great players in great games is really what fans watch for. Players such as Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett, and Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers all have their respective teams in the Playoff mix. The two most recent Heisman trophy winners have participated in the College Football Playoff, and have failed to disappoint.

With more teams, there is more dynamic and electric players on the field, making for a more exciting viewing experience.

While the newly created College Football Playoff doesn’t show any signs of expanding following this year, it is a strong possibility in the years to come.

9 Dec 2016 by adrianblair99

Undaunted Underclassman

Story by Carlos Molina

With high school basketball starting back into play, Jeffersonville fans will be looking forward to watching old names, such as returning juniors Bailey Falkenstein and Gerrin Moore, with the leadership of senior Michael Minton.

But few know much of the young, talented freshmen players this year’s team will carry.

Jacob Jones, a freshman point guard, will be one of the two freshmen expected to get playing time on Varsity. Tre’ Coleman, a power/small forward, is also expected to see minutes.

As for Jones, the 5-9 guard has been playing basketball ever since he started grade school at Maple Elementary. During the offseason, he joins his AAU basketball teams, the ‘Ville and the Eric Gordon All-Stars, which has helped the guard out with his ball skills.

“I’ve been playing basketball since pre-school, and I play AAU all year, and school basketball. So I have a lot of experience,” Jones said.

Jones looking for an open teammate in the home opener against the 7th ranked Southport Cardinals *Photo By Braxton Troutman*

As a freshman, the expectations for Jones are set high; not only by his coach, but as well as his teammates. Junior Gerrin Moore, who was the last freshman to start in a JHS varsity game in 2014, sees talent in the 15-year-old.

“He’s young but a lot is expected from him,” Moore said, “He’s going to do well setting up the offense and I think he’ll be able to add some points to the board.”

Jones did exactly that in the home opener, recording 13 points in a season-opening win against No. 7 Southport on Nov. 23.

“I am just expected to help my team win games,” Jones said. “Contributing however I can, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or playing defense.”

With the upcoming season, head coach Joe Luce expects Jones to contribute to his new system by starting him and giving him more playing time in games. His confidence in what Jones can bring to the table has given him a more relaxed player on the court.

“The biggest thing with Jacob is to just relax and play his game,” head coach Joe Luce said. “He’s had the chance to experience a lot of different basketball games as far as AAU, junior high and travel ball. It’s a lot different playing at eight o’clock on the Varsity level. And with him, we want him to relax and play his game.”

Jones’ unique and vast skill set has been what has made him stand out the most of all the other freshman. In the Red Devils scrimmage against Charlestown on Nov. 15, Jones showed what kind of talent he can bring to this year’s squad, tallying no turnovers and leading the team with 16 points.

“He brings a lot of energy. He’s very quick with the ball, gets it up and down the floor, finds open men and he’s very unselfish,” Luce said. “The one thing he did in our scrimmage against Charlestown is shoot the ball very well. He’s a good decision-maker that plays very hard and brings lots of energy to this team.”

Jones, and the rest of the Red Devils, will be back in action at home on Friday, Dec. 9 in a HHC conference matchup against Seymour. JV tip off to begin at 6 p.m., followed by Varsity at 7:30 p.m.

8 Dec 201616 Dec 2016 by BraxtonTroutman

Jeffersonville defeats Fort Wayne Wayne 67-60 to improve to (2-1)

Photos by Phillip Steinmetz

Jalin Ernest, 11, warming up.

Jacob Jones, 9, surveying the floor.

Jacob Jones and Bailey Falkenstein fighting for the loose ball.

Jacob Jones, 9, with the ball heading down court.

Jacob Jones, 9, holding the ball.

Jacob Jones, 9, after he releases his shot.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, from beyond the arc.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, driving inside the paint.

Gabe Gallahar, 11, fighting through the defender.

Gabe Gallahar, 11, after shooting his three.

Mike Minton, 12, looking for an open man.

Gabe Gallahar, 11, setting up the play.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, roaming the court.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, passing the ball.

Gerrin Moore passing to Bailey Falkenstein.

Joe LaGrange, 10, trying to get past the defender.

Joe LaGrange, 10, trying to pass the ball through the defender.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, in triple threat position.

Joe LaGrange, 10, dribbling the ball.

Joe LaGrange, 10, dribbling the ball with Gerrin Moore setting the pick.

Jacob Jones, 9, zipping the ball through the court.

Gerrin Moore, 11, goes for the layup.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, shoots the three.

Gerrin Moore, 11, shoots a three.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, loses the ball.

Mike Minton, 12, throws the no look pass.

Joe LaGrange, 10, lining up the three.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, going for the layup.

Cam Northern, 12, driving in the lane.

Gerrin Moore passing it to Jacob Jones.

Gerrin Moore, 11, catching the ball.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, shoots the free throw.

Bailey Falkenstein, 11, whips the ball around.

Cam Northern, 12, powering through defenders.

Joe LaGrange, shoots a layup.

3 Dec 20165 Dec 2016 by phillipsteinmetz

Takeaways from Jeff’s 80-51 win in Charlestown basketball scrimmage

Story by Phillip Steinmetz, Photos by Jay Williams

On Tuesday night, Jeffersonville basketball officially started their season with a home scrimmage against Charlestown. This was the first time anyone has seen this years boys team with the first regular season game just around the corner against Southport next Wednesday. They played five 12 minute running quarters, four of varsity and one of junior varsity. The young Red Devils looked impressive the entire night and showed great potential for a team with only two seniors on the roster.

Jacob Jones looks poised for a standout freshman season

Could there be any more pressure on the freshman point guard? He’s been asked to start varsity as a freshman on a team that is rich with tradition and pride. This scrimmage was the first time a lot of people have seen him play on this kind of level. The freshman guard impressed early and often. He shot the ball with confidence as hemade his first basket with a corner three and played sworming on ball defense throughout. Jones played quite a bit in the scrimmage and only committed one turnover on a bad pass in transition. He won’t impress you with size or his passing ability but he plays with the type of confidence that makes him able to compete with the bigger and stronger guards. Jacob Jones lead the team in scoring with 16 points and looks poised to lead the Red Devils in scoring for quite a bit of games this season and will only improve as the season goes forward.

Interior defense could be an issue until Coleman is eligible

In the starting lineup for the interior it included Gerrin Moore, Michael Minton and Bailey Falkenstein. Junior Jaden Coleman figures to be the main big man in the post this year once he’s eligible but the timetable has yet to be figured out for when he will be cleared to play after playing at Rock Creek last season. Jeff figures to be able to score in the post with Moore being able to put the ball on the floor and having a soft touch around the rim but defending the post is a different story. Senior Cam Northern played the best on defense in the post with being the biggest player on the team. When Coleman is eligible though, is when the Red Devils could really take off. He is a lengthy and athletic forward that can crash the boards with the best of them. The Pirates got most of their points in the paint and were able to draw fouls going toward the basket. Until Coleman is eligible, the weak point of the Red Devils will be the interior defense play.

Shooting the ball with consistency will be key for the young Red Devils

Jeffersonville is going to be one of the better shooting teams this year. The Red Devils combined to make 10 three’s on the night with Jones leading the way with four long range baskets. Gabe Gallahar and Michael Minton had two a piece, LaGrange and Falkenstein had one each also. The perimeter defense wasn’t the best for Charlestown but making ten three’s is still something impressive. Jeff has six shooters that are reliable from beyond the arc on any given night and they showed it Tuesday against Charlestown. LaGrange has the most potential to be a lights out shooter but getting open shots consistently will be the only issue. Gallahar looked more aggressive in finding his shot which could be what he is asked to do the most this season. If the Red Devils are able to hit at least ten three’s a night on a decent percentage, they could hang around with some of the tougher teams in the state.

In all, Tuesday night was an impressive showing by the Red Devils. Yeah, it’s only Charlestown but last season Jeff only won 72-61 at home. Jeffersonville is going to be really young, but they showed flashes of what could be a promising season behind who looked like the most dominant player on the court last night, Bailey Falkenstein. He was the player to get everyone going and in position to have such a successful game against the Pirates. The combination of his strength and scoring ability should make him the leading scorer for the Red Devils this season.

16 Nov 2016 by phillipsteinmetz

Athlete of the Month – October

The Athlete: Junior Taylor Wooten, who is Jeff High’s highest placing girls cross country runner, received high praise from her coach Tom Kendall. Kendall credits her work ethic and coachability for her success, while Wooten is motivated by her teammates to be the best runner she can be.

Athlete’s Perspective: “My teammates are what push me to work hard. I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had through running.” — Wooten

Coach’s Perspective: “Taylor has been our No. 1 runner all season. She has worked very hard at evolving her speed and endurance.” — Kendall

Stats: Wooten has had impressive runs this year, including a time of 21:49 on Oct. 1. However her best run came during her sophomore year, where she ran 21:06 at semi-state.

11 Nov 2016 by brycethomas310

Jeffersonville’s Jermaine Ross lived the NFL dream

story by Carlos Molina

This past NFL offseason, history was made as it was the first time a major sports club was relocated back to the city that they originally moved from. The St. Louis Rams franchise was relocated to their new (technically returning) city of Los Angeles.

Jermaine Ross walks back to the huddle in his rookie year with the Los Angeles Rams. Ross was the last L.A. Rams receiver to catch a touchdown pass until Week 3 of the 2016 NFL season, when the St. Louis Rams moved back to Los Angeles.

On Sept. 25, in the team’s third regular season game, Rams wideout Brian Quick scored the team’s first passing touchdown since moving back to California. Quarterback Case Keenum hit Quick on a deep post route for a 44-yard touchdown pass against Tampa Bay. It was the first passing touchdown in Los Angeles since December 24,1994.

So why should Jeffersonville, Ind. residents be concerned with this?

Well the last touchdown the Rams scored before moving to St. Louis was a 36-yard pass to Jermaine Ross, a Jeffersonville High School alumni.

A member of the Jeff 1989 graduation class, Ross played football, basketball and ran track in his time at JHS. He ultimately received a scholarship to run track at Purdue University and walked-on to Purdue’s football team.

“My time in college really showed me how to be independent,” Ross said. “At first, I received a scholarship to run track at Purdue, but football was my real passion. So, I decided to walk-on.”

During his college career, Ross had a total of 74 receptions for 1322 yards, seven touchdowns, and averaged 17.9 yards per reception. His time on the field caught the attention of several professional teams, and he would later enter his name into the 1994 NFL Draft.

“I had the New Orleans Saints reach out to me during the draft. They told me that they were going to pick me in a later round,” Ross explained. “After the draft, I was officially an undrafted free agent, meaning that any team could pick me up. The Saints reached out to me again, so did the Cincinnati Bengals, L.A. Rams and the Washington Redskins. It came down to the Rams and Bengals, but ultimately I spent my rookie year in L.A. They gave a bigger signing bonus.”

Fellow rookie Keith Lyle joined the Rams the same time Ross did. Drafted in the third round (71st overall pick) out of the University of Virginia, Lyle was one of Ross’ good friends that he met in his time in the NFL. Lyle played three years with Ross in the NFL.

“Jermaine always played aggressively. It was his mindset,” Lyle said. “He took advantage of every opportunity he had and his work ethic were his biggest strength.”

Ross’ rookie year would also be the last for the Rams in Los Angeles, as the team’s owners wished to relocate to St. Louis, Mo.

Ross had been held catchless all season heading into the last game of the 1994 season, where the Rams faced off against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins would go on to top the Rams, who finished 4-12 on the season, by a score of 24-21.

However in the game’s waning minutes, Ross got open and his was hit by quarterback Chris Miller on a 36-yard post route. The catch would be the first, and last, reception for Ross that season.

It would also be the final touchdown scored by the Rams in Los Angeles before the franchise moved to St. Louis.

“I didn’t really expect (the touchdown) to mean much,” Ross said. “It was my only touchdown and my only reception of that season.”

In Ross’ second year, he suffered an ACL tear, which would end his season prematurely. He would spend two more season with the Rams before being released. Ross would then sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars before breaking his left arm. He tried a comeback with the Cleveland Browns before he was ultimately cut. Ross retired in 2000 and moved back to Indianapolis, where he became an engineer at Allison Transmission.

Despite bouncing around different cities during his football days, Ross was always loyal to the city of Jeff. In fact Lyle, his former teammate, had never heard of the small town until Ross told him where he was from.

“Your environment has everything to do with your personality, and I think that stands out with Jermaine. Outside of football, he’s a smart guy — he became an engineer,” Lyle said.

Ross’ nephew, Brendan Lawler, grew up in that same city. Lawler is currently Charlestown High School’s quarterback, and knows what kind of bar his uncle set for him.

“He has been a major influence on me,” Lawler said. “What he achieved is nearly impossible and it kind of set the bar for me, especially me being a football player from this area. It gives me hope that maybe I can do the same thing he did someday.”

A determination to make it to the NFL is what drove Ross to be the very best he can be, even after starting his collegiate career as a walk-on.

“The thought of never making it to a higher level was never on my mind,” Ross said. “I knew it was my destiny to play professional ball. One time, a veteran player said that none of us (rookie receivers), including myself, would make the team. I was the only one to make it.”

The significance of a local athlete making it to the largest stage in professional football has given a deeper meaning to current athletes vying for the same in the southern Indiana area.

“I think it means a lot, not only to the city of Jeff, but southern Indiana as a whole. It’s very rare to see an athlete in this area to make it to make it to that level,” Lawler said.

To come from a city that few people are familiar with, Ross has set his mark.

“Jeff was good to me,” Ross said. “I’m very proud to be from there. Whenever someone ask me where I’m from, I always say Jeffersonville, Indiana. Never Louisville. I’m glad to have that Red Pride.”

All Photos submitted

10 Nov 201619 Sep 2017 by cmolina