Photos by Isaiah Stewart and Logan Vidt.
New Albany defeats JHS in volleyball 3-0 last night
Category: Sports
Youth not an obstacle for volleyball team
Red Devils face New Albany tonight
by Carter Glotzbach
This past year JHS girls’ volleyball had one of their best seasons yet, and with a solid start to this year’s season and rival New Albany visiting tonight, it’s clear that the young team is ready to grow up.
Head coach Wes Briscoe sees new potential for growth in this year’s team.
“This year’s team is one of my favorites, but it’s really hard to say how they stack up to last year considering how young they are. I also think that you’ll see some breakout seasons from new key players because they’re not having to wait behind older ones,” said Briscoe.
Managers like junior Ryder Lott agree with the head coach’s sentiment.
“I think the team is really young, but working with them I see a lot of potential in them,” said Lott.
While a younger team is usually viewed as a disadvantage, some see an opportunity. Assistant coach Mackenzie Wilkins said a younger team often provides best opportunity to teach new skills.
“A younger team is a gift, in my opinion, because they are much more willing to learn and try new things,” she said.
Junior Kaylee McDaniel states the team is unified despite the youth.
“I think our team is definitely younger, but we have a much stronger bond and are more willing to play as a team,” she said.
Junior Haliun Otgonbayar agrees that the Red Devils have an exceptionally strong connection this year.
“We definitely are a tighter knit group and have a closer bond with each other. I think that definitely makes us more dedicated to the team,” said Otgonbayar.
Coach Briscoe recognizes the team’s unity, stating, “I’ve seen it a lot during practice. This year’s team has a much stronger bond than last year’s, and they are definitely more willing to play as a team.”
Players will rely on these bonds as they face local competition this season.
“Some of our biggest competitors are always at the Providence tournament, and last year they gave us some great competition. This year I hope we can make it further than last year’s team, but we’re still really young,” said Briscoe.
The Red Devils understand the strength of their schedule.
“Providence is definitely a team to look out, for as well as New Albany, Charlestown and Floyd Central,” said McDaniel.
“I think that Floyd Central and New Albany are definitely the biggest competition that we have this year,” added Otgonbayar.
Coach Briscoe sees the possibility of break-out performances this season.
“I would keep an eye out for Kaylie Fuller,” he said. “She has shown a lot of potential in practice and could definitely be a high-level player with a few years of work. She’s a great practice player.”
Leadership from team veterans is expected as the volleyball team continues to play in the coming weeks.
“Jordyn Miller is a player I expect to do well this year. She’s a multi-sport athlete, but she’s definitely been working hard to earn her place on the team. Another player with good work ethic is Charlotte Hatfield — she has shown a lot of potential and worked hard in the off-season,” said Briscoe
Lott said consistent play will be important as the season continues.
“I see a lot of potential in the team offensively, but I think they need to work on their consistency. If they can keep it up throughout the sets then I think they could have a top tier offense.”
JHS faces New Albany at home tonight, and will visit North Harrison on Sept. 21 before hosting Floyd Central Sept. 29.
Cross country program seeks support as athletes continue to excel
Editor’s Note: This story was completed before recent coaching changes with the cross country team.
by Isaiah Gatton and Elijah Lahrman
As the cross country season continues, the growing team hopes for increased support and recognition.
Former head coach Sam Mull spent 21 years involved with the program, first as an assistant before eventually becoming head coach. As a former JHS runner himself, Mull experienced the challenges of the sport firsthand.
“So when I was here, I did every sport possible, but I was mainly a runner. I did football, did basketball, wrestled, swam, cross-country, and track, but I was a track runner, mainly,” said Mull.
Mull said cross country presents a unique mental challenge because runners are constantly competing against some of the best athletes in the state and the daunting fact that it’s running.
“This is probably the toughest mental sport that you’ll ever participate in,” he said.
He explained that unlike team sports, athletes advance as individuals, and ultimately how well they do depends on them.
“If you’re a 100-meter runner, you’re not competing against 475 other teams in the state; you’re competing against a 1000 other kids in the state. And you’ve got to advance against those thousand each week and get knocked out and knocked out until you make it to the final, final level. It’s a very, very difficult sport to advance in,” said Mull.
While the sport itself presents challenges, Mull said the Jeffersonville cross country program faces another problem: a lack of recognition and funding compared with other sports.
“We don’t get recognized as much as other team sports, such as basketball and football. Results are often overlooked or discredited. And when it comes to funding for equipment, it’s often overlooked. And I’ve had to go outside the school on many occasions to get basic equipment that schools should provide for both sports,” said Mull.
The lack of support is something athletes have noticed as well. Senior cross country runner Lizette Gonzalez said the team needs more support from the school and community in order to grow.
“The team needs more girls, more support from school, parents, friends, and others so we can thrive as a team. ‘Cause right now, our backbone is basically Mull. He’s the one that’s been getting us everything, either funding or fundraisers, or just paying out of pocket,” said Gonzalez.
Mull also had problems getting funding for his other sport, track and field, saying that the condition of the equipment isn’t up to the standard needed due to having the same hurdles for 30 years, and how the track itself is not up to the condition of other schools, suggesting that it may need to be updated to 8 to 10 lanes.
Athletic director AJ Moye said the JHS athletic programs often have to generate their own funding rather than relying on a large yearly athletic budget.
“We have to generate a lot of our own revenue. We have to generate a lot of our own funds to help out our students and help our student-athletes get better facilities, get better things,” he said.
Moye said the athletic department works to form partnerships with businesses and promote student-athletes both on and off the field.
“We show them our student-athletes; we show them not only what they do in terms of their athletic fields, but man, we show them in the classroom,” said Moye. “It’s not like every year I’m getting $250,000. So I have to go out and form partnerships, go out, market our student-athletes.”
Despite these challenges, Mull said there are positive signs for the cross country team this year. The girls’ team has grown, with Mull saying the program has more athletes this year than in any of his previous four seasons. The boys’ team, however, remains at around eight runners, a number that has stayed relatively consistent over the past few years.
“We have a lot of girls. Most girls I’ve had in the four years I’ve had the team. Boys, looks like we’re sitting at eight, which we’ve stayed at for the past couple of years, and I would like to see that grow, but we just continue to truck along with what we’ve got, keep encouraging people to come out,” said Mull.
For students who might want to try running, Mull encourages them not to discount themselves.
“It’s one of those things that you got to come out, and you just got to prove yourself day in and day out, and a lot of people find that maybe it’s not for them, but there’s another handful of those kids that also find out that it is very rewarding and they find out being much better than they thought they were,” he said.
With more students joining the team and greater support from the school and community, the cross country program has an opportunity to continue growing both on and off the course.
Junior Marcus Baker has been part of the cross-country team for three years and has contributed a lot of his efforts to the team, motivating everyone, showing up to practice, and overall being a figurehead.
“I think cross country is a mental sport for everybody. I think it is good for people to go out and run. Get out all your personal stuff at home,” said Baker. “For me, running helps with my mental stuff, getting all my stress out.”
Baker looks past the fact that cross country can be a difficult and physical sport. Instead, he sees it as a way to decompress and hang out with friends. For him and many other runners, cross country is more than just a sport; it is also a way to improve their mental well-being and build relationships with their teammates.
Funding is important for the continued growth of the cross country program, providing better equipment, uniforms, and transportation for the team.
“It would be cool to get some new uniforms,” said Baker.
With more financial support from the school and community, the team could have more opportunities to improve, compete, and attract new runners. As the cross country team continues to grow each year, support from the community could play an important role in helping the program reach its full potential.
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare,” stated Mull.
JHS defeats Jennings County 4-0 on Saturday
Red Devils improve to 8-1-1 this season
Photos by Reilly Davis.
Seniors Jomall Owens and Jaelyn Hernandez crowned homecoming royalty on Friday
Photos by Malachi Conrad and Shelby Keesee.
Kokomo defeats JHS 34-0 on Friday
Red Devils travel to Floyd Central this Friday
All photos by Malachi Conrad, Shelby Keesee, and Mason Ridge.
JHS defeats Floyd Central 3-1 last night
All photos by Parker McCloskey.
Christian Academy defeats JHS 3-0 Thursday night
All photographs by Logan Vidt.
Beyond the title
Team captains practice positive leadership and encouragement
by Layney Derricott
When the game begins, captains are expected to be leaders. The ones who motivate and guide. But what happens behind the scenes? Every high school team captain is also a student balancing expectations along with responsibilities.
Being a captain is more than just the title; it’s about showing up and really showing how important leadership is.
Senior Mattie Barker, captain of the girls’ volleyball team, finds leadership fundamental.
“Leadership, to me, is something I find very important. I think of leadership as being the person on the team that everyone can trust and come to, either on the court or off. I think being the person on the court everyone looks to and comes to when they need encouragement is a very important quality,” said Barker.
Junior Cooper Spaulding, one of the football captains, said discipline is the key to guiding teammates, while being trusted and an encourager.
Spaulding also said keeping up a good front, checking on everyone, and being aware of their experiences, in addition to “keeping everyone in check separately, having to worry about how people will act to each other, while making sure they treat you with respect,” are key aspects of being a team captain.
Actions depend on the captain’s guidance to make sure every team member has their best demeanor. According to senior Abi Lemon, girls’ soccer captain, respect is something that’s earned.
“Being respected matters more than being liked. If you are respected, you’re liked. Respect is better to hold more authority,” said Lemon.
In addition, having the ability to be on everyone’s good side as well as holding strong authority is important, said senior football captain Jomall Owens, Jr.
“Making sure to keep a good look out, and take care of everyone. Also while being kind and keeping up my promise to practice what I preach,” he said.
While being a leader means looking out and supporting others, it also means staying positive and adjusting to challenging situations in specific situation, said senior soccer captain Alex Lopez.
“The Eastern game changed my look on leadership. We were down in the game, (graduate) Elijah Cheeks pulled me aside and told me take a new approach to leading my team. Be more positive along with calmer when speaking to them,” he stated.
Supporting the team’s mindsets and rebuilding confidence while encouraging helps keep players focused and proud, said Barker.
“When I notice that one of my teammates has lost confidence, I like to start by saying uplifting comments to them while playing. Like ‘Hey, great dig’ or ‘Way to find the hole in the block,’ so they keep focusing on the good things they are doing. I also will tell them to take a second and regroup, keeping up a ‘goldfish’ mindset.”
Ultimately, a captain may wear the title, but true leadership is shown through actions. Leadership isn’t defined by the title or scoreboard — it’s defined by how JHS athletes support their teammates and respond to challenges.
Bedford North Lawrence defeats JHS 42-35
All photos by Malachi Conrad, Logan Vidt and Eva Harbeson.
JHS defeats Seymour in soccer Tuesday night
All photos by Malachi Conrad, Isaiah Stewart, Mason Ridge, and Reilly Davis.
Wrestling celebrates its 70th season this year
by Bryce Treat
As JHS wrestling enters its 70th season, the program continues to demonstrate why it has remained a cornerstone of the school’s athletic tradition. Through decades of change, the sport has endured and continues to shape the lives of student-athletes both on and off the mat.
Head Coach Daniel Struck, who also serves as a middle school football coach and teaches Sports Performance, reflected on the impact wrestling has had on his life.
“Wrestling and coaches in general made me who I am today,” Struck said. “Wrestling literally means ‘to struggle’, and learning to wrestle teaches you how to handle all the struggles of life.”
The program’s 70th anniversary carries special significance. While many sports have rich traditions, Struck emphasized wrestling’s unique place in history.
“Anything that can last this long, through wars, different presidents, different administrations, depressions, and more is special,” he said. “Wrestling is 3,500 years old. It is the world’s oldest sport and the only sport mentioned in the Bible. It has lasted millennia.”
The impact of wrestling extends beyond the mat. Assistant coach and English teacher Evan Myers credits the sport with shaping nearly every aspect of his life.
“It has improved every single area of my life because many of the lessons I’ve learned have carried over to my personal and professional life,” Myers said. “The discipline you learn in wrestling helps you everywhere.”
“Wrestling literally means ‘to struggle’, and learning to wrestle teaches you how to handle all the struggles of life.”
Head Wrestling Coach Danny Struck
As the program prepares for a new season, coaches have spent the offseason developing themselves as leaders. Myers attended coaching conferences, read books on leadership, and networked with other coaches and mentors to gain new perspectives. Struck similarly invested in his growth, reading nearly 30 books, attending six conferences, and recently visiting the Olympic Training Center.
This year’s team will look much different than last season’s. According to Struck, the program has grown significantly, featuring 12 seniors compared to just three a year ago, along with more than 20 incoming freshmen.
“Every year is different,” noted Struck. “Every team brings a different look and dynamic to the struggle.”
The increased experience has coaches optimistic. Last season, JHS surprised many by advancing further than expected despite being a relatively young team.
“None of us thought sectionals would be as close as they were,” Myers recalled. “We were young, despite having experience and intensity. Now we have more experience, and I think our varsity teams could be great this year.”
One of the program’s proudest accomplishments last season was having all 14 varsity starters qualify for regionals, a milestone that reflected the team’s depth and dedication.
Senior wrestler Jak Rose knows firsthand how much effort goes into reaching that level. Wrestling has taught him lessons that extend beyond competition.
“It’s taught me discipline, how to deal with losing, and the value of work ethic,” Rose explained. “If you want something, you’ve got to work for it.”
Rose’s offseason looked different than most. After dealing with injuries, he focused more on learning and refining technique than chasing victories.
“My offseason was mainly about learning rather than winning,” he said. “Getting back from injury helped me focus on technique.”
The lessons learned from adversity have fueled his motivation entering his final season.
“Last season was very humbling,” Rose said. “It was my first year on varsity and my first year dealing with injury during the season. It gave me motivation to give everything I’ve got this year.”
As he begins his senior campaign, Rose has ambitious goals.
“I planned to get in the best physical condition I can,” he stated. “I’m really set on being a sectional champion and making it to state this year. I’m going to leave it all on the mat.”
Among the program’s other senior leaders is Abi Lemon, who is looking forward to enjoying every moment of her final year as a student-athlete.
“I’m very excited to see how sports will go,” Lemon said. “All my clubs with my friends and teammates, especially this being my last time.”
Lemon said wrestling and other extracurricular activities have helped build her confidence and character.
“Participating in all these clubs has made me better as a person,” she explained. “I feel more confident because I did them.”
Like Rose, Lemon has both competitive and personal goals for the season.
Having previously competed at the state level, Lemon understands the challenge that comes with wrestling against Indiana’s best athletes.
“My goal for this season is to go far, obviously,” she said. “As a girl, I want to have as much fun with my teammates and coaches as I’ve known since freshman year.”
“Competition is definitely a lot tougher at state and more serious,” recalled Lemon. “It was a bunch of hard-working girls, and I felt very honored to be a part of that group.”
Balancing athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities remains one of the biggest challenges for student-athletes, but Lemon credits her support system for helping her succeed.
“It’s definitely difficult,” she said. “It’s great to have friends in both because even when I struggle in one, I have a great support system to help me.”
Looking back on her experience, Lemon encourages younger students to make the most of every opportunity available to them.
“Do as much as you can while you can,” advised Lemon. “Experience is very valuable because you can learn a lot of things and have fun.”
The coaching staff also has ambitious goals for the future. Myers hopes the team can contend for sectional titles while continuing to strengthen the growing girls wrestling program.
“I hope we push for sectional titles this year,” Myers said. “I also hope to see the women’s wrestling program continue to grow. I think it has developed a legacy, and I’d like to see that continue.”
As JHS wrestling celebrates its 70th season, the common theme among coaches and athletes remains clear: success is built through hard work, resilience, and a willingness to embrace struggle. Whether it is a coach learning new leadership skills, a wrestler overcoming injury, or a senior preparing for one final season, the lessons of wrestling continue to shape those who are part of the program and ensure its tradition will carry forward for years to come.
