Sports – Page 4

Cheerleaders earn honors at ‘Fear the Cheer’ competition

by Reese Dobson

Cheerleading is a lot more difficult than it may appear at a regular football or basketball game.

“The hardest part about cheer is probably cheering throughout all the difficulties, like weather conditions, losing, and people being absent,” said sophomore cheerleader Aaliyah Flowers.

Cheer is an all-year-long season. “I don’t think anybody realizes how much we practice. We only get one month off throughout the year, and we practice from April to competing at nationals in February,” senior Kyndal McCartin said.

McCartin said the cheer team practices on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On weekends, cheerleaders compete in competitions and cheer at sports games.

“Going to nationals with my team and competing the routine we have worked so hard on makes it all worth it,” senior Kenzie Keller stated.

UCA cheer nationals is a cheerleading competition in Orlando, Florida, where teams all over the country come and compete for state titles. Teams have to receive a bid to compete in the competition, Keller explained.

However, cheerleading isn’t always about competitiveness. A big part of cheerleading is team bonding and trust, which cheerleaders need to have for each other.

“I have always enjoyed watching others cheer, and I wanted to give it a try. I enjoy the sportsmanship and friendship on the Jeff team, and it keeps me going,” said freshman Kiela Smith.

Coming to practice with a good attitude is important to get through a hard practice, Flowers explained.

Cheer is sometimes debated as to whether it’s a sport or not. “I think cheer is definitely a sport because we practice, train, and perform. We have a minimum of four practices a week, and we have competitions against other teams,” said freshman Eliza Davis.

JHS cheerleaders took on the “Fear the Cheer” cheerleading competition at New Albany High School on Saturday, Sept. 21 They came out with first place in the timeout division, first place in the gameday division, and overall timeout grand champs. Photo by Alicia Flowers.

The Jeff High cheerleaders attended one of these competitions at New Albany High School last Saturday, Sept. 21. They came out in first place for the timeout routine and first place for the game day routine. The awards ended with the title “Grand Champs” for the overall timeout category.

“I’m glad we won because we practiced hard, and I’m glad all the work paid off,” Keller said.

24 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils beat North Harrison 3-2 to celebrate Senior Night

Senior Riley Dobson claps her teammates before the game starts on Monday night. The Red Devils defeated North Harrison 3-2 on Senior Night. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

23 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Floyd Central beats Jeff 34-12 on Friday; Red Devils prepare for Bloomington North and Homecoming this Friday, Sept. 26

All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parker McCloskey.

Seniors Tre Martin and Bryce Grant hold a special photo of Noah Maddox, presented as a gift to Floyd Central prior to the game. Photo by Parker McCloskey.

22 Sep 202522 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils face Floyd Central tonight on Senior Night

by Austin Bainbridge

It’s a rivalry week for Jeff football, matching up against a Floyd Central team that has had great success against them in the past, and Jeff is trying to turn the corner on tonight’s game.

Junior Benji Rice poses for the camera after a touchdown against the Seymour Owls. The Red Devils play Floyd Central tonight. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

“It’s a mental thing for the players, when a team just beats you down year after year you just expect it to keep happening, so I’m hoping we can get this done,” said head coach Joe Washington.

The coaches know this game starts with them, and they want to show the players a way to win.

“This game starts with me. If I’m fiery and excited about the game, I think the players are going to feed off my energy. So I hope me showing how much I care will make the players really want to dominate Floyd,” Washington said.

Even though Jeff hasn’t beat Floyd in 11 years, the players remain confident in their skills.

“I think they’re scared of coming here and losing. When you’re scared of doing something, you come up with excuses to get out of it,” said fullback Jaxx Long.

The Jeffersonville defense made several stands against Kokomo last week, along with a dramatically improved performance at Bedford-North Lawrence.

“Our linebacker play was really good against Kokomo. Malachi Monts had 13 tackles, and KT (senior Kurion Thompson) had nine and an interception. I think that’s what helped with the win,” said Washington

The defense is going to have to step up to stop Floyd’s potent rushing attack, which went for 425 yards last game.

“They played Silver. I mean, it’s not too hard to rush for 400 against Silver Creek. We put in a new defense, we’re going a five-man front this week to try to slow down their running game,” said Washington.

It’s Senior Night tonight, and that is just more motivation for the players.

“I want to play hard and win to give these seniors a good memory before they go off to college,” said Long.

The coaching staff sees where a win could take Jeff, and they want to make it there

“A win against Floyd would start a fire and start this program down a path we want to go,” said Washington

19 Sep 202519 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Girls’ soccer Red Devils defeat Charlestown 5-1 Wednesday; will play Columbus East and New Albany next week

The JHS girls’ soccer team prays before their match against Charlestown on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The Red Devils won 5-1. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

19 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Girls’ golf team celebrates its seniors on Wednesday

All photos by Magdalene Conrad.

JHS girls’ golf seniors pose for a photo on Senior Night on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

19 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS defeats Borden 3-2 in tennis, plays Friday at New Albany

All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Malachi Conrad.

Junior Kaden Westbay poses for the camera during a break in the match. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

18 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS defeats Jennings County, falls to Male High School; will play Bedford-North Lawrence this Saturday

by Parker McCloskey

As they prepare to face Southern Indiana rival Bedford-North Lawrence this Saturday, the Jeffersonville Red Devils come off a 7-0 win against Jennings County last weekend, and a tough 3-2 loss against the Male High School Bulldogs on Tuesday night.

The first half of last night’s Male game resulted in no points scored on either team. The second half started out with a goal for Jeff, scored by junior Alan Soloranzo Lopez, then a second goal for Jeff scored by junior halfback Bryan Juarez De La Luz.

“I think the team could’ve been more active; during the second half we could’ve shown more energy and fighting spirit against Male,” said Juarez.

The team is optimistic about Saturday’s game against BNL.

“We’re going to have a good time. This team is different from other Jeff teams in the past; we’re going to learn from our mistakes and hopefully take home a victory against BNL, ” said Juarez.

Jeff still remains in second place in the Hoosier Hills Conference with a 3-1 HHC record and a 8-3-1 overall record. This Saturday the Devils travel to Bedford-North Lawrence to face off against the Stars.

All photos by Parker McCloskey and Malachi Conrad.

Junior Bryan Juarez De La Luz dribbles the ball in the Red Devil game against Jennings County on Saturday, Sept. 13. JHS won 7-0. Photo by Parker McCloskey.

17 Sep 202517 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Junior Scarlett McRae succeeds in soccer and in wrestling

by Aubrey Cummings

Coming from a family of soccer players, the sport has always been a big part of Scarlett McRae’s life. McRae, a junior at Jeff High, has been playing soccer for almost 10 years now.

“If I had to pick one person that has inspired me the most when it comes to soccer, I would have to say my dad. Not only has he taught me about soccer my whole life, but he is also there after games to give me feedback, good and bad,” said McRae.

Junior Scarlett McRae on the field at a soccer practice. McRae is a dual sport athlete, playing soccer and wrestling for JHS. Photo by Aubrey Cummings.

In her three years on the Jeff High girls’ soccer team, McRae has had many accomplishments. Her freshman year she was awarded with The Rookie of the Year award. Halfway through her sophomore year she set a record for the most goals scored for the girls´ team and will continue on to add to that record this year.

Earning these accomplishments has put a lot of pressure on McRae to keep being the one of the best. This pressure has taken a toll on her confidence in her abilities. In order to overcome her lack of confidence before games she said, “I pray before games and then just go with the flow, remembering that it’s okay to make mistakes and that I don’t have to be perfect.”

McRae isn’t just a part of the Jeff soccer team, but also the Racing Louisville Academy team. It’s a great opportunity to get her name out there and to be seen by colleges and professional teams.

After high school McRae plans to go to college for sports physiology. She also wants to play for her college team and eventually for a professional team.

“She makes me want to keep getting better so I can improve and beat her but not in a super competitive way but in the way that we both want to make the team the best it can be,” stated Junior Abi Lemon, a teammate of McRae’s on the field and the mat.

Though soccer is her main sport, McRae is also a part of the girls´ wrestling team. She started her freshman year when Sian Rogers, a senior on the soccer and wrestling team, convinced her to give it a try, telling her it would help her at soccer.

Junior Scarlett McRae wrestles her opponent at the JHS meet with Moore High School in 2024. Photo by Ethan Bronson.

After a week of wrestling she decided it wasn’t for her but she still wanted to be involved, deciding to be a manager instead. By doing this she was allowed at the practices and meets. As time passed she realized how much fun her friends were having and decided to rejoin towards the end of that season. That year she made it to Semi-state with her team before ending the season. She then chose to come back the following year to continue to improve.

Wrestling coach Danny Struck described McRae as a driven and dedicated player.

“When given the opportunity Scarlett is always open to improving; she keeps her eye on her goals and does the things that make her and her team better,” he said.

McRae said competing in both sports has helped her compete on the soccer field and on the wrestling mat.

“Soccer allowed for me to have better and quicker foot work in wrestling that most girls didn’t have, and wrestling taught me how to not get pushed off the ball as easily and stand my ground in soccer.”

McRae has been described as a leader in everything she does. She strives to be the best person she can be and to help whoever she can. She looks forward to trying to beat Floyd Central and New Albany, along with helping her teammates score more this soccer season.

Going into wrestling later this year, she wants to win as many matches as she can and make it to state.

“Coming into both seasons I am excited to win,” McRae explained. “Also to help my teammates succeed and to see how far we can go.”

15 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils travel to Kokomo to compete tonight

The offensive line snaps the ball to junior Benji Rice for an attempt at a touchdown against the Seymour Owls. The Red Devils won 20-6, picking up the first win of the season. They lost to Bedford-North Lawrence last week, and head to Kokomo to compete tonight. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

by Austin Bainbridge

Jeff came out of Bedford North Lawrence with a loss but is still looking forward to tonight against Kokomo to redeem themselves and get back to .500.

“I’m excited to see what their defense has to offer against us, and I’m ready to get another win,” said fullback Jaxx Long.

Kokomo had five turnovers last week, resulting in a 22-15 loss to Monrovia, and Jeff is going try to find a way to exploit that.

“Fine-tuning our defensive scheme, make sure everybody’s in the same place they need to be and knowing who exactly their supposed to cover in zone coverage and just trying to get some of those picks is crucial,” said head coach Joe Washington.

Against BNL Jeff had some defensive trouble, allowing 48 points, and Kokomo has the players to put up a similar performance.

“Kokomo has a receiver, number four (Baris Moore) — he’s pretty dynamic. He’s a good go-ball receiver and double move guy. He’s just bigger, faster and stronger than our other opponents,” said Washington.

Despite the defensive struggle, the Red Devils had a solid offensive game that they look to build on.

“As coaches we ran the ball effectively. Our RPO’s looked good, but the main thing was even though the score might have not indicated it we didn’t give up,” said Washington.

Coming out with the loss to BNL, Jeff is trying to to analyze what could have gone differently.

“I think the offense was very inconsistent. We had big drives, but then couldn’t do anything the next (drive). That then puts the defense in a bad place where they couldn’t do anything either,” said Long.

Despite what both teams’ records suggest, this is still a competitive matchup to measure where both teams can go with the rest of the season.

“If you combine both records it’s 1-5, so that’s not good, but there’s something to be said when a team schedules you as their homecoming, so that’s them saying they think they can beat us, but were ready to show them who we are,” said Washington

12 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Cross country teams benefit from new course

Athletic director A.J. Moye with the Jeff High cross country team at Tuesday’s meet at Scottsburg. The boys’ placed seventh and the girls’ placed third. Photo by Sam Mull.

by Isabella Stewart

This year’s cross country season has started with a lot of teamwork, running, and introducing new team members who are running their hearts out on the cross country courses.

First, with the arrival of new athletic director A.J. Moye has helped support the team. He has helped build and support Jeff’s own cross country course.

Moye has driven through the course, making sure it’s safe for others, and has also just put a lot of time into making the course everything it needs to be.

Moye has shown up to regionals with the track team and has attended cross country practices, showing his love and support for this year’s cross country team.

Moye said he believes the most important part of his job is ¨to believe in the titles and the important roles that everyone plays¨ on their respective teams. He said pours himself into the kids and coaches lives and makes sure they know their value.

Two years ago, the cross country team only had one female athlete; last year, there were four, and that shows how much the cross country team has grown over the past year.

Senior runner Keira Jackson has made many friends and as she´s finishing her senior year one of the biggest things she wants people to know is “no matter how deep you’re in, there’s always an escape.”

Senior Keira Jackson runs to the finish line at the cross country meet in Scottsburg on Tuesday, Sept. 9. She placed 25th. Photo by Marcus Baker.

Jackson is currently striving to a 20-minute PR time.

Jackson really speaks highly about how coach Sam Mull has supported the team every step of the way, just as Moye has talked about.

Mull said he wants to “help improve each and every athlete on the team in their own ways.”

The cross country team recently had a fundraiser, and they raised over $2,035 dollars for their whole team.

Sophomore runner Marcus Baker talked about how he went to 6-7 different neighborhoods going door to door to help out with the fundraiser as much as he could.

The team has their first home meet Sept. 30 at their brand new cross country course.

This upcoming Thursday is XC Night at Bubba’s, in which a portion of purchases provides food, transportation, uniforms, awards, and gear for this year’s season.

Baker said,”We hope to see you there and Iḿ wishing this cross country season the best.”

10 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS travels to Bedford-North Lawrence tonight looking for season’s second victory

5 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen