All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parker McCloskey and Mackenzie Stubblefield. Click on photos in the gallery below to view images.
New Albany defeats JHS 79-56
Tag: Basketball
Red Devils battle New Albany tonight at 7:30 p.m.
by Austin Bainbridge
The Red Devils enter a hostile environment tonight against an imposing New Albany team after dropping three out of the last four games.
The environment at New Albany should add to the excitement of the rivalry game.
“New Albany’s a loud environment that really helps their players along with getting in the opponent’s head,” said sophomore guard Cornelius Weobong.
Red Devil fans are also ready to see Jeff get back to form.
“I don’t think New Albany has the basketball IQ to beat our guys,” said sophomore fan Preston McCombs.
Jeff is looking to get back in the win column by changing their approach.
“I think as a team we need to pick it up in practice and work hard to prepare for this team,” said senior point guard Elijah Cheeks.
The team is also looking for leaders to help get the young team ready to play.
“Me and (Terrence) Nord need need to pick up our leadership in game and practice; we have to get people to give it their all,” said Cheeks
The New Albany team is headlined by stars like sophomore shooting guard Noah Washington, who will be a struggle to stop.
“New Albany is looking dangerous this year — they have some good players, but I still have confidence we can stop them,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.
The team is also looking to get out to an early lead and retain it throughout the game.
“We want to come out on fire and not wait until our backs are against the wall to comeback and put up points,” said Cheeks.
Jeff has its own players to watch out for, especially junior Jacob Wilkerson.
“(Jacob) Wilkerson has to keep doing what he’s doing — he’s balling right now; he just has to keep on track,” said Cheeks.
While New Albany seems like an unstoppable team, Jeff sees weaknesses to exploit.
“They don’t play defense and don’t really want to guard the ball; I think with our offense we can take advantage of that and win this game,” said Cheeks.
Red Devils prepare to face New Albany this Thursday
Lawrence North defeats JHS 71-53 on Jan. 3
All photos by Parker McCloskey and Malachi Conrad. Click on photos in the gallery below.
Silver Creek defeats JHS 64-51
State championship rings handed out prior to last night’s game
All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parket McCloskey, and Isaiah Stewart. Click on photographs in the gallery below.
Red Devils prepare for Silver Creek tonight
by Austin Bainbridge
The Jeff boys’ basketball team faces one of the top-ranked schools in Indiana, Silver Creek, for their home opener in a big benchmark game tonight in Johnson Arena.
“This is an important game; even though it’s not a rivalry like Floyd or New Albany there is a very good team and a win would be huge,” said sophomore guard Cornelius Weobong.
Silver Creek is looking like one of the best teams in Indiana and is searching for a statement win against Jeff.
“They’re really good at sharing the basketball. They’ve got six guys that could score 20 on any given night. So they do a really good job of moving the ball,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.
Jeff isn’t looking as potent as last year’s state championship team but still sees this as a competitive game.
“Our biggest keys are — Number one, we’ve got to guard for basketball. Number two, we’ve got to rebound. Number three, we have to take care of it, we cannot turn the ball over,” said Wilkerson.
The fans are also looking forward to a competitive game like this early in the season.
“I’m excited to see our guys play at home. I hope that we can come away with a win against a team as good as Silver Creek — that would be a big momentum boost,” said English teacher David Kummer.
To come away with a victory Jeff is going to have to capitalize on opportunities and not give Silver Creek very many.
“We have a lot of time where you get a good cut, get the ball, and then we miss, we give them free possession again… and then on defense we have got to know where we were at and we’ve got to sprint to our spot. We can’t give them easy points,” said Weobong.
Silver Creek is good as a team, but they also have players who shine above the rest.
“Brandon Hunter — he just recently had a game where he had 13 rebounds at the point guard position. When you have a point guard putting up 13 rebounds, that means that he is worthy of being able to get you a triple double, which probably makes him the most dangerous player on the floor,” said Wilkerson.
The Red Devils are looking to overcome some of early year struggles.
“Our mental toughness and our physical toughness is probably our biggest hurdle right now. And I think that once we’re able to correct those two issues, I think then you will start to see us jell into a unit,” said Wilkerson.
This game has been on Jeffs’ calendar for some time and they’ve been preparing.
“We’ve been preparing for Silver Creek since the buzzer went off at Seymour; we’ve been gameplanning and preparing pretty intensely,” said Weobong.
This young Jeff team could put itself on the map with a Silver Creek win, and they’re ready for tonight’s challenge.
“A win would be huge for us because this particular group as a unit has not been through the fire yet. So it would be nice to be able to go through the fire and come out successful. These guys are ready to be recognized,” said Wilkerson.
In addition to tonight’s battle with the Dragons, Jeff players and coaches will be honored with the presentation of their state championship rings from last season.
Column: Slow Start, Not a Lost Season
Why Kentucky basketball isn’t in trouble yet
by Jaxon Sturgeon
Kentucky basketball fans are not known for patience. When you wear blue and white, expectations are always Final Four or bust. So after a slow start to the season, a lot of fans are already worried. But this team isn’t failing– it’s just still building. And with key players like Jayden Quaintance and Jaland Lowe getting back to full health, things could look a lot different by the time conference play really heats up.
Early in the season, chemistry matters just as much as talent. Kentucky has both, but chemistry takes time. New players have to learn from each other, figure out roles, and build trust on the court. When injuries are added into the mix, that process slows down even more. That’s been part of the problem– the team hasn’t been whole.
The good news is that help is coming. Quaintance brings energy, defense, and presence inside. When he is healthy, he changes the flow of the game down low. Lowe adds speed, scoring, and guard depth that Kentucky badly needs.
Fans want wins immediately. That’s understandable. But basketball seasons aren’t movies– they don’t peak in the first act. What really matters is progress. Kentucky is learning how to finish games, how to handle pressure, and how to stay steady when shots aren’t falling. Those lessons hurt now, but they matter later.
Sometimes a slow start is actually a good thing. It forces a team to grow up fast. Nobody feels comfortable. Nobody assumes anything. When adversity shows up early, teams that stick together usually come out stronger on the other end. This is when leadership is built, and roles become clear.
History shows Kentucky doesn’t need to be perfect in November and December to be dangerous in March. The best teams usually don’t run through the season without problems– they survive them. This group still has time, talent, and reasons to believe.
The season is far from over. Once Quaintance and Lowe are back to 100% and the rotation settles in, Kentucky won’t look like the same team from the first few weeks. This is not the end of the story.
It’s just the awkward beginning.
Red Devils defeat Columbus East 61-31 last Saturday, face Charlestown at home tonight
Photos by Gabrielle Watkins. Click on the photos in the gallery below.
JHS defeats Floyd Central 50-47 last night in Hoosier Hills Conference victory
All photos by Malachi Conrad. Captions by Malachi Conrad and Gabrielle Watkins. Click on the photo gallery below to view images.
Moye debuts as interim coach at last night’s JHS-Borden basketball game
All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Malachi Conrad. To view photos, click on the gallery below.
Sara Nord continues to give back to Jeffersonville community
by Breslyn Dozal
Sara Nord — JHS alumna, Indiana Miss Basketball (2000), former WNBA player for the Washington Mystics, elected to the UofL Hall of Fame in 2015 — loves to give back to her community.
Nord is the manager for the Spring Hill EnVision Center and Jeffersonville Fieldhouse. She does all that while training kids and giving back to Jeffersonville.
Hayden and Jazmin Doogarsingh, who have known Nord for five years, commented on how caring and how good of a role model she is to the people around her and great with kids.
Nord has always been a team player when it comes to sports or overall life.
“Being a team is important because you have to work with a lot of people throughout life. Have to be a team even when you’re your own boss,” she said.
Nord strives to make basketball mean a lot to people of all ages. She does a lot for a whole little and would do more if she could.
“Personable, outgoing, loyal, hotheaded. I feel like that’s who I am as a person. I meet people easily and I’m loyal to them,” Nord stated on how she thinks people would describe her.
Those who know Nord well describe her as humble despite her accomplishments.
“Very humble, very grateful. I think she knew she deserved it. She is a very gracious winner,” said close friend Greg Manor on how she was when she won Indiana Miss Basketball.
Nord always wants to make the best of people, especially when training with kids. ¨She’s selfless, she’s caring. And loves kids, she loves to help them,” said Manor.
Despite her selflessness, Nord will do whatever it takes to come out first. Whether it’s during a sport or a simple game of Uno, Nord is willing to do anything just for that game-winning feeling.
“Sara’s path to success is a true JHS story; she will be the first to open up and admit that she can identify with kids because Sara wasn’t handed everything on a silver platter. She had to fight for everything she got,” said principal Pam Hall.
She will help everyone get that feeling as well. Nord used to coach at JHS and Rock Creek Community Academy. Now she runs clinics at the Jeffersonville Fieldhouse.
“I think that her dedication on giving back to the community. She helps elementary, middle, and high school students. She is widely known — you can just say ‘Sara’ and people know who you’re talking about,” commented Hall.
Sara Nord, a strong, goodwill, selfless person. She has truly left a mark on everyone she met, and touched many lives. As Hall said, “Sara is kind to people… friendly to everyone in the area.”
“Live life with a purpose.” Sara Nord.
New x Two: Jeff High Basketball Rebounds With New Boys and Girls Basketball Coaches
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
COVID-19 Casts a Shadow Over Winter and Spring Sports Prep
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
thehyphennews.com 