Category: sports

Volleyball team starts season 4-5

By Demi Schnorr
Traveling down the halls of North Central students can find posters for the girl’s volleyball team. The team has drawn more fans this year than ever before. The varsity girls are off to a commendable start with a record of 4-5.  With five seniors leading the Panthers, the season only looks to improve. Seniors Hayden Hammersley, Kaitlynn Thomas, Donala Arnold, Ashley Parry and Mercedes Montgomery play a huge roll as leaders on the team.

Before each match or practice the team listens to the song “It’s my Time” to pump them up. While listening to the song players lay in a circle around the panther head, all the players put their right arm in the circle and put their heads down to get focused. This also helps clear the players’ heads of anything but volleyball. Another pregame ritual is to touch the NCVB touch banner that the team made with all of their handprints on it.

This year students have become more intrigued with the game of volleyball.

“I think that this year has definitely been the year that we have had the most fans,” Maggie Huffer, junior, said.

Students have started out the season strong with team spirit and more have realized how much fun volleyball is to watch.The Panthers’ biggest rivals are Brebuef, Cathedral and Carmel. The team wants to beat every team but these teams especially. When it comes to playing time almost everyone on the team starts because everyone subs in and out consistently. The Panthers have had Hayden Hammersely and Donala Arnold out with injuries, who are considered to be two of the Panthers’ main hitters. Playing time is constant for the most part.

The Panthers take on the Warren Central Warriors on Tuesday, August 31 at North Central. The team is holding a Bumpathon September 11th. The Bumpathon is a ongoing volleyball match to help raise money. Parents and friends can sponsor a player to play throughout the match. Food vendors will be their to provide food for the fans.

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Sep 01, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Homecoming loss hurts struggling panthers

IMG_3703By Drew Cagnassola

Following their first week loss to a Pike team that recently lost to Center Grove, the panthers were hoping to bounce back and get on track for the rest of the season.

Lawrence Central, coming off a major win over their rival Lawrence North, wanted to uphold their reputation as one of the best teams in the state.

After the conclusion of all pre-game events, including spirit week and the pep rally, it was game time. Lawrence Central struck first with a goal line run. But the panthers quickly responded with a long touchdown pass from Gavin Alexander to Jordan Williams, but the extra point attempt was missed.

Panthers line up against the Lawrence Central Bears at the homecoming game. Jack Peck photo.

Panthers line up against the Lawrence Central Bears at the homecoming game. Jack Peck photo.

Lawrence Central scored with a long run to set the score at 14 to six. After a few changes in possession, NC scored with a long touchdown run by senior Tiandre Edwards.

Instead of trying to equal the score by going for two, the Panthers attempted another field goal but missed it.

The score was close at 14 to 12. The teams then exchanged touchdowns with the score going into half time being Lawrence Central-21 and NC-19.

Hopes grew with the close score at halftime, but these hopes were quickly put down with a impressive performance by the Bears in the second half.

The Panthers were shut out by Lawrence Central’s defense while the Bear’s offense continued to rack up the points. The final score was 42 to 19 with the Bears moving to 2-0 on the season, and the panthers remaining winless.

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Sep 01, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Junior captains lead tennis team

By Linda Albrecht

The tennis team heads in a new direction this year led by two junior captains, Luke Lohrstorfer and Jake Minner. They hope to lead their team through regionals this year. Lohrstorfer describes the process of becoming a captain.

“We had to sign up for an interview and then go through to interview with our coach,” Lohrstorfer said. “Not very many people tried out though.”

“We played really hard,” Minner said. “Not only at tryouts, but we were some of the few who actually went to the summer training.”

Jake Minner and Luke Lohrstorfer excited for the tennis season. Jack Peck photo.

Jake Minner and Luke Lohrstorfer excited for the tennis season. Jack Peck photo.

Minner explains why no seniors are captains this season.

“[The seniors] aren’t really dedicated,” Minner said. “There’s not one who is unanimously liked by everyone. There are a few who are leaders, but they didn’t play enough this summer.”

Lohrstorfer agrees with his co-captain’s opinion.

“Al Miller is pretty liked by all players,” Lohrstorfer said. “But he is known as kind of a trouble maker.”

Both players fulfill the responsibilities of captains. They get to choose what the players wear before matches, lead the team by good example and lead warm ups. Lohrstorfer and Minner both hope to be captains next year. Come watch and support your panthers this Wednesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. as they play Kokomo and Carmel.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Aug 31, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Boys soccer team aspires for state championship

Nick Floyd Photo.

Nick Floyd Photo.

By Matt Schaefer

The boy’s soccer team has high hopes for this season.

Senior co-captain Matt Ingram described the team’s goals for this year.

“Hopefully we win state. That’s what we go for every year,” Ingram said. “We definitely have a lot of work to do, just like every year. But we’ve gotten there in the past, and I know we can get there again this year if we apply ourselves.

Jesse Miser, another senior co-captain, also shared his opinion on the issue.

“This year our team’s not going to be happy with anything short of a state championship,” Miser said.  “We definitely have the talent to do it, so as long as we’re willing to put the work in, we can achieve it.”

The team is 3-0, with victories against Lawrence North, Ft. Wayne Canterbury and Ben Davis.

Matt Ingram dribbles the ball against Ft. Wayne Canterbury. Nick Floyd Photo.

Matt Ingram dribbles the ball against Ft. Wayne Canterbury. Nick Floyd Photo.

The team’s head coach is Jerry Little. Stars include Ingram and Miser — two Butler University recruits — as well as senior goalie Sean Weidman, juniors Thomas Sanner, Austin Fundenberger, Jake Keller and Dan Ullrich, among others.

The team is off to a solid start. Undefeated. Hopes are high, for the moment.

Miser believes that, with the help of strong and effective senior leadership, the team can thrive.

“It feels good to finally have our time at the top. After spending those two years being underclassmen and that one year as a junior, we get to see what goes on, and what works right and what doesn’t,” Miser said. “But we think that we can work all the kinks out that have failed us in the past, and just turn this year into a big success.”

Ingram agrees.

“Being able to be put in that leadership role is great, because we definitely think that we can do the job as good as anyone else,” Ingram said.

The soccer team’s next game is Tuesday, August 31 at Center Grove. The team’s next home game is Saturday, September 4 against Terre Haute South at 10 a.m.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Aug 31, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Football team has positive outlook on this season

Coach Mann celebrates after a big play

Coach Mann celebrates after a big play. Photo Jack Peck

By Jonathon McBride

The football team has struggled in the last couple of years, but things are looking up with a new outlook and new leadership.

Senior Captain Tiandre Edwards hopes the team can succeed this year.

“We’re trying to make a name for ourselves this year,” Edwards said. “I’m really trying to step it up as a captain. It’s like our motto. ‘It’s time.’ We want people to remember the 2010 team as a good team.”

There is no doubt that the team has changed and improved lately. Coach Mann notices that new leadership and outlook is helping the team.

“We have changed a lot of things around here,” Mann said. “Coach Shelton has changed the culture and outlook of the team and the players are buying into it.”

The team has goals this year to improve. Sophomore Marcus Oxley knows that a lot is expected from the football team.

“[Coach Shelton] wants us to be the fastest team in the state,” Oxley said. “We’ve got good coaches and leadership this year.”

There is a whole new mental out look from the team. Work ethic and effort are important to the team.

“What happened our first game happened,” Edwards said. “It’s over. We’re coming back out hard this week. We give 100% effort each and every time. I tell them that if you have a chance to hit someone, do it. ”

The team hopes that this year, they can improve.

“We aren’t far,” Mann said. “We are one of the best teams in the state. Problem is, we play the best teams too. The MIC is one of the meanest conferences in the Midwest. But, any given Friday we can win the game.”

Popularity: 7% [?]

Aug 30, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Boys tennis team comes in third place at John Shirley Invitational

By Scout Harlow

This last weekend, on Saturday Aug. 28, the boy’s tennis team played in the John Shirley Inivitational at NC.

Many schools, such as Carmel, Cathedral and Center Grove were present. As of right now, the NC boys tennis team is ranked 7th in the state.

Jake Minner serving the tennis ball at the John Shirley Invitational. The panthers were victorious against Center Grove. Jack Peck Photo.

Jake Minner serving the tennis ball at the John Shirley Invitational. The panthers were victorious against Center Grove. Jack Peck Photo.

Luke Lohrstorfer, team captain, believes that staying confident and having a strategy for the match is important.

“I try to stay as confident as possible, not yell and scream as much as some of the guys out here do, keep my cool,” Lohrstorfer said. “I like to start out early, but not go too hard until I get the feel of the ball, then I get pretty intense.”

Lohrstorfer believes the victory Saturday morning really boosted their confidence as doubles partners.

“It was great that we won today because we lost to them last Tuesday at Center Grove 6-4, 6-1,” Lohrstorfer said.

Lohrstorfer is confident that the team will have a successful season.

“We are better than what everyone thinks, we have great team chemistry. In sectionals, we play Cathedral and I think we can beat them because Riley Reist can win singles…but we need to work on sticking it to them more. We need to adapt our player’s mentality to that of Martin Weiss,” Lohrstorfer said.

Martin Weiss, a new member to the tennis team at NC, received match MVP last Thursday when he beat Hamilton South eastern in a singles match. He played an eight game pro-set and tied at 7-7. He then won the tie break 7-4 and supposedly dropped to his knees because he was “so hype.”

Lohrstorfer commented on their future as a team.

“We’re young and looking really good already. We won’t lose anyone on the varsity this year because none of us really are seniors. We’re only going to get better.” Lohrstorfer said.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Aug 30, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Pacers fail again

By Thomas O’Farrell

 

The Indiana Pacers will once again end their season with disappointment. With another losing season comes a good possibility that coach Jim O’Brien’s stint as Pacers head coach could be coming to an end. 

 

O’Brien has led the Pacers to four consecutive losing seasons, and hasn’t shown any promise during his time as coach. 

 

There have been several issues with the Indiana Pacers this year: poor drafting, lack of teamwork, and injury has Indiana as the tenth worst team in the National Basketball Association.  

 

The first step to a turn around for next year will have to start with a new head coach. O’Brien just doesn’t have what it takes. 

 

Another key issue the Pacer’s organization must address is the drafting problems. The Pacers continue to make horrible decisions when selecting draft picks. I know Tyler Hansbrough is a hard working, determined athlete, but he doesn’t have enough size and talent to hang with the decent power forwards in the league.

 

A quality draft pick and new leadership at the head coaching position could allow the Pacers to have some success and hopefully make a playoff run in 2010-2011. Until this happens, professional basketball will continue to not exist in Indiana.  

 

The Pacers now have the reputation as a joke, which is sad because of how Indiana is globally known as a basketball state. It’s time for change. 

Popularity: 6% [?]

Apr 15, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

State champions!


Team celebrates state championship (Photo Jack Peck)

Team celebrates state championship (Photo Jack Peck)

By Cal Boots and Beau Scott

For the boy’s basketball team, this past season was a year focused on one thing—a state championship. With quick, intelligent point guards in Ronnie Johnson and Micah Smith, elite off-guards in D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and Trip McFall, as well as a Mr. Basketball candidate in Terone Johnson, the Panthers were hungry for a title.

McFall commented on the team’s lone goal.

“Since the beginning of the season we knew we could win state, and any other result would have been falling short of our potential,” McFall said.

The team started the year with wins against Pike and Lawrence Central, but then lost to both Carmel and East Chicago Central within the nex five games.

The Panthers, however, responded with an eleven game winning streak, earning them a Marion County Championship as well as a MIC title.

A loss to Center Grove was the only blemish in their last 20 games, leaving them with an overall record of 25-3.

Before attaining their goal of a state championship, the Panthers had another obstacle in their path—winning Sectional 10.

Talented programs such as Lawrence North, Lawrence Central, Warren Central, and Cathedral all are a part of Sectional 10, making it arguably the most difficult in the state. It was the difficulty of this sectional that tripped up last year’s squad, losing in the sectional championship to a talented Lawrence North team.

This year however, the team was determined to crack the sectional barrier and advance to Hinkle Fieldhouse for regional play. McFall commented on the teams focus throughout sectional play.

“We have the best coacing staff in the state and they kept us on task and focused every day,” McFall said.

The Panthers received a bye in the first round of sectional play and beat Warren Central by 21 points to set up a rematch with Lawrence North in the final.

After a rocky start and lack of offense, the Panther defense kicked in and held the Wildcats to just 11 points in the last three quarters of play, giving the Panthers the sectional crown.

Regional play featured the historic double header played at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

After beating Ben Davis in the morning game, the Panthers were slotted to play the Millers of Noblesville in the nightcap.

The game was hard fought with the score close throughout regulation.

A late streak of points by Johnson forced the game into overtime.

Late free throws by McFall and sophomore Patrick Ingram allowed the Panthers to notch the one point victory.

“I think the defining moment of our season was beating Noblesville in overtime,” Johnson said.

Coach Doug Mitchell commented on the task of playing Noblesville.

“The Noblesville game was the most difficult of the tournament because it was such a long day at Hinkle, and they were such a good team,” Mitchell said.

Next the team made the trek down to Southport to play Jeffersonville, who were hot off just beating the best team in the state, Bloomington South.

The Panthers survived a late surge by Jeffersonville and finished them off with a score of 82-74.

The Panthers season culminated at a packed Conseco Fieldhouse against Warsaw for the State Championship.

Warsaw came out of the gates fast but NC quickly caught up and passed them and the game was over by the end of the second quarter.

The final score was 95-74, setting a state record for points in the state championship.

“We have honestly not played anything like that. They are no joke,” Warsaw coach Doug Ogle said.

After the team was awarded their medals at Conseco and the coaches cut down the nets, many players and their families and fans met back at the North Central gymnasium to celebrate.

Everybody celebrated their first championship since the 1998-1999 season.

“I celebrated by spending time with my friends and family. It was great because my best friend from Portland came and surprised me, I smiled a lot the next few days,” Mitchell said.

Many attribute the success of the team to the outstanding senior leadership by McFall, Johnson, Aaron Bluitt and Jack Altice, and also to the team’s unity.

“Our senior leadership was a great bonus, we had great leaders. The thing is that they all led in different ways. Terone led verbally, Trip by example, Jack by example and by making his few minutes important and Aaron by sacrificing his role,” Mitchell said.

“We all became a family,” Altice said.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Apr 05, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Girl’s tennis team looks to improve

By Jonny McBride

 

The girl’s tennis team started their season with their first practice on Monday March 15. This year the team will rely on sophomore Drew Hert to do well this year along with seniors Katie Whelage and Amy Bercovitz. 

 

Going into tryouts, the number one doubles team is likely to be Claudia Varga and Kaitlyn Lindley. The number one singles player will probably be Hert. 

 

“I am excited about this year, we have a lot of talent,” junior tennis player Maci Sterret said. 

 

New entry to the team sophomore Keeley McFall is expected to do well, even though she is new to tennis.

 

“She is really athletic, and can do well at anything,” sophomore Mattie Mayer said. 

 

The team lost in qualifying for the state tournament last year. 

 

“Hopefully, we can improve from last year,” Sterret said.

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Mar 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Two freshman make the cut for top players in the state

By Charlotte Jacobs

 

On March 12, the top 20 high school basketball recruit rankings for the class of 2013 were announced on INDYSTAR.com. Among the several schools listed, our own North Central made a double appearance.

 

John Murray, small forward, and Darius Latham, power forward, appear as #12 and #13 on the list. 

 

Latham explains how the team and him prepare for the basketball season.

 

“We spend a lot of time in the weight room getting prepared, plus there’s practice after school” said Latham.

 

Latham, prior to our interview was not informed that he’s among the top basketball recruits.

 

“I’d like to thank my mama, and little league coach,” Latham said, “But I owe it all to Coach Mitchell for giving me the chance to play up on varsity.”

 

Darius is going to finish out the season on varsity and hopes to be in the varsity starting line up next year.

 

“If I could tell the kids at my middle school that want to play basketball anything, I’d tell them to always try their best and never give up.”

 

John Murray was not available to comment on the subject, but will be later informed that he has made the list, too.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Mar 16, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
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