The Columbus East boys and Columbus North girls have had different-type soccer seasons, but their paths have led them to this week’s regional action.
The North girls are 16-1-1 and ranked No. 8 in the state. The Bull Dogs haven’t lost since the season opener at Brebeuf Jesuit.
The East boys are 9-2-7. The Olympians won their second consecutive sectional, despite losing eight seniors from last year’s team that reached the state’s final four for the first time in school history.
“I think ultimately, the team had a lot to prove,” first-year East head coach Josh Gonsior said. “You had those big players last year, and a lot of the time, they were the difference between a win and a loss. Maybe we didn’t get out of those ties with wins this year, but I think they have a chip on their shoulder, and they want to prove that it wasn’t a fluke last year. I think they’ve proved, and they’ve shown that they’re a team to be reckoned with, as well, and it wasn’t just a one-off last year.”
The North girls won their first sectional title since 2017, when they reached the final four. The Bull Dogs, who lost to Center Grove in the sectional the past two years, avenged that loss in Saturday’s sectional final.
“For most of our girls, it will be the first time playing in a regional,” second-year North coach David Young said. “We’re extremely excited about the opportunity to compete for sure.”
The Bull Dogs will play No. 7 Evansville Memorial (14-3-1) at 10 a.m. Saturday in the semifinals of the Bloomington South Regional. The winner will face Bloomington South (15-1-1) or Floyd Central (8-8) in the 7 p.m. final.
Memorial has outscored its opponents 90-12 this season, while North is outscoring its opponents 85-12, led by a single-season school record 43 goals from Jenna Lang.
“Memorial is a very tough team,” Young said. “They will be the toughest team that we’ve faced all year. They’re solid all over the field. Their frontrunners are dynamic and can score.”
The East boys will play Terre Haute South (11-5-2) at 10 a.m. Saturday in the semifinals of the Seymour Regional. The winner will face Center Grove (9-4-4) or Castle (14-2-1) in the final at 7 p.m.
The Olympians were figuring on a rematch with Bloomington South, but the Panthers were upset by Terre Haute South in the sectional final.
“Bloomington South has been the power coming out of that sectional for a few years, and I was really expecting to see them,” Gonsior said. “But the beauty of this sport is that anything can happen at any time. Anybody can beat anybody on a given day. Terre Haute showed up, and they beat a team that we tied in the season, so we’re looking forward to that challenge on Saturday and hopefully, we’re mentally and physically prepared to battle.”
North to host CC regional
Columbus North’s top-ranked boys and second-ranked girls will host a cross-country regional Saturday morning at Ceraland.
The Bull Dogs will lead a field of 10 teams in each race. The top five in each qualify for the Oct. 24 Brown County Semistate.
Columbus East, Brown County and Jennings County also will be in the girls race, which begins at 10:30 a.m. The race also will include Hauser’s Amanda Steward, who made it as an individual.
Jennings and Brown County are in the boys race, which starts at 11:15 a.m. The race also will include individuals Ryan Ault and Alex Bower of Hauser and Tyler Hertle, Mason Curry and Casey Bartholomew of East.
Locals earn academic honors
Fourteen area seniors have been named to the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association Academic All-State team.
Columbus North’s Emma Derringer, Ava McKinney, Madi Roop and Madison White and Hauser’s Sophia Musillami, Marnie Schwartzkopf and Aunaka Wasil made the team, along with Brown County’s Lauren Akles, Abigail Angebrandt and Natalie Suding and Trinity Lutheran’s Elly Carter, Kennedy Hoffman, Sydney Jaynes and Bailey Reynolds.
To be eligible for selection, players must be a senior varsity player and have at least a 3.5 GPA, and their coach must be an IHSVCA member.
Runners net academic honors
Three boys and two girls from Columbus North are among the six local runners to be named to the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Academic All-State first team.
Columbus North juniors Evan Carr, Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff and Wil Littrell and Jennings County senior Gavin Hendrix are on the boys first team. North junior Will Kiel made honorable mention.
North juniors Abby Jacobi and Katherine Rumsey are on the girls first team. Bull Dog seniors Mackenzie Barnett and Aric Tong made honorable mention.
Jets selected All-MHC
Three members of the Mid-Hoosier Conference champion Hauser volleyball team have been named to the All-MHC squad, and coach Jeff Case is the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Seniors Hannah Johnson and Wasil and junior Andie Clark are on the first team. Schwartzkopf and sophomore Charlie Clark made honorable mention.
Volleyball semistate moved
Jennings County has replaced Columbus East as one of the two southern sites slated to host this year’s volleyball semistate on Oct. 31.
Bartholomew County still is allowing only 250 fans at indoor sporting events.
“Because of our fan restrictions and the limited number of people that we can allow into the gym, they needed somebody that could house more people than we are allowed,” East athletics director Pete Huse said. “We’re at the mercy of what the health department tells us we can allow.”
Meanwhile the IHSAA has determined sectional hosts for boys and girls basketball. East and Columbus North will play in a girls sectional at East Central and a boys sectional at Bloomington South this year. Hauser still will play at Waldron for girls and Southwestern (Shelby) for boys.
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at [email protected] or 812-379-5628.
