Last week, Columbus East won its sixth consecutive wrestling sectional title.
On Saturday, the Olympians will try for their fifth straight regional championship. But the main goal at the Jeffersonville Regional is to advance all 14 wrestlers through to next week’s Evansville Semistate.
“That’s definitely a goal,” East coach Chris Cooper said. “Those guys wrestling in those third-place matches did themselves a favor, getting a better matchup for this weekend. So it’s definitely attainable.”
The Olympians had 11 champions, one runner-up and two third-place finishers in the Jennings County Sectional. The top four in each weight class at the regional advance to semistate.
East’s top competition for the team title likely will come from Charlestown and host Jeffersonville.
“We don’t look at it too much,” Cooper said. “We just look at the individual matchups. Our first goal is getting all 14 through. If we take care of the individual thing, the team will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, Columbus North will be sending seven wrestlers to the regional. Jennings County has six entrants, and Brown County will have three.
Locals named All-Region
Six local seniors have been named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association All-Region 10 squad.
Columbus East quarterback Malachi Parks made the team as a free safety and is joined by teammate and offensive lineman Hunter Nichalson, along with Columbus North running back Blake Huffman, offensive lineman J.J. Montgomery and kicker Carter Ward.
South Decatur offensive lineman Brian Wittkamper also made the team, and Cougars assistant coach Mike Dowell was named an assistant coach.
All-Region selections now are eligible to be selected for this year’s North-South All-Star Game, which will be July 9 at North Central High School in Indianapolis. The selection meeting is March 7.
Locals make All-District
Three local seniors have been named to the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association All-District 3 team, and one is in the All-District 4 squad.
Columbus North’s Alexa McKinley and Madison White and Jennings County’s Addyson Kent made the 10-player All-District 3 team. Trinity Lutheran’s Sydney Jaynes made All-District 4.
SD’s Lauderbaugh honored
South Decatur senior Lane Lauderbaugh is the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association District 3 Boys Player of the Week from last week.
Lauderbaugh recorded 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 77-70 win at Southwestern (Shelby). He had 41 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in an 81-49 win against North Decatur and scored 13 points in Friday’s 87-54 win against Hauser.
Basketball games moved
Columbus East will host South Decatur in boys basketball tonight after the Olympians’ scheduled opponent, Brownstown Central, had to quarantine.
Hauser’s boys basketball home game scheduled for tonight against Southwestern (Shelby) has been moved to Feb. 15. The Jets’ home game against South Dearborn scheduled for Saturday has been postponed to Feb. 25.
North softball sets meeting
Columbus North softball will hold a parent-player callout meeting for the upcoming season at 6 p.m. Feb. 18 in the high school cafeteria.
Ted Schultz is sports editor for The Republic. He can be reached at tschultz@therepublic.com or 812-379-5628.
