The Indianapolis 500 purse record was shattered for the second year in a row after a monumentally successful 107th running of the Indianapolis 500, with race winner Josef Newgarden (photo) of Team Penske earning $3.666 million from the total purse of $17,021,500.

After record-breaking payouts in 2022, this is the largest purse and largest winner’s payout in the century-plus history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The year’s average payout for NTT Indycar Series drivers was $500,600, which also exceeds last year’s average of $485,000.

In 2022, the Indianapolis 500 purse was $16,000,200 and the year’s winner payout was $3.1 million. Prior to 2022, the largest Indianapolis 500 purse was $14.4 million for the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

Second-place finisher Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing took home $1.043 million, exceeding the take-home prize for last year’s second-place finisher.

“This is the greatest race in the world, and it was an especially monumental month of May featuring packed grandstands and intense on-track action,” Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Now, we have the best end card possible for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500: a record-breaking purse for the history books.”

The month of May was full of major milestones as Indianapolis Motor Speedway welcomed more than 330,000 fans to the Racing Capital of the World for Sunday’s race, making it the second-largest Indianapolis 500 crowd in more than two decades.

A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ Benjamin Pedersen earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors for his performance during the month. Pedersen earned a $50,000 bonus for being named Rookie of the Year, adding to a take-home prize of $215,300.

Renew Tickets for 2024

Fans can renew or upgrade their Indy 500 tickets at ims.com/review, by calling 317-492-6700 or by visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office. The renewal window will continue through June 20.

These are the best prices of the year for renewals and upgrades. Prices will increase when tickets go on sale this fall, and again in 2024 before each event.

“More than 325,000 fans filled IMS on Indianapolis 500 Race Day for the biggest and most memorable celebration of all that is May,” said IMS President J. Douglas Boles. “Whether 2023 was your first trip to IMS or your 50th, we encourage you to renew or request an upgrade for seats by June 20 to reserve their spots for next year for another great celebration of speed and tradition.”

Steve Bush photo

Three former IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball winners and three former IndyStar Indiana Miss Basketball honorees will take part in an All-Star signing event at 4 p.m. June 10 in the pavilion area of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Those set to take part in this signing event are Larry Humes, 1962 Mr. Basketball from Madison; Denny Brady, 1964 Mr. Basketball from Lafayette Jeff; Billy Keller, 1965 Mr. Basketball from Indianapolis Washington; Judi Warren, 1976 Miss Basketball from Warsaw; Lisa Winter Finn, 1996 Miss Basketball from Huntington North; and Lisa Shepherd-Stidham, 1997 Miss Basketball from Richmond.

The signing event brings a "past element" to the 2023 Indiana All-Star itinerary, which is spotlighting Indiana's best from the past, present and future.

The present is the 2023 IndyStar Indiana senior All-Stars, who will take part in a trio of doubleheaders. They will play June 7 against the Indiana Junior All-Stars at Indianapolis Cathedral (girls at 6 p.m., boys about 8 p.m.) as well as a pair of encounters against the Kentucky senior All-Stars -- June 9 in the Owensboro Sportscenter (girls at 5:30 p.m. CDT, boys about 7:30 p.m. CDT) and June 10 in Gainbridge Fieldhouse (girls at 5 p.m. EDT, boys about 7:30 p.m. EDT).

The future includes both the Junior All-Stars, who play a pair of doubleheaders, as well as the inaugural All-Stars Futures Games. The Juniors face Kentucky on Sunday, June 4 (girls at 2 p.m., boys about 4 p.m.) at Jeffersonville and the Seniors on June 7 at Indianapolis Cathedral. And the new Futures Games doubleheader is a curtain-raising set of contests on June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, girls at noon and boys at 2 p.m.

Rosters for all those games previously have been announced. 

The IndyStar Indiana All-Stars are presented by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The Indianapolis Star is the title sponsor of the Indiana All-Stars. Hoosier Shooting Academy is a presenting partner of All-Star Week (June 4-10). Energy Systems Group is a presenting partner of the June 10 senior doubleheader against Kentucky.

The first 500 fans to attend the All-Stars' signing event will receive a complementary poster that features Humes, Brady, Keller, Warren, Winter Finn and Shepherd-Stidham. In conjunction with their appearance at the signing event, the six former Indiana No. 1 players shared memories of their All-Star experiences.

In the 1962 All-Star games, Humes excelled as Indiana split two games with Kentucky. He scored 21 points with 10 rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting and was named the “Star of Stars” as Indiana prevailed 88-82 in Louisville. A week later, he totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting but Kentucky claimed a 70-68 decision in Indianapolis.

 “The crowds at Freedom Hall (12,000) and Butler Fieldhouse (14,719) were unbelievable,” Humes said. “The competition and the makeup of the teams, those also are strong memories. The games were competitive, and there were a lot of great players on both teams. To win the Star of Stars, that was important to me.”

As for being voted Mr. Basketball, Humes said the title was special for multiple reasons.

 “It’s the greatest honor a youngster in the state of Indiana ever could dream about,” he said. “I felt like I was branded with it for the rest of my life in the sense that I had to work hard to live up to the recognition that goes with the award. It really served as a great motivation for me when I was younger because it was the first truly big honor I had received. All of a sudden, I realized I had a lot to live up to.

 “Being Mr. Basketball, it’s a special fraternity you’re in for the rest of your life. You have to live up to it.”

In the 1964 All-Star games, Brady scored four points on 2-of-5 shooting in a 68-59 first-game setback against Kentucky and its Mr. Basketball – future college and pro standout Wes Unseld – in front of 15,700 fans in Freedom Hall. A week later, however, Brady tallied a team-high 12 points on 4-of-7 field goals and 4-of-6 free throws as Indiana recovered for a 68-54 triumph before a crowd of 13,093 in Butler Fieldhouse.

 “What I remember most about the games was how big the Kentucky team was and how much better we were even though we lost to them at Kentucky,” Brady said. “I also remember that off the court there many things for us to do, the most exciting of which was getting to drive around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

Brady described his selection as Mr. Basketball as a bonus.

 “Being named Mr. Basketball was like icing on the cake after winning the (1964) state tournament,” he said. “It was quite a surprise as our coach (Marion Crawley) never talked about any of us being an All-Star. But when it happened, he told me it was well deserved.”

Indiana dropped both games to Kentucky in 1965, but Keller gave his all despite the results. He tallied 12 points and two rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting in a 90-80 opening loss in front of 11,109 fans in Butler Fieldhouse. A week later, Keller scored 20 points with four rebounds while hitting 6-of-15 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws in a 74-69 setback before a crowd of 15,800 in Freedom Hall.

 “Kentucky had more size than we did, but the games were close and a no-foul-out rule allowed one of their key players (Tom Hagan) to stay in there,” Keller recalled, noting that Hagan scored 22 in each game but would have fouled out of the second game had conventional rules been used. “What I remember most was the fun we all had. We all had an opportunity to get to know one another at dinners and (off-court) events. Because the games were played to benefit the Blind Fund, that was an important part, too.”

Keller contributed to the All-Stars again in 1979 when he served as head coach of the Indiana girls’ team. His connection to the All-Stars remains current as his grandson, Luke Almodovar of Noblesville, is a member of this year’s boys’ team. Keller remains proud that Indiana Mr. Basketball is among the titles he earned in his career.

 “Most people, when they talk to me about awards or accomplishments, it usually is about the Pacers,” he said “Fewer people talk about NCAA honors and fewer yet talk about high school.

 “But Mr. Basketball, that really means something to people of Indiana because we are a basketball state. Then when you look at a list of the Mr. Basketball winners, all the great players who came before and the great players who came after, to be in with all those tremendous players, it is such an honor. It is an honor that stays with you. You carry the name of Mr. Basketball everywhere you go in life.”

Warren totaled 16 points, three rebounds and three assists on 7-9 shooting in the first girls’ All-Star game, a 59-48 loss to Kentucky in front of 15,780 fans in Freedom Hall. She followed with 11 points, five rebounds and six assists on 3-of-9 field goals and 5-of-8 free throws as Indiana prevailed 68-55 in the rematch before 17,426 in Market Square Arena.

 “I remember just how fun it was to play with the high-quality players,” Warren said. “We had some other good players in high school, but the All-Stars had a whole team full of good players. I also remember the time at the hotel, the practices, the facilities and how close we became in those two weeks. There are several players with whom I am still friends today.”

As for being a Miss Basketball, in her case the first Miss Basketball, Warren said it was an unexpected honor.

 “I just played for the love of the game,” she said. “But being Miss Basketball, it was something that pushed me to give back to the game of basketball, to contribute to the progress of girls’ and women’s basketball over the years. It is amazing how much (the game) changed my life.”

Of note, Warren later served as an All-Star girls' assistant coach in 1991 and as the All-Star girls' head coach in 1993.

In the 1996 All-Star games, Winter Finn helped Indiana sweep Kentucky with an 87-82 decision in Lexington and a 68-57 triumph in Indianapolis. She totaled five points, four rebounds and five assists in the opener in front of 8,000 fans at Memorial Coliseum. She followed with 20 points and six rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting, 3-of-4 3-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws before a crowd of 12,546 in Market Square Arena.

“Several players on the All-Star team that year had played AAU together, so we had pretty good on-court chemistry,” Winter Finn said. “My high school coach (Fred Fields) was the head coach of the All-Star team, so being on the court with him was pretty similar to my high school experience.”

Winter Finn said it is humbling to continue to see her name on the Miss Basketball list each year when a new name is added.

“I hope basketball players and fans in Indiana continue to recognize the title of Miss Basketball as the distinguished honor it is,” she said. “I truly cherish being part of that history.”

As for the ’97 All-Star games, Shepherd-Stidham said she does not remember many details other than that Indiana split with Kentucky and the loss “may have had something to do with an iguana.”

For the record, Shepherd-Stidham scored nine points with five rebounds and two assists in a 71-56 victory in front of a crowd of 11,781 in Indianapolis. A week later, she followed with 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting with three 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws in an 86-83 setback before 2,000 fans in Frankfort’s Farnham Dudgeon Civic Center.

Shepherd-Stidham does recall her time off the floor with the All-Stars.

“Getting to spend two weeks with my teammates and the boys’ All-Stars is something I always will remember and cherish. We had so many laughs and fun moments together. I never will forget one of the guys – I won't mention any names – brought his pet iguana to the hotel. A number of players from both (the boys’ and girls’) teams ended up getting sick with salmonella, and some players had to make a trip to the hospital. The iguana ended up passing away a couple of days later.”

As for being Miss Basketball, Shepherd-Stidham understands the significance.

“I always have taken great pride in the fact that I was able to represent the state of Indiana by wearing No. 1,” she said. “There were so many talented players in my class, and it was a privilege to get to play alongside them.”

The information below is about tickets for the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball games in 2023.

Admission is $10 per person for the Indiana Juniors vs. Kentucky Juniors doubleheader on June 4 at Jeffersonville. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 2 p.m., and the boys follow about 4 p.m.

Admission is $10 per person for the Junior-Senior doubleheader on June 7 at Cathedral. Tickets are available at the door. The girls start at 6 p.m., and the boys follow about 8 p.m.

Tickets are $12 and $10 each for the All-Stars against Kentucky on June 9 in Owensboro. The girls start at 5:30 p.m. CDT (6:30 p.m. EDT), and the boys follow about 7:30 p.m. CDT (8:30 p.m. EDT). Tickets are available at owensborotickets.evenue.net.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75, $50, $35, $25, $20 and $10 for June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Futures Games doubleheader has the girls at noon and the boys at 2 p.m. The Senior All-Star doubleheader has the girls at 5 p.m. and the boys about 7:30 p.m. One ticket for all four games on June 10. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com.

Fresh off a 4-6 season last year, there is a sense of excitement surrounding the North Putnam football team this offseason. 

The Cougars opened the season 0-4 under coach Scott Moore, who is in his second season, before winning four of their last six games. During the process, North Putnam showed an ability to roll up points, scoring or surpassing 50 points three times. 

Moore admits things are good for his team currently. 

"The offseason has been going really well for our team. We have a good, core group of kids who have bought in and are working hard to improve for the upcoming season. We are getting stronger and faster and look for some younger guys to have great seasons. Our spring practices went really well and it has been beneficial to be in year two of the new system because we already have a foundation set of what we are about and what we want to accomplish. Our team is ready for summer to start and Friday nights in the fall will be here before we know it," Moore told The Putnam County Post. 

Moore said last year's record was the byproduct of a new staff and new system. 

"We had a great senior class that bought in and did everything they were asked of.  They will be tough to replace, but we have a lot of young guys that now know what it takes to be successful and we are confident in them.  We knew that we had a tough schedule to start the year and even though we were in each game at certain points and competitive, we let some get away from us on the scoreboard.  We played a lot of guys that were not able to have any JV experience in the years prior and now that they have had a year of Friday nights we are looking for them to be leaders on and off the field.  We finished the season strong going 4-1 in our last 5 regular season games and played a tough Sullivan team to a 4 quarter game in the sectional.  Our JV team went undefeated last season and some of those guys will have to step into new roles, but we also started several freshmen on Friday nights, so they will have to be leaders as sophomores with the experience they have," Moore admitted. 

Moore said the Cougars will feature some young linemen, who have gotten stronger in the weight room, as well as some young skill players that he is looking forward to seeing. 

"We have some young receivers/defensive backs and a couple of running backs/linebackers that are looking to take over every down roles and had a great spring catching and knowing the offense and defense. Our quarterback had a great offseason attending camps and throwing well this spring, as he has also gotten a lot stronger this offseason," Moore said. 

And, as the clock continues to count down to the season opener at North Montgomery on Aug. 18, Moore has a good feeling about his Cougars. 

"If we continue to buy in as a team and do things the right way in all aspects, I am confident that we can put ourselves in positions to be successful this upcoming season," Moore said. 

When the softball season began, North Putnam opened it with confidence and a motto that summed up how they would approach the season, "champions don't wake up every day motivated to conquer the world. They conquer the world because they wake up motivated to go 1-0 every day."

That motto paid huge dividends for Kerry Rousey's team, which won the Class 2A Sectional 44 championship by exercising demons against South Vermillion (21-7). South Vermillion defeated the Cougars 8-1 earlier this month and ended North Putnam's run in the postseason the last two years. 

"It is an extremely good feeling. To not only win a sectional that has been 17 years since the Cougar softball program has had one but to do it over the two-time defending champion makes it even feel much more enjoyable knowing our program is heading in the right direction," Roussey told The Putnam County Post. 

The win came with some amazing feats, as Kyndal Brewer blasted a grand slam in the sixth inning to give the Cougars the lead, but South Vermillion would battle back to retake the lead in the top of the seventh inning. 

However, as has been the case all season, Brylie Scmitz came through when it mattered most, drilling a walk-off single to lift North Putnam to the win and title. 

The efforts were something Roussey has seen all season from his squad. 

"We have really had a total team effort with our success this season. Our six seniors -- Kyndal Brewer, Emma Williams, Brylie Schmitz, Ashlynn Stacks, Karyssia Miller and Kylie Rust -- have been our anchors. Our underclassmen, which have much of our speed in junior Lexi Daigle, freshman Bailee Pride and Hailee Daigle, have been able to get rally's started with their speed and cause a lot of pressure on our opponent's defense," Roussey said. 

North Putnam will next play Cascade.  The Cadets handled Covenant Christian in the Cascade sectional title game, 12-0.

Cascade and North Putnam played in the season opener on April 3.  Cascade used a five-run third inning to break open a 1-0 game and go on to win, 9-0.

North Putnam scored 16 runs in each of its two softball victories this season over Southmont.

Unlike the regular season win in five innings, Tuesday's 2A sectional semifinal had to go seven before it became official.

The Cougars scored in each of the first three innings and led 8-0 before Southmont plated two runs in the bottom of the third.

Kyndal Brewer recorded the win as she worked four innings in relief of starting pitcher Karyssa Miller.

North Putnam (19-9) will get a rematch with South Vermilion (21-6) in tonight's sectional championship.  South Vermilion defeated the Cougars on May 18, 8-1. North Putnam has also been eliminated from the postseason by South Vermilion each of the last two seasons.

Weeks of rumors and speculation were put to bed this week as North Putnam has sent a letter of separation from the Western Indiana Conference. 

The former conference included the likes of Brown County, Cloverdale, Edgewood, Greencastle, Northview, Indian Creek, South Putnam, Owen Valley, Sullivan and West Vigo. 

In a press release, North Putnam officials thanked the Western Indiana Conference for its time.

"We would like to thank the entire Western Indiana Conference for their patience, understanding and support throughout this process. We look forward to continuing positive relationships with each Western Indiana Conference member school during this transition period and beyond," the release states. 

North Putnam has accepted an invite to join a new athletic conference that will include Crawfordsville, Southmont, North Montgomery, Frankfort and Western Boone. The conference will be named at a later date. 

"We anticipate the new conference going into effect no later than the 2026-27 school year, with the possibility of an earlier implementation. This timeframe should allow us to work with the Western Indiana Conference schools to insure a smooth transition while working with the new conference schools to form conference by-laws, confirming schedules, etc.," the release continued. 

Last month, North Putnam athletic director Bart Jochim told The Putnam County Post there was nothing he could officially share. 

"North Putnam is and will always explore options to do what is best for our students, school and community," Jochim told The Putnam County Post at the time. 

North Putnam boys' basketball coach Vincent Brooks welcomed the change of scenery, pointing to travel times between the two conferences. 

"I believe it is a great move that is focused on what is best for students as it will significantly reduce travel times and allow student athletes the ability to be home earlier on week nights," Brooks told The Putnam County Post. 

North Putnam football coach Scott Moore also embraces the change of conferences, telling The Putnam County Post, his team is "excited about the move into the new conference."

"It will help with travel times for all sports and allow the communities to support the programs at various events. Football wise it will be very competitive and a great opportunity for us to play some different teams and start new rivalries with the other schools," Moore said. 

Moore said the teams in the new conference have experienced success in the past. 

"These other schools have had success and are building great programs, they have top of the line facilities and we know that when we travel it will be great atmospheres on game days. We are hoping to be able to compete year in and year out and are excited about the opportunities," Moore said. 

Following a vote by the North Putnam Community Schools school board Thursday night, the Cougars will be leaving the Western Indiana Conference as an athletic member. 

North Putnam has accepted an invite to join a new athletic conference that will include the likes of: Crawfordsville, Southmont, North Montgomery, Frankfort and Western Boone.

Last month, North Putnam athletic director Bart Jochim told The Putnam County Post there was nothing he could officially share. 

"North Putnam is and will always explore options to do what is best for our students, school and community," Jochim told The Putnam County Post. 

The Cougars were already slated to play Southmont and North Montgomery this football season and last played Western Boone in 2020 in the sectional round of the IHSAA football playoffs. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as necessary. 

Beginning next year, high school basketball teams will shoot two free throws for common fouls when in the “bonus.” This change to Rule 4-8-1 eliminates the one-and-one scenario and sets new foul limits each quarter for awarding the bonus free throw.

Rules changes were approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee at its annual meeting April 24-26 in Indianapolis. The recommendations were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

In addition to awarding two foul shots for all common fouls, teams will reach the bonus when their opponent commits five fouls in each quarter and team fouls will reset at the end of each quarter. Previously, teams were awarded the one-and-one bonus when their opponents committed seven fouls in a half and two foul shots when 10 fouls were committed each half.

“The rules committee studied data that showed higher injury rates on rebounding situations and saw this as an opportunity to reduce opportunities for rough play during rebounds,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS Director of Sports and liaison to the Basketball Rules Committee. “Additionally, resetting the fouls each quarter will improve game flow and allow teams to adjust their play by not carrying foul totals to quarters two and four.”

The throw-in procedure for front-court violations was simplified in Rules 7-5-2 through 7-5-5. When the ball is in team control in the offensive team’s frontcourt and the defensive team commits a violation, a common foul prior to the bonus, or the ball becomes dead, the corresponding throw-in by the offensive team will be at one of four designated spots determined by where the infraction took place. The designated spots are either the nearest 28-foot mark along each sideline or the nearest spot 3 feet outside the lane line on the end line. The one exception is when the defensive team causes a ball to be out of bounds, the throw-in shall be the spot where the ball went out of bounds.

Throw-in administration was also addressed in a change to Rule 7-6-6. When an official administers a throw-in to the wrong team, the error can be fixed before the first dead ball after the ball becomes live unless there has been a change in possession.

Other approved rules changes include:

• Rule 2-1-3 establishes the official placement of a shot clock operator at the scorer’s table for those states utilizing the shot clock.
• Rule 3-4-5 clarifies that multiple styles of uniform bottoms may be worn by teammates, but they must all be like-colored and adhere to uniform rules outlined in Rule 3-6-2 regarding logos and trademarks.
• Rule 3-5-6 addresses undershirts and allows teams to wear a single solid color or solid black for visiting teams with dark jerseys. This provides an opportunity for schools with hard-to-find colors to have all players wear a black undershirt.
• Rule 9-3-3 was amended to allow a player to step out of bounds and return to the court if the player gains no advantage. A player is penalized only if, after returning inbounds, the player is the first to touch the ball or avoids a violation.

A complete listing of the basketball rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Basketball.”

According to the 2021-22 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, basketball is the third-most popular high school sport for boys with 521,616 participants in 18,428 schools nationwide. It is the fourth-most popular girls sport with 370,466 participants in 17,901 schools.

The City of Noblesville has announced a transformational partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment to bring the Mad Ants, the company’s affiliate in the NBA G League, to Noblesville.

To accommodate the move, Noblesville plans to build a new 3,400 seat, 85,000-square-foot arena on the east side of the city.

“We are excited to welcome Pacers Sports & Entertainment to Noblesville along with the players, coaches and staff of the G League team,” Mayor Chris Jensen said. “The Pacers are an iconic brand with deep roots in central Indiana. Partnering with such an impactful organization opens numerous opportunities for our community and drives forward our efforts for a larger sports and entertainment district with enhanced partnerships.”

The new arena is anticipated to open during the 2024-2025 season, and the team would play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the interim. City and team officials are working through due diligence steps with local partners and plan to build the arena at Finch Creek Park near the Mojo Up Sports Complex, which generates nearly 1 million visits per year. The city expects to draw 65,000 fans annually to Noblesville and Finch Creek just for games, which is already the second most visited area in Hamilton County for sports visitors.

“We are working with the Pacers and other partners on programming options for the arena on days it is not used by the Pacers. The facility would be available for events like IHSAA tournaments and competitions, concerts, conferences, corporate events and graduations,” Jensen said. “Further steps are being taken to finalize development and programming partners, which may also incorporate additional project features and recreational amenities.”

The franchise will remain the Mad Ants through the 2023-2024 season. A new mascot will be unveiled prior to the 2024-2025 season and Mad Ants, a name with a special tie to Fort Wayne, will be retired.

“The G League is world-class basketball, and PS&E is proud to bring that to Noblesville as we strengthen our basketball operations and enhance player development in one of the state’s most vibrant and growing communities,” Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Rick Fuson said. “We are excited about the way this partnership fits into the bold vision for economic development Mayor Jensen has laid out, and we can’t wait to continue growing our NBA and G League fan base right here in Hamilton County.”

At the Noblesville Common Council meeting on May 9, a 10-year partnership agreement between the City of Noblesville and Pacers Sports & Entertainment will be presented. The agreement includes $5 million in cash investment from PS&E, which will also lead an effort to secure another $5 million in naming rights and signage over those 10 years, as well as $36.5 million from the city in building the arena.

“We welcome the new partnership with the Pacers,” said Noblesville Common Council President Aaron Smith. “The administration and council have made proactive, smart investments to assist with the financing of this partnership. We are excited to continue the strategic growth on the east side of our city and provide a new attraction for our residents and guests.”

Featuring 30 teams — 28 with one-to-one affiliations with NBA franchises — the G League offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere.

“Fifty-four percent of NBA players have G League experience. Noblesville will compete in 27 media markets in 21 other states, plus Mexico and Canada,” Jensen said. “Noblesville also has a proud history of being a basketball community, including 1998 Mr. Basketball Tom Coverdale and the 2022 Millers Girls Basketball State Champions. Adding our partnership with the Pacers only cements us as a destination for basketball and youth sports.”

Hendricks Regional Health and Wabash College today announced a new three-year partnership effective July 1, 2023, that makes Hendricks the sports medicine provider for the Little Giants.
 

“Wabash Athletics is thrilled to partner with Hendricks Regional Health to elevate our sports medicine operations, especially in athletic training services,” said Matt Tanney, Director of Athletics & Campus Wellness. “The athletic training profession is in the midst of a sea change nationally, and partnering with a trusted, local healthcare provider to leverage its expertise and professional networks in support of Wabash scholar-athletes is a big win. We're excited to work alongside the Hendricks' team in the coming months to launch this effort.”

Through the partnership, the Hendricks team of physicians, athletic trainers, and physical therapists will provide care to Wabash student-athletes. Services include the prevention, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.

“Building strong, lasting partnerships with schools and employers is something we are incredibly proud of at Hendricks,” said Shane Sommers, Vice President of Professional Services for Hendricks Regional Health. “The field of sports medicine has advanced tremendously, and we are committed to bringing the latest – and most proven – techniques for preventative and rehabilitative treatment of student-athletes. Our athletic trainers that will be taking care of the
13 Little Giants athletic teams are supported by a comprehensive group of orthopedic specialists, including a proud Wabash alum.”

During its annual review of the by-laws Monday, the Board of Directors of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. tabled a proposal that changes the way schools are classified in the four-class sports.

The board, led by President Chris Conley of Delta High School and Vice President Kye Denney of Wes-Del High School, approved 12 proposals, three failed to receive enough support, and several others were tabled during the meeting in Indianapolis.

All proposals are considered in the order that the rule appears within the current by-laws. The Board of Directors has four options on each proposal: affirm, deny, table or amend a rule. A simple majority is necessary to act on any measure and all approved measures become effective immediately unless otherwise noted.

After lengthy conversation, the board opted to table the proposal for further study which would begin classifying schools in the four-class sports of baseball, basketball, softball and volleyball using fix enrollment figures. Since 1997-98, the rule has required equally distributing schools among the four classes.

The proposal, which will now be taken up at the June 22 Executive Committee meeting, was submitted by Commissioner Paul Neidig on behalf of the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (IIAAA). It calls for the following breaks:

• Class 4A – 1,400 enrollment and up
• Class 3A – 600-1,399 enrollment
• Class 2A – 325-599 enrollment
• Class A – 324 enrollment and down

Due to the tabling of the four-class proposal, the other proposals affecting the Tournament Success Factor were subsequently tabled as well.

In other items:

• The board unanimously approved (17-0) of reducing the necessary number of schools participating in an Emerging Sport (currently girls wrestling and boys volleyball) from 150 to 100 before that sport would become officially sponsored and a state tournament implemented. The minimum of 40 schools per district was also struck from the rule.
• The proposal that required schools to notify the Association of their intention to play up one or more classes for the next reclassification cycle with a deadline of September 1 was approved 18-0.
• An amendment to Rule 9-14 that reduces the number of practices required after missing consecutive days was approved 18-0. Students missing 8-14 consecutive days will now need two practices (previously four) while those missing more than 14 consecutive days will now need three practices (previously six).
• Clarifying language to Rule 14-8 that high school students with a provisional officiating license may officiate any contests other than those at the high school level (grades 9-12) was approved 18-0.
• An amendment to Rule 14-9 that extends the deadline to renew an officiating license from May 31 to June 30 was approved 18-0.
• A proposal from the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association requesting the first authorized practice date for girls tennis in the spring did not pass (1-17).
• Amendments to Rules 50-1 and 50-1.2 (Pre-Participation Practice) that reduced the number of practices required both passed unanimously (18-0).
• Two proposals from Austin Principal Dr. Ryan Herald that would reduce the maximum number of games that a baseball and softball team may play both failed to receive any support.
• The elections of next year’s leadership of the Board and Executive Committee were also held. Stacy Adams of Valparaiso High School was voted president of the 2023-24 Board of Directors and Chad Gilbert of Charlestown High School was elected vice president. Chris Conley of Delta High School was named chairman of the 2023-24 Executive Committee and Tom Black of East Central High School was confirmed as vice chairman.

The IHSAA baseball and softball state tournaments do not begin until late May.

On Sunday, area teams will learn their postseason draw as pairings shows for both tournaments will air live on IHSAAtv.org.

The 38th Annual IHSAA Girls Softball State Tournament Pairings Show will broadcast at 7 p.m. The show will be hosted online by Greg Rakestraw. Complete pairings will be available at IHSAA.org following the broadcast.

Sectional tournaments across the state will run from May 22-27.

Baseball

At 8 p.m. on IHSAAtv.org, Greg Rakestraw will host the 56th Annual Boys Baseball State Tournament Pairings Show. Complete pairings will be online at IHSAA.org following the broadcast.

Sectional tournaments run from May 24-29.

Eighteen high school student-athletes from across the Hoosier State will serve next school year as members of the 2023-24 IHSAA Student Advisory Committee (SAC).

A South Putnam student is one of the nine juniors who will join nine seniors beginning their second year with the group and will receive hands-on leadership experience through several IHSAA-sponsored events as well as serve as a voice to the IHSAA staff.

Each year, the IHSAA receives nominations from school principals on behalf of student athletes from IHSAA member schools. From that group of nominations, 20 are selected for interviews by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee and returning members of the SAC. From those interviews, nine incoming juniors are invited to join the group of nine returning seniors.

Student-athletes from the area who will serve as part of next school year’s committee include:

Danae Cline, junior - South Putnam

Mary Cox, senior - Monrovia

Whitman Horton, senior - Crawfordsville

The SAC meets four times annually – twice each semester – and is responsible for hosting meetings with student peers at the Fall Area Principals Meetings; assisting with the awards ceremonies at IHSAA state championship events throughout the school year, planning and administering the annual IHSAA Student Leadership Conference and to engage in and support the activities of Special Olympics Indiana including the Unified Track & Field and Unified Flag Football State Tournaments.

Other SAC functions include the development of an IHSAA Captain’s Handbook which is posted to IHSAA.org as well as assisting in the creation of multiple public service announcements addressing good sporting behavior which will be utilized during 2023-24 state championships events.

Markus Burton has earned the top individual award in Indiana high school boys basketball.

Burton, a 6-1 guard from Penn High School, has been named IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball for 2023 in online voting of media and boys’ varsity coaches conducted by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and All-Star game director Mike Broughton, it was announced Wednesday (April 19) as part of the IndyStar Indiana Sports Awards program.

The Mr. Basketball result means Burton will wear the No. 1 jersey for the Indiana All-Stars in their annual series with Kentucky. The Mr. Basketball award goes to the top boys’ basketball senior in the state. The Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards are part of the IndyStar Indiana All-Star program that dates to 1939. The Miss Basketball award, along with the girls' All-Stars, was added to the All-Star program in 1976.

The complete 2023 boys' All-Star team was announced on April 4. The complete 2023 girls' All-Star team was announced on March 14. Laila Hull of Zionsville previously was announced as Miss Basketball for 2023.

Burton earned the boys' top honor after being named on 171 ballots submitted to Broughton in balloting that ran from March 14 through March 29. Xavier Booker of Cathedral was runner-up with 20 votes. Zane Doughty of Ben Davis and Joey Hart of Linton-Stockton each received six votes. Myles Colvin was fifth with five votes followed by Mason Jones of Valparaiso with three votes. In total, 16 players received at least one Mr. Basketball vote.

A Notre Dame recruit, Burton averaged a state-best 30.3 points as well as 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.6 steals while leading Penn to a 28-2 season that included Northern Indiana Conference, Elkhart Sectional and Michigan City Regional championships. He converted 58.2 percent on field goals (348 of 598), including 42.5 percent on 3-point attempts (65 of 153) for the Kingsmen. He also sank 87.1 percent on free throws (148 of 170).

For his career, Burton totaled a school- and St. Joseph County-record 2,273 points as well as 533 rebounds, 512 assists and 329 steals while Penn amassed an aggregate record of 74-31 over his four seasons (10-14, 12-12, 24-3 and 28-2). He also holds the school record for points in a season (909 as a senior) and produced a triple-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in this year's sectional opener against Elkhart on Feb. 28.

Burton is the first boys' player and the eighth overall player from Penn to be named an Indiana All-Star. Those chosen as All-Stars previously from Penn, all girls, are Jessica Reiter (2000), Lily Svete (2009), Alex Morton (2012), Taylor Lutz (2013), Caroline Buhr (2014), Camryn Buhr (2016) and Kaitlyn Costner (2021). Also, Penn's Kristi Ulrich is the head coach of the 2023 girls' All-Stars.

In going to Notre Dame, Burton joins Chris Thomas of Pike (2003) and Luke Zeller of Washington (2005) as Mr. Basketball honorees to join the Irish program. Burton, Thomas and Zeller are among 24 Indiana All-Stars to play for the ND men's basketball program.

Burton also is the third Mr. Basketball winner from St. Joseph County. He follows John Coalmon of South Bend Central in 1957 and David Magley of South Bend LaSalle in 1978. Burton also becomes the third Mr. Basketball recipient coached by Al Rhodes. The Penn mentor also guided 1985 winner Jeff Grose and 1996 winner Kevin Ault while he was the coach at Warsaw.

While in high school, Burton has been recognized as 2021 IBCA Large School All-State, 2022 IBCA Underclass Supreme 15, 2022 AP third-team All-State, 2023 IBCA Senior Supreme 15 and 2023 AP first-team All-State. He also was named the NIC's most valuable player in 2022 and 2023 after earning honorable mention all-NIC accolades in 2021.

Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball traditionally wear No. 1 jerseys for the respective Indiana Boys All-Stars and Indiana Girls All-Stars in the annual series with Kentucky. The All-Stars will face the Indiana Junior All-Stars in an exhibition doubleheader on June 7 at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. The All-Stars follow with their home-and-home doubleheaders with Kentucky -- June 9 at the Owensboro SportsCenter in Owensboro, Ky., and June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 

Indiana Mr. Basketball honorees

1939: George Crowe, Franklin

1940: Ed Schienbein, Southport

1941: John Bass, Greenwood

1942: Bud Brown, Muncie Burris

1943: not awarded (World War II)

1944: not awarded (World War II)

1945: Tom Schwartz, Kokomo

1946: Johnny Wilson, Anderson

1947: Bill Garrett, Shelbyville

1948: Bob Masters, Lafayette Jeff

1949: Dee Monroe, Madison

1950: Pat Klein, Marion

1951: Tom Harrold, Muncie Central

1952: Joe Sexson, Indianapolis Tech

1953: Hallie Bryant, Indianapolis Attucks

1954: Bobby Plump, Milan

1955: Wilson Eison, Gary Roosevelt

1956: Oscar Robertson, Indianapolis Attucks

1957: John Coalmon, South Bend Central

1958: Mike McCoy, Fort Wayne South

1959: Jimmy Rayl, Kokomo

1960: Ron Bonham, Muncie Central

1961: Tom VanArsdale, Indianapolis Manual, and Dick VanArsdale, Indianpolis Manual

1962: Larry Humes, Madison

1963: Rick Jones, Muncie Central

1964: Dennis Brady, Lafayette Jeff

1965: Bill Keller, Indianapolis Washington

1966: Rick Mount, Lebanon

1967: Willie Long, Fort Wayne South

1968: Billy Shepherd, Carmel

1969: George McGinnis, Indianapolis Washington

1970: Dave Shepherd, Carmel

1971: Mike Flynn, Jeffersonville

1972: Phil Cox, Connersville

1973: Kent Benson, New Castle

1974: Steve Collier, Southwestern (Hanover), and Roy Taylor, Anderson

1975: Kyle Macy, Peru

1976: Dave Colescott, Marion

1977: Ray Tolbert, Anderson Madison Heights

1978: David Magley, South Bend LaSalle

1979: Steve Bouchie, Washington

1980: Jim Master, Harding (Fort Wayne)

1981: Dan Palombizio, Michigan City Rogers

1982: Roger Harden, Valparaiso

1983: Steve Alford, New Castle

1984: Delray Brooks, Michigan City Rogers, and Troy Lewis, Anderson,

1985: Jeff Grose, Warsaw

1986: Mark Jewell, Lafayette Jeff

1987: Jay Edwards, Marion, and Lyndon Jones, Marion

1988: Woody Austin, Richmond

1989: Pat Graham, Floyd Central

1990: Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence

1991: Glenn Robinson, Gary Roosevelt

1992: Charles Macon, Michigan City Elston

1993: Maurice “Kojak” Fuller, Anderson

1994: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso

1995: Damon Frierson, Ben Davis

1996: Kevin Ault, Warsaw

1997: Luke Recker, DeKalb

1998: Tom Coverdale, Noblesville

1999: Jason Gardner, North Central

2000: Jared Jeffries, Bloomington North

2001: Chris Thomas, Pike

2002: Sean May, Bloomington North

2003: Justin Cage, Pike

2004: A.J. Ratliff, North Central

2005: Luke Zeller, Washington

2006: Greg Oden, Lawrence North

2007: Eric Gordon, North Central

2008: Tyler Zeller, Washington

2009: Jordan Hulls, Bloomington South

2010: DeShaun Thomas, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers

2011: Cody Zeller, Washington

2012: Gary Harris, Hamilton Southeastern

2013: Zak Irvin, Hamilton Southeastern

2014: Trey Lyles, Indianapolis Tech

2015: Caleb Swanigan, Homestead

2016: Kyle Guy, Lawrence Central

2017: Kris Wilkes, North Central

2018: Romeo Langford, New Albany

2019: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Center Grove

2020: Anthony Leal, Bloomington South

2021: Caleb Furst, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian

2022: Braden Smith, Westfield

Whoever said you can't go home never met newly minted Greencastle High School head football coach David Stephens.

The former Owen County offensive coordinator is back with Greencastle, where he previously served as an assistant coach and is a 1997 Greencastle graduate. 

When he was hired, Stephens said he had to pinch himself when he thought about coaching the program where it all started for him.

"I grew up in the poorest part of Greencastle. Educators were invested in me and believed in me, giving me an opportunity to see that I had a future if I was willing to work for it. It is exciting and surreal," Stephens told The Putnam County Post. 

The excitement has carried over through the offseason, which Stephens said has gone "amazing up to this point."

"We have been recruiting our school hard and we are sitting at 70 players who are committed to playing football this fall and looking to add more to the roster," said Stephens, who inherits a team that finished 2022 with 38 players. "We have recently started spring football and the players are learning us and we are learning them. At this point, we want to be starting the foundations of building relationships with our new players and conveying how our standard operating procedures work." 

The fact that Stephens is a Tiger Cub has helped, as well, he said. 

"I have relationships in the community from my time as a high school student. I have relationships in the community from my time there as a teacher and a coach. This has helped immensely in my return and the community has been more supportive than I could have ever imagined," Stephens said. 

He added the major points of his first offseason are building relationships and earning the trust of parents and players. 

"We have a wonderful staff who are all aligned and committed to implementing a new culture at Greencastle High School," Stephens said. 

Strength coach Andrew Tirrotta has been putting the players through weight training and singled out the efforts of rising seniors Jackson Buis and Lamar Moore, and rising juniors Kaiden Toasino and Ian Williamson as players who have had outstanding offseasons, according to Stephens. 

As he continues to move closer to his season opener with Greencastle, Stephens admits there is a lot of excitement surrounding the program when it comes to the upcoming season. 

"We have an extremely challenging first quarter of the season with perpetual top ranked teams like Danville, Northview and South Putnam. We look forward to the competition and testing our mettle versus the top programs in our area. In the second half of the season, we have Owen Valley on the schedule and that game will have a pretty big emotional impact as we have multiple coaches who were part of the success at Owen Valley the past two seasons coaching against players that we love and want the best for for the Owen Valley sideline. It will be an eventful season for the Tiger Cubs, no doubt," Stephens said. 

After winning just one game a season ago, Cloverdale High School football coach Tyler Lotz knows there is only one way to go and that is up for the Clovers. 

In order to improve on their success once the 2023 season rolls around, Cloverdale has been busy in the offseason looking to secure its first winning season since 1996. 

"The off-season has been solid so far. Our main points were to continue to get stronger and to continue to recruit the hallways. I think we've done a good job at both of those," Lotz told The Putnam County Post. 

Lotz said "multiple kids" have had a strong offseason, but there are two guys that have stood out above the others -- running back Levi Johnson and center Corey Branigan. 

"Those two are constantly pushing each other to be great," Lotz said. 

The second year coach said what stands out to him when he looks at last season was turnovers. 

"We lost games we should have won because of turnovers and we let games get out of hand because of turnovers. We didn't do a great job of taking care of the ball and we didn't create enough turnovers on defense to balance ourselves out. That is the main focus going forward along with some other tweaks that will need to be made," Lotz said. 

And, when he looks to the upcoming season, Lotz notes the Clovers bring back a lot of returning skill players. 

"The big question mark as of right now is the line of scrimmage, we are going to need a big summer for the boys up front. We want to take that momentum we created last year and snow ball it into something bigger and better this year. I believe we're headed in the right direction and I'm excited to see what this group can do in our '23 season," Lotz said. 

Kerry Roussey has been around softball long enough to know it's teams that peak when it matters most that make postseason runs. 

Fresh off winning the Putnam County Softball Tournament, Roussey hopes that is the case with the North Putnam softball team, who recently made room inside the trophy case and added this year's county tournament title to the case. 

"Winning the county was and always will be a goal for us each year.  It is great honor to be Putnam County Champions and there has some very good teams that not only won the this prestigious tournament but went on and had outstanding seasons as well deep run in the state tournament," Roussey told The Putnam County Post. 

The Cougars had solid performances from several players during the county tournament, including pitcher Kyndal Brewer, who threw 12 innings against Greencastle in the championship tilt. 

Roussey singled out Brilye Schmitz, as well as Ashlyn Stacks and Emma Williams, who belted a walk off homer to lift North Putnam. 

"Brilye Schmitz that strong performer all day long in both games as well as Ashlyn Stacks with her ability to get on base but also her defense. Both Karyssa Miller and Kylie Rust with some solid defense and timely hits when we needed them.  Our seniors each contributed all day and the underclassmen also came though with Bailee Pride’s first homerun of the season in the first game and the Daigle’s, Lexi and Hailee, causing chaos on the base paths," Roussey said.

Roussey admits the season is going "in the right direction" at the moment. However, the veteran coach admits North Putnam is dealing with "some aches and pains that we will fight through."

"With our close loss to Sullivan, we will have to be sharp on the rest of the conference games and hope that someone can knock off the Golden Arrows," Roussey said. 

It is Roussey's hope North Putnam continues to grow as a team and continue playing well as the schedule marches towards May and the rest of the season. 

"We gained a lot of respect and trust for one another with the marathon game with Greencastle and want to feed off that continue to build our confidence off of that and get stronger we closer to the state tournament.  Much of our success and to have long tournament will all depend upon how we all come together as team and that foundation has been set and now it is time to build on that foundation," Roussey said.

While there is still plenty of baseball left to be played, it was mission accomplished when it comes to one of the goals for the North Putnam baseball team recently, as it captured the Putnam County championship. 

Head coach Chris Geeser admits his team is no different than any other when it comes to wanting to win the county title. 

"I think any athletic team in the county would have that as one of the top team goals. A team being the Putnam County champions, in any sport, is a big deal. There is always a lot of focus on the county tournaments and it provides some nice bragging rights for teams," Geeser told The Putnam County Post.

The veteran skipper admits he was "excited and proud" watching his team hold off Greencastle 8-6 to win the title. 

"I was excited for my guys in the program. We have been putting in a lot of hard work since off-season workouts, the first couple of weeks of practice, and the first couple of weeks of the season to continue to get better. So to see all of that hard work be rewarded by achieving one of our team goals, it's very exciting. The seniors getting their first baseball county bucket, seeing the excitement on all the players faces, and watching my assistant coaches celebrate just added to the excitement. I am certainly very proud of this program as well. It was a program win for us. We had seniors through freshmen play important roles in this tournament. Even our non-starters made impacts this tournament. Whether it was coming into the game to courtesy run, pitch run, keeping the energy up in the dugout, or picking up our stranded runners gear; everyone played a role for us," Geeser said.

He notes he was proud of how his team competed, especially after falling behind against South Putnam in the first game, before responding and earning a spot in the final.  

"We also got down early in the championship game, 3-0 in the first inning. We battled all game long to keep it close and give us a shot in the 7th inning. We trailed 6-4 going into our last at bats. We go on to put up four runs to take our first lead of that game and then hang on for the win in the bottom of the seventh. I am so proud of these kids," he said.

The Cougars got solid production from quite a few players during the county tourney.

Freshman Alec McKenzie was 4-for-7 with three RBI's, four runs, a walk and two stolen bases, while sophomore Braxton Woodall was 3-for-5 with four RBI's, four runs, two walks and was hit by a pitch. Junior Brogan Woodall was 4-for-7 with two RBI's and a walk, while sophomore Kaden Helderman was 3-for-6 with five RBI's, two runs and was hit by a pitch. Senior Brayden Monnett was 4-for-8 with four RBI's and four runs. Senior Ian Patrick was 2-for-4 with an RBI, four runs, a walk and three times he was hit by a pitch. Freshman Jayce Monnett was 2-for-6 with four RBI's, three runs and two walks, while classmate Chase Barber was 2-for-7 with an RBI, two runs and a walk. Senior Jaylen Windmiller was hit twice, had two runs and an RBI. 

On the mound, Kaden Helderman went five innings, getting the win after scattering four hits, allowing two runs and striking out seven. 

Against Greencastle, Jaylen Windmiller went four innings, giving up six hits, five runs, no earned runs, two walks and struck out eight. Brayden Monnett threw three innings, getting the win after surrendering an earned run, a run, a walk and fanning one. 

"Our pitching was excellent all day long," Geeser said. 

Heading into this week, North Putnam is 7-3 and has not had any games lost due to weather. 

"We have cleaned up some of our sloppy play early and continue to make strides as a team. I would say the only thing that has surprised me a little this season, is how well this young squad has played as a team. I knew that we had a lot of talent with this young squad, but I did not expect them to adjust to the varsity level of play as fast as they have. We have certainly had our moments of growing pains or mistakes, but we have learned from those moments and gotten better from them. All of the guys that I mentioned above have played well for us. If I had to pick a handful, I would say Brayden Monnett, Brogan Woodall, Jaylen Windmiller, Alec Mckenzie, Braxton Woodall, and Kaden Helderman have been our leading guys on the field. I will say that everyone in the program has been playing well this year," Geeser said. 

 With the backend of the schedule approaching, Geeser is optimistic the county championship win and experience provides valuable experience for his team down the stretch. 

"I believe that it definitely adds confidence to our guys from here on out. We beat a really solid Greencastle team, so we should have that extra confidence against anyone we go up against. I also believe that since we were able to comeback in the first game and then again the second game, shows that we aren't going to just give up when we get down. As I said before, I was so proud with my squad with how we never gave up and battled back. We were down two runs in our last at bats and fought our way back, so we should carry that forward with us for the rest of the year. We can come from behind, even if it's our last at bats. We also have Greencastle in our sectional this year, so knowing that we can beat them if we play our game, should also help us come playoff time," Geeser said. 

With the loss of 13 seniors from last year's team that went 7-3 and lost to defending Class A champ Lutheran in the sectional, the South Putnam football team has been busy this offseason looking to get stronger and improve ahead of the 2023 season. 

"We have had really good workouts during class and after school preparing for the upcoming season.  This will be the strongest (weight room) team we have had in my 5 years. This class has been lifting with me since 8th grade and the gains are really beginning to show. We have also added a lot of speed and explosion work into the lifts. We have to do everything we can to beat Lutheran. We must be faster and stronger than we have ever been.  We currently have five 500 pound squatters and 12 over 405," South Putnam coach Chuck Sorrell told The Putnam County Post. 

Sorrell said the Eagles have always worked in position groups during the offseason. 

Up front on the offensive line, South Putnam looks to replace Ethan Harcourt, who will play at Wabash, and Brock Heavin, who will play at DePauw, and Sorrell notes the three returning linemen have done a great job trying to prepare the new players to be ready. 

"Every position has gotten bigger, stronger and faster since last football season. We have also had really good sessions with our incoming 8th grades and a few of them will be ready to play sometime during the 2023 season. That group is lead by Bransyn Hanley, Drew Cline, and Keenan Mowery-Shields," Sorrell said. 

When he looks back on last season, Sorrell said the way the defense played at times is something that stands out to him. 

"We return 9 of those starters and we have a chance to be really good on defense.  Also, how much Wyatt Mullin has grown physically and mentally. He will be the nucleus of our team and everything offensively will work through him," he said.

South Putnam will open the season against Putnam County rival Cloverdale, a team the Eagles soared past 70-0 last year.  

And, while the Eagles are looking to start the season off strong again, Sorrell knows it will take more work to ensure South Putnam is ready. 

"With three new coaches in the county in the past two years, we have to continue to get better to make sure we are ready to defend that crown.  All three schools are doing great jobs of building football programs so we can not look past any of them.  I think everyone will think we are down because we lost 13 seniors, but that is a good thing for us.  I feel we will have the best overall team that we have had in my five years.  We will not get there just by talking. We have a demanding summer planned to get us ready to win county, conference, and state championship games," Sorrell said. 

Tippecanoe Valley and Plymouth will be represented at a special IHSAA scholarship presentation.

Cato Memorial Scholarships will be presented to 12 seniors.

The student-athletes will be recognized April 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

DNR is stocking nearly 50,000 trout throughout Indiana for trout season opening day, April 29.

Lake trout stocking has already begun as trout fishing on lakes is open year around. Stream trout stocking is expected in the weeks before opening day, the first day anglers can legally catch trout from streams.

One site is in Parke County at the Harden Reservoir Tailwater.  750 rainbow trout are being stocked there by DNR.

Thirteen players have been selected for the 2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars, All-Stars game director Mike Broughton announced Tuesday.

Those chosen to the team will play three games in June -- one exhibition game against the Indiana Junior All-Stars as well as home-and-home contests against the Kentucky All-Stars.

The players chosen the 2023 Indiana Boys All-Stars, listed alphabetically, are Luke Almodovar of Noblesville, Xavier Booker of Indianapolis Cathedral, Markus Burton of Penn, Myles Colvin of Heritage Christian, Zane Doughty of Ben Davis, Joey Hart of Linton-Stockton, Logan Imes of Zionsville, Mason Jones of Valparaiso, A.J. Lux of Crown Point, Sam Orme of Carmel, Ian Raasch of NorthWood, JaQualon Roberts of Bloomington North and Sheridan Sharp of Ben Davis.

The 2023 IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball winner will come from among this group of 13 players. The 2023 Mr. Basketball winner is expected to be announced as part of the IndyStar Indiana High School Sports Awards program on April 19 at Butler University's Clowes Hall in Indianapolis.

This year's boys' All-Star team features five players who have been a part of state championship teams in Doughty and Sharpe of Ben Davis (2023 4A), Raasch of NorthWood (2023 3A), Booker of Cathedral (2022 4A) and Orme of Carmel (2021 4A). The squad also includes an IBCA first-team Academic All-State selection in Raasch plus two IBCA honorable mention Academic All-State picks in Doughty and Imes.

Don Carlisle of Ben Davis has been named the head coach of the 2023 All-Stars. He will be assisted by

Brent Brobston of Frankton and Shane Burkhart of Evansville Bosse.

Carlisle is 144-66 in eight seasons as an Indiana varsity coach. That includes a 98-41 mark in five seasons at Ben Davis -- with a 33-0 ledger and the Class 4A state title in 2022-23 -- and a 46-25 slate in three seasons at Indianapolis Arlington. Brobston is 239-136 in 15 seasons at Frankton. Burkhart is 250-132 in 15 seasons at Evansville Bosse.

The Junior-Senior exhibition game is set for June 7 at a site to be announced. The first game against Kentucky will be June 9 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Ky. The final game against Kentucky will be June 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

All three dates will be doubleheaders with the IndyStar Indiana Girls All-Stars, whose roster was announced March 14. The roster for the Indiana girls Junior All-Stars was announced March 8. The roster for the Indiana boys Junior All-Stars was announced March 31.

The Indiana Junior All-Stars will play two girl-boy doubleheaders this year -- June 4 against the Kentucky Junior All-Stars at Jeffersonville and June 7 against the Indiana seniors at a site to be announced.

The Indiana All-Stars program was founded in 1939 when the Indiana Boys All-Stars played the state champion Frankfort Hot Dogs. The series with Kentucky began in 1940, and the girls' portion of the All-Stars was added in 1976. The Junior All-Stars, boys and girls, were added in 1996. The All-Star senior girls have played Kentucky every year since 1976, except 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The All-Star senior boys have played Kentucky in all but three years since 1940 -- 1943 (World War II), 1944 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic).

The Indiana Senior boys lead 103-44 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior boys lead 41-10 in games against the Indiana Junior boys. The Indiana Junior boys lead 7-4 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 52-40 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 41-10 in games against the Indiana Junior girls. The Indiana Junior girls lead 10-1 in their series with Kentucky. 

 The June 10 date also will include the inaugural IndyStar Indiana All-Star "Futures Games." The Futures Games will be a girls-boys doubleheader at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Indiana-only squads of juniors, sophomores and freshmen in a North vs. South format. The girls' Futures Games lineups were announced Feb. 16. The boys' Futures Games lineups were announced March 21.

The Indiana portion of the All-Star Games is organized and produced by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The Indianapolis Star, with its IndyStar brand, is a title sponsor.

Mr. Basketball is selected through a balloting process of coaches and media overseen by game organizers from the IBCA. The remainder of the team is finalized by Broughton after observing numerous games and events throughout the season, conferring with coaches, school officials and media across the state. Broughton also reviews votes submitted by coaches and media who each could recommend up to 10 players.

A complete list of those chosen as 2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars is below. Jersey numbers will be assigned later, after the winner of Mr. Basketball is announced.

2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars

Name, School, Height, Pos., PPG, College Choice

Luke Almodovar, Noblesville, 6-3, G, 17.5, Saint Francis (Ind.)

Xavier Booker, Cathedral, 6-11, F, 15.2, Michigan State

Markus Burton, Penn, 6-1, G, 30.2, Notre Dame

Myles Colvin, Heritage Christian, 6-7, F, 19.5, Purdue

Zane Doughty, Ben Davis, 6-9, F, 13.5, undecided

Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton, 6-6, G, 23.7, Central Florida

Logan Imes, Zionsville, 6-4, G, 16.9, undecided

Mason Jones, Valparaiso, 6-7, F, 19.7, Ball State

A.J. Lux, Crown Point, 6-5, G, 21.5, Bellarmine 

Sam Orme, Carmel, 6-9, F, 18.0, Belmont

Ian Raasch, NorthWood, 6-6, G, 15.0, Grace (Ind.)

JaQualon Roberts, Bloomington North, 6-8, F, 19.6, Vanderbilt

Sheridan Sharp, Ben Davis, 6-3, G, 9.8, Nicholls State (La.)

The Indiana High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 86th Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Finals will be contested at the Ford Center in Evansville.

This will be the first time the city of Evansville has hosted an IHSAA State Finals event in any sport.

The regularly scheduled dates of next year’s state finals are Friday and Saturday, February 16-17, 2024. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which has hosted the state finals every year since it opened in 2000, will be home to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on the same weekend.

The Ford Center, which has an approximate capacity of 11,000, is in downtown Evansville and has served as host of the Evansville Wrestling Semi-State for 11 of the last 12 years since opening in 2011.

“We’re extremely pleased and grateful to the city of Evansville for their willingness to host the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals - one of our premier events every year,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig.

“Evansville has an impeccable reputation for hosting amateur athletic competitions and we are very confident this will be a great and memorable experience for everyone who attends. Evansville stands ready for this opportunity to host this event and share their hospitality with the rest of the state.”

The IHSAA reached out to other venues in the state with the necessarily specific availability, capacity, infrastructure, and willingness to host this event and the Ford Center was found to be the most compatible.

“We are elated that Evansville has been selected to host the 2024 IHSAA State Wrestling tournament,” said Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor of Evansville. “We eagerly await the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for student athletes and spectators. The remarkable Ford Center will serve as a dynamic host venue, and we are confident that visitors will enjoy our thriving downtown, and all the amenities and hospitality our great city has to offer.”

Eighteen players have been selected for the IndyStar Indiana boys Junior All-Stars for 2023, All-Stars games director Mike Broughton announced Friday (March 31).

Those selected to the six-player Core Group are Jack Benter of Brownstown Central, Flory Bidunga of Kokomo, Kanon Catchings of Brownsburg, Micah Davis of Franklin Community, Tyler Parrish of Chesterton and K.J. Windham of Ben Davis.

In addition to the core group, six players each were voted to squads labeled Red Group and Blue Group. 

The Red Group players are Sabien Cain of University, Camron Casky of Pike, Josiah Dunham of Evansville Christian, Taray Howell of Evansville Bosse, Ron Rutland III of Indianapolis Attucks and Justin Sims of Chesterton.

The Blue Group players are Isaac Andrews of Wapahani, Trey Buchanan of Westfield, Aaron Fine of Noblesville, Brauntae Johnson of Fort Wayne North, Jaelyn Johnson of Portage and Jevon Lewis Jr. of Fort Wayne Wayne.

Aaron Wolfe of Class 3A state champion NorthWood will be head coach for the 2023 boys' Junior All-Stars. He will be assisted by J.B. Neill of Bloomfield. Both coaches were voted IBCA district Coaches of the Year.

Wolfe is 281-110 in 16 seasons at NorthWood, including a 28-2 record this past season. He previously was an assistant coach for the 2016 Indiana All-Stars. Neill has a 208-115 ledger in 13 seasons as a boys’ varsity head coach. That total includes a 24-4 finish this past season and a 74-30 aggregate in four seasons at Bloomfield. He also went 75-54 in six seasons as the girls' head coach at Eastern Greene. 

The Junior All-Stars will play one game against the Kentucky Junior All-Stars on Sunday, June 4 at Jeffersonville High School. The Junior All-Stars also will play one game against the Indiana All-Star senior girls on Wednesday, June 7 at a site to be announced. Both games will be doubleheaders with the 2023 Indiana girls' Junior All-Stars, whose rosters were announced on March 8. 

The boys Junior All-Star head coach will be Zach Newby of Class 2A state runner-up Lapel. He will be assisted by Brodie Garber of Class 3A state champion Fairfield. Newby has led Lapel to an 82-42 record in five seasons, including a 22-8 finish in 2022-23. Garber is 180-89 in 11 seasons at Fairfield, including a 28-2 record this past season. Both coaches also were 2023 IBCA district Coaches of the Year.

The boys' players listed as Core Group players each will play in two games. The players listed in the Red and Blue groups each will play in one game, the Red Group on June 4 against the Kentucky Juniors and the Blue Group on June 7 against the Indiana Seniors. 

The Indiana senior All-Stars will play the Kentucky senior All-Stars on June 9 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Ky. The Indiana senior All-Stars will play Kentucky's seniors again on June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The June 10 date also will include the inaugural IndyStar Indiana All-Star "Futures Games." The Futures Games will be a girls-boys doubleheader at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Indiana-only squads of juniors, sophomores and freshmen in a North vs. South format. The girls' Futures Games rosters were announced on Feb. 16. The boys' Futures Games rosters were announced on March 21.

The 2023 Indiana boys' Junior All-Star team was selected through a process that allows all IBCA-member head coaches to nominate players through the IBCA all-state process. The IBCA 20-member Indiana Basketball Coaches Association all-state committee reviewed and voted on players for the 2023 IBCA/Franciscan Health boys' All-State teams that were released March 22.

The 20 all-state committee members also provided input to a six-person IBCA subcommittee appointed by IBCA executive director Marty Johnson and chaired by Brandon Bradley of Kankakee Valley. Bradley, Broughton plus coaches Don Carlisle of Ben Davis, Mark Rohrer of Gibson Southern, Marc Urban of Chesterton and all-state committee chairman David Wood, former coach at West Lafayette, finalized the selections for the 2023 boys' Junior All-Stars.

The Indiana Junior All-Star program was founded in 1996 by former Indiana All-Star games director Patrick Aikman. In most years, 18 players have been chosen to the Junior All-Stars. In five years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2018 and 2019), 24 players were chosen to the Junior All-Stars. In 2021, just 12 players were chosen to the Junior All-Stars.

In games from 1996 through 2022 (with no games in 2020 because of COVID-19), the Indiana Senior girls lead the Indiana Junior girls 41-10 and the Indiana Senior boys lead the Indiana Junior boys 41-10. In five years of games against the Kentucky Juniors, the Indiana Junior girls lead 10-1 and the Indiana Junior boys lead 7-4. Games against the Kentucky Juniors previously have been played in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

A list of those chosen as 2023 boys' Junior All-Stars follows.

2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys Junior All-Stars

BOYS CORE GROUP (playing on June 4 and June 7)

   Name, Ht., Pos., PPG, High School, College Choice

   Jack Benter, 6-5, G, 28.7, Brownstown Central, Purdue

   Flory Bidunga, 6-10, F, 20.2, Kokomo, undecided

   Kanon Catchings, 6-8, F, 17.5, Brownsburg, Purdue

   Micah Davis, 6-2, G, 17.3, Franklin Community, undecided

   Tyler Parrish, 6-3, G, 20.7, Chesterton, undecided

   K.J. Windham, 6-3, G, 8.6, Ben Davis, undecided

BOYS RED GROUP (playing on June 4 vs. Kentucky Juniors)

   Name, Ht., Pos., PPG, High School, College Choice

   Sabien Cain, 6-3, G, 20.4, University, undecided

   Camron Casky, 6-4, G, 13.8, Pike, undecided

   Josiah Dunham, 6-1, G, 24.6, Evansville Christian, undecided

   Taray Howell, 5-8, G, 23.2, Evansville Bosse, undecided

   Ron Rutland III, 6-2, G, 18.0, Indianapolis Attucks, undecided

   Justin Sims, 6-6, F, 16.5, Chesterton, undecided

BOYS BLUE GROUP (playing on June 7 vs. Indiana Seniors)

   Name, Ht., Pos., PPG, High School, College Choice

   Isaac Andrews, 6-1, G, 18.1, Wapahani, undecided

   Trey Buchanan, 6-0, G, 14.3, Westfield, undecided

   Aaron Fine, 6-3, G, 13.8, Noblesville, undecided

   Brauntae Johnson, 6-4, G, 20.8, Fort Wayne North, undecided

   Jaelyn Johnson, 6-7, F, 10.7, Portage, undecided

   Jevon Lewis Jr., 5-10, G, 16.6, Fort Wayne Wayne, undecided

2023 IndyStar Indiana All-Star key dates

Sunday, June 4 — Indiana Juniors vs. Kentucky Juniors at Jeffersonville (2315 Allison Ln. Jeffersonville, IN 47130) — girls, 2:00 p.m.; boys, to follow; admission, $10 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).

Wednesday, June 7 — Junior-Senior All-Star game at TBA (address TBA) — girls, 6:00 p.m.; boys, to follow; admission, $10 per person at the door (adults, school-aged students; pre-school children are free).

Friday, June 9 — Indiana at Owensboro Sportscenter (1215 Hickman Ave., Owensboro, KY 42301) — girls, 5:30 p.m. CDT (6:30 p.m. EDT); boys, to follow, about 7:30 p.m. CDT (8:30 p.m. EDT). Ticket information, TBA.

Saturday, June 10 — Futures Games and Indiana vs. Kentucky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis, IN 46204) — Futures Games, girls, noon; boys, 2:00 p.m.; Senior girls, 5:00 p.m.; Senior boys, to follow (about 7:30 p.m.).

Tickets go on sale on April 15.