INDIANA -- Our annual look at scoring trends in our state

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I think everyone is aware of a handful of Redskins/Indians mascots that have changed in recent years, and schools changing mascots and even colors is not unheard of, but this is an unusual one simply because of the timing and the lack of explanation.

Birdseye High School starting playing basketball in the 1917-18 season.

From that time until the end of the 1950-51 season, their teams were known as the Redbirds and their colors were red and white.

The Birdseye Sorghum Company notably included the redbirds into their logo and packaging as a nod to their hometown high school.

Throughout this era, anytime the Birdseye squad was fortunate to have a write-up in the big city newspapers in Jasper or Evansville, sure enough it was always Redbirds.

Then without any explanation, Birdseye began the 1951-52 season as the Yellow Jackets - complete with black and gold/yellow. By 1952, season and Sectional previews in newspapers were commonplace, and Yellow Jackets always referenced. No word in the papers even mentioning the switch.

I have reached out on the Birdseye Facebook page to any local historians, but to no avail. All those old enough to remember this do recall the change, but know of no explanation.

I know there are stories about schools taking on the colors of whatever happened to be available in the early days of high school sports. I know the Masonic Home High School in Franklin adopted dark red as their colors because they got a great deal on an excess amount of that fabric making its way through Franklin at that time. (Masonic colors are typically a shade of blue.) However, those sorts of stories are typically in the very beginnings of the school. I don’t know of any other schools making a wholesale change in colors and mascot in the post war period.

And no explanation? Birdseye was never a very strong team, but they still had a local following. Did nobody notice when they show up for the first home game, and the whole enchilada on the floor is different? Bizarre for sure.

I have nothing to base this on, but I have two theories.

Theory One - An administrator went on a gonzo powertrip and wanted a change. Plausible as anyone that has taught any time at all has probably seen this in some capacity. Example - Whiteland uses blue and orange on everything now and has for about 20 years. Their official colors are still blue and white, and a principal, many moons ago, put her foot down and insisted there be no orange on any high school jerseys. Switching mascots and colors would be a leap, but small town 1952? Maybe it went down like that.

Theory Two - Birdseye got a great deal on uniforms. Maybe there was a mistake in ordering, or maybe just a super discount on yellow and black jerseys. Either way, Birdseye admin saw a deal that was too good to pass up. But Yellow and black Redbirds? No way. So how about a name change too?

I have long wondered about the 2-0 score that sits atop the all-time lowest scoring games list. I finally found a write-up about it. Glad too, because I had always feared it was a forfeit that had been given credit as an actual score. Nope - It was real!

Fewest Combined Points in a Game
(B) 2 Crown Point (2) vs. Hobart (0) 1943-44
(B) 9 Pleasant Mills (4) vs. Berne (4) 1954-55
(B) 15 Hazleton (8) vs. Wadesville (7) 1954-55
(B) 15 DeKalb (10) vs. East Noble (5) 1969-70
(B) 15 Yorktown (9) vs. Burris (6) 1979-80
(B) 17 Lowell (9) vs. Hebron (8) 1921-22
(B) 21 FW Wayne (15) vs. Elmhurst (6)2007-08
(B) 21 DeMotte (15) vs. Hebron (4) 1921-22

I don't know the whole story yet, but can confirm Coach Igel has just resigned his new position at Pike Central. (As in this morning)


Pike Central boys - Departing Coach Hunter Elliott
PETERSBURG, Ind. - Andy Igel (Closed 8/14)

Week 2 saw a wave of storms move across Indiana on Friday night which resulted in the postponement or cancellation of many games. Three of those affected teams in our contest, but fortunately all three were completed on Saturday.

Five teams were picked by our players in this round. The most popular pick was 6A #7 Ben Davis, which lost a 29-28 overtime thriller to the unranked Avon Orioles on a 2-point conversion (after being ranked preseason #1, the Giants are now 0-2). Three contestants chose 3A #16 Mississinewa, and the Indians recorded their second consecutive 35-0 shutout for this week's largest margin of victory, this time over the Marion Giants. For perhaps the first time in contest history, the majority of our teams went down to defeat: Ben Davis, 2A #10 Southmont, 5A #7 Bloomington South, Penn, and Evansville North all suffered losses.

Ranger20's pick of Mississinewa moved him into first place in our standings after Week 2 with 63 points. Ed Stachulak and Mr. B.A. are tied for second with 56, followed by Nick Jenkinson in fourth with 52. CoachC dropped from first to fifth in this round with 50 points. We have a very competitive contest as we head into Week 3!

Here are the games for Week 2 with scores, point margins, and the number of players who picked each one:

Mississinewa 35, Marion 0 (35 points, 3 players)
North Judson 32, LaVille 8 (24 points, 1 player)
Leo 28, Angola 13 (15 points, 2 players)
Batesville 27, Milan 26 (1 point, 2 players)
Avon 29, Ben Davis 28 OT (-1 point, 4 players)
North Putnam 32, Southmont 27 (-5 points, no players)
Martinsville 41, Bloomington South 35 (-6 points, no players)
Mishawaka 27, Penn 7 (-20 points, no players)
Evansville Memorial 35, Evansville North 14 (-21 points, no players)

Here are the standings after Week 2:

63 points
Ranger20

56 points
Ed Stachulak
Mr. B.A.

52 points
Nick Jenkinson

50 points
CoachC

36 points
TheGorilla23

29 points
HickoryHusker
Rob Deweese

27 points
hhsdawg
kyleajolly

20 points
Quad Runner
ysuindy

If you haven't already sent in your pick for Week 3, be sure to email it to shsfan475@gmail.com by 6:00 pm ET on Friday, Sep. 6!

Seeking help with new Record Book category - Most Missed Free Throws in a game.

In the course of researching for other record, I kept running across these noteworthy “performances.” I made note of enough to get it started, but I know I have just scratched the surface. If anyone has a memory or story they recall hearing about a team missing a slew of charity shots, please let me know, and I will try to get it researched and confirmed. Once I have a decent enough list, I will get the whole category added. Here’s what I have as a start..

Most Missed Free Throws in Game
(B) 21 Cuzco vs. Petersburg 1939-40
(B) 20 FW Central vs. Anderson 1937-38
(B) 18 Franklin vs. Rushville 1979-80
(B) 18 Rochester vs. Elwood 1948-49
(B) 17 EC Roosevelt vs. Lafayette Jeff 1969-70
(B) 17 EV Bosse vs. Jeffersonville 1989-90
(B) 16 Brownstown vs. Austin 1959-60
(B) 16 Chatard vs. Brebeuf 1985-86
(B) 16 Greenwood vs. Beech Grove 1984-85
(B) 16 HSE vs. Sheridan 1980-81
(B) 16 Kokomo vs. Maconaquah 1989-90

(G) 28 Waldron vs. Whiteland 1984-85
(G) 25 South Knox vs. EV Memorial 1988-89
(G) 22 Center Grove vs. Plainfield
(G)22 Whiteland vs. Avon 1980-81
(G) 19 Edinburgh vs. Monrovia 1981-82
(G) 19 EV Bosse vs. BNL 1982-83
(G) 18 Southridge vs. Princeton 1986-87

There were several high school football games Friday night which were halted due to weather and scheduled to finish on Saturday. These included three games with a team used in our contest this season. Your humble contest administrator (me) will be away from his computer on Saturday and Sunday, and therefore publication of the Week 2 results will be delayed until Monday morning.

Admittedly I'm an easy mark when it comes to stories like this. Add the fact that my maternal side of my family hails from this area of the state. My grandmother was a cheerleader for Birdseye when they were known as the Redbirds, and just about every relative from Dubois County suited up for them over the years - Redbirds and Yellow Jackets alike. Still, even without a vested interest, I'm guessing most will find this a great read!

KIPP Indy Legacy has been assigned to Class 2A, Sectional 43 in both boys and gals.

Athletics - KIPP Indy Public Schools

KIPP Indy supports students to strengthen their athletic abilities. View athletics offering, browse image galary.

kippindy.org

Whitko boys - Departing Coach Chris Benedict
SOUTH WHITLEY, Ind. – Robert Warrick (Closed 8/29)

Putnam County has been hurt hard by the portal.

Two junior big men have departed, as 6-6 Cody Evans has transferred from Greencastle to Penn and 6-8 Isaac Pickel of North Putnam has joined an already strong Parke Heritage team.

I'm sure we have all been to the large gyms in the state but I was wondering what the smallest gym you have been to in the state. Mine is Dugger at 900

One of the most frequent requests I get about records in games is regarding fouls called. There have been some ugly games for sure, but the key number to look for (at least for boys) is 60+. Fifty some fouls in a game makes for a rough watch, but 60 is what it takes to get in the top ten ever category.

I also feel like the girls side is under-reported at this point, because I have a hunch those numbers will be similar before that category is fully researched. If you saw any run-of-the-mill gal's games in the 70's and even into the 80's, there were some doozies.

Most Combined Fouls in a Game
(B) 76 Clay City vs. Spencer 1967-68
(B) 75 Maconaquah (40) vs. Peru (35) 2005-06
(B) 71 Peru vs. FW Central 1955-56
(B) 69 Hauser vs. Batesville 2011-12
(B) 66 Poling vs. Bryant 1955-56
(B) 64 Angola vs. DeKalb 1970-71
(B) 64 Hazelton (46) vs. Mackey (19) 1957-58
(B) 64 Pike (29) vs. Southport (35) 2014-15
(B) 63 Jeffersonville vs. Bloomington 1952-53
(B) 63 Ossian vs. Pennville 1964-65
(B) 62 Decker Chapel (34) vs. Frichton (28) 1945-46
(B) 60 Franklin Central vs. Center Grove 2011-12

Most Combined Fouls in a Game
(G) 66 Hamilton Southeastern (39) vs. Ben Davis (27) 2016-17
(G) 61 Tech vs. Noblesville 2014-15
(G) 58 Wabash vs. Marion 2016-17
(G) 57 Tipton vs. Tri-Central 2016-17
(G) 56 South Central-E vs. Lanesville 2005-06
(G) 55 Eastern Hancock (30) vs. Northeastern (22) 2013-14
(G) 53 Beech Grove (24) vs. Greenwood (29) 2009-10
(G) 53 Greensburg vs Franklin 2014-15
(G) 51 Eastern Hancock (25) vs. Edinburgh (26) 2012-13
(G) 43 Franklin (21) vs. Greenwood (22) 2014-15
(G) 43 Marquette (21) vs. Rensselaer Central (21) 2018-19

Coach: Play smart. We need to keep our composure.

Us on the next play:

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Only three teams were picked by our 12 contestants in the opening round of this year's contest. 2A #9 Southmont was the most popular pick, and the six players who selected them received 28 points for the Mounties' 42-14 win over the Fountain Central Mustangs. Almost as popular were the 5A #8 Bloomington South Panthers, who delivered 21 points for the five contestants who picked them with their 27-6 victory over the Columbus East Olympians. But the largest winning margin this week belonged to the 3A #15 Mississinewa Indians in their 35-point shutout of the Norwell Knights. Evansville North and 6A #1 Ben Davis suffered losses to 5A #7 Castle and 6A #7 Indianapolis Cathedral, respectively. Fortunately, none of our contestants picked either of the teams which found themselves on the wrong end of the score.

It is common for us to have multiple players tied for the lead after Week 1. But since he was the only contestant to pick Mississinewa in this round, CoachC sits alone atop our leaderboard with 35 points. Then we have a logjam at second place with hhsdawg, HickoryHusker, kyleajolly, Nick Jenkinson, Ranger20, and Rob Deweese in a six-way tie with 28. Next week we will see if any of our competitors can separate themselves from the pack!

Here are the games for Week 1 with scores, point margins, and the number of players who picked each one:

Mississinewa 35, Norwell 0 (35 points, 1 player)
Southmont 42, Fountain Central 14 (28 points, 6 players)
North Judson 42, Knox 21 (21 points, no players)
Bloomington South 27, Columbus East 6 (21 points, 5 players)
Penn 49, Valparaiso 42 (7 points, no players)
Batesville 21, Triton Central 14 (7 points, no players)
Leo 20, Fort Wayne Luers 17 (3 points, no players)
Castle 14, Evansville North 11 (-3 points, no players)
Indianapolis Cathedral 24, Ben Davis 6 (-18 points, no players)

Here are the standings after Week 1:

35 points
CoachC

28 points
hhsdawg
HickoryHusker
kyleajolly
Nick Jenkinson
Ranger20
Rob Deweese

21 points
Ed Stachulak
Mr. B.A.
Quad Runner
TheGorilla23
ysuindy

If you haven't already sent in your pick for Week 2, be sure to email it to shsfan475@gmail.com by 6:00 pm ET on Friday, Aug. 30!

I'm a geography nerd among other things, while working in secondary education has taken me to a lot of different schools over the years through coaching. Sometimes, I spend too much time just cycling through Harrell's site looking at past years in football and basketball.

Class basketball is here to stay and obviously class football is even more a necessity. I was driving my kid to Grand Park last week and we went by Westfield's football field. I'm pretty sure the Rocks could easily field 5 or 6 teams.

Well, back in 2000, when I was in high school, the Shamrocks weren't even a match for Elwood High School. Speaking of those Panthers, they went 12-1 that season, falling in the regional to Roncalli. Now this isn't meant to bash the Panthers, who are 2-57 in football since 2018. But back in that year, Elwood rolled to that sectional title with wins against Westfield, New Palestine, and Mt. Vernon. That's right - three programs that have combined for more than a few state titles in football in the past decade. But back in 2000, light work for the Panthers.

I offer this story as nothing more than something to shake your head at as you consider the consolidation of population (and athletic talent) to the center of the state. But as high school football gets started tonight, this fact of the 2000 IHSAA tournament would seem to be a very, very far-fetched tale.

I had previously closed this one back in May with Larry Upshaw, but word now of a change, and Jeremiah King will be leading the Governors this winter.

Morton boys - Departing Coach Aaron Abram
HAMMOND, Ind. -- Larry Upshaw (Closed 5/9) Jeremiah King (Closed 8/23)

Football season is here, which means it's time for the Hickory Husker Pigskin Pick'em! This is your opportunity to compete with other Varsity Club members in a fun contest where you can display your knowledge of Indiana high school football.

The basic concept of the contest is simple. From a list of nine teams, you select one as your pick each week of the regular season. The number of points you are awarded for that week is your pick's margin of victory in their game (points will be subtracted if they lose!). Each team on the list can be picked only once; therefore, you should attempt to use each team as your pick in a week when you think they will have a big win. The contestant with the most points at the end of the season will be our champion!

Please note these specific rules:

• Picks must be emailed to shsfan475@gmail.com (include your real name or your Varsity Club username with your pick - however you want to be listed in the standings).
• Only teams on the list can be used as picks.
• Each team on the list can be used only once.
• Picks can be sent in one week at a time, multiple weeks at a time, or you can send in all your picks for the season in one email -- your choice.
• Picks are due by 6:00 pm ET Friday each week.
• Picks that have been submitted can be changed as long as the change is received by the deadline for that week.
• If a game for one of the teams on the list is postponed, points for it will be awarded when the game is played on its rescheduled date.
• If you do not submit a pick for a given week, you will receive points for the team with the worst margin in that week's game, or zero points, whichever is less.
• In the event of a tie at the end of the contest, the winner will be the contestant who comes closest to predicting the total combined score of defending 5A state champions Fort Wayne Snider and their opponents in the Panthers' last four games: 9/27 vs Homestead; 10/4 at Fort Wayne Northrop; 10/11 vs Fort Wayne Dwenger; 10/18 at Fort Wayne Wayne. Predictions for the tiebreaker must be submitted no later than September 27 at 6:00 pm ET.

Here is the list of teams for this season's contest:

• 6A Ben Davis
• 6A Penn
• 5A Bloomington South
• 5A Evansville North
• 4A Leo
• 3A Batesville
• 3A Mississinewa
• 2A Southmont
• 1A North Judson

After Week 1, a reminder email will be sent the evening before the deadline each week to all contestants who have not yet submitted a pick for that week. Each week's game results and current standings will be posted on HickoryHusker.com and will also be emailed to all contestants.

Join in the fun with your fellow Varsity Club members and send your pick for Week 1 to shsfan475@gmail.com by 6:00 pm ET Friday, Aug. 23!

I noticed on the the record book of most assists in a game it had Jeffersonville vs. Gary Mann in 1990-91. Does anyone know the history of this? Why did they play? When did they play? Where did they play? Any history would be great. Thank you.

Advertised inside and outside, but man that’s up against the season starting.

Wrapping-up song long sought after info!

Finally Tracked down the colors!
Modoc Indians - blue and white - Union
Monroe Twp. Wildcats - blue and white - Salem

Added mascot and colors
North Bend Knights - black and white - Culver
South Milford ??? - ??? - Prairie Heights

Found several references to a solid team at South Milford, but no mascot nor colors yet.

Article clipped from The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Clipping found in The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette published in Fort Wayne, Indiana on 3/26/1915.

www.newspapers.com

Link to --> Whole List of Long List Indiana High Schools!

I know much has been posted already regarding his passing, but I thought this write-up was worth posting. Some at Indian Creek should still be ashamed of their actions during his time there.

COACH, FATHER, FRIEND: Influential coach Larry Angle leaves a legacy - The Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana

GREENFIELD – To many, Larry “Hoss” Angle was a revered coach with a penchant for lifting players up as he led a number of high school boys basketball teams throughout the decades.

www.greenfieldreporter.com