Senior staff writer
Six girls basketball standouts from five Southside high school teams have been invited to the 16th annual Indiana Basketball Coaches Association/IHSAA Underclass Showcase Monday afternoon at Ben Davis. The girls, with stats from last season, are:
• Ariana Booker, 5-8 senior, Perry Meridian, 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists.
• Lexie Green, 5-8 junior, Southport, 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists.
• Rachel Loobie, 6-0 junior, Franklin Central, 15.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks.
• Ella Thompson, 5-6 senior, Center Grove, 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists.
• Emma Utterback, 5-7 senior, Center Grove, 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists.
• Alana Vinson, 5-10 junior, Roncalli, 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals.
Perry Meridian’s Mike Armstrong, Southport’s Adam Morelock and Center Grove’s Kevin Stuckmeyer are among the 28 girls’ basketball coaches at the showcase that provides exposure of the top prospects to state and national colleges. Activities begin at 2 p.m. with three games at 3:50, 4:50 and 6:50 p.m. Admission is $5 per person.
The boys showcase on Monday featured senior Gavin Hess of Beech Grove and sophomores Johnny Brunk of Roncalli and Jayden Taylor of Perry Meridian.
All-State pitcher
Southport senior pitcher Avery Short was the only area player named to the Indiana Baseball Coaches Association Class 4A All-State team. As a junior the southpaw struck out 93 hitters in 48.2 innings with his pinpoint control after throwing less than one inning as a sophomore. He had a career-high 15 strikeouts against Ben Davis and Franklin Central.
Short posted a 0.86 ERA, giving up only six earned runs. He allowed only six walks and held hitters to a .133 batting average.
Turf field cost
The cost of the synthetic turf football field at Franklin Central High School will cost a little over $1 million, based upon the low bid from The Motz Group, as approved by the Franklin Township School Board April 23.
Five bids were submitted for the field, which will feature shock padding to guard against concussions. Board members visited a similar field at Avon High School in seeking first-hand information about the field to be installed at Ray Skillman Stadium. Superintendent Bruce Hibbard explained to board members that the field will have a 20-year warranty, and the equipment to maintain it was included in the bid. The field will be ready for Flashes’ home opener Aug. 24 against Roncalli.