NDIANAPOLIS – Four Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference basketball stars will team up at the annual All-Star Classic.
The Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association has named the 24 players that will make up the East and West teams on Sunday, April 16 at North Daviess High School.
Playing for the East Team will be Lawrenceburg guard Logan Rohrer, Greensburg guard Ki Dyer, Connersville guard Josh Williams, and Batesville forward Cole Pride.
On the girls side, East Central’s Josie Trabel was selected to be a member of the East team.
All players selected to the All-Star Classic were voted upon by HBCA member coaches.
WEST
Wes Aigner — Castle High School Peyton Bledsoe — Loogootee Peter Combs — Bloomfield Cale Donoho — South Spencer High School Joey Hart — Linton-Stockton Blake Herdes — Evansville Mater Dei Colten Leach — Bedford North Lawrence Jaylen Mullen — North Daviess HS Tyler Myers — Evansville Day School Brycen Neidigh — Washington JaQualon “JQ” Roberts — Bloomington North Logan Webb — Linton-Stockton
EAST
Josten Carter — New Albany High School Jacob Cherry — Eastern Ki Dyer– Greensburg Cooper Horn — Columbus North Casey Kaelin — Providence Owen Law — Jennings County Keegan Manowitz — Jennings County Kaden Oliver — Silver Creek Cole Pride — Batesville Logan Rohrer — Lawrenceburg Caleb Washington — Floyd Central Josh Williams — Connersville
Congratulations to the EIAC boys basketball All-Conference selections. Listed below are the MVp’s and players for the 2022-23 season as selected by the coaches.
1. MVP: JOSH WILLIAMS – (CONNERSVILLE) & KI DYER – (GREENSBURG) (81)
3. COLE PRIDE – BATESVILLE (67)
4. RYAN WILLOUGHBY – SOUTH DEARBORN (55)
5. BRAXTON MYERS – CONNERSVILLE (51)
6. JETER EDWARDS – GREENSBURG (47)
7. BRANT ERTEL – FRANKLIN COUNTY (40)
8. LUCAS BARRON – CONNERSVILLE (36)
9. LOGAN ROHRER – LAWRENCEBURG (34)
10. CARSON PIECZONKA – EAST CENTRAL (33)
11. COOPER BOBO – LAWRENCEBURG (31)
12. CADE KAISER – BATESVILLE (21)
12. BRODIE TEKE – SOUTH DEARBORN (21)
BESIDE EACH NAME IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POINTS ACCUMULATED IN THE VOTING.
ST.LEON- East Central Indoor Invite got several EAIC teams season started on Saturday. Listed below are the results of the meet.
One of the highlights was Connersville’s Ahniyah Bennett a freshman who set meet records in the 55-meter with a time of 7.23 and in the 200-meter with a time of 26.51.
Boys 55
Carter DeBoard Connersville 6.94
Carson Koelling East Central 7.05
Charles Evans South Dearborn 7.12
Boys 200
Micah Buchanan 25.44
Carter DeBoard Connersville 25.76
Parker Sweet Connersville 25.76
Boys 800
Ayden Potts Milan 2:14:57
Jake Chapman Batesville 2:14:96
Cannon Clark Batesville 2:16:28
Boys 3200
Ayden Potts Milan 10:49:77
Jake Hawkins Greensburg 10:55:03
Bradyn Hatton East Central 10:59:78
Boys 55 Hurdles
Parker Sweet Connersville 8.19
Trevor Perkins East Central 9.14
Gage Pohlman Batesville 9.31
Boys 4×400
Bellman,Koelling,Schutte,Geisen East Central 3:56:21
GREENSBURG – Since March 6, 2021, Connersville’s Spartans have secured two EIAC championships (going 14-0). But that date also remains the last time Kerry Brown’s squad won a sectional game. Following a loss to Greensburg last March, the Lawrenceburg Tigers – defending Sectional 29 champions – did the honors this year with Wednesday’s 50-41 victory over CHS.
Connersville, ranked fourth in the final Class 3A poll, could do next to nothing right through the first three quarters and trailed 31-17 with one frame to play. The score was 42-27 when timeout was called with 2:33 remaining. Spartan senior Josh Williams then tried to will his team to an epic comeback.
He started with three free throws after being fouled on a long-range attempt. Still a 12-point game, Williams produced a steal and subsequent 3-point play to make it 42-33 with two minutes left. The senior swingman then drained a 3-pointer to put CHS within two possessions.
The score was 45-38 when time was called at 30.7. Williams scored again to make it 46-40 ahead of Brown’s final timeout with 20.8 ticks left. CHS senior Lucas Barron then fouled out to end his solid Spartan career. LHS’ Cooper Bobo sank 1 of 2 to squash the Spartans’ postseason hopes.
Logan Rohrer – tied with Williams for game-high scoring honors at 19 – scored the game’s first bucket. James Williams and Barron later tied the game early at 4 apiece. Noah Knigga and Jo. Williams then traded baskets for a 6-6 stalemate. Lawrenceburg ended the first period on an 8-0 run. A lob to Rohrer was finished and big man Bobo stepped out for a three. In the final seconds, Rohrer scored on an inbound play to make it 14-6.
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Braxton Myers finally broke the Spartan silence with a field goal. Rohrer answered directly from the 3-point line and two by Sam Cornett had LHS up 19-8. Brayden Pearson landed a 3 for Connersville but Bobo echoed that and Rohrer’s bucket made it 24-11. The score at half was 26-14.
The third quarter featured very little scoring (eight points total) and a lot of deliberate offense. CHS got within 26-17 before Knigga hit and Rohrer’s cut to the basket produced a 3-point play.
Bobo added 13 in the winning effort and Ben Cornett posted 9. Knigga and S. Cornett each had 4 and Charlie Meyer a free throw. The senior class had all of Connersville’s 41 points; Myers had 6, Barron and Ja. Williams 5 each, Pearson and Gavin Pearson each with a 3-pointer.
LHS (19-6) and coach Brad Cutter move on to Friday night’s semifinal matchup with host Greensburg. The Spartans closed at 18-5.
The 3/A #7 Connersville Spartans locked up their third consecutive conference championship with a win over the Lawrenceburg Tigers on Saturday night. They jumped out to an early lead and held off a Comeback from the Tigers to pull off a 53-37 win.
Josh Williams started the game off putting the Spartans up 2-0. Lucas Barron connected not once, but twice on old fashioned three-point play’s and the Spartans were up 8-0 after three minutes played. Noah Knigga and Logan Rohrer each scored back-to-back for Lawrenceburg then buckets were traded by both squads. Williams scored back-to-back and it was 15-7 in Connersville’s favor. James Williams scored for CHS. Knigga scored for the Tigers and dropped in a free throw. Jo. Williams ended the frame scoring his ninth point and the Spartans led after the first quarter 19-10. Cooper Bobo scored his first points of the game from the free throw line to start the second quarter. Brayden Pearson dropped a three-pointer, and the Spartans were back up by 10-points. After two minutes of neither team scoring Braxton Myers added two-points for Connersville. Knigga was good for two more freebies for LHS and the score at the half was Connersville 24, Lawrenceburg 14.
The Tigers got two free throws from Sam Cornett to start the third quarter, Bobo hit from deep, and Lawrenceburg pulled it to within five-points. Bobo completed an old fashioned three-point play, and the score was 24-22 with Connersville up and six minutes to go in the third. Barron hit a pair of free throws for the Spartans, Myers hit a shot near the rim, Barron scored to put the Spartans on top by eight-points. Rohrer and Ben Cornett scored for the Tigers, Ja. Williams scored on a put back for Connersville, then he added a free throw to put Connersville up 35-28 after three periods. Rohrer and Knigga got the Tigers five quick points to begin the final frame. The Williams brothers and Gavin Pearson scored for CHS, B. Cornett scored for the Tigers and the Spartans lead was cut to five-points again. Myers completed an and one for Connersville, Ja. Williams scored, and Barron hit a three giving CHS a 12-point win and locking in their third straight EIAC championship.
The Spartans improve to 17-4 on the season and finished 7-0 in EIAC games. Lawrenceburg is now 17-6 on the year and finished with a record of 3-4 in EIAC games.
1 2 3 4 F
CHS 19 5 11 18 53
LHS 10 4 14 9 37
Unofficial Scoring–
LHS– Rohrer 11, Knigga 10, Bobo 8, S. Cornett 4, B. Cornett 4
CHS– Barron 15, Jo. Williams 13, Ja. Williams 11, Myers 10, B. Pearson 3, G. Pearson 1
BROOKVILLE – Franklin County fought tooth and nail with the favored Connersville Spartans Friday night at FC, but Kerry Brown’s squad posted a 29-16 advantage after halftime to pull themselves within shot of a third consecutive Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference championship.
A 30-26 game late in the third quarter after the hosts’ Quinn Gillman swished a three, CHS answered with a Gavin Pearson triple and outscored FC 13-6 in the final eight minutes to win 46-32. An 11-2 stretch to begin the fourth was particularly painful for Mark Foster’s Wildcats. Braxton Myers finished an impressive up-and-under basket off a lob from Josh Williams to open the frame. After a brief scoring lull, FC senior Brady Morehead got to the rack for two. But the next nine points belonged to the Spartans. Lucas Barron put in a second-chance effort and at 3:53, Myers found Williams spotting up from the corner for three more. A minute later, Myers completed a reverse layup and followed that with a pair of free throws. By the time the Cats’ Eli Butt banged one in off the glass, FC trailed by 14 with just 1:07 left as a timeout was called. The Wildcat gymnasium – filled to the rafters on both sides – was raucous as the game got underway and the hometown fans did most of the cheering through the first quarter and change. A 10-2 lead tends to have that effect. Senior Tanner Weartz had a 3-point bucket in the opening minute of action and a blocked shot at the other end. Classmate Jace Lee owned the next couple offensive sets, getting to the hoop twice for field goals and a 7-0 Wildcat lead. Connersville’s first taste of the net came at 2:30 when Williams used the backboard for a pair. FC came up with a couple more defensive stops aided by pilfers; one came with 12 seconds left, but the subsequent shot was off and CHS missed a three attempt and tip try as time expired. Another Morehead steal led to FC points early in the second period. Lee passed to a waiting Gillman in the corner, who finished the assist with a three-ball. As they’d do later in the evening, the Spartans closed the half out strong. A Williams jumper with 6:53 on the clock triggered a 15-6 CHS run. Butt had short answers for Williams’ makes – the 2 and a 3 from the top of the key – to keep FC up 14-7 as Brown stopped play with 4:19 remaining. The Spartans’ first non-Williams points came as Myers’ offensive game picked up; the senior scored quickly out of the timeout before picking FC’s pocket and driving in for two more. Foster called time at 3:48 as Connersville had crept to within three. Myers scored again and two foul shots for Barron gave CHS its first lead of the game at 15-14. Weartz hit a pair from the line to switch the lead, but Myers did the same to give the guests a 17-16 advantage that held until the intermission. CHS led from that point on. Pearson’s three on the second half’s first possession was answered by Lee’s inside bucket. Williams’ dipsy-doo made it a 22-18 game and four points by Barron set the spread at eight points. Butt tripled at 5:08, only to have Barron and Myers push the lead to nine. A teardrop by Gillman preceded a Wildcat timeout with the score 30-23.
Myers led all scorers with 16 as Williams and Barron netted 12 apiece. Butt paced the home side with 9, Gillman and Lee adding 8 each. Pearson had 6, Weartz 5 and Morehead 2.
FC (9-12, 2-5) will wrap up its regular season Thursday at Richmond’s Tiernan Center.
FC repeated as fundraising champion in the Beat Cancer in 4 Quarters competition between the schools, raising a record amount of over $13,000.
The Connersville Spartans (15-4) are sitting atop the EIAC with two games remaining. Their conference record is currently 5-0, one game ahead of the Greensburg Pirates (15-4) who are 5-1 in the EIAC. The Bucs will be hoping for an upset and waiting for a share of the title if they can pull off one more conference win, and hope for a Spartan loss. They will have to wait until Feb. 24 to get their sixth win, when they face East Central (5-15, 3-3), the final EIAC game left on the schedule … unless EC wants to play spoiler. In the meantime, they will be rooting for a Franklin County (9-11) or Lawrenceburg (17-4) win this weekend. The Tigers winning is more likely than the former; they are sitting in fourth place in the EIAC (3-2) and are winners of five in a row after a 22-point win on Saturday over Rising Sun. Franklin County (2-4) is currently in fifth place in the conference and just snapped a seven-game skid on Saturday with a win over Victory Prep. The Spartans beat FC last season 49-39 in the late-season matchup and have won 29 of the last 38 meetings between the two schools.
Connersville is looking to finish their third season in a row at 7-0 in the EIAC. Their last conference loss in regular season play was to Franklin County Feb 21, 2020, a two-point loss at Spartan Bowl. The Spartans will be tough for any team to beat with one of the toughest defenses in the state; CHS is ranked ninth in points allowed out of 401 teams. Connersville gives up just 41.7 ppg. Coincidentally Lawrenceburg is ranked tenth, allowing just 42.3 ppg. The Saturday matchup at the Spartan Bowl when the Tigers come to town is one that favors CHS. They have yet to lose to Lawrenceburg since they began the yearly match starting in 2013-14. The Spartans are 10-0 in that stretch over the Tigers and have only lost once to LHS in the last 35 years. CHS won the matchup last season, 52-31.
One thing is for sure after this weekend – the EIAC picture might, or might not be, a little clearer.
The Connersville Spartans hosted the #10 Ranked 4-A New Palestine Dragons on Saturday evening. The game was a back-and-forth affair that the Spartans pulled out at the end. The Dragons are the second top ranked team the Spartans have beaten in a week. Coach Kerry Brown’s team looks primed to make a deep run in the 3-A tournament with the Spartan defense playing great and the CHS scorers getting open looks, they will be a tough out.
New Palestine got the first points of the game from Blaine Nunnally with two free throws. CHS scored next with a Braxton Myers basket and a Lucas Barron freebie. NP’s big man Ben Slagley scored the next field goal, then the Spartans went up by three after another Myers basket and a Gavin Pearson score making the score 7-4. NP scored twice in a row before Josh Williams finished the quarter with a basket that put CHS up 9-8.
An Ian Stephens three-pointer gave the Dragons a lead to start the second quarter, Barron tied the game up, but New Pal started a 6-1 run that put them up 17-12. Williams scored again for CHS, New Pal hit a pair of free throws, then the Spartans went on a 7-0 run with Williams, Myers, and Barron scoring to put Connersville up 21-19 midway through the frame. New Pal scored twice to regain the lead, but a Barron basket and freebie tied it back up. Slagley scored the final three-points of the half and the Dragons led at the break 27-24.
The third quarter featured several lead changes and ties with the Spartans scoring 16-points in the period and the Dragons scoring 12 over the eight minutes of play. Connersville led through three quarters 40-39. Myers scored the first four-points in the fourth quarter and the Spartans were up five. New Pal got three more points and so did Barron for CHS, the Spartans led with four minutes to go 47-42. CHS scored again then New Pal hit back-to-back, making it a three-point game. With just one minute remaining the Dragons were forced to foul, Myers went to the line and hit four of four in two trips down the court. The Dragons hit a three-pointer, then fouled Myers again, He again hit both shots. Nullany hit another deep shot, but Williams finished of the game going three of four on his foul shots and the Spartans won 58-52.
Myers led the Spartans in scoring with 20-points, Jo. Williams added 19, Barron 13, James Williams 4, Pearson 2.
Connersville moves to 15-4 on the season with the win and are riding a three-game win streak. The have three games remaining this season, Franklin County on 2/17, Lawrenceburg on 2/18, and Northeastern on 2/21.
The #12 ranked Connersville Spartans hosted the East Central Trojans last night in an EIAC hardwood matchup. The game was a low scoring affair with the Spartans taking the first quarter, EC held Connersville to just two-points in the second quarter and led by three at the half. An even third period had the Trojans up by one-point going into the final period. The Spartans outscored EC by 11-points in the fourth quarter and secured their second win in a row.
The first quarter started with the Spartans jumping out to a 4-0 lead with Lucas Barron and Braxton Myers each scoring. Cole Wheat got the first East Central basket, and Dylan Maxwell added the next field goal to tie the game up at 4-4. Myers scored again for CHS and that started an 8-0 run for the Spartans, Gavin Pearson scored two from the charity stripe, Josh Williams scored, and Blaine Hornsby hit the final basket in the frame to put Connersville up 12-4 after one period. Carson Pieczonka opened the second quarter with a three-point shot, Maxwell added a three ball, and then went to the foul line twice in a row hitting all four freebies and putting EC up 14-12. Myers scored again for the Spartans, but Rhys Hofer ended the half with a three-pointer for EC and giving them a 17-14 lead at the half. Pieczonka started the third frame off with a deep ball and Wheat hit a free throw putting the Trojans up 21-14. Connersville got a basket from Myers and a three pointer from a wide-open Pearson to pull the game back to just a two-point lead for EC. Pieczonka hit his third deep ball with three minutes to go in the quarter. Connersville closed out the period with Myers scoring and collecting a free throw to make the score EC 24 CHS 22 after three quarters. The final frame started with both teams scoring Barron for Connersville and Hofer for EC, then the Spartans went on a 7-0 run (Myers 5, Barron 2) to retake the lead. Pieczonka collected two-points from the charity stripe for EC, then Pearson collected four freebies for Connersville, Brayden Pearson got in the scoring column with a free throw and CHS was up by 10. East Central got a final free throw from Pieczonka with 18 seconds remaining and that was the fnal point scored in the game. Connersville got the win 38-29 and improved to 14-4 on the season. They remain undefeated in EIAC games at 5-0. The Trojans fall to 5-14 on the season and 3-2 in EIAC games. The Spartans will have their hands full in their next contest, they host #10 New Palestine (17-1) on Saturday evening. East Central will have a matinee game with EIAC foe Batesville (13-6) on Saturday at 1:30pm.
1 2 3 4 F
ECHS 4 13 7 5 29
CHS 12 2 8 16 38
Unofficial Scoring–
East Central– Pieczonka 12, Maxwell 9, Hofer 5, Wheat 3
Connersville– Myers 16, G. Pearson 9, Barron 8, Josh Williams 2, Hornsby 2, B. Pearson 1
Your eiacsports.com All-Freshman girls team includes two Greensburg Lady Pirates, two Lawrenceburg Lady Tigers, and a Connersville Lady Spartan. The five players have started for their respective squads all season, and the future of their programs looks to be a bright one.
