Saints likely unfazed by foes from haunted town

"How well I remember my first encounter with The Devils's Brew.
I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon - and
went right on stumbling for several days thereafter."
- W.C. Fields, American comic & actor (1880-1946)

There seem to be some tall tales staggering down U.S. Highway 31 from northern Indiana these days. Especially accounts of the Triton High School basketball team and its hometown of Bourbon, Indiana, in Marshall County.

Some of these stories are quite relevant to the IHSAA Class A state championship boys' basketball game to be contested between Triton and the Franklin Township-based Lutheran Saints on Saturday, March 22, at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

Others, though, may or may not be the figment of some imagination inspired by a few nightly swigs from the ol' bourbon jug.

Ranked No. 3 among Indiana 's smallest-school classification, Triton's basketball team is the subject of some skyscraper achievements that will accompany the Trojans and their fans the 125 miles southward to the State Finals. That's about two and one-half hours from the school's hoops home on the northeast edge of Bourbon, a town of about 1,700 residents located at the intersection of Indiana Highway 331 and Old U.S. Highway 30 (about 11 miles east of Plymouth and 16.5 miles west of Warsaw).

Historically, the town's name was selected nearly 150 years ago by organizers who came from Bourbon County, Kentucky, an area that is best known for being the birthplace of bourbon whiskey.

While the scouting report on Triton's basketball team has been somewhat intimidating to most of the Trojans' opponents of late, the research on Bourbon produces some downright scary revelations. For example, the ghost reports being passed on by residents are enough to make anybody reassess spending any amount of time there, especially after dark when the corks start popping off those whiskey jugs. In fact, it is said that even some of the deceased refuse to rest in peace in this town.

Although some residents argue these ghoulish visions are untrue, a sampling of what are considered recent spooky sightings as listed by ghostsofamerica.com include:

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Scheib discovers his 'home on the range' 

"Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the sky is not clouded all day . "
- original lyric from "Home on the Range"

The lyric above serves as the opening lines originally written in a poem titled "My Western Home" by Dr. Brewster Higley in Smith County, Kansas, in the early 1870s. Music was added by Higley's friend, Daniel Kelley, and soon the song was picked up by settlers, cowboys and others and spread across the country.

Coach Lance Scheib will be changing school colors in the fall, as his gaze will turn from the Royal Blue & White of Franklin Central to the Black & Gold of Noblesville. FTONEWS.com file photo.

Some of us perhaps are more fortunate than most. For example, my parents moved from Alabama to the Central Kansas prairies in the 1930s. In late June of 1941, I was ushered into a part of the world described by those lyrics penned by Dr. Higley. And some six years and four days later - on June 30, 1947 - "Home on the Range" was officially adopted as the state song of Kansas .

For those who are familiar with the lyrics and peaceful pace of the song, there is a comfortable sense that the setting is one of the most glorious places on planet Earth. For many, I am often reminded, that's what Kansas represents - beautiful lakes, rivers, sunrises, sunsets, rolling hills, open prairie, oceans of waving wheat, small water falls, monumental rock formations, abundant wildlife, pure white snow in the winter, white fluffy clouds, blue skies year-round, and a place where a person can see millions of stars in the sky at night.

For others, like football taskmaster and social studies teacher Lance Scheib, the dream has long been two-fold - for him and his wife to raise their children in a town, and for him to coach Class 5A football. When he came to Franklin Township at about the turn of the century, he realized one of those aspirations; at the same time, he abandoned in Lebanon one that he had already been enjoying.

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Donaldson brings 'extra' to FC football

Fromer NFL standout Ray Donaldson, at left, and FC's head coach, Lance Scheib, pause in front of the Franklin Township Athletic Center. FTONEWS.com photo.

When Ray Donaldson-one of the all-time best centers in National Football League history-joined the coaching staff at Franklin Central High School two seasons ago, he brought more to the table than merely a familiar name affiliated with Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl and a storied career.

Ray, in fact, brings a "bigger-than-life" presence to the FC practice field each and every day. How can any offensive lineman who is part of the Flashes' football program not pay attention when the imposing Donaldson speaks? You would think it is a given that when Ray speaks, teenagers listen!

But behind Donaldson's menacing scowl-and that 6-foot, 4-inch by likely somewhat heavier than his 275-pound, playing-weight frame-is a most caring individual who gladly has contributed to FC gridiron progress and success.

And because Donaldson is a former NFL player who is registered as an Indiana assistant high school coach, he has been able to provide even more to the Franklin Central football program-a grant totaling more than $5,000 from the NFL Youth Football Fund. With school finances tighter than a Channel Lock gripping tool these days, that's something to be very thankful for.

Through the NFL Player-Coach High School Football Grant Program, the YFF allows former pro players now coaching (such as Donaldson) to apply for grants to help support their high school football teams. The grants must be earmarked for non-salary and non-personnel related costs. Grants can include football equipment purchases, blocking sleds, football field refurbishment and similar items.

Click here for the complete column. 

Click here for more about Ray Donaldson written by a Georgia columnist. 

- FTONEWS.com -

Blair and the Corn Stalks - a fairy tale?

When attempting to project a slice of Americana, it is not uncommon for a panning camera to suddenly freeze its focus on gently rustling corn stalks. It doesn't matter if it's out in Dyersville, Iowa, west of Dubuque, . or along Ferguson Road in Franklin Township.

What the following embellished tale really needs, though, is a room filled by novelist W.P. Kinsella, military history junkie Scott Patchan and tongue-in-cheek author Mollie Culligan, along with American football video game namesake John Madden and the late radio and television broadcaster Russ Hodges.

And, just for good measure, toss in the energetic Blair Ross - a Franklin Township composite of former NFL czar Pete Rozelle, former International Olympic Committee administrator Avery Brundage, University of Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma and boxing promoter Don King.

Wow, what an imaginary script this roomful of colorful and diverse characters surely could produce in collaboration.

Insights into the literary and movie-making possibilities were on display this August, when members of the longstanding Ross Football League enthusiastically assembled at BoileRoss Field in Franklin Township for the 2007 Jersey Kickoff Classic.

Franklin Township sports fanatic Blair Ross emerges from the cornfield that lies just north of his "field of dreams." FTONEWS.com photo.

Click here for the complete SPORTS RAMBLINGS column.

 

Elliot Hood . Vanderbilt graduate now enrolled at Purdue University

Hall of Fame ceremony 'sparks memories'

FC basketball legend Roger Burkman, at left, a few months ago is presented a plague in recognition of his impending induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Making the presentation is the Flashes' athletic director, Brian Avery. FTONEWS.com file photo.

Pardon the personal references that follow, but when Franklin Central basketball legend Roger Burkman was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, March 21, it reminded me of my early Hoosier Hysteria indoctrination.

It was a condensed, Clift's Notes-type version, if you will. One that very early on championed the late Bill Garrett, whose legacy embraces an impact of historic proportions when it comes to the game of basketball.

Back in 1974, my family and I motored for the first time to Shelbyville, where on Saturday, March 17, I was to be interviewed for the sports editor position at The Shelbyville News.

We were greeted by a festive parade - no, not for us, but what back then was a traditional St. Patrick's Day staple that brought hundreds upon hundreds of people to the primary heartbeat of Shelby County. It also presented an unexpected traffic challenge for the uninitiated - that being us on this rather sunny day.

Upon entering Shelbyville from the north by way of State Road 9, we were immediately detoured toward the east along very narrow streets and past what looked like a section of row houses and a couple of industrial plants. Along the way we caught a glimpse of the parade being led by a green-colored horse with a rider decked out in appropriate St. Patrick's Day attire. We later learned that the man atop the horse and beneath the top hat was Tom Franklin, a popular on-air personality on the local WSVL radio station.

That was our introduction to Shelbyville. The parade moved along rather fine, and so did the interview. On Monday, April 1 (April Fool's Day), the local daily newspaper had a new sports editor. And the Kansas native, by way of Alabama and northern Illinois, was ripe for discovering and learning about Indiana high school basketball.

Back then in Shelbyville, I am not sure which was the chicken or which was the egg, but you soon learn two must-know things:

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Prep grid titles tied to historical glance?

"Go West, young man."

(Advice for the ambitious most often attributed to Horace Greeley,
a founder of the Republican party, but originally written
by John Soule in the Terre Haute Express in 1851)

In looking back over the past 22 years of IHSAA post-season football playoffs, it likely is not examining a period of time long enough to qualify for providing historical perspective. Or is it?

That 22-year period represents how long it has been since the adoption in 1985 of the current format featuring five classes and allowing every IHSAA member school to participate in the statewide gridiron tournament.

Two recent IHSAA news releases - one dealing with reclassification and the other with sectional alignment shifts - provoke at least a cursory glance at the past two decades-plus, especially since Franklin Central during a portion of that period has been butting heads within Class 5A (the division representing the largest enrollment classification).

Franklin Central, over time, has fashioned one of the most storied football playoff traditions in Indiana football annals since IHSAA post-season play was created for selected schools in three classes for the 1973 season. Four times the Flashes have been crowned state champions (1980, 1981, 1982 and 1990) in the 33 years of playoff history. On three other occasions, FC placed runner-up (1986, 1988 and 1989) in bids for state titles.

The four state championships and seven title-game appearances place Franklin Central in elite company.

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Ray Compton, the chief executive officer of Compton Strategies, introduces head coaches and others involved in presenting the second annual KeyBank Tipoff Classic scheduled for Wednesday, November 22, in Conseco Fieldhouse. Joining Compton are, from left, Franklin Central coach Mark James, Park Tudor coach Mike Hasch, Cathedral coach Scott Hicks, Brownsburg coach Joshua Kendrick, Martinsville coach Tim Wolf, Quinn Buckner of Pacer Sports & Entertainment, Scott Brown of title sponsor KeyBank, Carmel coach Mark Galloway and ESPN 950 radio personality Greg Rakestraw. FTONEWS.com photos.

FC boys' & girls' hoops in limelight

Mark James, the Franklin Central boys' basketball coach, talks about his Flashes' participation in the six-school KeyBank Tipoff Classic scheduled for Thanksgiving Eve at Conseco Fieldhouse. FC will play Martinsville. James is flanked by the Artesians' coach, Tim Wolf (at left), and Quinn Buckner, a representative of Pacer Sports & Entertainment.

Perhaps never before in the history of Franklin Central basketball has the spotlight been aimed so brightly on both its boys' and girls' hoops programs during the same school year as it will be during the upcoming 2006-07 campaign.

The Flashes are definitely in demand - both the girls' contingent under the direction of Pam Taylor and the boys' squad under the guidance of Mark James. The two are veteran coaches who have logged more than 300 Indiana prep victories apiece. Consider the following marquee appearances scheduled for Franklin Central basketball teams during the next several months:

• Wednesday, November 22 - Franklin Central boys' team in the KeyBank Tipoff Classic to be played at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.
• Saturday, December 9 - Franklin Central boys' team in the Circle City Classic Challenge of Champions High School Basketball Showcase to be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus in Indianapolis.
• Tuesday-Wednesday, December 26-27 - Franklin Central boys' team in the WBY (Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook) Shootout to be played in the Al McGuire Center on the Marquette University campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Thursday, December 28 - Franklin Central girls' team in the City Securities Hall of Fame Classic to be played at New Castle Fieldhouse in New Castle, Indiana.

Franklin Central's participation in the second annual KeyBank Tipoff Classic was announced on Thursday morning, October 5, during a festive press conference at Conseco Fieldhouse that was orchestrated by Ray Compton of Compton Strategies. The event's founder, Compton is long known as a promotional maverick when it comes to hyping Indianapolis sporting endeavors.

Click here for the whole story.

Franklin Township softball standout Leah Prewitt joins her father, Phil Prewitt, and other members of their family as softball vagabonds. FTONEWS.com photo.

The Indy Diamond Chix 16 and under softball team, featuring many area players, recently captured the NSA World Series championship in Columbus, Ohio. Members of the team include: f ron t row from left, Jamie Story, Danielle Prince, Alyssa Marcum, Kayla Gray, Sara Evans and Alyssa Doyle; second row from left, Leah Prewitt, Erin Falkenberry, Ashley Nelson, Jessica Huey and Krystan Schwomeyer; back for from left, Coach Greg Huey, scorekeeper Dick Falkenberry, Manager Ed Marcum and Coach Phil Prewitt. Submitted photo.

How 'bout dem '97 Lassies of Spring!

I invite you to take a few minutes to rewind back a ways to one year shy of a decade. Go back, back, back to late spring, . and the wind-up of the Minor League season in the Franklin Township Girls' Softball program at the Wanamaker ball fields. A unique publication titled "Youth on the Diamond" documents in Issue No. 7 (dated June 16, 1997) the following account:

Paragraph One: VanDeman Builders handed Wagner Signs its lone loss of the regular season as pitcher Megan Russell notched 18 strikeouts.

Paragraph Two: Trailing by two runs, VanDeman was sparked by a lead-off double by Ellen Gilmer and Kristen Black's three-run triple.

Paragraph Three: Katie Gammon also doubled for the winners, while Kasey Petitt cracked a two-bagger among a pair of hits for Wagner.

Above that brief report was the game's line score, showing VanDeman Builders winning over the home team, Wagner Signs, 6-3 in six innings.

Now, you can fast-forward up to the present, although the following dissertation will reference some of those rather pert 1997 Lassies of Spring.

Researching some background information on Franklin Central High School softball phenom Megan Russell, in fact, is what led me back to a well-preserved set of "Youth on the Diamond" issues - all nine installments to Volume 1, and what turned out to be the lone volume of the publication.

Several things in the brief account reprinted above caught my attention.

** To the best of my knowledge, the game of softball, like baseball, requires three outs per inning to retire a side. In the six innings played between VanDeman Builders and Wagner Signs some nine years ago, the number of possible outs per side tallied up to 18. Therefore, the 18 strikeouts by Russell represent quite a remarkable feat! Observant Minor League followers back then likely considered that Megan had a bright future in the sport of fast-pitch softball.

** Another name in that early account also bridges the past and present. Kasey Petitt recently completed a stellar career at Shelbyville High School , and in mid-June joined Russell as a member of the South Squad for the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association's North-South All-Star series showcased at the Ben Davis Softball Complex.

** And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't admit to a touch of nostalgia is seeing my own daughter's name (Ellen Gilmer) in that brief account from "way back." Nothing like a self-serving trip down memory lane!

Franklin Township resident Mike Black is among those not at all surprised at the successful high school career of Russell. Mike was her coach on that VanDeman Builders team in 1997, and he has followed with interest Megan's career ever since she began playing at the Minor League level where young girls between the ages of 9-11 have their first opportunity to pitch fast-pitch softball.

"Megan, from the very first practice, was always very serious about her pitching," Black recalls. "It was obvious she was going to be very good - you could just see it in her. She really impressed at a very early age."

Megan's father, Dave Russell, was a coach on one of the Minor League's post-season All-Star teams in 1997. Black and John McNulty managed the team; Randell Phillips and Bob Rose guided the other All-Star contingent.

"Dave deserves a lot of credit for Megan's development as a pitcher over the years," Black acknowledges. "Grooming her into one of the state's best pitchers has involved a lot of time and a lot of money. Dave really stayed the course - he saw to it that she had private pitching lessons over the years, and then, in addition to her playing ball in Franklin Township programs, he took her to play travel ball all over the state."

The years of dedication and adherence to the three Ps - practice, patience and persistence - has provided Megan Russell with two another Ps - publicity and a payoff. Also, in mid-June, Megan was announced as the Marion County softball Player of the Year and a pitcher on the 2006 All-Marion County Softball first-team selections, in addition to being named to The Indianapolis Star's 2006 Softball Super Team. And this fall comes the ultimate payoff - she will be attending the University of Indianapolis on an athletic scholarship where her softball participation will help pay for her education.

For Megan Russell there were no shortcuts nor magic - she simply got what she wanted and earned what she was willing to work for - through years and years, months and months, innings and innings of desire, determination and dedication.

Now, before sticking those nine issues of "Youth on the Diamond" back in the file drawer, it is worth taking another look at those 1997 Lassies of Spring - about 120 players on the 10 teams that comprised the Minor League in the Franklin Township Girls' Softball program. What a talented group, as a whole!

Franklin Township resident Amber Wolf, another Minor League All-Star nine years ago, also teamed with Russell and Petitt on the most recent ICGSA South All-Star team. A Scecina High School product, Wolf was named to the 2006 All-City Softball first team. Kacy Kestner, another 1997 Minor League All-Star pick and a recent Decatur Central High School graduate, also played this June for the South All-Stars in the North-South Classic and was named to the 2006 All-Marion County Softball first team.

Lyndzie Phillips and Lindsey McNulty, two other 1997 Minor League All-Stars and both 2005 Franklin Central graduates, announced plans to play college softball following their prep careers. Phillips journeyed to Manhattan College in New York , where she was a starter at second base as a freshman. McNulty signed to play at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods near Terre Haute . Laurie Prendergast, another FC 2005 grad and a member of Black's VanDeman Builders team, was a freshman pitcher this past spring for Maryville University in St. Louis.

Erica Petitt, another young Minor League All-Star selection from the 1997 Lassies of Spring, was a junior starter on the 2006 Franklin Central softball team that captured the Marion County Tournament championship.

These are just a few of the promising players from nine years ago. Others - some just as talented on the softball diamond as many of those named - wound up choosing other pursuits, some by participating at a high level in other sports and some by excelling in other extracurricular endeavors.

But as a whole - as Mike Black is quick to point out - the collective softball talent from the 1997 Lassies of Spring doesn't come around that often. But when it does, it is fun to be able to look back and remember where it all started to blossom.

- FTONEWS.com -

 

It's almost a script fit for Hollywood

Carrie Leimberger

Franklin Central long-distance running coach Jack Spence called the other day, talking excitedly about one of his former runners on the girls' cross country and track teams. It was on Tuesday afternoon, November 15, in fact - the day when most of Central Indiana was experiencing wind gusts, chilly temperatures and tornado watches accompanied by intermittent steady rains and lightning flashes.

Spence is still a dedicated runner in his own right some two decades after graduating from Ball State University. He had just finished his own outdoor run on this rather dreary weather day, and was planning to shower and then head over to the Franklin Central natatorium to watch some of the girls he coaches compete in a Flashes' swimming meet against Lawrence Central. Jack got his run in safely, but the swim meet was postponed until later in the season due to nearby lightning strikes. Somehow lightning and water just don't mix.

But back to the subject matter of Spence's call. That would be Carrie Leimberger, a 2003 FC graduate who the coach describes as one of the most unique competitors he has ever worked with in his 12 years of being affiliated with Franklin Central cross country or its track and field contingents.

Why was Spence so excited? Because Carrie, now a junior at the University of Southern Indiana, will be running in the NCAA Division II National Championships on Saturday, November 19, along with other members of the Screaming Eagles women's cross country team. And Jack Spence couldn't be prouder!

"You have to know Carrie Leimberger to understand what she has been able to accomplish as a distance runner," Spence says. "Rarely has she been the star performer on an individual basis, but she has always been a major contributor."

Were Carrie Leimberger an actress, she likely would be cast in a supporting role. And she likely - if she put her mind to it - would be good enough to make it to Hollywood, too.

Above, former FC distance runner Carrie Leimberger (511) and a University of Southern Indiana teammate, Allie Shafer (517), lead a pack of runners down a hill during the NCAA Division II Regional 6K chase at Big Rapids, Michigan. At left, Leimberger and teammate Casey Schneider (516) run in a group that includes Julia Viel (337) of Ferris State and Jill Winkler (559) of University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Photos courtesy of runmichigan.com.

In fact, the Southern Indiana cross country team, ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division II national poll, is headed just east of Hollywood to Pomona, California, where the national meet is being hosted by California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly-Pomona).

Spence can remember the day some years ago when Leimberger suddenly decided to become a serious distance country runner.

"We were out on our usual run at practice one day," relates Spence, who generally strides up front with the top runners. "On this particular day, I looked over and there was Carrie Leimberger running alongside. I was surprised and asked her what she was doing running up front. She simply replied, 'I got tired of running in the back.'"

From that day on Leimberger became an integral team contributor.

Spence also can recall a day a few years back when Carrie was able to experience individual accomplishment - being able to succeed while not relying on an overall team effort. That came back at the IHSAA Regional Track and Field meet at Franklin Community High School, where performers were attempting to qualify for the 2003 State Championships.

Leimberger was entered individually in the 1,600-meter run, and the senior had done well at the Franklin Central Sectional meet, placing second in the event behind Roncalli sophomore sensation Stephanie Greer. Next up was the Franklin Community Regional, where the top three runners there would advance on to the State Meet.

"It appeared that Carrie would not make it to the State Meet in the 1,600," Spence says. "She finished fourth behind the Roncalli runner and two others at the regional." The other two entries were from Columbus North, and both also had qualified for the 3,200-meter chase at the State Meet. When one of them decided to run only the longer distance at the State Meet, that left a spot open for Leimberger.

"When she found out she was going to the State Meet in an individual event, I have never seen anyone so happy," Spence remembers. "She was so excited that she had done something on her own. And so was I."

While she didn't finish among the leaders in the 1,600 meters at the State Meet, Carrie Leimberger got to compete as an individual entry before a record crowd that day at the Michael Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis . What was important is that she had gotten to the State Meet in an individual event, and she had gotten there on her own merit.

Actually, Leimberger did plenty while representing Franklin Central. She earned seven varsity letters in cross country and track and field, helping the Flashes to three impressive runs at IHSAA Cross Country State Championships - a seventh-place finish in 2000, ninth overall in 2001, and eighth in 2002. She also contributed to four sectional championships and three regional titles in cross country. In track and field, she helped FC earn three sectional crowns.

Leimberger has continued to be a major contributor while being cast once again in a supporting role at Southern Indiana . She began her college running career as a freshman walk-on, but since has earned scholarship status.

Carrie stepped up big a few weeks ago at Big Rapids, Michigan , in an NCAA Division II regional chase where Southern Indiana placed second among 10 teams to earn the trip to California for the national meet. Customarily battling to come in as the Screaming Eagles' No. 5 scorer, Leimberger wound up as the third-best SIU finisher, coming in 30 th overall among a field of 150 runners.

Southern Indiana will be making its sixth trip as a team to the national championship meet and first since 2003. USI is led by senior Heather Cooksey, a Brownsburg prep product considered one of the favorites to win the NCAA Division II individual national championship, having placed 17 th a year ago. She has finished first in five of the six meets she has run this season.

Of course, the Eagles' team success likely will have a lot to do with how well members of the supporting cast run over the 6K women's layout at Pomona. One of those who might step up big once again is Carrie Leimberger. After all, she doesn't like to run in the back of the pack.

- FTONEWS.com -

 

Adam Green brings back memories

Franklin Central's Adam Green runs well ahead of the pack during a cross country meet earlier in the season. FTONEWS.com file photo.

Franklin Central long distance runner Adam Green, to someone like yours truly who has no real knowledge of proper running form or technique, appears to have a very easy running style. While many participants labor rather noticeably while touring the 5,000 meters required for completing a high school boys' cross country race, the Flashes' junior seems to glide along in a somewhat effortless, enjoyable manner.

Rest assured, Green's rise to his current status as one of the top schoolboy long distance runners in Indiana has been strenuous. He's put in the effort; he's endured the pain. He's legged out hundreds upon hundreds of miles in preparation for competing with the state's elite runners.

It takes a special athlete to want to participate in long distance running. Consider, for example, what kind of training is required to prepare for running 5,000 meters. For those who haven't bought into the metric system, the race itself is just a little over 3.1 miles, or more than 12 laps around the track at the Franklin Township Athletic Center. High school girls run 4,000 meters, or just a little under 2.5 miles.

Cross country races can be grueling; the finishes can be, for some, almost gruesome. Determined runners have been seen stumbling into the finishing chute, falling to the ground, left with no legs under them, gasping for air. At the 2004 IHSAA State Finals, runners were collapsing well ahead of the finish line, some literally crawling to the end with their fingernails filled with dirt and their grimacing faces covered with mud from the soggy course. If you have a weak stomach, you may want to stay away from the finish line - there's spitting, coughing, outright puking. There are lots and lots of moaning. And survival! And runners left with an extreme sense of well-earned pride!

Kansas schoolboy phenom Jim Ryun Click here for related column.

Watching Green the past several weeks reap the rewards of the training, dedication and self-discipline that earned him a place in the IHSAA Cross Country State Finals at Terre Haute takes me back only about five decades - to when I was growing up out in West Central Kansas. The Sunflower State, for as long as I can remember, has been known for its distance runners, particularly those who excelled in the mile run.

As a somewhat short, frail ninth-grader - perhaps 75-80 pounds at best and even then dripping wet - I had the opportunity to experience the physical and mental anguish that goes into running a mile. I remember that totally spent feeling at the end of four laps around an oval when legs are cramping, sides are aching and each time a vow is taken to never ever do this again. My dad watched me run only once, branding the experience as "inhumane." I think he meant for me.

We didn't have a state freshman meet back in the mid-1950s, but the closest thing was the season-ending Hutchinson Invitational, a nighttime headliner that attracted many of the top track and field competitors from around the state. Running at night was somewhat exhilarating compared to daytime races beneath the scorching Kansas sun. It felt good, and I was lucky enough to place fourth in the mile run with my best-ever time of 5:08. Larry Manning, an acquaintance from the neighboring small town of Ellinwood, easily won the race. He went on to become famous, not as a miler but as a vascular surgeon in Temple, Texas. As a sophomore, I discovered high school baseball - not that I was destined to contribute to the Kansas lore as a distance runner.

The state's tradition for developing a long line of legendary distance runners began back in the 1930s, when small-town Kansas products Glenn Cunningham and Archie San Romani burst onto the scene. And what a burst it was - Cunningham would go on to become the nation's most popular Depression Era track star, with San Romani only about a stride behind.

San Romani, from tiny Frontenac in Southeast Kansas, was one of the most prominent milers in history. He set NCAA records, world records, and qualified for the 1936 Olympic team. Cunningham, from remote Elkhart in the extreme southwest corner of the state, edged San Romani in the 1,500-meter run for a victory in the 1936 Olympic trials. Cunningham went on to finish second in the Olympics, while San Romani placed fourth.

Depression Era runner Glenn Cunningham

Once Cunningham was introduced to a training routine known as "under-distance faster, over-distance slower," he quickly developed into a world class runner. Two years later, he was to break the world mile record with a clocking of 4:06.8.

Known as the Elkhart Express, Cunningham arrived at the University of Kansas in 1930 as the greatest scholastic miler in history. During his senior year in high school, he had set a state record for the mile at 4:28.3 at the state meet in Manhattan. In July of 1930 at the National Interscholastic Meet in Chicago, he had set a national record for high school runners by posting a time of 4:24.7.

By the time Cunningham retired at age 30, he had become an international celebrity and had competed in two Olympics. The last two years he had competed in hopes of trying for his third successive Olympic team, but the onset of World War II made the holding of the games impossible so he decided to hang up his cleats.

The string of legendary Kansas distance runners would continue, with the arrivals of Wes Santee in the 1950s, and Conrad Nightingale and Jim Ryun in the 1960s.

Santee was another one of those small-town prep phenoms - from desolate Ashland in southwest Kansas. As a sophomore at the University of Kansas, he was already one of the world's premiere milers when he ran the 5,000-meter race in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Although he did not win the Gold Medal, he garnered a significant amount of publicity.

Nightingale, another small-town product, from Halstead, went to Kansas State University where he was part of several top-caliber cross country teams. During the 1966 indoor track season, he captured the NCAA Division I mile run championship in 4:03.4. He also competed in the 1968 Olympics in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event.

The most supreme talent ever to come out of Kansas, however, was Jim Ryun. Between his junior and senior year at Wichita East High School, he made an Olympic team. And while he was never able to win an Olympic Gold medal, many consider Ryun to this day to be the most gifted of all the great milers - from Bannister, to Elliot, to Coe, to Aouita, to Morceli and El Guerrouj.

Thanks goes to Franklin Central's Adam Green for triggering some recollections that go back quite a number of years. He certainly is to be congratulated today for his distance running exploits - they will be part of his long-term memory for years to come.

NOTE: Click here for a related column on Jim Ryun.

- FTONEWS.com -

The o-line - it's a rather 'thankless job'

The Franklin Central starting offenive line includes, from left, Justin Duhamell, Zach Wildauer, Garrick Mallery, Ross Pfeifer and Zach Dugger. The Flashes' offenive line coaches are Brian Spilbeler, at left, and Jerry Lantz. FTONEWS.com photo.

Offensive linemen - can you name one? Talking about getting little or no respect, where is the late Rodney Dangerfield when needed?

Who blocked for Walter Payton? Who opened lanes for Emmitt Smith? Who protects Peyton Manning? Oh sure, everyone knows Tarik Glenn of the Indianapolis Colts has Manning's backside. That's because a couple of times each game the mammoth offensive left tackle pulls out too early, draws a yellow hanky and No. 78 is subsequently singled out unceremoniously by stadium announcers and television sportscasters alike.

On the home front, who blocked for Franklin Central running back Billy Goforth a year ago? He piled up hundreds of yards rushing - surely someone was up there on the line of scrimmage opening up a few holes.

Who is blocking this season for Josh Snyder? The junior running back with a determined running style only tallied five rushing touchdowns against Southport the last time the Flashes took the field. There must be something going on up there in the trenches.

"Offensive linemen have the most thankless job on the field," says Jerry Lantz, in his fourth year of coaching the FC offensive line. "The only time that the average fan notices them is when they are flagged for a penalty. Only the most discerning fan can appreciate them."

Lantz and his coaching cohort, Brian Spilbeler, both know first-hand that offensive linemen sometimes feel that they toil in almost total obscurity. Lantz was a two-way lineman during his prep days at Avon High School . Spilbeler is in his second year of coaching varsity linemen at Franklin Central. Spilbeler is somewhat of an exception to perception; he is remembered as an all-state performer on the 1998 Class 5A state champion Bloomington South football team. He was an offensive center, and his quarterback was Rex Grossman, now on the injured list of the Chicago Bears.

"If offensive linemen screw up they are blamed," Lantz continues, "and if they do well it's the running back, quarterback or receivers who gets their name in the paper."

Up until now. Meet the interior unknowns on the Franklin Central starting offensive line. The four seniors and one junior, by the way, answer to the names of Justin Duhamell, Zach Dugger, Garrick Mallery, Ross Pfeifer and Zach Wildauer. Or to almost any dinner bell, for that matter.

According to Lantz, strong tackle Duhammel (6-2, 230), center Mallery (5-11, 210) and quick guard Pfeifer (5-10, 200) are returning starters from a season ago. Senior Brad Taylor (6-2 by 290) was moved to defense.

"We still get to use Brad on offense on occasion," Lantz acknowledges. "His experience and size come in handy around the goal line."

Lantz provides the following capsule on each of FC's offensive line starters:

Strong tackle Justin Duhamell - No. 63. "Justin is playing some defense now, too, so he is getting a lot of playing time. He has been a pleasant surprise for us this year as he has developed into a leader for us up front. Being on the strong side, he typically will get the biggest and best athlete on the defensive line across from him, and he has handled that well."

Center Garrick Mallery - No. 52. "Being a coach's son, Garrick has been around football all his life so he has a good knowledge of the game to start with. He has started every game at center last year and this year so far. He is a tough kid and is playing through some pain even now. It is nice to have a center start for more than a year, because it is such an important and tough job. Everything starts with him; if he doesn't get the ball to the quarterback each play without problems the play is doomed from the start."

Quick guard Ross Pfeifer - No. 74. "Ross has been a very steady player for us. We started him at tackle in the preseason and then moved him to quick guard. That position moves a lot for us. He has good wheels and is a good hitter. He is probably our most versatile player on the line this year. We move him around when we have problems."

Quick tackle Zach Dugger - No. 61. "Zach is not your typical tackle. He is a little light. He is usually by himself in pass protection so we wanted to have a quicker lineman on that side of the ball. He has learned fast. We first noticed Zach last year in practice when he was giving our offensivee line fits in practice from the other team's set defense. He made us notice him with his hard work and desire, and has done a very good job this year."

Strong guard Zach Wildauer - No. 59. Zach is coming along very well. He is listening in practice, and while watching film and working on the coaching points we give him. He is the one underclassman starting for us this year. Zach will be our leader next year up front."

Both offensive line coaches have been extremely pleased with the communication among the o-line to date.

"It is very important for members of the offensive line to talk to each other and to make sure the play is blocked correctly," says Lantz. "Sometimes adjustments have to be made at the line, and those adjustments have to be made quickly. When you have a line that will talk it out each play, you have the basis for success."

A Colts season ticket holder, Lantz points to what goes on at the line of scrimmage while Manning is dramatically orchestrating a play call in the Indianapolis backfield.

"You want a good example of line communication? Watch No. 63 (Jeff Saturday) for the Colts this weekend," Lantz offers. "Everyone always notices Peyton and his talking and changing of plays. This time, watch the linemen talk. I also hope when people watch us play they will notice the same thing going on - communication among the linemen."

Head coach Lance Scheib credits the offensive line for helping Franklin Central's running game show vast improvement on the year.

"The challenge for the offensive line," Scheib says, "is to improve each and every day at practice to give us a chance to be successful on Friday night. I feel the offensive line has improved each week, but we feel we have a long way to go to reach our potential."

Scheib also lauds the work of the offensive line coaches. "I feel Coach Lantz and Coach Spilbeler have done an outstanding job this season. Like our other players, the offensive line is fortunate to have the both of them coaching them to reach their full potential."

Over the first five games for the 3-2 Flashes, Lantz notes there has been some success on offense.

"Even against Warren Central (No. 1 in 5A in Indiana and No. 5 in the nation), we had almost 400 yards in offense. For the season we have amassed 119 points. That's an average of 24 points a game; in most high school games where you score 24 points you win. Four or our first five opponents have been ranked in the Indianapolis Star's Top 15 when we played them, with Warren and Roncalli at No. 1 in 5A and 4A, respectively.

"Our running back (Josh Snyder) has scored nine touchdowns, and gained 475 yards on 80 carries for a 5.9 yards-per-carry average. Quarterback Alex Kiel has six TD passes and 1,032 yards through the air on 93 of 181 passing for a 59 percent completion rate

"With those stats," Lantz voices in resting his case, "the o-line is doing something right."

Other than an offensive line award given out each week by Franklin Central at a team meeting, the Flashes o-line is left to its rather "thankless task." Until now!

- FTONEWS.com -

 

Another 'Rumble on the River' in store?

University of St. Francis quarterback Chris Bramell awaits a snap from center John Wolf during play on Saturday, September 10, against Indiana State. Bramell and Wolf are graduates of Franklin Central. The tailback is Adam Denning. Submitted photo.

Like a snake, the Tennessee River slithers down through the state that bears its name, passing through an out-of-the-way area known as Hardin County . However, if you're a small-college football player with championship aspirations, that's where you want to be in mid-November, particularly if your institution of higher learning is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

A handful of former Franklin Central football standouts and their devoted following know their way to Savannah , Tennessee , where the annual "Rumble on the River" determines the NAIA national football champion. These FC products and their teammates at University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne got within 11 ticks remaining on the scoreboard clock of experiencing a college football title last fall, and they want another chance at the tail-end of the 2005 campaign.

For Kevin Donley, the master seller of dreams and the master architect of the USF football program that was initiated less than a decade ago, the latest task of finding takers for his Tennessee vacation pitch is much more vivid this time around. Some of his returning Cougar players - like quarterback Chris Bramell from Franklin Central - have been there, and almost done that. That being the winning of a national football championship.

Donley, Bramell and St. Francis no doubt have looked back painfully on last year's "Rumble on the River" outcome. Freshman Marcus Miller kicked a 32-yard field goal with 10.8 seconds remaining to give Carroll College (of Helena , Montana ) a 15-13 victory over St. Francis at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah . Miller's kick gave the Fighting Saints their third consecutive NAIA football championship and spoiled the Cougars' bid for their first title and an unbeaten season.

However, a new season always brings about renewed optimism, and for St. Francis the reasons the expectations are so high, according to its media web site, are as numerous as the catfish in that river that winds past Savannah. The short list of positives includes:

• USF heads into the new campaign ranked No. 2 in the NAIA national poll right behind - guess who? - Carroll College . The top 16 teams in the final poll are invited to the NAIA playoffs.
• The Cougars are expected to win their seventh consecutive Mid-States Football Association Mideast League title.
• Coach Donley was named 2004 NAIA National Coach of the Year, and he previously has produced a national football championship while coaching at Georgetown College ( Kentucky ) nearly two decades ago.

On Saturday, September 10, the new St. Francis season got off to a highly favorable start. With a group of about three dozen current Franklin Central players and coaches on hand to watch what could have been billed the "Ruckus on the Wabash," the Cougars stepped up a few notches in taking on NCAA Division I-AA Indiana State at Terre Haute. It turned out to be a total mismatch, with small-school St. Francis overwhelming the Sycamores 42-10.

Zach Odle, an FC product now playing for Indiana State.

FC's coach, Lance Scheib, said he was impressed with the play of St. Francis, and reported his team, fresh off a 35-17 flogging of Lawrence Central the night before, thoroughly enjoyed watching three former Flashes play in the game - quarterback Bramell and center John Wolf for the Cougars and offensive tackle Zach Odle for Indiana State.

"Chris did an outstanding job at quarterback," Scheib said. "He is being looked at by all the NFL teams. They are looking at him first of all as an athlete." Bramell completed 10 of 14 passes for 118 yards and ran 18 yards for a touchdown in the third period against Indiana State .

An NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2004, Bramell is regarded as a player who has the tenacity of a pit bull protecting a bone. His athleticism and size (6-5 by 235 pounds) make him a threat whether he is throwing or running the football. And he is intent on guiding St. Francis back to Tennessee in November.

Bramell would like nothing better than to have his center with him on the field all year. A 6-foot, 3-inch, 307-pound junior, Wolf was injured last season prior to the championship encounter, but it appears he has recovered from off-season surgery.

"John started at center and did a great job," Scheib praised. "His play was a big reason St. Francis was able to run the ball in the second half when they took control of the game."

Scheib was pleasantly surprised by the play of Odle, a 6-4, 285-pound offensive lineman for Indiana State .

"Zach stared at left tackle for Indiana State and he was awesome," Scheib said. "He played at a level that even surprised me. If he can keep improving, he might have a chance at the next level."

At Franklin Central, Odle was a three-year letter-winner and a two-time all-conference selection. He was named Honorable Mention All-State as a senior, when he graded out at 87 percent (which included 27 pancakes in 11 games).

Two other FC graduates - senior offensive lineman Tom Guiser and red-shirt freshman quarterback Trevor Toon - also are listed on the St. Francis roster, but both reportedly are hobbled by injuries and did not see action against Indiana State.

Obviously, what caught the attention of the FC coaches and players was the overall team play of St. Francis.

"Anytime an NAIA school can not only play with, but win versus a Division I-AA program, that says a lot," Scheib said. "Certainly, I was very impressed by St. Francis, and I feel like if they can stay healthy, they may be the team to beat at the NAIA level."

- FTONEWS.com -

 

Scheib key part of first Warren state title

FC football coach Lance Scheib models a jersey he wore while playing football at Warren Central and displays a t-shirt presented to players after the Warriors won the 1984 state championship. FTONEWS.com photo.

Lance Scheib remembers it like it was just yesterday. But, at the same time, Franklin Central's enthusiastic fifth-year head football coach finds it hard to believe that it was actually more than two decades ago.

With FC preparing to open the 2005 football campaign against Scheib's alma mater, Warren Central, it is understandable that he might - at least momentarily - entertain the fond recollections of when he and a g roup of close-knit teammates transformed the Warrior football program into a storied memory.

By the same token, Scheib recently celebrated his 39 th birthday (on Saturday, August 13), an occasion which may have served as a reminder of just how long ago it really was when Warren Central captured the school's first-ever state football championship with a 28-8 victory over Hobart.

That 1984 state championship game is steeped with so much historical significance that documented accounts might figuratively fill today's 8,000-seat Warren Central football stadium, one featuring an artificial playing rug and a multiple-tiered press box. The Warren team, itself, is regarded as one of the top five football teams in the annals of Indiana prep football.

A standout receiver, Scheib was a key ingredient of that high-octane offensive juggernaut of the mid-1980s, along with golden-armed quarterback Jeff George and an offensive lineman and co-captain named Jason Whitlock, who for some years now has been creating water-cooler conversation almost daily as an often controversial sports writer in Kansas City.    Read more...

 

Tom and Jan Prendergast enjoy a moment following a recent Lutheran High School game. The couple has daughters playing for both Lutheran and Franklin Central High School. Photo by Jeff Barrie, IndySportPhotos.

Parents Jan and Tom Prendergast view action from the scoring tower at Lutheran High School. Photo by Jeff Barrie, IndySportPhotos.