Osgood Journal Sports
January 23, 2007

Atwell to receive Comeback Award
Gary Franklin - Sports Editor

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Talon Atwell

The old cliche, "a gentleman and a scholar", appropriately fits the young man this story is about.
Milan Indian senior, Talon Atwell, was notified recently of his selection as the 2007 Indiana Boys Thomas A. Brady Comeback Award. The Methodist Sports Medicine Foundation will present the Comeback Award to Atwell in a ceremony at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis on January 23.
In June of 2003, Atwell, son of Tim Atwell and Karen Fox of Milan was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. Atwell underwent several months of chemotherapy which caused him to miss his freshman year of football. Atwell wanted to play, but doctors forbade it as he had an I.V. port. However, he did still contribute as the teams video coordinator, and participated in basketball and golf as a freshman while undergoing treatments. After chemotherapy, Atwell went into radiation treatments, three times a week for three months.
By the middle of his junior year, Atwell was starting as an outside linebacker on the Milan Indian football team. That year he earned a Varsity Letter and the Iron Indian Award for perfect attendance in the off season weight room training workouts. His teammates voted him the Most Improved Player Award. Atwell has been praised for his amazing attitude throughout the entire experience by Marty Layden, Athletic Director at Milan High School.
As well as returning to the gridiron, Atwell continued as a member of the basketball team. He has spent many hours volunteering his time at Children's Hospital and raising money for Adventures for Wish Kids. In this his senior year, he was a two-way starter and team captain for the football team, and is a leader in the classroom as well, ranking in the top ten in his class. Atwell is a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council, and intends to further his education at Purdue University following graduation, majoring in meteorology.
The event honoring Atwell was established by the Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation, in partnership with Clarian Human Motion. Its purpose is to recognize Indiana male and female student-athletes at the collegiate and high school level who have overcome adversity or tragedy.
The dinner awards ceremony is to get underway at 7 pm with guest speakers, former Indiana Pacer great Billy Keller, and ESPN college football commentator Lee Corso. They will be receiving Lifetime achievement Awards during the ceremony.
Thomas A Brady is the father of sports medicine in central Indiana. Dr. Brady established a walk-in clinic in the basement of Methodist Hospital in the early 1980's. This clinic became Methodist Sports Medicine Center, a leader in the care and treatment of athletes and sports enthusiasts.
The Methodist Sports Medicine Research and Education Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to support and enhance the research, medical education, outreach and care undertaken by the Methodist Sports Medicine Center.

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South Ripley Lady Raiders and Milan Lady Indians battle
Gary Franklin - Sports Editor

Following major defeats, the South Ripley Lady Raiders and the Milan Lady Indians had opportunity for an RCT re-match. Both teams had recently been strong armed by their opponents (SR by Brownstown and the Lady Indians by Southwestern Hanover. South Ripley High School was host for the Saturday evening, January 20 game.
The Lady Raider varsity came from behind to win the game 48-46. Erica Ester of the Lady Raiders knotted the score at 33 from the FT line, to end the third quarter. Beth Stratton of the Lady Raiders again tied the game at 42 from the FT line with under 2 minutes remaining in the game.
An Ashley Thomas 3 gave the Lady Raiders the lead with 1 minute to go. Lady Indian Becca Haugh kept the Indians within range as time was running down, but an Erica Ester score for the Lady Raiders took the score to 48-46 with 10 seconds to play. Lady Indian Kady Alloway drove to the basket for the lay up under heavy guarding, but got her shot off. The last hitch effort bounced off the rim, leaving them two short at the final horn.
*Kady Alloway scored 32 against the Batesville Lady Bulldogs, falling just 3 shy of resetting her single game top scorer school record for the Milan Lady Indians.
The Lady Raider reserve also narrowly escaped with a 2 point win at 39-37.
*Varsity Girls action
SR Lady Raiders 48
34 Ashley Thomas 19
10 Ciara McGuire 14
11 Erica Ester 5
21 Beth Stratton 4 3 Kellie Collier 2
5 Abbey Lemon 2
15 Susannah Mann 2
Milan Lady Indians 46
21 Kady Alloway 12
22 Lacee Alloway 11
15 Kelly Stutler 4
42 Jess Wessler 4
45 Amanda Walter 4
24 Rebecca Haugh 4
32 Kaity Barton 3 10 Denise Lawhorn 2
44 Cassie Billingsley 2
*Reserve scoring
South Ripley 39-37 Milan
SR Lady Raiders 39
21 Kyla Sexton 16
23 Katie Polly 8
25 Rachel Yocum 7
31 Lakin Davis 5
5 Sarah Webster 3
Milan Lady Indians 37
30 Brittany Lewis 12
40 Cheyenne Winters 8
33 Abby Bergman 7
14 Kayla Stutler 4
12 Kirby Alloway 4
11 Ciera Ison 2

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Above, senior Lady Raider Abbey Lemon and Lady Indian sophomore Jess Wessler bout for the opening tip at SRHS on Saturday, January 20. The Lady Raiders narrowly escaped with a 2 point win at 48-46.