The Versailles Republican Sports
July 17, 2008

Lady Raider roundballers host their "First Annual Wifflerama"

Gary Franklin, Sports Writer

Varsity South Ripley Lady Raider Basketball Coach Ashlee Miller and her squad used the Ohio Rod ball fields to promote a team fundraiser on Saturday, July 12.
Coach Miller requested each member of the Lady Raider basketball team put together a team to play in their "Wifflerama". Some were successful while others were not.
Six teams were prepared to compete when the day arrived, including a team from Milan, gathered by Millers' cousin Alec Lauber.
Competitive was the nature of the beast, with the greater emphasis encompassed in just having a good time more than creating any serious rivalrys.
Laughter and taunting were the pleasure of the day between competitors for the most part, with all finding enjoyment in the activity on a nearly perfect day for outside entertainment. The apparent biggest losers of the day were the teams who were unable to attend.
The SE Indiana REMC was a contributing sponsor of the tournament. Of the six teams participating in the tournament, Lady Raiders Sealey Snyder and Sarah Webster jointly established one and Lady Raider Rachel Mathes gathered a team. Mathes' team wound up the runners-up for the tournament.
Competition gathered by Alec Lauber of Milan made up a third team in the tournament. The fourth team, an all adult team entered by Justin Haller, went undefeated before forfeiting out as many of their team members had other obligations for the afternoon. A fifth team was entered by Keith Conover, brother of reserve coach Thom Conover. The sixth team, that of Thom Conover and Brian Miller won the final game to earn bragging rights as the first SR wifflerama champs .

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO A pair of South Ripley Lady Raider basketball players formed teams which were represented in the First Annual Wifflerama sponsored by the South Ripley Lady Raider basketball team behind Coach Ashlee Lauber. Pictured from left are Cody Hyatt, Sealey Snyder, Jason Back, Sarah Webster, Dylan Taylor, Kaitlyn Black, Whitney Hillstrand and Derrick Wade. Umpire Erica Ester stands on home plate. Lady Raider Rachel Mathes' tournament team included Jordan Bodenberg, Jake Waldron, Sara Mathes, Aaron Mathes, Chase Grider, H.C. Rachel Mathes and Hayley Demaree.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO An all Milan High School student team competing in the First Annual Wifflerama, sponsored by the South Ripley Lady Raider basketball team behind Coach Ashlee Lauber, pictured from left included Hannah Wessler, Zach Holland, Alec Lauber, TJ Shannon, Randi Delap and Jessica Wessler. Umpire Ryan Lauber stands on home plate. A team of former and current South Ripley sportsters included Josh Cumberworth (who traveled from Iraq to be in the tournament) Keith Conover, Mitch Krall, Jared Grossman, Sheena Speer, Darren Speer and Dakota Walker.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Two of the all adult teams competing in the First Annual Wifflerama sponsored by the South Ripley Lady Raider basketball team behind Coach Ashlee Lauber, pictured from left included: Dave Oney, Jeremy Stegner, Justin Haller, Brad McCarty, Chris Rollins, Chris Buchanan and RJ Pollard. Umpire Mark Guard stands on home plate. The second all adult team included SR Lady Raider Reserve Basketball Coach Thom Conover, Michael Busch, Damon Simon, Casey Simon, Matt Meisberger, Dave Ellis, Ryan Lauber and Brandon Serabolt.

Coach Smith & his Lady Eagle roundballers host annual car wash

Gary Franklin, Sports Writer

Varsity Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagle Basketball Coach Scott Smith and some of the members of his squad got busy with a car wash fundraiser held at the Integra Bank parking lot in Osgood on Saturday, July 12.
Among those participating in the car wash were Coach Smith, Kristen Hicks, Samantha White, Alyssa Hammond, Kara Wagner, Brooke Gilland, Hailee Sizemore, Hannah Kappes and Megan Obermeyer.
Although the morning's weather left the probability of showers in the area, drivers rallied to help support the efforts of the Lady Eagles.
Coach Smith reported that Becca Wagner (Lady Eagle sophomore) was competing in the Indiana High School Basketball Coaches Association Girls Top 100 underclassmen drills at Ben Davis HS. Wagner played in four games and went through the drills offered during the day. She was one of only nine Class 1A girls invited and one of only 11 sophomores asked to attend statewide.
Note: Eagle supporters need to mark their calendars as the next fund raiser for JCD Athletic Department will be The 13th Annual Eagle Classic Golf Scramble. It is slated to get underway at 8 a.m. at the North Branch Golf Course in New Point on Saturday, August 16. All proceeds from the scramble will go to help support JCD athletics.

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagle roundballers Samantha White and Kristen Hicks while working at the team's fundraising car wash in the Osgood Integra Bank parking lot on Saturday, July 12, catch a break from washing vehicles just long enough to get captured in the lens of the camera grabbing a bite of pizza. Coach Scott Smith and his team were busy from 8 a.m. to noon cleaning up the town in spite of the rainy morning.