SPORTS

February 8, 2011

SR Lady Raiders open & close their season
with game wins over rival JCD Lady Eagles

Earning a perfect 6-0 season victory in the 2010-11 ORVC varsity girls basketball championship race, the South Ripley Lady Raiders pictured front from left include: Shannon Adkins, Meredith Knollman, Whitney Walker, Rebecca Bodenberg and Kasey King. Row 2: Assistant Coach Kevin Mack, Head Coach Brian Samples, Rachel Mathes, Kaitlyn Welch, Jessica Foster, Rachel Hensley and Assistant Coach Thom Conover. Not pictured varsity Lady Raider Allie Linkmeyer, injured during the game before the photo.

Gary Franklin, Sports Editor

"To the victor go the spoils" aptly fits this year's rival basketball games between the Brian Samples coached South Ripley Lady Raiders and the Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles coached by Scott Smith.
Whenever the two rival teams meet, there is ever much importance placed on the game for the mere fact of the deeply embedded rivalry, however this year even more was at stake in both games.
In the regular season opener for SR, played at South Ripley High School, the Lady Raider win allowed them to capture the "Ripley Publishing Co. Inc. traveling Pride Trophy" from the JCD Lady Eagles who had possessed it from the 2009-10 season.
In South Ripley's final game of the regular season, at stake of course was the "Pride Trophy", but also the 2010-11 ORVC conference championship. Each team entered the contest with perfect 5-0 conference records before the game.
No way for a tie, outrightly one or the other would leave the gym as sole ORVC lady basketball champion, the other as runner-up. South Ripley's Lady Raiders laid claim to the top rung with a 13 point, 73-60 victory at the final horn's sounding.
An 8-0 opening by the Lady Raiders spoke volumes as the game progressed, but let no one tell you otherwise, this game was battled to the very end, as everyone would expect it to be.
By the end of the first quarter, SR had doubled the JCD score at 22-11. In the second period, JCD cut their deficit to seven at 21-28 but found themselves heading to the locker room at the halftime break trailing by 10 at 23-33.
The Lady Raiders edged their score to a 15 point lead in the third quarter at 41-26 over the Lady Eagles. The Lady Eagles battled back to within 12, but trailed by 14, 35-49 at the end of the period.
With all on the line, the Lady Raiders captured a 17 point lead at 54-37 over the Lady Eagles near the six minute mark of the fourth. Some thirty seconds later, the Lady Eagles had shaved five points off the SR security blanket to trail 44-56.
SR regained a 14 point lead at 58-44 when JCD lit the house. With just four and a half minutes til dooms day for the Lady Eagles, they spanked the rim for seven consecutive points to trail the least they had since game's early going, just seven points down at 51-58.
A mere seven point difference and half of the fourth quarter's time yet hanging in the balance to be played, excitement filled the gym as in the beginning of the contest.
However, the last four minutes ended up with many free throw shots from the charity stripe and only a scant few FG's scored by either team.
The Lady Raiders got the nod for the most trips to the line, from which they capitalized on their opportunities, ending the game a 13 point winner, 73-60.
A perfect 6-0 ORVC game winner were the Lady Raiders, with the Lady Eagles as near to that as possible at 5-1 ORVC season finishers.
Varsity Quarter Scores
SR 22-11 JCD
SR 33-23 JCD
SR 49-35 JCD
SR 73-60 JCD
Individual Scoring
S. Ripley Lady Raiders 73
Kasey King 23
Jessica Foster 18
Whitney Walker 9
Rachel Mathes 8
Rachel Hensley 8
Rebecca Bodenberg 5
Meredith Knollman 2
Kaitlyn Welch 0
Shannon Adkins 0
Allie Linkmeyer INJ
JCD Lady Eagles 60
Becca Wagner 20
Alyssa Hammond 13
Hailee Sizemore 11
Brooke Gilland 7
Amber Crank 6
Emily Huntington 3
Meagan Hughes 0
Morgan Young 0
Crista Roberts 0
Megan Obermeyer 0
Kara Wagner 0
Kelsey Pilz 0
Hannah Kappes 0
Sydney Keene 0
Brooklyn Ronsheim 0
Congratulations to Coach Brian Samples and the South Ripley Lady Raiders on a perfect 6-0 ORVC conference winning 2010-11 girls basketball season!
Congratulations also to Coach Scott Smith and the Jac-Cen-Del Lady Eagles on making the last ORVC season contest determine the conference winner, ending at 5-11!!
JV Quarter Scores
JCD 14- 3 SR
JCD 23- 8 SR
JCD 33-13 SR
JCD 43-20 SR
Individual Scoring
JCD Lady Eagles 43
Crista Roberts 9
Brianna Volz 7
Morgan Young 7
Megan Obermeyer 4
Kelsey Pilz 4
Brooklyn Ronsheim 3
Kara Wagner 2
Hannah Kappes 2
Sydney Keene 2
McKenzie Strunk 2
Tori Walke 1
Erin Flint 0
Skila Catron 0
Ciara Moore 0
S. Ripley Lady Raiders 20
Emily Cumberworth 6
Rachael Bush 4
Rachel Hensley 4
Allie Linkmeyer ( INJ) 3
Kelsey Cumberworth 2
Kayla Mills 1
Kayla Peetz 0
Samantha Wilhoit 0
Emily Forwalt 0