Yorktown’s Rhyen Neal and Kendall Murr attempt to block Wapahani’s Chase Curry on Tuesday night.

There’s no shame in losing to the Yorktown volleyball team, as Wapahani did Tuesday night in three sets. In the locker room after the match, Raiders coach Jared Richardson told his team — ranked No. 1 in Class 2A — that it could see the top team in 3A again.

Next month’s Delaware County Tournament draw took place Tuesday, and host Wapahani received a bye into the semifinals, where it’ll face either Yorktown (9-0) or Cowan (5-5). Delta (7-2) and Daleville (3-3) open play in the other quarterfinal, with the winner meeting Wes-Del (5-1).

“I told the girls that I think we’ll see (Yorktown) again, so it’s motivation for them,” Richardson said. “That really pushes the team the rest of the season, so in all reality, this loss could help them.”

Complicating matters for the Raiders — at least in the short term — is the health of star Skyler Van Note, who hurt her ankle in the first set against Yorktown. Richardson joked after the match that he didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but he thinks Van Note could miss several weeks. That opens the door for players like freshman Sarah Orne, who paced Wapahani with six kills.

Cowan searching for consistency

Cowan may not have beaten Central on Tuesday night, but there were a lot of positives for the Blackhawks to take away — like being a Class A school and taking a set off a 4A school (and a talented one, at that). Now it’s a matter of sustaining that under first-year coach Whitney Stewart.

“Delaware County is obviously stacked, but a lot of those schools are 3A and 4A,” Stewart said. “So if we can hold our own with them, that bodes well for us.

“We need to make attainable goals. That was it last night, take one set. Our girls took care of business, and they were ready to do what was needed to win. I think it really helped. The next goal is to be able to stay at that level all the time, not just when there’s a big crowd and good atmosphere.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP .

Thursday’s ECI Volleyball Schedule

•Winchester at Union County, 7:30 p.m.

•Daleville at Elwood, 7:30 p.m.

•Monroe Central at Cowan, 7:30 p.m.

•Jay County at Wapahani, 7:30 p.m.

•Blue River at Eastern Hancock, 7:30 p.m.

•Shenandoah at New Castle, 7:30 p.m.

•Anderson Prep at Burris, 7:30 p.m.

•Yorktown at Pendleton Heights, 7:30 p.m.

•Mount Vernon at Delta, 7:30 p.m.

Reece Malapit

VOLLEYBALL

Wes-Del fended off Shenandoah in four sets (25-18, 13-25, 25-17, 25-20) Wednesday as Alysa Sutton had 19 kills and eight digs. Haylie Spencer handed out 28 assists and added seven digs, five kills and four aces while Emily Hale chipped in with 10 kills and eight digs.

Daleville came back from a first-set loss to defeat Seton Catholic 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-18. Lindsay Ingenito led the Broncos in kills with 21 and blocks with five.

Union picked up the win against Tri in four sets (25-11, 25-12, 20-25, 27-25). Rylee Davis had five kills for the Rockets and was the team leader in blocks with two.

GIRLS GOLF

Yorktown took first place in a triangular meet with 180 points, followed by Anderson with 196 and Daleville with 231. The Tigers’ Reece Malapit was the match’s individual medalist, shooting a 39. Bailey Teague was the team leader for the Broncos with a score of 47.

New Castle placed second in a triangular meet against Hagerstown and Rushville after shooting 186. Carlie Johnson and Kendra Yapp each shot 45 for the Trojans.

CROSS COUNTRY

Blue River’s boys and girls teams finished first in a triangular meet against Union and Tri. Zach Barkdull placed first individually for the Vikings boys’ team with a time of 19 minutes, 11 seconds, while Logan McRoberts earned first place for the girls’ team with a time of 24:28.

BOYS TENNIS

Burris picked up a victory against Winchester, 4-1. Joseph Patashinsky defeated his No. 1 singles opponent 6-1, 6-1.

BOYS SOCCER

Central defeated Burris 4-2. The Bearcats’ Aaron Green put up two goals, while Devin Rubush and Max Alvarado each scored a goal for the Owls.

Blackford fell to Eastbrook 2-0 Tuesday. The Bruins’ Charlie Cranston had 15 saves.

GIRLS SOCCER

Blackford lost to Eastbrook 4-3 Tuesday. Senior Allie Jennerjahn scored all three of the Bruins’ goals.

Zannah Weber

VOLLEYBALL

Jay County came back from a loss in the first set to defeat top-ranked Wapahani in four (20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20). Abby Barcus (18 kills), Ava Kunkler (12 kills) and Kylie Osborne (11 kills) paced the Patriots on attack, as Lizzy Schoenlein had 47 assists. Estella Davis logged 11 kills for the Raiders, while Lexi Spence had 31 assists.

Delta earned the victory against Mount Vernon in four sets (25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23). Chloe Stitt led the Eagles in kills with 26. Teammate Audrey Woodin added 11 kills and six aces.

Daleville earned a three-set victory over Elwood 25-22, 25-20, 25-16. Zannah Weber guided the Broncos’ offense with 36 assists, while teammate Breanna Townsend recorded 18 digs.

Yorktown improved to 10-0 with a sweep (25-13, 25-15, 25-14) at Pendleton Heights. Kenzie Knuckles had 13 kills and Rhyen Neal 10 for the Tigers, who also got a double-double from Mimi Arrington (23 assists, 12 digs).

Avarie Powell had 21 kills and eight digs to lead New Castle to a sweep (25-18, 26-24, 25-16) of Shenandoah. Peighton Barber handed out 30 assists, while Karleigh Wilson had 13 digs.

Burris took down Anderson Prep in three sets (25-10, 25-15, 25-7). My Kel Ivy put up 13 kills for the Owls, and Abby Ludwick had four aces.

Monroe Central defeated Cowan in three sets (25-22, 25-17, 25-20). Katarina DiBiasio led the Golden Bears offensively with 12 kills. Kalynn Sours had 14 digs for Cowan.

BOYS SOCCER

Yorktown shut out Blackford 8-0. Mo Shohatee, Luke Bryan and Karter Bibbs each had two goals for the Tigers, while teammate Sam Conte tallied three assists.

Delta defeated Knightstown 4-2. David Brewer, Nate Osner, Ike Griffis and Alec Lynn each had a goal for the Eagles.

GIRLS SOCCER

Central edged South Adams 5-4. The Bearcats’ Sarah Smith scored four goals, while goalkeeper Riley Stafford recorded 19 saves.

Burris lost to University 7-1 in an away contest. Hanna King scored the Owls’ lone goal, while teammate Anna Rather picked up the assist.

BOYS TENNIS

Central fell to Richmond 4-1. Clark Tinder and Erich Ong were the lone victors for the Bearcats at No. 2 doubles, winning 6-0, 6-1.

Yorktown lost a close match against Mount Vernon 3-2. Ian Landwehr took down his opponent at No. 1 singles 6-0, 6-1.

Jay County fell to Marion 4-1. The Patriots’ Garrett Rodgers earned a 6-4, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Wapahani hosted its invitational and won with 23 points, followed by Cowan (48) and Winchester (59). The Raiders’ Alex Herbst was the individual winner with a time of 17 minutes, 18 seconds. Seth Combs led the Blackhawks, finishing fifth (18:33), and Camden Abernathy was the top finisher for Winchester, earning sixth place (18:51).

Burris placed second at the Sheridan Invitational with 92 points. The Owls’ Aaron Lannoy finished second in 17:58.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Led by Carli Skinner’s fifth-place finish, Cowan won the Wapahani Invitational with a score of 45, followed by Wes-Del (53), Wapahani (58) and Winchester (60). Wes-Del’s Kyleigh Blackmer finished first with a time of 22:54, followed by Wapahani’s Haylee Cooper in second (23:49) and Winchester’s Hannah Graft in third (24:01).

Burris participated in the Sheridan Invitational but did not place. The Owls’ Brittany Kent ran a 23:06 and earned ninth place.

GIRLS GOLF

Winchester took first place in the Randolph County meet Wednesday with a score of 220, followed by Monroe Central with 253 and Union with 277. The Golden Falcons’ Sierrah Love took top honors with a 46, while the Golden Bears’ Abigail McGrath placed second overall, shooting a 54. Trisha Cline led the Rockets with a 66.

Katarina DiBiasio, Zoee Kear and Morgan Haney pose for a photo after practice at Monroe Central High School.

PARKER CITY — It was the second week of the 2014 season, and the Monroe Central Golden Bears volleyball team had already won more games than it did in 2013. This Aug. 28 evening, though, represented a turning point for the program.

The Golden Bears were at Northeastern facing what first-year coach Kyle Garrett called “the most hostile crowd I’ve ever seen.” As Garrett recalls, fans were cussing at his players and nothing was being done about it. Garrett knows hostile, too, as he was a member of many boisterous student sections at Wapahani when he was in high school. But never had he seen anything remotely close to this crowd.

After Monroe Central’s business-like sweep, the Golden Bears got the heck out of there. Near the end of the match, Garrett turned to the team’s bus driver and said, “Go start the bus, let’s get our stuff on there and get out of here. I don’t want to hang around here.”

“I remember the crowd being so obnoxious, just mocking all of us,” says senior Morgan Haney. “It just got us fired up, and we were out to win. It just lit a fire within us that I didn’t even know we had. It was like, ‘Wow, we can actually do that.’”

It was just one nonconference win in August, but from where the Golden Bears were just a few years ago—when seniors Zoee Kear, Lauren Greer, Emmarae Roberts and Haney were freshmen—it represented a turning point.

***

Monroe Central had found its footing as a program with Matt Redwine coaching the varsity and Jared Richardson, now the head coach at Wapahani, coaching the JV. The Golden Bears won a sectional in 2010 and seemed to be on the rise. But the program regressed under Kelsey Brandl, who played volleyball for Ball State from 2008-11.

Players quit, and the ones who stayed complained about the practices. Monroe Central went winless in 2012 and won just seven matches the next season. Junior Katarina DiBiasio, now the team’s best player, seriously considered transferring to Delta after her freshman season. And who could blame her? She wanted to be part of a program that cared about volleyball as much as she did.

So what stopped DiBiasio and others from leaving the program? The answer lies in the gear shop at Munciana’s headquarters—where Kear’s mother, Renee Haney, works. Garrett had been coaching club volleyball with Munciana for several years, so Renee Haney recommended he apply. Garrett got the job and set out to change the culture. The coaching staff includes wife Crystal Garrett (former coach at Union) as an assistant, JV coach Misti Stevens and Ethan Jacobs as a JV assistant.

“Once Kyle came in and Misti came in, everything just took a turn for the better,” says DiBiasio, who plays for Munciana and ended any thoughts about transferring when Garrett was hired. “Kids were quitting left and right, and they weren’t interested anymore. I just owe it to Kyle, Misti and Crystal because they stuck with us, and they haven’t given up on us. They strive to make us better.”

But that took time.

***

Coming off a 7-25 season, Garrett began last year with talent to work with, but it was more about changing the mindset in a program that had become accustomed to losing. Admittedly “very intense” and “an extreme competitor,” Garrett didn’t mince words when he felt he wasn’t getting maximum effort. That was somewhat of a shock to the Golden Bears.

Kear broke down and cried on the court several times, something that had never happened before. Garrett felt bad about it, but he was trying to make a point: he can live with mistakes, as long as the players are going 100 percent. If they’re not, he says he can’t work with that. That he would do that to Kear, now a team captain along with DiBiasio, was even more impactful.

“He made a point to us that he was going to try to break us and rebuild us,” Kear says. “Honestly, I think it worked. He’ll yell at me now but I don’t get upset because it’s Kyle and I know he just really loves the game and gets intense. He’s not trying to personally offend us; he knows the potential we have, and he’s just trying to push us.”

Adds Haney: “He definitely broke me last year. I cried so many times.”

Now the upperclassmen are trying to relay that message to a talented freshmen class that includes Jordyn Barga, Samantha DiBiasio, Miranda Haney, Mikayla Fields and Allison Hoening. Just let Garrett break you down, because it will pay off.

And it has for Monroe Central this season. After the Golden Bears finished 19-13 last season, including taking a set off eventual state champion Wes-Del (the Warriors went 35-3 last season, losing only 17 sets), they’re primed to climb even higher. The Golden Bears beat Burris in five sets Aug. 20 and swept Cowan, rising to No. 8 in Class 2A.

***

Garrett didn’t even play volleyball when he attended Wapahani in the early 2000s; he was an outfielder and pitcher on the baseball team. But he gave the sport a try at Calumet College of St. Joseph, and fell in love with it. He was an outside hitter and actually roomed with Richardson there. Now, the two will be in the same sectional.

“Being from Wapahani, he was taught to compete,” says Richardson, also a Wapahani graduate who was a year behind Garrett in school. “He’s one of those guys who wants to learn and learn, soaking up different things from everyone. And he’s not afraid to try things. He gives you a different look at the game outside the box, doing a lot of good things over there.”

The strides Monroe Central (6-4) has made this season will be put to the test in the postseason as part of a loaded sectional with Wapahani (6-2) and Wes-Del (8-1) — each of which has spent time at No. 1 in 2A this season.

Monroe Central scrimmaged Wapahani over the summer, with mixed results. As Garrett tells it, a talented Raiders squad handled the Golden Bears most of the night. Then the teams played a set to 15 to end it, with regular rules and no stoppages of play. Monroe Central won 15-11, according to Garrett.

“After that, he came up to me and told me, ‘You guys are going to be tough,’” Garrett recalls. “I just said, ‘Thanks, I’m glad you recognize it.’”

It’s only a matter of time until more coaches do too.

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP .

Dillon Williams

WINCHESTER, Ind. — How close was Hagerstown to handing state-ranked Winchester a second straight upset to open Tri-Eastern Conference play?

A fumble in the end zone.

A fourth-and-goal conversion from Kiante Enis.

A head-scratching punt return by the aforementioned Mr. Football candidate.

A clutch glove on an extra-point attempt from Winchester’s Dillon Williams.

And a big stop on fourth-and-goal from the Winchester defense.

Hagerstown proved early that the Tigers can play with just about anybody, but the Class 2A No. 13-ranked Falcons made the big plays when they needed to, rebounding from last week’s loss at Northeastern to nip Hagerstown 14-13 Saturday morning.

Winchester improves to 1-1 in the TEC and 2-1 overall after avenging last week’s 20-14 TEC setback to Northeastern. Hagerstown falls to 0-1 and 0-3, respectively, with a trip scheduled to Northeastern Friday.

“I’m glad everybody else thinks so highly of Winchester to not think games are going to be tight, but I’ve been telling people that I thought Northeastern-Winchester was going to be a heck of a ballgame, I said Hagerstown-Winchester was going to be a heck of a ballgame, and I’m going to tell you right now, I’ve got bad news for Hagerstown and Northeastern, because next week, that’s going to be a whale of a ballgame,” Winchester coach Mike Jones said.

“Hagerstown has a really difficult early-season schedule … it’s the old thought of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I think you saw that out of them today.”

The Tigers made an impressive drive to set up first-and-goal from inside the 10-yard line on the opening drive.

Quarterback Owen Golliher looked to get into the end zone but was hit hard by Williams, forcing a fumble and denying the Tigers the early lead.

The game remained scoreless through the first quarter and defense dominated, as a first-and-goal opportunity for Winchester quickly turned into a fourth-down play where the Falcons turned to Enis.

The Michigan commit and Mr. Football candidate got into the end zone with 8:43 left in the second quarter and Adam Hollinger made the extra point to make the score 7-0.

The Falcons chewed up clock and would have escaped the first half unscathed were it not for a miraculous play by senior wide receiver Dylan Woolard.

Woolard took a halfback pass from Golliher and floated a pass that Bret Templin caught all the way at the end zone for a 29-yard score with about 4 seconds on the clock.

Keeton Adams kicked the extra point and the teams were tied at 7 heading into the locker room.

Enis was limited to just 30 rushing yards in the first half, unofficially, but he made the plays when needed, finishing with 114 yards, a touchdown and the game-winning punt return for a score.

That score came with 3:21 left in the third quarter when Hagerstown punted on fourth-and-1 from its own 29-yard line.

The ball softly floated into the hands of Enis, who needed just two big blocks from Cullen Hall and Tyler Edwards to rush for 61 yards into paydirt.

“A lot of teams don’t do that, so it was a big surprise when I saw the ball come straight to me,” Enis said.

“Hagerstown played a great game today, they’re a really good team.”

The Tigers didn’t take long to respond, scoring on a 3-yard score from Dakota Roach with about 45 seconds to play, but Williams came through to block the extra point and keep Winchester on top.

Hagerstown had a final shot at with first-and-goal from inside the 10, but was stopped by Brodie Campbell and Jourdan Foudray.

“Today was just a great defensive day for us and I want to give a big thanks to Dillon Williams, the one who blocked the field goal,” Enis said. “He had a heat stroke today, so he’s off to the hospital, but he was the one who anchored our defense today, we’re proud of him, he’s a real leader.”

Winchester quarterback Austin Lawrence had four completions for 36 yards, while rushing for eight yards on 11 carries. Elias Gates had four carries for 17 yards and a catch for 17 yards, while Hall had two catches for 17 yards and Boo Enis had one for three yards.

For Hagerstown, Golliher had 13 carries for 46 yards and six completions for 67, while Mason Hicks had a team-high 48 yards on six carries. Clayton Barber added 11 carries for 47 yards, Frankie Bush had two carries for eight yards and Roach had two carries for four yards.

Templin had three catches for 40 yards, Barber had one for 22, Brett Burns had one for 11 and Cameron Purtha had one for four. Burns also had an interception on defense.

Hagerstown has an opportunity to shake things up as they host the only team left undefeated in the TEC, last year’s champion Northeastern. Winchester visits Union County.

“As far as the outside perspective goes, it doesn’t matter because the inside perspective was that we can play with anybody we play against,” Hagerstown coach Scott Snodgrass said. “The kids played their hearts out, Winchester did a great job, they had a few big plays – they had more big plays than we did – but I couldn’t be prouder of the effort of our players, they played inspired.

“I thought they did everything we asked of them. They played with heart, they played with effort, played for each other – that’s football.”

•Monroe Central 22, Northeastern 12: The Golden Bears picked up one of the more notable wins in program history, holding down a Knights squad that was one of the best in the area a year ago. Tyler Writtenhouse broke free for a late 40-yard touchdown run to seal it, part of the sophomore’s 83-yard night.

Quarterback Wyatt Snyder accounted for the other two trips to the end zone for the Golden Bears, running in from nine yards out and connecting with fellow quarterback Logan Conklin for a 45-yard score. The defense did its part, forcing five Northeastern turnovers.

Monroe Central is 3-0 for the first time ever and hosts Union City next week. Northeastern (1-2) was coming off an upset of Winchester.

•Wes-Del a no-contest: The Warriors managed to play a full half of their weather-delayed game at North Decatur, but conditions worsened at halftime and the game was called a no-contest. That means neither team gets a decision, Wes-Del remains 1-1 and both will finished the regular season with eight contests. Warriors coach Brad Hess said it was a slugfest and his team was down 14-8 at halftime.

FRIDAY

•Central 53, Anderson 27: The Bearcats rolled behind 281 yards and a school record six scores from tailback Andre Wells. The game was tied 14-14 in the second quarter, but Central (2-1) rolled off 26 points in a row to take command. Bearcat quarterback Trenton Hatfield threw for 152 yards and ran for a touchdown.

•Shelbyville 27, Delta 26 (OT): The Eagles lost in the extra period after missing a two-point conversion and seeing the Bears convert their extra point in a weather-delayed game. Quarterback Ryley Pease threw for 114 yards and had two total touchdowns. Zach Mills ran for 115 yards and Logan Clawson added 72 with a touchdown.

•Southern Wells 40, Jay County 26: The Patriots got outscored 26-0 in the second half and watched an early lead slip away. Holton Hill threw for 158 yards and three scores but also tossed four interceptions. Cole Stigleman had 94 yards from scrimmage.

•Pendleton Heights 31, New Castle 13: Despite 123 passing yards from quarterback Dalton Engle and 140 yards on the ground from Cody Werking, the Trojans (1-2) fell in their Hoosier Heritage Conference opener.

FALCONS 14,

TIGERS 13

Hagerstown 0 7 6 0 — 13

Winchester 0 7 7 0 — 14

Second Quarter

WIN- Enis, Kiante 3 run, 8:43 (Hollinger, Adam kick)

HAG- Templin, Bret 29 pass from Woolard, Dylan, :04.7 (Adams, Keeton kick)

Third Quarter

WIN- Enis 61 punt return, 3:21 (Hollinger kick)

HAG- Roach, Dakota 3 run, :45.4 (kick blocked by Williams, Dillon)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING– HAG: Golliher, Owen 13-46; Barber, Clayton 11-17; Hicks, Mason 6-48; Bush, Frankie 2-8; Roach 2-4. WIN: Enis 26-114; Lawrence, Austin 11-8; Gates, Elias 4-17.

PASSING– HAG: Golliher 6-9-67-0; Woolard 1-1-29-1. WIN: Lawrence 4-17-36-0.

RECEIVING-HAG: Templin 3-40; Woolard 1-9; Barber 1-22; Burns, Brett 1-11; Purtha, Cameron 1-4. WIN: Hall, Cullen 2-17; Gates 1-17; Enis, Boo 1-3.

Alysa Sutton

VOLLEYBALL

Wes-Del swept its own Kay Saunders Classic, facing a bit of resistance late in a 27-25, 29-31, 15-10 title-match win against Mississinewa. Alysa Sutton had 54 of 103 kills for the Warriors (9-1), while Emily Hale had 17 aces. Winchester finished fourth, going 2-2 as freshman Kira Robinson led the Falcons in kills with 13 and blocks with five. Emily White had seven aces and 31 digs for Winchester, which now has five wins, one more than all of last season.

Central went 2-2 at the Avon Invitational, topping Floyd Central and Southwood but losing to Avon and Louisville Assumption. Virginia Wilhoite had 38 kills, six assists and 13 digs for the Bearcats (5-3), while Micah Leavell added 30 kills.

Defending national champion Louisville Mercy swept Burris 25-13, 25-19, 25-12. Anna Bilello had seven kills for the Owls, while Taylor Jackson and Alissa Kunczt combined for 10 of Burris’ 19 aces.

Cowan went 2-1 at the Randolph Southern Invitational. Gabriella Harrington led Cowan (7-7) in blocks (1¹/₂) and assists (28) and was second in kills (18) to Diana Campbell (28).

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Blue River finished ninth out of 22 teams at the Manchester Invitational. Zach Barkdull was the Vikings’ top finisher, placing 20th in 18 minutes, 9 seconds. Andrew Whitinger finished in 18:25 to place 29th.

Monroe Central finished sixth in The Treaty City Invitational on Saturday. Connor Miller finished fifth with a time of 18:23.

New Castle was 10th out of 20 teams at the Marion Invitational. Jeff Melton finished 28th in 17:16 for the Trojans, while Chris Graham was 31st in 17:18. Delta was 12th, Yorktown 15th and Central 19th.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Delta was the top local squad at the Marion Invitional, finishing seventh in the meet won by Bishop Dwenger. Brandy Tuttle and Brittany Tuttle led the Eagles, placing 21st and 22nd. New Castle’s Catherine Brock was the top local finisher, placing 11th in 20:55. Yorktown’s Madeline Aul was 14th in 21:00.3.

Monroe Central competed in The Treaty City Invitational on Saturday. The top runner for the Golden Bears was Aubrey Norris, finishing fourth with a time of 20:51.

Blue River placed 15th out of 19 teams at the Manchester Invitational. Logan McRoberts led the Vikings, placing 41st in 24:34. Madysen Koontz was 71st in 26:29.

BOYS TENNIS

No. 7 Delta picked up a third-place finish at the Fort Wayne Carroll Invitational, falling 3-2 to No. 10 Carroll in the semifinals, but rallying for a 3-2 win against No. 16 Cathedral in the third-place match. Alec Robillard went 3-0 on the day, splitting time between No. 1 and 2 singles.

Central finished third at the Richmond Invitational with 26 points, while Richmond took first. The No. 1 doubles pair of Bobby Cunningham and Khamasi Muhiga took first in their division, while Clark Tinder and Erich Ong were second in No. 2 doubles.

GIRLS SOCCER

Blackford lost to host North Miami 3-2. Kara Slusser and Allie Jennerjahn scored for the Bruins.

Monroe Central’s Tyler Writtenhouse scored the game-sealing touchdown in Saturday night’s game against Northeastern.

FOUNTAIN CITY, Ind. — Monroe Central’s celebration said it all – Saturday night’s victory over Northeastern was a signature moment in the program’s short history.

The Class A No. 16 Golden Bears overcame five turnovers en route to a 22-12 victory over the Class 2A No. 15 Knights.

Monroe Central’s program started in 2009 and had never beaten Northeastern before Saturday night, nor had the Golden Bears started the season 3-0.

With Northeastern knocking on the door in the fourth quarter, Tyler Writtenhouse broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run to seal the victory with about 1:46 left to play, part of the sophomore’s 83-yard night.

“Because of that, it meant a lot,” Monroe Central coach John Hochstetler said of overcoming the adversity the Knight defense created.

“To get up, they’ve came back against good people, so we felt like holding up and finishing our way was good.”

Northeastern dominated the game defensively, forcing five turnovers on three fumble recoveries and a pair of interceptions by Jake Slinker.

• RELATED: He’s young, but Tyler Writtenhouse books it for Bears

But Northeastern struggled with three turnovers, two lost fumbles and an interception.

The Golden Bears used that to their advantage as Wyatt Snyder scored a 9-yard touchdown run about midway through the first quarter and connected with Logan Conklin on a 45-yard touchdown strike early in the second.

“It’s weird to win the turnover battle and still lose the game, but our turnovers are happening at rotten times,” Northeastern coach Mike Roeder said. “It seems like every game we’re starting out with a goofy mistake and that bad snap — it’s just hard sometimes when you’ve got a little bit of momentum and you shoot yourself in the foot, but I thought we played well for long stretches of time tonight. We just put ourselves in a hole, that’s it.”

Petey McDaniel finally put the Knights on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:17 left in the second quarter and Jacob Auger broke free for a 42-yard score with 11:08 left in the third.

The Knights failed two-point conversions on both scores and Monroe Central maintained the lead.

“They are a good team, and all the credit goes to them, but we could have played so much better at times, and we know it and the kids know it,” Roeder said.

Auger had six runs for 68 yards, while Ryan Hartmann had 12 for 32, Josh Tudor had seven for 20 and Alec Hughes had five for 19.

Auger was 1-for-12 with a 5-yard completion to Hughes.

Northeastern travels to Hagerstown next Friday for a key Tri-Eastern Conference game.

The Knights are the reigning TEC champions and are 1-0 after a 20-14 come-from-behind win over Class 2A-ranked Winchester in Week 2.

Lincoln is also 1-0 in the TEC and the teams are the only unbeatens remaining. The Golden Eagles (1-2, 1-0) host Centerville on Friday.

Monroe Central hosts Randolph County foe Union City next week. Northeastern (1-2) was coming off an upset of Winchester.

“A lot of respect for coach Roeder,” Hochstetler said. “He just lost a big class of really good players, they were really competitive and beat good people.

“They’re good up front. All the credit goes to them, they did a nice job.”

TEC Standings

Week 3 results

Lincoln 28, Tri 20

Union City 14, Union County 8

Monroe Central 22, Northeastern 12

Shenandoah 52, Centerville 20

Winchester 14, Hagerstown 13

Miami East 43, National Trail 0

St. Henry 28, Eaton 6

Week 4 games

Centerville at Lincoln

Northeastern at Hagerstown

Union City at Monroe Central

Wes-Del at Tri

Winchester at Union County

National Trail at Twin Valley South

Talawanda at Eaton

Saturday’s late box

GOLDEN BEARS 22,

KNIGHTS 12

Monroe Central 8 8 0 6 — 22

Northeastern 0 6 6 0 — 12

First Quarter

MC- Snyder, Wyatt 9 run, 6:58 (Snyder run)

Second Quarter

MC- Conklin, Logan 45 pass from Snyder, 10:33 (Brown, Dustin pass from Snyder)

NE- McDaniel, Petey 2 run, 1:17 (run failed)

Third Quarter

NE- Auger, Jacob 42 run, 11:08 (run failed)

Fourth Quarter

MC- Writtenhouse, Tyler 40 run, 1:46 (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING– NE: Auger 6-68; Tudor, Josh 7-20; Hartmann, Ryan 12-32; Hughes, Alec 5-14; McDaniel 3-5

PASSING– NE: Auger 1-12-5-0.

RECEIVING– NE: Hughes 1-5.

One local squad has entered the IndianaPrepVolleyball.com state media poll, while five others made repeat appearances.

Central came in at No. 10 in Class 4A, the first time it has been ranked this season. The Bearcats (5-3) went 2-2 over the weekend at the Avon Invitational.

Yorktown (10-0) maintained its top spot in 3A after knocking off Wapahani (6-2), which slipped into a first-place tie with Barr-Reeve in 2A. Wes-Del (9-1) and Delta (8-3) rounded out the local cadre, coming in third in 2A and 3A respectively. The Golden Bears are 6-4 with wins against Burris and Cowan.

Just outside the top 10, Jay County got one vote in 4A and Burris got four in 2A. The Patriots are 8-1 with only a loss to Delta and a four-set win last Thursday against banged-up Wapahani.

This week includes notable matchups between 4A No. 2 Hamilton Southeastern and Yorktown, Delta and Burris and Wapahani and Burris.

On the rise: Monroe Central volleyball rebuilds

Central’s Virginia Wilhoite makes a kill. Central hosted Belmont to the Fieldhouse for the 2014 3A regional.

Yorktown lost to New Palestine Friday night in a weather delayed game with a final score of 6-37. Jordan Spangler, Brant Applegate. Nick Murdock.

True, he was the freshman quarterback last year and even got some mop-up duty behind current Ball State backup Riley Neal. But before the end of that freshman campaign, he started shifting his focus to things other than throwing the ball.

But make no mistake, he didn’t shy away from the challenge of taking the place of a particularly accomplished Tiger.

If he did, he wouldn’t have snagged the number 86, recently left by Riley Miller, who set just about every pass catching record the program had.

“Riley Miller, he’s one of my biggest role models out there,” Applegate said. “From football to track, he’s taught me a lot. He was always there for me because, switching schools, the senior class, especially Riley (Miller), they helped me a lot.

“I’ve got to keep the number rolling. He made a name for himself and I’ve got to make a name for myself.”

Applegate actually spent last year expecting defense would be where he would make his biggest early impact, but through three games, the wide receiver/safety has become the top receiver in a rebuilding passing game (for what it’s worth he leads the team in tackles and also punts).

Applegate had been a quarterback all through metro league and middle school at Delta before coming to Yorktown for high school. He admitted he started transitioning on his own because he saw himself being a better player as a receiver.

That reality also made it easier when he went to the coaching staff.

Yorktown coach Mike Wilhelm said Applegate’s speed and natural talent was too much to not get out in open space.

“That freed him up to be a playmaker at the receiver position, and we knew he was a playmaker at the defensive back position already.” Wilhelm said, adding Applegate played quarterback as a freshman because the team needed a junior varsity passer.

“Losing all those receivers last year, we had some spots to fill. He’s fast. He runs track. Has good hands, knows the offense. Pretty easy decision.”

It was an interesting move for a passing game set to feature entirely new faces and little measure of certainty when last season wrapped up. No wide receiver or tight end who caught a pass last year returned, and players from last year’s team accounted for exactly two receptions.

Applegate’s shift meant the quarterback position was relatively unclear, with Brogan Miller as really the only option (Wilhelm remembers Miller sealing the job at a 7-on-7 event at Delta, turning to a fellow coach and saying he could make all the throws).

Thus far, Miller and Applegate have connected seven times (more than half the team’s completions) for 132 yards and a touchdown. That included a 57-yard catch against a formidable New Palestine team last week.

The pair have found their connection, as coaches say they didn’t go into the season planning on a No. 1 target, and it didn’t take long to draw comparisons to the Riley-to-Riley link of the past few years.

“We get jokes all the time about it,” Brogan Miller said. “I still see Riley a lot, both Rileys. We still talk and they give us a hard time. It’s fun.”

Wilhelm also downplayed the idea that playing quarterback gave Applegate any extra sense of the offense. He said he expects receivers, backs and passers to know the offense, allowing them to play multiple positions and have a better chance of getting on the field.

Applegate does that, earning praise from Miller for his understanding of the scheme, route running and intelligence on the field.

Although he willingly moved to the receiving side of things, he admitted there was something bittersweet about leaving the spot he had played his whole life.

“It was hard to do, because I love quarterback,” Applegate said. “But I understood that Brogan, he practiced a lot, got a lot better. I wanted to be his connection, get the job done.”

Kaleb Slaven and Kalib White (45) tackle Jay Count’s Levi Hummel in the Eagles’ Week 1 contest.

Delta defeats Jay County at Delta High School Friday evening. Levi Hummel Kaleb Slaven, Kalib White

MUNCIE — The numbers for Delta stand as a statistical anomaly.

Across three games, the Eagles are scoring more than 20 points per game more than their opponents. Most teams would be pleased with that, and in all of Class 4A, only 12 teams rank better.

Yet the Eagles stare down Yorktown with the program’s first 1-2 start since 1996, two years before longtime coach Grant Zgunda took the helm.

“Losing by one point for two weeks, it’s just kind of hard,” Delta quarterback/safety Ryley Pease said. “You don’t want it to end that way.”

The losses came to Shenandoah and Shelbyville, the latter in overtime and both with missed 2-point conversion attempts providing the difference (Delta beat Jay County 63-0 in the opener). But Pease continued on to say there’s something to take from the close defeats.

“Almost sometimes it could be a good learning experience for your team,” he said. “We’re just doing the little things wrong, so it’s going to be an easy fix. I think once we get the right things clicking and everybody doing their job, going hard every play to the whistle, I think we’ll be pretty good.”

That seems to be the general sense. These Eagles are young in a lot of places, and they’re doing the kinds of things young teams do.

That includes tackling issues against Shenandoah and some offensive missteps — a fumble on a sneak and an interception from the 10-yard line — against Shelbyville. Even Zgunda, who has seen his share of football in more than two decades on the job, took a longer view.

“We could be 3-0, and it’s not like, oh yeah, coach-speak,” Zgunda said. “We should be 3-0 and we could be sitting here and feeling good about ourselves, probably end up being in the rankings somewhere, but it wouldn’t change the fact we have the same problems.”

Those problems come in a range of spots, but the defense has been more of a concern thus far. In the losses, both to 3-0 squads, the Eagles are allowing 7.1 yards per play.

Zgunda said the issues are spread equally across the three parts of the defense. Lineman Kaleb Slaven said the aggression isn’t quite all the way there, something one might expect with young players.

Pease pointed out the defense is smaller and quicker, which puts more emphasis on technique and position, and that comes with experience. The team lost seasoned, longtime stalwart linebackers in David Smekens and Brayton Conley, and Caleb Mills and Brady Pease (both younger brothers of established Delta stars) are both tough kids still gaining their feel on the varsity level.

The offense has been more stable, with Ryley Pease creating big plays with his host of wide receivers and Zach Mills running for nearly 500 yards in three games. But Zgunda said there’s still work to do there, and Slaven locked in on another area to fix.

“We’ve got to finish games,” the Ball State commit said. “The last two games, we’ve really had a bad first half and this year we just can’t really afford to have close starts. Last year, against Shelbyville, we came out 7-0 in the first half. Third quarter, we scored three touchdowns. I don’t think we’re that team this year where we can come out and be flat.”

Now the Eagles face the challenge of their biggest rivals if they want to reverse the trend and get back on the winning track and avoid 1-3.

In some ways, the squads are similar: young, geared toward the run, finding their way after losing large and accomplished senior classes. The rivalry game needs no hyping up on either side, and that’s especially true for the Eagles, who lost to the Tigers twice last year and once the year before.

There’s still faith Delta’s players can fix those little things, lock in and turn things around, and it starts with the game they circle on the calendar every year.

“Being 1-2 going into Yorktown week kind of motivates you,” Pease said. “We haven’t beat them in the past two years.

“I’ve never wanted to beat a team worse than these guys this year.”

QB to WR the natural move for Yorktown’s Applegate

Yorktown beat Central 35-29 Friday night in a game at Central High School. Dawson Allen. Anthony Todd. Shawn Llamas.

Yorktown lost to New Palestine Friday night in a weather delayed game with a final score of 6-37. Anthony Todd

Delta lineman Kaleb Slaven can still rattle off how his teams fared against Anthony Todd.

You would expect him to know the record when the two were in high school, as Todd’s Yorktown Tigers are Delta’s top rival. But Slaven can go farther back, running off the outcomes of third- and fourth-grade games (Slaven’s squad won both).

At that age they were foes, then teammates for a couple years on the Metro League Mustangs All-Star team, then back to foes again, a Tiger and Eagle seemingly facing off on an annual basis. Soon enough, they’ll be teammates once more as Ball State Cardinals, and that fact puts all the more meaning into Friday’s game.

It’ll be the last time they line up as opponents in their athletic careers.

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Slaven said. “But growing up and playing forever, I want to get the win just so I can say, ‘Last time we played you, I got to be the one that got the victory.’

“It should be fun.”

Todd echoed the sentiment, adding there’s a sort of mutual respect of games that comes along with their friendship. They’ve walked onto a lot of fields where they’re the biggest players and among the most talented, and there’s always something special about locking up with a counterpart that gives you a run for your money.

Slaven said if you go far enough down the family tree, they are actually some kind of cousins.

“We always joke around during this week,” Todd said. “It’s always a fun week to go up against Kaleb because it’s always fun to play someone who you know is good, someone who is going to play at the same level as you.”

“Once Friday comes, we may be more serious than we usually would be. But afterward it’s always back to being good friends.”

Delta defeats Jay County at Delta High School Friday evening. Kaleb Slaven Holton Hill Sam Williams

Their games have a certain contrast that makes a potential matchup even more interesting. Todd is thick, hard to move with a low center of gravity (he’s 6-foot-4, 305 pounds). Moving to center this season, he’s a ballast in the heart of the line, and will likely face off with Slaven if he mans the middle.

And Slaven, he’s a different sort at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, with a narrower build that allows him to get through gaps in a different way.

“He’s very athletic,” Todd said. “That’s what Kaleb is known for, being an athletic big guy. So he’s fast, he gets off the ball, he knows what he’s doing. It’s a challenge, but it’s always a challenge I’m ready for.

“He’s taller, so that he has longer arms so he can get his arms on you before you get him.”

Todd actually played a role in Slaven finding his way to Ball State. The Delta lineman held an offer from Cincinnati and interest from Indiana.

But two players from the cross-county rival, Todd and ex-Yorktown quarterback/current Cardinals No. 2 Riley Neal, made their case.

“He was always after me saying, come on man, we’ve got to do this,” Slaven said. “We want you at Ball State. Him and Riley (Neal), we’re all good buddies. We all put it together.”

And now, these two towering players face off for a final time in a rivalry fraught with history and meaning.

Slaven and Todd both agreed this week is one that needs no extra hype, no real build-up. It’s most likely the county’s biggest game each season, one that gets circled on the calendar and it doesn’t matter if teams are 3-0 or 0-3.

“I don’t think you even have to talk about the rivalry because it’s just in-born in our kids and their kids,” Tigers coach Mike Wilhelm said. “The jacked up part is already there.”

Delta coach Grant Zgunda is as much an expert on the rivalry as anyone. He played for Yorktown in the mid-80s and coached Delta since 1998.

He’s been at places without a natural rival and that only strengthened his feelings on what these schools have in their little corner of the state. .

“I’ve been through it all,” Zgunda said. “I played there and it was huge, and we went through a phase where everybody was trying to tone down the rivalry. And it’s like, it’s fun. If you don’t have a rival, how sad is that?”

He recalled waking up his first season as head coach of the Eagles. Earlier in the week, he’d raked up about 30 bags of leaves and set them out to get picked up.

He walked out the door to find his car buried in those leaves, so thoroughly only the top of the antenna peaked out over the top of the pile.

“I laughed about it,” he said. “Drove down the road and leaves were blowing off.”

He sees similarities in the teams this season. The Tigers switched to a more run-based offense, and both squads are young after losing large and productive senior classes. The Tigers have won the last three in the series, including ending Delta’s season in the sectional title game, and that memory still sticks with the Eagles.

Many of those younger players will have another go-round for Delta-Yorktown week, but this is the last run for Slaven and Todd. Soon enough they’ll be teammates, but for now they get to indulge in the longstanding tradition they’re already a part of.

“It’s a little weird,” Todd said. “They always say you’re counting down the days. It’s the last time I’ll ever play Delta. For Yorktown, this is one of the biggest weeks of the year. Everybody at Yorktown looks forward for Delta week and everybody at Delta looks forward for Yorktown week.

“I’m ready to make the most of it.”

Contact sports writer Ben Breiner at 213-5848. Follow him on Twitter @BenBreinerTSP.

Richmond at Central, 7 p.m.

Union City at Monroe Central, 7:30 p.m.

Wes-Del at Tri, 7 p.m.

Yorktown at Delta, 7:30 p.m.

Winchester at Union County, 7 p.m.

Adams Central at Jay County, 7 p.m.

Mississinewa at Blackford, 7 p.m

Shelbyville at New Castle, 7:30 p.m.

Jade York

VOLLEYBALL

Class 3A No. 1 Yorktown took down Mount Vernon in three sets (25-15, 25-21, 25-11), maintaining their undefeated record (12-0). Jade York led the Tigers in the backcourt with 20 digs, while teammate Rhyen Neal added 14 kills and 14 digs.

Despite falling behind after three sets, New Castle rallied for a 24-26, 25-18, 24-26, 25-19, 15-9 win against Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Greenfield-Central. Avarie Powell led the Trojans (8-6, 2-1 HHC) with 25 kills, and Cecily Jester added 17.

Class 2A No. 1 Wapahani defeated Burris in four sets (25-21, 27-25, 24-26, 25-20). Estella Davis had 10 kills for the Raiders, and Lexi Spence set up the offense with 30 assists. My Kel Ivy was the Owls’ leader in kills 15, while teammate Joshlyn Crouch added 11.

Daleville edged past Union in 3-2 (25-10, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-9). Zoe Brubaker led the Broncos in digs with 24, while teammate Lindsay Ingenito had 19 kills. The Rockets’ MacKyndsea Burke had five aces.

Class 3A No. 3 Delta took down Blackford 25-10, 25-9, 25-11. Kelsee Roe had six aces and 20 assists in the Eagles’ three-set victory.

BOYS SOCCER

Jay County defeated Blackford 3-0. Goalkeeper Charlie Cranston had 12 saves for the Bruins.

GIRLS SOCCER

Burris fell to Genesis United 4-1. Hanna King claimed the Owls’ lone goal, while goalkeeper Taylor Hunt had nine saves.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Blue River finished first place with 20 points in a triangular meet against Knightstown (44) and Shenandoah (67). The Vikings’ Zach Barkdull was the individual winner, running a time of 18 minutes, 48 seconds.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Blue River won a triangular meet with a score of 19, followed by Knightstown (39) and Shenandoah. Logan McRoberts placed first individually for the Vikings, finishing with a time of 24:02.

GIRLS GOLF

Daleville (219) defeated Blue River (220) and Lincoln in a three-way meet at Crestview. Leading the Broncos was Bailey Teague, who shot a 48.

Delta defeated Jay County 177-190 at Lakeview. Brooke Sanders led the Patriots with a score of 44.

Wes-Del defeated Monroe Central 239-261 in a dual meet at Muncie Elks. The Warriors’ Jentry Johnson was the event’s overall medalist, shooting a 54.

Yorktown placed second in a triangular meet against Lapel and Mount Vernon with 175 points. The Tigers’ Holly Haynes was co-medalist of the event, shooting a 39.

Gabbie Mann

VOLLEYBALL

Heritage Hall fell to Tabernacle Christian in five sets (25-19, 22-15, 13-25, 25-18, 15-13). The Patriots’ Carly Shaver covered the backcourt with 46 digs and led the team in serving with four aces.

BOYS SOCCER

Burris traveled to Indianapolis and fell to University 1-0. The Owls’ goalkeeper Ricky Tellez had five saves.

Heritage Hall defeated Tabernacle Christian 3-1, maintaining its undefeated record at 5-0. Justin Hiltz scored two goals and had one assist in the Patriots’ victory.

GIRLS SOCCER

Jay County beat Oak Hill 2-0 Thursday. Emma Laux scored one goal for the Patriots, while teammate Lucy Laux scored the other goal off an assist from Gabbie Mann.

GIRLS GOLF

Daleville (219) edged past Blue River (220) in a three-way meet Thursday. Despite placing second as a team, the Vikings’ Samantha Abbott was the medalist after shooting a career-low 44.

BOYS TENNIS

Blackford fell to Elwood 5-0 Thursday. The Bruins’ Scott Thompson earned nine games off of his opponent at No. 1 singles.

Elias Gates

Wes-Del’s rushing helped it earn its second victory of the season against Tri as the Warriors rolled 36-8.

Adam Routh opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 43-yard run for a touchdown, which was followed by a 2-yard score by Jake Redwine. Routh had eight carries for 82 yards, while teammate Tyler Rector contributed 65 yards and a touchdown. Redwine rushed for 33 yards.

Wes-Del coach Brad Hess said he couldn’t be more proud of his players for picking up the win.

Wes-Del will host South Adams next Friday.

Winchester 39, Union County 8

Thanks to performances from quarterback Austin Lawrence and wide receiver Elias Gates, Winchester earned the Tri-Eastern Conference victory. Lawrence and Gates connected for a 49-yard touchdown in the first quarter, before hooking up again for a 25-yard score just minutes later.

As the game moved into the second quarter, Kiante Enis caught a 28-yard touchdown from Lawrence, extending the Falcons lead. Lawrence finished the day going 6-of-8 for 226 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.

“The game was obviously played in some pretty poor conditions, so being able to throw for 226 yards and five touchdowns, it’s really impressive,” said Falcon coach Mike Jones.

In the second half, Cullen Hall caught a 13-yard touchdown from Lawrence before Enis took off for a 40-yard touchdown run. Gates then capped the scoring for Winchester by hauling in a 53-yard touchdown, the fifth of the day for Lawrence.

Shelbyville 42, New Castle 7

A strong first half from Shelbyville caused New Castle to fall on its home field.

The lone score for the Trojans came from a 60-yard touchdown run from running back Nic Broyles in the third quarter. Broyles ran three times for 61 yards, had four receptions for 20 yards and returned three kicks for 82 yards.

Nate Woolard led the Trojans defensively with seven tackles and three assists.

New Castle (1-3) travels to Yorktown next Friday.

Olivia Reed

VOLLEYBALL

In the Delta Extravaganza, top-ranked Yorktown (16-0) maintained its perfect start to the season, earning wins over Fairfield, Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne Snider and LaPorte. Olivia Reed led the Tigers in kills with 30, while Mimi Arrington guided the offense with 80 assists for the day.

Delta hosted the Delta Extravaganza and went 3-1, with wins against Fort Wayne Snider, Fairfield and Bishop Dwenger. Audrey Woodin had 34 kills and 34 digs in the Eagles’ victory, and Kaylee Nichols led the team’s serving game with 11 aces.

Burris went 0-3 at the Delta Extravaganza. Leading the Owls’ offense was My Kel Ivy, who put up 21 kills. Tiffany Hollihan added 22 digs.

Central went 3-1 at the New Castle Invitational, defeating New Castle, Roncalli and Bellmont. Lacee Adams led the Bearcats in assists, pulling in 108. Micah Leavell added 35 kills.

Wes-Del went 3-1 en route to a fifth-place finish out of 11 teams at the Noblesville Invitational. Alysa Sutton led the way for the Warriors, finishing with 61 kills.

Monroe Central won four matches at the Union City Invitational. The Bearcats were led by Katarina DiBiasio, who finished with 33 kills, and Zoee Kear, who had 82 assists.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Monroe Central placed eighth in the Blackford Invitational. Conner Miller led the Golden Bears individually, running a time of 17 minutes, 46.5 seconds.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Monroe Central participated in the Blackford Invitational. Leading the Golden Bears was Aubrey Norris, who placed 17th overall with a time of 21:13.5.

Blue River finished 13th at the Blackford Invitational Saturday. The Vikings were paced by Logan McRoberts, who finished in 25th place.

GIRLS SOCCER

Yorktown fell to Mount Vernon 4-1 at home. Katie Nixon scored the Tigers’ lone goal, while goalkeeper Brynmar Rees had 10 saves.

Blackford defeated Taylor 4-0. Senior Allie Jennerjahn scored two goals for the Bruins, while goalkeeper Catelynn Bennett had two saves.

BOYS TENNIS

Central went 1-1 for the day, falling to Marion 3-2, then defeating Anderson 3-2. The Bearcats’ Erich Ong claimed a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Marion, while Kaes Petroviak and Boyd McCoy shut out Anderson at No. 2 doubles 6-0, 6-0.

No. 9 Delta participated in the Kokomo Invitational, defeating Kokomo 4-1, Lebanon 5-0 and No. 15 West Lafayette 5-0 in straight sets. Nick Bantz and Michael Hapner went 2-0 at No. 1 doubles for the Eagles, while Alec Robillard went 2-0 at No. 1 singles and 1-0 at No. 1 doubles with Jason Wegener.

GIRLS GOLF

The Yorktown girls golf team finished in second place at a Hoosier Heritage Conference match. Reece Malapit was medalist after shooting a 73.

Central shot a 420 at Coyote Crossing Golf Course on Saturday. Rachel Hill led the Bearcats with a 103.

BOYS SOCCER

Central shut out Logansport 5-0. Chase Clasby led the Bearcats in scoring with two goals, while Rob Wilkinson added two assists.

FOOTBALL

A strong second quarter pushed Monroe Central to a 46-6 victory over Union City on Friday. Leading in rushing for the Golden Bears was Logan Conklin, who had five carries for 106 yards. Quarterback Wyatt Snyder threw four passes for 80 yards in the win.

Jay County fell to Adams Central 43-7 on Friday evening. The Patriots’ Levi Hummel rushed 64 yards with 10 carries while Michael Schlechty scored the team’s lone touchdown off of an eight-yard reception.

Blackford suffered a 64-0 home loss to Mississinewa on Friday. Austin Lancaster was the Bruins’ leading rusher with seven carries for 32 yards. Robby Gardner also had one catch for 41 yards.

Chloe Stitt, who transferred from Madison-Grant, practices with Delta on Tuesday. Stitt sat out a season, but has emerged as the Eagles’ leader in kills.

MUNCIE — Delta trailed Yorktown last season late in the third set. Chloe Stitt turned to her teammate, setter Abby Turner.

“Listen, we have to win this game, so set me,” Stitt told her.

So Turner obliged. Point after point, Stitt hammered home. It seemed unfair. Here was this 5-foot-9 outside hitter on fire, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Stitt’s eyes light up when she talks about it.

“It was a good game,” she says now, smiling.

The Eagles won the match over their rival that night. The only problem? It was just a junior varsity match.

The varsity match followed, and Stitt had to watch from the bench as Yorktown won in five sets. But the JV showing offered a glimpse of what was to come from Stitt.

The coach on the other sideline that evening, Yorktown JV coach Jeri Owens, had heard of the transfer from Madison-Grant who was relegated to JV because she hadn’t been cleared by the IHSAA. But it didn’t dawn on her that it was “Baby Chloe,” the daughter of one of her former co-workers at Daleville. Nicole Stitt used to teach science and coach at Daleville, where Owens has taught health for 16 years.

“I remember her as a baby,” Owens says. “I’m like, Oh my gosh, that’s Chloe? That was really cool for me to see. I remember her as an infant and it was neat to see just to see how much she had grown up.”

Owens was referring to physical growth, of course. Stitt’s growth last season as a varsity spectator, though, has helped mold her into one of the top players in East Central Indiana.

Chloe Stitt, who transferred from Madison-Grant, practices with Delta on Tuesday. Stitt sat out a season, but has emerged as the Eagles’ leader in kills.

***

If there’s one thing Nicole Stitt learned from last season, it’s to have your child transfer before high school because the transfer process takes a toll on everyone involved: the family, the team and most of all, the player (who has to sit out one season unless cleared by the IHSAA).

When David and Nicole Stitt decided they wanted their four children to switch school districts, athletics was the furthest thing from their mind. Both parents graduated from Madison-Grant in 1995, and Chloe was on the Argylls’ varsity squad as a freshman when they made a run to the semistate.

The Stitts’ reasoning for transferring came down to academics, as decisions in their family usually do. Nicole taught at Ohio Northern University and now is the director of curriculum for Ivy Tech Community College. The most appealing part about Delta was that it offered her two youngest children opportunities for accelerated classes in elementary school, which they needed. And it allowed Chloe to take dual-credit classes in high school to earn college credit.

But the IHSAA didn’t see it that way. The case against the Stitts was that they were moving Chloe to Delta because she knew girls from her club team with Munciana. One of those girls was Gabby Zgunda, whose father coaches the Delta football team and also coached David Stitt in high school. The case against the Stitts was that this move was motivated by athletics, not academics, and that she was recruited to Delta.

“That didn’t happen at all,” Chloe says.

The Stitts didn’t move because they live on their farm, which has been in the family for as long as Chloe has been alive and is a source of income. Buying property just to get Chloe cleared wasn’t an option either.

“We were honest, we weren’t going to lie,” Nicole says. “There are some families that would buy a house in the district and say they are living in it, then not live in it and say that’s their address. But both my husband and I, as role models for our kids, you really shouldn’t lie to do that. We really believed in just being honest and letting whatever decision happen. I understand, though, why the rules are in place.”

The Stitts went through the appeals process all the way through the fall to get Chloe eligible for varsity action, finally giving up in October near the county tournament. When Delta lost to Yorktown in the county tournament, Chloe remembers sitting on the bench and crying after the final point. She thought about how she could’ve helped the Eagles and what difference she would have made.

On the surface, it seemed like a lost season for Stitt — but that’s not how she viewed it. She gained plenty.

Chloe Stitt, who transferred from Madison-Grant, practices with Delta on Tuesday. Stitt sat out a season, but has emerged as the Eagles’ leader in kills.

***

Stitt actually didn’t have to play JV if she didn’t want to. But she did, and that meant something to her coaches and teammates.

“Having to play JV when you have varsity potential, a lot of girls wouldn’t do that,” Delta coach Heidi Zickgraf says. “In fact, I know of a couple that didn’t do that, that transferred and had JV eligibility. It says a lot for her as a person to go ahead and play JV because she knows that’s what’s going to be better for her and she knows that’s what’s going to be better for the program.

“A lot of people think they’re too good, and she’s not like that at all.”

Stitt learned about patience, she developed a more well-rounded game and she says she became more of a leader. It was a blessing to sit out, not a curse, Nicole says.

When Stitt was trying to become eligible, her teammates would excitedly ask her each day if she would be joining them. Though the answer was always, ‘No,’ Stitt felt welcomed.

This season, Stitt is showcasing her talent with a team-best 140 kills entering Saturday. And that’s given Delta (12-4), which is ranked third in Class 3A, another weapon alongside star outside hitter Audrey Woodin—as dynamic of a duo as any in the area.

“I was afraid of her (at first) because she was this big power hitter,” Stitt says. “Every time she gets a kill, I’m like, ‘Heck yeah!’ And when I get a kill, she goes, ‘Yeah Chloe!’

Her new home suits her well.

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP .

Yorktown’s Darian Jackson hits against Central at the Muncie Fieldhouse earlier this season.

After another perfect weekend, Yorktown is still atop both the IndianaPrepVolleyball.com media poll and Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association coaches poll in Class 3A.

The Tigers (16-0 entering Monday) went 6-0 last week, the last five of which were without freshman Kenzie Knuckles as she recovers from an ankle injury. Yorktown beat one of the top teams in 4A, Hamilton Southeastern, in four sets.

Wes-Del (13-2) moved to the top of the media poll in 2A and is second in the coaches poll. The Warriors have a big week with matches against Monroe Central (9-4), which is eighth in the 2A media poll, and then Delta (13-4), which is fourth in the media poll and fifth in the coaches poll in 3A. Wes-Del beat Delta in five sets last season.

Wapahani (7-3) is third in both polls and hopes to get sophomore Skyler VanNote back soon. VanNote has missed the last three matches, during which the Raiders are 1-2. She hurt her ankle in the first set of a loss to Yorktown.

Central (8-3) is 11th in the coaches poll.

Lexi Spence

VOLLEYBALL

Yorktown defeated Noblesville 25-23, 25-18, 25-23 to improve to 17-0. Kendall Murr led the Tigers with 12 kills, while Mimi Arrington directed the offense with 33 assists.

Wapahani defeated Union 25-20, 25-22, 25-19. Chase Curry led the way for the Raiders with seven kills, while Lexi Spence finished with 19 assists.

BOYS TENNIS

Central fell to Lapel 4-1. Khamasi Muhiga and Bobby Cunningham earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles for the Bearcats.

Jay County won a close battle against Blackford 3-2. The Patriots’ Jay Houck defeated his opponent at No. 2 singles 6-2, 6-1.

Winchester defeated Union County 4-1. The Falcons were led by No. 1 singles player Arick Miller, who dropped the first set 0-6 before winning the next to 6-1 and 6-4.

BOYS SOCCER

Yorktown defeated Delta 4-0. Karter Bibbs had two goals for the Tigers, while Peter McFarland had seven saves in the shut out.

Burris defeated Seton Catholic 5-1. Devin Rubush had two goals in the win for the Owls.

GIRLS SOCCER

Delta lost to Pendleton Heights 4-1. Bailee Allen scored for the Eagles, while goalkeeper Jessica McNeil had nine saves.

Burris fell 5-0 to Pendleton Heights. Goalie Taylor Hunt had six saves for the Owls.

GIRLS GOLF

Central defeated Monroe Central 192-244. Olivia Phillips shot a 44 to lead the Bearcats.

UNDERCLASS

JUNIOR VARSITY

Football

Kasey Conapser threw two touchdown passes to Matt Poole as Monroe Central beat Hagerstown 36-6. Kamron Caldwell ran for two touchdowns, while Keegan Kane also rushed for a score. Kayden Conklin had three 2-point conversions for the Golden Bears, who improved to 3-0.

Blackford defeated Mississinewa 28-14 behind two touchdowns from Austin Lancaster. Dayton Dow and Shane Elam also each added a touchdown. Lancaster and Jacob Devers each had a 2-point conversion. Corey Brinson had an interception, and Devon Anderson, Denvers and Elam led the team in tackles.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Volleyball

The Burris seventh-grade team defeated Shenandoah 25-23, 25-12, while the eighth-grade Burris team also won 25-23, 25-12. Helen Beach had five aces in the 8th grade Burris volleyball team’s win over Shenandoah. Rosie Bracken had a 12-point serving run with five aces in the second game. Anne Elvin led with nine kills.

Audrey Woodin

VOLLEYBALL

Delta swept New Palestine 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-17). Audrey Woodin led the Eagles in kills with 11, while Chloe Stitt added nine aces.

Wes-Del defeated Monroe Central in four sets (25-14, 17-25, 25-18, 25-18). Alysa Sutton led the Warriors’ offense with 20 kills. Zoee Kear had 38 assists for the Golden Bears.

Breanna Townsend had 19 kills and 11 digs, while Lindsay Ingenito added 15 kills and 17 digs to propel Daleville past Blue River in four sets (25-19, 18-25, 25-21, 25-18). Zannah Weber chipped in with 35 assists and 14 digs.

Cowan defeated Randolph Southern 25-13, 25-17, 25-12. Diana Campbell led the way for the Blackhawks with 15 kills.

Central swept Blackford 25-6, 25-12, 25-16. Virginia Wilhoite had seven kills for the Bearcats, while teammate Nikki Marshall served eight aces.

Burris fell to Seton Catholic in three sets (25-14, 25-21, 25-16). The Owls’ Tiffany Hollihan controlled the back row with 11 digs.

Winchester won in three sets against Blue River on Monday (25-22, 25-21, 25-23). The Golden Falcons’ Kira Robinson put up six kills and two aces.

BOYS SOCCER

Central defeated North Central Conference opponent Anderson 7-3. Devon McNabb scored three goals for the Bearcats, while Tyler Wood had six saves.

Heritage Hall fell to the Northwest Warriors 9-1. Brayden Karnes scored the Patriots’ lone goal, which was assisted by Grant Proctor.

GIRLS SOCCER

Burris suffered a 15-0 loss to Mount Vernon. Megan Spitzer had nine saves as the Owls’ goalkeeper.

GIRLS GOLF

Wes-Del defeated Mississinewa 215-239 in a dual meet. Robin Whitesel represented the Warriors as the overall medalist, shooting a 47.

Daleville defeated Monroe Central 222-232. Bailey Teague was medalist for the Broncos after shooting a 49.

Abby Saxman shot a 49 to help Jay County win a tri-meet with Blackford and Southern Wells. Brooke Sanders shot 51 and Carlie Wicky 53 for the Patriots.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

New Castle hosted an invitational and placed first with 30 points, followed by Delta (50), Blue River (70), Cowan (75) and Shenandoah (151). The Eagles’ Cade Orchard earned individual first place with a time of 17 minutes, 50.6 seconds. Jeff Melton placed second for the Trojans, earning a time of 18:18.09, while the Vikings’ Zach Barkdull finished third with a time of 19:03.9.

Monroe Central finished first at the Centerville Invitational. Conner Miller was third overall for the Golden Bears, running a time of 17:46.2.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Madeline Aul won the Central Invitational in 20:28, helping Yorktown to a second-place finish out of seven teams. The Tigers also had Suzanne Scanameo and Taylor Phillips in the top 10. Delyn Hart-Isom finished ninth to help Central to a fourth-place finish, while Wes-Del’s Kyleigh Blackmer and Wapahani’s Haylee Cooper also cracked the top 10.

Delta finished first at the New Castle Invitational with 28 points, followed by New Castle (35), Cowan (91) and Blue River (91). Brandy Tuttle was the individual winner for the Eagles, running a time of 21:35.34. Alaina Murali finished third place for the Trojans with a time of 21:43.3.

Monroe Central participated in the Centerville Invitational. Aubrey Norris placed second for the Golden Bears with a time of 20:43.9.

BOYS TENNIS

No. 9 Delta pulled out a 3-2 victory over Yorktown. Joe Wegener swept his opponent at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-0. The Tigers’ Mitchell Minniear and Abe Rosenthall snagged the three-set win at No. 1 doubles 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Adams Central defeated Jay County 5-0 Tuesday. Jay Houck earned 10 games off of his opponent at No. 2 singles.

Winchester defeated Union City 3-2. Arick Miller won his No. 1 singles match 6-0, 6-0 for the Falcons.

Jay County edged past Blackford 3-2 Monday. The Bruins’ No. 1 doubles team of Zach Tarr and Kerigan Reynard pulled out the three-set victory 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Blackford fell to Frankton 5-0. Cody Johnson and Evan Jennerjohn forced a third set in No. 2 doubles after winning the second set 7-5.

Olivia Phillips

MUNCIE — A set of golf clubs gathered dust in the garage of Olivia Phillips’ house.

Purchased for her by her grandfather when she was in fifth grade, she infrequently took them from the bag and played rounds with her dad, and when she did, it was never serious.

That has changed. She’s now a junior and one of the leaders on Central’s girls golf team.

She shot a 44 in a match against Union and Monroe Central on Monday, earning medalist honors in her strongest round of the season. She leads a Central team into sectional play Saturday at Crestview Golf Club, and is looking to advance to the regional.

Not bad for a girl who had barely picked up a golf club before the beginning of her sophomore year.

“It’s a very mental game,” Phillips said. “If you have a bad hole, you have to be able to just shake it off. If you get down on yourself then you’re done for.

“I’m a pretty positive person, so shaking it off is pretty easy for me.”

Phillips played volleyball as a freshman, but dropped it when her friend and teammate, Sarah Tinder, suggested she take up golf. Wanting a new challenge, Phillips accepted.

The first two rounds she played, Phillips struggled to the point she was crying.

She shook it off and kept playing, saying she didn’t want to leave the group of girls that was quickly becoming her close friends.

After a rough start, Phillips was named to the ninth position out of nine on the roster. Central coach Larry Alexander had her play with the No. 2 and No. 3s on the team, but the experience was humbling. Phillips said she felt as if she was slowing everyone down as she was consistently the last to finish in those groups.

In just a few short months, Phillips improved her score by 20 strokes and was playing No. 4 at the regional, even shooting a personal-best 40 in practice. The rapid improvement didn’t surprise Alexander, but he was never sure what to expect in the first place.

“This girl was shooting in the 60s (for nine holes) when she started and by the end of the year, she’s breaking 100 (for 18 holes) in sectionals,” Alexander said. “Who does that?”

Apparently, Phillips does. The multi-sport athlete also competes in softball, swimming and is a cheerleader, but she says golf is where her heart is. She’s a three-year class president and is a part of the Best Buddies program, trying to balance her schoolwork with an active social life, all while leading the golf team.

“I would never want to quit anything that I do,” Phillips said. “Having everything on my schedule, that’s how I keep myself organized. I wouldn’t know what to do.”

With just one senior on the team, Phillips says she’s taken on a leadership role. She mentors freshmen when they have tough rounds, remembering how she felt back when she started. Alexander said he watched her become a bridge between Central and former Southside players after Southside closed.

Coming from Southside himself, Alexander noticed at the first golf meeting that Central and Southside players were sitting on opposite sides of the room. Once summer practice started, Phillips helped unite the two groups.

Alexander said the bubbly junior with an oversized purple bow in her hair just gives off a positive vibe.

“Having her here is just huge,” Alexander said. “She’s been a great leader for us this year and is just one of those success stories.”

When she first took up the sport, her dad taught her the basics, but soon bought her lessons because he didn’t want to teach her poor technique. She quickly improved, figuring out which clubs were her favorite (7-iron), and even picking up her own superstitions.

She still wears her first golf glove she ever owned, on her left hand, part of the index finger torn off. Alexander always gives her a sleeve of golf balls that have the number two on them, because she likes using even numbers, using No. 4 as a sophomore and No. 2 as a junior. The practice golf balls Central uses were supposed to be white with purple writing on them, but because of an error, the balls came out pink. Phillips just grinned, saying they’re even better now.

Aside from her positivity, Phillips says the strongest part of her game is her putting.

With the sectional on Saturday, Phillips said she’s aiming ideally to shoot in the 80s or low 90s and knock off rival Yorktown, along with advancing to the regional in Lapel.

“I feel good about going into sectionals, I know the course, I know where the danger is and where not to go,” Phillips said. “But it’s also sad because this is my junior year, and next year is my last year and I’ll have to leave my teammates.”

She’ll shake it off, and take aim for the regional.

Saturday’s ECI Girls Golf Sectionals

• Anderson (at Grandview Golf Course), 1 p.m.: Daleville

•Central (at Crestview Golf Course), 9:30 a.m.: Blue River, Central, Delta, Jay County, Monroe Central, Union, Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester, Yorktown

•Richmond (at Richmond Elks Country Club), 11 a.m.: New Castle

• Huntington North (at Norwood Golf Club), 8 a.m.: Blackford