By KEVIN HARRIS
1. Jeff/GRC manager Derek Ellis
Every successful team has a smart and confident leader who pushes his players to their highest potential.
That man for the Jeff/GRC 11-12-year-old All-Stars this summer was its manager, Derek Ellis.
Ellis led Jeff/GRC to its first Little League World Series berth since 1965. The All-Stars compiled an impressive 18-1 record to earn the coveted trip to Williamsport, Pa., winning four tournaments during that stretch.
Ellis and Jeff/GRC’s biggest victory was an 11-4 triumph in 11 innings over Ohio in the Great Lakes Regional final in Indianapolis in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN. Jeff/GRC sealed the World Series berth by scoring seven runs in the top of the 11th to snap a 4-4 tie.
Jeff/GRC, though, could not muster a win in the World Series, going 0-3. But despite the winless record, the All-Stars etched their names in the Jeffersonville history books and Ellis’ leadership and guidance had a lot to do with that.
2. Jim Shannon, Doc Nash and Sean Smith
The three high school boys’ basketball coaches each led their respective teams to successful 2007-08 seasons.
Along with leading New Albany to the Hoosier Hills Conference and Class 4A Seymour Sectional titles, Shannon guided the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular-season record and their first Seymour Regional championship in 11 years. Shannon and New Albany fell to eventual state champion Brownsburg in the semistate, 51-41.
Nash became the first coach in the 93-year history of Borden boys’ basketball to do two things — win a sectional title and a regional crown. The Braves’ first sectional and regional championships produced lots of Hoosier Hysteria throughout Borden. The Braves lost in their first semistate appearance to Indianapolis Lutheran, 59-41.
In only his second season as Charlestown head coach, Smith guided the Pirates to their most successful campaign in several years. They compiled a 20-4 record, won their first Mid-Southern Conference title since 1990 and captured their first sectional title since 2000.
3. Floyd Central wrestler Cooper Samuels
Samuels capped off his successful high school wrestling career in impressive fashion on Feb. 16.
The Highlander great defeated Northridge’s Drew Graber in a 7-0 decision to win the 171-pound state championship at the IHSAA State Finals in Indianapolis.
It was Samuels’ second consecutive state title, as he claimed the 160-pound crown in 2007. In addition, it was the first time in his prestigious high school career that he finished a season undefeated. Samuels compiled a 49-0 record.
Samuels ended his prep career with a 169-9 overall record and a 79-match winning streak. He is currently a freshman wrestler at Indiana University.
4. Purdue volleyball senior Stephanie Lynch
After coming up short in the previous two years, Lynch finally earned one of the highest honors in the country.
The former New Albany standout and the 2004 Indiana Miss Volleyball was named to this year’s American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America team. She was an honorable-mention selection for the squad in 2006 and 2007.
Lynch was only the second Boilermaker to ever make the All-America team. She finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in total blocks, block assists and hitting percentage. This season, she made the All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region teams for the third consecutive campaign. Lynch also earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors in four instances, two for offense and two for defense.
Purdue compiled a 26-9 record this season and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years. The Boilers’ season ended on Dec. 12 with a loss to Hawaii in the NCAA regional semifinals.
5. Indiana senior swimmer Ben Hesen
Like Lynch, Hesen waited until his senior year to capture his coveted prize.
On March 29 in Federal Way, Wash., the Jeffersonville graduate won his first-ever national championship, claiming the 100-yard backstroke title at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The victory earned Hesen All-American honors.
Along with claiming the NCAA crown, the 2008 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year shattered his own school record in the event with a time of 44.72 seconds. It was the second-fastest time in NCAA history.
It was the first national title for a Hoosier swimmer since Jim Montgomery won the 100 and 200 freestyles in 1976.
In July, Hesen tried to achieve another lifelong goal — making the United States Olympic team.
Unfortunately, he came up short. Hesen finished fifth in the 100-meter backstroke final at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., in a career-best time of 53.68 seconds. Hesen needed to place in the top two positions to punch his ticket to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Despite not making the Olympic squad, Hesen did make some noise later on at the Olympic Trials. He broke American records while competing in 50- and 100-meter backstroke time-trial races.
Hesen plans on attempting to make the Olympic team for the 2012 Summer Games in London.
6. Jeffersonville athletic director Tony Branch
Being among the area’s top 10 sports figures does not always mean a person had a great year.
That’s definitely the case with Branch.
In the last few months of ‘08, Jeff High principal Steve Morris and all the members of the Greater Clark County Schools board heard complaints from several Red Devil athletic booster clubs about Branch’s job performance.
The list of complaints included the following: incorrect times posted on some teams’ schedules, which made some parents late for their children’s games; cancellation of a home volleyball match because no officials were in attendance; and failure to register and pay an entry fee for the school’s girls’ cross country team at a meet, forcing the coach to pay the fee the day of the event. Most of these complaints were expressed at a school board meeting in December.
Despite the complaints, Branch did have his supporters. In late November, the Clark County Ministerial Coalition held a press conference outside Jeff High. The coalition expressed concerns about a rumored “reassignment possibility” for Branch within GCCS, stating that the reason for this possible action was because of race. Branch, who is black, has been Jeff AD for three years.
7. New Albany hoops standout Braydon Hobbs
Hobbs was the leader of the Bulldogs’ prosperous 2007-08 squad. He led New Albany in scoring, assists and steals. Hobbs finished his career as the school’s all-time assist leader along with being second in steals, 10th in rebounds and 11th in scoring.
Hobbs became the first Bulldog to make the Indiana All-Star team since the program’s career leading scorer, Chad Hunter, accomplished that feat in 1997. Hobbs was named The Evening News and Tribune’s Area Player of the Year and garnered a spot on The Associated Press All-State second team.
Hobbs is currently playing his college basketball at Bellarmine University. The freshman guard leads the Knights in scoring at 16.1 points per game.
8. Jeff football’s Jamie Goldsmith and Edward Wright-Baker
The seniors concluded their high school careers as the most prolific duo in Jeff football history. Goldsmith, Jeff’s starting running back, and Wright-Baker, the starting quarterback, hold a combined 21 school records.
Goldsmith set the Devils’ single-game, single-season and career rushing marks in ‘08. He was named The Evening News and Tribune’s Area Player of the Year, and led the state in rushing.
As for Wright-Baker, he became Jeff’s all-time leading passer this season and broke the single-season and career total offense records in 2007, winning Area Player of the Year honors that year. Wright-Baker is expected to sign a letter of intent to play football at Indiana University next month.
9. Providence running back Ethan Cook
Cook earned a spot on The Associated Press Class 2A All-State team for the second consecutive year.
The senior led the state in rushing yards per game, averaging 199.8 per contest. Cook and the Pioneers were 5-5 during the 2008 season, falling at Brownstown in the first round of Class 2A Sectional 31 17-7.
10. Floyd Central volleyball star Katy Schad
The senior outside hitter garnered a place on the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association Class 4A All-State first team after leading the Highlanders to the 4A state finals for the second straight season.
Schad led Floyd’s march back to state, as it won back-to-back sectional and regional championships. Schad led Indiana in kills with 598, setting a school record, and will continue her career at NCAA Division I Marshall next season.
