by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern had quite a bit to play for on Friday night.

The Royals were playing their first home game of the season, hosting Avon in the first
Hoosier Crossroads Conference game of the year for both teams. It was a hard-fought
game, and Southeastern came out with the win, 59-53.

The Royals had to contend with an Orioles team that was quick and scrappy on defense. It wasn’t until the second quarter that HSE started to get some separation from Avon, eventually taking a 25-18 halftime lead.

The Orioles, in fact, had the Royals down 10-6 in the first quarter. But Southeastern
ended the period on a 7-0 run, giving it a 13-10 lead. Aaron Etherington, a 6-7
senior, started the run with a pair of free throws.

In the second quarter, senior Noah Smith added five points, including a 3-pointer.
Sophomore Vinny Buccilla hit a late 3, and Mabor Majak, a 7-2 junior, added four
points.

“One thing that we like about the team is we got some size, we got some versatility,”
said HSE coach Brian Satterfield.

“We’ve got some depth. Different things that we can put out there and do. Now we’re just
trying to get the chemistry amongst them and trying to get the pieces to fall together.”

The Royals quickly extended their lead to 30-18 early in the third quarter after Etherington hit a 3 and junior Kole Hornbuckle scored on a floater. Avon scored seven straight points to cut Southeastern’s lead to 30-25, but that would be as close as the Orioles would get in the period. Landon Morris’ hook shot and a layin by Cam Smith got the lead back up to nine, and Buccilla nailed another late 3-pointer to put the Royals ahead 41-32 at the end of three
quarters.

“We had different guys step up at different times,” said Satterfield. “Aaron, when we made that run, I know he hit that shot there to start the second quarter to get us going a little bit, get that lead in the first half. Noah’s always out there, competing and doing what he needs to. I thought Vinny hit a big shot there at the end of the third quarter.”

Avon got within five during the fourth quarter, after Le’Angelo Saravia hit a 3-pointer to trim HSE’s lead to 45-40. But Southeastern got the baskets it needed, after Smith hit a jumper and Etherington scored off a steal by Hornbuckle.

Majak also had some nice plays towards the end of the game. He scored on a putback,
then would later block a shot. The Royals got back under their basket, where Majak
made an easy layin. At the beginning of that sequence, Southeastern led 51-43 with 2:34
left; those plays made it 55-44 with a little over a minute to go (Avon hit a free throw
during that time).

“That’s the one thing that’s special about this group, we got different guys that can do
a lot of things,” said Satterfield. “And especially when all five guys are clicking, we
can be really good.

“Tonight we just didn’t quite have that with all five guys, but you’re going to have
ups and downs,” said Satterfield. Even so, the Royals found a way to win.

Etherington scored 14 points, with Smith right behind him at 13 points. Majak reached
double-double status with 11 rebounds and 10 points.

Southeastern outrebounded Avon 43-23. Chris Grubbs grabbed 10 rebounds, with
Etherington collecting seven and Hornbuckle six. Smith handed out six assists, and
Hornbuckle blocked two shots.

The Royals are 3-0 and will play at Fort Wayne North Side at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

by

Craig Adkins

Hamilton County Reporter

It’s always a great defensive battle throughout when Fishers and Noblesville get together on the hardwood. It wasn’t any different on Friday night at The Mill when the two opened up conference play.

The first half seemed like déja vu in a sense that the score was eerily familiar to last year’s at Fishers. Last year’s game, Fishers led at halftime 15-4, but Noblesville managed to a comeback to win 27-22.

This game would turn out much different, as the visiting Tigers found their way in the second half, widening the gap every chance they got, running away with a 54-36 win to begin Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

A defensive stalemate during the first, it was tied 3-3 after one quarter.

Fishers went on an 11-6 run to end the first half to lead 14-9 through two periods.

It became a game of runs for the Tigers in the second half.

Noblesville cut the deficit back to two on a Zack Johnson three from the left wing, but Fishers struck right back with and 11-0 spurt, thanks in big part to a pair of treys from Alex Szilagyi and three buckets and a free throw from freshman Jeffrey Simmons, forcing the Millers to burn a timeout with 4:53 left in the third, down 25-13.

“The third quarter, we struggled,” said Noblesville head coach Brian McCauley on the effect Fishers’ 21-10 third quarter had on his Millers.

“What we want to do offensively is play inside-out. We have to attack inside-out. That puts pressure on the defense. It gives us opportunities to get to the free throw line, that often opens up inside-out shooting and we played from outside-in, and that’s one reason why we were 1-for-8 from the field (in the first quarter), so we’ve got to get better in that area,” said McCauley on the Millers’ rough start shooting the ball, which led to playing from behind most of the night

“I think one of the phrases we use is ‘stay on the rock,” said Fishers head coach Matt Moore on his team’s approach.

“You never know when the rock’s going on split. You keep swinging, you keep swinging, you keep swinging and eventually if you stay consistent enough, you’re going to be able to break through and I think that’s what we were able to do tonight,” Moore continued on what he’s got instilled in his team.

The Tigers added another 10-6 push to end the third at 35-19, really showing what they could do in transition.

“We did a good job adjusting in the second half. I thought we sped them up a little bit. We forced them to take some shots that we could then lead into transition and that’s where we’re at our best,” said Matt Moore as he talked about his team’s ability to make key plays in transition down the stretch that ultimately helped give the Tigers space on the scoreboard.

When everything went right for Fishers, that was when Noblesville was just unable to find answers to what the Tigers brought to the table in the second half.

Fishers kept their foot on the gas at the right times and they did exactly what it took to start conference play off on the right foot.

The Tigers spread the ball around really well in the fourth period, getting six from Josiah Matthews, five from Willie Jackson and a few others chipping in the rest of the 19. Zack
Johnson also scored six in the fourth, to highlight the Miller points, but it would be far short as Fishers pushed past Noblesville with ease in the second half en route to a 54-36
win.

“This was a ‘sectional week’ for us,” said Moore, referring to the type of schedule for both teams. “Noblesville didn’t play until tonight (nine days off) and Mount Vernon doesn’t
play until tomorrow night, so for us, we’re just trying to put ourselves in the position to make sure that we’re ready to play the next game,” said Moore on preparing his Tigers this week for playing back-to-back on Friday and Saturday this week.

Noblesville (1-1, 0-1 HCC) gets its first loss on the young season. The Millers will take some time to dissect this one and prepare for their own back-to-back next weekend, hosting Carmel (2-0) on Friday, Dec. 7 and Anderson (1-1) on Saturday, Dec. 8.

The Millers were led by 11 points from Johnson, while Jordan Schmidt finished with a gritty 10.

Fishers (2-2, 1-0 HCC) won its second in a row and will stay on the road on Saturday to face Mount Vernon (1-1).

The Tigers were able to get three into double-figures. Freshman Jeffrey Simmons led all scorers with a game-high 15 points and six boards. Josiah Matthews was consistent
with 12, while Alex Szilagyi had 11, nine of those in the third of three from downtown. Terry Hicks also added eight points and five rebounds.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers fell to Bishop Chatard Thursday at the Tiger Den, by a score of 69-52.

The Trojans took control of the game early, leading 20-12 after the first quarter  and 37-20 at halftime.

The Tigers played Chatard even in the second half, but the 17-point deficit was too much to overcome.

Tamia Perryman led Fishers with 15 points and four rebounds. Katie Howard made two 3-pointers, while Katie Burton had nine points and four steals.

The Tigers are 6-3 and are off until next Friday, Dec. 7, when they host Noblesville
in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

In its 10th game of the season, the Hamilton Southeastern girls
basketball team reached the 10-win mark.

The Class 4A No. 4 Royals kept their undefeated campaign going Wednesday
night with a 65-31 Hoosier Crossroads Conference win over Noblesville at The
Mill. Southeastern had to battle in the first half, but began to get going in the second half, cruising through and solidifying its place atop the HCC standings at 3-0.

The Millers had an early 9-5 lead on the Royals in the first quarter, with senior
Maddie Knight scoring all nine of those Noblesville points, and Amaya Hamilton
scoring all five of HSE’s points. Southeastern started to roll in the later
minutes of the first, finishing the period on a 9-0 run. Jackie Maulucci and Bailee Poore each 3-pointers.

The Royals began to slowly edge ahead in the second quarter, extending their lead
to 25-14 by halftime. Maulucci drained another 3, while Hamilton added another
three points (free throw and putback).

Maulucci kept shooting hot to begin the third quarter, nailing two quick 3-pointers
to put HSE ahead 31-14 and force the Millers to call a timeout. Then, everybody
started to get hot: Malea Jackson hit two 3s, and Tayah Irvin drained one.

Maulucci’s layin gave the Royals a 46-23 lead; Southeastern scored 21 points in the third and never allowed Noblesville more than nine in any quarter.

“In the second half, we talked to the kids about what we should do, how to attack it
and everything,” said Royals coach Chris Huppenthal. “We just settled down.”

“Beyond that, defensively, I wasn’t happy with how we played at all,” said
Huppenthal. “I think they did a great job back-cutting us, being patient in their
offense, and we did not defensively guard the ball in front of us very well. And again, we didn’t handle their back-cuts very well.”

The Millers held HSE’s Sydney Parrish to four points in the first three quarters, but
she got going in the fourth period by scoring 13 points. That gave Parrish 17 points, tying her with Maulucci for Southeastern high-scoring honors. Maulucci had five 3-
pointers.

“Jackie can hit shots,” said Huppenthal. “They left her open, they were going to
allow her to shoot it. She can do that.”

Hamilton scored 13 points, corralled nine rebounds and dished out five assists,
while Parrish pulled eight rebounds.

Knight continued to play well for the Millers throughout the game. She hit her
second 3 of the contest in the fourth quarter, and wound up leading all scorers with 20 points. Knight also grabbed six rebounds, while Anna Kiser had five.

Noblesville coach Donna Buckley thought her team played “pretty well,”
noting that her team missed shots in the first half.

“I think we were 4-of-19 from the floor, and if we make a few shots in the first half
and it’s a one- or two-possession game instead of 11 points, it could’ve been
interesting in the second half,” said Buckley.

“Obviously they’re very talented with four, maybe five D-I kids. I thought we did a great job. Parrish had four points going into the fourth quarter and we made other kids make plays.”

Southeastern will travel to Dixie Heights, Ky. for the Hoops for Harvest
Tournament on Saturday. The Royals will play Ryle (Ky.) at 4 p.m. The Millers, now
3-6 and 0-3 in the HCC, are off until Dec. 7 when they play at Fishers.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

County Commissioners and County Council members are scheduled to meet in joint session on Dec. 5 in what Commissioner Steve Dillinger calls an updating of projects and issues underway or to be considered in the coming year.

Commissioners say they want to give the council information in hopes of creating a more harmonious relationship with the council, which controls the county purse strings. That relationship has been strained from time to time during the past year, mostly over funding of commissioner-proposed projects.

Expected to be discussed is the planned expansion of the Government and Judicial Center, progress on county jail expansion and possibly the allocation of county funds to community service agencies.

Other topics might include the major upgrading of State Road 37, the planned Pleasant Street bridge over White River and a proposed public safety training center, a subject that has also been debated between council and commissioners.

Next year the membership of the council will be altered slightly with the seating of Ken Alexander who replaces retiring councilman Paul Ayers. Whether this change results in a different outcome for some of the commissioners’ proposals remains uncertain.

The joint meeting is not billed as a decision-making session, but could go a long way toward better relations between the two county elective bodies which would be most helpful in the new year as the county faces continued explosive growth and development.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff told school board members Wednesday night that his “preferred” grades K-8 redistricting plan is the recommendation he is making to the board and he will not change that recommended map.  It is now up to the HSE School Board to decide what to do about drawing new district lines for the HSE Schools, because the board has the final say.

I was unable to attend the Wednesday session, but spoke to people in attendance.  There were 25 people that addressed the board, with all but one critical of the “preferred” redistricting plan.

Some parents pointed to the emphasis the school corporation has put on mental health, arguing their child will have mental health issues as a result of the change in schools.  The distance between home and the new school, compared to the school their child is now attending, will increase, many parents asserted.

Of the 25 addressing the school board on redistricting, one complimented school officials for coming up with this map.

The major question is where the board goes from here after listening to all these comments.  Since Dr. Bourff has said this is his final recommendation, it is now up to the board to come up with any changes, if there are changes.

There was a proposal made to hold a board work session at 6:30am Thursday, December 6th, but Board President Matt Burke says there is no guarantee that meeting will be held.  It appears this is the only opportunity board members will have to change the redistricting “preferred” plan before a final decision is  made a the December 12th regular school board session.

Burke says it is important that the community know before the December 12th meeting about any changes the board may be contemplating.

The bottom line is this:  There will be a vote on redistricting December 12th, and it will take at least four school board votes to enact any grades K-8 redistricting plan.

To view the interactive map illustrating the “preferred” redistricting plan recommended by Superintendent Bourff, use this link.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

The big 2018 election may be over, but Hamilton County Republicans and Democrats have not gone into hibernation for the winter. Both parties are planning events tonight (Wednesday) and on Dec. 8.

County Young Republicans will rally at 5:30 tonight at Donatello’s restaurant in Carmel. The open house includes a toy drive to benefit the Villages of Indiana, an adoption agency that also cares for children in foster care.

Then, on Dec. 8, the Hamilton County Federated Republican Women will hold its holiday party at Matteo’s, 40 N. 9th St., Noblesville, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Reservations are required for lunch.

County Democrats will gather tonight at Scotty’s Brewhouse, 14741 Hazel Dell Crossing, for a thank you party for all who aided the party in the recent election. Candidates will be recognized. There will be a discussion on planning for future elections.

The next election, now less than six months away, will be the municipal primary in all Indiana cities and towns.

GOP candidates for mayor of Noblesville have gotten a jump-start on the city election. Three have announced their intentions including Julie Kozicki, Chris Jensen and Mike Corbett. Incumbent mayor John Ditslear is not running for re-election, and a spirited contest for the city’s executive position seems certain.

The county’s other mayors: Andy Cook of Westfield, Scott Fadness in Fishers and Jim Brainard, Carmel, are running again, and to date have no announced opposition. City and town council members, municipal clerks and judges will also be elected next year.

All current city officials are Republicans. Democrats can be expected to run in some of the municipal elections, but usually find it a tough assignment. The last Democrat elected mayor was Robert Wical, winning the Noblesville mayor’s office 44 years ago.

Hamilton County Reporter

A balanced scoring effort gave the Fishers boys basketball team its first win of the season on Tuesday.

The Tigers beat Muncie Central 84-61 at the Tiger Den.

Fishers got off to a great start, leading 23-11 after the first quarter.
The Tigers led 42-29 at halftime, but the Bearcats cut into that advantage slightly
after three periods, 52-44.

But the Tigers took care of business in the fourth quarter, scoring 32 points. Five
players reached double figures: Willie Jackson scored 15 points, Josiah Matthews
and Alex Szilagyi both added 12, and Luke Hernandez and Terry Hicks both scored 10.

Szilagyi and Hernandez each made two 3-pointers.

Fishers is now 1-2 for the season and will play at Noblesville on Friday. The game
will be the first Hoosier Crossroads Conference match-up for both teams.

Hamilton County Reporter 

Hamilton Southeastern picked up a big win on the road Tuesday, beating Pike 74-66.

The Red Devils led 16-13 after the first quarter, but the Royals came roaring back
in the second, taking a 39-27 lead by halftime. Pike stormed back with a 25-point
third period, taking a 52-47 lead after three quarters. But Southeastern rallied in the
middle of the fourth to pull out the victory.

Noah Smith scored 22 points to lead the Royals, also contributing seven rebounds,
four assists and four steals. Aaron Etherington added 21 points, including a
pair of 3-pointers, and collected five rebounds. Chris Grubbs reached doubledouble
status with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Kole Hornbuckle had five
rebounds and two blocked shots, with Mabor Majak also making two blocks.

Southeastern is 2-0 and hosts Avon on Friday to open Hoosier Crossroads
Conference play.

Delv Design will handle the architectural work for the two Fishers Fire Stations set to be demolished and rebuilt.  Meyer Najem will serve as the construction manager for the Fishers Fire Headquarters next to City Hall, which is one of the two structures set to be constructed from scratch.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved a total of $925,985 for this work, plus a 3% fee to Meyer Najem for the construction manager services for the Fire Department HQ building.

The Fire headquarters firefighting staff will be housed temporarily at the Fuel Tank facility near the YMCA building, north of 126th Street.  The other fire station to be rebuilt, on Allisonville Road near 106th Street and the airport, should be announcing a temporary location during the construction period soon.

Both fire stations were studied by an outside engineering firm and the recommendation was to demolish both structures and build them again from scratch.

Fire Chief Steve Orusa told the board the intent is to maintain the same general outside design as other fire stations in the city.

In other board actions from its Monday meeting:

–The city continues to update speed limits in city subdivisions.  The board approved several speed limit changes in a number of neighborhoods in the general northeastern portion of the city.  For a full listing of the areas impacted, use this link.

–An upgrade to the fleet power system requested by the Department of Public Works received board approval.

–The fire station on 104th Street will receive a dedicated outdoor air system to improve the quality of the air within the fire station.

–The board voted to allow a portion of the $8.5 million from the funds for road construction on 96th Street, in the area of Lantern and Cumberland Road, to be used for tree clearing along that roadway between now and April 1st, in preparation for a road widening project that is scheduled to begin in 2019.