Indiana Cutters host rival Indiana Tornados at Martinsville HS
The Indiana Cutters will host their rivals the Indiana Tornados in a Big Blue Collar Football League Western Conference Red Division matchup Saturday night at 6 pm at Martinsville HS. The Cutters and Tornados are 3-3 on the season this game has huge implications on the division leader with the second matchup coming on August 6 in Indianapolis. Both teams have 3 more games after this one and the Kentucky Cardinals are sitting behind the Cutters and Tornados at 3-4.
The Cutters are coming off a 9-7 last Saturday night against the Southern Ohio Blaze. Travis Griffey found Luke Elgar on a 32-yard bomb with no time left to win the game after the Blaze scored to take the lead with 18.6 seconds left. Dre Adkins hit a field goal in the 2nd quarter and the Cutters ran the ball 49 times for 199 yards. The Cutters have scored 108 points and have given up 135 points on the season.
The Tornados beat the Cin City Buccaneers 26-12 in Indianapolis last Saturday. The Tornados have scored 93 points on the season and have given up 86. The Tornados and The Cutters have a long-storied rivalry that is one of the best in Semi Pro Football. The Cutters won the regular season matchup a season ago while the Tornados ended the Cutters season in the playoffs. These two intense rivals will leave it all on the line Saturday Night.
Indiana University Rower Laura Feinson earns All-American selection
The Big Ten Rowing Athlete of the Year, Indiana rowing’s Laura Feinson, was named to the Pocock Racing Shells Honorable Mention All-America Team on Thursday. Feinson, a senior from Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, and the No. 6 seat for IU’s Varsity 8 crew, is the 10th All-American in program history and first since 2019 when Abigail Bogovich (first team) and Antonia Frappell (second team) were both selected. IU has totaled 13 All-America honors. For her efforts, Feinson also received the Most Valuable Rower Award within the IU program. Additionally, Feinson was the rowing program’s recipient of the Indiana University athletic department’s Hoosier Award, which recognizes a student-athlete for bringing honor and distinction to Indiana University in their representative sport during the academic year.
In April, Feinson and the Varsity 8 set a course record at Lake Lemon on their way to a fifth straight Dale England Cup title. The 1V8 finished in 6:27.6, part of five Indiana wins in six contests that day. On April 12, the crew was named Big Ten Boat of the Week after winning two races at the OSU Invitational. The IU rowing team concluded the 2022 season with a fourth-place performance Sunday (May 15) at the Big Ten Rowing Championships. Feinson was a first-team All-Big Ten selection after helping her Varsity 8 boat to a bronze medal. In a photo finish, the top Hoosier boat held off Rutgers by 25 hundredths of a second to cross the finish line in 6:20.752.
Edgewood HS Wrestling Coach Greg Ratliff steps down
Greg Ratliff announced on the Edgewood Instagram account Wednesday that he is leaving the Mustangs wrestling program he’s been in charge of since 2011 to become a teacher and an assistant athletic director at Bloomington South. The shuffle in the Panthers’ athletic department started with track and cross-country coach Larry Williams retiring from teaching. That opened the door for Neil Coyle to give up his spot as assistant AD to be a full-time teacher, relieving him of after school and weekend duties and allowing him to attend more of his daughter Kenadee’s volleyball matches at Western Kentucky.
That opened up the opportunity for Ratliff to take on new duties and work a bit closer to home. Ratliff has three children, 7, 5 and nine months. And while the job does require him to supervise a number of after school athletic events, the time demands won’t be the same as it was being a head coach. And it will be easier to bring the older ones with him to volleyball matches or gymnastics meets than it was to wrestling practice 20 minutes away from home. Edgewood is now looking for a new coach as well as a health and PE teacher. Ratliff had a successful run, winning six Western Indiana Conference team titles and sending nine wrestlers to state, with one, Damien Chambers, winning a title.
Fort Wayne Champs and Sideline Cancer eliminated in Xavier regional basketball tournament
Two Teams with Notable Indiana University Players and College Players who played in the state were eliminated in the Regional Semifinals of the Basketball Tournament at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio Wednesday night. Fort Wayne Champs lost to Florida TNT 87-78 and Sideline Cancer lost to Zip Em’ Up, which is the Xavier Alumni Team 89-81. Both Teams won their opening round game Monday as Fort Wayne Champs beat Nasty Nati 71-67, and Sideline Cancer beat Defeat Diabetes 78-77.
Fort Wayne Champs is coached by former Indiana University Men’s Basketball Player Rod Wilmont and Former Ball State and Northern Kentucky star Tayler Persons from Kokomo is on the team. Sideline Cancer has former Indiana University and George Washington star Maurice Creek along with former IU and Xavier star Remy Abell. The Basketball Tournament is a 64-team winner take all single elimination tournament with the champions getting $ 1 million dollars. There are eight regions with 8 teams at each site and then the Regional Champions will advance to Dayton Ohio for the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship Game.
Indianapolis Indians Coverage
Indians Host Saint Paul for Three Game Series
After four days off for the All-Star break, the Indianapolis Indians are back in action tonight at 7:05pm when they host the Saint Paul Saints at Victory Field. Indianapolis is 41-46 and lost four in a row at Columbus before the break. The Indians are hoping that the break has helped them reenergize for a big second half run. The Saints are 42-46 on the season and the teams will play at 7:05 pm tomorrow night and 1:35pm Sunday Afternoon. Tonight, is Friday Fireworks, MARVEL Superhero Night with Thanos tomorrow night, and Kids Eat Free Sunday highlight the homestand.
Follow us on Facebook
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here