"We've got 15 girls who want to play basketball, they enjoy being here and they're hustling and doing everything they can to get ready for the season," stated Bellmont girls basketball coach Tory Fuelling Monday afternoon as he squeezed in a picture session, taking valuable practice time away from his team, which has had little of that to prepare for tonight's opening game with Bishop Dwenger at the Teepee.
In the opening bowling action of the season, the South Adams boys tipped Bellmont because of total team points in a close varsity match at Haworth Lanes, while the BHS varsity girls scored a 17-3 victory.
With 30 personal bests in the first girls swim meet of the season Saturday at Norwell, Bellmont coach Drew Norby left the venue "cautiously optimistic about the season."
"I knew that we had a wonderful core of veterans and a great group of young swimmers, but I wasn't quite sure how we'd perform. The ladies showed me that I should be confident. All of our swimmers had at least one personal best and most had two," stated Norby.
With only six of the 18 girls back from a program which produced only two varsity victories a year ago, new coach Brandon Bradley doesn't have any miracle elixirs or a plan to speed-drill his troops into a highly competitive squad.
"Practice is going good, but have no basis for comparison," admits Bradley who has extensive experience in the world of boys basketball.
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 9, 2010) – As another high school winter sports season begins in Adams County, a new student-athlete is initiated into an elite group honored by the Indiana High School Athletic Association as an IHSAA Role Model. Picking up where those before her left off, one Adams County high school student will take the lead as an anti-tobacco advocate in her school and community during the IHSAA Role Model Program’s eighth consecutive year.
"Anybody who watched Alex play would understand why we want her to be a part of our program," stated Morehead State University coach Jaime Gordon Wednesday afternoon prior to his practice.
"She's a great athlete and very passionate about the game. She is all about volleyball and everything that goes with it. We were excited to go through the recruiting process and make her a Morehead State Eagle."
Winning a state championship is evidently no accident.
From the first interview I had with Bellmont Coach Craig Krull in early August, he noted that his team "had only one goal." Of course, that was to win it all.
Bellmont didn't win those two early tough tourneys the Squaws were in. That didn't matter.
In fact, Krull's girls knew what it would come down to.
Madison Schultz (center) and teammate Alex Fuelling, both seniors, hand over the 3A state championship volleyball trophy to BHS Principal Scott Croner (left) and Athletics Director Dale Manis during the Tuesday afternoon pep session to honor the title-winning Bellmont squad. It was the second state title in the past four years for the BHS volleyball squad. (Photo by Jim Hopkins)
Many athletes at South Adams High School have been honored by school officials for their academic achievements. The following have grade-point averages of 3.67 (A-minus) or higher on the SAHS four-point scale, and were named scholar-athletes.
Seniors—Curtis Mitchel, football; Bobby Switzer, soccer; Aine O'Donnell, tennis manager; Reid Zurcher, tennis; Kylie Cisney, golf; Erik Subler, football; Emily Miller, cross-country; Sam Amstutz, football.