Saturday, February 8, 2025

Feb 08, 2025

Bears’ Season Ends at Sectional Semifinals

The Shelbyville Golden Bears gather before last night’s game, hosted at Indian Creek. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

The Bears battled illness all week and battled to the buzzer last night, but came up short to New Palestine, 35-27, in sectional semifinals, closing out a strong run for the senior-less squad.

“I told them (after the game), the fire that they have right now, we're taking that into the off-season, no doubt about it,” Coach Rebecca Hoefler said. “I'm proud of the record we had, the season we had. It just didn't feel like the season should have ended.”

If the intensity displayed despite playing from behind is any indication, the Bears (14-12) have a bright future. But last night the Dragons played stifling defense and controlled the boards to advance. Shelbyville (14-12) hit few field goals, and every time the Golden Bears put together consecutive plays, the Dragons responded with a big shot.

Shelbyville started strong, with Jayla Ash hitting a three and getting a block on an ensuing possession. Hannah Baker also hit an early three-pointer, and Addy Marshall made multiple hustle plays, but the game tightened with little offense from either team in the latter half of the quarter. Shelbyville led, 8-6, but the Dragons took control in the second quarter of the scrappy game. The Bears went cold, struggling to keep pace despite grabbing several offensive rebounds of their own. By half-time, the Dragons led 20-12.

New Pal continued its excellent perimeter defense in the third, forcing Shelbyville into tough shots, which rarely seemed to fall. The Bears trailed 30-17 at the end of the third.

The intensity picked up in the fourth, with Shelbyville getting multiple steals and giving surreal hustle. At one point, Sophia Asher stole the ball and landed on the floor but managed to pass to Baker, who was fouled on the fast break. She hit both free throws to cut into the lead. Ash also willed her way inside for a couple of big shots late in the game. The Bears outscored the Dragons, 10-5, in the final quarter, but simply ran out of time.

Baker and Ash finished with 9 points each. Marshall scored 5, and Maddy Jones added 4.

“I'm really proud of them,” Hoefler said. “Everyone doubted us, and we were able to come through that adversity and believe in ourselves and work together as a team. We’ll get them. Next year, we're making it happen. That's the bottom line.”

BEARS BEST

The following Shelbyville High School students were nominated January Bears Best recipients for demonstrating respect: Kaley Wiley, Whitney Dellinger, Mylez Clark, Olivia Van Wye, Mia Rolon, Jay Kawakami, Luke Milligan, Isaac Zermeno, Lesley Martinez-Gomez, Robbie Blocher, Logan Addis and Raelyn Lisby. | SUBMITTED

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE

NOTEBOOK:

A vehicle drifted across lanes on S. Riley Highway near Foxborough Run and hit a tree. The driver was not injured and could not explain what happened. He was transported to the hospital for further evaluation given it was a possible medical event.
Ashford Place Health Campus residents raised $1,559 for the SENSES Indoor Playroom sensory gym. Holly Forville, president of The Arc of Shelby County, and Don Collins, treasurer of The Arc, accepted the check from the Ashford Place staff on Thursday. Each year, the residents select a local charity and then hold a series of fund raisers at the campus and donate the proceeds to the selected charity.
HOOSIER NEWS: Del Taco, the nation’s second largest taco chain, is expanding into Indiana. The Lake Forest, California-based chain on Thursday announced plans to open 10 stores in central and southern Indiana. Target markets for the franchisee-owned locations include Plainfield, Avon, Bloomington, Bedford and Columbus. (IndyStar)
NATIONAL NEWS: Tickets to the Super Bowl in New Orleans are relatively inexpensive, with some tickets below $4,000 on secondary markets, a 50% drop from last year’s record-high prices. President Trump is expected to be at the game, which would make him the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. Also, if the Chiefs do win their third straight Super Bowl, they’ll be able to use the term “three-peat” after the NFL reportedly licensed it from Miami Heat President Pat Riley, who’s owned the trademark to the phrase since 1988 but has never had a reason to use it. (Morning Brew)
Thank you to Three Sisters Books & Gifts for your generous $500+ donation, and thank you to every donor for your continued support of The Addison Times. Donors of $100 or more receive a quarterly print publication in the mail. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to The Addison Times, either online or via a check to The Addison Times, 54 W. Broadway, #13, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Thank you for your continued support of daily local news and history. I appreciate each of you. - Kristiaan Rawlings, Editor

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SHS Courier Archive Highlights

Sept. 24, 2003

Kelly Shepard shared stores of traveling in Europe over the summer as part of a University of Dallas program in which she spent three weeks in Italy. Kelly was the only student from Indiana to participate in the program. Fellow senior Heather Brockman had spent the summer living in Mexico, a study abroad opportunity she learned about from Mr. Rice.
“15 Minutes of Fame” covered several facts about students and staff. Jerren Feaster worked at Golden Corral. His favorite teacher was Mrs. McDaniel. Mrs. Nicole Timberman’s favorite class to teach was Squib. She was also the JV cheerleading coach and English 9 teacher. Emily Ann Cole’s favorite aspect of high school was not having to raise her hand to take up her lunch tray.
Lori Lux was named SHS varsity volleyball coach, the team’s third coach in three years.
Cross Country season was underway. Zac Tatlock and Justin Kuhn were among the top newcomers. Seniors Sean Hudson, Bryce New and John and Josh Lee were the returning starters. The team had lost Allen Fox, Adam Hackman and Adam James to graduation. The girls team lost Sarah Coffey to graduation. Kelli Nigh, Sarah Baysden and Alyssa Tatlock were among the top newcomers. Megan Allen, Ciera Sell and Lori Nigh were the key returning runners.
Stephanie Soviar, 22, who had been the editor of The Courier and later a Colts cheerleader, had been named an assignment editor for E! News Live. Stephanie had been part of a record-breaking relay team for the two-mile relay while a student at SHS.

This Day in Shelby County History

News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.

2005: Morristown senior Erin Nigh was named Homecoming Queen. She was escorted by Jacob Hart. First runner-up Megan Stout was escorted by her brother, Shane Stout, and second runner-up Stacey Havlin was escorted by Preston Linville.

1995: Patrolman Mike McCracken received a certificate from Police Chief Kehrt Etherton for capturing an armed robbery suspect. McCracken was on patrol when he noticed an open door at the former Cambridge Inn. He arrested a man who was in the building with a shotgun.

Willard Jennings Day, 92, received a Sagamore of the Wabash for his 47 years of service in education, mostly with Shelbyville Schools. He was presented with the highest honor awarded by Indiana governors at Heritage Manor, where he lived. Jerry Higgins, one of Day’s former students and president of the Shelbyville Common Council, made the presentation. Mayor Bob Williams declared it “Willard Jennings Day’s Day” and gave him a key to the city. “The happiest thing I have is all my friends,” Day said. “On my birthday and Christmas, I receive so many cards, they’re all over my dresser.” Day had been nominated for the Sagamore by Williams, Higgins and Ernest W. Conrad Jr. Day began teaching in Shelbyville in 1921 and retired in 1967. He taught at the former Colescott School and served as principal at the Charles Major School and junior high. While at the junior high, he started an annual, two-day history tour of southern Indiana.

1985: The old Charles Major School, at N. Pike and E. Franklin streets, was set to be demolished, and senior citizens’ housing would take its place.

1975: Scott Williams was champion and Tammy Majors the runner-up of a spelling contest at Addison Elementary School. The county spelling bee would be held at Loper Elementary in late February.

1965: The county purchased its 11th piece of equipment for snow removal purposes. There were four motor graders and front-end loaders, all with V-plows, five dump trucks equipped with plows and two new trucks.

1955: The Shelbyville school board passed a resolution regarding the planned construction of a $500,000 junior high school building at Morrison Park. Architects were working on a plan for the 15-room proposed building.

1945: Earl Betts and Clyde McNamara shot a 27-pound female wolf on the Clem Ferris farm in VanBuren Township. The wolf’s pelt was sold to the highest bidder at the J.G. DePrez store, and the $8 profit was given to the local Red Cross.

1935: The Speedy Rollers defeated the Rolling Flashes in a girls’ basketball game played on roller skates at the armory. Members of the Speedy Rollers, coached by James Schooley, were Cleo Mahaffey, Mary Evans, Kay Wagner and Doris Mahaffey. Members of the Rolling Flashes, coached by Gene Junken, were Marie Leonard, Pauline Taylor, Frances Thurston, Helen Shields, Martha Nichols and Ruth Scott.

1925: City Council granted approval for the Big Four railroad to remove the safety gates at the Franklin and Washington street crossings once the company placed watchmen at the two crossings and at the crossing on East Broadway. The safety gates were designed for horse-drawn vehicles and out of date, council members said.

1915: A live “wild cat” arrived at the Adams Express office from Georgia, to be delivered to Allen Burton. “The animal created some excitement at the express office,” The Republican said. “Its snarls and wild clawing kept all of the attaches of the office at a safe distance.”