Local Sports

Maconaquah makes clean sweep of Peru

POP UP: Peru libero Casidy Bartel digs under a serve during Thursday night's TRC volleyball match at Maconaquah. Bartel had 19 receptions, five digs and an ace for the Tigers in the three-set loss to the Braves.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com There was to be no repeat of the five-set thriller that Maconaquah and Peru put on a year ago Thursday night. The Braves were in no mood to let the match get that far, swarming the Tigers in the opening set and while the visi

Mawbey approved as North Miami boys' basketball coach

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com What was announced on August 5 became official Tuesday at the North Miami School Board meeting as Basil Mawbey was approved as head boys’ basketball coach of the Warriors for the next two seasons. Mawbey, a coaching leg

Maconaquah revamps lines, looks to build off explosive 2018 season

POWER ALLEY: Just like numerous times in 2018, Carter Little (48) has a large gap to run into behind blockers Graham Stoll (77), Garrett Spohn (55) and the rest of the Maconaquah front line during Friday’s scrimmage against Culver Military Academy. Little, Jared Blake and Nolan Kelly (10) return to the Braves backfield after all starting as sophomores in 2018, collectively rushing for 2170 yards.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com A change in coach and a senior-laden squad led to one of the finest Maconaquah football seasons in recent history in 2018. The Braves finished with a 9-3 record, a third-place finish in the TRC, a first sectional win since 20

North Miami looks to dig in, finish off games for bounce-back season

DECISIONS: North Miami quarterback Tristan Working (Back) observes the defense before making a decision on whether to hand the ball off to Parker Johnson (Front) during Friday night’s scrimmage. Working ran the offense last year after moving to the quarterback position and with a year of experience will look to make the Warriors attack more potent in 2019.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com After back-to-back winning season in 2016 and 2017, North Miami took two steps back in 2018 as a much less experienced squad opened up the season on a five-game losing streak. A brief reprieve over the next three games saw th

Peru takes Tipton the distance in five-set loss

KEEP IT ROLLING: Peru's Jayma Majors (R) and Mallori Grund (L) keep the ball afloat during a rally in the fifth set of Monday night's season opener against Tipton. The Tigers struggled out of the blocks in several sets and despite holding a 2-1 lead could not close out the Blue Devils, falling 22-25, 25-7, 21-25, 25-14, 25-2.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com Since becoming the opening match of the volleyball season five years ago, Peru had yet to take a set off of Tipton heading into Tuesday night. The Tigers managed to finally do that and were on the verge of doing something eve

North Miami ready to reverse course in 2019 volleyball season

CHALLENGE: North Miami hitters Maryann Freeman (L) and Arianis Rodriguez (R) go up for a ball during a blocking drill at a recent practice. Both players were relied on to be primary attacking outlets in the 2018 season and with a year of experience behind them in their more prominent roles will look to bring the Warriors back up in level during the 2019 season.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com North Miami looked to be on the cusp of a major 2018 volleyball season with a wealth of depth and experience at its disposal. By the time the first practice rolled around, the squad had been shorn of most of its varsity exper

Maconaquah looks to fix conference, sectional misses in 2019

SPEARHEAD: Maconaquah’s Emily Bowyer (C) lets loose with a serve during a recent practice. Bowyer returns as the sole senior for the Braves in 2019 but has an experienced supporting cast of underclassmen around, a group that came with single victories of winning a TRC and sectional title in 2018.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com A brief dip in form in 2017 was quickly corrected by Maconaquah’s volleyball team in the 2018 season, a campaign that saw the squad nearly return to the summit of the TRC. With the bulk of the squad make up of underclas

Experienced Maconaquah runners look to make postseason moves

SENIORITY: Maconaquah’s Dalton Farnell closes in on finishing an early run at a recent practice. Farnell is one of nine seniors for the Braves this season with a squad looking to join Sam Bourne, who racedat the New Prairie Semi-State, in advancing deeper into the IHSAA Boys’ Cross Country State Tournament.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com Amidst a season spent in the middle of the pack, Maconaquah junior Sam Bourne was able to make a breakthrough by advancing to the New Prairie Semi-State. An experienced Braves cross country team will look to join him deeper i

Mix of experience, large freshmen class leading Maconaquah boys' soccer

FORWARD EXPANSION: Maconaquah junior Bryan Teegardin (Second L) recycles possession with the ball during a drill at a recent practice. Teegardin, who struck 12 times in 2018, will be called upon to help pick up the goal-scoring slack after two of the three top scorers for the Braves departed ahead of the 2019 season.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com There was a line of thought that suggested Maconaquah would bottom out during the boys’ soccer season in 2018 after losing a large senior class from the year before as well as a bit of upheaval at the close of the 2017

Small North Miami squad determined to hold on to TRC title

THE POWER: North Miami senior Bailey Keim (Front) fires in a free kick during a shooting drill at a recent practice. Keim will be leading out a small Warrior contingent determined to hold on to its spot at the top of the TRC standings ahead of the 2019 campaign.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com To defend its status as two-time TRC girls’ soccer champions, North Miami is going to have to learn to play small ball. The Warriors have a limited number of bodies to call on for the 2019 season as only 15 players are

Peru continues climb up volleyball ladder

ON THE UP: Peru senior Courtlynn Crowe hits the deck to dig up a free ball during Thursday night’s volleyball scrimmage at Oak Hill. The Tigers were close to breaking into double-digit wins in 2018 and picked up their first two TRC wins since joining the conference, marks the squad wants to improve upon in the 2019 season.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com Progress for Peru’s volleyball program has slowly been coming. From a solitary win in 2015, the Tigers have moved to within a victory of cracking double-digits in the win column in 2018, going 9-23 and, four years after

Peru girls' soccer eyes year of growth

CHALLENGE: Peru senior Faylena Stout (L) tries to get around the defense of sophomore Olivia LaBare (R) for a shot on goal during a drill at a recent practice. The Tigers picked up a win to avoid a second-straight winless campaign in 2018 but with a large pool of starters returning and a large incoming wave of freshmen, the squad looks to pick up steam during the 2019 season.

BY TRENT SCOTT - tscott@perutribune.com The wins still haven’t rolled in for Peru when it comes to girls’ soccer but the squad showed signs of life during the 2018 season. Despite being stretched thin due to injuries, the squad reduced its goal differen