From Oolitic to Shelbyville, the Special Olympics Indiana Jackson County basketball teams have been battling on the court.
Rosters for the state tournament are due Monday, so coach Jim Shepherd has been working hard to ensure the five-on-five Tornadoes and three-on-three Tsunamis, Cyclones and Hurricanes meet all of the requirements to compete in the postseason.
So far this season, the Tornadoes are undefeated at 3-0. They hope their record stays unblemished after playing two games against Monroe County on Sunday at Seymour Middle School.
After opening the season with wins against Johnson County and Washington County on Jan. 8 in the Seymour Noon Lions Club tournament at SMS, the Tornadoes traveled to play Shelby County on Feb. 9 at Shelbyville High School.
After falling behind 6-0, Jackson County rallied to take a 12-10 lead by halftime. A.J. Engel then started the second half with layups on steals by Tim Ashburn and Josh Beals, and a basket by James Knight gave the Tornadoes an 18-12 lead going into the final quarter.
Thomas Emly opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run of his own to double up on the Rebels, and Ashburn scored the Tornadoes’ final basket and they won 26-16.
Engel led all scorers with 12 points, followed by Emly with eight and Beals, Ashburn and Knight with two apiece.
On Sunday, Monroe County is bringing three five-on-five teams to Seymour. At 2 p.m., one of them will play the Tornadoes in one gym at SMS, and the other two will play each other in the other gym. Then at 3:30 p.m., the winners will face off, while the losing teams will play in the other gym.
The public is invited to attend the games. Freewill donations will be accepted at the door to benefit the Jackson County program.
As for Jackson County’s other teams, the Hurricanes are 2-2 on the season after defeating Bartholomew-Brown-Jennings and losing to Decatur County in the Lions Club tournament and then falling again to Decatur County but defeating Boone County on Feb. 12 in the Arnie Petre Basketball Tournament at Shelbyville High School.
In another close battle with Decatur County, the Hurricanes had a 12-10 edge on Averie Brennan’s third basket of the game. Then Decatur County went on a 6-0 run and held on for a 20-14 win.
Brennan led her team with eight points, while Alysha Sandlin scored four and Amanda Hamm had two.
Against Boone County, Nevaeh Ackeret made back-to-back baskets for a 14-6 lead, and Brennan turned that into an 8-0 Jackson County run with two baskets. Hamm added the final basket to end the game at 20-6.
Hamm and Brennan each scored eight points, and Ackeret had the other four points.
Brennan said she is having a lot of fun playing with her three teammates.
“I think my team shows more and more teamwork, sportsmanship and support each game we play,” she said. “We definitely show more guidance through each game, as well as we continue to help each other through each game we play no matter what challenges stand in our way.”
She said she really enjoys being part of a great group of people who support her, continue to cheer her on and are always there to help boost her self-confidence.
“I couldn’t imagine being involved with another group,” she said.
For her efforts against Boone County, Brennan was presented the Arnie Petre Tradition Spirit and Sportsmanship Award. Ackeret received the award after the Decatur County game.
“I wasn’t expecting to receive any type of medal that day. It definitely came as a surprise to me,” Brennan said. “I was so happy when I was told that I was going to be receiving the sportsmanship medal. I felt so honored to be receiving a medal as great as the one I received. It always makes me feel good on the inside when I know I’ve done something great.”
She’s also proud of her teammate for being honored.
“I feel like she deserved it,” Brennan said of Ackeret. “Even though she’s the youngest player on our team, we all enjoy playing with her and having her a part of our team.”
Any time she is on the court, whether it’s practice or a game, Brennan said sportsmanship means so much more than being part of a team or group.
“To me, it means having everyone’s backs, supporting one another, always being there for each other and lifting each other up when we’re at our lowest,” she said. “It’s also about getting through all the challenges that may stand in the way. It might be hard sometimes, but something I’ve learned in my life is that it’s always worth it in the end.”
The Jackson County Tsunamis are now 2-4 on the season.
After splitting games in the Lions Club tournament, the Tsunamis lost 20-10, 20-8 and 21-2 against Lawrence County teams on Feb. 6 at Oolitic Middle School. On the day, Donald Bennethum led with 12 points, Dale Hickman scored six points and Elijah Noble had two points.
Three days later at Shelbyville, the Tsunamis scored an 18-10 win against the Shelby County Blazers. Hickman led with 10 points, Bennethum scored six and Noble had two.
Finally, the Jackson County Cyclones are now 0-6 on the season.
They battled but lost both games in the Lions Club tournament and three games against Lawrence County. The latter scores were 20-6, 20-4 and 21-4. On the day, Becky Klosterman led with six points, and Montana Casto and Kayla Kriete each scored four points.
At Shelbyville, they lost 14-6 to the Shelby County Vipers. Kriete scored four points, and Klosterman added the other two.
Now, the Jackson County teams will focus on practices to get ready for the postseason.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how our teams continue to evolve through the rest of the season and the type of teams we will be at the end,” Brennan said. “No matter what the outcomes are, I will always be proud of how we all turned out and how we all came together.“