Battling back…
Milan Lady Indians salvage senior night on Warpath Drive

Gary Franklin
SPORTS EDITOR

The crowd got a bang for their buck and then some when Milan High School honored five Milan Lady seniors on Thursday evening Jan. 29 when they played the visiting Waldron Lady Mohawks on Thursday evening, January 29. Near the 5:30 mark, prior to the slated 6 p.m. center court tip-off, the five Milan Lady Indian senior ball players and senior manager Jessica Nichols were presented at center court. Senior Lady Indians included Tapanga Gauck 00, Grace Herzog 5, Paige Lacey 10, Becky Hoffrogge (23) and Harlie Miller (31). A 15-year, veteran coach for the South Dearborn Lady Knights, Bob Bressert in his first year as the Milan Lady Indian Head Coach has found his new team willing to work and eager to learn, and together the fruits of their labors are paying off. This night’s game was career number 307 for Coach Bressert, yielding a victory mark at 158-149, and I would venture to say one he and team will remember for some time to come.


GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO
The never-quit persistence of Milan Lady Indian senior Grace Herzog (5) flourishes as she rises to score around two Waldron Lady Mohawks en route to 25 points of the tribes 55-54 senior night victory celebration.


QUARTER ONE
The Indian seniors filled all five spots for the Tribe at the onset of the game, resulting in Miller (31) controlling the tip and later scoring the first basket to give Milan a 2-0 lead. The Mohawks answered with a FG for the tie, then followed with a 3 pointer to lead 5-2. Indian senior Grace Herzog (5) added back to back FG scores, putting Milan up 6-5. Waldron netted a 3-pointer to which Herzog (5) added two more FG scores and connected on one of two FTs to go up three at 11-8. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Indian Miller (31) and teammate Paige Lacey (10) FG found Milan up by 11 at 19-8 when the first period horn sounded.

QUARTER TWO
The Indians held on to leave first half action leading by 8 at 25-17. Scoring for Milan in the second period was from Miller with a FG, Lacey 1 of 2 FTs and Herzog connecting on 3 of 8 FTs, while the Lady Mohawks collectively added nine points. One could only sense that things were going much too smoothly for the Lady Indians, the question was could, rather would they be able to hang on for another half and claim the victory. That the coaches, players and clock would soon resolve.

QUARTER THREE
By the six-minute mark, theLady Mohawks via 3 for 4 FT shooting and a 3-pointer cut into the Tribe’s lead to trail by just four at 21-25. Indian Miller connected on one of four FTs before Waldron added two more FG scores to trail by one at 25-26. Lady Indian Herzog (5)added a FG score, only to have the Mohawks counter it and luckily miss the extra point to allow Milan to retain the one point edge at 28-27. Herzog added another pair of FT scores, Waldron scored back to back FGs to take a one-point advantage at 31-30. Herzog (5) answered with a FG, Waldron countered with a 3-pointer to lead by two. Lady Indian freshman Baylee Yorn (12) rang the bell with her first trey of the game which put Milan back on top. Herzog (5) connected on one of two FT offerings to end scoring in the third period for a Milan 36-34 lead over Waldron.

QUARTER FOUR
Katie, bar the door…all the marbles are on the table!

The Lady Indian seniors, having worked hard, along with underclassmen and their coach and very positive student body support on the sideline, found it coming down to eight more minutes to finally celebrate as victors or again taste the bitterness of a last home game defeat! Herzog (5) got scoring underway with a FG. Waldron answered with a 3-pointer. Lady Indian sophomore Kristina Marksberry (24) scored a FG, Waldron countered. Lady Indian senior Becky Hoffrogge (23) missed the front end of a one-plus-one, teammate Yorn (12) missed on three FT attempts, but Herzog (5) found an answer with a FG/FT combination to put the tribe on top by four at 43-39 with nearly a minute and a half remaining on the game clock. The Mohawk attempt on a one-plus-one FT came up empty, followed by Herzog (5) making one of two taken. At 29.7 seconds, Waldron connected for a FG score, cutting their deficit to three and immediately called for the time-out. Resuming play, Miller (31) missed a pair of FTs then committed a foul. To Milan’s benefit, Waldron came up empty with their charity stripe appearance, leading to a Milan called time out with 22.1 seconds remaining. A Milan turnover, allowed Lady Mohawk senior Jaymison Shoemaker a free look and delivery right through the heart of the net with her 3-pointer to knot the game at 44. Lady Indian senior Paige Lacey (10), who missed most of last season following an injury, surgery and rehab was the benefactor of the foul whistled against Waldron in their attempt to control not only the ball but the ball game under their basket. The long walk to Milan’s end of the court for the FT attempts with just 7.2 ticks left in regulation resulted in a Lacey first shot miss…the second…“bullseye” for the 45-44 lead and win! Lady Indians seniors were happy to have former Head Coach Andrew Moore in the stands supporting them during their final home stand of the 2014-15 season.

VARSITY
Milan 19 25 36 45
Waldron 8 15 34 44

Milan Lady Indians 45
Coach Bob Bressert
Sr 5 Grace Herzog 25
Sr 31 Harlie Miller 11
Sr 10 Paige Lacey 4
Fr 12 Baylee Yorn 3
So 24 Kristina Marksberry 4

Non-scoring Lady Indians: 00 Sr-Tapanga Gauck & 23 Sr-Becky Hoffrogge.
Not playing were: 3 Jr-Cierra Core, 13 Jr-Kaylynn Money, 15 Fr-Annjeanette Laws, 20 Fr-Alexa Burton, 25 Fr-Maisy Allen and 53 Fr-Maddy Roell.

Waldron Lady Mowhawks 44
Coach Rod Suitor
Sr 12 Caitlin Hedman 12
Jr 1 Gustin Shelby 11
So 14 Cassi Tyree 9
Sr 5 Jaymison Shoemaker 8
Jr 34 Kiersten Lux 4

Non-scoring Lady Mohawks: 3 Jr-Bethany Workman, 22 Jr-Lindsey Thomas, 23 So-Alli Suiter and 10 Fr-Autumn Tillison-Injured

Waldron had no girls JV team!


Pick up this week's edition of the Osgood Journal for the stories below and more local news. Subscribe by clicking the subscribe link or call 812-689-6364.

• Using multiple lineups, JCD Lady Eagles continue to dodge the bullet! (page 5)
• Coach Ron Pollard’s SR Raider bowlers regular season ends, 11-3 (page 6)
• Coach Perry Nash’s Eagles victorious over South Dearborn Knights after loss to OA Twisters (page 6)
• Update: ORVC basketball player reports (page 6)