Rob Hunt: Fall fading fast
Oct. 27—The changing of the leaves at this time of year always yields an array of beautiful colors that is a welcome sight for many, along with the cooler temperatures and the longer evenings.
It is also a sign the fall season for high school sports is drawing to a close. With the football sectional semifinals coming up Friday and the state cross country finals Saturday, that could happen this weekend for area teams.
Although I believe the football season will continue into next week, I thought it might be a good time to look back on a few highlights from the fall of 2022 and what we were treated to in the area.
Perhaps the biggest story entering the season was that of two-time defending state golf champion Macy Beeson.
The Lapel senior enjoyed another fantastic season. She scored her fourth straight Madison County medalist title and advanced through the grueling sectional and regional rounds to make to the state finals for the fourth time in as many years. While it did not end in a historic third straight championship, the legacy she leaves behind will be enduring, and Beeson has set the bar very high for anyone who wants to pass her as the greatest girls golfer in the history of Madison County.
It would also be hard to argue there was another school that had as strong a fall season as Madison-Grant.
The boys tennis team captured the program's first Central Indiana Conference title and the school's first tennis sectional championship. The Argylls advanced to the regional final before being ousted by Delta, but sophomore Luke Gilman capped his All-State honorable mention season by advancing to the sectional singles finals.
The Argylls' volleyball team continued its mastery of Grant County and the CIC. For the third straight year, Kayla Jump's crew was Grant 4 and sectional champions on its way to an outstanding 27-6 record.
And the ongoing M-G story involves an 8-2 football team and its record-breaking senior running back, Tanner Brooks. He has rewritten the Argylls' record book with over 2,000 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns on the way to the program's best season since it finished 9-3 in 2010 and the Argylls' first win over Mississinewa since 2012.
One of the fall surprises was the Frankton tennis team. Although ousted by Madison-Grant in the regional semifinals, the Eagles scored a dramatic win over perennial champion Lapel to claim their first sectional championship since 1995.
In addition to M-G's success, Daleville's volleyball team finished 24-9 and advanced to the regional championship match for the second straight time, and Pendleton Heights won its fifth straight Madison County title and the fourth in a row without losing a set. This year's senior class won 100 matches for the Arabians during its career.
A motley crew of girls who had never played the game before this fall made for an impressive debut for Lapel soccer. Led by junior Krystin Davis's 33 goals, the Bulldogs finished their inaugural season with an 8-7-2 record while playing an exciting brand of soccer. Lapel hopes to add boys soccer next fall, and the Daleville program may be on the verge of becoming a varsity sport in 2023 as well.
And, finally, it has been a fun and exciting season for cross country as the area will be represented at the state finals for the first time since 2019.
Noah Price of Liberty Christian became the first Lions runner to advance to La Vern Gibson Course in Terre Haute while Sophie Goodwin was the first Lapel girls runner to do so as well. They will be joined by Andrew Blake and Ava Jarrell of Pendleton Heights and Goodwin's teammate Cameron Smith.
Best of luck to all five kids Saturday.
Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.
