As the school year comes to an end, it is time to look back upon the most impressive and memorable GHS sports moments from this year.
One of the most memorable games from the boys basketball season came in the season opener, when senior Isaac O’Neal scored 27 points to lead the team’s win against Center Grove.
“It felt great to contribute in a win to start out the season. The fans and atmosphere really made it an exciting moment for me. It was so special because the last time we beat CG in their own gym was over 40 years ago,” O’Neal said.
Another unforgettable game took place from senior Ethan King on GHS’s baseball field in a 19-0 blowout against the Indianapolis Kings. King had two home runs in the game, leading the Woodmen to the win.
“That game was one of the best moments of my baseball career. Going into this season I just wanted to at least get my first varsity bomb, so to get two in one game was definitely special. The best part of the home runs themselves was rounding third base and seeing all the guys supporting me. It was just a great atmosphere all around and felt great stepping on home plate,” King said.
While some memorable moments lasted entire games, others happened in an instant. During her final match as a Woodman, senior Celia Stanley shot a hole in one after coming back from an injury that put her out for most of her senior season.
“It was my first round after an injury and it was the last round for high school, so it was definitely unexpected. It was rainy and I wasn’t playing well. I hit the ball and I thought I hit it short but it landed on the front of the green and rolled right into the hole. It was special for me and it’s something I will always remember about my golf career. Not many people get a hole in one, especially so young, so it was a great moment for me,” Stanley said.
One of the most popular moments is another one that happened quickly. In the final seconds of a basketball game against Whiteland in the County Tournament, sophomore Joey Ortman hit a deep three point buzzer beater to send the Woodmen to the County Championship.
“That shot was super special to me and the best moment of my basketball career so far. It was great because it was a win or go home game, so when I hit the shot I knew it advanced us to the championship. It was amazing celebrating with my team and all of my friends that came to the game,” Ortman said.
One of the most sought after accomplishments in high school athletics is being crowned the State Champion for a sport or event. Though this is generally the most popular goal for athletes, it is rare to achieve due to how many athletes compete in the state of Indiana. However, this year GHS had its own State Champion in the indoor shot put: senior Emma Gardner.
“Winning the indoor state meet this season was incredible. It was something I had been working towards since my freshman year, and I knew it was an attainable goal. Last year I placed 7th and I knew that there was going to be an opening for me to come in and win my senior year because of people graduating. I worked a lot in the off season to get better and did better to mentally prepare myself in order to stay calm when I was at the meet,” Gardner said.
Gardner is not the only track athlete that found success this year. During the Franklin Central Distance Showcase, both the boys and girls 4x800m relay teams placed first among 20 teams.
“That meet was pretty crazy. Last year our boys team placed first also, so we came into the meet knowing that we wanted to defend our title. Both the boys and girls teams were seeded 13th in the meet, so no one really expected us to win, but we knew what we were capable of. We ran against multiple really good teams that were easily capable of beating us, so I think we took a lot of people by surprise. It was also great to see the girls team win and continue their great season,” senior Jake Squier said.
Lily Rollings had an impressive junior season for the girls Cross Country team, winning multiple meets throughout the season and making it to the state meet.
“Making it to State was such a great experience and I had so much support throughout it all. The senior boys and a couple of the other boys on the team practiced with me, even when they didn’t have to come to practice, which made the experience much more enjoyable. I put a lot of work in over the summer to make it to that point and I knew that all the preparation and time I had put in would lead me to the state meet, so when I finally qualified it all paid off,” Rollings said.
One of the most impressive wins for GHS’s football team came during a Week 2 game against Indian Creek. During the game, the Woodmen were down to the Braves in the fourth quarter when the game got delayed due to heat lightning. This lightning continued through the night, forcing the remainder of the game to be delayed to the next morning.
“That was probably the weirdest game of football I’ve ever played, but it was also one of the most fun from this season. Because they were ahead of us, the Indian Creek players were trash talking us online during the delay because they thought that their lead would be enough to carry them to the win, but when the morning came, we were so much more prepared than them. We used the delay to our advantage and took the momentum away from them fast. You could tell it took them by surprise when we came out ready to beat them, and it felt good to take that win away from them,” junior Anthony Scaramazzo said.
Another moment came from the football season, but at the end. In the Sectional Championship game against Martinsville, the Woodmen fell just short to the Artesians on the final drive of the game. However, sophomore Davion Jones and junior Gunner Ruppert made impressive plays to keep the Woodmen in range. After halftime, Jones had an impressive interception that led to Ruppert rushing for a 50 yard touchdown.
“Going into that game, no one really believed in our team besides us. Martinsville was ranked top 25 in the state so we were heavy underdogs, but we knew we had a chance. When Davion intercepted the ball, it was a complete momentum switch. The offense went out there and I scored and the whole team kind of rallied around that moment. From then on we played our butts off for the rest of the game, and went toe-to-toe with one of the best 4A teams in the state that everyone expected to blow us out. Even though we ended up losing, it was really impressive that we were so close to beating them and it showed everyone they shouldn’t doubt us,” Ruppert said.
