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(09/14/24 2:32pm)
MUNCIE - On Friday evening two North Central Conference (NCC) rivals in Muncie Central (0-4) and Lafayette Jefferson (4-0) hit the field. The Bearcats have struggled to stop their opponents on the defensive side of the ball which has contributed to their winless start. Those defensive struggles would rear their ugly head again as Muncie Central would lose their fourth straight 43-14.
(09/14/24 3:19am)
The Wes-Del Warriors came into Friday night with one thing in mind: to win. A team who has been on the search for just one of those this season got just that tonight, and to make it better, it came on homecoming.Coming into the game against Southern Wells, they were outscored 126-32. Head coach Matt Nuckols has been telling his team to stay on track and things will start to fall into line.“It shows them that the stuff we've been working on works,” he said. “It gets them back to that belief. You know, we were in a similar boat last year. Ended up with 4-6 after that little jump start, it resets expectations. What we've done these last three weeks, we found ways to get better and this is kind of a restart of the season for our guys.“They're in a great, great spot right now mentally.”The Warriors tallied 321 yards on the ground and five touchdowns in the first half. Sophomore Eli Wright led the charge with three of his own and 204 rushing yards. Wright accredited his offensive line for his career night.“It was definitely our o-line,” he said. “Our line is really good and they just played incredible. On the outside plays, they got out in front and just worked so hard to get down field.”To the Warriors, the biggest story tonight was Wright and his three touchdowns. Nuckols has seen these glimpses all season and was happy that he was finally able to break out of that shell.“He had a couple big runs earlier in the season,” he said. “We got four different wings that we try to rotate because all those guys are playing defense, trying to keep everybody healthy. But after that first round, we knew we had to feed him. “He ran his tail off, he ran hard and he ran fast. Knew exactly what he was supposed to do. He and all those wings did, but he really stepped up in this game.”Complimenting the strong offensive performance, the Warrior defense held strong allowing only one touchdown on the half. Southern Wells was held to -17 rushing yards and 127 passing yards in the first two quarters.“I think all of the credit tonight should go to our defensive line,” senior linebacker Grayson Mealy said. “Those guys up front are amazing, and they were getting off blocks today so fast and making those plays in the backfield.”Wes-Del owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. In return, the Warriors were able to accumulate over 500 yards on the ground. Nuckols attributes that to their work this week in practice and his offensive line.“We really worked on two big things this week,” he said. “We worked on our counters and we worked on our rockets. Those are two plays we knew we had to get better at. We haven't been running them well, and they've been staples for us in the past. It was what we worked on this week, and hit it hard in practice, and we were able to pop and do some really good stuff there.”The Warriors faced some adversity this week as starting quarterback Kameran Vonderscmitt was sidelined with an injury. Freshman Noah Perdue stepped up and filled big shoes for Nuckols’ offense.“Biggest thing I'm really proud of, though, is we've had to deal with a lot of adversity this week,” he said. “Our starting quarterback, who's been our guy from the beginning, went down on Wednesday. We had our freshman Noah Purdue and our senior Tyler Summers step in there and I’m just so proud of them. “Noah ran pretty much the whole game and got the ball where it needed to go, ran the show even there late. He knew how to handle the clock. I’m just very proud of him and how the team rallied around that.”The run game domination for Wes-Del was due largely to reps and working on those plays day in and day out. Sophomore Rhyker Mauck was able to tack on a hard-nosed touchdown of his own late in the first half.“It comes from a lot of reps in practice,” he said. “We drill those over and over again. We rep it all week and it paid off tonight.”Although the Warriors would have liked a win sooner, getting the first one could not have come at a better time. With the 0-3 start, picking it up on homecoming meant more for not only players, but also the community.“The whole community was here,” he said. “Getting the win on homecoming is awesome. I mean, we had the whole crowd behind us and it showed what we can do to the whole crowd. I think that'll continue to build momentum through the season.”Nuckols was happy with his team’s ability to run the ball tonight. They plan to continue to dominate games on the ground and make teams hurt in the run-game.“We knew coming into this, if we want to be successful tonight and throughout the season, we have got to make sure that we establish that run and we can be successful with that,” he said. “You know, we're wing t and we throw the ball, we do some stuff like that, but we have to establish the run first, and we've done all right in a couple games, but not in every game.”Wes-Del will look to build this win into a streak next Friday, Sept. 20th, on the road against North White at 7 p.m. Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor.
(09/14/24 2:29am)
YORKTOWN, Ind – Senior festivities and packed grandstands set the scene at Yorktown High School as the Tigers took on the Delta Eagles in the newest installment of the cross-county rivalry on the football field. While every Tiger wanted to win the game, junior Tanner Griffey – who missed most of last season due to an injury – came into the contest with one goal in mind: to play well. “This was my game,” Griffey said. “I had their logo on my phone’s lock screen. This was my game.” The outside linebacker finished the game with two interceptions – one pick-six – and multiple tackles for loss. His showing helped the Tigers handle the Eagles a 28-14 loss, their first defeat of the season.The win was not only a special one for the Tigers but also for Yorktown head coach Mike Wilhelm. With the victory, it’s his 108th of his career. That passes his dad – Dave Wilhelm – who won 107 at Southwood High School. “I love him. In the end, his winning percentage is way better than mine,” Mike said. “But I got him on the win column.” To open the contest, it was back-to-back punts for both teams as defense was the name of the game. Add in that both teams struggled with flags, it was not a good combination for the competing teams. At the end of the opening quarter, it was 0-0. However, the Tigers got something going once they found the end zone thanks to a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Sam Tokar – who finished the game going 9-for-15 for 176 yards and two touchdowns – to senior receiver Wilson Webster. After that, the green and white’s offense began to fire on all cylinders. “This coaching staff, they spent so much time on a great scouting report,” Griffey said. “They put all the film together that we need. They have us ready for success every single week.”
(09/13/24 8:57pm)
Muncie’s restaurant Legacy Village opened its doors to judicial candidates Kim Dowling (D) and Andrew Ramirez (R) to provide a space for community members to learn about the candidates in a forum organized by Muncie’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
(09/13/24 6:56pm)
MUNCIE, Ind. — Someone that has been described as a “dynamic playmaker on the field” and “a great person off,” Redshirt Junior Kiael Kelly faces a new challenge unlike any that is often seen in the sport of collegiate football.
(09/13/24 6:27pm)
MUNCIE, Ind. — Fringed Production House, Cardinal Film Works' sister organization, is looking to change the way media is made and who can make it.
(09/13/24 3:13pm)
Tonight: Skies becoming partly cloudy with the low chance of scattered rain in the early morning hours of Saturday with a low temperature around 63F. Winds will be light around 5 mph from the ESE.
(09/12/24 2:00am)
Indiana University (IU) announced an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior against IU Athletics Hall of Fame member and former team physician Brad Bomba Sr. according to a press release Wednesday.
(09/13/24 1:59pm)
Editor's Note: This article was updated to correct an error.
(09/13/24 2:53am)
To say the energy at Wapahani was electric tonight would be an understatement. The Raiders hosted Delaware County rival Muncie Burris tonight at Raider Gymnasium and beat the Owls in five sets.
(09/13/24 2:49am)
The odds worked out in Ball State's favor with a 6-2 win against IU Indianapolis (IU Indy).
(09/13/24 12:03am)
Tonight: Cloudy skies with a low of 61 degrees. Calm winds coming from the east-southeast.
(09/12/24 10:19pm)
MUNCIE, Ind. — Last month, Ball State’s bus shuttle system, which many students use to get around campus, underwent a few changes.
(09/12/24 9:33pm)
MUNCIE, Ind- The Ball State Dodgeball Club allows students to showcase their agility and dodging skills in a fun and competitive way. The club has quickly gained participants from all over campus. Ke’Jaun Smith, the club’s president, believes the passion for the game brings people out to play week after week.
(09/17/24 2:00pm)
From the moment someone finds out they’re going to have a baby, they have immediately signed on to what can feel like countless doctor’s visits.
(09/16/24 2:00pm)
Take in a deep breath, hold it for five seconds, then blow it out. Count to five again.
(09/15/24 2:00pm)
Editors note: This story has been updated to correct a statement that referenced Still Waters Professional Counseling as a "faith-based" counseling service. Still Waters provides inclusive counseling to all members of the community.
(09/12/24 12:00pm)
Last year, the Ball Daily News published its first special edition based around the topic of mental health. Our staff recognized the growing concern surrounding mental wellness and wanted to produce a paper that could share information and resources, as well as remind our peers and our own staff that no one is alone in their mental health struggles.
(09/13/24 2:00pm)
Mental health has become an increasingly talked about topic in the sports world. Many professional sports organizations often promote the importance of mental health. The Indianapolis Colts are a prime example of this. In 2020, the Irsay family kickstarted the “Kicking the Stigma” campaign to help raise awareness and support athletes struggling with mental health.While such campaigns get as much recognition as they do, some of the lower-level and younger athletes can often be forgotten. Specifically concerning high school athletics, mental health problems begin in this time of adolescence.“We as coaches — and the athletes themselves — put so much pressure on [us] to perform well,” Wapahani volleyball head coach Valorie Wells said. “They want to do well for the school and community, so they put a lot of pressure on themselves, which kids aren’t really used to.”Since many new aspects of life come to high school students at a rapid pace, students can struggle to handle the stress, Wells said. Then, there’s the added pressure of reaching peak performance in a sport one’s been playing since childhood.“All kids want to be the star player,” said Matt Luce, Wapahani athletic director and boys’ basketball head coach. “But the best leaders bring their kids and teammates together to help them learn a role and just enjoy being a teammate of a high school team.”Yet, some programs are taking this challenge head-on in the way athletes are trained and how they are coached. Delta Athletic Director Tilmon Clark has that idea on his checklist when hiring a new head coach. “When I hire a coach, I have to be able to know that coach is going to have a connection with student-athletes and have them ready to compete and want to have fun at the sport,” Clark said.While Delta head football coach Chris Overholt was hired in 2016, the once Eagles football player wanted to incorporate ways to check on his athletes. Whether that was meals with the team or one-on-one meetings with the staff, the blue and gold are trying to find ways to make sure everyone is in a good place before stepping on the gridiron. “We even have after-practice meetings with players where they get into position groups,” Overholt said. “We like to do a check-in with the kids and most of the players have their coaches and my personal phone number. We pride ourselves on relationships in our program.” One of the biggest obstacles many students face is getting the mindset that there is something wrong with them if they admit to struggling mentally, Wells said. Wells encourages her players to seek help from a counselor if they feel it’s needed, as she has sought out professional help herself.“I tell them from the beginning, ‘You come first,’” Wells said. “I make sure to tell them it’s okay to see a counselor, and I share with them that I have my issues too and that I see a counselor. It’s really about making them feel like they aren’t alone.”A large part of the emphasis in Wapahanis’ program begins with connecting with the student-athletes off the field first. Building relationships and continuing to foster those is a crucial aspect of ensuring that students feel seen for who they are as a person, not just as a player.“The best coaches are the ones that see the kids off the court — the ones that see them in the classroom, or in the hallway saying hi to them, or seeing them in the study hall and checking on their studies,” Luce said. “The coaches that are able to find time off the court and off the field to get to know them as a student-athlete have the most success because they’re the ones who see them every day in the hallway.”One of the hardest things is balancing the fine line between how much energy to put toward school and how much to put toward sports, Luce said Finding that balance can be a challenge at times.“Sports is a great way to learn about life because it’s not always easy,” Luce said. “It’s not always a rosy path. Everybody wants to win and be the best player, but it’s about going through the struggles of a long season, being unselfish and playing your role. That’s a large part of why I decided years ago to be a teacher and coach.”It’s the same thing Wes-Del athletic director and head football coach Matt Nuckols has noticed in his time with the Warriors. “I think that's a big piece when we start talking about how mental health is affecting some of our athletes,” Nuckols said. “We try to teach them in our games and our practices that things won't always go right — how to handle things when they do go well but also how to fight through and deal with those issues.”With Wes-Del being one of the smaller schools in Delaware County enrollment-wise, Nuckols believes that aspect plays a big part in the process. “Our teachers in the building pretty much have every kid that comes through here for the most part,” he said. “So those players make connections with coaches and teachers that are there for them. That's just a perk to being in a close-knit, strong community and small school like ours.”Whether mental health becomes something that high school athletic departments embrace more in the future, the change that has occurred over the last 20 years is something current coaches and directors are happy to see. “I'm definitely happy it is the way it is now,” Overholt said. “I think there's always the stigma, especially with boys, ‘Don't cry [and] don't share your feelings. Just be tough.’ I'm glad now it's an open mindset where kids can go talk and be vulnerable and share their feelings. “It's important, and it's something I buy into. I know I have people that I talk to — that I can share with — and it's definitely nice having those avenues in my life.” Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X at @ZachCarter85. Contact David Moore via email at david.moore@bsu.edu or on X @gingninj63.
(09/12/24 12:00pm)
When he’s not playing one of his three sports, doing homework or working for the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), Wes-Del senior Grayson Mealy loves to play video games. “I play sports games like Madden, [NBA] 2k, anything like that,” Mealy said. “And then I play Valorant.” Though it was originally something he did with friends, playing video games turned into another school-related activity as he joined the Warriors’ esports team. The team has won the state championship the last two years in Valorant. So, how does he find the time to do all of this? Mealy doesn’t fully know. “It's a lot to balance, but I'd say just through playing sports, it's taught me how to balance time between everything I have going on,” he said. While somehow completing all of these tasks, it’s the way he goes about handling them that has him viewed as a leader in his school and community. “The dude can do a little bit of everything,” Wes-Del athletic director and head football coach Matt Nuckols said. “I don't think there's any kids in the building that don't know who he is, and they look up to him as kind of the guy leading this building.” Mealy’s love of sports began at a young age. Throw in that his mom, Courtney, was a three-sport athlete – softball, basketball and volleyball at Blackford – and his father, Kyle, was a two-sport athlete – baseball and basketball at Blackford, Mealy was exposed to sports from infancy. Naturally, Grayson started playing baseball and basketball when he learned how to walk. Once he was old enough to play tackle football, he took his talents to the gridiron. It quickly became his favorite sport. “I feel like it's such a unique sport, and there’s such a team aspect to it that I've just always been drawn to it,” Grayson said. Grayson has had success with every sport he plays for the Warriors. Last year, he led the Warriors on the diamond with two home runs and was third on the roster in hits (24). On the court, however, Kyle believes his son cares more about who he’s playing with rather than his performance.“[Grayson] plays basketball because he loves playing with those guys,” he said. “Basketball is where I see him as the ultimate teammate because no one's scouting against him in basketball… I love that sport because he fills in that [good teammate] role.” When talking about Warrior athletes and the term leadership, Grayson’s name always comes up in the conversation. “I think the biggest thing is his work ethic because there are not many guys out there that are built mentally like him,” Nuckols said. “He faces adversity and fights through it. He is one of, if not the, hardest workers in the weight room.” According to Kyle, it’s an abundance of things that have molded his son to have that quality. The main three are Courtney, former Warriors’ head basketball coach; John McGlothin, who is said to be an uncle figure to Grayson; and Mealy’s 2022-23 baseball season. “It's probably a moment that I don't think people would say or would be the moment they would think,” Kyle said. Wes-Del was playing Cowan early in the season, a game to be decided in extra innings. Grayson was playing catcher and attempted to make a throw to third base. The ball sailed into the outfield and the Blackhawks scored, which became the deciding run.Kyle saw that his son was hurt, but then two seniors — Travis Bunch and Dawson Bookout — stepped up. “Because of the way those seniors handled a sophomore who made a big error, the way that sophomore handled that and let those seniors lead him, is the reason why we won the regional and went to semi-state that year,” Kyle said. Now, Grayson does that for the current Wes-Del underclassmen. He’s not the most vocal person, but his actions speak volumes. “Grayson's really kind of taken that by the reins and taken these dudes to another level,” Nuckols said. “You talk to a ton of coaches about the best teams they've ever had, and it wasn't their coaches [who] had to push the kids, it was the players. And we got a bunch of guys doing that right now, and Grayson's leading that charge.” Grayson’s leadership goes beyond Wes-Del as he also works for the IHSAA. Being nominated as a sophomore, he was appointed to the Student Advisory Committee with 17 other members. The groups work on multiple events, including state championships. Though the school year started only a month ago, Grayson knows his high school experience will soon come to a close. While his future plans are still undecided, he still has the rest of football season — and the entire basketball and baseball seasons — to look forward to. “It’s bittersweet. I'm looking forward to being one of the top seniors that pretty much run the school,” he said. “You create the school culture for that year. But obviously, there's some sadness there too because it's your last one.” While he has months ahead of him before walking across a stage in the Warriors’ gym, he already knows he doesn’t want to be remembered for his athletic achievements and leadership.He wants the community to think of what he and this year’s senior class did for the current Wes-Del culture. “I'd rather them remember the culture that I wanted to create around here and be known as more of a sports school,” Grayson said. “With football, we've gone [to state?] every year we've been trying to progress our win. We have the ability to do the things we want to do. It just takes leadership and the people [who] are willing to do it.” To Nuckols, Grayson has already put his name in stone when it comes to being that person. “He's one of the faces of Wes-Del right now,” he said. “He's a brilliant student, he works his tail off in the classroom, and he is one of the smartest and hardest working kids we have.”Contact Zach Carter via email zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X via @ZachCarter85.