Pirate Football Will Honor the Memories of Tyler Odle and Dennis Hawkins with Special Helmet Stickers

ARSS, Football

Football fans across the nation have long been acquainted with helmet stickers. For over 40 years, they have been used in college football–and more recently some high schools–to signify special achievements on offense, defense, and special teams. Many young players have grown up watching college football and recognize the buckeye tree leaf of Ohio State, the paw of the Clemson Tiger, or the tomahawk of the Florida State Seminoles and think to themselves how cool it would be to earn something so simple, yet so meaningful to represent their work in the sport. 

Sometimes, however, helmet stickers mean something much more than those tackles and touchdowns. Tonight when our Pirates take the field, fans should pay close attention to two stickers that have been affixed to their helmets for the 2020 season. The first of those stickers is the #5 in memory of Pirate football great Tyler Odle, who tragically passed away in a car accident in May. Playing for the Pirates from 2009-2012, Odle broke the record for Most Receiving Yards in a Career (1,964), Most Receptions in a Career (110), Most TD Receptions in a Career (26), Most TD Passes Caught in a Season (14), and Most Receptions in a Game (12). The Odle family would like to thank the entire community and Pirate family and issued the following sentiment: “Tyler meant the world to us and we will forever be saddened by his loss! We are beyond grateful that his legacy will always be honored in our town.”  It should also be mentioned that the #5 jersey will not be worn in 2020. 

The second sticker is comprised of a Charlestown Pirate, a Clarksville General, and a black ribbon accented with blue for Charlestown, yellow for Clarksville, red for Parkinson’s disease, and a DH in honor and memory of the late Coach Dennis Hawkins, father of Pirate coach, Jason Hawkins. Dennis Hawkins was the head coach at Clarksville High School for 25 years, leading the Generals to over 100 victories, several Mid Southern Conference championships, three sectional titles in 1985, 1997, and 1999, and the state championship in 1997 where they finished runners up. The stickers were designed by WPMQ staff members on the vision of football parents and were their gift to the football program. The Hawkins family was truly touched by the thoughtfulness of the gesture and said, “Our dad loved football, especially Clarksville and Charlestown football. He passed away on August 4th with Parkinson’s. The family would like to thank the football players for wearing the sticker and all those who helped make and buy them. We appreciate you all honoring Coach Hawkins’ legacy.”


Story contributed by WPMQ Staff

Pirate Baseball’s Andrew Snider Signs with Morehead State University

ARSS, Baseball, Uncategorized

Front (L to R) Laura Snider (Andrew’s mother), Andrew Snider, Justin Snider (Andrew’s father) Back (L to R) Andrew’s Coaches Chris Nickles, Brian Smith, Ricky Romans, Chuck Latham, Zach Burkhardt (trainer), and Jay Sorg

Recently, Charlestown senior baseball player Andrew Snider gathered with family, friends, Pirate teammates to sign his national letter of intent to play baseball at Morehead State University during the 2020-21 season.

Located in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, Kentucky, Morehead State University (MSU) is a 4-year public university with robust undergraduate and graduate programs, emerging doctoral programs and an emphasis on regional engagement. MSU has 142 undergraduate and 69 graduate degree programs in four colleges: Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; College of Education; College of Science; and Elmer R. Smith College of Business and Technology. MSU offers associate, baccalaureate, masters, specialist and doctoral degrees, as well as undergraduate and graduate certificates to serve just over 10,000 students.

Morehead State University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Ohio Valley Conference, and the Pioneer Football League. In the NCAA, MSU competes at the Division I level in all sports, including the Football Championship Subdivision in football. The University field’s intercollegiate varsity teams for men in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, and outdoor track. The varsity sports for women are basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, indoor and outdoor track, sand volleyball and volleyball. Rifle is a sponsored co-educational sport. 

When asked about his opportunity to play at the next level with the Eagles, Andrew said, “It was a very tough college decision for me. I have been wanting to go to Morehead State since my freshman year and I finally get the chance to go to my dream school. I was so blessed that I had four schools wanting me, so my parents and I sat down and talked about the pros and cons of each one. My dad asked me one day if I was ready to make my decision. I said yes and so that is how I made my decision.” At the signing, coaches and other school officials highlighted Andrew’s work ethic and positive leadership. Andrew intends to major in 

The Charlestown High School athletic department and WPMQ, The Pirate Network congratulate Andrew and wish him a healthy and prosperous future as a Morehead State Eagle.

Article and photo contributed by WPMQ, The Pirate Network.

CHS Alumni Bowler Whitney Goodman to Compete in Louisville with Kentucky Wesleyan College This Weekend

ARSS

PC Lois Goodman

Former Charlestown Pirate bowler and 2019 graduate Whitney Goodman signed with the Kentucky Wesleyan College Bowling Team this past summer. They are a NCAA Division II team who captured the Thomas Moore Classic championship a couple weeks ago, marking the first team title for the women this season. This Sunday–February 2nd–Whitney and her Panther teammates will line the lanes in Louisville for the Morehead Classic at Executive Strike-n-Spare on Phillips Lane. The match starts at 8:00 a.m. and will probably end around 5:00 p.m.
CHS Bowling Coach Mr. Wes Wiles said, “Whitney grew a lot during her time with the CHS bowling team. She was always one of our top 5 varsity bowlers. Whitney would always work hard and compete. She dedicated time to staying after and often played in leagues and competed in tournaments. The summer before starting college, coach Corey Ingram took her under his wing, and I believe that it was his great coaching that allowed her to perform at her current level.”
Good luck, Whitney and Panthers from WPMQ. See below for a recap:
What: Morehead Classic Bowling Event
Who: CHS Alumni Whitney Goodman and Kentucky Wesleyan College Bowling team
Where: 911 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209
When: 8:00 A.M. to approximately 5:00 P.M.
Article contributed by WPMQ’s Micah Kaelin

A WPMQ SPECIAL FEATURE: Brandon Broady Tackles Type 1 Diabetes

ARSS, Baseball, Boys Basketball, Boys Tennis, Broadcasting, Pirate Pride

 

A WPMQ SPECIAL FEATURE STORY

Brandon Broady Tackles Type 1 Diabetes

By Lizzie Hill and Sara Abell

Brandon Broady, a sophomore student athlete at Charlestown High School, manages school, three sports, and Type 1 diabetes (T1D). It isn’t every day that a student is dedicated to three sports and equally plays them well. It’s even more rare to find a student who does this and manages an autoimmune disease that could greatly impact his health.

Brandon was diagnosed with T1D in 2017. He first noticed his symptoms when his appetite changed and he began to drink excessive amounts of water. When he first learned of his diagnosis, he was curious because he didn’t really know anything about the disease. Type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition in which the pancreas creates little to no insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to allow sugar to enter cells in order to produce energy. This affects blood sugar levels and can cause hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, which are both an influx in blood sugar levels. Both of these effects can have a devastating impact on one’s body and if blood sugar levels aren’t controlled this can lead to other illnesses, including death. Blood sugar levels have a direct impact on strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility. It is important that athletes with diabetes keep a close eye on their health to reach optimal performance.

Brandon has had his hands on a baseball since the age of 3, picked up basketball in 3rd grade, and rounded out his sports with tennis in 6th grade. Playing sports is an important part of Brandon’s life and he won’t let any diagnosis stop him from accomplishing his goals. Type 1 diabetes can have a wide range of effects on one’s performance during various sports so Brandon makes sure to keep a close eye on managing his condition in order to continue physical activities. When active in sports, Brandon tries to balance his blood sugar levels as best as he can in order to reach peak performance with an app on his phone and by human nature. He can easily tell if his blood sugar levels are off because he begins to feel tired, which would be an obvious negative effect to a three-sport athlete like Brandon. His go-to snacks to help his blood sugar levels are peanut butter crackers and Gatorade. He says it’s not scary because he has gotten used to it and it’s just a normal part of his life that he has learned to manage. 

With the diabetes have come some opportunities for Brandon. He serves as a youth ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).  JDRF has led the search for a cure for T1D since its founding in 1970. And just this week he got to listen to a speech by the Big 10 Baseball Coach of the Year, Jeff Mercer, from Indiana University Bloomington talk about playing ball and it really made Brandon feel good to hear him say that he is willing to work with and help those with some type of disability or impairment.  

Brandon says, “ Type 1 diabetes has inspired me to be more healthy because of the consequences it can have on your body later in life.” Managing Type 1 diabetes and keeping up with sports can be hard, but Brandon has proved it’s achievable. He goes on to tell other athletes to,“Stay strong and keep ahead of the game.”

Pirate Wrestlers are the 2019-20 Mid Southern Conference Champions

ARSS, Wrestling

The Pirate wrestling team is on a hot streak having won the Southern Indiana Wrestling Championships (SIWC) last weekend at Southwestern then taking the Mid Southern Conference championship tournament by storm last night at Scottsburg.  With four wins, four second place finishes, two third place finishes, and a fourth place finish in the fourteen weight classes, the Pirates were able to secure a wholesome victory over the other six teams in the field. This is the wrestling program’s first Mid Southern Conference championship since 2012 and it’s the 11th overall since the tournament began in 2002. Team scores were:

 

Charlestown 200

Eastern (Pekin) 188

Corydon Central 184

Scottsburg 123

North Harrison 93.5

Silver Creek 72

Salem 69.5

 

Below are recaps for each of our Pirate wrestlers:

 

120–Collin Knox was the 2020 MSC Champion at 120 pounds with a pin in the finals.

126–Alex Sheehan was the only freshman that made it to the finals where he was winning until his opponent mounted a comeback.  He finished 2nd. Teammate Ben Phillips said, “I am super proud of Alex. He has really done well his freshman season and wrestled really well tonight.” 

132–Jakob Lewellen wrestled a close match against rival Mason Martin of Eastern in the finals and nearly scored a possible match winning takedown in the final minute before being taken down himself.  He finished 2nd. 

138–Declan Brading wrestled a close match in the finals but ended up losing by a pin fall. He finished 2nd. 

145–Brayden Moore pinned his opponent in the 3rd place match to help secure the team victory. 

152–Ben Phillips had a pin in the finals against Scottsburg to become the 152 pound champion. 

160–Chris Graham pinned his opponent in the final match to take 3rd place. 

170–Deke Brown may have had the biggest win of the night against a Corydon opponent who had previously beaten him three times.  He went the full match and won 9-7 to earn MSC Champion honors. 

182–Xuan Dong wrestled two tough matches and was winning before getting pinned. 

195–Manuel Ordorica secured a fall in finals to secure the team victory.  He is also a 2020 MSC Champion. 

220–Lucas Gagnon wrestled tough in the finals and came up just short of the win, still earning a 2nd place. 

HWT–Austyn Wilkerson placed 4th in the final match of the evening for the Pirates.

 

Coach Adam Doherty said, “It was a great win for us and a total team effort.  It was back and forth most of the night and our guys came up with win after win.  They have been working hard in practice all year, and I feel like we are putting it together and wrestling our best at the end of the year.  We gave up two forfeits so we had to make up for that with bonus points and beating kids we weren’t supposed to on paper. It’s great to see these kids who have stuck with it, not quit and put in the work, to improve enjoy the success we are having.  Ben Phillips, Colin Knox, Manuel Ordorica, and Deke Brown (each conference champs) have been great leaders and have helped build the confidence and work ethic in the team. Lucas Gagnon and Jacob Lewellen wrestled their best matches of the season, losing very close matches in the finals to two very good wrestlers.  Alex Sheehan 2nd, Declan Brading 2nd, Braden Moore 3rd, Chris Graham 3rd, and Austin Ramirez-Wilkerson 4th, all put in a great effort for the team as well.

 

Next up for the Pirates is the Jeffersonville sectional at 9:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 1st. 

Article contributed by WPMQ staff writers, assisted by Ben Phillips.

Pirates Win Nailbiter Against Borden on Homecoming

ARSS, Boys Basketball

Ty Crace goes in for the shot and one to tie the game with 16.8 seconds remaining. Photo courtesy of Melissa Stewart.

Saturday night the Charlestown Pirate basketball team hosted the Borden Braves in an epic matchup on homecoming. The Pirates came into the game 1-10 while Borden was 4-8. After the first quarter the Pirates were leading 12-9, but Borden came storming into the second quarter with hot outside shooting and had captured the halftime lead over the Pirates 30-20. With persistence to just keep chipping away at that ten point deficit, the Pirates outscored Borden 14-6 heading into the 4th quarter down just two, 34-36. With time at 16.8 seconds remaining in the contest and the Pirates trailing 52-50, junior Ty Crace drove into the paint and layed in a shot picking up the foul for the and-one to knot things up at 52-52.  Crace converted on the 3-point play to give the Pirates the first lead since the end of the 1st quarter with just ticks left on the clock. Borden called a timeout before losing the ball, and the officials put 2.0 seconds on the clock. Coming out of the full timeout, Sterling Mikel inbounded the ball, then got it right back as he got in-bounds in time to get a shot off, but he missed a long three and the Pirates held on to win. “We were so lucky to win,” said Coach Sean Smith of the Pirates. When asked what he contributed the win to he replied, “We gave ourselves an opportunity. That’s been the big step in this whole thing is coming out and competing for 32 minutes and giving ourselves a chance. Tonight we had a chance and we are just so thankful to get a win.”

 

Crace finished the night with 19 points and was WPMQ’s Player of the Game. Devron West finished with 10, Matthew Henning and Kyle Craig added 6 apiece, Clayton Rothbauer and Caleb Brown had 5, and Ashton Davis finished with 2. For Borden, Sterling Mikel ended with 16, Tommy Devine had 14, Roberts had 8, Eurton had 6, Carter had 5, and Franklin finished scoring for the Braves with 3. Charlestown will next travel to Eastern (2-9, 0-6 MSC) on Friday, January 24th in Mid Southern Conference play in hopes of picking up a much needed road win. 

 

Article contributed by WPMQ’s Matthew McCoy. 

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