PHS MEDIA NEWS

Senior Jordan Clark doesn’t remember life without sports. Out of all the athletics he has been a part of, however, basketball was always the one constant. He knew that regardless of what was going on in his life, he could always step on the court and forget about it all. Basketball became his outlet.   

Clark had always been around basketball for as long as he could remember. His older brother and cousin both played, but it wasn’t until Steve Lawson asked him to be a part of a team he was putting together that Clark became interested in playing himself.

“Steve Lawson asked me to be on a team when I was in the second grade. After playing with the guys, I knew basketball was a sport I wanted to continue playing for as long as I could,” said Clark.

Along with Lawson, varsity basketball coach Dusty Cole has played a major role in Clark’s development as a player and as a person. Cole has taught Clark the value of hardwork and persistence.

“Coach Cole has always taught me that nothing is going to be handed to us. We are going to have to work hard to accomplish the things we want. This doesn’t just apply to basketball, it applies to the things you do every day,” said Clark.

As well as hard work and persistence, basketball has taught Clark the importance of a good work ethic. This may be one of the most rewarding skills Clark has taken away from the sport.

“No matter who is watching or if no one is around at all, it is important to work hard because it will benefit you in the future as well as the present,” said Clark.

Basketball has also allowed Clark to create bonds with his teammates that go beyond the sport itself. He has met some of his best friends through basketball, especially those he has played with since he was in grade school.

“My favorite thing about basketball is being able to spend time with some of my closest friends on the team and sharing the experience with them,” said Clark.

As Clark moves on to the next stage in life, he hopes the underclassmen continue to work hard every day in practice and never take anything for granted. It may be cliché to say, but high school does fly by, and one day you’re not going to be on the court with the people you have grown up with. Cherish the moments you have with them before they are gone.

After graduation, Clark plans to continue his education at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. He hopes to major in exercise science and eventually pursue a career in physical therapy.

 

Story by Madison Street

Football season has come to an end, so basketball is kicking into gear. With the boys basketball team falling short in last year’s Sectional, they are expecting nothing less than a PLAC championship and a Sectional trophy this year.

Four of the top five scorers are returning from last year, a couple of players are moving up from a JV team that only lost a few games last season and head coach Dusty Cole has high expectations for this year’s season.

“Our senior, junior and sophomore classes are used to winning, and they’ve done lots of it throughout their basketball careers. It is very rare to have three season leading scorers on one team, and that is the case this year. Ashton Minton led us in scoring three years ago, Ty Lawson led two years ago and Brett Bosley led last year. Most things we do start with those three, but we can also bring in added scoring with Jordan Clark and Mason Buchanan. Carter Elliott and Hobie Bobbit are both capable varsity players as well, and both of them excel on the defensive end. Austin Carmickle and Charlie Meredith do all the little things that make a team special, and our wild card this season could be Parker Sullivan. He has grown a few inches, gotten much stronger and could be a real difference maker this year.  We have a lot of pieces that can play multiple styles and paces,” said Cole.
One of the most important things Cole’s team will need this season is team cohesiveness.

“History has shown how difficult it can be to bring a lot of stars and talent together and be successful. Everyone will have to make sacrifices and be willing to put the team first. We don’t foresee that being a problem at all with this bunch of young men, but it is still important that we make that happen,” said Cole.

The team has several goals this year, including winning the Holiday Tournament Championship, becoming PLAC champions, and even achieving the HBCA Honors Court as a team.

“Every member of the Sectional roster has to achieve certain standards and have a GPA of 3.0 or above. Every season, there are about a dozen teams in the state of Indiana that stand a legitimate chance of playing on the last day of the season in Indianapolis.  We feel like this season we are one of those 10-12 teams,” said Cole.

Aside from the big goals, Cole just wants his players to improve each day.

“If we can continue to improve and grow every day, then we will be very successful later in the year,” said Cole.

Senior Ashton Minton believes this could potentially be one of the most memorable and successful seasons he has ever had as a basketball player.

“I think this season will go very well. If we do what we are coached to do, it should be a very special season in the end. I, along with the rest of the seniors, have been wishing on this year since the third or fourth grade, and now it is finally here,” said Minton.

Overall, the Paoli boys basketball team wants to succeed, not just as individuals, but as a team. They know it won’t be easy, but they are willing to work hard and fight toward a victory.

“All of them have put in the work, stuck with it and are ready to contribute on one of the best teams Paoli has ever had,” said Cole.

 

Story by Gracie Walls

Many students at PHS possess their own struggles in their personal lives. Whether these struggles regard academics, family or internal issues is irrelevant; they all share a common factor of fighting a battle.

One student, senior Kayle Kibler, is currently fighting a battle of his own, as he is recovering from brain surgery. Kayle was experiencing intense migraines and constant headaches before he was issued an MRI on his brain. The MRI showed that Kayle had a mass of cells on his brain, and the mass was unknown to be cancerous or not. Kibler underwent surgery on November 13 at Indiana University Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis to remove the mass of cells inside his cranium.

“Surgery went well. They removed all of the mass. It appears to be an abnormal mass of cells, not a tumor. My family and I would like to thank everyone for the prayers, well wishes and concern. It has helped Kayle and us in this tough time,” said Kayle’s father, Kyle Kibler.

Following his surgery, Kayle was placed in ICU with drain tubes still attached to surgical sites. He came out very stable, showing slight movement in his fingers and toes; however, his blood pressure seemed to rise periodically, but this was assessed by the hospital staff.

As the days went on, Kayle began showing more movement as well as improved speech and memory. At the beginning stages of his recovery, Kayle was concerning the nurses with how much he was sleeping. A CT scan was ordered to see if there was a reason for his near constant state of rest. The results of the CT scan showed no correlation to Kayle’s excessive resting time. However, Kayle seemed to completely turn around his current state, as he started drastically improving almost immediately following the CT scan.

“Kayle is eating solid food and even feeding himself at lunch. He is still fighting some to stay awake, and his sodium is slowly going down. He is having some memory issues, which was expected. His motor skills have improved greatly, though. He is doing very well,” said Kyle.

Just after he was beginning to improve tremendously, Kayle had a setback and began experiencing a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid. Doctors had previously implemented drainage tubes for Kayle; however, the overflow of fluid has continued to reappear. After some discussion, doctors have agreed to install a permanent drain tube running from his cranium to his abdominal region. Fortunately, almost a day following his permanent drainage surgery, Kayle was moved out of ICU into a regular hospital room. Soon after he was making some progress, Kayle experienced another buildup of fluid.

“There are two cavities that hold fluid in the brain. They are connected, but for some reason, one is getting bigger than the other,” said Kyle.

Kayle received a CT scan and then moved back into ICU due to the buildup of fluid.

Kayle had just began his senior year when he began experiencing these setbacks. He has avidly participated in baseball and football since he was in elementary school. His recovery time determines his playing time in the upcoming spring baseball season. However, he is in very high hopes.

Kayle’s recovery will not be a short one, but with the help and support of his friends and family, he plans to be back at PHS in March.

To follow his journey, go to caringbridge.org and enter “Kayle Kibler” in the search engine. Family members post daily updates on Kayle and the progress he has made and will continue to make in the future.

 

Story by Jace Ingle

There are more members of the basketball team than can be seen on the court. An important asset to the boys basketball program is senior manager Tyson Line. Line is the one who quietly works behind the scenes to wash the jerseys, film the games, fill the water bottles and run the clock during practices. He has been on staff for the basketball team since his freshman year.

“I had nothing to do after football ended, so I thought it’d be fun to be able to hang out with my friends,” said Line.

Some of Line’s favorite memories come from spending time with his friends on the basketball team. He has enjoyed the many bus rides home after an on-the-road victory and all the time he has had to hang out with his friends.

Varsity head coach Dusty Cole is just one witness of Line’s work ethic.

“Tyson is a hard worker who has spent a lot of his hours around athletics, so he knows what is needed and how things need to be done. Tyson is the type of kid and manager you don’t have to put a list together of his job responsibilities,” said Cole.

Since Line has mastered the art of being a manager, he often serves as a role model or helps the team improve their game.

“Tyson is also a great leader who has taken Davis Minton and other younger managers under his wing and taught them the ropes. It isn’t out of ordinary to see our managers included in practice either. They are sometimes used in drills and can often be seen holding practice dummies and banging on our guys to help toughen them up,” said Cole.

 

Story by Maggie Vincent