Clay City Eels

Clay City’s Justin Hopkins capped off quite the high school golf career last week at the Washington Regional. The lefty was low medalist in each of the Eels’ dual matches and three-way matches, with the exception of one time, this spring. He finished in the top three of every invitational he took part in and was the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference champion, as well as the Linton Sectional low medalist, which rounded out three years – his junior year was cancelled due to COVID-19 – of dominance by the senior.. ...

Even though the sectional victory did not get checked off the list, the Northview boys’ golf team headed into the Washington Regional with one mission: redemption. Last Thursday, the Knights along with Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South, headed to Country Oaks in Washington. Eighteen teams, along with individual qualifiers, made up a field of 108 golfers...

GREENWOOD — I have a friend who coached a high-level slowpitch softball team several years ago which won far more tournaments than it lost. When that team did lose a tourney, it normally finished in second place. My friend didn’t feel too great about that achievement, and legend has it that he would stop on the way home and smash his second-place trophies into tiny little bits or throw them into roadside lakes...

hen Clay City’s softball team took the field – for the third time after a series of weather delays – Friday night for the Class A state championship game hosted by Center Grove High School, the Lady Eels made school history. It marked the first time any team had competed for a state title...

As an outsider to the Clay County sports world, I was given a wonderful opportunity to witness some softball magic over the last couple of weeks as Clay City’s team made their run to the State Finals in Class 1A, while the Northview Knights advanced to the semi-state in Class 3A. ...

After putting on a summer round-robin girls basketball event in 2019, Northview coach Zack Keyes wanted to make it a yearly occasion. But as we all know, the summer of 2020 was nothing like anything before it’s time, which resulted in all high school sports activities being shut down until closer to the beginning of the school year...

On Friday evening, Clay City made its first-ever state finals appearance in any high school sport when it took the field for the Class A softball state championship game against Northfield. It took an extra 90 minutes for the Lady Eels to get play underway in front of the droves of fans in the stands and around the periphery of the outfield fence that were there to support them due to a lightning delay, as well as a pair of rain delays...

At Center Grove Elementary School Friday, June 11 Class A | Northfield (19-9) vs. Clay City (22-6) | 5:30 p.m. Class 3A | Guerin Catholic (25-2) vs. Boonville (20-6) | 8 p.m. Saturday, June 12 Class 2A | Pioneer (34-2) vs. Sullivan (28-4) | 4:30 p.m...

During Clay City’s Regional championship celebration at the softball field, the school also honored its Class of 2020 players — Stella Harrison, Jalynn Scott, Hayley Walton, Alisha Ledgerwood and Kendra Wertz — that were unable to suit up for the Lady Eels during their senior seasons due to COVID-19 forcing the IHSAA to cancel the high school spring sports seasons...

LINTON - There was little doubt two of the Wabash Valley’s top golfers resided from Clay County. Whether it was seen through the scores they posted or their signings to play golf at the collegiate level earlier in the season, there was little doubt that Northview’s Benjamin Goshen and Clay City’s Justin Hopkins were among the area’s upper echelon...

Whew. What a day Saturday was. Actually, what a great last few weeks Ive had — tipping my toes back in the sports waters Clay City’s semistate championship on Saturday was hardly a shocking upset, but the Eels knew they would have to beat two good teams to make it to the state finals for the first time in school history in any team sport — and that’s exactly how it played out...

Four of the top 16 teams in Class A high school softball this season will do battle at North Daviess on Saturday in semi-state competition, with the winner advancing to next weekend’s state finals at Center Grove. In the opener, No. 5-ranked Loogootee battles No. 15 West Washington with No. 7 Clay City tangling with No. 11 Hauser in the second semifinal game...

CLAY CITY — Clay City’s players were predictably excited following Tuesday’s 13-3 regional championship victory over Bethesda Christian. Sophie Moshos was happy to be back on the field again, having suffered a knee injury in a loss at North Daviess in early May and missing a couple of weeks...

CLAY CITY - "Chicks Dig the Long Ball" was a famous Nike advertising slogan a few years back, a few years before any members of the Clay City softball team were born. Whether aware of that catchphrase or not, the 2021 Eels definitely used it to their advantage on Tuesday evening in a 13-3 win over Bethesda Christian that gave the school its second regional softball title and a berth in Saturday's North Daviess Semi-State...

Shortly after Clay City had wrapped up its first sectional softball championship since 2014, former Lady Eel standout, and daughter of coach Jason Sinders, Harley Skinner was celebrating her first career sectional championship at Terre Haute South as the Avon Orioles knocked off Terre Haute North by a score of 7-0...

Although ominous clouds hovered over Switz City as the Class A White River Valley baseball sectional got underway Thursday evening, the sour weather couldn’t steal the shine of Clay City. The Eels got an early lead and never let go of it, which resulted in a 14-0 win over Eminence in five innings to advance them onto Monday’s sectional semifinal game...

CLAY CITY - Clay City took a 3-0 lead after sending just five hitters to the plate in the top of the first inning on Tuesday night, and pushed across seven in the of the sixth to seal a 14-4 win over Eminence in high school softball semifinal action...

Both Clay City and Northview got through their semifinal round victories on Tuesday night in high school softball sectional action after receiving first-round byes. Clay City got seven runs in the top of the sixth inning to break open the game and record a 14-4 win over Eminence, while Northview led 12-0 after two innings and cruised to a 17-0 win over Brown County...

On Tuesday, Clay City's boys golf team had the chance to compete on Linton's Phil Harris Golf Course – the site of sectional play – in a three-way match with Bloomfield and Edgewood. The Eels walked away with a tie with the Mustangs, as both programs put up scores of 175...

Knowing that it would likely be Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South battling it out at the top of the Terre Haute North Boys Track and Field Sectional Thursday night, Northview and Clay City looked to get as many individuals onto next week’s Bloomington North Regional...

Sectional play begins next week for softball and baseball teams, with Clay County's four teams playing at four different sites.

Ellia Hayes was making her sectional track and field debut Tuesday night at Terre Haute North. And while she’s hoping to have continued success in her next three years at Northview, it’s going to be hard to top what she accomplished as a freshman. Hayes, along with Halle Miller, Maisie Eldridge and Gnister Grant, got the night started with a 4x800 relay sectional championship...

On Saturday, Clay City’s offense was silenced by the brilliance of Northview’s Lauren Sackett in the circle. Clay City coach Jason Sinders credited the Indiana State University signee, stating the perfect game she threw against the Lady Eels was one of the most impressive performances he’d seen from an opposing pitcher...

Over the last week, several former Northview and Clay City student-athletes put together memorable performances. Luke Lancaster (Northview) and Alex Reinoehl (Northview) each made appearances out of the bullpen in their team’s conference tournaments while Stacy Payton (Northview) had a batting average of .388 for the week...

Clay City’s boys and girls track and field teams took part in the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference championships on Tuesday and Wednesday. The field events were held Tuesday with the running events taking place the next night. Clay City walked away with a fifth-place finish in boys competition behind Bloomfield, Linton-Stockton, Eastern Greene and North Daviess and a tie for fourth place with White River Valley in girls competition behind Linton-Stockton, Eastern Greene and Shakamak...

Throughout the boys high school golf season, Clay City coach Clarence Johnson has noticed his team getting better and better each time they get on the course. With two dates circled on the calendar, the Eels were building towards May 15 and June 7. The first of those came Saturday when Clay City took part in the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference championship against Linton, North Daviess, Shakamak, White River Valley, Eastern Greene, North Central and Bloomfield on...

Clay City and Northview entered Saturday morning’s county softball showdown coming off polar opposite Friday night games. The Eels took down Class 3A No. 3 Edgewood by a score of 13-3 in five innings while the Knights surrendered just one hit against Terre Haute South, but fell by a score of 3-1...

Clay City and Northview entered Thursday night’s county dual match at Forest Park with the same two goals in mind – to get better and win. The Knights, coming off back-to-back losses at Greencastle and Terre Haute North, wanted to get things headed back in the direction that has made them a top 25-ranked team in the state for most of the season...

Growing up, Hannah and Nolan Harris could often be found on the softball or baseball fields where they both fell in love with the respective games. With three years in between the siblings, Hannah looked up to Nolan and paid close attention to him and what he was doing at all times...

Throughout the high school softball season, Clay City’s potent offense has carried the load for the Eels, giving them a chance to win every time they step onto the brick dust. On Monday, Class A No. 9 Clay City paid a visit to Class 4A Terre Haute South without two of its starters in Sophie Moshos, who missed the game with a right knee injury, and Lexi Thompson, who has not played since colliding with Hannah Harris on May 3...

Clay City boys golf • Clay City 196, North Central 246 (Low medalist: Justin Hopkins) – “Good win versus another SWIAC opponent. Proud of the boys. Played a course tonight that none of them had ever played before and it’s not an easy course at that. Pleased that we’re continuing to see progress,” said Clay City coach Clarence Johnson...

For most of the night, Clay City did not look like the team that is ranked No. 5 in the most recent Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association Class A poll. The Lady Eels made four errors that led to four unearned runs. They made multiple miscues on the base paths and were completely out of sync at the plate, putting them in a deficit for the first 4 ½ innings of play against visiting Monrovia Monday night...

Over the last week, several former Northview and Clay City student-athletes put together performances to remember. Kambree Lucas (Northview) has opened eyes on the sand, Luke Lancaster (Northview) recorded his fourth save of the season and Hunter Wolfe (Clay City) was named Dayton’s Male Breakthrough Performer...

Clay City softball (April 26) • Clay City 8, North Central 6 – The Lady Eels scored all eight of their runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to take an 8-1 lead after the T-Birds scratched one across in the bottom of the first. Hannah Harris led the offensive charge with her three hits, including a home run, and two runs driven in. ...

Dates: May 24-29, 2021 G1: Shakamak vs. White River Valley. G2: Bloomfield vs. North Central (Farmersburg). G3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner. G4: Clay City vs. Eminence. Championship: G3 winner vs. G4 winner Dates: May 24-29, 2021 G1: West Vigo vs. Owen Valley...

Clay City’s pitching staff was put through the ringer over the last week, playing six games in six games with the final two being a part of the annual Clay City Invitational. The Eels, who have relied upon four or five pitchers to log most of their innings through the first month of the season, used nine over the course of the week and seven on Saturday alone...

After the 2020 Keith Jones Classic track and field meet was cancelled due to COVID-19, the excitement was ratcheted up several notches for the 2021 version of the annual event hosted by Clay City. Fans from all eight participating schools (Clay City, Eastern Greene, Linton, North Central, North Knox, Riverton Parke, Shakamak and White River Valley) took their seats in the grandstand just below the press box. ...

There’s a reason Clay City entered Thursday’s game against visiting Owen Valley as the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association’s Class A No. 5-ranked softball team. The Lady Eels can put up runs in bunches. They’re averaging 10.5 runs per game and have had five double-digit outbursts in their 11 games played...

Clay City came into Tuesday’s game at Linton with a No. 5 ranking in the latest softball poll and five is the number of runs the Eels put on the Miners in the third inning. Linton switched pitchers but could never generate the offense to get back in the game as it fell to Clay City 7-3...

Northview girls tennis (April 19) • The Lady Knights dropped their second conference match of the year Monday, falling 4-1 to Greencastle. The No. 1 doubles pairing of Brooklee Bussing and Layla Lee were victorious, winning 6-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-3. Northview girls tennis (April 22)...

Due to scheduling changes and inclement weather that brought a wintery chill through Clay County, the Clay City boys golf team had not been out on the course much, let alone competed in a match, since last weekend’s invitational hosted by Edgewood High School...

Northview Track and Field (Tuesday) Northview’s boys’ and girls’ track and field teams visited Terre Haute North for a non-conference dual meet Tuesday evening. The Patriots swept the meet, winning 74-49 in the girls’ events and 85.5-46.5 in the boys’ events...

Clay City’s track and field teams have been busy the last week. Taking part in three meets in six days, the Eels have gotten plenty of work in, and coach Cole Schroer has taken notice in the results his groups have put together. On Tuesday, Clay City took part in a dual meet with Greencastle. On Thursday, it participated in a tri meet with North Central and West Vigo...

Clay City got the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference portion of its high school baseball schedule underway at the start of the week. The Eels took one on the chin against North Daviess, but bounced back with a win over North Central the next night, tightening the conference race with a cluster of teams vying for those top spots...

In the week between the releasing of the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association’s (ICGSA) high school softball polls, Clay City jumped from No. 12 to No. 9. It isn’t hard to figure out why the Eels have risen up the Class A rankings. Just by looking at the box scores, it’s apparent how potent their lineup is. In fact, in the last four games leading into Monday’s Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference matchup with Shakamak, Clay City had outscored its opponents by a 49-12 margin...

For over one week, the forecast for Saturday’s Northview Invitational at Forest Park Golf Course didn’t look promising. The meteorologists calling for rain throughout the day were correct as the precipitation that fell from the Brazil sky changed from a sprinkle at the start of the day into an outright downpour near the end, forcing the tournament to be put into a delay for a little while...

Entering the 2021 high school track and field season, Northview coach Mark Raetz and Clay City coach Cole Schroer were honest in stating they weren’t sure how crisp their teams would be in Thursday’s Northview Quad Meet with Owen Valley and South Putnam after having last year canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

It had been over one year since Gavin Morris toed the rubber at Northview High School. He pitched over the weekend against Bloomington North, but Tuesday’s outing against Clay City was different, he admitted. “I was shaking when I went out there. It’s been close to two years that have gone by. To get back out on that mound, it was awesome. It was really cool,” said Morris...

In the second of Saturday’s season-opening round robin tournament at Loogootee, Clay City’s softball team scattered nine hits but had nothing to show for it as the Lady Eels were shut out by the host school. They turned Saturday’s goose egg into several crooked numbers on Monday, though, as Clay City thumped Greencastle by a score of 17-3...

When talking with high school spring sports coaches, there’s two things they’ve pointed out during the lead-up to the seasons officially getting underway. No. 1: They’re thrilled to be back with their team after the cancellation of all spring sports in 2020...