Published: November 25, 2009 12:28 am         

PREP PREVIEW: Undersized Vikings want to be big feel-good story again

WEST TERRE HAUTE — A 19-6 season last winter with a bunch of little kids, almost all of whom weren’t exclusively — or even primarily — basketball players made West Vigo and coach Joe Boehler one of the feel-good stories of the season.

This year the Vikings have a lot of multi-sport standouts again, and if anything they are smaller than they were a year ago.

How good that feels has yet to be determined.

“One day we look really good, one day we look really bad,” said Boehler after one of the less-than-good practices recently, although two quarters of jamboree play on Friday revealed a West Vigo team that could resemble last year’s if all goes well.

The 2009-2010 Vikings don’t appear to have a platoon in the post involving a tennis player and a soccer player, but they have plenty of baseball players — who make the Vikings quick and competitive — and a few football players who add some strength, if not much height.

The two returning starters are 6-foot senior Tyler Wampler, the team’s leading scorer a year ago, its leading rebounder in the jamboree and one of the best penetrators in the Wabash Valley, and 6-0 junior Scott West, a 3-point threat and solid defender.

Zach Kent, a 6-1 junior who didn’t play a year ago, and 5-9 sophomore Jordan Houser are battling for the third backcourt spot. Two more experienced Vikings, 6-1 senior Brodey McCalister and 6-0 sophomore Cody Thornton, would be doing that too — except that they’re probably needed more to fill the vacancies on the inside.

“Hopefully we’ll rebound by committee, but that’s yet to be seen,” Boehler said.

A little more size is available from 6-2 junior Ryan Crowther and 6-2 sophomore Matt Flesher. Flesher, a two-way lineman for the football team, is by far the bulkiest Viking, and 5-11 juniors Cole Lydick and Dalton Mix add a little more muscle.

“Lydick and Flesher were all-conference football players, and they’re still shaking the rust off,” Boehler pointed out. Lydick also has a nagging injury to contend with right now, as do Houser and Mix.

Jordan Pearson and Jeremy Lucas, a pair of 2009 graduates who will be joined by Wampler on the Indiana State baseball team next year, will be missed defensively, Boehler noted.

“Jordan Pearson was our best defender last year, and someone has to take that role,” the coach said, “and Jeremy knew how to guard the post.”

Right now the post defender might be McCalister, who could play any of the five positions. Thornton might be the closest thing this year’s team has to Lucas as a rebounding threat.

In a loaded Western Indiana Conference, the Vikings will be the smallest team. They were last season too, however, and wound up sharing the conference championship with Edgewood.

“Every year you try to find ways to help your team play to its strengths,” Boehler concluded. “We have to figure out what everybody can do and can’t do, and I’m not sure we’ve done that yet.”

The Vikings open at home tonight against North Vermillion.



West Vigo roster

Player Ht. Yr.

Brodey McCalister 6-1 Sr.

Tyler Wampler 6-0 Sr.

Ryan Crowther 6-2 Jr.

Zach Kent 6-1 Jr.

Cole Lydick 5-11 Jr.

Dalton Mix 5-11 Jr.

Scott West 6-0 Jr.

Matt Flesher 6-2 So.

Jordan Houser 5-9 So.

Cody Thornton 6-0 So.

West Vigo schedule

Today — North Vermillion, 6 p.m.

Dec. 4 — South Vermillion (WIC), 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 5 — Owen Valley (WIC), 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 11 — Northview (WIC), 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 12 — South Knox, 6 p.m.

Dec. 18 — At Terre Haute South, 6 p.m.

Dec. 19 — At Brown County (WIC), 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 26 — Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic at Terre Haute North, TBA

Dec. 28-30 — Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic at Terre Haute North, TBA

Jan. 8 — At Riverton Parke, 6 p.m.

Jan. 9 — Greencastle, 6 p.m.

Jan. 15 — Terre Haute North, 6 p.m.

Jan. 22 — At Marshall, 6:45 p.m.

Jan. 23 — At Gibson Southern, 6 p.m.

Jan. 29 — At Edgewood (WIC), 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 — Fountain Central, 6 p.m.

Feb. 6 — At Rockville, 6 p.m.

Feb. 11 — At Sullivan (WIC), 6 p.m.

Feb. 20 — North Central, 6 p.m.

Feb. 26 — At Linton, 6 p.m.

WIC — denotes Western Indiana Conference game