Published: July 02, 2008 10:58 pm            

Amey Takes Aim: It may be summer, but the football is fantastic

TERRE HAUTE — As it turns out, Chris Barrett and Steve Weber were both half right.

Weber, who coached the South team in the fourth annual Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, had predicted a low-scoring game and it was in the first half — much to his team’s dismay.

Barrett, coach of the North team in the same game, had expected a high-scoring, wide-open offensive shootout, and it was in the second half — unfortunately, after his team had lost its starting quarterback to injury.

But as usual there was a lot of excitement in South’s eventual 32-27 victory, and even more fun — for all, possibly except Marshall’s Travis Johnson (the aforementioned quarterback) and Terre Haute North’s Mark Merrill, who were out of their pads by game’s end.

This was not a Pro Bowl-style all-star game where nobody hits anybody else. J.T. Francies of North Putnam set the tone on the opening kickoff with a fumble-forcing collision that went a long way toward enabling the North team to lead at halftime, and the block by Brock Lough of Terre Haute South early in the second half that’s already been well documented was an emotional turning point for the South team.

I’m told it was Northview’s Jered Timm who was the blockee on that play, which confirms what I already knew — that Jered is one tough customer. He not only got up after the hit — I’d still be on the turf now, five days later, if I’d been hit like that — but he also had a big offensive play later in the game that could have made him a North hero if his team had held a late lead.

I’ve seen two of the four WVFCA games so far, covering Indiana All-Star basketball the other two years. But the All-Star schedule has been altered — for better or worse, but that’s another question — which means I shouldn’t have to miss much more summer football for awhile. As long as I can keep typing fast, that’s a good thing.

• • •

• Typing too fast — In my haste to write the game story, however, I did make one monumental error. The scholarships won during all-star week by Kye Butler of Cumberland and Ethan Brewer of Linton (a pair of future Indiana State players, remember) were chosen by the coaches at the suggestion of Thomas Moore, owner of Sir Thomas Automotive. Sir Thomas Automotive plans to continue sponsoring those scholarships indefinitely.

n And one more thing — I almost hate to point this out, but I covered the first half of the WVFCA game from South’s sideline and the second half from North’s sideline.

I also wrote glowingly of the Chicago Cubs last week, and even Wayne Newton Post 346 lost three of four American Legion games over the weekend after I praised their players.

Can you say jinx? You know, those St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers are a bunch of fine young men and excellent baseball players.



Andy Amey can be reached after 4 p.m. for comments or news items at (812) 231-4277 or at 1-800-783-8742; by e-mail at andy.amey@tribstar.com; by mail at P.O. Box 149, Terre Haute, IN, 47808; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.

        

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