Latest news with #CastleHighSchool
Indianapolis Star
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Can another Purdue football walk-on promotion from southern Indiana make impact at running back?
Purdue football's Antonio Harris can feel it all building up — his confidence, his skills, and potentially his role in the offense. The second-year running back from Castle High School began the spring as a walk-on with no obvious role for 2025. Now he's pushing to become the Boilermakers' second Evansville-area backfield breakthrough in recent years. Former coach Ryan Walters made it a priority to put Devin Mockobee on scholarship soon after his arrival in December 2023. Harris committed as a preferred walk-on around the same time. Over the summer, first-year coach Barry Odom put Harris on scholarship as well. Harris' burst and speed jumped out in some drills during preseason camp. His emergence, combined with Virginia Tech transfer Malachi Thomas' return to health, ramped up the backfield competition behind mainstay Mockobee. 'I feel like he was overlooked a lot, but right now he's doing very well,' Thomas said. 'He's competing in all phases. The only person that can stop him is him.' The greater Chicago area dominates the Purdue running back annals. Mike Alstott, Otis Armstrong, Scott Dierking and Corey Rogers all hailed from that region. Prior to Mockobee, southern Indiana's biggest contribution to the rushing legacy came from Columbus East grad Markell Jones, who sits sixth on the career rushing list. Mockobee, though, provided a specific template for Harris. The Boonville grad arrived as a walk-on and claimed much more than a scholarship. The soon-to-be fourth-year starter ranks ninth in program history with 2,466 yards. A career-norm season would challenge Armstrong and Kory Sheets for a spot in the top three. Despite totaling 1,634 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior, no power conference programs offered Harris a scholarship. Lower-level college programs wanted him. He instead chose Purdue's preferred walk-on opportunity, and the lower guarantee of a big role which came with it. He didn't know Mockobee before arriving in West Lafayette, but he knew where he came from and what he did with it. Summer reading: Purdue basketball's historic 2024 Final Four run 'This guy kind of set the way, and it was a big inspiration for me,' Harris said. 'But for me, it was kind of just taking a chance on myself and betting on myself. I had a great support staff back home, so just trusting them, trusting the man above.' Purdue running backs coach Lamar Conard knows that route, too. In 1997, he became the first walk-on awarded a scholarship under then-coach Joe Tiller. The native of Elkhart in the state's northwestern called southern Indiana 'an under-recruited area.' When he watched Harris' game film at Castle, he saw a potential contributor, regardless of roster status. The recommendation from Knights coach Doug Hurt carried a lot of weight, too. "I see the talent –- now we've got to develop it,' Conard said. 'He's done the work, and he figured out what the grind was, what the dedication level really has to be to become a legitimate Big Ten player. And every semester, he's gotten better.' Harris played mostly special teams last season, recording a single 4-yard carry against Penn State. When Reggie Love III completed his eligibility, though, it opened a free-for-all competition to determine who most frequently spots Mockobee. Conard made sure to emphasize he will settle for a Batman and Robin scenario, but he's endeavoring to find a Batman and Superman pairing. During the preseason practices open to the media, Harris either spelled Mockobee with the No. 1 offense or consistently ran with the 2s. He's displayed ability to get to the edge and elusiveness in the second level. On Malachi Thomas: He didn't practice, yet this 'power guy that can hit a home run' will help Purdue football Mockobee and Thomas came into the spring with a combined 761 rushing attempts. Harris can judge his performance and progress against established veterans. 'I bet they get annoyed with it, but I'm always in their ear, always asking questions, trying to pick apart their game and take whatever I can from their game, trying to put it into my game,' Harris said. A year from now, Purdue won't need someone to back up Mockobee. It will need his successor. Conard, though, thinks back to his own playing days and the wise words of a veteran Purdue defensive back named Lee Brush. He embraced those words: 'Don't wait.' Mockobee embraced them, too. Harris appears motivated to do the same.
Indianapolis Star
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Can another Purdue football walk-on promotion from southern Indiana make impact at running back?
Purdue football's Antonio Harris can feel it all building up — his confidence, his skills, and potentially his role in the offense. The second-year running back from Castle High School began the spring as a walk-on with no obvious role for 2025. Now he's pushing to become the Boilermakers' second Evansville-area backfield breakthrough in recent years. Former coach Ryan Walters made it a priority to put Devin Mockobee on scholarship soon after his arrival in December 2023. Harris committed as a preferred walk-on around the same time. Over the summer, first-year coach Barry Odom put Harris on scholarship as well. Harris' burst and speed jumped out in some drills during preseason camp. His emergence, combined with Virginia Tech transfer Malachi Thomas' return to health, ramped up the backfield competition behind mainstay Mockobee. 'I feel like he was overlooked a lot, but right now he's doing very well,' Thomas said. 'He's competing in all phases. The only person that can stop him is him.' The greater Chicago area dominates the Purdue running back annals. Mike Alstott, Otis Armstrong, Scott Dierking and Corey Rogers all hailed from that region. Prior to Mockobee, southern Indiana's biggest contribution to the rushing legacy came from Columbus East grad Markell Jones, who sits sixth on the career rushing list. Mockobee, though, provided a specific template for Harris. The Boonville grad arrived as a walk-on and claimed much more than a scholarship. The soon-to-be fourth-year starter ranks ninth in program history with 2,466 yards. A career-norm season would challenge Armstrong and Kory Sheets for a spot in the top three. Despite totaling 1,634 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior, no power conference programs offered Harris a scholarship. Lower-level college programs wanted him. He instead chose Purdue's preferred walk-on opportunity, and the lower guarantee of a big role which came with it. He didn't know Mockobee before arriving in West Lafayette, but he knew where he came from and what he did with it. Summer reading: Purdue basketball's historic 2024 Final Four run 'This guy kind of set the way, and it was a big inspiration for me,' Harris said. 'But for me, it was kind of just taking a chance on myself and betting on myself. I had a great support staff back home, so just trusting them, trusting the man above.' Purdue running backs coach Lamar Conard knows that route, too. In 1997, he became the first walk-on awarded a scholarship under then-coach Joe Tiller. The native of Elkhart in the state's northwestern called southern Indiana 'an under-recruited area.' When he watched Harris' game film at Castle, he saw a potential contributor, regardless of roster status. The recommendation from Knights coach Doug Hurt carried a lot of weight, too. "I see the talent –- now we've got to develop it,' Conard said. 'He's done the work, and he figured out what the grind was, what the dedication level really has to be to become a legitimate Big Ten player. And every semester, he's gotten better.' Harris played mostly special teams last season, recording a single 4-yard carry against Penn State. When Reggie Love III completed his eligibility, though, it opened a free-for-all competition to determine who most frequently spots Mockobee. Conard made sure to emphasize he will settle for a Batman and Robin scenario, but he's endeavoring to find a Batman and Superman pairing. During the preseason practices open to the media, Harris either spelled Mockobee with the No. 1 offense or consistently ran with the 2s. He's displayed ability to get to the edge and elusiveness in the second level. On Malachi Thomas: He didn't practice, yet this 'power guy that can hit a home run' will help Purdue football Mockobee and Thomas came into the spring with a combined 761 rushing attempts. Harris can judge his performance and progress against established veterans. 'I bet they get annoyed with it, but I'm always in their ear, always asking questions, trying to pick apart their game and take whatever I can from their game, trying to put it into my game,' Harris said. A year from now, Purdue won't need someone to back up Mockobee. It will need his successor. Conard, though, thinks back to his own playing days and the wise words of a veteran Purdue defensive back named Lee Brush. He embraced those words: 'Don't wait.' Mockobee embraced them, too. Harris appears motivated to do the same.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Who's in the News? Ivy Clark
NEWBURGH, In (WEHT) – Ivy Clark is the Executive Director at the Newburgh Museum. Being born in Owensboro, Clark has lived in Newburgh most of her life, graduating from Castle High School in 2019. Clark says archelogy is a main interest in her life and has been since she was seven, more specifically architectural archelogy, so much so that she memorized every single Woman's Club Historical Marker in downtown Newburgh. Who's in the News? Sheila Patterson Becoming executive director started as being an intern with the museum to finish her degree at the University of Evansville. Clark is also the museum's first executive director. 'As a nonprofit, they have been functioning as a 100% volunteer board and volunteer staff,' she said. 'It took a long time in the making.' Clark is also a substitute teacher where connecting to the younger generation and exposing them ideas and contents about history she finds most intriguing. She gives some insight to the new Boomers Exhibit. 'We're working through a chronological timeline, and this past year we ended with World War II. We're moving into that post war era, and we really want to grab the attention of the Newburgh boomers. This is a time where the population was booming, civil rights movements and so many things were happening. They can come in and share their stories. Share what it was like.' What makes the job worth it for Clark? Meeting the community. 'We have so many wonderful supporters. People come in, tell me their stories. Every day is something different, which is so important for everybody.' You can watch the full interview in the media player. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
