BEDFORD TIMES NEWSPAPER

BY BILL KEANE bill@tmnews.com
March 9, 2008


Garet Cobb | Times-Mail photos
Paoli’s Drew White (right #34) drives past a Tri-West defender
during the second half of Saturday night’s 78-72 regional semifinal victory
at Huntingburg. White had six rebounds to go along with his 29 points to lead all scorers.

HUNTINGBURG — The start of the Class 2A Southridge Regional was pushed back well into the afternoon Saturday thanks to the inclement weather that hit the area Friday night, but for the Paoli Rams it was well worth the wait.

The Rams battled back from a 10-point deficit in the first half to overtake the Tri-West Bruins and advance to Monday night’s regional final with a 78-72 victory at Memorial Gymnasium.

Trailing 39-33 at the half, the Rams used an 11-0 run at the outset of the third quarter to turn the tide before holding on for their 20th win of the season.

“In the films we watched, they didn’t look near that good,” Paoli coach Joe Hinton said. “I know sometimes films are misleading and I told my assistants maybe we ought to have more respect for them and they came out and took it to us. So we’re a little lucky, but we came out on top and that’s really all that matters.”

The Rams opened up a quick 9-6 lead as Drew White knocked down a pair of jumpers, Logan Laswell hit a 3-pointer from the corner and Mike Harkness scored on the fast break, but a 3-pointer by Tri-West sophomore Joe Pierle ignited a 13-1 run that gave the Bruins the edge for the remainder of the first half. Pierle went on to hit three treys in the period to help the Bruins build a nine-point lead before settling for a 23-17 edge at the first break.

“We tried to hurry them up a little bit, but they beat us down the floor and they got in behind us in the corner,” Hinton said. “Then we let them get it into the big kid (Sam Groth) and that hurt us. So we weren’t doing what we were supposed to do and when you don’t do those things, a well-coached team like that will hurt you.”

Tri-West leading scorer Randall Lowe, opened the second quarter with a jumper from the wing and the Bruins went on to hit their first four shots of the period to push the lead into double digits.

White, who wound up with a game-high 29 points, picked up his second and third fouls in a matter of moments and sat out the final 3:42 of the second quarter, but the Rams managed to cut into the lead nonetheless as Donnie Kee drove the lane for two and Joe Goodman tossed in a little jump hook that pulled Paoli back to within six at the half.

A more focused Ram club came out for the second half and helped force the Bruins into four quick turnovers that helped Paoli turn the tide. Kee buried a 3-pointer from the corner to start the run before he and Harkness each converted an old-fashioned three-point play that gave the Rams a 41-39 lead with 6:46 left in the third.

“We got four or five steals, denied the ball inside a little bit and got some momentum going,” Hinton said. “We got a few run-outs and everybody played a part in that, so that was good to see.”

Two more free throws by Harkness and a 3-pointer from White, pushed the lead to six with 3:56 to play, but Laswell picked up his fourth foul at the 2:11 mark and the Bruins closed out the quarter with an 8-2 run to pull even at 49 heading into the final frame.

It was a shootout from there, but as they did in the sectional final last week, the Rams wrapped it up at the free throw line. After hitting 5 of 8 shots from the field early in the period, Paoli made good on 19 of 22 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. On the rare occasion when they missed from the stripe, the Rams pulled down the rebound, getting two offensive boards apiece from Kee and Brandon Jones in the final minutes to help preserve the victory.

“Drew made some big shots in the second half for us and I thought Jones’ and Donnie Kee’s rebounds were key for us and they hit their free throws too,” Hinton said. “I thought they were so much more aggressive than we were on the boards, but when the game was on the line, we made some big boards. There were so many critical plays there it was unbelievable. But I thought our kids stepped up.”

White had six rebounds to go along with his 29 points, while Laswell added 23 points and seven boards and Kee finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

The Bruins were led by Groth’s 24 points and 11 rebounds, but after hitting 8 of 9 free throws in the first half, Tri-West made just 4 of 12 in the fourth quarter as the Rams pulled away for the victory.
“They’re really young and sometimes that makes a difference down the stretch like that,” Hinton said. “But we’ve got some young kids too and we made the plays down the stretch when we needed them."

The Rams (20-4) will take on Evansville Mater Dei (14-9) in Monday’s championship game at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats downed South Knox 61-51 in the second semifinal Saturday night.

Paoli, with Hinton at helm, steps up to 2-A regional

By Kenzie L. Winstead
Special to The Courier-Journal

Joe Hinton has brought Paoli basketball back -- back to the Class 2-A regional, anyway.

Hinton, who has been coaching in Southern Indiana for 42 years, took over the Paoli program two years ago. It's a program that was coming off a 5-16 season in 2005-06, when the Rams finished with a 12-game losing streak.

Two years later they're back in the regional with a 19-4 record.

Paoli will face Tri-West Hendricks (11-12) at the Southridge Regional at 10:30 a.m. EST tomorrow, followed by South Knox (18-6) and Evansville Mater Dei (13-9).

Hinton said the success hasn't totally surprised him. Before the season he told the players they probably would win at least 15 games.

"I thought, if everything went well, there was the possibility (of a sectional title)," he said. "Our kids have worked really hard. We had a great summer."

The Rams started the season by splitting two games in a tournament at Mitchell, losing to Orleans 52-36 in the second game. Then they won their next 12 games, building a 13-1 record.

The Rams then faced a bump in the road. With Hinton out because of a short hospital stay, Paoli fell to Orleans and Brownstown on consecutive nights, then went to Salem and got shellacked 75-50.

"I was wondering if we'd be able to get back on track," Hinton said.

Since then the Rams have won six straight, including a 62-58 victory in the sectional final against host Eastern Pekin.

Hinton -- who won 14 sectionals and six regionals and appeared in a couple of Final Fours at Floyd Central -- said he was just as emotional about Paoli's sectional title.

"For anyone who's ever won a sectional in Indiana, it'll stay with you for the rest of your life," he said.

Hinton said that after being forced out at Floyd Central and Providence, he had problems even getting interviews for basketball jobs. Then he got the opportunity at Paoli.

"Getting the chance to coach at Paoli is a thrill," he said. "I was lucky to get it."

He said he keeps coaching because he loves being around the young people.

"The kids are what it's all about," he said. "I just like coaching basketball."

This Paoli team is led by senior Drew White, who is averaging 21 points and hitting 92 percent of his free throws.

"Drew's Mr. Offense," Hinton said. "He's really coming around."

A couple of sophomores, Logan Laswell and Thomas Springer, have emerged. Laswell is averaging 16 points and hitting 87 percent from the foul line.

"As a sophomore he's good enough to have started for any of those great Floyd Central teams," Hinton said.

He noted that a tragedy has brought his team closer together. Senior Donnie Kee's mother died suddenly Feb. 13. The day after she was buried, Kee told Hinton he wanted to play against North Harrison.

He played, and the ending was something no one could have scripted. Kee hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat North Harrison 63-61.

Hinton said the team has given Kee emotional support.

"That's what I like about these kids at Paoli," he said. "They've really stuck behind this kid. … You're not supposed to bury your mom when you're 18."

Paoli rallies past Tri-West in semi
Rams will face Mater Dei in final

By Kenzie L. Winstead
Special to The Courier-Journal

HUNTINGBURG, Ind. -- Paoli High School exploded for 44 points in the second half and rallied past Tri-West 78-72 last night in the semifinals of the Class 2-A boys' basketball regional tournament at Southridge.

"These kids do not like to lose," Paoli coach Joe Hinton said. "We won. That's the bottom line."

The Rams (20-4) will return to Huntingburg for the regional championship game at 7:30 tomorrow night against Evansville Mater Dei (14-9), a 61-51 winner over South Knox.

Paoli got off to a sluggish start and trailed 23-17 after the first quarter.

Still trailing 39-33 at the half, the Rams started their comeback and caused a couple of quick turnovers.
"That really got our confidence going," Hinton said. "We tried to change things up (defensively) a little bit. They're a well-coached team."

Paoli surged ahead in the fourth quarter. After Brandon Jones hit two free throws -- his only points of the game -- with 4:21 left, the Rams led 59-57. They led the rest of the way.

Tri-West kept sending the Rams to the foul line, and Paoli hit 32 of 41 free throws.

"I thought they started fouling too early," Hinton said. "And they were fouling the wrong people. We were lucky to get Drew (White) and Logan (Laswell) to the free-throw line. They're our studs."

White, who led the Rams with 29 points, hit all 12 of his free throws. Laswell, a sophomore, added 23 points and hit 7 of 10 free throws.

White said the Rams turned the game around with faster play.

"We started running," he said. "Then we got to the free-throw line and hit our free throws."
White said he didn't think the game would be played because of the heavy snow in Paoli. He found out yesterday morning that the game was on.

"Mentally, I was out of it," White said. "So I got something to eat and took a nap. I always take big naps before games."

The Rams weren't sharp defensively, White said.

"We didn't play as well as we could have," he said. White still is confident they'll advance to the semistate.

Mitchell Tip-Off Classic All Tourney Team
The first-team all-tournament team for the Mitchell Tip-off Classic were, front row, from left, co-Most Valuable Players Jacob Smith and Michael Stroud (Orleans); back row, Drew White (Paoli), Logan Laswell (Paoli), Donnie Kee (Paoli), Joe Goodman (Paoli), Zach Kellams (Springs Valley) and Austin Caudell (Mitchell). (Photo by Chris Hopper)

Boys High School Basketball

SECTIONAL 47 Indiana:
Rams struggle past Eagles, 62-53

by Jeff Bartlett jeffb@tmnews.com
February 28, 2008

BROWNSTOWN — Paoli’s shots were falling like un-mortared bricks in an earthquake, and somebody forgot to tell upstart Austin that the Rams were one of the Sectional 47 favorites.

Thus, the Eagles — with four sophomores and a junior in the starting lineup — were poised to pull an upset Wednesday night at the Class 2A Brownstown Sectional.

Paoli needed a White night to save the day.

Senior forward Drew White was the knight who had the night as he poured in 23 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished a beautiful pass to Daniel Starr for a key 3-pointer just before the third-quarter buzzer to lift the Rams to a 62-53 victory.

At 5-15, Austin was a prohibitive underdog to the 16-4 Rams, but the Eagles didn’t get that memo, and they came out loose and aggressive and hit their first four field goals to build an 8-2 lead. They were still ahead, 15-11, at the first break.

Austin was in it to stay, and with Paoli shooting stars Logan Laswell (4 for 12) and Donnie Kee (2 of 7 on 3-pointers) having atypical nights from the field, it was up to leading scorer White to carry the load. He got it done by going 9 for 13 from the field.

“Donnie and Logan had real good looks early, but just didn’t hit them, and they had been hitting them,” said Paoli coach Joe Hinton. “It’s sectional time and anything can happen, and we just seemed slow and sluggish for some reason, and Austin was taking it to us.

“Thank God, Drew came out with a hot hand. For the most part he took good shots, maybe only one rushed shot, and he also rebounded and was unselfish. The pass he made to Starr for that 3-pointer was a big play, and he normally wouldn’t have passed it.

“He would’ve taken a fall-away jumper or something, but when he plays that way he can really play. He’s not real athletic, not real quick, but he can flat shoot the ball.

“You know, he moved in here and took somebody’s spot a couple of years ago, so there were a lot of people in Paoli who weren’t big Drew White fans. I bet he got a few more fans tonight.”

A large contingent of Rams backers traveled to Brownstown to watch Paoli struggle against Austin’s 2-3 zone, while Austin center Eric Rigel scored six points off snappy ball movement, and reserve forward Tim Fletcher drilled two treys to offset seven points by White as the Eagles battled to a 29-29 halftime tie.

White drained a three to start the second half, and Thomas Springer scored in the lane to make it 34-29, but Austin scrapped back behind sophomore guard Ty Winchester’s three points and another basket by Rigel to knot it, 34-34.

Paoli then put together a 10-3 run over the final four minutes of the quarter as White hit two shots, Laswell sank two free throws and, with the Rams playing for the last shot, White started to drive the baseline into traffic, but flipped a nifty pass back to Starr, who calmly swished a trey from the deep corner at the buzzer to make it 44-37 going to the fourth quarter.

Paoli (17-4), which meets Clarksville Friday night in the second semifinal.

#14 Rams win at the buzzer on the road
Kee drains three as time expires

Senior swingman Drew White began
the night on fire against the Cougars,
nailing three big shots to open the
contest and finished with 16 points
in Paoli’s victory.

by Chris Hopper 21.FEB.08
Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it much better.

The returning senior hitting a game-winning shot in memory of his late mother, capping off a game in which he leads the team in scoring.

It may sound like a script, but it was the reality at Ramsey Tuesday night when Donnie Kee returned to the team and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send Paoli to a 63-61 victory over North Harrison.

Kee’s mother, Melissa Kee, passed away the afternoon of Feb. 13 and he missed Friday night’s Senior Night contest against Perry Central due to the tragedy. The team grieved with its teammate at the Monday funeral and Kee returned to the starting lineup Tuesday night, much to the thrill of the Ram fans who made the trip to Ramsey.

Kee made sure his return was memorable, hitting five three-point baskets and leading the team with 19 points.

The final six points Kee scored came from the biggest and most desperately needed pair of shots the Rams could have requested. Kee knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 60-60 with 44.6 seconds left. After the Cougars’ Joe Bolin hit one of his two foul shots, Paoli called time out at mid court with 4.1 seconds left and PHS coach Joe Hinton drew up the play.

It was a familiar play. Paoli ran it to get a three-pointer to beat Southridge. The Rams used it again against Perry Central, when the Commodores focused on Drew White and Laswell drove to the basket and turned a three-point play for the victory.

“I wanted to shoot it because I knew I’d have a lot of help from up above from my mom,” said Kee of his buzzer-beater. “It felt good when I shot it and I couldn’t help pointing and blowing kisses to her for the help she gave me on it. It meant a lot that Logan trusted me with the ball. It’s good to have trust like that on the team.

“It was tough playing. I really wanted to play on Senior Night, but with what had happened, I didn’t think I could do it. I knew she wanted me to bounce back as soon as possible and I’m glad I was able to come out and play a good game for her.”

“We ran that double pick and everyone thought we were going to Drew. He floated back after setting the pick and was wide open, with them being scared of Drew and Logan taking the shot. Logan had enough love and faith in his teammate to throw him the ball.”


The Rams blazed a trail to a big lead behind White’s first-quarter outburst. The senior swingman connected on the first three shots he tried to push Paoli to a 7-6 lead with 5:40 left in the opening period. After the hot start, Kee drained a pair of three-pointers, Mike Harkness scored inside and both Laswell and White turned old-fashioned three-point plays to push the Rams out front 23-11 at the end of the opening stanza.

Paoli came out in the second half hoping to maintain the lead and find the early intensity the squad displayed at the opening tip. Harkness scored inside and then drew a foul on the Cougars’ David Geswein. The senior center hit one of the foul shots and White scored a mid-range jump shot to put the Rams on top 33-29 with 5:54 left in the third quarter.

The Cougars then buckled down and began to play solid offense, holding the ball and passing around the perimeter. White knocked down a three-pointer and Harkness and Kee both scored baskets, but Shuler answered with six points of his own to give North Harrison the lead 60-57 before fate and a senior on a mission took over.

Kee’s two three-pointers lifted Paoli to victory as the team followed their resilient hero around the court in celebration.

Kee led Paoli with 19 points, while Shuler led all scorers for the Cougars with 21 points.

Class 2A, #14-ranked Paoli improved to 15-4 with its second consecutive victory. The Rams end the regular season at 5-14 Crawford County Friday night in the season’s final Patoka Lake Athletic Conference game.

Paoli survives scare from Commodores

Senior sharpshooter Drew White
goes up for a jumper in the third quarter.
White, hampered by fouls, was shut down
in the first quarter, but scored all 22
of his points in the final three periods.
(Photo by Chris Hopper)

by Chris Hopper 19.FEB.08
The streak has ended.

Class 2A, #12-ranked Paoli ended a three-game losing skid with a 69-67 Senior Night victory over Perry Central at Chambers Gymnasium Friday night. The win also clinched second place in the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference.

When Commodore scorer Nick Huber, who had a game-high 25 points, missed the buzzer-beating three-point attempt, Paoli fans celebrated a victory that was dedicated to Donnie Kee. Kee, whose mother passed away suddenly on Thursday, was not playing due to the tragedy.

The chant, “We love Donnie,” could be heard over the gymnasium. Every lead change brought a rise and fall from the audience.

Paoli started out slow. Drew White picked up a pair of fouls early in the first period and was forced to sit out the final four minutes of the frame, The Commodores rode a basket by Huber and a pair of long-range bombs from Linette to take a 12-2 lead with 3:44 left in the quarter.

“I thought that Drew getting in early foul trouble hurt us,” stated Hinton. “Mikey Harkness helped us out a lot early in the ball game. We kind of struggled, but we managed to stay in the game. Drew did a real good job late in the game of running the baseline and knocking down shots for us. He can score with anybody around.”

Laswell and White both turns three-point plays in the third quarter and led a Ram charge back into the contest. Zach Rogier kept Perry Central afloat with two field goals and a couple of foul shots. White’s old-fashioned three cut the lead to 50-48 after three periods.

The Rams wasted no time, with a three-pointer from White and a bucket from Laswell to jump out front 53-50 in the final quarter. After a Perry Central time out, the game was nip and tuck the rest of the way, with Laswell finally providing the final piece of the puzzle.

Laswell led Paoli with 24 points and White 22 points, while Huber scored 25 to pace the Commodores.

The Rams improved to 14-4 on the year and 4-1 within the PLAC. Paoli will be in action Tuesday night at 5-15 North Harrison, which will be Senior Night for the Cougars.

Rams pass major test
with Tell City win

Paoli’s Drew White hoists a three-pointer over
Joseph Kohnert of Tell City during the third quarter of
Saturday night’s victory. White led all scorers with
27 points and keyed the Rams’ 73-62 victory over #12 Tell City.

by Chris Hopper 29.JAN.08
It was as good as advertised.


A match-up of two teams ranked in the latest Class 2A poll occurred with #6 Paoli visiting #12 Tell City on the Homecoming night for the Marksmen. The Rams ruined the special night for Tell City with a 73-62 victory, thanks to Drew White’s game-high 27 points.

The Marksmen wasted no time in living up to the nickname, as Ryan Zuelly drained a shot behind the three-point arc to put the host squad out front 22 seconds into the contest 3-0. Paoli countered with an inside basket by Joe Goodman 17 seconds later and a three-pointer from White put Paoli ahead 5-3 with 6:47 left in the first period.

Tell City’s size advantage led to offensive rebounds aplenty, but Paoli defended the paint well and the Marksmen missed shots inside on put-back attempts. The Rams also played tough defense with the press, forcing six first-period turnovers against Tell City. Donnie Kee hit a pair of baskets, including a three-pointer, and White hit a basket with three seconds left to push the Rams to a 19-14 lead at the end of the first stanza as the Paoli crowd cheered the late score.

“This atmosphere is the kind of atmosphere I’m accustomed to as a coach,” stated PHS coach Joe Hinton. “We had a good team and so did they, both teams had great crowds with them and they made a lot of noise. It was great to see the kids enjoying themselves, both on the bench and in the game

White’s offensive stroke continued to shine with three buckets, including a three-pointer with Tell City’s 6-5 senior center Joseph Kohnert in his face. White’s basket with 1.9 seconds left propelled the Rams to a 33-28 lead at the half-time intermission.

“When you get Drew hitting early, we do well,” Hinton acknowledged. “We had a ton of mismatches out there. They had big guys trying to guard our shooters and their height gave us trouble inside. It really was crazy early because we didn’t hit the boards as well early and gave up too many second shots, but they turned the ball over and kept us in it.

Tell City Senior Jay Ziegelgruber scored inside as the second half began, drawing a foul on an offensive rebound attempt. Ziegelgruber nailed the free shots and got Tell City back within 33-30 with 7:33 left in the period. Sixteen seconds later, White connected with another long-range bomb and Laswell got inside for a bank shot that again surged the lead to 38-30 with 6:26 remaining in the third frame.

Laswell scored another driving basket, while White was a machine. The senior swingman connected on driving lay-ups and pull-up jump shots, scoring 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter. White’s third shot from downtown in the period extended the Ram lead to 53-46 heading into the final quarter.

Paoli fans endured a scare with Drew White getting knocked to the head early in the fourth quarter and forced off the court by referees due to blood coming from the cut to his head. Junior Varsity coach Levi Carmichael assisted White in the locker room and sent the star shooter back to the floor with a bandage wrapped around his head.

During the time White was absent from the contest, Paoli worked the ball in efficient offense and even got a three-point play from Thomas Springer to extend the lead to 57-48 with 4:05 left in the contest.

“We did a great job of milking the clock while Levi was getting the blood stopped in the locker room,” Hinton stated of the span while White was in the locker room. “Levi tried everything to get that stopped and get him out here. He came back and said we needed to shorten the clock and I told him we had been since he went back to take care of Drew. It just seemed like everything was on the right page.

The rest of the contest was a free-throw shooting affair. Paoli had not attempted a charity shot in any of the first three quarters, but finished hitting 16-for-21 at the foul line in the fourth period. The only score in the final four minutes that was not at the foul line was a fast-break lay-up by Donnie Kee with 1:14 left that raised the lead to double figures for the second time in the period. Laswell, White, Kee, Springer and Matt Warner all hit foul shots to close out the contest with a 73-62 victory.

The Rams were led by White’s 27 points, while Kohnert led the Marksmen with 19 points.


Paoli earned its 12th consecutive victory and raised the season record to 13-1. The team was honored with a rise to #36 in the overall Indiana Coaches’ Poll on Monday, up from #40 last week. The Rams will next be in action Friday night at Chambers Gymnasium against Class 1A, state-ranked 14-1 Orleans.

Rams' prayers answered by Laswell's bomb

Drew White goes up for two of his 18 points
against Southridge Saturday night. White and
Laswell tore up the Raider defense for 39 points.

by Chris Hopper 22.JAN.08

Paoli, the #9-ranked team in Class 2A polls, hosted a scrappy Southridge Raider team Saturday night at Chambers Gymnasium. The Raiders, who were ranked in earlier Class 3A polls this season before a recent losing streak, did not go away quietly and actually had the lead until 15 seconds remaining. Logan Laswell drained a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to lead Paoli to a 55-54 victory.

Southridge’s Ryan Rust hit a shot with 35 seconds left that broke the tie and put the Raiders on top 54-52. Paoli head coach Joe Hinton called a time out and drew up the play that he thought would secure victory.

Laswell ran around a double screen set by Joe Goodman and Matt Warner and got the ball, launching his quick-fire jumper into the air. The ball sailed through the net as the crowd erupted, giving Paoli a one-point advantage.

“I just hoped it was going in,” related the sophomore guard about his game-winning shot. “Everybody thought we would go for the tie, but I thought it was a great decision to go for the three. I was confident that one of us was going to make the shot if we got open. Drew [White] went out to the corner and he got a couple of defenders on him out there. We used two guys to screen me off of and I was wide open.”

The game was nip and tuck the entire way, with neither team gaining an advantage larger than seven points in the contest.White got on the board early and often with a pair of first-quarter three-pointers that made him a focus of the Raider defense the rest of the game.

The big three scorers for the Rams took over for the rest of the period. White scored a quiet three buckets and two foul shots for his eight points in the quarter, while Donnie Kee scored a basket and also hit a pair of free throws. Laswell score a pair of shots, including the basket with 22.9 seconds left in the period that gave Paoli a 45-42 lead through three frames.

“I ran that play cause it was simple,” Hinton mused. “That is what we call the corner three play. You put your two shooters on the block and the flash away from each other. One goes to the corner and if he’s open, you go with him. The other guy runs through a double pick and gets to the top of the key. Logan got wide open off the pick and knocked down the three.”

The Rams improved to 11-1 on the season with their 10th consecutive victory, clinching a winning season for the first time in five years.

The Class 2A #9-ranked Rams also were honored with the #40 ranking in the Indiana Coaches’ Poll on Monday morning.

#15 Paoli outduals Class 2A #13 Musketeers

Drew White watches another free throws sail through the net Saturday night at Eastern Pekin. White torched the Musketeers for a game-high 25 points, including hitting six free throws in Paoli’s 66-63 victory.

by Chris Hopper 15.JAN.08

#16 Paoli staved off a late rally by the Class 2A #13-ranked Musketeers Saturday night to claim a 66-63 victory away from home.

The Rams were easily playing some of their best basketball of the season in the first half, leading by 26 points (39-13) during the late stages of the first half. The Rams were shutting down Indiana All-Star candidate Clayton Starrett and his shooting partner, Brandon Doebler.

Paoli’s defense was so strong, that the Musketeers (scoring nearly 69 points per contest) were held to missing every shot they attempted in the opening quarter.

Paoli’s opening 11-0 run was paced by Drew White’s two baskets, including a three-pointer, and a pair of inside buckets by Joe Goodman. Donnie Kee’s jump shot with 4:02 left forced a time out when the lead hit 11 points.

The Rams only allowed six made free throws in eight attempts the rest of the quarter. Paoli got a pair of charity shots from Matt Warner and another shot by Goodman. Kee also canned a corner three-pointer and Paoli took an 18-6 lead after the opening quarter.

The Musketeers had some fight left in them as the second period opened, scoring a 6-2 run behind four points from Uriah Maudlin that cut Paoli’s lead to 20-12.

The Rams kicked into overdrive, using aggressive defensive pressure around the perimeter, forcing three quick Pekin turnovers. Warner scored a lay-up and White again got hacked to hit a pair of free throws. White also canned two more three-pointers and a deuce to finish the first half with 15 of his game-high 25 points.

Logan Laswell hit three field goals, including a three-pointer from the wing, that helped Paoli establish its biggest lead of the night at 39-13 with 31 seconds left in the half. The Musketeers’ 6-6 Eric Powers scored 15 seconds later to send the Rams into half-time leading 39-15.

“We did a lot of good things in the first half,” explained PHS coach Joe Hinton. “We got them in some foul trouble and didn’t take advantage as well as we could have while their good players were out of the game. This game exposed us a little bit because we don’t have that ball-handling guard that can take it and go like Starrett did for Pekin. He started driving in and kicking it out to people and got them back in the ball game.

As good as Paoli was in the first half, Eastern Pekin was offensively better in the second half.

The Musketeers scorched the nets in the third period, connecting on 9 of 14 shots from the field. The biggest reason for the change was the aggressiveness of Starrett. The 5-10 guard, who is getting notice and interest from both Xavier University and IUPUI, began driving the ball with speed and dishing off to wide-open teammates.

Paoli did get some offense from Laswell, who scored a pair of jump shots for five consecutive points. The quick run was added to by White’s bucket that pushed the lead back to 52-30 with 1:40 left to play in the third quarter.

The Musketeers answered with back-to-back buckets from Maudlin to again close the gap. The quarter ended with Starrett driving and drawing the foul. The star player hit both free throws and closed the lead to 52-38.

Laswell opened up the final period with a jump shot and Drew White scored a pair of free throws to push Paoli’s lead to 56-40.

Paoli then made substitutions based on foul shooting ability. The strategy worked with Paoli connecting on 12-for-18 in the quarter, including makes from Laswell, White and three by Daniel Starr. Starr’s two freebies with 7.9 seconds left iced the victory.

“I knew once they got in the bonus we’d be in trouble and we were,” Hinton commented. “You could have had a great show of a free throw shooting contest between Drew and Starrett. Both of those guys are automatic and didn’t miss much at all tonight.

“Starr might be one of our better free throw shooters. I put him in there for Donnie late and he knocked down a couple of free throws for us. That is good for him. We did a good job late of getting the ball in play to our better shooters and going to the line.”

Powers scored another bucket with less than a second to bring the final difference in the contest.

Paoli was led by Whites 25 points, while Starrett finished with 21 points.

Paoli improved to 9-1 on the year and stretched the win streak to eight consecutive games.

MITCHELL — Paoli's Drew White drives to the
basket against Mitchell's Austin Caudell.
(Times-Mail / PETE SCHREINER)

MITCHELL — The Mitchell Bluejackets mounted a second-half rally and put themselves in position to steal a key Patoka Lake Athletic Conference victory from the Paoli Rams Friday night, but the homestanding Jackets faltered down the stretch as the Rams escaped The Hive with a 54-42 triumph.

Drew White hit a 3-pointer and Warner dished to Springer for an easy two that made it 24-16, and a free throw by Taylor Phillips at the 3:57 mark would prove the be the final point of the period for the Jackets, who made just 1 of 6 shots in the frame, while turning the ball over five times.

The Rams shot 50 percent from the field in the first quarter and made 7 of 15 shots in the second to build a seemingly comfortable lead at the break.

“We got the lead in the first half, because I think we were a little quicker than they were,” Paoli coach Joe Hinton said. “They made some mistakes handling the ball and we took advantage of that, but we just didn’t put them away in the second half and that was disappointing.”

After White knocked down a jumper to make it 32-17 at the outset of the second half, Wintczak came to life for the Jackets, hitting a pair of 15-foot jumpers, then stepping out a bit further to can an 18-footer to help cut into the Paoli lead. Wintczak went on to score seven points in the period, while Caudell added a basket and pulled down seven big rebounds in the period to keep the Jackets alive before Phillips came of the bench to bury a 3-pointer that pulled the home team to within four (37-33) heading into the final frame.

“When we play at our tempo, the way we’re capable of playing, we’re not a bad ballclub,” Haworth noted. “But when we get out of that tempo and try to play the other way, we’re not very good, and we saw that twice tonight in one game. We played our good game, when we’re competitive, playing the power game inside, and then we tried to get up-tempo a little bit and made some mistakes.”

“We’re 7-1 and I’m happy we won, but happy teams get beat. We’ve got a lot of things to work on.”

White and Springer each made nifty moves in the lane for the Rams and Caudell converted down low twice for the Jackets, but his basket at the 3:54 mark was the final of the night for the Jackets, who fired up nine 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after making hay in the paint for much of the second half.

The Rams scored their final eight points on layups with senior Donnie Kee tallying six of his 12 points in the final 2:30.

“Drew didn't have a bad ball game (16 points), but they
held him and double teamed him" Hinton said.

December 29, 2007
Rams stop Borden Braves
Bedford Times-Mail

BORDEN — The Paoli Rams rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to overtake the Borden Braves and record a 62-57 boys basketball victory on the road Friday night.

The Braves jumped out to a quick 17-11 lead and took a 38-23 advantage to the locker room before the Rams decided to make a game of it.

“It was a beat and bang and real physical game, and we just kind of got on our heels in the first half,” Paoli coach Joe Hinton said. “I was kind of disappointed in that, but in the second half we just decided we’d better start banging back a little bit and it was a heck of a turnaround. We showed we’ve got a lot of heart and I told the kids it’s like that cereal. We’ve got heart, now we’ve just got to get smart.”

“Drew didn’t have a bad ballgame, but they held him and double teamed him and left a lot of other kids wide open and we hit some shots tonight.”

The Rams outscored the Braves 17-11 in the third quarter before finishing with a 22-8 run in the fourth to seal the win.

White tossed in 16 points, while Joe Goodman added 12 for the Rams, who travel to Mitchell Friday.

Paoli Republican
By Chris Hopper 01.JAN.08

It was sheer will.

After an opening basket had Paoli trailing 51-40 in the early moments of the fourth quarter, Laswell connected for a three-point shot from the wing and the Ram defense forced a turnover immediately following the big shot. Drew White knocked down a jump shot and then Seth Evans got into the swing of things, knocking down a three-pointer that pulled Paoli back within 51-48 with 6:11 left in the contest. The big shot from the reserve senior also ignited the Paoli crowd.

Drew White took over and White hit all six shots from the free throw line and a field goal also. The senior scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help key the comeback. Back-to-back three-pointers from Laswell and Donnie Kee pushed Paoli out front to stay. Borden’s Lee Kirchgessner hit a three-pointer with two seconds left, but it only trimmed the final result to 62-57 as time expired.

The 22-8 quarter helped Paoli survive what was, especially early on, a disastrous beginning.

Paoli adjusted to attempt and stop the big center, but it only allowed Ooley the space he needed to explode. The senior shooter connected with a trio of three-point shots in the second quarter and scored 11 of his 13 points in the stanza. That burst helped Borden build its biggest lead at 36-18 with 1:36 left in the half.

“I’ve watched Borden play and this is about as aggressive as I have seen them play this year,” Hinton explained. “They played tough man-to-man defense, got their hands up and shoved a lot.

“All we did at halftime was challenge the kids. They had that big horse inside, but they rebounded well as a team. We have to rebound the basketball and be more aggressive in that area.

Goodman took the battle against Nolot. The Borden center outscored Goodman 14-4 in the first half, but the Ram senior stepped up his game and outscored the taller man 8-6 in the second half, with all eight of his points coming in the third period.

Laswell connected on another three-point shot and Drew White got loose for a bucket to help Paoli slowly build momentum. Ooley also was forced to work hard on defense, with his assignment to shadow White on Paoli’s offensive possessions.

The rest was history, with the Rams blitzing the Braves with 6-for-9 shooting in the final quarter, including hitting all four shots from behind the three-point arc. Paoli’s defense also clamped down, allowing only one made free throw in just under six minutes of playing time

“I felt like our bench gave us more tonight. Seth Evans gave us a real live spurt off the bench on defense and he hit that big shot, too. Brandon Jones also got in and decided he would do what I needed done. He played solid defense in there and rebounded.”

The win was the fifth consecutive one for Paoli and improved the Rams to 6-1 (1-0 in PLAC)

Drew White to light up the score books from the outside this season.
White has his name on the lists of many colleges heading into the 2007-08 season.

Improved Rams looking for
more than a winning season

by Chris Hopper 20.NOV.07

The Rams have a returning sharpshooter in 6-3 senior Drew White.

Much of the offensive focus will be on Drew White. White was a catalyst for Paoli last season after transferring from Floyd Central, scoring more than 22 points per contest after his arrival. This summer, White has played in numerous camps and the Rams even participated in summer leagues against other schools. White even reportedly scored 52 points in a tournament in New Albany against a Ballard Louisville, KY.

“It’s obvious Drew can score, but the key is going to be when everybody starts cramming down on him,” Hinton explained. “We have to have other kids step up and score for us.

Paoli will also contend in a newly re-formed sectional that includes more teams that the Rams play against during regular-season action. This year’s sectional will be held at Brownstown Central High School and includes the host Braves, Austin, Clarksville, Providence, West Washington, Eastern Pekin and the Rams. Paoli plays four teams within the sectional field during the season, whereas in year’s past only Mitchell was seen.

by Chris Hopper 04.DEC.07

Drew White looks to score one of his eight free throws that helped clinch the victory over Lanesville Saturday night at Chambers Gymnasium. White hit 8-for-8 from the line in the final quarter and finished with 24 points to lead the Rams in scoring. (Photo by Chris Hopper)

The Paoli Rams streaked out to a big lead Saturday night in Chambers Gymnasium, then held off a late Lanesville rally for a 62-57 victory.
The Rams used surprising offense and solid defense to get an early advantage they never relinquished. The other impressive part of the early run is that all five Paoli starters scored in that opening run.

Matt Warner, Logan Laswell and Donnie Kee all connected on three-point baskets in the opening two minutes of the quarter. Joe Goodman knocked in a pair of free throws after being fouled on an inside shot attempt and Drew White drained a pull-up jump shot to put Paoli up 13-1 with 4:41 left in the opening quarter.
Lanesville answered with baskets by Kenton Acton and Tom Walter before Mike Harkness got a rebound put-back to keep Paoli ahead 15-5 with 3:19 remaining.Warner knocked down a mid-range jumper and Drew White returned down the floor to connect a three-point shot. The Eagles again answered with consecutive baskets from Jeffery Hammond and a three-point shot from Cody Hussung that trimmed the Ram lead to 20-12 after the first quarter of play.

White took over early in the second quarter and Lanesville had no answer for the shooter. White connected with a pair of field goals and a three-point shot that helped key an 8-0 run to open the second stanza. White’s third score pushed Paoli to a 28-12 lead with 6:23 remaining in the half. Paoli went cold from the floor after Lanesville used a time out to adjust its defensive scheme. Paoli went 0-for-6 over the next four minutes of play, with Lanesville managing an 8-0 run of its own behind a pair of buckets from John Kissel and another field goal from Acton. The run got the score back to 28-20 with 2:36 left in the half.
White got to the free-throw line often in the final 3:29 of the contest, hitting all eight shots he attempted and putting to rest any comeback notions Lanesville had.

“I just know we work on free throws a lot in practice and I am pretty good from the line, so I try to get to the line,” explained the senior swing man. “I knew that my outside shot wasn’t falling, so I needed to drive and attack more often. If I beat them off the dribble, I’d get fouled and go to the line.”
Acton hit a three-pointer with 26.8 seconds left and Conder also scored with 14.8 seconds left, but the Rams were too far ahead at that point for the game to be back in doubt. White’s basket with 6.6 seconds left capped off the night with Paoli winning 62-57.

White finished with a game-high 24 points, while Warner scored 11 points. Kee and Laswell added nine points each. Lanesville was led by Acton and Walter, both of which scored 15 points.
Paoli improved to 2-1 and will next be in action Friday night in Chambers Gymnasium for a Patoka Lake Athletic Conference encounter against 1-2 West Washington.

Paoli turns back warriors with late run

Senior Drew White shoots for three of his game-high 29 points Saturday night at Christian Academy. The Rams held on for a nine-point victory. (Photo by Chris Hopper)
by Chris Hopper 11.DEC.07

Paoli used a big first quarter and clutch shooting from Drew White to survive a late scare on the road at Christian Academy Saturday night with a 67-58 win.
The Rams let a 15-pint lead evaporate over the second half and had to lean on White’s shooting ability and clutch free throws from Joe Goodman and Logan Laswell to finish on an 8-0 run to lock down the nine-point victory.

White finished the contest with a game-high 29 points and led a quartet of Rams in double digits. It is that kind of balanced offense that makes Paoli coach Joe Hinton thrive.
“That is one of the strong points of this team,” explained Hinton. White’s first points of the game were on a shot from the three-point arc with 7.8 seconds left in the period, putting Paoli up 18-5 after the opening quarter.

White sustained the Paoli offense through most of the second quarter. White knows Christian Academy head coach David Scott from summer basketball leagues and the Ram scorer knew he had to step up his game.
“I’ve known Coach Scott for a long time and I couldn’t let Coach Hinton lose to him,” mused White. “I wasn’t really concerned with points, just that we got a win.” White scored 11 of his 29 points in the second quarter, staving off a Warrior team trying to make a comeback. Laswell and White both scored field goals, but Taylor launched another three-pointer and the lead was cut to 41-31 with 4:04 left in the third quarter.
“I asked them if they wanted to win a ball game,” Hinton said. “I told them that they played well, but let this team come back and stopped doing what they had done to get the lead. Now they had to decide if they would go out there and win the game or not. It was their choice.”

White got the ball after the time out and proceeded to drive all around the court, eating up clock and making the man defending him work hard on defense. White got trapped near the corner and reversed his way past the defender and scored a tough short jump shot to stop the Warriors’ run. It was the dagger Paoli fans were waiting to see. White drained another jump shot with 33.8 seconds left that seemed to seal the fate of Christian Academy’s comeback bid. White’s 29 points were his best outing of the young season. The Rams also got 14 points from Goodman, Laswell added 11 points and Donnie Kee finished with 10 points. Thomas Springer added three points in the winning effort.

The Rams improved their record to 4-1 overall and will be at 3-3 Austin on Friday night.

Rams' win streak at four after Austin win

Drew White, playing with a sore throat and flu-like symptoms,
lit up Austin for 23 points. Behind the sharp shooting from the Paoli gunslingers,
the Rams built a 30-point lead before gliding in to a 64-48 victory.

When an athlete says he is ill before a game, pay close attention because something special might happen.
The Austin Eagles found that out Friday night, suffering its first loss at home this season 64-48 to the Paoli Rams, who got 23 points apiece from Donnie Kee and an ailing Drew White. It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Rams.
White entered the contest recovering from a sore throat and flu-like symptoms. The sickness had such a grip on him that he didn’t play nearly as many minutes in the second half in order to avoid worsening his condition.
Paoli didn’t waste time, countering the Austin defense that sent a trailer with White everywhere he stepped on the court with crisp passing that usually resulted with Donnie Kee wide open in the corner. White drained a three and then hit a pull-up jump shot for two and spaced the lead back to 11-4. Joe Goodman’s free throws with 1:46 left in the quarter were the only non-White or Kee points tallied as Paoli assumed a 13-7 lead after the first quarter.

The Rams connected for 8-for-17 in the period, including hitting all three shots attempted behind the three-point arc. White hit two of those treys en route to 12 points in the second quarter.
The defensive allowed for Paoli to finish strong behind a pair of buckets each from Goodman and White to take a 36-14 lead to the locker room.
“I thought the first half that we covered for each other pretty well on defense,” stated PHS coach Joe Hinton. “We still made a few mistakes on the defensive end, but we played pretty well. We also moved the ball well and shot the ball well. We’ve got some shooters on the team and to take good shots means that we’ll hit quite a few of them.
“I thought Drew being as sick as he was played extremely well. He was very patient out there. At half-time, he was exhausted and I didn’t want to use him too much in that third quarter, but we have a tendency to give away big leads in the second half. I wanted to try and avoid that. He got where he belonged against the box-and-one defense and we used it to our advantage.”

The Eagles didn’t let up their fight at all in the final stanza, taking the ball down low and trying to score in the paint to open up the perimeter. Seth Evans and Matt Warner both hit free throws and White hit a driving lay-up to extend the lead to 56-31 with 5:15 remaining.

Laswell’s two free throws and Mike Harkness’ bucket with 25 seconds left sealed the 64-48 victory. Austin’s desire to keep swinging impressed the Paoli coach.

The Rams improved to 5-1 overall and will be in action at Borden on Dec. 28.
Paoli — 64