Mater Dei High School - Hi Lights Yearbook (Evansville, IN)

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Rolling with the punches 72 Although this basketball season fell below .500, Wildcat players felt the one element that pulled them through the rough times was a great sense of humor. Some days just don ' t go right. Chris Sitzman, Mater Dei ' s starting forward and leading scorer, walked into the locker room before basketball practice one afternoon and found a little surprise. After opening his locker, Sitzman picked up his practice shorts and . . . out jumped a mouse. According to his teammates, he threw his gym bag against the wall and preceded to stomp on it. It was apparent Sitzman didn ' t like mice. We might not have won, but we had a good time, commented senior Don Goedde, who was considered by many players as the inspirational leader of the team. Considering some of the team ' s strong points throughout the season, several players jokingly agreed that Rob Mont- gomery ' s clothes ranked first. On a more serious note, many team members felt the fan support was not always what it should have been. Senior forward Jeff Martin summed up the cagers ' feelings: They just gave up on us. The Wildcats finished the season at a 4-17 mark. For the second year in a row, MD went up against number one ranked Bosse and bowed out of sectional play 82-59. There was a slight disagreement between teammates about the highlight of the season. Some felt the overtime win at Boonville was the most exciting. Led by Sitzman ' s game- high 24 points, MD came from behind to force the extra period after Martin scored a lay-up with only seconds left. That 66-64 win snapped a nine-game losing streak. It felt good to win a close one after all the ones we lost, related junior Rich Niemeier referring to the losses to Loogootee, Terre Haute, South, and Barr-Reeve which totaled six points. Other players argued that the 66-58 victory over Central was the sweetest. The Cats shot an improved 82 percent from the freethrow line while holding Central ' s leading scorer Derek Lindauer to six points. Coach Sheridan felt that the best part of the season was definitely the four wins and was quick to add that all his players in the face of adversity hung in there. It wasn ' t easy for them to go out there every night and know they would have a tough time, he said. All varsity cagers shone in other areas already this year. Of the ten basketball players, six were members of Mater Dei ' s city champion football team, one received honorable men- tion on the all-city soccer team, and three are members of the National Honor Society. — Laurie Layman — Brad Brown DOUBLE DOSE: Varsity coach Don Sheridan and assistant coach Rick Keith emphasize a point against state-ranked North. Coach Sheridan is in his tenth year as varsity coach at MD. (Photo by Alan Burdette) WHAT GOES UP: Senior Jeff Martin scores against a North Posey defender in the Wildcats ' 72-51 loss to the Vikings. Martin was voted ' the varsity basket- ball player most junior and senior girls wanted to date. (Photo by Alan Burdette)

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GIVING IT HER BEST SHOT: Barbara Seib goes to the charity stripe during the North Posey game. The junior was a two year varsity letter winner. (Photos by Alan Burdette) GIRLS RESERVE BASKETBALL TEAM: FRONT ROW: Jill Braun, Lori Schnur, Jane Schapker, Britt Heath- cotte. Kathy Wannemuehler. BACK ROW: Jenny Roe. Michelle Weidner, Mary Deig, Michelle Guetllng, Tammy Weinzapfel, Kelly Seib. | | | m t f 9 SB It y ,s tf jyiiiiii 12 , Z 1111 LOOKING TO THE HOOP: Under pressure, sopho- more Tammy Bailey goes back up with a rebound against two Bosse defenders. The Wildcats put up a good fight throughout the game, but at the conclusion Bosse pulled ahead to win the Section- al game. (Photo by Alan Burdette)

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LIFE ' S ROUGH: Senior Don Goedde takes a breather during the Wildcats ' 65-57 loss to North in the Holiday Tournament. Goedde was selected by teammates as the 1982 Kiwanis award winner (Photo by Alan Burdette) CONCENTRATION: Coach Sheridan preached freethrow technique constantly during practice. Junior Eric Knapp. senior Mike Hickam, and junior Brad Brown illustrate their forms during different games this season. (Photo by Alan Burdette) VARSITY BASKETBALL STATS-N-FACTS Loogootee 44 Mater Dei 39 Mater Dei 61 Vincennes Rivet 46 Mater Dei 56 New Harmony 53 Mt. Vernon 63 Mater Dei 58 Terre Haute South 57 Mater Dei 53 North Posey 72 Mater Dei 51 Princeton 63 Mater Dei 58 North 65 Mater Dei 57 Barr- Reeve 48 Mater Dei 47 Reitz 53 Mater Dei 43 Memorial 51 Mater Dei 44 North 80 Mater Dei 60 Mater Dei 66 Boonville 64 Castle 80 Mater Dei 53 Gibson Southern 56 Mater Dei 50 Bosse 71 Mater Dei 58 Terre Haute North 67 Mater Dei 61 Mater Dei 66 Mater Dei 58 Forest Park 81 Mater Dei 64 Harrison 64 Mater Dei 58 SECTIONALS Bosse 82 Mater Dei 59 73 ALL-AROUND GUY: Senior Gary Weinzapfel had excelled in many areas. He played foot- ball and ran track in addition to being a four year member of the B-ball squad. (Photo by Kathy Konradl