Turn of the Century: 2000 - 2009
With the exceptional growth of girls sports and soccer, interest in high school sports began to reach a crescendo. Better feeder programs produced many exceptional players. Given the rise in publications and organizations that were selecting All-State teams, in many sports it became comparatively more common to be named to an All-State team than to be chosen as the LOCAL “Player of the Year” or “MVP” in a given sport. The competition was fierce for that honor and while there could be multiple players who received some measure of state-wide recognition, in most cases only one player could be selected as the cream of that season’s crop in Evansville. There were some players, however, who stood out so far above the others that they managed to win the honor TWICE OR MORE—and those players are captured herein. This is a compilation of those players who excelled at the highest level and were honored MULTIPLE TIMES as THE LOCAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR. These players may have made their mark in a single sport, or they may have been recognized in more than one sport as the Player of the Year. As the 21’st century dawned on Evansville sports, new legends were born. Players like Fakhara Malone, Ty Walters, Kate Endress and Max Lachowecki would not only dominate Evansville sports but go on to excel at the next level after their years here were done.
TY WALTERS - Castle High School - Class of '01: From the first varsity match of his freshman season in which he scored the loan goal with a flying header in a 1-0 victory, to his sophomore season in which he led the Knights to a Regional Soccer Title, to his junior year in which he won his first All-Metro 'Player of the Year' award, to his senior season in which he led Castle to an IHSAA State Championship, Ty Walters enjoyed a story-book high school career. A very physical presence as a mid-fielder, he was twice selected First Team All-State by the Coaches Association and following the 2000-01 season he was chosen as Indiana's Player of the Year by the same organization. Walters went on to play for the University of Southern Indiana following graduation.
KATE ENDRESS - Memorial High School - Class of '01: 1,875 career points scored, four Sectional Titles, two Regional Championships, and twice named All-Metro "Player of the Year"--a high school career that is difficult to top. Endress had honors heaped upon her as a 6 foot tall guard for the Tigers, she followed in the footsteps of team mate Jill Hartman (see The Silver Age tab). After making first team All-Metro as a sophomore (a season in which Hartman won her second Player of the Year), Endress went on to earn the top honor in her junior and senior seasons along with being selected to the prestigious Indiana All-Stars squad. She accepted a basketball scholarship to Ball State University and went on to be selected TWICE to the All-Mid-America Conference team as well as being named Indiana's NCAA Woman of the Year in 2005. She finished her Ball State career as number two in points scored.
BROOKE LUKER - North High School - Class of '01: A three time selection for All-Conference and a pure hitter, Luker hit for a .440 average over the course of her prep career. An All-State selection at first base as a senior, she also led the Huskies to a Southern Indiana Athletic Conference championship. She won consecutive All-Metro "Player of the Year" awards as a junior and a senior and then received a Division 1 scholarship to University of Evansville. Her honors and awards carried on into college as she was a THREE TIME All-Missouri Valley Conference player for the Aces where she anchored squads that won a conference championshp and went to the NCAA playoffs.
JENNA BABCOCK - Mater Dei High School - Class of '03: First team All-City, All-Conference, All-District, and All-State in soccer, Babcock matched those achievements stride for stride in the class room with Academic All-City, All-Region, and All-America. She took home a Kiwanis Award from her team mates as a leader and the Evansville Soccer Coaches TWICE chose her as the All-City "Player of the Year". A multi-sport talent, she also received honorable mention All-City as a basketball player. A proficient scorer in high school, she went on to play at the next level for Indiana University where she was recognized as the anchor of the Hoosier's defense as a center back.
DEVIKA BELLAMY - Harrison High School, Class of '04: Versatility was the hallmark of her game, she initially made All-City recognition in volleyball as a setter. As her experience grew and she reached 5 foot 10 inches, she developed her skills as an outside hitter. In combination with her reputation as an intense competito, she earned the respect of players and coaches alike. So much so that she was selected the All-Metro "Player of the Year" following her junior AND senior seasons. She earned a scholarship to Division 1 IUPUI and won the school's "Distinguished Student Athlete Award" as a senior.
FAHKARA MALONE - Memorial High School - Class of '06: Picking up the torch passed to her by Jill Hartman and Kate Endress (see above), Malone not only excelled by winning THREE All-Metro Basketball 'Player of the Year' awards, but went on to star for Purdue University on a team that twice made it to the Regional Finals of the NCAA tournament. Standing barely 5 foot 6 inches tall, it was her speed that set her apart on the basketball court. Few could guard her as she tallied over 1,000 points and dealt out 500 assists. She shut down opponent guards and few, if any, ever made their scoring average in game's that she defended them.
BRIAN MERKEL - Memorial High School - Class of '07: While there have been many prolific goal scorers in Evansville soccer history, there has only been one defender who was so skilled, so present across the field, who made others around him in the backfield better just by his proximity that he was twice honored as All-Metro 'Player of the Year'. While any discussion about an All-Time Evansville team may have many legitimate arguments about who would be selected to the forward or midfield spots, Merkel's name would be the unanimous call for 'Center Back'. A defender with a nose for the ball, he was also deadly scoring goals off corner kicks and free kicks. He displayed exceptional body control in the air and led the Tigers to a pair of State Semi-Finals in the playoffs..
PAUL McINTOSH - Reitz High School - Class of '08: The quarterback who led Reitz to their first (playoff era) IHSAA State Championshp was the epitome of a high school signal caller. An able passer, he was equally at ease pulling the ball down and heading around end or calling his own number on a designed running play. Named "Outstanding Player" by the Downtown Quarterback Club as a junior after he led the Panthers to a Regional Title, he swept every award as a senior when Reitz won the 4A Championship. He was the first southern Indiana player to ever capture the title Indiana's "Mr. Football" and was chosen the Gatorade Player of the Year for Indiana. His success did not end with high school as he went on to lead the University of Southern Illinois 'Salukis' to the Missouri Valley Conference Championship as a sophomore. The Salukis went on to make it all the way to the quarterfinals in the NCAA's FCS Subdivision playoffs that season.
KIARA BUTLER - Harrison High School - Class of '08: A 5 foot 9 inch guard who was a threat to score 20 points in basketball and a smooth fielding shortstop who could hit for average, Butler was named first team All-Metro in BOTH sports as a FRESHMAN. She repeated the feat EACH SEASON and after her junior year ('06-'07) she earned the title All-Metro Player of the Year in basketball and named to the Indiana Junior All-Stars team. After averaging better than 20 points and 6 rebounds per game as a senior, she earned the Player of the Year title a second time. In her career, she was selected to SEVEN Southern Indiana Athletic Conference All-Conference teams. Butler went on to play basketball at the collegiate level for IUPUI in Indianapolis and then returned to Evansville as the Coach of her alma-mater's basketball team.
GRAHAM SAIKO - Castle High School - Class of '09: A classic three-sport athlete, Saiko enjoyed a senior season most players dream of. After passing for over 3,000 yard and 25 touchdowns and running for another 18 scores, he was voted the All-Metro "Player of the Year" in football. His team won a Sectional Title and he was chosen as southwestern Indiana's Academic All-Star. In basketball, he averaged 15 points and five assists and made first team All-Metro. That spring he hit 11 home runs, hit .489, led his team to a Regional and waa named All-Metro "Player of the Year" in baseball. It had been a decade or more since a boy had such a successful senior year in Evansville. Saiko went on to start for the powerhouse University of South Carolina Gamecocks in baseball on a team that reached the NCAA's Super Regional four years running.
MADELINE BRINK - Castle High School - Class of '10: In a high school career that saw her go a combined 75-12 as a starting pitcher for the Castle softball team, Brink struck out 769 batters in 566 innings and maintained an earned run average of a microscopic 0.49. She was dominant from the beginning to the end of her career. As a freshman ('06-'07), she led the Knights to a Semi-State Championship before losing 1-0 in the final game. Her team won all four Sectionals she took part in. As a senior ('09-'10), she was named to the Indiana All Stars and was the MVP of the annual North South All-Star game. A two time selection for All-Metro 'Player of the Year', Brink was more than a single dimensional player as she hit over .425 as a senior. Following high school, she went on scholarship to pitch for the University of Southern Indiana.
MAX LACHOWECKI - Memorial High School - Class of '11: Arriving at Memorial with high expectations, they stemmed from Lachowecki being invited to train with the U.S. Under-15 National Team. He earned a starting role on the Tigers' '07-'08 State Championship team. As a sophomore, Lachowecki scored the Tigers' first goal in their dramatic '08-'09 State Championship game and won his first of THREE first-team All-State selections in his career. By his junior season ('09-'10) he was the dominant player in the area and won his first All-Metro "Player of the Year" award--this despite the fact that the '08-'09 winner had been a junior when he won. In his senior season, he led the Tigers back to the State semi-finals and won his second All-Metro "Player of the Year" by a unanimous vote. After graduation, his success continued as an elite player as he started for Notre Dame University on their 2013 NCAA Championship team. He made the transition from forward to defender and was a four-year starter for the Irish. He was then drafted 25th overall by the M.L.S. professional soccer league.