Plymouth swim team alums have a reunion with a cause

Current swim team member Brady Ruffing gets off the block

PLYMOUTH – While many drank hot chocolate by a roaring fire during the holidays, some of Plymouth High School’s hardiest athletes were in the water.

Granted it was the PHS pool – indoors – that hosted what’s become the Christmas holiday tradition of the Plymouth Alumni Swim meet, but those in attendance were there for a good cause. Honoring a long time swim team supporter and raising some money for charity.

“It’s really great to be able to honor Sue Wickens,” said Shelley Richter, one of the swim alums that helped organize the meet. “She passed away a few months ago and she was such a big part of the swimming program here from the Sharks all the way up to the high school team.”

Alums Aimee Portteus and Brad Serf coach the alumni team

The team took donations from those at the meet that will go towards the Sue Wickens Memorial Scholarship.

The boys and girls swim teams honored Sue with some competition as well on a cold winter night with the alums taking on the current Plymouth swim team. The alums were not backing away from talking a little trash before the meet.

“Holly Overmyer is going down,” said older sister and swim alum Lauren Overmyer with a laugh. “I’m saying it right here, I’m taking my sister down tonight.”

Richter was a little less positive.

“I haven’t been in the pool in seven years we’re going to have to call the hospital to come and pick me up,” said Richter laughing. “I’m laughing right now but it’s probably true.”

Alums Kevin Garrity and Brent Corbett prepare

“This is really just great,” said Plymouth Boys Swim Coach Leann Senter. “I’ve heard all the talk going on so I’ve already put out the challenge to some of my boys on the team this year. This has been great for us. Jack McLiver arranged all this last year and Beth did a great job this year. About all we had to do was set up the pool.”

Assistant swim coach Beth Garrity – also a swim team grad – made the arrangements for the meet this year.

Alum Jesse Sullivan enjoys his 100 freestyle win

“Getting in touch with all the people I didn’t swim with was the toughest part,” Garrity admitted. “This morning I was afraid were weren’t going to get ahold of everybody but we’ve got 15 guys and nine girls on the alumni team. Some of them kind of showed up out of nowhere.”

Merry Christmas Mr. Tyree

PLYMOUTH - For several years Plymouth School Students have done their part at Christmas time to help their fellow students have a better holiday.

Plymouth FOP Lodge #195 holds their annual Shop with a Cop program, raising money to take Marshall County kids in need on a shopping trip for themselves and their families for Christmas. Each year Plymouth Schools compete to see who can earn the most money to donate to the charity. This year they had a special incentive - Plymouth Superintendent Dan Tyree offered to allow the winner to deliver a pie to the face for their efforts.

Above Tyree pays off his debt to Webster Elementary students before the holiday break and also took a similar pie for the effort at Riverside Intermediate.

Thanks to the efforts of the FOP and all who donated the program was able to take over 300 children shopping for Christmas.

A Christmas present for all from Plymouth High School's Crimson Connection

To brighten your Christmas morning why not add Plymouth High School's Crimson Connection to your tradition. The group will be appearing on Fox 28's "Sounds of the Season" from 7:00-9:00 a.m. on Christmas morning.

Webster students show their inventiveness

PLYMOUTH – Webster second grade teachers challenged and their classes responded with an outpouring of inventiveness.

Teachers Kari Osborn, Jodi Eveland  and Crystal Uyhelji had their students read a story. It was about a pair of creative young inventors.

“The story was called ‘Pearl and Wagner,’” said Eveland. “It was about a science fair and they made a trash eating robot. In the end of the story they didn’t win the science fair but the story was about friendship and team work.”

To encourage creativity in their students the teacher’s gave them an assignment – to submit a paper describing and adventure of their own. An optional part of the assignment was to then actually make their invention. The outpouring of inventions was remarkable.

“The impressive thing to me is that it was optional,” said Eveland. “Everybody had to turn in the paper, but building their invention was optional. The response was great.

“I was really impressed by the way they took to the assignment, the enthusiasm they showed in doing it. They could make anything they wanted, using any materials they wanted and they had some really creative ideas.”

Senior Eads honored by IHFCA

PLYMOUTH – Dedication is a common theme to excellence at anything.

Plymouth Rockie Calvin Eads is proof of that belief as the senior linebacker has been honored by the Indiana Football Coaches Association and the Indianapolis Colts as an Indiana Academic All Star Team member. Calvin is a first team defensive member and joins an elite group of just 24 players around the state so honored.

“It really has to do with commitment,” said Calvin of his honor. “There’s the commitment to work hard and to your teammates. On the field you have that responsibility to your other teammates and in the classroom you have the same commitment to your teachers. There are a lot of lessons you learn on the field you can take to the classroom.”

One of those lessons for Calvin had to do with old saying that who you are is determined by what you do when nobody else is looking. His motivation came from within.

“I always felt like my class work was pretty important to my parents (James and Beth Eads) but it wasn’t something they came right out and said to me,” he said. “It was just important to me to do what they wanted me to do and make them proud of me. I just had to keep myself motivated to do the job.”

Calvin Eads makes the stop in a game this year against Wawasee. Photo courtesy of the Pilot News.

While his achievements have no doubt made his family proud, his football achievements have also been a big part of who he is.

“I just love the game,” he said. “There is nothing like it. The emotion that goes into it. I love playing football. I love the feeling you get when you make a big play or your teammate makes a big play. It’s really what it’s all about.”

Calvin came late to his love of football. In fact he didn’t play the game until he was in the eighth grade.

“I didn’t really do much of anything until I was in the eighth grade,” he said. “I just decided I wanted to get involved with some things and I played three sports that year (football, track and wrestling) and I didn’t see any reason to stop after that.”

Calvin continues his senior year as a part of Bob Read’s wrestling team.

“It’s a totally different sport,” he said. “It’s still a physical sport but it’s more of a testing of yourself.”

There are more challenges on the horizon for Calvin, but they are challenges he has set for himself for his future.

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to go to Purdue and study some type of engineering – I’m not really sure what kind yet. Maybe aeronautical or chemical,” he said. “It would be great if I could continue to keep putting the pads on and playing football but I’m afraid that probably isn’t going to be an option at Purdue.”