SPEEDWAY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Today we celebrate Toby Cork, a senior student-athlete representing the soccer, and basketball programs at Speedway High School. During this time, not only has Toby made an impression inside school walls, he’s made an equally important impression on the competition field. Academically, Toby was named to the ICC All-Conference Academic Teams for both soccer and basketball as a junior and will likely repeat this year. The leadership displayed in the classroom also extends to his extracurriculars. “Toby has been an integral part of our program for the past four years,” noted varsity soccer coach Dean Heaviland. “From a soccer standpoint, Toby has great skill and an uncanny ability to see the field as well as anyone that’s played his position for us.” “He has great drive, always outworks everyone, and is a great competitor,” noted Heaviland. “From a leadership angle, Toby is someone that always leads by example. He never takes a play off, pushes others in practice and he is always willing to help his teammates any way he can.” Basketball coach Chuck Bennett echoed these sentiments. “Toby is a tremendous example of what we look for in a Speedway basketball player,” said Bennett. “He is a good person, a good student, and then excels at soccer and basketball.” “Toby will be an excellent senior captain for us this season,” noted Bennett. “His example on and off the court is great for our younger players to see. He will play a vital role on the floor bringing energy and hard-nosed defense.” “And while we are excited for the season to start, we are also excited to see how far he can help lead the soccer team in the state tournament,” added Bennett. “Three straight sectional championships would be excellent!” The son of Scott and Sonya Cork would like to attend Purdue next fall but is unsure what he would like to study. That said, he’s very sure of who has been a major influence in his life: his mother. “She has always been at all my games and has been taking me to practices ever since I was little,” said Cork. “Even when she had breast cancer last fall, she still made her best effort to come to all of my games.” So what does Cork like best about his athletic participation? “I get to play sports with all of my friends and compete against other schools,” noted Cork. “I also like all the practices and games we play that lead up to sectionals where everyone has a chance to win.” Toby and his soccer teammates defeated Christel House 6-1 last night in the opening round of the IHSAA state tournament. They return to the pitch tomorrow at 5 p.m. to play Purdue Polytechnic, a 5-1 winner over Beech Grove. All of this week’s sectional matches take place at Bishop Chatard High School.