DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 07/10/2026 Duedate: 07/23/2026
LIN TIRIAN ARENA
DM 78 TURN 834
This Week's Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
SILVER STUD
HOWLIN CASE (352)
(78-3678) [12-5-0,99]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
SILVER STUD POSITION IS EMPTY
HOWLIN CASE (352)
(78-3678) [12-5-0,99]
Popularity Leader This Week's Favorite
TIKI TIKI
ALASD (171) ALASD (171)
(78-3752) [6-7-0,54] (78-3752) [6-7-0,54]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
PERRY COUNTY (374)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. ALASD (171) 11
2. PERRY COUNTY (374) 9 PERRY COUNTY (374)
3. HOWLIN CASE (352) 8 Unchartered Team
4. SAND DANCERS (68) 1
POSITION IS EMPTY
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1*JESS'S PITT TRIP (398) 6 1 0 85.7 1/ 1 PERRY COUNTY (374) 7 3 0
2/ 2 PERRY COUNTY (374) 290 154 9 65.3 2/ 3 HOWLIN CASE (352) 3 2 0
3/ 3 HOWLIN CASE (352) 246 170 9 59.1 3- 4 TOP FIVE SCALES (397) 1 1 0
4- 4 TOP FIVE SCALES (397) 10 8 0 55.6 4- 2*JESS'S PITT TRIP (398) 1 1 0
5/ 6 SAND DANCERS (68) 1614 1948 48 45.3 5/ 5 ALASD (171) 1 2 0
6/ 7 ALASD (171) 10 14 0 41.7 6/ 6 SAND DANCERS (68) 0 3 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
Perry County spotlight on Cannelton
CANNELTON -- This was supposed to be a winnable game. Maybe on a different day, under
different circumstances, it would have been. But inside the locker room in the
Cannelton High School gym at halftime Monday night, it did not feel winnable.
Four players, Brayden Puckett, Gage Garrett, Jayden Cecil and Jerrett Coon, sat in
front of their lockers with their heads down. A fifth, Isaac Fuqua, sat on the couch
nearby next to a laundry basket. Coach Mike Garrett was done talking, rehashing the
positives (not many) and negatives (many) of a first half that saw Cannelton facing a
19-point deficit.
The silence stretched from 30 seconds to 60 to 90. Finally, the five Bulldogs and
coach huddled again in the locker room and with a unifying "Bulldogs!" took the court
for the second half. Gage Garrett, the junior point guard and Mike's youngest son,
would later call this game "a disappointment." But once the frustration of another
loss wears off, Gage feels different.
The whole team -- all five of them -- feel it.
It sometimes sounds like a cliche: high school sports teach life lessons. It is true
here. This game, played in front of about 30 people on a Monday night, could have been
crossed off the schedule. It would have been easier to cross the whole season off. But
five kids in this Ohio River town of 1,574 in southern Indiana committed to something
together. The "Cannelton Five" intend to finish it. "We've come this far," said
Puckett, the team's only senior. "Now it's more of a statement that we can do it with
five people."
Go ahead and run up the score. Some have. Mock them. Some have. But understand that
winning here is not defined with a win-loss record. It is measured by survival in a
school of 57 students. It is measured by keeping a tradition alive and passing it on
the next group. "I don't look at our win-loss record," Puckett said. "It's never been
the biggest focus for me. I started playing basketball in fourth grade because I
wanted to spend time with my friends. Then it evolved into a love of basketball. But
every time I started to get disappointed or we're losing by a lot, I remember that I'm
not playing just for me."
"We just rolled with the five we've got."
Mike Garrett, a 1989 Cannelton graduate, has coached the baseball program for almost
20 years and has deep roots in the community. He and his wife Kim have three sons
older than Gage -- Drake, Bryce and Jhett -- who were all baseball players. Garrett's
brother, Brian, is the principal, athletic director and girls' basketball coach.
Mike did not intend to coach basketball. Former coach Chris Melton, a classmate and
close friend, convinced him to coach the junior varsity team. Mike had coached the
girls from 2009-19 before turning it over to his brother. Last year, Mike took over as
head coach. "I had zero interest in coaching (basketball) again," Mike said. "I like
my time off. But if I didn't do it, (Melton) wasn't going to do it. So, I got back
into it. And I'm so glad I did because I didn't realize how much I missed just being
around the kids."
The number of players on the roster was not an issue last year. Cannelton won just one
game but had 11 players on the roster. The Bulldogs even played seven or eight junior
varsity games. But with six seniors graduating, Garrett knew numbers could be an issue
going into the season. He expected to have six. But when one of the returners decide
to quit before the season, the Bulldogs were down to five players. "There was never a
doubt about having a team," Mike said. "We knew we'd have a team. We just rolled with
the five we've got."
Low numbers are a reality here at Cannelton, the smallest public school in the state.
The softball team shut down a few years ago and has since restarted. "Once you start
dropping your sports, it's hard to get them back," Garrett said. "Everybody starts
taking you off the schedule." The goal this season: To keep Cannelton basketball
afloat and to serve as a bridge to next season with six eighth graders ready to join
the four returning players. That group finished 15-4 this season and has been playing
up in age group since they were fifth graders. There will be an adjustment period as
those freshmen become varsity players, but there is help on the way. "I can see double
digit wins next year," Gage said.
This year, though, the wins are tough to come by. Cannelton, who practices against the
girls team at times but now just works on fundamentals, plays in the Southern Roads
Conference, which is a mix of IHSAA schools (Medora, Cannelton, Lighthouse Christian),
non-IHSAA (Pleasant View Christian, Columbus Christian, Christian Academy of Madison)
and becoming IHSAA (Seven Oaks). Cannelton has lost all six of those conference games
but were competitive in two losses to Seven Oaks.
Two of Cannelton's three wins came against a winless team from Cloverport, Ky. The
other was a 47-32 victory over visiting Washington Catholic on Jan. 24. After the
game, Washington Catholic coach Billy Nolley talked to the Cannelton players. It was
loss No. 13 for Washington Catholic, which is now 0-18. "When I was watching film and
scouting them, I had the thought that they are the same as us," Nolley said. "They are
a small school with kids who just want to play the game. For them to take on the
challenge of showing up every day with five players is something to be proud of. I
told them after the game they are going reap rewards in life for what they are doing
right now. It's a lot bigger than basketball."
That moment, coming from somebody on the outside, meant the world to Cannelton's
players. While Puckett and Garrett had been playing since they were in elementary
school, sophomores Coon, Cecil and Fuqua have only been playing for a couple of years.
"It was eye-opening," Puckett said. "To hear it from somebody we just played and won
the game against was genuinely motivating for us."
"Hustling never cost a thing."
Believe it or not, this is not the first time a Cannelton basketball team has played a
season with five players. In 1996-97, the girls team had just five players after the
holiday break. Amazingly, there was also one senior (team captain Stacy Lawalin -- The
Consortium's niece), one junior (Christie Alvey) and three sophomores (Maria Gerlach,
Kristi Hawkins and Brittney Glenn). Same as this year's boys team. That team, coached
by Greg Glenn, was honored by the "Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame" and his its team
picture hanging in the gym that opened the next season in 1998. The Cannelton girls
had canceled its season in 1985-86 when only five players came out for the team and
had difficulty filling its schedule in coming years. While that 1996-97 team only
finished 6-13, it helped keep the program going. The Cannelton girls have never
canceled a season since 1985-86. "If you do that, kids start leaving," Garrett said.
"You might never get that sport back."
No coach in the state can accurately say they have a lack of depth compared to
Garrett. The only person he can turn to on the bench is his brother, who has long ago
extinguished his eligibility. So far this season there has only been one game when a
player fouled out. Cannelton played the final few minutes with just four players in a
45-41 loss at Seven Oaks. In another game at Crothersville, Cecil got sick and only
played the first few minutes. The Bulldogs played the rest of the way with four
players.
Cannelton did have to postpone games in the last month due to sickness. One illness on
the team forces a postponement.
Garrett said most teams, including Crothersville and South Central, have been
sportsmanlike and understanding about Cannelton's situation. Some have not. Garrett
said he received an apology letter from one coach. "If they are overplaying passing
lanes and just running out... I don't understand that," Garrett said. "When I was
coaching girls and we were good, I told myself I'd never been that guy. When you are
on the other end of it, you understand that a little bit more." Cannelton has been on
the wrong end of scores like 83-12, 63-7, 65-10, 72-19 and 77-21 this season. Garrett
knows some of those are unavoidable. He has no problem with a team leading by 40 or 50
points and running its offense with four or five passes for a shot. But close game or
blowout, he is playing the same five players minute after minute, game after game.
"I can't really blame the kids when they are tired and spent," Garrett said. "I tell
them every day, 'Hustling never cost a thing. It's free.' But when a team is beating
you 70-10, it's hard to stay engaged. But we work on little things to get better for
next year.
"Finish it out"
Richard King has his easiest job in his 45 years as the Cannelton scorekeeper. "Five
names," King said with a smile as he held the scorebook before Monday's game against
Christian Academy of Madison. King, 79, started out as the football scorekeeper in
1968 when he was recruited by then-coach Paul Osborne (Cannelton dropped football in
1972. The Consortium was captain of the 1962 team.) After keeping the book for the
junior high teams, he has been the varsity scorekeeper for boys basketball since 1980
(and girls basketball since 1996). He walks three blocks from his house to the gym for
the games. "These kids work really hard," King said. "They just don't have much
experience."
The lack of experience is obvious during the start of the game against Christian
Academy of Madison. After starting ahead 5-0, the visitors catch fire and lead 20-7 by
the end of the first quarter. Garrett switched the offensive sets to try to spark the
team, but nothing works. "Are you kidding me right now?" he shouts at no one in
particular.
When Coon picks up his third foul with 53 seconds left in the half, it is a dire
situation. When he attempts to take a charge, a few seconds later, well... luckily it
was called a charge. "Jerrett, no more trying to take a charge down here with three
fouls," Garrett tells him at halftime. "One foul, I'll give you. But you have three.
You can't do that. That's a fourth foul and a whole bag of trouble."
Garrett encourages the team at halftime, telling them it is still a game if they can
get on a run. Oh, and one other thing: "The kids in black jerseys," Garrett said.
"They are not on our team. That's the team we're playing against. Quit throwing them
the gosh dang basketball."
The lead gets as big as 23 points early in the third quarter before Cannelton rallies
to get within 17 by the end of the third. It does not get any closer, though Cannelton
plays an even game in the second half. This result is one of the most disappointing of
the season because the Bulldogs thought they had a real chance to win. "We knew we
could do better," Puckett said. "We felt disappointed with ourselves at halftime. We
were pretty mad."
But that feeling wears off eventually. By the time Gage and Puckett leave the gym,
they are both smiling. "There's no other group of guys I'd rather be around," Gage
said. "They keep me coming to practice every day. I love the challenge of playing with
these guys. They've kept me motivated to keep it going and finish it out."
Mike Garrett feels a kinship to this team, a relationship that goes beyond coach and
player. "Cannelton is a very, very low-income city," Garrett said. "It's hard for
parents to travel to Columbus to watch a game. A lot of times they don't have the
support of a parent being there. It's important for me to be a father figure there
supporting them in their lives."
Why play this season? Cannelton might not have a realistic chance to win a sectional
title or even come close to winning a sectional game. But that does not mean there is
no hope for the boys from Cannelton. They will have this story to tell for the rest of
their lives. "This is my last time playing high school basketball and these guys are
all my best friends," Puckett said. "We're going to keep giving it 100%."
-- Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
One turn. I Duelmaster. Off to Charlotte to live or die. I hope to return, but
the wide world is filled with killers. Am I a sacrifice? Perhaps. But I am also a
proud Perry Countian. We shall see........
-- Siberia, Duelmaster
SPY REPORT
So why do I have this bag over my head? Because I am The Unknown Spymaster and
I'm going to give you a spy report!. Hey everybody, watch out for TIKI, who flew up
11 points in the rankings after mashing FENNHAVEN like a melon. Keep your eye on
this gal. Well, if ya don't shows up at the laundromat, ya can'ts wash yer clothes.
SIBERIA did not fight this week so hers title was forfeit. In front of all the
crowds, SILVER STUD took the Duelmaster's crown for his own. I give the bum two
weeks. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but an onion a day keeps T.P.s at bay.
Here is other news that is of note. And hey, kiddies, those of you who didn't
avoid ALASD, please raise you hand. Wow. Does LIN TIRIAN really have that many
liars? And you guys like to boo me? Well, unsling your rasberries, cause PERRY
COUNTY beats feet every time ALASD smiles at them. Try farming, eh? Well just about
everybody wants a piece of APALONA, who was this week's most challenged warrior.
Being a spy is great--other people die and you spend the rest of the day
drinking to their memory. Better tanked than dead! Here's some advice: warriors
with little wit and will may encounter problems on the trail to the Isle.
I think I had better cut this one short. It's been nice chatting to those of
you whom I have not offended yet. Okay, so I may not be the world's best comedian,
but then you guys aren't the world's best warriors. Its been fun, and I'm sure you
enjoyed it (boos). Now that I've got you worked up for Snide Clemens, I'll be
leaving-- The Unknown Spymaster
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SILVER STUD 3678 12 5 0 99 HOWLIN CASE (352)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SIBERIA 3718 11 0 0 108 PERRY COUNTY (374)
-PRIMANTI BROS 3727 6 1 0 96 JESS'S PITT TRIP (398)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-BRISTOW 3707 13 5 2 85 PERRY COUNTY (374)
BIG ONE 3666 10 48 2 80 SAND DANCERS (68)
-LADY JUSTICE'S 3713 5 3 0 74 TOP FIVE SCALES (397)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BANDON 3743 11 3 0 55 PERRY COUNTY (374)
APALONA 3724 10 6 0 55 PERRY COUNTY (374)
TIKI 3752 6 7 0 54 ALASD (171)
FENNHAVEN 3709 12 10 0 46 PERRY COUNTY (374)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
PERSONAL ADS
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
SILVER STUD devastated BIG ONE in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight.
TIKI viciously subdued FENNHAVEN in a action packed 5 minute brutal battle.
APALONA outlasted CAPTURED ORC in a popular 12 minute gory master vs. amateur duel.
BANDON subdued DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 2 minute competition.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY 3 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 0 - 0 100 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 WALL OF STEEL 3 - 0 - 0 100 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 5 - 2 - 1 71 |
|AIMED BLOW 0 SLASHING ATTACK 12 - 9 - 1 57 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 TOTAL PARRY 14 - 12 - 1 54 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 STRIKING ATTACK 16 - 20 - 0 44 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
|BASHING ATTACK 0 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 834 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 4 STRIKING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 4 TOTAL PARRY
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 3 SLASHING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0
LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 0
BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
STRIKING ATTACK SILVER STUD 3678 12 5 0 99 HOWLIN CASE (352)
TOTAL PARRY BANDON 3743 11 3 0 55 PERRY COUNTY (374)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is TIKI 3752. The most popular warrior this turn was
TIKI 3752. The ten other most popular fighters were SILVER STUD 3678, BANDON 3743,
BIG ONE 3666, FENNHAVEN 3709, APALONA 3724, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0.
The least popular fighter this week was APALONA 3724. The other ten least popular
fighters were FENNHAVEN 3709, BIG ONE 3666, BANDON 3743, SILVER STUD 3678, TIKI 3752,
0, 0, 0, 0, and 0.
TV Percentages for Mail-in 83
Number of Warriors Who Participated in Each Tournament Class
Prim Cont Elig ADM Fres Chal Cham Adep Init Appr Rook
STYLE 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 ALL %
TP 2 10 5 18 40 42 19 27 37 27 50 277 10.8%
PS 6 7 2 7 9 4 5 10 16 15 12 93 3.6%
PR 7 8 6 8 17 16 9 13 18 18 28 148 5.8%
PL 8 8 9 13 7 12 8 17 12 14 16 124 4.8%
WS 12 14 9 13 17 24 8 17 32 17 18 181 7.0%
AB 70 46 27 27 19 32 5 27 26 32 97 408 15.9%
ST 9 3 2 7 13 38 44 54 55 74 106 405 15.8%
SL 7 8 7 10 14 35 21 26 36 48 49 261 10.2%
BA 3 9 5 7 26 5 5 12 18 16 35 141 5.5%
LU 16 25 18 37 29 113 44 46 62 66 76 532 20.7%
ALL 140 138 90 147 191 321 168 249 312 327 487 2570 100.0%
Number of TVs in Each Tournament Class
Prim Cont Elig ADM Fres Chal Cham Adep Init Appr Rook
STYLE 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 ALL %
TP 0 1 0 3 6 2 3 1 2 0 4 22 0.9%
PS 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0.1%
PR 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 2 7 0.3%
PL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 0.2%
WS 0 3 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 10 0.4%
AB 19 5 2 1 2 1 0 0 1 3 12 46 1.8%
ST 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 7 11 6 5 34 1.3%
SL 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 3 4 1 14 0.5%
BA 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0.2%
LU 0 3 2 5 1 13 2 3 3 2 4 38 1.5%
ALL 19 12 5 10 16 21 12 17 21 18 33 184 7.2%
TV Percentages within the Style
Prim Cont Elig ADM Fres Chal Cham Adep Init Appr Rook
STYLE 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 ALL %
TP 0.0% 10.0% 0.0% 16.7% 15.0% 4.8% 15.8% 3.7% 5.4% 0.0% 8.0% 7.9%
PS 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 14.3% 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 6.7% 0.0% 3.2%
PR 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.9% 0.0% 11.1% 7.7% 5.6% 5.6% 7.1% 4.7%
PL 0.0% 0.0% 11.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 11.8% 0.0% 0.0% 12.5% 4.0%
WS 0.0% 21.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.2% 25.0% 5.9% 0.0% 5.9% 11.1% 5.5%
AB 27.1% 10.9% 7.4% 3.7% 10.5% 3.1% 0.0% 0.0% 3.8% 9.4% 12.4% 11.3%
ST 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 15.4% 0.0% 6.8% 13.0% 20.0% 8.1% 4.7% 8.4%
SL 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 8.6% 4.8% 7.7% 8.3% 8.3% 2.0% 5.4%
BA 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 15.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2.9% 3.5%
LU 0.0% 12.0% 11.1% 13.5% 3.4% 11.5% 4.5% 6.5% 4.8% 3.0% 5.3% 7.1%
13.6% 8.7% 5.6% 6.8% 8.4% 6.5% 7.1% 6.8% 6.7% 5.5% 6.8% 7.2%
TV Percentages by Style of Total TVs
Prim Cont Elig ADM Fres Chal Cham Adep Init Appr Rook
STYLE 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 ALL %
TP 0.0% 8.3% 0.0% 30.0% 37.5% 9.5% 25.0% 5.9% 9.5% 0.0% 12.1% 12.0%
PS 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10.0% 0.0% 4.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.6% 0.0% 1.6%
PR 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 6.3% 0.0% 8.3% 5.9% 4.8% 5.6% 6.1% 3.8%
PL 0.0% 0.0% 20.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 11.8% 0.0% 0.0% 6.1% 2.7%
WS 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.8% 16.7% 5.9% 0.0% 5.6% 6.1% 5.4%
AB 100.0% 41.7% 40.0% 10.0% 12.5% 4.8% 0.0% 0.0% 4.8% 16.7% 36.4% 25.0%
ST 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 12.5% 0.0% 25.0% 41.2% 52.4% 33.3% 15.2% 18.5%
SL 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 14.3% 8.3% 11.8% 14.3% 22.2% 3.0% 7.6%
BA 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.0% 2.7%
LU 0.0% 25.0% 40.0% 50.0% 6.3% 61.9% 16.7% 17.6% 14.3% 11.1% 12.1% 20.7%