Chip Counts His NLC Blessings
July 23, 2021 at 11:03 p.m.
Chip Counts His NLC Blessings
By Chip Davenport-
Walk with me while I take you on my emotional NLC affiliation sine wave.
Goshen, with its enrollment of at least 1,800 high school students, and Plymouth, who has been dealing conference opening “Ls” to Warsaw for several years (until last season) are the two programs whose available freshmen will see instead see JV action this fall.
My hat goes off to the Warsaw athletic department, and to Warsaw head football coach Bart Curtis.
The tandem sought the highest level of available competition to fill those game gaps. Traditional powers Penn, and Mishawaka Marian will provide the type of challenge the Tigers need for program development. If you want to see the future of Tiger football, come to Fisher field by 6 p.m. Sept. 2 (Penn) and Sept. 9 (Marian) to witness some good northern Indiana football.
While many programs are having down yeas in numbers, the Tigers – last season in a pandemic – fielded over 50 freshmen for last season’s competition. The 2021 numbers are likely very close to that number. I am unsure if 50 athletes in football is a program record, but I do know I’ve been watching Warsaw Tiger football actively since 2011, and I have not seen these types of numbers.
There is a contagion of interest associated with success. It’s no coincidence Plymouth’s athletic cupboard has run bare recently, and Goshen’s football program hasn’t won a NLC gridiron clash since Sept. 1, 2017.
The short-sighted side of my mind wants two or three Northern Indiana mega-conferences from Fort Wayne in the east to “Daaaah Region” to the west. These mega-conferences might assure more competitive “big school’ football for the pleasure among their collective fan bases.
Yes, there are many times I want to shake off the NLC, but I come to the realization (each year) I would be throwing out the baby with the bath water. Then I realize the NLC has some gifts, per se.
Concord – Dangerous in the water, competitive on the football field. They send athletes to collegiate level athletic programs beyond the typical D3 and NAIA schools. I believe their basketball venue is over-hyped.
Northridge – the middle school class sizes exceed 400. Their growth seems to resemble what Warsaw experienced two decades ago. They’re good at almost every sport, and their facilities are top notch.
Goshen – Soccer is a model for success in the Maple City. The NLC would benefit greatly if the NLC’s second largest school returns to its pre-millennium football glory. In the meantime, the boys’ basketball team is young, hungry, and they have three sharpshooters returning for the 2021-2022 season.
Mishawaka – a win-win for the NLC. Their fans travel well. There are numerous times I wondered how last year’s attendance for the Sept. 11 clash with Warsaw would have looked had there not been a pandemic. I strongly believe fans would have leaned on most of the perimeter of the fence in addition to squeezing their tukuses onto every seat in the stadium. How about that wrestling program, too!
The Cavemen also benefit from NLC membership because they will see, as crowd restrictions increasingly relax, an improved gate revenue from a handful of NLC schools whose fans travel more than the paltry guest fans from their prior conference.
NorthWood – the little school that could. Undaunted by their lot as the smallest school in the NLC, the Panthers field competitive teams in football, basketball, and volleyball. Northwood also has the best basketball student section in the NLC, if not in the area. Carrol’s Neon Nation comes to mind as a comparable student section. The smaller Panthers section still makes a mighty roar when they set foot in your gym.
Plymouth – honestly, the schadenfreude I’m feeling for you among all your athletic programs, as well as others in the NLC Nation are feeling too, will eventually wear off. In the meantime, you’ve had it coming to you! In a sick way, this is your gift to NLC Nation.
Wawasee – the wrestling program is the gift that keeps on giving for the green and gold. Softball and gymnastics are also competitive for the NLC’s second smallest school.
I hope, regardless of your personal world view of the NLC, you’re looking forward to lots of scholastic athletic action resuming in August. Fans, we missed you last year!
Walk with me while I take you on my emotional NLC affiliation sine wave.
Goshen, with its enrollment of at least 1,800 high school students, and Plymouth, who has been dealing conference opening “Ls” to Warsaw for several years (until last season) are the two programs whose available freshmen will see instead see JV action this fall.
My hat goes off to the Warsaw athletic department, and to Warsaw head football coach Bart Curtis.
The tandem sought the highest level of available competition to fill those game gaps. Traditional powers Penn, and Mishawaka Marian will provide the type of challenge the Tigers need for program development. If you want to see the future of Tiger football, come to Fisher field by 6 p.m. Sept. 2 (Penn) and Sept. 9 (Marian) to witness some good northern Indiana football.
While many programs are having down yeas in numbers, the Tigers – last season in a pandemic – fielded over 50 freshmen for last season’s competition. The 2021 numbers are likely very close to that number. I am unsure if 50 athletes in football is a program record, but I do know I’ve been watching Warsaw Tiger football actively since 2011, and I have not seen these types of numbers.
There is a contagion of interest associated with success. It’s no coincidence Plymouth’s athletic cupboard has run bare recently, and Goshen’s football program hasn’t won a NLC gridiron clash since Sept. 1, 2017.
The short-sighted side of my mind wants two or three Northern Indiana mega-conferences from Fort Wayne in the east to “Daaaah Region” to the west. These mega-conferences might assure more competitive “big school’ football for the pleasure among their collective fan bases.
Yes, there are many times I want to shake off the NLC, but I come to the realization (each year) I would be throwing out the baby with the bath water. Then I realize the NLC has some gifts, per se.
Concord – Dangerous in the water, competitive on the football field. They send athletes to collegiate level athletic programs beyond the typical D3 and NAIA schools. I believe their basketball venue is over-hyped.
Northridge – the middle school class sizes exceed 400. Their growth seems to resemble what Warsaw experienced two decades ago. They’re good at almost every sport, and their facilities are top notch.
Goshen – Soccer is a model for success in the Maple City. The NLC would benefit greatly if the NLC’s second largest school returns to its pre-millennium football glory. In the meantime, the boys’ basketball team is young, hungry, and they have three sharpshooters returning for the 2021-2022 season.
Mishawaka – a win-win for the NLC. Their fans travel well. There are numerous times I wondered how last year’s attendance for the Sept. 11 clash with Warsaw would have looked had there not been a pandemic. I strongly believe fans would have leaned on most of the perimeter of the fence in addition to squeezing their tukuses onto every seat in the stadium. How about that wrestling program, too!
The Cavemen also benefit from NLC membership because they will see, as crowd restrictions increasingly relax, an improved gate revenue from a handful of NLC schools whose fans travel more than the paltry guest fans from their prior conference.
NorthWood – the little school that could. Undaunted by their lot as the smallest school in the NLC, the Panthers field competitive teams in football, basketball, and volleyball. Northwood also has the best basketball student section in the NLC, if not in the area. Carrol’s Neon Nation comes to mind as a comparable student section. The smaller Panthers section still makes a mighty roar when they set foot in your gym.
Plymouth – honestly, the schadenfreude I’m feeling for you among all your athletic programs, as well as others in the NLC Nation are feeling too, will eventually wear off. In the meantime, you’ve had it coming to you! In a sick way, this is your gift to NLC Nation.
Wawasee – the wrestling program is the gift that keeps on giving for the green and gold. Softball and gymnastics are also competitive for the NLC’s second smallest school.
I hope, regardless of your personal world view of the NLC, you’re looking forward to lots of scholastic athletic action resuming in August. Fans, we missed you last year!
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