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Mays’ Road Takes Him From Lexington To South Whitley

After playing big-time college basketball, first at North Carolina State and finishing his master’s degree at Kentucky, Julius Mays finds himself going from playing in front of thousands of fans in Lexington’s Rupp Arena to being the new athletic director at Whitko. The population of the entire school district is somewhere around a fifth of Rupp’s 23,500 capacity.

The Marion native has had a long and winding road so far in life, but it’s about accomplishing goals rather than reaching destinations.

“I never had a written plan. Obviously, I have goals and there are stepping stones to achieving those goals,” Mays said. “I was welcomed with open arms at my alma mater (Marion High School) and I was greatly appreciative of that opportunity.
Grace College’s Haney, Anderson Earn Academic Honors

Two members of Grace’s baseball team were recognized for their excellence in the classroom.

David Anderson and Houston Haney were both honored as NCCAA Scholar-Athletes. To achieve that status, student-athletes must reach upperclassman status and have a GPA of at least 3.40.
Sports Without Fans And Other Things

It’s one of those weeks where there are a lot of things to talk about but only so many inches to do it in.

So I offer a buffet of subjects for your consideration today.
NFHS Releases Guidance For State Associations To Consider In Re-Opening HS Athletics, Activities

The National Federation of State High School Associations has released guidance for its 51 member state high school associations to consider in re-opening high school athletics and other activity programs across the nation.

The guidance document was developed by the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, a 15-member advisory committee composed of medical doctors, certified athletic trainers, high school coaches and officials, research specialists and state high school association executives that regularly develops position statements related to medical aspects of conducting high school athletics.
Crossroads League Claims 11 CoSIDA Honors for Baseball and Softball

The Crossroads League placed 11 student-athletes on the 2020 CoSIDA NAIA Baseball and Softball Academic All-District Teams recently. Taylor led the way with six combined honors, with Mount Vernon Nazarene collecting three awards and Grace and Indiana Wesleyan each claiming one.
18 Spartans Named Academic All-HCAC

The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference has announced the spring honorees for Tom Bohlsen Academic All-HCAC. 18 Spartans earned Academic All-HCAC honors this spring.
Julius Mays Named Whitko AD

Whitko Community Schools approved the hire of Julius Mays as the new athletic airector Monday evening during the Whitko School Board Meeting.
Valley Exploring E-Sports Club For This Fall

Tippecanoe Valley School High School announced at its Thursday board work session that an E-sports club is in the works for the 2020-21 school year.

Valley would join the Indiana High School E-Sports League (IHSEN).
Manchester Boys Hoops Coach Fired

After four seasons as boys basketball coach, Mark Underwood was fired by the Manchester Community School Corporation’s Board of Trustees this week, a move confirmed by Squire Athletic Director Eric Screeton Thursday.
All-NLC Academic Team Announced

The Class of 2020 Academic All-Northern Lakes Conference team was announced this week. Winners were:
Fall Sports Gets A Thumbs Up From IHSAA

Last week, the IHSAA announced that they have a plan for the fall sports season — and that plan is to have one.

Hoosiers rejoiced!
HCAC announces the spring Christopher M. Ragsdale Sportsmanship Team
Fall Sports Season Is Going To Be Affected

With Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement Friday of a plan to start opening up stuff to us step-by-step, there are a lot of people with mixed feelings on the stages of the plan.

This is not a political column and so you will not read my thoughts on Holcomb’s plan or my predictions on its ultimate success.
Tips For Teaching Kids

I watch parents and grandparents working with their young kids on sports-related skills all the time. Most of them have the best of intentions.

Either way, over my nearly 50 years of playing sports and watching others play, I have come to some conclusions about how to get young people off to good starts and pointed in the right direction for later in their sports lives.

I want to share with you today some of the things that I have discovered.
TVMS Winter Sports Awards Announced

Tippecanoe Valley Middle School recently presented its winter sports awards via a conference call.

Winners were as listed below:
Wawasee Winter Sports Award Winners Announced

Wawasee recently issued its winter sports awards, highlighting its six varsity sports as well as cheerleading.

Wawasee’s winter season had girls swimming qualify for four events at the IHSAA State Finals and two of its wrestlers make the IHSAA State Finals along with the team achieving its third consecutive sectional championship. Additionally, one gymnast was used as a baseline scorer at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals.
HS Wrestling Rules Changes Address Weigh-in Procedures, Hair Length

As the result of a concerted effort to accommodate the growing number of female wrestlers, the 2020-21 high school wrestling rules changes are headlined by significant adjustments to weigh-in protocol and appropriate hair length requirements.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee met April 5-6 and recommended 11 rules changes to take effect next school year. In accordance with current health safety guidelines, the rules meeting was held in an online format. All rules revisions recommended by the Wrestling Rules Committee were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Moore A Tiger Of A Different Color

Matt Moore met the media Saturday afternoon for the first time as boys basketball coach of the Warsaw Tigers.

Of course, he met them via a video chat because, well, you know, that’s how we have do things like that these days.

Moore was officially announced as head coach Saturday morning, and he saw the faces and heard the voices of those who would be covering the team and many of the other Tiger team coaches later that afternoon.
A Long Way From Fall Sports

Sitting here in my home, one foot on the living room carpet and the other on the dining room floor, I can’t help but think we’re a long way from fall sports ... much farther than we normally are on April 21.

And after reading Kyle Neddenriep’s article in Monday’s Indianapolis Star, we all need to take a closer look at the priority we place on high school sports.
Grace Alum Matt Moore To Be New Tiger Boys Hoops Coach

After an extensive search, Athletic Director Matt Binkerd hired just the third boys basketball head coach at Warsaw Community High School.

The choice??Forty-year-old Grace College alum Matt Moore.

The announcement came Saturday and is subject to school board approval, which is expected to come at its next scheduled meeting a week from today, April 27.
Tigers Burgh, Hutcherson Make College Choice

Despite the lack of a senior season, Warsaw baseball players Noah Burgh and Jacob Hutcherson announced Friday they will continue their baseball and academic careers are Purdue North-west and Trinity Christian College, respectively.
Kosciusko County Special Olympics On Hold Due To Virus

Special Olympics Kosciusko County (SOKC) has been suspended in keeping with current CDC social distancing guidelines for COVID-19. In light of this situation, this recap will provide information on the activities and benefits of SOKC.
MU?Senior QB Downard Earns NFF Honor

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today the members of the 2020 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. Senior Alex Downard, a Campbell Trophy semifinalist back in the fall, was named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society Tuesday.
Squires Hire Former Asst. As New FB Coach

Athletic director Eric Screeton announced Wednesday former Squire assistant Alyx Brandewie is the new head football coach at Manchester High School.

Brandewie is originally from Minster, Ohio, and was teaching and coaching football and baseball there the last two years. Before that he was an assistant coach and eventually the defensive coordinator under former coach Greg Miller from 2016-18.
Things I’ve Learned In Isolation

We have all learned a lot over the past month.

We’ve learned a lot about ourselves, the people we live with, the people we work with and the people who have been our friends.

I want to use my space this week talking about some of the things I have learned over this month. Some of them are sports-related, and some of them are not. Some of them, I hope, you find humorous. Some aren’t funny at all.
Tiger Best Teams Of All Time (Part 3)

This is the last of my series on the great Warsaw teams of all time.

There are a few more teams that need to be mentioned. Again, these are teams that set themselves apart over the course of time and they are in no particular order.
Leal, Parrish Capture Indiana's Top Basketball Awards

Anthony Leal and Sydney Parrish can add one more award to their expanding trophy rooms — Indiana's No. 1 All-Star jersey.

Leal was a runaway winner for the IndyStar Mr. Basketball Award, receiving 103 of 236 votes. Parrish earned 102 votes to edge Madison Layden for the Miss Basketball Award.
Lancer Marathon Ends, More Than $12K Raised For Virus Relief

With several laps around 1st Source Bank Field, and a celebratory backflip to boot, sophomore Cole Voss concluded the last shift for the Grace College men’s soccer program at noon Wednesday, ending the team’s weeklong quest to raise money for COVID-19 relief.
No Spring Sports, Yet We Must Carry On

The spring sports season will be one that is talked about for as long as high school sports are still talked about.

It ended before it ever started.

Just minutes after Gov. Eric Holcomb’s order last week that school buildings stay closed and educating be done remotely for the remainder of the school year, the Indiana High School Athletic Association issued their own statement saying that the spring sports season would never begin.
Kilburn Wins Don Dicken Award

Warsaw senior Grayson Kilburn was named the female recipient of the The Don Dicken Golf Award for the 2019 season on Tuesday. The award recipients are chosen by Warsaw golf coaches and presented to the senior golfers who excel in leadership, academics, citizenship, and team effort.
Fort Wayne FC Prepares For ‘21 After NPSL Season Cancellation

Coaching staff assembled. Players selected. Jerseys printed. President and co-owner of Fort Wayne Football Club Erik Magner was eager to unveil a high level of soccer to northeast Indiana.
2020 Indiana Boys All-Stars Named

Thirteen players have been selected for the 2020 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars, it was announced Monday.

Those chosen to the team are scheduled to play three games in June -- one exhibition game against the Indiana Junior All-Stars as well as home-and-home contests against the Kentucky All-Stars.
Mangas Is A Natural Hero

In the later stages of the 2015-16 Warsaw boys basketball season, Warsaw’s quest for perfection was still very much intact as they traveled to Fort Wayne Northrop on a January Saturday night. Jan. 23, to be exact.

They were trailing in the dying moments of the game, and they passed the ball to Kyle Mangas.
Former Tiger Remembers His Roots, In Life And Hoops

After learning Monday he had won the Bevo Francis Award as the nation’s top small college men’s basketball player, Warsaw native and Indiana Wesleyan junior guard Kyle Mangas took some time to reflect on how he began his journey to the top of the small college basketball world.

“I started my Warsaw basketball career in second grade, playing on a third-grade level travel team in town with guys like Paul Marandet, guys like Riley Rhoades and Evan Schmidt who I’d go on to play high school ball.
Warsaw Native Mangas Wins Bevo Francis Award

Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball junior Kyle Mangas added to his season accolades, being named the 2020 Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award winner, announced by the Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee. This award is given to just one player within Small College Basketball per season. This marks the first time in program history a Wildcat has earned the honor.
IWU’s Mangas Named Francis Award Finalist

MARION – Indiana Wesleyan junior and Warsaw Community High School alumni Kyle Mangas was named Saturday as one of 14 finalists for the Bevo Francis Award, given to the best small college basketball player in the nation.
Lancer Men’s Soccer Extends Marathon Relay By 5 Days

They say you can’t run away from your problems, but Grace College’s men’s soccer team is putting one foot in front of the other in order to provide monetary relief for communities fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Picking Up The Discussion Of Best Tiger Teams

So last Saturday I started to tackle the daunting task of looking back on the best Warsaw teams of all time.

It’s daunting because there are so many teams worth mentioning, and because if you don’t mention a team that someone thinks should be mentioned, you open the door for trouble.
Deep Down, We Knew ... And It Still Vacuums*

I had a feeling, and made a point not to say so in this space a week or so ago, that the spring sports season wasn’t going to happen.

Thursday, in a statement far more brief than its impact, the IHSAA did what had to be done; cancelling the spring sports season.

And it truly sucks. (* – I wasn’t sure the boss would like the word “sucks” in a headline, but this whole thing with the coronavirus does.)
IHSAA Cancels Spring Sports Season

After Gov. Eric Holcomb’s order Thursday afternoon for all school building in Indiana remain closed for the remander of the academic year, the IHSAA followed by cancelling the spring sports season for 2020.
Ritchie Hired To Lead LCA?Boys Hoops
When Things Get Real

For me, there are times when items in the news become a little more real or personal. I find it fairly easy to compartmentalize things until those news items include people I know.

It doesn’t have to be a close, personal friend. Over the course of a lifetime I’ve met hundreds, if not thousands of people, and I hope most of them, when my name is mentioned, smile. (No one bats 1.000 in that category, and I am by no means an exception to that rule.)
Classic Games Give Us New Perspective

Sports has completely ground to a halt.

There is nothing happening.
Grace Men’s Soccer Teams Up For COVID-19 Relief

The Grace College men’s soccer team is planning a run to fight COVID-19. A very long run.

The Lancers are organizing a 48-hour run this week in an effort to raise funds for pandemic relief.
Our Finest Hour, If We So Choose

I’ve been asked “how are you enjoying the break from sports?”

Frankly, I hate it.

Before I go too deep with this, I understand that sports are not essential to life itself. I know no one who has experienced a global pandemic before, but we do have a history of moving heaven and earth to save lives.
Which Tiger Team Is The Best Ever?

In these days of darkened sports arenas and gyms and empty diamonds and tracks complexes, sports people are scrambling for sports to talk about.

I feel like I have plenty of subjects for columns, but this one was suggested to me and so I thought I would tackle it.

Its intent is to answer the age-old question “which team is the greatest team in Warsaw Tiger history?”
Spartan Teams Join Forces To Aid Cancer Patient, Family

Athletics brings people together – teams often join forces to fight for something bigger than the self. As a faculty mentor for the women’s basketball and softball teams, Manchester University faculty member Dr. Heather Schilling, director of teacher education, knew the Spartans were on her team, but she never imaged how they would team up to fight for her.

In early December, Schilling received devastating news. Elizabeth, her 27-year-old daughter who was scheduled to have surgery to remove a brain tumor, was sent home. The tumor had turned into stage four brain cancer, and instead of surgery, Elizabeth was ordered to start chemotherapy and radiation immediately.
An Open Letter To Lancer Supporters From The Athletic Director

Dear Lancer Nation,

We began this journey two weeks ago, battling the COVID-19 outbreak through uncharted territory. You have faithfully responded with resiliency and tremendous character in the midst of these extreme changes, which is to be applauded.
IBCA Names Several All-Star Teams

Fifteen seniors and 15 underclass boys basketball players have earned IBCA/Subway "Supreme 15" All-State honors for 2019-2020, it was announced Thursday.

The IBCA also named Large School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass) and Small School All-State players (15 seniors, 15 underclass).

The "Supreme 15" is the top honor awarded, and players were voted to that group without regard to school size. The Large School and Small School all-state teams are secondary accolades -- the Large School group including players from Class 3A and Class 4A schools and the Small School group including players from Class A and Class 2A schools. Players who make the Supreme 15 are not considered for Large School or Small School honors.

In addition, 89 more seniors and 93 more underclass players were selected honorable mention all-state. The honorable mention laurels are awarded without regard to school size.