One night after watching Huntington North's girls golf team blitz his team by 31 strokes, Warsaw coach Bob Turner was curious to see how his team would respond.

After all, Huntington handed the Tigers their first loss. And these Tigers are essentially a new team this year - last year's top three starters graduated.

They responded, all right. They responded by shooting their season-best score. They responded by blistering Tippecanoe Valley by 59 strokes in a Thursday match at Rozella Ford Golf Course, 188-247.

And that's just the way Turner figured it would happen with his rebuilt 1997 team.

"Our kids didn't let one loss ruin their season," Turner said. "These girls, the less said, the better off they are."

While Turner was pumped about his team, Moriarty seemed resigned to his team's fate. The IHSAA dealt Valley a blow this week when the Vikings learned they were 0-6 instead of 4-2. They had to forfeit their first six matches because one of their top five players was ruled academically ineligible.

And in a separate incident, two other girls were suspended.

The loss to Warsaw dropped Valley to 0-7.

Moriarty declined to name the players involved on the record, but acknowledged his team faces a rough road.

"We have some work to do," he said. "We have some improving to do. We're going to have to shuffle our lineup a little bit since we lost some of our girls. We're just going to get out to the course and work hard the next three weeks and get them ready for the sectional.

"You know, we just have to regroup here."

Just as Warsaw regrouped after its loss to Huntington.

Warsaw's No. 2 golfer, Ashley Cooper, led the Tigers with a 42. Brooke Westover, golfing in the No. 1 spot, shot a 43 for the Tigers. Number four golfer Kerri Wrobel added a 46. Also for Warsaw, Tasha Nance shot a 57 and April Turner a 59.

"Kerri Wrobel did an exceptional job," Turner said. "Brooke, Ashley, they all did. We count on five girls."

Cooper and Wrobel shot their best scores of the season. Cooper, a junior, golfed in the No. 5 spot on last year's varsity team.

"I was hitting the ball pretty good," Cooper said. "Putting was decent, but it could have been better. My drives were pretty good, my chipping was pretty good. Basically, everything was pretty good.

"(Westover) and me are trying to shoot for the record at our school, which is 39. Forty-two is my best. When I first started out as a freshman, I shot in the 70s. Usually I shoot like a 47, but this is my lowest yet."

Westover may be Turner's only senior, but he already believes 1997's team could be better than 1996's.

"This team is more consistent than last year's," Turner said. "They could shoot the really low round or shoot over 200. We got a lesson (Wednesday) when Huntington shot that 172. Our girls shot 203, but to come back and shoot 188 on a course like Rozella, you can't ask for any more than that."

Valley's No. 1 golfer, Brenda Rose, paced the Vikings with a 55. After her, no other Vikings shot below 60. Erica Pontious, golfing in the No. 4 spot, added a 60 for Valley. Wendy Tilden and Mary Gast, Valley's No. 2 and No. 3 golfers, shot 66s. Sophomore Terra Weaver, making her first varsity start, shot a 75.

In junior varsity action, freshman Jaci Thallemer paced Warsaw with a 59. Lara Reed and Kasey Jones each added 60s. Valley had only one junior varsity golfer, Maggie Rock, so team scores were not recorded.

Moriarty hopes his team can turn things around at its Saturday Three Rivers Conference Invitational. The match will take place at Mill Creek golf course at Rochester at 7:30 a.m.

"We have an eight-team tournament Saturday, but it's on our home course," Moriarty said. "The girls ought to play a little more relaxed."

Moriarty was asked about his team's current status.

"Young," he said. "Rugged. A little inexperienced. A little shook up tonight."

Warsaw next plays at Plymouth at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Tigers meet Plymouth and Northridge in a Northern Lakes Conference match.

"Hopefully we're starting to find that edge," Turner said. "As fun as tonight is, there may be one in the future that may not be so fun.

"We're inexperienced, we don't know what's out there, but we have the potential to play pretty well."

WARSAW 188, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 247

Warsaw - Brooke Westover 43, Ashley Cooper 42, April Turner 59, Kerri Wrobel 46, Tasha Nance 57

Valley- Brenda Rose 55, Wendy Tilden 66, Mary Gast 66, Erica Pontious 60, Terra Weaver 75

JV: NO TEAM SCORES RECORDED

Warsaw - Lara Reed 60, Kasey Jones 60, Jaci Thallemer 59, Stephanie Wilson 67, Erin Owens 75

Valley - Maggie Rock 82 [[In-content Ad]]