Warsaw Tigers Playing Out Special Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Roger Grossman, Lake City Radio-
The Class 4A No. 4 Tigers went into the Panther Pit in Nappanee in a “game of the year” atmosphere in front of a sell-out crowd of over 3,000 people and dominated the 3A No. 4 Panthers, who were ranked second at the time, winning by 16 points.
They backed that up 24 hours later by beating Elkhart Central at home by 14.
What had the entire state buzzing is that Warsaw held a NorthWood team averaging 68 points to just 35, and held a Central team averaging 65 points to 35. That’s two teams who should score 133 points combined per game held to a total of 70. Holding those two teams to 70 points in 64 minutes of basketball is mind-boggling.
This Warsaw “pack line defense” has been downright oppressive over the last two seasons. Consider these facts:
• Warsaw has only allowed 50 or more points in a game three times this season, and two of those games went overtime. Over the last two seasons it’s happened only six times in 40 games, and three of those games need extra time.
• The Tigers are currently ranked sixth in the state in fewest points allowed (40.06).
• Opponents are shooting under 40 percent for the season against Warsaw.
This style of defense requires players who are able to guard both bigger post players and smaller ball-handlers. That means Warsaw ‘switches’ every time someone sets a screen against them. It takes five players on the floor being able to guard on the block and at the arc.
It also means you have to have players who are willing to pay the price on defense. These Tigers are more than willing.
And it means you have to have smart players, and they are certainly that.
Add to that the fact the team is deeper than anyone could have expected at the beginning of the season and you have the ingredients for a special season, and that’s exactly what this is:
•Never in the storied history of Warsaw Tiger boys basketball has a team gone this many games into a season without a loss.
• Four times they have needed overtime to win, three of those were on the road, and in all three they trailed in the final 4:00 of regulation.
• The team has two players on it (Sam Miller and Aaron Sandoval) who barely got to play on the JV team last season. Despite warnings from coach Doug Ogle about probably not getting much playing time, they came out anyway and contribute to this team in practice just because they want to be part of something bigger than they are.
It’s an easy team to cheer for because they do things the right way and they do them very well. They also are fun to watch because they can win games a lot of different ways.
A win tonight at Elkhart Memorial would secure a second-consecutive Northern Lakes Conference Championship. It would also set up an incredible stretch drive to this dream season. It would start with Plymouth at home, which has been rescheduled back on a Friday night in February like it was for decades, for an outright NLC title. The next night Hamilton Southeastern comes to the Tiger Den. The following Saturday Carmel makes their first ever trip to Tiger Town, then the regular season ends with a road trip to Huntertown to face the sixth-ranked Carroll Chargers.
And then the sectional at North Side Gym, which features teams which Warsaw will already have played this season, as well as Al Rhodes’ Penn Kingsmen.
These seasons don’t come around often.
It’s a special season and a special group of people.
How special? Well, we’re about to find out.[[In-content Ad]]
The Class 4A No. 4 Tigers went into the Panther Pit in Nappanee in a “game of the year” atmosphere in front of a sell-out crowd of over 3,000 people and dominated the 3A No. 4 Panthers, who were ranked second at the time, winning by 16 points.
They backed that up 24 hours later by beating Elkhart Central at home by 14.
What had the entire state buzzing is that Warsaw held a NorthWood team averaging 68 points to just 35, and held a Central team averaging 65 points to 35. That’s two teams who should score 133 points combined per game held to a total of 70. Holding those two teams to 70 points in 64 minutes of basketball is mind-boggling.
This Warsaw “pack line defense” has been downright oppressive over the last two seasons. Consider these facts:
• Warsaw has only allowed 50 or more points in a game three times this season, and two of those games went overtime. Over the last two seasons it’s happened only six times in 40 games, and three of those games need extra time.
• The Tigers are currently ranked sixth in the state in fewest points allowed (40.06).
• Opponents are shooting under 40 percent for the season against Warsaw.
This style of defense requires players who are able to guard both bigger post players and smaller ball-handlers. That means Warsaw ‘switches’ every time someone sets a screen against them. It takes five players on the floor being able to guard on the block and at the arc.
It also means you have to have players who are willing to pay the price on defense. These Tigers are more than willing.
And it means you have to have smart players, and they are certainly that.
Add to that the fact the team is deeper than anyone could have expected at the beginning of the season and you have the ingredients for a special season, and that’s exactly what this is:
•Never in the storied history of Warsaw Tiger boys basketball has a team gone this many games into a season without a loss.
• Four times they have needed overtime to win, three of those were on the road, and in all three they trailed in the final 4:00 of regulation.
• The team has two players on it (Sam Miller and Aaron Sandoval) who barely got to play on the JV team last season. Despite warnings from coach Doug Ogle about probably not getting much playing time, they came out anyway and contribute to this team in practice just because they want to be part of something bigger than they are.
It’s an easy team to cheer for because they do things the right way and they do them very well. They also are fun to watch because they can win games a lot of different ways.
A win tonight at Elkhart Memorial would secure a second-consecutive Northern Lakes Conference Championship. It would also set up an incredible stretch drive to this dream season. It would start with Plymouth at home, which has been rescheduled back on a Friday night in February like it was for decades, for an outright NLC title. The next night Hamilton Southeastern comes to the Tiger Den. The following Saturday Carmel makes their first ever trip to Tiger Town, then the regular season ends with a road trip to Huntertown to face the sixth-ranked Carroll Chargers.
And then the sectional at North Side Gym, which features teams which Warsaw will already have played this season, as well as Al Rhodes’ Penn Kingsmen.
These seasons don’t come around often.
It’s a special season and a special group of people.
How special? Well, we’re about to find out.[[In-content Ad]]
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