Wawasee To Square Off With F.W. Concordia
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - After years of utter futility, it seems Wawasee is poised to put itself on the map as a basketball program.
Just seven years ago the Warriors trudged through a 1-21 season. Three more losing seasons followed that.
Then the program turned the corner.
Credit it to an upswing in talent or the foundation of a program being built, but whatever it is Wawasee seems like its here to stay.
And where here is, is another appearance in the regional.
Last year, Wawasee defeated Tippecanoe Valley and Delta on a Saturday at NorthWood High School to advance to the Huntington North Semistate.
This year, Wawasee (19-4) will take on Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (16-6) in the second game of the Blackford Regional at noon Saturday. Tippecanoe Valley (19-4) will take on Jay County (17-6) in the day's first game at 10 a.m. The winners win take each other on for a spot in the Northern semistate at 8 p.m.
On paper, No. 6 (3A) Wawasee appears to be the favorite. The Warriors got out of the toughest sectional and played the toughest regular-season schedule.
Don't tell that to Wawasee coach Phil Mishler though.
"The problem with our society is people think they deserve things," said Mishler. "What's not important is earning things. I think (our team) understands that and works hard."
Last year the hard-working Warriors were led by a talented group of seniors in Kory Lantz, Austin Kaiser, Ryan Kauchak and Austin Gerber.
The likes of Andrew Mock, Michael Conrad, Lance Zimmerman and Joe Leach have taken their places and haven't missed a step.
"Winning breeds winning," said Mishler. "Our kids go into games thinking they can win."
For Wawasee to win Saturday against Concordia, the Warriors will need to overcome a size disadvantage.
The Cadets have seven players listed at 6-foot-4 or taller.
Perhaps Concordia's best player is 6-9 junior Kyle Pressley. Pressley averages 13.4 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game. Concordia coach Tim Reinking said he believes Pressley is a potential junior all-star.
Six-foot-4 senior Justin Goeglin comes into Saturday as Concordia's second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game while Austin Thoms averages 10.7 a contest.
Goeglin scored 21 points while Jason Doerfller added 16 and Pressley dropped 10 in Concordia's 66-45 win over New Haven in the Cadets' sectional final.
"We're obviously expecting a lot of height," said Mishler. "We're going to have to shoot the ball well from the perimeter."
While Wawasee may lack the size Concordia has, they don't lack scorers.
Mock scored 27 points in the Warriors 66-60 win in Saturday's sectional final against host NorthWood.
Mock leads Wawasee at 14.8 points per game on 39 percent shooting. Mock has taken more than half (119) of his 237 shots from beyond the three-point arc. The 5-8 speedster leads the team in assists with 3.7 a game and shoots 82.4 percent from the free throw line.
Mock and his teammates put on quite a show from the free-throw line against NorthWood as they went 34 of 38 for the game.
As important as sharp shooting and offense will be, Mishler believes it's the other side of the ball that will allow Wawasee to move forward in the tournament.
"What has allowed us to win this year starts on the defensive end and taking care of the team concept," said Mishler.
Words like "team" and "unselfishness" aren't just buzz words at Wawasee. They're a part of a carefully crafted mantra by Mishler.
Talk to the players and they're quick to heap praise on teammates, talk to Mishler and he'll speak of "representing Wawasee in a class manner."
Perhaps nobody better personifies what Wawasee is trying to do than senior sixth man John Adams.
Adams spent his first three years on the freshmen and junior varsity squads. He started just one game as a senior on senior night and yet he has taken to his role.
Adams averages just 2.1 points per game but provides what sometimes turns out to be the starting five's lone help off the bench.
That mean Adams has to wear several hats.
"He has a tough role as a sixth man," said Mishler of Adams. "He has to know every position and every role. And he does that well. What I attribute that to is his willingness to take that on and put team first."
If Wawasee has a weakness, it would be its depth.
The Warriors turn the ball over just 10 times a game, shoot nearly 50 percent from the field as a team and force opponents into nearly 15 turnovers a game.
What Wawasee won't do is throw a lot of players at you. The Warriors start Mock, Conrad, Leach, Zimmerman and Brandon Geiger. Besides Adams, no other player averages more than 1.5 points per game.
The Warriors average just 5.3 points per game off the bench with 2.4 of those coming from Adams.
Concordia will also have some depth issues as 6-7 Dan Hartman is not expected to start according to Reinking. Sophomore Brandon Knox is expected to start in his place.
Knox averages 4.8 points per game off the bench.
The Cadets beat three teams with losing records to advance to the Blackford Regional.
In terms of common opponents, both teams played and defeated Carroll (Fort Wayne).
Wawasee has won 12 of its last 13 while Concordia has won nine of its last 10.
FW CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CADETS
(16-6, 6-3 Summit Athletic Conference)
Concordia 64, Carroll 52
Concordia 55, FW Wayne 47
Concordia 78, Woodlan 60
Concordia 57, FW Dwenger 55
Concordai 66, Leo 59
Concordia 72, FW Northrop 66
Harding 56, Concordia 54
Homestead 74, Concorida 56
Concorida 57, FW Blackhawk 41
Harding 70, Concordia 63
FW Snider 58, Concordia 52
FW South 74, Concorida 64
Concordia 77, Bellmont 47
Concordia 71, FW North 66 (OT)
Concordia 74, FW Elmhurst 54
Concordia 58, New Haven 55
Concordia 46, Heritage 36
East Noble 54, Concordia 49
Concordia 56, Bellmont 47 (sectional)
Concordia 60, FW Dwenger 56 (sectional)
Concordia 66, New Haven 45 (sectional)
(Individual statitistics, per-game averages)
Scoring - Kyle Pressley 13.4, Justin Goeglin 10.81, Austin Thomas 10.7, Dan Hartman 8.8, Jason Doerffler 6.2
Rebounding - Pressley 6.5, Hartman 4.6, Brandon Knox 3.7, Goeglin 2.6, Thomas 1.7
Assists - Thomas 5.0, Goeglin 1.9, Doerffler 1.8, Josh Miller 1.5, Pressley 1.4
Steals - Thomas 2.0, Goeglin 1.8, Doerffler 1.1, Pressley 0.9, Miller 0.7
WAWASEE WARRIORS
(19-4, 5-2 Northern Lakes Conference)
Wawasee 53, Fairfield 46
Wawasee 68, Angola 53
Wawasee 45, West Noble 35
Wawasee 61, Whitko 44
Wawasee 52, Wawasee 49
Wawasee 45, Carroll 38
DeKalb 47, Wawasee 37
Wawasee 43, Central Noble 29
NorthWood 62, Wawasee 49
Elkhart Memorial 69, Wawasee 63
Wawasee 68, Manchester 26
Wawasee 57, Plymouth 36
Wawasee 62, Concord 57
Wawasee 51, Lakeland 40
Wawasee 57, Northridge 46
Wawasee 64, Goshen 35
Wawasee 67, Westview 57
Wawasee 60, Churubusco 42
Columbia City 52, Wawasee 48
Wawasee 63, T. Valley 50
Wawasee 54, Lakeland 39 (sectional)
Wawasee 60, Northridge 49 (sectional)
Wawasee 66, NorthWood 60 (sectional)
(Individual statistics, per-game averages)
Scoring - Andrew Mock 14.8, Joe Leach 12.9, Michael Conrad 11.2, Lance Zimmerman 8.8, Brandon Geiger 4.2
Rebounding - Zimmerman 5.8, Leach 3.9, Geiger 3.9, Conrad 3.0, Mock 2.4
Assists - Mock 3.7, Leach 2.4, Conrad 2.1, Zimmerman 1.2, Geiger 1.0
Steals - Leach 2.3, Conrad 1.9, Mock 1.5, Zimmerman 0.6, Geiger 0.3 [[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
SYRACUSE - After years of utter futility, it seems Wawasee is poised to put itself on the map as a basketball program.
Just seven years ago the Warriors trudged through a 1-21 season. Three more losing seasons followed that.
Then the program turned the corner.
Credit it to an upswing in talent or the foundation of a program being built, but whatever it is Wawasee seems like its here to stay.
And where here is, is another appearance in the regional.
Last year, Wawasee defeated Tippecanoe Valley and Delta on a Saturday at NorthWood High School to advance to the Huntington North Semistate.
This year, Wawasee (19-4) will take on Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (16-6) in the second game of the Blackford Regional at noon Saturday. Tippecanoe Valley (19-4) will take on Jay County (17-6) in the day's first game at 10 a.m. The winners win take each other on for a spot in the Northern semistate at 8 p.m.
On paper, No. 6 (3A) Wawasee appears to be the favorite. The Warriors got out of the toughest sectional and played the toughest regular-season schedule.
Don't tell that to Wawasee coach Phil Mishler though.
"The problem with our society is people think they deserve things," said Mishler. "What's not important is earning things. I think (our team) understands that and works hard."
Last year the hard-working Warriors were led by a talented group of seniors in Kory Lantz, Austin Kaiser, Ryan Kauchak and Austin Gerber.
The likes of Andrew Mock, Michael Conrad, Lance Zimmerman and Joe Leach have taken their places and haven't missed a step.
"Winning breeds winning," said Mishler. "Our kids go into games thinking they can win."
For Wawasee to win Saturday against Concordia, the Warriors will need to overcome a size disadvantage.
The Cadets have seven players listed at 6-foot-4 or taller.
Perhaps Concordia's best player is 6-9 junior Kyle Pressley. Pressley averages 13.4 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game. Concordia coach Tim Reinking said he believes Pressley is a potential junior all-star.
Six-foot-4 senior Justin Goeglin comes into Saturday as Concordia's second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game while Austin Thoms averages 10.7 a contest.
Goeglin scored 21 points while Jason Doerfller added 16 and Pressley dropped 10 in Concordia's 66-45 win over New Haven in the Cadets' sectional final.
"We're obviously expecting a lot of height," said Mishler. "We're going to have to shoot the ball well from the perimeter."
While Wawasee may lack the size Concordia has, they don't lack scorers.
Mock scored 27 points in the Warriors 66-60 win in Saturday's sectional final against host NorthWood.
Mock leads Wawasee at 14.8 points per game on 39 percent shooting. Mock has taken more than half (119) of his 237 shots from beyond the three-point arc. The 5-8 speedster leads the team in assists with 3.7 a game and shoots 82.4 percent from the free throw line.
Mock and his teammates put on quite a show from the free-throw line against NorthWood as they went 34 of 38 for the game.
As important as sharp shooting and offense will be, Mishler believes it's the other side of the ball that will allow Wawasee to move forward in the tournament.
"What has allowed us to win this year starts on the defensive end and taking care of the team concept," said Mishler.
Words like "team" and "unselfishness" aren't just buzz words at Wawasee. They're a part of a carefully crafted mantra by Mishler.
Talk to the players and they're quick to heap praise on teammates, talk to Mishler and he'll speak of "representing Wawasee in a class manner."
Perhaps nobody better personifies what Wawasee is trying to do than senior sixth man John Adams.
Adams spent his first three years on the freshmen and junior varsity squads. He started just one game as a senior on senior night and yet he has taken to his role.
Adams averages just 2.1 points per game but provides what sometimes turns out to be the starting five's lone help off the bench.
That mean Adams has to wear several hats.
"He has a tough role as a sixth man," said Mishler of Adams. "He has to know every position and every role. And he does that well. What I attribute that to is his willingness to take that on and put team first."
If Wawasee has a weakness, it would be its depth.
The Warriors turn the ball over just 10 times a game, shoot nearly 50 percent from the field as a team and force opponents into nearly 15 turnovers a game.
What Wawasee won't do is throw a lot of players at you. The Warriors start Mock, Conrad, Leach, Zimmerman and Brandon Geiger. Besides Adams, no other player averages more than 1.5 points per game.
The Warriors average just 5.3 points per game off the bench with 2.4 of those coming from Adams.
Concordia will also have some depth issues as 6-7 Dan Hartman is not expected to start according to Reinking. Sophomore Brandon Knox is expected to start in his place.
Knox averages 4.8 points per game off the bench.
The Cadets beat three teams with losing records to advance to the Blackford Regional.
In terms of common opponents, both teams played and defeated Carroll (Fort Wayne).
Wawasee has won 12 of its last 13 while Concordia has won nine of its last 10.
FW CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CADETS
(16-6, 6-3 Summit Athletic Conference)
Concordia 64, Carroll 52
Concordia 55, FW Wayne 47
Concordia 78, Woodlan 60
Concordia 57, FW Dwenger 55
Concordai 66, Leo 59
Concordia 72, FW Northrop 66
Harding 56, Concordia 54
Homestead 74, Concorida 56
Concorida 57, FW Blackhawk 41
Harding 70, Concordia 63
FW Snider 58, Concordia 52
FW South 74, Concorida 64
Concordia 77, Bellmont 47
Concordia 71, FW North 66 (OT)
Concordia 74, FW Elmhurst 54
Concordia 58, New Haven 55
Concordia 46, Heritage 36
East Noble 54, Concordia 49
Concordia 56, Bellmont 47 (sectional)
Concordia 60, FW Dwenger 56 (sectional)
Concordia 66, New Haven 45 (sectional)
(Individual statitistics, per-game averages)
Scoring - Kyle Pressley 13.4, Justin Goeglin 10.81, Austin Thomas 10.7, Dan Hartman 8.8, Jason Doerffler 6.2
Rebounding - Pressley 6.5, Hartman 4.6, Brandon Knox 3.7, Goeglin 2.6, Thomas 1.7
Assists - Thomas 5.0, Goeglin 1.9, Doerffler 1.8, Josh Miller 1.5, Pressley 1.4
Steals - Thomas 2.0, Goeglin 1.8, Doerffler 1.1, Pressley 0.9, Miller 0.7
WAWASEE WARRIORS
(19-4, 5-2 Northern Lakes Conference)
Wawasee 53, Fairfield 46
Wawasee 68, Angola 53
Wawasee 45, West Noble 35
Wawasee 61, Whitko 44
Wawasee 52, Wawasee 49
Wawasee 45, Carroll 38
DeKalb 47, Wawasee 37
Wawasee 43, Central Noble 29
NorthWood 62, Wawasee 49
Elkhart Memorial 69, Wawasee 63
Wawasee 68, Manchester 26
Wawasee 57, Plymouth 36
Wawasee 62, Concord 57
Wawasee 51, Lakeland 40
Wawasee 57, Northridge 46
Wawasee 64, Goshen 35
Wawasee 67, Westview 57
Wawasee 60, Churubusco 42
Columbia City 52, Wawasee 48
Wawasee 63, T. Valley 50
Wawasee 54, Lakeland 39 (sectional)
Wawasee 60, Northridge 49 (sectional)
Wawasee 66, NorthWood 60 (sectional)
(Individual statistics, per-game averages)
Scoring - Andrew Mock 14.8, Joe Leach 12.9, Michael Conrad 11.2, Lance Zimmerman 8.8, Brandon Geiger 4.2
Rebounding - Zimmerman 5.8, Leach 3.9, Geiger 3.9, Conrad 3.0, Mock 2.4
Assists - Mock 3.7, Leach 2.4, Conrad 2.1, Zimmerman 1.2, Geiger 1.0
Steals - Leach 2.3, Conrad 1.9, Mock 1.5, Zimmerman 0.6, Geiger 0.3 [[In-content Ad]]