Groninger Leads Warsaw Over Valley In Opener
November 23, 2017 at 5:49 a.m.
Groninger Leads Warsaw Over Valley In Opener
By Dale [email protected]
Nolan Groninger answered the bell, as veteran coach Doug Ogle put it.
In Wednesday’s season opener at county rival Tippecanoe Valley, the 6-foot Groninger scored 12 of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading Warsaw to a 51-44 win over the host Vikings.
Groninger, a junior, was 4 of 6 from the field overall, made both three-pointers he shot, and was 7 of 9 at the free throw line.
He finished the game with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
For a program that lost eight seniors – and two other players that moved to different school districts – from last year’s regional finalist and undefeated Northern Lakes Conference championship team, Groninger’s performance with the game on the line was just what the doctor ordered.
“He’s our best player, and he answered the bell,” Ogle said of Groninger. “He put the bit in his mouth and kind of took charge. He made a variety of different plays.
“That’s a pretty impressive stat line ... that’s nearly a triple-double. He’s one rebound and two assists away from a triple-double ... in a high school game that’s hard to do.”
Junior Landen Ferber scored 11 points in the win, while senior Zach Riley tallied six points.
The Tigers, who started the first and second quarters with 7-0 runs, led 15-12 after one quarter of play and 25-18 at halftime.
In longtime assistant coach Chad Patrick’s head coaching debut, the Vikings kept themselves in the game with three-point shooting.
Valley finished the game 13 of 39 from the field, with 11 of its made field goals behind the arc – some of them way behind the arc.
Trailing 31-29 after the third quarter, the Vikings opened the final frame with a three-pointer from sophomore Tanner Trippiedi that gave Valley its first lead of the game.
Ferber answered with a bucket for Warsaw, and the Tigers pushed their advantage to 40-35 shortly thereafter.
A Cameron Parker three-pointer brought the Vikings within two, 40-38, before Warsaw made a few key baskets and enough free throws down the stretch to pull out the seven-point win.
Trippiedi made five treys for Valley and tied Groninger with game-high scoring honors with 17 points, while juniors Parkur Dalrymple and Cameron Parker scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Both Dalrymple and Parker made three treys each.
Patrick said he wasn’t surprised by his team’s three-point shooting.
“We’re gonna put it up,” said Patrick, who spent nearly a quarter of a century as an assistant coach for his father, Hall of Fame coach Bill Patrick.
“We have a new philosophy ... if we’re open, shoot it. I don’t know how good we’re gonna be inside yet. As the year goes on, Jalen Shepherd will get a lot better, Jace Potter will get better, Alex Morrison needs a little more confidence and he’ll get better.
“We’ll be able to go inside, but Warsaw’s tough. I knew we’d struggle to get it inside. But yeah, I want them to shoot if they’re open.”
Outside of Trippiedi, Dalrymple and Parker, senior Dakota Parker scored Valley’s only other two points.
The Tigers travel to Columbia City Saturday, while Valley plays at Argos Tuesday.
Notes: Prior to the start of the game, Valley honored Bill Patrick, who stepped down as varsity coach in the spring. Patrick was a varsity coach for 48 seasons, compiling a record of 765-319.
Patrick spent his first 29 seasons in what became the Whitko corporation, and the last 19 at Valley. He is currently second in state history with his 765 wins.
WARSAW 51, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 44
W 15 10 6 20 – 51
TV 12 6 11 15 – 44
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 4-6 7-9 17, Landen Ferber 5-9 0-0 11, Brian Elliott 1-3 0-0 3, Trevor Rumple 1-3 0-0 3, Zach Riley 1-2 3-6 6, Trenton Sands 1-2 0-0 2, Jack Grose 1-2 0-0 3, Tyler Metzinger 2-2 0-0 4, Jaylen Reese 1-4 0-1 2. Totals 17-33 10-16 51.
Valley – Tanner Trippiedi 5-11 2-2 17, Dakota Parker 0-0 2-2 2, Wes Melanson 0-5 0-0 0, Jalen Shepherd 0-0 0-0 0, Parkur Dalrymple 5-10 0-0 13, Alex Morrison 0-1 0-0 0, Cameron Parker 3-11 3-4 12, Jace Potter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-39 7-8 44.
Three-pointers – Warsaw 7 (Groninger 2, Ferber, Elliott, Rumple, Riley, Grose), Valley 11 (Trippiedi 5, Dalrymple 3, Parker 3); Rebounds – Warsaw 26 (Groninger 9), Valley 22 (Morrison 5); Turnovers – Warsaw 10, Valley 6; Fouls – Warsaw 15, Valley 18; Fouled out – none; Records: Warsaw 1-0, Valley 0-1
JV – Warsaw 60, Valley 24
Warsaw – Jaylen Coon 20, Blake Marsh 15, Keagan Larsh 10, Drew Yeager 6, Tedros Berelsman 4, Noah Bohnenkamper 2, Connor Lennox 1
Valley – Braxton Tolson 5, Harrison Vining 4, Zach Landis 3, Domingo Santiago 3, Colton McCane 2, Jaydin Conley 2, Bryce Fisher 2, Dwight Conley 2, Quentin Aldridge 1
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Nolan Groninger answered the bell, as veteran coach Doug Ogle put it.
In Wednesday’s season opener at county rival Tippecanoe Valley, the 6-foot Groninger scored 12 of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading Warsaw to a 51-44 win over the host Vikings.
Groninger, a junior, was 4 of 6 from the field overall, made both three-pointers he shot, and was 7 of 9 at the free throw line.
He finished the game with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
For a program that lost eight seniors – and two other players that moved to different school districts – from last year’s regional finalist and undefeated Northern Lakes Conference championship team, Groninger’s performance with the game on the line was just what the doctor ordered.
“He’s our best player, and he answered the bell,” Ogle said of Groninger. “He put the bit in his mouth and kind of took charge. He made a variety of different plays.
“That’s a pretty impressive stat line ... that’s nearly a triple-double. He’s one rebound and two assists away from a triple-double ... in a high school game that’s hard to do.”
Junior Landen Ferber scored 11 points in the win, while senior Zach Riley tallied six points.
The Tigers, who started the first and second quarters with 7-0 runs, led 15-12 after one quarter of play and 25-18 at halftime.
In longtime assistant coach Chad Patrick’s head coaching debut, the Vikings kept themselves in the game with three-point shooting.
Valley finished the game 13 of 39 from the field, with 11 of its made field goals behind the arc – some of them way behind the arc.
Trailing 31-29 after the third quarter, the Vikings opened the final frame with a three-pointer from sophomore Tanner Trippiedi that gave Valley its first lead of the game.
Ferber answered with a bucket for Warsaw, and the Tigers pushed their advantage to 40-35 shortly thereafter.
A Cameron Parker three-pointer brought the Vikings within two, 40-38, before Warsaw made a few key baskets and enough free throws down the stretch to pull out the seven-point win.
Trippiedi made five treys for Valley and tied Groninger with game-high scoring honors with 17 points, while juniors Parkur Dalrymple and Cameron Parker scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Both Dalrymple and Parker made three treys each.
Patrick said he wasn’t surprised by his team’s three-point shooting.
“We’re gonna put it up,” said Patrick, who spent nearly a quarter of a century as an assistant coach for his father, Hall of Fame coach Bill Patrick.
“We have a new philosophy ... if we’re open, shoot it. I don’t know how good we’re gonna be inside yet. As the year goes on, Jalen Shepherd will get a lot better, Jace Potter will get better, Alex Morrison needs a little more confidence and he’ll get better.
“We’ll be able to go inside, but Warsaw’s tough. I knew we’d struggle to get it inside. But yeah, I want them to shoot if they’re open.”
Outside of Trippiedi, Dalrymple and Parker, senior Dakota Parker scored Valley’s only other two points.
The Tigers travel to Columbia City Saturday, while Valley plays at Argos Tuesday.
Notes: Prior to the start of the game, Valley honored Bill Patrick, who stepped down as varsity coach in the spring. Patrick was a varsity coach for 48 seasons, compiling a record of 765-319.
Patrick spent his first 29 seasons in what became the Whitko corporation, and the last 19 at Valley. He is currently second in state history with his 765 wins.
WARSAW 51, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 44
W 15 10 6 20 – 51
TV 12 6 11 15 – 44
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 4-6 7-9 17, Landen Ferber 5-9 0-0 11, Brian Elliott 1-3 0-0 3, Trevor Rumple 1-3 0-0 3, Zach Riley 1-2 3-6 6, Trenton Sands 1-2 0-0 2, Jack Grose 1-2 0-0 3, Tyler Metzinger 2-2 0-0 4, Jaylen Reese 1-4 0-1 2. Totals 17-33 10-16 51.
Valley – Tanner Trippiedi 5-11 2-2 17, Dakota Parker 0-0 2-2 2, Wes Melanson 0-5 0-0 0, Jalen Shepherd 0-0 0-0 0, Parkur Dalrymple 5-10 0-0 13, Alex Morrison 0-1 0-0 0, Cameron Parker 3-11 3-4 12, Jace Potter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-39 7-8 44.
Three-pointers – Warsaw 7 (Groninger 2, Ferber, Elliott, Rumple, Riley, Grose), Valley 11 (Trippiedi 5, Dalrymple 3, Parker 3); Rebounds – Warsaw 26 (Groninger 9), Valley 22 (Morrison 5); Turnovers – Warsaw 10, Valley 6; Fouls – Warsaw 15, Valley 18; Fouled out – none; Records: Warsaw 1-0, Valley 0-1
JV – Warsaw 60, Valley 24
Warsaw – Jaylen Coon 20, Blake Marsh 15, Keagan Larsh 10, Drew Yeager 6, Tedros Berelsman 4, Noah Bohnenkamper 2, Connor Lennox 1
Valley – Braxton Tolson 5, Harrison Vining 4, Zach Landis 3, Domingo Santiago 3, Colton McCane 2, Jaydin Conley 2, Bryce Fisher 2, Dwight Conley 2, Quentin Aldridge 1
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