Which Tiger Team Is The Best Ever?
March 27, 2020 at 9:31 p.m.
Which Tiger Team Is The Best Ever?
By Roger Grossman-
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?”
Personally, I am uncomfortable with this line of discussion because it always ends with you feeling like you are making an argument that an all-time great is somehow inferior if you don’t judge them as the best. In theory, if a team isn’t “the best”, then it wasn’t as good as another team or teams—which means you are degrading them and their accomplishments in some way.
That’s not fair.
For example, who is better, LeBron or Michael Jordan? Whichever one is number-2, you have to provide a reason why.
So, in the order that they come to my mind, here is what I came up with.
Girls basketball, 1976
To be the first at anything takes a pioneering spirit. There were a lot of nay-sayers during that first IHSAA-sanctioned season. Can girls play a full 32-minute game like the boys? Should we play half-court games? Will anyone watch? Will anyone care?
In this area, girls basketball was already a thing. When the IHSAA signed off on it in 1975, the schools in our area were remarkably ready for it. If it had started in 1973-74, I feel quite confident that Warsaw would have won three straight titles and four out of five. I also think that schools like Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee and NorthWood were Final Four-caliber programs.
Those Lady Tigers of 1976, the “First to be First”, showed the entire state that night at Hinkle Fieldhouse that girls can play basketball and they can play it at a pretty high level.
And little girls and young ladies around an entire state were inspired to do great things.
Boys basketball, 1984
Three years before, the Tigers of first-year Coach Al Rhodes had been to the state finals and were eliminated.
Then the “Second Year Curse” kicked in, and the Tigers finished 4-18. The “curse” is this: since the start of World War II, only Dwight Tallman and Doug Ogle coached Warsaw to a winning season in their second year as head coach.
But the Roar of ’84 was loud and strong, and basketball hero-turned movie star-turned dentist Steve Hollar calmly sank two free throws in the final seconds to secure this team’s 26th win in 28 games and a place in Hoosier immortality.
Football, 2001
Behind an offensive line that many colleges coveted, running back Brad Seiss ran over and around opposing defenses like Sherman on his march to the sea in 1864.
They averaged just under 40 points a Friday, and only were held under 30 on three occasions. Only the gracious approach of Coach Phil Jensen, who pulled starters out before a lot of other coaches would have, kept the Tigers from scoring at epic rates.
They were deep, they were talented and seemed to have everything needed to be the first Warsaw football sectional champion, and then keep going all the Warsaw to the RCA Dome. Unfortunately, they lost in overtime to Snider in the sectional semifinals.
Girls Basketball, 1978
Two years after making history by winning the first ever girls state basketball championship, the Lady Tigers did it again on the Butler University campus. Some of those same girls who were on the first title team were there to accept the gold medals with the blue ribbons again.
After winning in 1976, the secret was out and Warsaw wore a target on the back of their uniforms. They got everyone’s best shot. 20 different teams tried on 22 occasions—they all failed.
To know that everyone is gunning for you, and to go undefeated anyway…that takes guts. That team had guts.
This is fun…let’s talk about some more next week.
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?”
Personally, I am uncomfortable with this line of discussion because it always ends with you feeling like you are making an argument that an all-time great is somehow inferior if you don’t judge them as the best. In theory, if a team isn’t “the best”, then it wasn’t as good as another team or teams—which means you are degrading them and their accomplishments in some way.
That’s not fair.
For example, who is better, LeBron or Michael Jordan? Whichever one is number-2, you have to provide a reason why.
So, in the order that they come to my mind, here is what I came up with.
Girls basketball, 1976
To be the first at anything takes a pioneering spirit. There were a lot of nay-sayers during that first IHSAA-sanctioned season. Can girls play a full 32-minute game like the boys? Should we play half-court games? Will anyone watch? Will anyone care?
In this area, girls basketball was already a thing. When the IHSAA signed off on it in 1975, the schools in our area were remarkably ready for it. If it had started in 1973-74, I feel quite confident that Warsaw would have won three straight titles and four out of five. I also think that schools like Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee and NorthWood were Final Four-caliber programs.
Those Lady Tigers of 1976, the “First to be First”, showed the entire state that night at Hinkle Fieldhouse that girls can play basketball and they can play it at a pretty high level.
And little girls and young ladies around an entire state were inspired to do great things.
Boys basketball, 1984
Three years before, the Tigers of first-year Coach Al Rhodes had been to the state finals and were eliminated.
Then the “Second Year Curse” kicked in, and the Tigers finished 4-18. The “curse” is this: since the start of World War II, only Dwight Tallman and Doug Ogle coached Warsaw to a winning season in their second year as head coach.
But the Roar of ’84 was loud and strong, and basketball hero-turned movie star-turned dentist Steve Hollar calmly sank two free throws in the final seconds to secure this team’s 26th win in 28 games and a place in Hoosier immortality.
Football, 2001
Behind an offensive line that many colleges coveted, running back Brad Seiss ran over and around opposing defenses like Sherman on his march to the sea in 1864.
They averaged just under 40 points a Friday, and only were held under 30 on three occasions. Only the gracious approach of Coach Phil Jensen, who pulled starters out before a lot of other coaches would have, kept the Tigers from scoring at epic rates.
They were deep, they were talented and seemed to have everything needed to be the first Warsaw football sectional champion, and then keep going all the Warsaw to the RCA Dome. Unfortunately, they lost in overtime to Snider in the sectional semifinals.
Girls Basketball, 1978
Two years after making history by winning the first ever girls state basketball championship, the Lady Tigers did it again on the Butler University campus. Some of those same girls who were on the first title team were there to accept the gold medals with the blue ribbons again.
After winning in 1976, the secret was out and Warsaw wore a target on the back of their uniforms. They got everyone’s best shot. 20 different teams tried on 22 occasions—they all failed.
To know that everyone is gunning for you, and to go undefeated anyway…that takes guts. That team had guts.
This is fun…let’s talk about some more next week.
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