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Wabash Express Ready To Roll

NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊAttention armchair quarterbacks.Do you think you still have what it takes to play competitive football? If so, the Wabash Express semi-pro football may be right up your alley. After a 15-year break, the Wabash Express took off again last summer.Mike Garcia, a North Manchester resident, was the player who got the ball rolling in North Manchester last year. "I played for another team in the league a few years ago," said Garcia."Then I decided to start the team here.I heard through the grapevine that there used to be a semi-pro team here years ago called the Wabash Express, so I talked with Pete Rish and asked him if I could keep the team name.He thought that was a good idea so we went with it." Last year was the first season the Wabash Express took the field since the mid-1980's.Unlike many first-year semi-pro teams, the Express won a game.In fact, they surprised other teams and won three games.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Same Old Problem Gets Wawasee

NAPPANEE -ÊThe Wawasee boys basketball team battled a problem through much of the regular season.Unfortunately for the Warriors, that same problem crept up in the sectional as well. "Our problem is that we fall behind early," said Wawasee coach Phil Mishler."We usually fight back.Unfortunately, that's the way we know how to play." The Warriors fell behind early against Angola, fought back, but were unable to make a full recovery.The Warriors eneded the season with a 71-59 loss to the Hornets. Wawasee's Andrew Packer scored the first basket of the game to put Wawasee up 2-0.That was the only time the Warriors led in the game. Angola tied the score at 2 on a Chase Verba basket.Then the Hornets outscored the Warriors 13-2 through the rest of the quarter and took a 15-4 lead into the second frame. "We were really focused, and that allowed us to take the game over," said Angola Coach Jim Speicher.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Panthers Stay Perfect In Their Pit

NAPPANEE -ÊAlthough the NorthWood boys basketball team played the sectional on its home floor, the Panthers were the vistors on the scoreboard in the first game of the sectional because of the way the sectional was drawn. However, that did not phase the NorthWood squad (16-5) as it beat No.10 Lakeland (18-5) 63-56 to improve to 9-0 at the Panther Pit this season. When asked if being at home was an a big advantage for the Panthers, the normally talkative NorthWood coach Dan Gunn gave a decisive one-word answer: "Absolutely." NorthWood and Lakeland traded threes to begin the first quarter, and by the end of the first stanza, NorthWood held an 18-13 advantage. However, that advantage was short-lived as Lakeland fought back to tie the score at 18 with 5:52 left in the second quarter. After NorthWood's Ryan Bradley and Lakeland's Brody Duncan traded baskets, the score was tied at 20.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Rhodes Intense As Ever In All-Star Game

SOUTH BEND - Forget that he was coaching an all-star game and that the 12 players on his team may have just been looking for their own SportsCenter highlight because the game was shown live on ESPN. For the most part, throughout Wednesday night's McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center, Al Rhodes was Al Rhodes. The basketball genius that paced the sidelines at Warsaw Community High School for 22 years, posting a 405-133 record while turning WCHS into one of the state's elite programs, Rhodes was as intense and passionate as ever Wednesday night as he directed the West Team. While some coaches of all-star games sit back and relax as players run up and down the floor taking long three-point attempts and attempting alley-oop passes, Rhodes was clearly there to win.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

All Area Makes It 11 Of 13

MISHAWAKA - The basketball game was a game where girls shot first and asked questions later, a game where pull-up three-pointers during 3-on-2 fastbreaks were allowed, a game where the times the referees blew their whistles were few and far between. It was a game where Culver Military Academy's Tiffany Kyser could try a behind-the-back maneuver on a break-away layup, lose the ball and laugh about it. The 13th South Bend Tribune All-Star Girls Basketball Game took place at Bethel College Thursday, and the All-Area team beat the All-Metro team 80-72.The All-Area team improved its record to 11-2 in those 13 years.NorthWood coach Steve Neff coached the All-Area team for the fourth time and upped his record to 3-1. "Hey, it's supposed to be fun, right?" Neff said."It's for the fans." That the All-Area team won did not surprise Penn's Dominic Ball, who coached the All-Metro team.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Akers Hopes To Continue Winning At Warsaw

Warsaw boys track and field coach Troy Akers has accomplished something over the last few years that very few, if any, other local coaches have accomplished. In four of the last five years teams coached by Akers have posted regular-season undefeated records.In his final years at Wawasee Akers coached the girls program to three consecutive unblemished seasons.Last year, his second season at WCHS, Akers coached the boys track team to an 8-0 regular season record.Along the way the Tigers won the Max Truex Invitational, the Northern Lakes Conference championship and tied for the sectional title with Elkhart Memorial. When Akers was questioned about his list of accomplishments he simply said: "I've been pretty fortunate." Last year a handful of Warsaw runners finished their season at the state track finals, Akers said earlier this week there is a possibility that it could happen again.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Pierce Archers, Win Regional

FORT WAYNE - In the end, all the talk of moving the Fort Wayne South Side 4A Regional to a bigger gym in Fort Wayne was just that, talk. The reason for the talk, a gym that some from Warsaw felt that at 2,100 capacity was too small for a 4A regional, still had empty seats.And Warsaw, making the road trip, marched into Fort Wayne South Side and upset the No.10 Archers 45-44 in their house in Tuesday's boys basketball regional.The Tigers beat a South Side team that played eight players, all seniors. The Archers end the season 20-4, while 19-4 Warsaw survives and advances.The Tigers play No.4 Merrillville (21-2) in Saturday's Lafayette Semistate.Merrillville moved on with a 73-56 Tuesday win over Munster (18-5) in the Merrillville 4A Regional.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Neff Drives NorthWood To Victory

INDIANAPOLIS -ÊCoach Steve Neff will have stories for years to come about the 1999 girls basketball state finals. He will have the story about being an underdog for the first time in years. He will have the story about the bus ride to Indianapolis. And he will have the story of the 72-71 win over the No.1 Indianapolis Cathedral Irish to become the first person in NorthWood history to coach a team to a state title. After a mixup at the chartered bus company, Steve Neff frantically searched for a bus to take his team to Indianapolis.He found a bus, but no driver, so Neff, who has his commercial driver's license from teaching summer biology, took the wheel and got his team to Market Square Arena himself.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Valley Boys Win Sectional Championship

SOUTH WHITLEY - In those awful commercials for a certain credit card company, formerly funny David Spade denies customers in increasingly ridiculous ways. In the 3A sectional 23 final, No.5 (3A) Tippecanoe Valley found new ways to deny Peru points to the point of absurdity en route to a 55-39 at Whitko High School Saturday night. While Peru decided to make it a low-possession game and missed some close-range shots, Valley extended its defense out on the Tigers to keep Peru off the board for more than 10 minutes. After Valley's Michael Domenico opened the game with a three-pointer in the opening seconds of the contest, Peru seemed content to take the air out of the ball as the Tigers' Angelo King held the ball for over a minute near half court. The stall-ball technique worked as the first quarter produced just eight points.Unfortunately for the Peru faithful, the Vikings scored all eight points.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Ready Or Not, Regional Play Starts Tonight

Al Rhodes stops his videotape, turns off the TV and puts his remote control down. It's 1:30 Monday afternoon, and the Warsaw boys basketball coach is watching tape of Fort Wayne South Side's team. To coaches, preparing for regional this year is the equivalent of the stressed-out college student performing an "all-nighter." The college student who feels poorly prepared for an exam crams by studying all night.Like college students, coaches must cram for the regional, although not by choice.Their hands are tied by an IHSAA schedule that features a sectional championship on Saturday followed by one-game regionals on either Tuesday or Wednesday followed by a two-game semistate on Saturday. Warsaw (18-4) faces No.10 (4A) Fort Wayne South Side (20-3) in today's 7 p.m Class 4A regional at South Side.The Tigers advanced by beating Concord 53-42 in Saturday's Elkhart 4A Sectional, while South Side advanced by beating Carroll 78-66 in the Fort Wayne Northrop 4A Sectional.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Triton Keeps Rochester Down

In Triton's case Tuesday, first would not have been best. First would have meant Rochester's first win of the season.The Zebras, winless during the regular season, were looking to join their female counterparts who also went winless during the regular part of the schedule, only to win their first in the tournament. But it wasn't meant to be for Rochester as Triton improved to a 16-5 on the season by pulling away from the Zebras in the second half for a 73-54 win in the second game of the Warsaw Sectional.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Pinch Penn

One night after Warsaw's boys track meet with Penn was postponed due to weather, the temperatures were equally frigid, but things were about as hot as they could be going into Wednesday's final event. After 15 events the Tigers clung to a slim 65-62 lead.The scenario: Whoever won the 1600 relay would win the meet.And with a time of 3:34.23, Warsaw's quartet of Adam Sisson, Nate Ridderman, Rob Peters and Greg Seiss solidfied the 70-62 victory. "That's fun," said Warsaw coach Troy Akers of the tightness of the meet."We haven't been in that situation in a while.We have a lot of experience with some kids, especially in that last relay.They have a lot of confidence and I have a lot of confidence in them.It's great to see Greg Seiss back out on the track." Seiss, who just finished his senior basketball season, anchored the 1600 relay team, as well as taking first in the 400 with a time of 51.9 seconds, and finishing second in the 200 with a time of 23.9 seconds.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Ault Survives Roller Coaster First Season

From the first time he walked onto the campus at Southwest Missouri State, Kevin Ault knew things were going to be different. No longer was last year's Indiana Mr.Basketball the big fish in the small pond as he was playing with Warsaw High School and its established basketball program.No, despite being heralded as one of the best recruits in the history of SWS athletics, Ault found himself back at square one in trying to show people what he could do. And he was doing it against the best players he has ever played with or against. "Once I got there, I noticed a big difference in size and strength of the players," Ault said."The conditioning of the program in the fall was a lot different than what I was used to.Right there, I knew it was going to be difficult coming in." The Bears then opened up the season, their second under former Manchester College coach Steve Alford, but Ault was a little slow getting off the snide.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

For Tigers, 20 Is Magic Number

After graduating six seniors - including the entire outfield -Êand having one player not out for the team from last year's 18-11-1 sectional runner-up team, Warsaw baseball coach Will Shepherd said he thinks winning 20 games this season is in the realm of possibilty. "I think if everything goes right and we play at a high level like we can, this is a 20-win season," said Shepherd, who owns a 69-48-1 record going into his fifth year as the skipper of the Tigers."We scheduled 28 games.We have to play good baseball, but I think 20 wins this season is makeable." Warsaw begins its season Saturday at home by hosting Lafayette Jeff in a double-header.The first game starts at noon. Graduated from last year's team are Pat Riley (center field), Jason Barrette (right field), Don Kennedy (left field), Joe Stanley (third base), Adam Grimm (pitcher) and Jeff Sherman (pitcher/second base).Current senior Jon Leininger decided not to return to the team.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Hold Off Dragons

Warsaw coach Al Rhodes, a staunch opponent of class basketball, will certainly get his chance to prove his point in this year's Warsaw Sectional. The theory that the little school beating the big school is what makes Hoosier Hysteria great is getting put to the test this week. The Tigers, a school of almost 2,000, just got past Argos 59-43 Tuesday in a battle that was tougher than the score shows, have little time to regroup to face a tougher small school challenge in the upstart Trojans of Triton Thursday in the sectional semifinals. "They (Triton) have a nice basketball team so it should set up a Thursday night game," Rhodes said.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Holterman, Burke Help Beat Knights

SYRACUSE - Wawasee baseball coach John Blunk said the success of his team this year will not be measured on the output of one or two players.It will be a different player each game. Well, Rod Holterman and Rob Burke are doing their best to set the pace in Wawasee's 5-2 win over East Noble Monday. Holterman, the Warriors' big left-hander, allowed only five hits and had his second straight double-digit strikeout performance with 11 punch outs.Holterman has struck out 25 batters in Wawasee's first two games. Burke helped provide the offense by going 3-for-4 with a near cycle; a single, double, triple and three RBIs.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

MLB Season Gets Off To Strange Start

It's been like a strange dream so far.The first four days of the baseball season have come and gone, and although it's too early to really get worried, there are some disturbing trends that have already begun to surface. For instance, Albert Belle makes about one million dollars more than the entire 25-man roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates.If money shows the true worth of a player, then the White Sox would not trade Belle for every major league player the Pirates have.However, the White Sox have one win, the same number of wins as lowly Pittsburgh.The Pirates have a number of scrappy youngsters who do not realize that, if they were in almost any other system, they would be in the minors.
Commentary by JASON KNAVEL, T-U Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Who Can You Trust?

Sometimes it's almost a little embarrassing being a member of the media. Media types are supposed to be skeptics, cynics and critics.We pride ourselves on being the "Fourth Estate."We're the watchdogs. But in the aftermath of the hurricane known as Katrina, I am wondering what in the world happened to us. I say "us" because I was taken in, too. Here's an excerpt from my Katrina column the Saturday after the hurricane struck. "By the end of the week, the desperate nature of the situation became more evident. "I-10 took on the look of a highway in a third-world country with dead bodies along the road. "There were shots fired at would-be rescuers.A National Guard helicopter drew fire, as did volunteer rescuers who took boats to the scene. "There were numerous reports of rampant lawlessness - looting, rapes, murder - throughout the town.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Special Olympics Hoops Team Playing For State Title

Every March the attention of sports fans turns to the NCAA Tournament.Every March there is that one team that defies the odds and becomes a Cinderella story. Without brackets, upset specials or television coverage, the Kosciusko County Panthers are experiencing their own version of March Madness. The Panthers are a Special Olympics basketball squad that will compete in the Special Olympics Indiana State Basketball Championships in the Level 3 tournament. A skills assessment is given to players before each season and players are rated from 1 to 4 with 1 being a person with no disabilities and 4 being a person who is severely disabled. Leading the charge down to Terre Haute for a state championship is Panthers' head coach Tom Ducheteau. Ducheteau began coaching seven years ago after the company he worked for strongly encouraged community service. But what started out as something to fulfill a work obligation turned into much more.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Schedules Rally For Wednesday

This year's high school basketball postseason was such a whirlwind Warsaw never got a chance to celebrate its sectional and regional championships. Until this week. Warsaw will host a celebration at 7 p.m.Wednesday in the Tiger Den. The Tigers won the sectional Saturday at Elkhart and the regional Tuesday at Fort Wayne.Because they were out of town and on the tight schedule, Warsaw never hosted a pep rally. "The sectional ran into the regional, and the regional ran into semistate," Rhodes said."We just felt there wasn't enough time to celebrate.We wanted to have an opportunity to thank our players, the pep band, the cheerleaders, the kids who came to the game and the community. "This puts closure to the season." The Tigers, one of the final four class 4A teams left, lost to No.2 Marion in the Lafayette Jeff 4A Semistate championship game.Marion went on to win the state title.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016
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