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Hileman's Faith Carries Him Through Tough Times

Eighteen-year-old Kevin Hileman will compete in the track and field state finals in Indianapolis. He is just one of 21 local athletes who will do so today and tomorrow.But odds are no other state finalist has traveled the arduous route Hileman has taken to get there. Hileman, who graduates from Tippecanoe Valley Saturday, has cone dystrophy, a hereditary eye problem.He is legally blind.He has never driven a car and probably never will. A couple of years ago his mother, Karen, was diagnosed with cancer.Her health stayed OK until last summer.She died Dec.5.She turned 50 Dec.4. "To go through the problems he has - the disability plus losing his mother, a two-year ordeal - having to go through that whole process, he has all the rights to say, 'I want to be average,'" Tippecanoe Valley track and field coach Terry Screeton says."And average would be successful for him.He perseveres and goes one step farther every time." Try seven steps.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

WCHS Fills Out Coaching Roster

&nbsp "What I did on my summer vacation" - by Warsaw Community High School athletic director Dave Fulkerson. &nbsp It would go something like this, mow the lawn, watch TV and, oh yeah, hire four new head coaches, an assistant athletic director and several assistant coaches. &nbsp While other high school personel had the luxury of taking the summer off, Fulkerson did not.A second summer of having to find coaches to fill several vacancies didn't seem to bother Fulkerson, who took it as a challenge to fill the spots with the best candidates possible. &nbsp Although some of the coaches have already started in their new positions, they were officially brought into the WCHS coaching fraternity Monday by the school board. &nbsp Hired were Jamie Byron as the new volleyball coach; Jeff Grose as the new boys' cross country coach; Tony Boley as the new wrestling coach; Troy Akers as the new boys' track coach; and Rachel Etherington as the new assistant athletic director.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Sprunger Gets 100th Victory

SOUTH WHITLEY - Gatorade was not dumped, nor was the coach hoisted up on the shoulder pads of burley linemen and carried around the field. No, the celebration for the 100th win in 17 years by Whitko football coach Bryan Sprunger was simple, just an announcement over the public address system after Friday's 20-17 win over Whitley County rival Columbia City. And Sprunger would have it no other way.Standing on the field after watching his team come back from a 17-6 halftime deficit, Sprunger neither celebrated with giddy jubilation nor waxed poetic when he talked 100. Giddy jubilation and waxing poetic are not Bryan Sprunger. "I'm kind of at a loss for words," Sprunger said."It's nice, but I've gotten a lot of help.It's a tribute to the kids and assistant coach Dave Lopshire." Helping Sprunger and his Wildcats back from a lethargic first half were senior halfback Josh Gonzalez, sophomore fullback Trent Burelison and senior wingback Adam Goble.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee Gets Comeback Win

KENDALLVILLE - Farhan Haq struck out 12 batters, and Wawasee scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to defeat East Noble 3-1 Monday. Haq added a pair of singles, and Luke Baker drove in a run and had a double.Brad Swope also doubled and had an RBI, and Brent Berkeypile had a double for the Warriors. Wawasee (2-2) will be at Columbia City on Friday. WAWASEE 3, EAST NOBLE 1 Wawasee 000 21 - 3 6 0 East Noble 001 00 - 1 3 2 WP - Haq (2-1, 12 K, 3 BB) LP - Miller (8 K, 2 BB) • Track And Field Boys: Whitko 80, Wabash 52 At Wabash, both Whitko and Wabash had eight first-place finishes, but Whitko finished first in 12 events to defeat Wabash easily. Bo Mullins won the discus with a toss of 147-feet-5 and Jared Deckena won the 400 in a time of 54.05 seconds.The Whitko 400 and 1600 relay teams also placed first. Whitko will be at Rochester on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Staff Report, Prep Roundup- | July 28, 2016

Warriors Face No. 13 South Bend LaSalle

It looks like a daunting task. Wawasee, 9-15 this season, against 22-6, No.13 in the state South Bend LaSalle. LaSalle senior Leslie Kwiatkowski, the Northern Indiana Conference player of the year, against any pitcher Wawasee dares put on the mound. Wawasee, a team that struggled in the Northern Lakes Conference, against South Bend LaSalle, a team that went 8-0 in the NIC.The NLC has sent only two teams to a regional.The NIC has sent three. Even though the odds look stacked against the Warriors, head coach Bo O'Dell is still fairly optimistic about his team's chances.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Rookie Brian Ross Makes Name For Self In ARCA

When stock car racing fans speak of their Saturday and Sunday afternoon heros, the names Earnhardt, Petty, Gordon, Martin and Jarrett often come to mind. After three top-10 finishes in six races this year, including a second-place run in his last outing, Brian Ross, driver of Warsaw's Biomet/Damon RV team, is quickly becoming a household name on the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series. In his rookie season, Ross, 38, is currently second in the overall points race, trailing Bob Strait's 1,435 by 45. "I think being second is pretty good for a young team, rookie driver," team consultant Red Farmer said. And if anybody would know, it may be Farmer, a legend in his own right. Farmer, who is believed to be around 68 years old, though he won't admit to anything, is now in his 52nd year of racing.He's tallied 737 feature wins, and his resume speaks for itself.
<!--1up-2-->By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Closes Gap On Goshen

Could this be the year? Andy Lewis is asked. Could it be? Could Warsaw's tennis team finally overtake Goshen? Warsaw's head coach stayed low-key, didn't issue any verbal jabs."I think," Lewis said, "we have a chance." Goshen has knocked Warsaw out of the last three regionals.Warsaw placed second in the Northern Lakes Conference last season; that's because Goshen beat the Tigers out for first. Now Warsaw is loaded.And the Tigers have the Redskins lined up in their sights. Lewis is optimistic for three reasons: Craig Harman, Ryan Van Puffelen and Peter Anders. They are three singles players he will match up with anyone. Harman and Van Puffelen return to their first and second slots in Warsaw's singles lineup.Pete Hake and Dan Benyousky could vie for the third singles spot, but they will have competiton from Anders. Anders was a bonus Lewis received this summer.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

'Ridge Netters Blank Wawasee

ELKHART - It's been a magical week for the Wawasee tennis team.The Warriors had won four straight matches, a school first sectional championship and a first round regional match since Thursday. But Wawasee ran out of magic Wednesday when the Warriors met up with Northern Lakes Conference champion Northridge in the regional championship.The Raiders won 5-0, dropping just one set along the way. "Northridge is a quality team," Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said."They dominated the NLC.When you win that, you're going to go far." The trophies and awards came so quickly for the Warriors over the past week that Mishler's athletes haven't even had much of a chance to sit back and enjoy it all.Wawasee opened the sectional last Thursday and then won the sectional Saturday.While teams in other sports have a full week off from sectional to prepare for regional, the Warriors had just two days to get ready for DeKalb and then had to battle Northridge the next day.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Nichols Named New Squires' Girls Basketball Head Coach

NORTH MANCHESTER - It's out with the young and in with the younger at Manchester High School. The Squires lost 27-year-old girls basketball coach Jody Shewman when she resigned this spring.Now they are replacing her with 23-year-old Keri Nichols. Manchester's administration approved the Nichols hiring at Tuesday's board meeting.She will teach physical education and health at the high school.Nichols graduated from a Springfield, Mo.high school in 1993 then attended Indiana University and graduated from there in December 1997. This may be Nichols' first head coaching job - she said this is the first year she's actively looked - but she comes with star-studded credentials.She was recommended by Jan Conner, who has built a basketball powerhouse at Martinsville.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Mason On A Mission

SOUTH WHITLEY - After today, barring a catastrophe, senior Tim Mason will turn in the greatest season ever by a Whitko track and field athlete. He competes in the 100- and 200-meter runs and the long jump.He has finished below first place in those three events exactly zero times this season.Regular season meets, the Goshen Relays, the Three Rivers Conference meet, the Plymouth Sectional.Undefeated. Then he says this: "I don't like to run.It's boring." Unless ...unless he sees a water moccasin. Memorial Day weekend.Mason, Jimmy Linn, Ray Smith and other Whitko cronies gathered at Linn's pond, where they swim and fish.And every once in a while, one of those dratted water moccasins slithers across the surface of the water.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Valley Vikings Improve To 5-2 With Win Over John Glenn

AKRON -&#202;"We're gunning for a good season," said Tippecanoe Valley No.2 singles player Zach Shambaugh. With a 5-0 win over John Glenn Wednesday afternoon, the Vikings proved they are determined to have that good season. "John Glenn lost three strong positions from last year," said Valley coach Rob Hamman."This is really a rebuilding year for them." But the Vikings entered Wednesday's match ready to play. "Our guys came out focused tonight, and that's important," said Hamman.The main thing for us was not to have a let-down.We came out with intensity and focus and played well.A match can get away from you if you play down a level, but our players came out and took care of business." In the first match to finish, Stu Jackson teamed up with Robby Hamman in the No.1 doubles match against Glenn's Tom Buysse and Gary Jaworski.Jackson and Hamman joined forces to blank the Falcons in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

JR's Polishing No. 2 In State

Warsaw's own JR's Polishing, the No.2-ranked men's slow pitch softball team in Indiana, recently won two big tournaments recently. First, JR's Polishing won the NSA (National Softball Association) Class A & B State Championship in Indianapolis July 6. JR's Polishing cruised through the tournament with a pervect 4-0 mark.They defeated the previously No.1 ranked team in the state, Scott's Auto/AAA Sports, in the finals of the winner's bracket 14-13 and in the championship game 30-18. On Aug.3-4 in Evansville, JR's Polishing won the ASA (American Softball Association) Class A State Championship. JR's defeated Martin Contracting of Evansville twice to win the championship.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee baseball nips Col. City

In baseball, an idle baserunner is an ineffective baserunner. Wawasee found that out Tuesday, but still found a way to survive in the first round of the Warsaw Baseball Sectional. The Warriors left 14 runners on base against Columbia City, but managed to find just enough offense to advance in the tournament 3-2 over the Eagles. "We can't bunt," Wawasee coach John Blunk said."We need to work on it.This is not a typical Wawasee team.In the past three years, 1 through 9 (in the batting order) could bunt." The Warriors left the bases loaded three times in the seven innings and couldn't seem to get the key hit despite getting nine walks from three Columbia City pitchers. Eagle starter Josh Monesmith came into the game with a sterling 10-1 record, but he walked four batters in three innings before getting replaced by Justin Waterson in the fourth.Waterson also walked four batters in only 1 1/3 innings, but still did not give up any runs.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

A Picture Perfect Season

NORTH MANCHESTER - The picture, 4 feet high by 5 feet wide, rests on a wooden chest in Gerold Faudree's garage, propped up against the wall. Eleven people are in the black and white photo.Ten are teen-age boys who played basketball for Chester Township.The coach crouches in front of his players, a white net draped around his neck. Fifty years later, Faudree looks at the picture taken in 1948, looks at the boys, looks at himself with the net dangling around his neck.Two months ago Faudree, now 87, began contacting the boys in the picture. The 1948 Chester Panthers went 27-1 and advanced to the semistate, where they lost to Portland in the first round.Chester later consolidated and became Manchester High School.To this day, no other Manchester basketball team has won 27 games in a season.A couple Manchester teams have gone to semistate like Chester did, but no Manchester team has gone further. Faudree decided to have a 50-year reunion for the team.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Put Newspaper Coverage In Perspective

As the newest member of the sports team here at the Times-Union, I have noticed numerous things in my approximately three weeks of full-time work. First, one of the most hated words among the three of us is "support."As our focus is on local high school sports, we have been both thanked and criticized for our support of some of the local teams.I am not speaking for my fellow sports writers here, but I believe that they back me on this.My job is to cover the local sports, not support it.We are not paid by the local schools (although it is an interesting idea) to write about their sporting events.
JASON KNAVEL, T-U Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Practices Interesting For Stookey

Dave Stookey has two talented cross country teams.And maybe one day he will see them all together. "I was commenting to my assistant the other day that since practice started, we haven't had all of either one of our teams there on any one day because of work, vacations or something," Stookey said."We don't seem to get it all together.Things just haven't jelled yet.We have some promising young kids, and we are hoping things will come together." For the boys, one of Stookey's top runners, Dusty Lytle, didn't come out for the team this year, another veteran moved to Florida, and he lost a talented freshman to a broken leg suffered during a skiing accident. For the girls, Katie McCauley suffered an injury in the spring during track season and is slow to recover.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Runs Past Whitko

After defending its Tiger Classic title in impressive fashion Saturday with a win over No.3 (4A) Fort Wayne Snider, Warsaw coach Will Shepherd is looking for one thing and one thing only in this the final week of the regular season.In the midst of the final stages of the best baseball season at WCHS in a decade, Shepherd wants only for his Tigers to take care of business this week. Step one complete. In the first of four games this week, Warsaw came ready to play against Whitko Tuesday and beat up on the Wildcats in five innings 12-2 at Tiger Field.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Esquivel Charges Warsaw

What a weapon Jose Esquivel is. When Warsaw found itself down 10-7 to upstart Tippecanoe Valley at halftime Friday, the Tigers turned to their No.1 weapon.And he responded. Esquivel scored three times in the third quarter to lead Warsaw to a come-from-behind 31-17 win over the Vikings at Fisher Field. Esquivel scored on runs of 78, 47 and 7 yards and had 126 of his career-high 217 yards rushing in the third.Most of his scoring runs came from Esquivel running up the middle, bouncing outside and leaving the Viking defense in his dust down the sideline.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Pros Return To Stonehenge On Labor Day

"The Beast" is coming to Stonehenge. No, a hairy creature or even an amusement park ride won't be at the golf course, but instead Sean "The Beast" Fister will bring his long-hitting golf game to kick off this year's Pro-Am Charity Classic. Fister is the reigning national long drive champion and will put on an exhibition at 8:30 a.m.Monday.After Fister's exhibition, the golf begins with Stonehenge members playing alongside PGA pros Brian Tennyson, Billy Krazert, Len Mattiace, Dave Rummels, Larry Rinker, Chris Smith and Brian Claar.Also playing will be LPGA member Jackie Gallagher-Smith. This year, the Pro-Am Classic will benefit the Kosciusko County YMCA and the Kosciusko County Head Start program.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Takes 6th Straight Golf Sectional Title

To say the least, Saturday's Warsaw Boys Golf Sectional at Rozella Ford was one full of emotion. On one end there was Tiger coach Bob Turner, his team winning its sixth consecutive title and his son winning a playoff hole to capture second place individually. On the other end there was Roger Moriarty, whose Tippecanoe Valley team advanced to state last year but failed to make it out of Saturday's sectional. The Tigers shot a round of 313 to garner the sectional championship, topping county rival Wawasee by one stroke. Turner's son, junior Aaron Turner, shot an 18-hole round of 74 to tie with Valley senior Brian Love.Turner then topped Love on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016
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