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Reclamation Project Continues For Manchester

NORTH MANCHESTER - It hasn't been easy for third-year Manchester coach Brandon Baker. After taking over for long-time head coach Al Bailey, Baker has had to rebuild the Squire program from the bottom. The biggest challenge for Baker and his staff has been getting the number of kids in red and black uniforms out on the field. This year the Squires have 36 players on the roster and most of them will see significant playing time. "We're going to have a lot of guys who rarely if ever come off the field," said Baker. Interestingly enough, two positions that will see some substituting are quarterback and running back. Senior Brandon Shepherd and sophomore Derrek Freshour will share time as Manchester's signal caller. Both will be in charge of running the Squires' single wing-T offense.The duo will be handing the ball off to another duo of running backs. Junior Blaine Miller and senior Aaron Snover will share time in Manchester's backfield.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Skins Spoil Warsaw's Homecoming

While seniors Nate Click and Jill Kreinbrink were crowned king and queen at Warsaw Community High School's homecoming Friday night, Shane Parson and Najee Slade proved to be royalty for the Goshen Redskins. Led by Parson, a senior quarterback, and Slade, a junior running back, the Redskins handed the Tigers a 34-10 loss at Fisher Field. The loss dropped Warsaw to 0-4 in the Northern Lakes Conference and 1-5 overall, marking the first time the Tigers have lost five consecutive games in the regular season since starting the 1988 campaign 0-5 under then first-year coach Ted Huber. The 24-point win improved interim coach David Wilson's Redskins to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the NLC. The Tigers are the only team in the NLC without a conference win this season.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Indianapolis Colts' Camp Provides Chance To See Super Bowl Contender

ANDERSON - I traveled to Anderson on Tuesday to get the inside scoop on the Indianapolis Colts' training camp.Practice was light, without a lot of contact, as the Colts prepared for the exhibition season. Most of the practice involved punt return drills and passing plays.Jim Harbaugh got a little beaten up, but nothing too serious.He continued to practice without any problems. With all of the noise coming out of the Indianapolis Colts' training camp about unsigned rookie Tarik Glenn, people might think that the Colts can't practice without him. It almost seems that there are only two people at camp: Glenn's agent and some representative of the Colts trying to ink out a deal.After all, he is the top Indianapolis draft pick and hasn't been to camp yet. However, the Colts training camp went on as usual.
Jason Knavel, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Panthers Run Roughshod Over Wawasee

NAPPANEE -ÊA struggling Wawasee defense allowed a strong NorthWood offense to score 53 points, giving the Panthers a homecoming victory and their second Northern Lakes Conference win of the season Friday night. After Wawasee's football team went three and out on the first drive of the game, NorthWood wasted no time in scoring its first touchdown of the evening.The Panthers moved the ball 42 yards in 53 seconds to score the first points of the game with 8:57 left in the first quarter.Jason Brennaman ran the ball one yard for the score. The Warriors then moved the ball from their own 21-yard line to the NorthWood 24, but the Panthers refused to allow Wawasee to step into the red zone.A penalty sent the Wawasee squad back five yards, and then Tony Garl sacked Brent Doty for a 4-yard loss.After two incomplete passes, the Warriors turned the ball over to the Panthers on downs.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Setting The Building Blocks

WINONA LAKE - Grace College is starting its women's soccer program from scratch - everything from coaching techniques to players. The Lancers' first-year endeavor includes six freshmen and eight players who before this year had never played on a competitive soccer team.Some were plucked from the classrooms to join the team.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Missed Chances Send Valley Packing

WABASH - It's been a frustrating pair of games for Tippecanoe Valley and head coach Scott Bibler. One week after the Valley defensive unit gave up 54 points to an upstart Manchester squad, it was the Viking offense that just couldn't punch it in at Southwood, resulting in a 17-3 loss. Tippecanoe Valley had the ball in the red zone five times and at the 10-yard line three times, but came away with just three points.The lost opportunities and missed chances in what would have been a key Three Rivers Conference upset left Bibler looking for answers. "Our goal was to win, and we didn't win," Bibler said."It's hard.Three losses in a row is really hard.We had some great chances down close, and they (Southwood) brought the heat.I'm disappointed.
MATT PERRY, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

Triton Football Team Has High Expectations

BOURBON - The Triton Trojans are coming off of three straight 4-7 seasons. Triton has never really been known as a football powerhouse. So why should the Trojans be optimistic about this year? Triton is returning most of its offensive production from last year, coach Rodney Younis has the biggest roster in his tenure at Triton and the Trojans are also the best conditioned team in Younis' tenure. The Trojans plan to change up their offense a little bit and open it up more to the pass. Wide receivers Trent Furnivall and Jake Everett provide some nice options as Furnivall is a speedster who caught 37 passes for 548 yards while Everett is 6-foot-6 and coming off of his first year of football. Blake Espich, Reggie Davis and A.J.Fleagle will also see extended time in Younis' spread wing-T offense. The Trojans return much of a beefy offensive line.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Win Golf Regional, Valley's Martin Advances

FORT WAYNE - Warsaw boys golf coach Bob Turner said he felt good going into Friday's regional at Chestnut Hills in Fort Wayne.Now the 13th-year coach can feel good about heading to next week's state finals. The Tigers shot 310 as a team yesterday to garner their second regional championship in three years. "I think we're ready to play for a state championship," Turner said."We're really playing well right now.A 310 on this course is great, I'm so pleased.This is what team sports are all about." Culver Military Academy, which finished third in the Warsaw Sectional a week ago, finished second at Friday's regional with a score of 317; Goshen was third with 318.Wawasee, which finished second to the Tigers by one stroke in the sectional, finished the day with a 329. The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, move on to the state finals Wednesday and Thursday at the Legends of Indiana Course in Franklin.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

NLC Schools Impressive At Golf Regional

FORT WAYNE - Only one team, Northridge, can say it won Thursday's high school boys golf regional at Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne, but an entire conference has reason to smile. Six Northern Lakes Conference schools competed in the 12-team regional field, from which only the top three teams and the top three individuals not on an advancing team qualified for next week's state finals at Legends of Indiana in Franklin. NLC schools took the top three spots, six of the top eight all together, and also saw a pair of individuals advance. "It's impressive, very impressive," Warsaw coach Ben Barkey said of the showing by the NLC schools."The conference was tough this year." Northridge won Thursday's team title with a four-man, 18-hole score of 299.Wawasee and Plymouth shot 301, with Wawasee claiming runner-up honors based on a fifth-man tiebreaker. Plymouth's team score was a school record.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Gear Up For Softball Sectional

Looking strictly at the wins and losses for the Warsaw Tigers, the phrase roller coaster comes to mind. Warsaw started 1-4, then won the next four games in a row, then lost the next four, then won the next three, and has ended by winning five of seven.However, head coach Rod Yoder does not feel this team is on a roller-coaster ride. "I think it's a little unfair," Yoder said."If you look at our 12 losses, seven of them have been by two runs or less.We've been pretty steady.It hasn't been a case of us really falling apart in any game.It's just been an inning here, an error there, a missed opportunity to score." Of Warsaw's first four losses, three came in the difficult LaSalle Classic in early April.The Tigers came back by outscoring their next four opponents 35-3 to get to 5-4.Four losses by a combined eight runs followed that as Warsaw fell to 5-8.
JASON KNAVEL, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Southwood Whips Whitko

SOUTH WHITLEY - The Southwood Knights played about as perfect of a game as a team can play, dominating the Whitko Wildcats offensively, defensively, mentally, and physically Friday night. The Knights' offensive line opened gaping holes for their running backs, and the defensive line kept constant pressure on Whitko quarterback Jimmy Linn.The special teams unit connected on all six extra point attempts and kept the Wildcats from breaking anything long. All told, Southwood gained 373 total yards to Whitko's 86.The Knights averaged 5.9 yards per rush, while holding the Wildcats to just 2.1 yards per carry.They ran 58 plays, while Whitko only ran 42. And this was supposed to be a close game.This was supposed to test both team's tenacity, grit, and will to win.What actually happened was a 42-6 Southwood victory that was all but over before the end of the first half.The Knights took it to Whitko early and often.
JASON KNAVEL, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

Squires Pound Warriors

NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊAfter squeaking by Three Rivers Conference rival Whitko 35-27 in overtime last week, the Manchester Squires football team took its 2-0 conference record up against a power team of the past, the North Miami Warriors. The Warriors, also 2-0 in the TRC, were looking to put a dent in the Squires' TRC title run. Coming into Friday, Manchester junior running back Josh Peden was leading the TRC in rushing, averaging 6.5 yards a carry and running for 685 yards in 105 attempts.That was a major concern for the Warriors.In last week's game against Whitko, Peden sprained an ankle in overtime, thus making him questionable for the kickoff. Peden didn't play a down, but the Squires still rolled by the Warriors 41-6.
Craig Helfrich, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

NLC Crown Could Be Close

Brent Wildman knew what it would take to beat Concord, a team with more skill and experience than his Warsaw squad. Despite sporting an unblemished 5-0-2 mark heading into the Northern Lakes Conference matchup, Wildman knew that getting past Concord would not be easy.But it would be necessary for Warsaw to take the next step in the development of its program. For a win against the Minutemen would bring Warsaw a step closer to the first NLC girls soccer crown. And Wildman laid out the plan to his Tigers - be aggressive and don't let the ball stay on the ground long. Message heard and mission accomplished. Warsaw took it right to Concord and came away with a big 3-1 win Thursday at the City-County Athletic Complex. The victory gives Warsaw a 3-0 record in the NLC.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Barrett Runs Roughshod Over Wildcats

NORTH MANCHESTER - There are many adjectives that can be used to describe Manchester running back David Barrett. Durable.Explosive.Powerful. Perhaps the best word to characterize Barrett is unstopable. Barrett carried the football 39 times Friday as he rumbled for an astounding 289 yards.Barrett totaled more yards than the entire Whitko team as his Squires rolled past their TRC rivals 35-14. On Manchester's first drive, Barrett carried the ball eight times for 73 yards and capped it off with a run from 10 yards out. Despite Barrett's heroics, Whitko wouldn't back down.The Wildcats quickly answered back, mounting a 10-play, 72- yard drive of their own.Because a sore knee limited Whitko leading rusher Josh Gonzalez to 10 carries, coach Bryan Sprunger needed a spark in the backfield. He found that spark in junior halfback Seth Slater.
DAN RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw, Elkhart Central Tie In Opener

The Warsaw boys soccer team opened the season against Elkhart Central with a tie Wednesday night at the CCAC.The Tigers and Chargers played to a 0-0 stalemate. Warsaw goal keeper Scott Stouder defended the Tiger goal and knocked away five shots on goal.In all, the Tigers got six shots at the Elkhart Central goal, but could not get past the Charger keeper. Sweeper back Kyle Masur, defender Ben Stephens and midfielder Tim Zentz led the Tiger team. "I think in the first half our team was shocked by the game speed," said Warsaw coach Scott Bauer."Our scrimmage at Kokomo was a much slower paced game.In the second half, we made good adjustments and leveled the playing field." The Tigers, now 0-0-1, will play at Marion next Thursday.
Times-Union Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Triton Gridders Fall To John Glenn

BOURBON - In sports, one event can often change the outlook of an entire game. Saturday night, late in the second quarter of the Glenn's 17-0 win over Triton, one such event occurred.On 2nd-and-8, Triton quarterback Nathan Setser threw a 9-yard pass to senior tight end Andy Westafer.Westafer was drilled by a Glenn defender and did not get up.Trainers ran onto the field and several minutes later, an ambulance was brought onto the field. Triton coach Rod Wildman said that Westafer was conscious when he was being put in the ambulance and that there was no serious injury to him.
DAN RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

Warriors Send Tigers To 0-3 In NLC

Wawasee boys tennis coach Phil Mishler refers to what he is doing with the Warriors as "building a program." Wawasee took another step in establishing itself Tuesday night with a 4-1 win at Northern Lakes Conference rival Warsaw - a team Wawasee hasn't beaten since the 1993 sectionals. "We are a very young team, we're building," Mishler said."When you win a rivalry, it's a break through, it builds confidence." The win improves Wawasee to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in NLC action.A year ago the young Warriors were 4-12.Wawasee's two NLC losses this year have come to Concord and Northridge, both by a 3-2 count. "We have the same guys we had last year," Mishler said."For the most part we played freshmen and sophomores.When you go 4-12 you don't have the advantage of knowing how to close out big matches." Last night the Warriors proved they could close out big matches.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Overcomes Vs. Valley

When Warsaw lost senior starting center Matt Hauck to a separated shoulder in the first half, things could have been bleak for the Tigers.It was behind that big offensive line that Warsaw had built its hopes of finally unloading its run-and-shoot offense on someone.And with Hauck out and tackle Jamie Elliott ailing, the line looked to be going from a strength to a weakness for Warsaw. But the Tigers found hope in a moment of despair and even used it as a spark in a 27-0 win over Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley Friday at Death Valley. When Hauck went down, the other guys on the line seemed to step things up and helped give Tiger quarterback Andy Plank enough time to throw for 231 yards and allow Jose Esquivel to rush for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Big Plays Lead Wawasee To Win

SYRACUSE - Gene Mitz pumped his hand, hopped, skipped, jumped and broke into a little jaunt on the sidelines. The big plays kept coming.Finally, they were by his Wawasee Warriors, not against them. Yes, Wawasee's football coach celebrated often on the sidelines with his team Friday evening.And when his players ran off their home field following their 26-14 win over Carroll, the coach lagged behind his team.A couple of reporters approached, and understandably, Mitz asked, "Could you give me five minutes, guys? I'm exhausted." He took his break, then talked in the conference room, which is adjacent to Wawasee's locker room.Queen's "We Will Rock You" blared out of a boombox in the locker room.On this night, this was one raucous locker room full of ecstatic Wawasee players. The Warriors beat only two teams on the field last year.And here they are, 1-1 in 1997.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Big Inning Ends Valley's Baseball Season

SOUTH WHITLEY - The combination of a hard-hitting Norwell team and untimely mistakes were too much for Tippecanoe Valley to overcome as the Vikings fell 13-3 in the Whitko sectional baseball final Thursday afternoon, the first held at Whitko. It was the first sectional final for Valley since 1994. The tone of the game was set early when Norwell's Scott Woodward reached base after striking out and then advancing on a passed ball. Woodward then advanced to second on a stolen base and scored on a throwing error by Tippecanoe Valley shortstop Brandon Newcomer.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016
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