Shafer Eagles 2 Holes In TV Win

WABASH - Tippecanoe Valley's boys golf team won a triangular meet with Northfield and Wabash Tuesday at the Honeywell Course in Wabash. Tippecanoe Valley shot 150, Northfield 167 and Wabash 170. Valley's Drew Shafer shot a 2-under par 34, with two eagles, and was the meet's medalist.The Vikings are 8-4 on the season and will host Manchester and Whitko Thursday at Rozella Ford. TIPPECANOE VALLEY 150, NORTHFIELD 167, WABASH 170 Valley scores - Drew Shafer 34, Brian Love 37, Andy Martin 38, Anthony Domenico 41, Brandon Eaton 47 JV - Tippecanoe Valley 174, Northfield 188, Wabash 221 Valley scores - Brad Roberts 40 (JV medalist), Todd Hepler 42, Aaron Zolman 46, Kyle Bruner 46, Devin Reed 48 MANCHESTER 165, NORTH MIAMI 180 Tuesday in North Manchester The Manchester boys golf team defeated North Miami 165-180 Tuesday night at Sycamore Golf Course.Joey Zapf led the Squires with a 39, and he earned medalist honors.Manchester is 7-4 on the season.

Squires Fall In Weather-Shortened Game

NORTH MANCHESTER - The Manchester Squires' home opener against ranked Heritage was a wash, literally.The Squires fell behind 28-6 with 5:15 left in the second quarter and that's how the contest would end.Thunderstorms accompanied by torrential rains forced officials to call the contest nearly two hours after play was suspended. Until play was stopped the rushing attack of Heritage was causing much of the fireworks.Senior standout Doug Wasylik led the way for the Patriots with 111 yards rushing on just 10 carries. Wasylik opened up the scoring for Heritage with a 15-yard scamper to put the Patriots ahead 7-0.Heritage had a short field to work with after Manchester attempted an onside kick to start the game that failed giving the Patriots the ball at midfield.

Valley's Big Inning Closes Down Wawasee

MENTONE - For four innings, the Tippecanoe Valley and Wawasee softball teams locked up in a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel Wednesday afternoon.Valley led 3-2, a drastic change from the 20-15 scores coaches so often call in. Then the fifth inning came along.Eleven Viking hitters marched to the plate as they battered Wawasee pitching for six runs en route to the 9-2 win. The six-run inning was Valley's biggest inning of the season. Brandy Manns delivered a big two-run triple, Valley's only extra-base hit of the game, that put the Vikings up 8-2. Valley center fielder Kara Tucker, who batted twice in the inning, singled both times and scored a run. She also spearheaded a stellar day by the Viking outfield defense, which chased down nearly everything hit in the air.

Warsaw's Baseball Season Ends In 17-Inning Loss

!photoN060201.jpg photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union Warsaw sophomore Humberto Nunez grits as he takes aim at his target in Friday's sectional game with Elkhart Central.After the game was suspended after 11 innings Thursday, Central won the game 3-2 Friday.The 17 innings is the fifth-longest game in IHSAA history. ELKHART -ÊNearly 24 hours after Warsaw's sectional baseball game against Elkhart Central started, the Blue Blazers took home a 17-inning 3-2 win. However, the Elkhart Central squad will not have much time to sit back and enjoy the hard-earned victory because it will turn around and play Concord in the sectional final today at 1 p.m. The Tigers and Blue Blazers began their epic battle just after 8 p.m.Thursday at Elkhart Memorial's Charger Field.Warsaw and Elkhart Central played to a 2-all tie after 11 innings when the game was suspended around 11:30 p.m.

Area Golf Teams Have Experience

When coaches of the local girls golf teams had a chance to look toward the future after last season, most of them had to be smiling from ear to ear.If there are two things that those coaches seem to have plenty of this year, it may well be experience and talent. Wawasee's Kari Wortinger, Manchester's Katie Parker and Warsaw's Brooke Westover all had good seasons.Wortinger advanced to the state meet, and Parker advanced to the regional, both as individuals.Westover played in the No.1 spot for the Tigers and went to the regional with her team. But those three are gone.What remains is a large group of experienced golfers and golf teams.Valley, Whitko and NorthWood return every letterwinner from last year.Wawasee and Warsaw lost just one letterwinner each, and Manchester has a strong nucleus back. Valley head coach Roger Moriarty can look forward to this season while still concentrating on the future.He returns senior Brenda Rose and four juniors behind her.

Wildcat VB Team Beats Squires

SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊWhitko's volleyball team hosted a young Manchester squad Thursday night and put a mark in the Wildcat win column.The Whitko team won the contest in two straight matches, 15-11, 15-3. The first match went back and forth like children on a see-saw until Whitko scored the first point on an Aly Frantz serve.Manchester's Jennifer Jester answered by serving up a point of her own to tie the score at one. After several more possession and lead changes, the score stood at 11-11 as Whitko's Amy Till stepped to the line to serve.Till served four straight points to earn Whitko's first win of the evening, 15-11. "We have been working on our serving game," said Whitko coach Rachelle McCammon."We want to be able to serve more than just one or two in a row before giving the ball up on a sideout." Following a short break, the Squires and Wildcats switched sides of the net and began the second match of the game.

How Far Will Fans Go For An Autograph?

INDIANAPOLIS - It could be as simple as a few scribbles on a 3x5 card, or as elaborate as a Sharpie Markered lithograph. Nonetheless, any way you look at it, it's an autograph.And you being the fan you are will do anything to get it. But just how far will a fan go for an autograph? Will you go so far that the signee will no longer satisfy the demand? This was the question I saw answered Thursday in the garage area during qualifications at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for today's running of the Brickyard 400. Being a NASCAR aficionado myself, I have to say I enjoyed the opportunity to get up close and personal with my favorite drivers - namely Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. But what I saw made me sick as a fan.At the same time I began to see things from the other side of the fence, I felt for a moment as if I were in the Intimidator's shoes, only going about 200 mph slower and without the famed shades and mustache.

Warsaw Golfers Top Concord, Wawasee

SYRACUSE - Warsaw girls golf coach Chris LaLonde said she has been telling her plays she thinks they're on the verge of playing a great round. In a three-way match with Northern Lakes Conference opponents Wawasee and Concord Thursday at Maxwelton Golf Course the Tigers used a solid round from junior Emily Johnson and consistency from the rest of the team to secure victory. Johnson shot a 1-over par 37 and tied for match medalist honors with Wawasee's Jessica Rondeau, while fellow Tigers Megan Krizmanich, Elena Duncan, Erica Schori and Jenny Manning all shot 46. As a team, the Tigers finished the round with a four-man score of 175, edging Concord's 178 and besting host Wawasee's 184.

The Warriors Begin Building With 20-0 Win

SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊThe Wawasee football team wears T-shirts bearing the phrase "BUILDING A TRADITION" across the back.The Warriors took a leap toward their ultimate goal Friday night when they defeated the Whitko Wildcats 20-0. After a turnover, an interception and several punts led to a first-half stalemate, the Whitko Wildcats stayed in the lockerroom a little too long and earned an 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to start the second half.The Whitko third quarter went downhill from there. Seth Slater gained 10 yards for the Wildcats on the first play of the quarter but fumbled to give Wawasee possession of the football on the Whitko 45-yard-line with 11:45 still remaining in the third.

Chasing Autographs Often Turns Fruitless

PITTSBURGH - It is four hours before Sunday's baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium between the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates. The fans here this early before the first pitch are few - less than 20 - but you find them lined up on a sidewalk behind a fence.They carry backpacks and hold things like baseballs, albums and bats. They are the autograph seekers, the ones who have turned the profession into an art and a science.They are the ones who call each other by name because they are together at the park so much. The talk this day is of one Big Unit, one 6-foot-10 stringy-haired, craggly-faced left-hander named Randy Johnson.Johnson was traded to the Astros at 11:54 p.m.Friday, six minutes before the trading deadline, and his flight to Pittsburgh arrived Saturday evening.Sunday afternoon he will make his first start for the Astros. A few of the greener autograph seekers talk about Johnson signing their cards and baseballs. Little do they know.

Quiet Bats Keep Tiger Offense Asleep

Pitching and defense, they preach. Get these two things, baseball managers and broadcasters say, and you win games. Try telling that to Warsaw's softball team. Like most games during the regular season, the Tigers got good pitching and defense in Thursday's round two Class 3A Warsaw Sectional game with Elkhart Central. Like several games during the regular season, they did not get enough hitting.The Tigers saw their season end with a 1-0 loss to Elkhart Central. With Elkhart Central's Stephanie Jellison and Warsaw's Michelle Liebsch dealing on the mound, this game had that feeling, that who scored first would win.Warsaw coach Craig Helfrich felt it, and he told his team so during the middle of the fifth inning of the 0-0 game. "One run can win this game," he told his players in the dugout before they went to bat in the bottom of the inning.

Vikings, Wildcats Fall In Tippecanoe Valley Sectional

AKRON -Ê"I hope the seniors look back at this game and think it was a heck of a way to go out," said Tippecanoe Valley baseball coach Scott Backus."This is the best baseball game I have seen at the high school level.And it's probably the most fun short of winning I have had." It took nine innings, but the Norwell Knights outlasted the Vikings to pick up a 10-9 win and advance to Friday night's sectional final. "It's frustrating to lose," said Backus."But there were not a lot of mistakes.You had a 20-7 team playing a 20-8 team.Both teams were on a five-game win streak.And it took nine innings to decide it." Brandon Cody started the game off on the right foot for the Vikings, pounding a double in his first at-bat.Then Britton Burkhart reached base on an error, putting runners on first and third.

Vikings Open Sectional With Win Over Host Elmhurst

FORT WAYNE -Ê"That's Hoosier Hysteria," said Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball coach Gary Teel after the Vikings' 63-56 win over Elmhurst Tuesday night in the opening game of the 3A Elmhurst Sectional. But the seven-point win did not come easily for the 3A No.3 Valley squad. In their first game in 10 days, the Vikings started off a bit rusty in the first quarter.After Elmhurst's Brandi Stuckey hit the first two baskets of the game, the Vikings found themselves down 4-0.By the 1:52 mark, Elmhurst increased it's lead to 15-7 on a three-point basket by Chasity Darnell.In the final 1:35 of the first frame, the Vikings went on a 5-2 run to cut Elmhurst's advantage to five, 17-12. "Our pressure defense was our forte," said Teel."In the first quarter, we weren't scoring so we could not get that going.If you don't shoot well, you can't trap." The second quarter, however, was a different story.

What's Happened To Baseball?

What have they done to the game? The game is baseball. I don't profess to be a die-hard baseball fan.I rarely, if ever, watch a whole game on TV. I've only been to a couple games in person. But I have always liked to catch a few innings here and there.A few more innings during the playoffs and even a few more during the World Series. I like to sort of keep track of my favorite team, the St.Louis Cardinals, although I can't really recite the whole roster or anything like that. So, frankly, I have little baseball knowledge.But I know one thing. Baseball players are hitting lots more home runs these days than ever before. And I know something else. I don't like it. It used to be part of the allure of the game.Getting to see a home run was a big deal. Now, it's a big deal to see a game without a few of them. I think they have changed the balls.I think the balls have a hotter core or a livelier cover or are stitched more tightly.

Tigers Finish In Top 6 In 8 Events

Warsaw Wrestlers Fall To Jimtown

ELKHART - It was basically youth versus experience in the wrestling regional matchup between Warsaw and Jimtown Wednesday. And experience won out. A shorthanded Tiger squad plugged some needed holes with three freshmen against the No.18 Jimmies.Already sporting a lineup with only two seniors, it was tough for Warsaw to overcome as Jimtown pulled away for a 38-27 win in the team regional semifinals. "We had some young kids going up against upperclassmen," Warsaw coach Tony Boley said."I have no complaints about the effort.I think we stepped it up a little more.Hopefully, next year we will come up here and win one of these." It marks the second year for the team regionals, and the second year that Warsaw has fallen in the first round.Northern Lakes Conference rival Goshen went onto beat Jimtown in the regional finals, 34-28, later in the night.The Redskins beat Prairie Heights 39-29 in the first round.

Sluggish Tigers Fall To NorthWood

In its second to last game of the regular season, Warsaw may have taken a few steps back heading into sectional play The Tigers looked out of sorts on both offense and defense as they fell to NorthWood in Northern Lakes Conference play Saturday night 43-35 in the Tiger Den Saturday night Warsaw came into the game banged up as guard and leading scorer Julie Seiss is still nursing a sore shoulder. Forward Tasia Smith returned to the Warsaw lineup after sustaining a broken nose and wore a protective mask. Sophomore Kate Denlinger started in place of Smith. Reserve Kacie Conley also played despite a collision during Thursday's game at South Bend Adams. But perhaps the most servere blow Warsaw sustained was a performance against NorthWood that saw the Tigers commit 21 turnovers. Warsaw gave up 17 points off turnovers compared to just eight given up by the Panthers, a fact not lost on Tiger head coach John Snyder.

On The Court Basketball Previews

Warsaw Defense Clamps Down On Goshen

Combined, Goshen's varsity and junior varsity girls basketball teams scored 36 points against Warsaw last night, while Warsaw's varsity and JV combined for 92 points. The Tigers dominated the junior varsity contest 45-8 before the varsity Tigers overwhelmed the Redskins 47-28. The record-low scoring total for a Warsaw varsity opponent is 17 by Triton during the 1987-88 season.The win pushes Warsaw's overall record to 11-5 and 5-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference.Goshen falls to 3-13 and 0-5 in the NLC. Sara Parker scored Warsaw's two first points on two free throws, giving the Tigers a lead they never relinquished.Parker finished the opening frame with three points and eight in the game.Tiger sophomore Kara Kesler led all scorers with 10 points, the first time she's led the team in scoring.Goshen was led by Steph Mast's seven points.

Eaton's Buzzer-Beater Carries Valley Past Oak Hill

AKRON -ÊAs the season progresses, Tippecanoe Valley, and especially its star Trey Eaton, will find teams playing them more physically. It's a common tactic employed by teams with the hope of disrupting a player or team's offense. Oak Hill bodied up and bullied Eaton and his teammates all night and it worked on Eaton for 31:59. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward looked frustrated and out of step most of the game.He shot only 8 of 21 from the field.That didn't matter however when the layup he put down as time expired gave Valley a 56-55 win over the Golden Eagles. With 9.3 seconds left to play and down by one, Valley coach Bill Patrick called a timeout.The Vikings came out of the timeout with the inbounds at half court. "We had Trey come off a screen by (Shane) Drudge.He got the shot off and normally would have made it," said Patrick.