Relevance Date

Minus Swan, Squires Beat N. Miami

BUNKER HILL - Earlier in the week Manchester boys basketball coach Gary Goshert said he didn't want to have to think about what Eric Swan meant to his team. Tuesday night in the first game of the Maconaquah Sectional, a game Manchester won 55-39 over North Miami, Goshert may have found out what he did or didn't know already. "Nobody understands what that statement meant when I said I couldn't answer that question," said Goshert."We had the same situation last year when Eric wasn't here.You never know until the opportunity arises what kids can do.These kids have tremendous character." The 6-foot-3 Swan, the Times-Union's Player of the Year, came in averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.He left Bunker Hill last night with the exact same averages; he didn't play.Swan turned an ankle Monday night in practice and walked to the bench from the locker room on crutches.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Tigers Hang On, Win Finale At Carroll

FORT WAYNE - Much like the season itself has been, Warsaw's varsity boys basketball game at Carroll Friday was a bit of a rollercoaster. A contest filled with its share of ups and downs, the Tigers held the host Chargers to one point in the first quarter, yet held their collective breath as junior Zach Taylor's three-point attempt from the opposite free throw line rattled out at the buzzer. Warsaw, which held a 10-point advantage after the first quarter and held a 10-point advantage with 5:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, escaped Carroll High School with a 49-47 win in the regular season finale for both teams. "We needed to win a game like this," said fourth-year Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, whose team was 7-5 but won just two of its final eight regular season games."It makes for a better week of practice.This will help us confidence wise and in terms of our enthusiasm and energy." The two-point win improved Warsaw to 9-11 on the season, while Carroll fell to 8-12.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Wawasee Upends 4A No. 3 Columbia City

SYRACUSE -ÊPeople in New Orleans may have been celebrating Fat Tuesday last night, but people in the Wawasee area were celebrating for a different reason. The Wawasee boys basketball team caused a stir by upending 4A No.3 Columbia City 42-36 Tuesday night in Syracuse.The win halted Columbia City's 11-game win streak. "This was a good victory," said Wawasee coach Phil Mishler after the six-point win."It feels good to get a win against a team that's that good." The Warriors jumped ahead of the Eagles early as James Ward netted the first basket of the game. However, Columbia City answered with a three-point goal from Ryan Briggs and two two-point baskets from Marcus Moore to go up 7-2. Kory Lantz kept the Warriors close by sinking a three-point basket to make the score 7-5. After a basket by Columbia City's Doug Sheckler, Lantz and Michael Conrad hit back-to-back baskets to knot the score at 9-all.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

NorthWood Girls Keep On Winning

INDIANAPOLIS -ÊThe officials were the story of the night as NorthWood (3A) defeated Fort Wayne Luers (2A) 62-61 in the first round of the tournament of champions Friday night. When asked about the game's officiating, NorthWood girls basketball coach Steve Neff quickly answered, "No comment."But Luers coach Gary Andrews had a bit more to say about the whole situation. "We really got screwed," said Andrews."The officiating in this game was a travesty.You would think they would have officials worthy of a tournament of champions.I was upset with the obvious fouls. "When somebody gets their arm ripped off, it is usually a foul, but apparently not tonight.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Demos Better Be Careful About Setting Standards

I watch the news a lot.Sometimes my kids even give me grief over it when I flip on CNN at home in the evening. "Dad, stop, you watch that stuff all day, you work at a newspaper, you need to move on," they say. They may be right, but I do like to see how the networks handle the news. I can tell you watching the Trent Lott story unfold over the past three weeks has provided more concrete evidence of an overt liberal bias than I have seen in many years. It was stunning. As we all know - how could we not, it was top-of-the-page and top-of-the-hour news almost every day - Lott was at a birthday party for retiring Sen.Strom Thurmond.Thurmond turned 100 this year. Thurmond, a Republican from South Carolina, ran for president as a Dixiecrat in 1948.OK, that's 52 years ago.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Warriors Line Up Sectional Crown

NAPPANEE - Blame it on Michael Conrad. While Conrad did an admirable job on the state's 10th leading scorer in NorthWood's Ryne Lightfoot, as well as scoring 12 points, there was that free throw he missed with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter that plummeted Wawasee's fourth quarter free-throw percentage to 96. The Warriors went 34 of 38 for the game and 23 of 24 in the fourth quarter from the free throw line as they captured their second straight sectional championship in a 66-60 win over host NorthWood in the 3A No.21 sectional Saturday night.
DANIEL RIORDAN, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Squires Stop Henson, Wildcats

Every year all Manchester basketball players visit their favorite barber the week of the sectional and walk away with buzzcuts.No exception.Everyone gets his head shaved.It's a team unity thing. It's also tradition, they told their first-year coach. Goshert's team just won a conference title last Friday.Coaches are often creatures of habit, and Goshert is no exception. "My first response was, 'Gee, things are going pretty well right now.I'd hate to change anything,'" he said. Goshert was smart enough to know he was fighting a losing battle.Those boys weren't about to end their ritual.The hair got buzzed. Turns out the hair didn't affect their play on the court much anyway.The Squires beat the school they most love to beat, Whitko, 48-46.They opened Tuesday's Columbia City Sectional with the win. Manchester, 13-8, meets Columbia City on Thursday.Whitko finished 10-11, the first losing season in school history.
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

Triton Keeps Basketball All In The Family

BOURBON -ÊMedia day has descended on Triton, a day that happens when your team advances to the state finals, a day that allows the coaches and players to handle the onslaught of interview requests from TV stations, radio stations and newspapers in 90 minutes or less. It is also a day made for Triton's players.These are outgoing, laid-back, gregarious girls who do one thing as well as they play basketball: They can talk. Media day was made for Triton's girls basketball team, and Triton's girls basketball team was made for media day.They are reporters' dreams with their ability to fill notebooks with quirky and offbeat stories.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Area Netters Ready To Get To The Courts

For some area high school girls' tennis teams, the lineups are completely set.For others, well let's just say they are still working on it. With most of the area teams entering this season with young teams, the preseason is a time to compete for the open spots. A look at the area tennis teams appears below. Warsaw Tigers Warsaw will have to replace several key players from last year's 19-3 squad, but first-year coach Jeanine Glunt thinks she has an ace up her sleeve. Although only three of the seven players played varsity last year, four of the girls on this year's squad have played tennis all-year round in tennis clinics and at the racquet club.
Greg Jones, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tiger Baseball Team Shuts Out Panthers

A game in which 80-degree temperatures and sunny skies gave way to windy conditions and darkening clouds, senior pitcher Nathaniel Fitzsimmons was a constant bright spot for Warsaw's varsity baseball team Wednesday afternoon. Fitzsimmons has struggled on the mound this season as a reliever, so Tiger skipper Will Shepherd decided to try him as a starter against visiting Northern Lakes Conference opponent NorthWood. Shepherd got the response he was looking for, as Fitzsimmons, who missed his sophomore and junior seasons with a knee injury, scattered five hits in seven innings of work and pitched the Tigers to a 4-0 win over the Panthers.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Basketball Important In Warsaw

Wow. I suppose I saw it coming, because, after all, we are talking about basketball. But I must admit even I was a bit taken aback by the storm of controversy unleashed by Sports Editor Dale Hubler's column last weekend. I mean, for crying out loud, a teacher wrote in to make fun of Hubler for being a second-string football player at Warsaw Community High School. So relevant. Hubler's been subjected to a profanity-laced tirade and some pretty vulgar name-calling. So classy. In the hopes that calmer heads can prevail, please, gentle readers, allow me the opportunity to provide insight. Lots of people in this town are tightly wound when it comes to Tiger basketball. Hubler runs in those circles.Hubler is tightly wound about Tiger basketball. He loves it.He would love nothing more than to be in Conseco Fieldhouse today covering the Tigers.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

It's Hard Not To Resist Change

This is a column for all of those who resist change. I am one of those people to a small degree, but I would like to dedicate this column to my wife, Mary. Generally, I think, most people do not like change.They like the status quo.If it ain't broke, don't fix it, the old saying goes. We are creatures of habit and most of us have a certain way we expect things to be.It makes us comfortable. I understand that. There was a time when I resisted change.But I learned my lesson.It was back when autofocus cameras first came out.I resisted.I thought autofocus would somehow limit my creative control.I was wrong.Finally, after the world of newspaper photography had passed me by, I switched.What a fool I was.I can't imagine taking pictures without it. Our photographer, Gary Nieter, was the same way about autofocus.He learned, too.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Valley Girls Knock Off Northfield

AKRON - The Northfield Lady Norse traveled to Tippecanoe Valley Friday evening to take on the Lady Vikings in a Three Rivers Conference game. Tippecanoe Valley held off the Lady Norse 64-45. The Lady Vikings outscored Northfield 6-1 to start the first quarter.After a bucket by Northfield, the Lady Vikings went on a 13-2 run to finish the quarter with a 19-5 lead.Chelsy Rhoades led the Vikings with 4-of-4 shooting, including a three-point goal.She finished with nine points. "We came out with a new and different defensive strategy in the first quarter to add to their confusion.Our goal was to contain (Courtney) Reed.She is one of their better players," Viking Coach Gary Teel said. Jennifer Hathaway was 2 of 2 from the floor and 1 of 1 from the line to add five points.Hannah Krueger also added four points on 2-of-4 shooting.The Lady Vikings held Northfield to just 2-of-11 shooting from the floor in the quarter.
Cliff Tanner, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

South Side Topples Tigers

FORT WAYNE - Experience, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, means to have lived through something. A more simple definition of experience might be, "been there, done that." With three full-time starters returning for their senior season and a classmate who made his way into the starting lineup for the sectional, as well as a coach entering his fourth year as head coach and 19th season in the program overall, it's fair to say Warsaw's varsity boys basketball team had experience entering the 2005-2006 season. That experience wasn't evident, however, Saturday night as the Tigers fell 64-44 to host Fort Wayne South Side, a team that was led in scoring by a sophomore and a junior and had just one senior in the starting lineup.
Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor- | July 28, 2016

Valley Trips Northfield 65-44

AKRON -ÊAfter playing Argos, primarily an outside-shooting team, Thursday, Tippecaoe Valley coach Bill Patrick was concerned about switching gears for Saturday's game against Northfield, primarily an inside-shooting team. However, Valley's basketball team (8-2) calmed Patrick's concerns by downing Northfield (2-7) 65-44 and improving to 2-0 in the Three Rivers Conference.Northfield falls to 0-2 in TRC play. After a patient Valley team held the first possession for more than a minute, Cody New started the game with a basket at the 6:58 mark.New continued to own the Norsemen through the quarter as he hit 3 of 4 three-pointers and 5 of 6 overall for 13 points in the quarter. The Viking man-to-man defense held Northfield to just four points the entire first quarter, while the Valley offense scored 18.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Valley Boys Down Argos, Still Unbeaten

AKRON - Leading Tippecanoe Valley's varsity boys basketball team to its best start in 20-plus years, 6-foot-4 senior Trey Eaton put together arguably the best individual performance of his career. In a battle of unbeatens, Eaton poured in a career-high 38 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, blocked five shots and dished out five assists to lead 3A No.4 Valley past 1A No.3 Argos 75-59. "We have a great defender in Kurt Robinson, we wanted to make Trey work for everything he got," Argos coach Doug Snyder said."Give Trey credit, he worked his tail off." Eaton, who needs just 16 points to break 1992 graduate Scott Johnson's school record of 1,352 career points, finished the game 12 of 17 from the field, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, and 11 of 14 from the free throw line.
DALE HUBLER, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Ends Wawasee's Reign

To be safe, Eric Mohler took his wallet out of his pocket. Mohler, Warsaw's girls swim coach, thought his team would beat Wawasee in Tuesday's meet.Because he thought Warsaw would win, he also thought he would end up in the pool. As Mohler predicted, Warsaw won.As Mohler figured, he ended up in the pool. The girls tossed him in not so much to celebrate the 106-79 win as to celebrate the end of Wawasee's dominance.Warsaw improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the NLC, while Wawasee dropped to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the NLC. "Well, when you have 20-some girls tugging at you," a sopping wet Mohler said, explaining how he managed to end up in the water."I've been coaching here five years, and we had never beaten Wawasee.Warsaw may have beaten them in the early '90s.
Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Injured Warsaw Wrestlers Fall At Bellmont

DECATUR -ÊWarsaw's Tiger grapplers could not find a win in four meets at the Bellmont Invitational on Saturday.Beset with illness and injury, the team ended the day with four more losses, including a Northern Lakes Conference loss to Northridge, 67-10. Warsaw also lost 65-6 to Mishawaka, which boasts five ranked wrestlers.Against Bellmont, the Tigers matched up for three wins against the Braves in the 58-13 loss. Bellmont has seven wrestlers ranked.In a 56-18 loss to Penn, the Tigers recorded three wins again, along with a forfeit.A point was deducted from Penn's team scored for unsportsmanlike conduct by a member of the coaching staff. Through the entire day, the Tigers could only collect nine individual wins along with one forfeit. Eight Tiger wrestlers went through the entire competition without a single win, while just four of the Tigers earned the few victories.
Jim Brenneman, Times-Union Sports Correspondent- | July 28, 2016

Erickson Scores 33 In Win

Many basketball teams have their "go-to guy" to score, rebound, steal and spark team spirit.For the Kosciusko County Homeschool Eagles Tuesday, that guy was Jon Erickson. Erickson scored 33 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and grabbed five steals as the Eagles defeated the Lakeland Christian Academy Cougars 71-58. Eighteen of Erickson's 33 points came on free throws, and nine of those came in the final quarter of play. KCHE jumped out to an early 6-1 lead in the first two minutes of play, but the Cougars tied the score when Tim Buckholz netted a three-pointer with 5:20 on the clock. LCA then built a 12-7 lead until Erickson scored eight consecutive points in the last 1:02 of the quarter to give KCHE a 15-12 lead going into the second frame.
Jen Gibson, Times-Union Sports Writer- | July 28, 2016
Previous Next