Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst is anxious this season.
He is anxious to see what the Tigers' girls' basketball team would look like with all the players available at the same time.
He should get his chance this season.
Last year, Wienhorst watched as several key players missed time with various injuries and illnesses. None were serious, but every time one player become available, another seemed to be lost. Warsaw went 15-8, were NLC co-champs and finished as regional runners-up a year ago, but the Tigers were still left with what might have been.
Losing only one starter from last year, Wienhorst should get his wish.
"We have a lot of people back from last year, but they haven't played all together," Wienhorst said. "We really didn't have this team together the entire season. We are just looking to get our entire team back to see what we can do with all of them together. We are anxious to see what we can do."
Wienhorst won't get his chance to see his entire team together, however, until at least the second game of the season. The status of junior forward Tiffany Ross, the team's leading scorer last year, is up in the air because of an illness, and guard/forward Sarah Calhoun will miss the season opener Friday against Tippecanoe Valley because she doesn't have enough practices after volleyball season.
For the first half dozen games or so, Wienhorst plans to play a lot of different people so some of his younger players can get experience and show what they can do.
"In the first four or five games, we are going to play some people to see what we need," Wienhorst said.
"Right now, we have three or four positions that we feel we are happy with," he said. "The other positions we will be happy with, but because of illness, injuries and a lack of practice for the volleyball players, we are just going to have to wait and see for awhile. What we are doing now, most teams have done for three weeks. We feel we will get caught up."
The Tiger offense should center around the Ross sisters, Tiffany (14.2 points per game last year) and Sherri (9.1 ppg). But Wienhorst would like to see the team develop some balance over the course of the season to take some pressure off the Rosses.
"When teams come at us right off the bat, they will focus on Tiffany because she was our leading scorer last year," Wienhorst said. "She rose to the occasion last year. The key this year is that she will have a lot of help in the fact that we feel we have other girls who can hit the open shot and go one-on-one and hopefully will stop the double teams on Tiffany.
"Sherri is a capable scorer and can shoot from the outside," he said. "Tiffany was very consistent from game to game, Sherri had some really great games and sometimes, you wouldn't see her. We are excited about the balance that we can have. When teams will test us early, they will guard Tiffany, and they will find out we have other girls that can score. When they have to guard them, Tiffany will really shine."
Warsaw's biggest concern will be replacing the graduated Sherry Haines (13.5 ppg, 4.5 apg) at point guard. Although she started out slowly, Haines came on at the end of the campaign and ran the Tiger offense well. Sophomore Emily Niemier, juniors Bobbi Wildman and Shanna Smith, and Sherri Ross should all see time at the point until one can take control of the position.
"One of the areas we will need is getting the ball to where it needs to go consistently, especially in pressure situations," Wienhorst said. "When you have someone like Sherry (Haines) who has experience, the play was run, and we got the shot that we wanted. That will be a little different this year because whoever we put in there will be new.
"That will be our main concern," he said. "Once we get into the halfcourt, you want someone to set up the offense and get the ball to where it needs to be and take control. Those four (players) will all see time at the point. Whoever runs the team the best and gets the ball where it needs to go will get the most playing time. That is a concern that as the season progresses we can develop someone to do that."
Other backcourt candidates include seniors Holli Murphy, Sheila Whitaker and Calhoun, along with junior Alyssa Raphael.
"Once we get everybody together, we have the potential to have a good inside-outside game," Wienhorst said. "As the season progressed last year, we proved we can consistently hit the three. We have several players that can hit from the outside. With the improved play of Tiffany Ross, Katie Elliott and Jackie Edwards, we are very capable of scoring inside as well."
One player the Tigers may or may not have is junior Sam Wideman. A transfer from Tippecanoe Valley, Wideman was ruled ineligible for 365 days and is in legal channels to try to be able to play.
The approach the Tigers are taking is that they don't have Wideman right now. If she becomes eligible through a possible injunction, Wienhorst would work Wideman into the lineup somehow.
"Right now, she is practicing, but we are figuring she won't be playing," he said. "When the season starts, we figured we wouldn't have her. If she is eligible to play, we will fit her into our system accordingly. Until that time comes, we will go with what we have."
1996-97 Warsaw roster
Name Pos. Ht. Yr.
Sarah Calhoun G 5-9 12
Holli Murphy G 5-8 12
Sheila Whitaker G 5-8 12
Cheyenne Albertson F 5-9 11
Shannon Barger F 5-10 11
Jackie Edwards F 5-11 11
Alyssa Raphael G 5-7 11
Shanna Smith G 5-6 11
Sherri Ross G 5-9 11
Tiffany Ross F 5-10 11
Bobbi Wildman G 5-6 11
Sam Wideman C 6-1 11
Katie Elliott C 6-2 10
Emily Niemier G 5-8 10
1996-97 Warsaw schedule
Nov. 22 TIPPECANOE VALLEY
Nov. 23 at Bremen
Nov. 29 at Crown Point
Dec. 3 at Northridge
Dec. 7 HUNTINGTON NORTH
Dec. 11 at FW Northrop
Dec. 14 CONCORD
Dec. 17 COLUMBIA CITY
Dec. 21 at Plymouth
Jan. 4 TIGER TOURNAMENT
Jan. 9 at Wawasee
Jan. 11 BENTON CENTRAL
Jan. 14 at Whitko
Jan. 18 at FW Snider
Jan. 21 at Manchester
Jan. 28 NORTHWOOD
Jan. 30 GOSHEN
