Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
I get quite a few emails from you all about the things we talk about every week in this space.
I try to respond to those emails directly, but some questions are worth sharing with all of you because you may be wondering about the same things.
So, today, I am opening up the “mailbag”.
What will the new high school transfer rules mean to our local schools?
That’s really hard to say. It’s still very early in the process—the new rules have only been in place for a couple of weeks. However, it should be noted that there was no secret that this change was coming and schools, coaches and players’ families have been preparing for what it might mean for them.
I think, and this is clearly what I “think” and is not based on anything but my own speculation, that we won’t see too many of these transfers right away around here. Maybe after a while it will become more commonplace, but I don’t get the sense that families are ready to dive into this.
Where you will see this explode is in the bigger cities—in the Indy Metro area, Fort Wayne and the Region. I predict Hamilton County schools will see the most moving. The city schools in Indy and the surrounding county’s schools will be the epicenter of roster hopping.
You should also know that the Warsaw girls basketball team gained a player for the future.
Reagan Huss has moved to Warsaw from rival Northridge, where she averaged just under 5 points per game and shot 45-percent from 3-point range.
Her situation is not really covered by the new rules. She has a parent that works here in town, and that parent has been driving from Middlebury to Warsaw every day for several years. The family is packing up and moving here, which has always trumped any challenge.
What’s one rule you would change in any high school sport if you could?
The one rule I wish the National Federation would look into would be to allow any basketball player who has not fouled out by the end of regulation to get a sixth foul. For example, Jimmy Smith has four fouls when the buzzer sounds to end regulation. In the first minute of overtime, he gets a fifth foul. I would like to see Jimmy get an extra foul. But Chris Ford fouled out in the 4th quarter. He would not get an extra foul.
It’s unfair to ask a player to play 36 minutes under the same foul restrictions as in a 32-minute game.
Was this the most exciting school year in your time covering Warsaw athletics?
I’ll go beyond that—it was the best sports school year ever at Warsaw Community High School.
Two of the three highest-profile sports played for state championships while the other won their sectional in overtime and played to overtime in the regional. Boys track and field finished 5th as a team at the state finals, and every Warsaw coach won or shared all-conference coach of the year in the NLC in the spring season.
The only thing the Tigers didn’t do was win a state championship.
Who was the best Tiger athlete in any sport?
Impossible question to answer, and I generally back off from trudging down that path.
I wouldn’t want to even mention possibilities.
Thanks for the question, but no thanks.
Do the Cubs have what it takes to win the World Series?
I don’t think so, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun October.
It’s important to remember that the roster that the Cubs are putting out there everyday right now is not the roster that will be playing games in August, September and October. Jed Hoyer has made it quite clear that they will be going out to get a top-line pitcher for the playoff push, and they need that soon.
Are the Bears for real?
If you have read my column for long, you know that expectations are the greatest pitfall in real life and sports.
Is the Bears roster better? Yes.
Is the Bears offensive line better? Yes
Is the Bears coach better? Yes.
But is the division still really good? Yes.
Sure, on paper or in some computer program, the Bears seem to be trending in the right direction. But there are no guarantees that the Bears will make the playoffs or even have a better record than last year. They have to earn that on the field when the games actually start in September.
Until then, it’s like watching a show that previews what will happen in the stock market or the ag markets tomorrow—no one knows for sure, but everyone has strong opinions…that ultimately mean nothing.
Thanks for the questions, everyone.
Never be afraid to ask.
