Tigers Don't Have The Pressure Of Being Sectional Favorite
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Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
The Warsaw Tigers enter postseason play in a different fashion this year, and coach Doug Ogle said he’s OK with it because the favorite in Class 4A Sectional 4 has a history of stumbling. The past two seasons the Tigers were the favorite to win the Class 4A sectional at historic North Side Gym in Elkhart. In 2015 Warsaw took an 18-4 record into the tournament and was upset in the first round by a six-win Concord team. The Tigers took a 21-1 record into the sectional last year, drew a bye and then beat Penn and Elkhart Central to win the sectional and beat South Bend Riley and Crown Point to win the regional. Concord was the favorite in 2013 but was knocked off by Warsaw. Northridge was undefeated in 2009 but didn’t walk away with the hardware. Central, with a 20-2 record and wins over each team in the seven-team field, is the favorite this year. Ogle wouldn’t be surprised to see his team cut the nets down Saturday night, but he’s OK with Central having the bullseye and the pressure that goes with being the favorite. He said the pressure to win when you’re the favorite can be “suffocating.” “Elkhart Central has got to be the favorite,” said Ogle, whose team is 14-9 and played a schedule among the toughest in the state, according to Sagarin ratings. “They have the best record, they’ve beaten every team in the field, they’re playing on their home floor, they have the best post player, they’re the quickest team, they’re the deepest team, they’re the most athletic team. You would have to say Central is the favorite.” Action at North Side Gym gets underway Tuesday when Concord squares off with Goshen. On Wednesday, Elkhart Central plays Penn at 6 p.m., followed by Warsaw and Northridge. Elkhart Memorial drew the lone bye and will play either Concord or Goshen in a semifinal game at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by Wednesday’s winners. The championship game is slated for Saturday evening, with the winner advancing to the Michigan City Regional to face the winner of the East Chicago Central Sectional. Sectional champions from Michigan City and South Bend Washington also feed into the Michigan City Regional. For Warsaw to win the program’s 40th sectional championship overall and third in five years, the Tigers will have to win three games in four days. “It’s daunting to win three games in four days ... with the travel being as much as it is, but I think we can make it work,” said Ogle. “When you are the favorite, or a solid favorite, you face a different type of pressure. You know you’re supposed to win, and you don’t want to disappoint everybody that is connected to your team and that follows your team. It can be hard to deal with, it can be suffocating. “To not have that is kind of a relief, really. You’ve heard me say before, I would like to have the best team, I would rather be the favorite, but it’s kind of a relief to not have that pressure.” Warsaw and first-round opponent Northridge met on Jan. 6 in the Tiger Den, with the Tigers cruising to a 68-46 win. Northridge has since won nine of its last 11 games. Warsaw enters postseason play on a three-game losing streak. “They’ve won nine of their last 11, so they’re surging in the right direction,” Ogle said of Northridge. “No way, no how can we just look forward to playing Elkhart Central. Northridge has three guys who can score the basketball ... Luke Morrison, Connor Utley and an undersized-but-effective post player named Nick Yoder. “If you’re facing a team that has nothing to lose that’s a dangerous situation. Northridge is capable. I mean, they beat Memorial, they beat Plymouth, and like I said they’ve won nine of their last 11. We’re not overlooking them in any way, shape or form.” Morrison averages 19 points per game for Northridge, while Utley and Yoder score 12 and 11, respectively. The Tigers, who have won eight of their last nine meetings with Northridge, are led by senior Kyle Mangas. The Indiana Wesleyan University recruit leads Warsaw in points (21.5), rebounds (5.5), assists (2.4) and steals (1.6). After Mangas, the Tigers get an average of five points per game from seniors Jeremy David and Braxton Minix, and junior Asher Blum. Senior Jaceb Burish scores four points per game. As a team, the Tigers average 51 points per game, and give up 42.
