4A No. 5 Warsaw, 3A No. 2 NorthWood to square off in highly-anticipated NLC game
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Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
It’s not the final Northern Lakes Conference game for either team, but many believe Friday’s clash between Class 4A No. 5 Warsaw and 3A No. 2 NorthWood is a defacto championship game. The Tigers, off to their best start in school history, are 15-0 overall and 4-0 in the NLC heading into Friday’s highly-anticipated game at The Pit in Nappanee. The Panthers, who have won 21 straight on their home floor, are 13-1 overall, 4-0 in the NLC, and are riding a 10-game win streak. In a day and age when fans don’t fill high school gyms like they used to, Friday’s game is expected to be the exception. As of this morning, the Warsaw Athletic Department had pre-sold more than 500 tickets to the game ... something rare these days for the visiting fan base for a regular season game. “It’s pretty rare that it’s almost February and the teams only have one loss between them,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle. “This is an exciting week for us, and I know it’s exciting for NorthWood too. In 2016, these games don’t happen often from the standpoint of fan interest. Both communities support their team. This is shaping up to be something very special, and we’re glad we’re a part of it.” The Tigers were 7-0 in the NLC a year ago, including a 47-39 win over the Panthers, who were 6-1 in league play last season. NorthWood is looking for its first conference title since sharing with Plymouth in the 2006-07 campaign. “The atmosphere is a credit to the players from both teams and the hard work they have put in to develop their skills,” said NorthWood coach Aaron Wolfe, who is 134-66 in his ninth season at NorthWood. “They have created a stage where people want to watch them play basketball. We are very fortunate to live in communities that care about high school basketball the way our communities do. This is a positive stride for our program to have earned the opportunity to play in games like this one. It should be a great experience, regardless of the outcome.” Ogle, who owns a record of 208-99 in his 14th varsity season with the Tigers, compared his team’s matchup with NorthWood to the Super Bowl matchup of the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. In that scenario, Ogle’s Tigers are the defensive-minded Broncos, while Wolfe’s Panthers are the well-oiled offensive machine like that of Carolina. Warsaw, one of only two undefeated teams in the state and the only one in Class 4A, is eighth in the state in fewest points allowed per game at 40.7. NorthWood scores an average of 68 points per game, while giving up 50. “This is shaping up to be an epic battle between two very good teams,” said Ogle. “We’re like the Denver Broncos, we have a very good defensive team. NorthWood is like the Carolina Panthers, they have a very strong offensive team. “I don’t think it’s wrong to say they’re an offensive juggernaut. They have the ability to score anywhere on the court.” The Panthers have scored at least 70 points in eight of their games this season and have a season-high of 81 in a 28-point win over Rochester. By comparison, Warsaw averages 56 points per game and has scored 70 just once this season. Vincent Miranda leads NorthWood in scoring at 17 points per game, to go along with four rebounds per contest. Dakiyron Fox chips in with 14 points and nine boards per game for the Panthers, while Grace College recruit Braxton Linville averages 11 points, eight assists and five rebounds. For Warsaw, Kyle Mangas and Paul Marandet have been the go-to guys. Mangas averages 20 points, four rebounds and nearly three assists per game, while Marandet averages 12 points, nearly five assists and four boards. Both Mangas and Marandet scored 22 points in Saturday’s 61-53 overtime win at Fort Wayne Northrop. “I enjoy watching them play,” Wolfe said of Warsaw’s dynamic duo. “They are skilled, talented and are deal-breakers on both ends of the floor.” A deal-breaker for the Panthers’ opponents so many times this season has been NorthWood’s rebounding power. In a phone conversation this week, Ogle mentioned NorthWood’s strength on the boards, particularly the offensive glass, multiple times. “It’s hard to find any chinks in their armor, offensively,” said Ogle. “They can score inside and outside. They have outside shooters, and they have the ability to drive to the basket. “It has not been fun to gameplan for this game. They are very good, and they have so many people that can score. If you take one thing away, they beat you with another.” Not only are the Tigers and Panthers among the state’s best teams, Ogle and Wolfe are longtime friends and have a lot of respect for the other. “He and I became friends when I was the JV coach,” Ogle said of Wolfe. “He was the freshman coach, and we were both coaching with Al Rhodes. Aaron bought a house on the south side of town and didn’t live far from me. He was a teacher at Edgewood (Middle School), and so was I. When I became the varsity coach, he was my JV coach. “We’ve spent a lot of time together. We still talk, probably once a month or so, about different things. I have a lot of respect for what he’s done at NorthWood.” Likewise, Wolfe has plenty of respect for the Tigers. “Warsaw is the best offensive, defensive and rebounding team we have played this year,” said Wolfe. “It is the combination of those three things that makes them so complete. They have experienced players that make great decisions and they have very good playmakers.” In his varsity tenure at Warsaw, Ogle is 8-5 against NorthWood, including a 1-5 record at The Pit. The Tigers’ last win in Nappanee was in 2010, the year current SMU guard Nic Moore led Warsaw to the Class 4A state finals. “The pit has been a tough place to play because we have been fortunate to have good players, a great cheerblock and tremendous community support,” said Wolfe.
