For four years, Doug Ogle coached one of the best high school basketball players in the state. To Warsaw's competition, however, it may have seemed like Nic Moore wore an orange and black uniform for a decade. The ultra-talented point guard is now scoring points and dishing out assists for the Illinois State University Redbirds, and Ogle and his Tigers are entering a new era. "It's difficult to replace someone who generated so much offense and handled the ball so much," Ogle said of Moore, who's resumé at Warsaw includes 1,891 points, 365 rebounds, 347 assists and 186 steals. "It's going to take a group of players, not just one guy, to fill the void left by Nic Moore," added Ogle. "We'll be a more balanced team this year." Moore, who averaged 28 points per game last year, led Warsaw to a 73-18 record in games he played, including two sectional championships, two Northern Lakes Conference championships and a berth in the 2010 Class 4A state finals. Also graduated from last year's team that went 18-5 overall and 6-1 in the NLC are Jalen Roscoe, Travis Thomas, Joey Sparkman, Brock Anson and Christopher O'Hara. Clay Anderson played a role off the bench last season as a junior, but is not with the team this year because of disciplinary reasons. What the Tigers do have on their roster is a group that includes six seniors, four juniors and a sophomore. "We're probably not gonna wow people," said Ogle, who opens his 10th season as head coach of the Tigers Wednesday when they play at Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley. "We're not gonna dazzle people with great size," Ogle continued. "That's not our athletic profile, but I think we're gonna be better than you might think when you look at us." The majority of Warsaw's experience belongs to seniors Lucas Grose and Jordyn Coon, who return to the starting lineup for a third season. "We have a good group of seniors," said Ogle. "Most of them have a lot of experience, and between Grose and Coon, there's probably 100 varsity starts between them. It's good that we have that experience. We're thankful for that." Grose, who has signed a letter-of-intent with NCAA Division II Hillsdale College, averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game last year. Coon, who will play collegiately at Bethel for legendary NAIA coach Mike Lightfoot, averaged nine points and four rebounds per game last year. "From a leadership standpoint, we're really leaning on Lucas and Jordyn," said Ogle. "Honestly, I don't know who our leading scorer will be. We have a number of guys who are good shooters. And if we're patient, I think we'll be formidable offensively." Seniors Rhett Kesler and Jay Holladay and junior Jared Bloom also started games for the Tigers last season. The rest of Warsaw's roster includes seniors Brock Anson and Kevin West, juniors John Swanson, Jason Ferguson and Taylor Cone, and sophomore Jordan Stookey. "I'm anxious to see how this team develops," said Ogle. "It's gonna take a little time to form our own identity, but I think we can be a formidable opponent." Following Wednesday's season opener at Valley, the Tigers play at Columbia City Saturday. The trip to Whitley County will be a test for Warsaw, as the Eagles return virtually their entire roster from last year's team that lost in the Class 3A semistate championship game. "That'll be a big game," Ogle said of the contest with Columbia City. "They won the regional championship, they have most of their players back. It's a big test early in the season. We'll know where we stand."
