The Independent-News, Volume 103, Number 39, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 2 March 1978 — Page 7

Sectional Action Starts But Who Knows Os Finish At this time of the year, the Indiana State High School Basketball Tourney is on the minds of every Hoosier. This year it is sharing top billing with the coal strike and energy-saving measures put into effect in much of Indiana. However, many tournies will be played this week according to schedule or with a very slight variation. Included in those are the local interest meets, Plymouth, South Bend and North Judson basically w hich includes teams of our readership area. The Plymouth meet is the foremost important to our readers because the bulk of "The Independ-ent-News" circulation is in the Walkerton, North Liberty and eastern Koontz Lake area, which comprises the bulk of the enrollment for John Glenn and North Liberty high schools. However, this year, tourney fever is not at the usual "fever pitch" because of the fact that John Glenn is 3-16 going into the tourney and North Liberty is 4-16. The two teams did fare about as well as could be expected in the draw unless they were to meet each other for the third time, as each team has beaten the other once. Glenn opens tonight (Wednesday) against LaVille. a pretty good team that lately has been playing very poorly. These two teams met a few weeks ago with LaVille edging the Falcons 52-46 in a rather poorly played game. However, regular tournament fever should resume as play gets underway even if this game isn't among the most thrilling. The second game pits the host Plymouth team and Bremen, a team they barely edged in early season play and a Bremen team with its finest record in many years. These two games will comprise the opponents for the second semi-final game on Friday night. Meanwhile the Shamrocks and Argos drew the "bye" bracket, meeting each other in Friday’s first game. The winner of this one moves right into the finals. Argos has a fine team, were winners of this year’s Bi-County Tourney but have lost three times to not too

A PERSONAL INVITATION GRAND OPENING OF The Paw Paw Patch STATE ROAD 4, FISH LAKE SUNDAY, MARCH 5 9:00 a.m. — 7:00 p.m. FEATURED ATTRACTIONS Macrame & Supplies Stained Glass Seasonal Decorations Jewelry & Jewelry Findings Ceramics & Stoneware Candles & Plaster Crafts Original Art Work General Craft Supplies Plants & Garden Supplies Many More Handcrafted Gifts Register Now For Spring Session Classes In MACRAME & PLASTER CRAFT We Have A COMPLETE Une Os Both These Crafts

powerful of opponents as their schedule is probably about the easiest of the six teams in the tourney. They are not unbeatable but the Shamrocks are going to have to put it all toghether for 32 minutes instead of a quarter or half a ball game if they are to upset the Dragons. Most figure the Pilgrims of Plymouth and Argos will meet in the finals giving the bigger school favorite against the smallest school in the field and the sentimental favorite of all but the "Big Red” fans should they advance to the finals. The six team format, especially when two or three of the teams are down to some extent, takes a lot of glitter out of the normal sectional play. It looks like gone forever are the days of the eight, even 10, 12 and as many as 16 team tournies that used to spark the last week of February before the tremendous school reorganization cut the number of teams entered into the battle to claim the championship of Indiana from well over 700 to under 400 for the first time in over 50 years. Neighboring meets include a good eight team field at South Bend, played at the Notre Dame ACC where they are not yet under an emergency cutback. Adams is clearly a favorite at this site, but Washington. Riley, LaSalle and Mishawaka all could pull an upset along the way. The strength is pretty well spread with only Mishawaka and LaSalle meeting in first round games and Adams plays Clay. Riley Marian and Washington St. Joe. St. Joe and Marian just haven't won anything this year and are the clear cut teams that are given no chance. The tourney at North Judson, still an eight team meet, has no really outstanding team in it. On paper North Judson probably rates the favorite due to record and schedule, but they were beaten by a fairly sound and surprising Ore-gon-Davis ball club earlier this year. OD does have a team that has to be respected as does South Central. Judson is in a bracket with the two Culver teams, both struggling this year even though CMA has had a few bright moments during the season. Along with them is Knox, who meets their old rival. North Judson in the opening round. However, the Bluejays should use their friendly

homecourt and talent to advantage in this bracket. OD meets Winamac, a team that has been up and down with the downs more frequent than the ups. South Central plays the defending champion LaCrosse team who lost about everything including their coach, who is now guiding the North Judson team. This winner moves into the South Bend regional when ever it comes about. Hop-scotching around, at Valparaiso, another team feeding into the South Bend regional, Valpo looks like the favorite despite the fact that a few good small schools are included in the action this year. At Michigan City, the fourth member feeding into the Notre Dame ACC, Michigan City Rodgers and LaPorte are in opposite brackets which easily could be the final team opponents and could be a very interesting game. The Rogers team has some real potential if they can keep it altogether and LaPorte could be the opportunists if they don't. The perennial Michigan City Elston team has had a big rebuilding year from coach right on down the line and has just suffered through a deplorable season for them. At Triton, one of the four that feeds into Elkhart with Plymouth and Columbia City, it is only a five team tourney but no clear cut favorite is present. Triton and Tippecanoe Vally make up the top "bye" bracket. Triton has been a rapidly improving team and the usually strong TV team has suffered six defeats in the last several weeks but got back on what appears to be the right track last week end with big wins over Glenn and Southwood. Warsaw and Wawasee meet in the first round game with Rochester waiting in the wings to play this winner in the second Friday game. You could give any of these teams a shot at it and it should be a great tourney. At Columbia City, already announced as a four day four game meet due to the energy situation, the hosts and Whitko seem to be the stronger teams that should meet in the finals. They are just too far away to know much about. Elkhart rounds out the teams

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 PERCH DINNER $199 (French Fries & Cole Slaw) SATURDAY, MARCH 4 STEAK & $169 FRENCH FRIES I RESTAURANT Downtown Walkerton Phone 586-7267

THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS - MARCH 2, 1978

feeding into Northside gym for the regional and there the Blue Blazers of Elkhart Central are one of the better ranked teams in the state, a loser only three times and a very well balanced team that doesn’t depend heavily on just one player. The top bracket of Penn and NorthWood and Jimtown and Elkhart Memorial could have some fine action whenever it is played. Goshen and Northridge meet first in the bottom bracket and then Central and Concord, making for about as good a spread of talent as could be when one team stands above the rest. This may be the end of action for some three weeks, maybe even longer, depending on what hapens in the coal strike vote coming up. One thing is certain, the IHSAA almost has to get this tourney in as the basketball tourney is still the biggest money-maker for the teams involved and IHSAA as well and is the life-blood of the many minor sports played all year long. K of C Fund Drive For Mental Retarded The First Annual Fund Drive to assist the mentally retarded locally and in Indiana w ill be conducted by St. Patrick’s Council 5709 of the Knights of Columbus on April 7, K and 9. 1978, Bernard Westhues, council Grand Knight announced. Last year the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's fraternal society, collected $35,000 in a Lake and Porter County Mentally Retarded Pilot Project weekend drive. Under the program, which is carried out in most of the 94 K. C. Councils in Indiana, people are asked to donate money to the mentally retarded and given a Tootsie Roll candy in appreciation of the gift. One Hundred Percent of the net income from the donations is retained by the local Knights of Columbus council and after expenses for distribution to designated Men-

tally Retarded Programs. State Deputy Francis F. Gallagher of Indianapolis, the highest ranking elected K of C official in Indiana, said there are over 150.000 mentally retarded citizens in Indiana. He said contributions from the public in the April 7. 8 and 9 Mentally Retarded Drive will go toward lessening the handicaps of mentally retarded through training and professional assistance. "The donations to local organizations by Knights of Columbus councils in behalf of their contributions will prove to be a gratifying experience for our members who arc asked to practice Christian charity as a principle of their membership in the Knights of Columbus." Gallagher said. "We are looking forward to 100% participation this year.” Citizens will be able to recognize the Knights and their helpers during the drive because they will be decked out in colorful hats, carrying cannisters resembling a Tootsie Roll and wearing yellow aprons emblazoned with "K of C Help the Mentally Retarded." Thomas F. O’Rourke. State Secretary is the Mentally Retarded Coordinator from Highland. Indiana. Joseph E. Oswald. District Deputy from Elkhart. Indiana, is the Northern Indiana Chairman and Virgil Merkel, District Depute from Princeton. Indiana is the Southern Indiana Chairman. Ihe local 5’09 St. Patrick’s council Mentally Retarded Fund Drive Chairman is Charles Dohis. Use Our Classified Ads* Happy Ads Make Happy Faces! rEwen well-fed dogs can . need t I fa ASergeMtk ”*• i it*, are O 1,11 M ♦. Coavoa, * h Roe, a, Ca v IHW