Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 133, Number 7, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 18 February 2010 — Page 7

Black Swish ladies capture 21st Sectional title

By Stevf. Siran Correspondent UGONIER The North*Wood High School girls basketball team won its 21st sectional title in school history, all of them under legendary coach Steve Neff, by pummeling the Whitko Wildcats 76-35 in the Class 3A Sectional 21 championship game at West Noble Monday. The victory was the 575th for Neff, currently the second-winningest girls basketball coach ever in Indiana, and propelled the 9th-ranked Lady Panthers into the regional for the second straight season. The Panthers advanced to the championship game with an easy opening-round win over Wawasee, and a hard-fought victory over Columbia City in which the ratal score was not indicative of the closeness of the game. North Wood 47, Wawasee 33 (opening round) After waiting two extra days to open the sectional, due to the inclement weather that struck the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Black Swish finally got into action on Friday against Northern Lakes Conference (NLC) rival Wawasee, who was hammered by the Panthers 54-30 in die tegular-season matchup. As has been the case all season, seniors led the way from the opening tip for the Panthers, as Lindsey Steffen and Courtney Frantz combined for 11 points in the opening period to boost North Wood to a 13-4 lead at the break. In the second period, Steffen continued to pour it on, knocking down three more shots and getting some excellent assistance from high-energy reserves DeYahnna Styles, Maddie Spitaels, and Hilary Lechlitner to increase the Panther lead to 28-14. Sharp-shooting freshman KiLee Knafel and senior Kaytie Woodard were the only bright spots for Wawasee, combining for all 14 of the Warriors' points in the half. Steffen continued her torrid pace in the third quarter, pouring in six more points and dishing out four assists, while Frantz added four points and Kelcie Lehman five as the Black Swish seniors scored 15 of North Wood's 17 third-period points. The Warriors, meanwhile, managed just nine points in the quarter and trailed by 18 at 45*23 with eight minutes remaining. -~**m**m The fourth period was a defensive stalemate, as neither team scored in the first four minutes, and North Wood finished with just two points, but the lead was plenty big enough and the final score of 47-33 was not indicative of the dominance of the Panthers for most of the night, as they advanced to face Columbia City, a 60-23 winner over Lakeland in their opener. Steffen led all scorers with 18 points and also handed out four assists, while Frantz had 11 points and 5 rebounds for North Wood. Knafel paced Wawasee with 12 points, while Woodard added nine for the youthful Warriors, who ended their season at 11-10. North Wood 58, Columbia City 42 The semi-final matchup between North Wood and Columbia City featured a stellar coaching matchup between Neff and Wayne Krieger of the Eagles, who have combined for nearly 1,100 wins between them. But, as always, it was the players that decided the outcome of the game and once again, it was the senior duo of Steffen and Frantz who led the way for the Black Swish, snapping the 10-game win streak of the Lady Eagles and propelling the Panthers into the championship

Rhymer reflects on wresHng career

By Rusty Nixon Correspondent NAPPANEE lonely at the top, just ask North Wood wrestler Zach Rhymer. The Panthers' only semistate participant in wrestling, his week of practice was a tough one. “There were only two of us that made it to regional and they brought in a whole bunch of guys to work with us, so they rotated in and we got to take them all on so that was pretty tough/ said Rhymer. "I was the only one that got to semi-state so there were eight of them and (me coach all against me. That was not fun," he laughed, "but I definitely felt prepared." And prepared he was, winning his first round match but falling short in his second round matchup. While Rhymer may not have made the finals list, he does take away a lot of positives. "I learned a lot about hard work," he said. “My four years of wrestling

■'» jf' f * IRshH

na. I, g I, »-B—* rnOTO proviQCQ Wrestlers (ABOVE) Bryce Hershberger and Zach Rhymer were members of this year's Panthers wrestling squad who made it to semi-state. Others on the team were: Chase Anglemyer, Nick Christofeno, Coty Hartman, Jason Nolte, Cody Pippen, Nate Bailey, Zach Sweeden, Caleb Reeve, Zach Wilson, Andrew Hahn, Mike Bess, Zach Feece, Kenny Knigga, Kyle Mersch, Zach Teischow, AJ. Carter, Lucio Chumas, Dan Guevara and Justin Mullins.

taught me just what you can accomplish if you just work hard and believe in yourself. You do a lot if you just believe you can do it."

tilt. Just like the sectional opener, Steffen had the hot hand from the start, scoring six first period points and handing out a pair of assists to boost the Panthers to a 13-6 lead after one quarter. Frantz added four points in the period, but picked up her second foul with just seconds remaining and was sent to the pine for what turned out to be the remainder of tire half. With the ultra-fierce Frantz on the bench, Krieger persuaded the Lady Eagles to turn up the intensity and his crew responded, forcing several Panther turnovers and scoring the final four points of the half to narrow the Panther lead to 24-19. Steffen picked up the slack in the absence of Frantz, scoring eight more points to give her 14 at the break, and the relentless Spitaels added an old-fashioned three-point play to pace North Wood, while Lady Eagle reserves Corinna Raypole and Maddie Hinen combined for eight points to keep their team alive. In the third period, North Wood displayed excellent balance as five players each scored a basket and Steffen and Lehman each had a pair of assists to boost the Black Swish to a nine-point lead at 36-27 with eight minutes to play. The Lady Eagles then went on a run to narrow the Panther margin to as few as four before Frantz took over the game, grabbing nearly every rebound and calmly drilling free throw after free throw as Columbia City was forced to foul. Frantz, who will play collegiately at St. Francis next winter, scored 13 points in the decisive final period, including a clutch 9 for 11 from the charity stripe, and also pulled down five crucial rebounds to nearly single-handedly send the Lady Eagles home for the year. The rest of the .Panthers were jio slouches at the line; .however, combining to knock down 7 of 9 as North Wood scored 22 fourth-period points to pull away for a 58-42 win that was closer than the final score might indicate. Frantz had a game-high 21 points for North Wood, including 17 in the second half, and also pulled down eight rebounds, while Steffen added 16 points and dished out five more assists. Raypole and Jenna Moss led a balanced Columbia City attack with eight points each, while Alex Bunyan and Kayla Dunn added six apiece for the Eagles, who finished the year at 15-7. The Panthers (19-3) advanced to play Whitko (9-13), who defeated host West Noble 47-35 in the other semi-final contest. North Wood 76, Whitko 35 It was an anti-climactic finish to the sectional for the Black Swish, as they shook off some earlygame jitters to blitz a young Whitko team featuring just one senior. Both teams looked a little shaky in the early going, but some aggressive play by the Wildcats overcame several turnovers and resulted in a 9-9 tie four minutes into the game. At that point, North Wood's senior experience began to pay dividends as Lehman and

Wrestling at 125, Zach knew it was tough. "I was stuck at that weight class for four years," he said. "There was a lot of competition. Just a

Sports

lot of really quick strong guys." The North Wood senior won't be shying away from hard work anytime soon. "I'm planning on going

Frantz led a 9-0 run the rest of the quarter to give the Panthers an 18-9 lead at the first stop. Things went from bad to worse for the Wildcats in the second stanza, as Steffen, Styles, and Kaci Heeter sparked a 15-2 run in the first four minutes. Steffen finished with 10 points in the quarter while also pulling down five rebounds while Styles had three assists and four steals in the period to boost North Wood to a 44-18 halftime lead. In the third period, the Panther starters kicked off an 8-0 run and then went to the bench to enjoy the view for the remainder of the evening, but the reserves kept the fun going by holding Whitko without a field goal and increasing the lead to 41 points at 63-22 with eight minutes remaining. The final quarter was basically a separate game for the reserves, and the Wildcats managed to battle to a 13-13 tie for the quarter after finally sinking their first basket of the half with sue minutes remaining in the game. North Wood placed five players in double figures, led by Frantz with 13 and Lehman with 12. Steffen, Heeter, and Mackenzie Campbell each had 10 points and every North Wood player got on the board with at least one point. Whitko was paced by nine points from Micaela Sylvester and seven from lone senior Amanda Allender, who unfortunately suffered a knee injury late in the game and left the gym in a brace and on crutches. The Panthers (21-3) advanced to the regional at Peru on Saturday, February 20th to face the winner of Bellmont and Ft. Wayne Elmhurst. Varsity box scores • NORTHWOOD 47, WAWASEE 33, Sectional Opening Round At Ligonier WAWASEE (33): Kalyn McDaniel 2 (W) 5, Lauren Tail 1 0-0 2. KiLee Knafel 4 3-0 12, Kiley Cooper 0 0-0 0. Katie Allen 00-10, Kaytie Woodard 3 1-2 9, Brett Ayers 0 0-0 0, Jonna Wiggs 2 0-0 5, Jenna Henderson 00-0 0 TOTALS 12 4-9 33 NORTHWOOD (47): Kaci Heeter 00-00, DeYahnna Styles I 0-1 2, Hilary Lechlitner I 0-0 2, Maddie Spitaels 0 0-3 0, Kelcie Lehman 3 0-1 8, Mackenzie Campbell 0 0-0 0, Hannah Stump 0 00 0, Whitney Roe 0 0-00, Couitney Frantz 4 2-211, Danae Ehret 0 04) 0. Lindsey Steffen 7 4-5 18, Taylor Olson 3 0-0 6 TOTALS 19 6-12 47 Wawasee 4 14 23 33 * North Wood ~ 13 28 45 47 3-Point Goals: North Wood 3 (Lehman 2, Frantz), Wawasee 5 (Woodard 2, McDaniel, Knafel, Wiggs) • NORTHWOOD 58, COLUMBIA CITY 42, Sectional Semi-Final At Ligonier COLOMBIA CITY (42): Alex Bunyan 2 0-0 6, Hailey Woll 000 0, Kayla Dunn 2 24 6, Samar Qureshi 00-00, Janelle Moss 3 24 8, Sierra Burlage I 0-2 2, Sarah Woll 00-00, Maddie Hinen 3 23 9, Sid Bunyan I 0-2 3, Corinna Raypole 4 0-0 8, Hannah Schnorr 00-00 TOTALS 166-1542 NORTHWOOD (58): Kaci Heeter 2 3-5 7, DeYahnna Styles 000 0, Hilary Lechlitner 1 1-2 3, Maddie Spitaels 1 l-l 3, Kelcie Lehman 0 04) 0, Mackenzie Campbell 0 0-0 0, Hannah Stump 0 00 0, Whitney Roe 0 0-0 0, Courtney Frantz 4 13-15 21, Lindsey Steffen 6 44 16, Taylor Olson 3 2-3 8 TOTALS 17 24-30 58 Columbia City 6 19 27 42 North Wood 13 24 36 58 3-Foinl Goals: North Wood 0, Columbia City 4 (A. Bunyan 2, Hinen, S. Bunyan) • NORTHWOOD 76, WHITKO 35, Sectional Final At Ligonier WHITKO (35): Micaela Sylvester 3 3-5 9. Karissa Olinske 0 34 3, Cagney Craig 0 1-4 1, Josie Sparks 2 0-0 4, Danielle Rose 0 34 3, Nichole Slaymakcr 0 24 2, Christena Hoopingamer 0 0-0 0, Amanda Allender 1 44 7. Kachelle Kcssie I 1-2 3, Cassie Jones 0 34 3, Lynsi Hicks 0 04) 0 TOTALS 7 20-31 35 NORTHWOOD (76): Kaci Heeter 4 l-l 10, DeYahnna Styles 2 1-2 5, Hilary Lechlitner 0 1-2 I, Maddie Spitaels 3 04) 6, Kelcie Lehman 5 04) 12, Mackenzie Campbell 5 0-0 10, Hannah Stump I 0-0 2, Whitney Roe 0 1-21, Courtney Frantz 60-013, Danae Ehret I 0-0 2, Lindsey Steffen 4 2-2 10, Taylor Olson 20-04 TOTALS 33 6-9 76 Whitko , 9 18 22 35 North Wood 19 44 63 76 3-Point Goals: North Wood 4 (Lehman 2, Heeter, Frantz), Whitko I (Allender)

to Purdue and majoring in biology. I hope to go to med school," he said. "I guess I just don't know how to do anything tire easy way."

Advance News • Thunday, February 18, 2010*

Page A7

Swimming Rochester meet has been cancelled NAPPANEE NorthWood's boys home swim meet against Rochester was cancelled due to weather last Tuesday. It will not be made up. Learn 2 Swim Leam-2-Swim lessons will take place at the North Wood High School pool. Parents are asked to enter through door 3, labeled "pool entrance." Ages 6 months and older are welcome. Cost is S3O for five 45minute sessions, Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. Baseball dink The North Wood High School baseball staff wiQ conduct a preseason baseball clinic in the NorthWood Pit for all boys in the Wa-Nee school system in kindergarten through fifth grade. Students will learn hitting, throwing and fielding from coaches and current varsity players. Students in third through fifth grade will take plac* Thursday, Feb. 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The clinic costs S2O per player, or S3O maximum per family. The clinic is free for any parents or coaches who wish to attend. Walk-up registrations are welcome the day of the clinic, but camp Tshirts are only available to those who pre-registered. For more information call the North Wood High School athletic office at 773-4127 or Coach Davis at 773-5224. Chill supper The North Wood High School baseball team will host its annual chili supper Friday, Feb. 19 before the Bremen-NorthWood varsity basketball game. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Preschool-age children eat for free. Tickets will be available from North Wood High School baseball players or at the door. Serving time is 5 to 7 p.m. in the North Wood cafeteria. Water aerobics Wa-Nee Community Education offers Water Aerobics Monday and Wednesday evenings through Feb. 24 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is S3O. For more information or to register, call 773-7919 or go to www.nappanee.lib.in. us and click on the community education calendar. N—ffunl NOTICE OF SALE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY Notice is hereby given that the Wa-Nee Community School Corporation, Elkhart & Kosciusko Counties, Indiana, has determined to offer for sale surplus' property by sealed bids delivered to the Administrative Offices, 1300 N. Main St., Nappanee, IN, 46550, by 9:00 AM local time on the 3rd day of March, 2010. The surplus property consists of three (3) 1996 GMC/Bluebird-66 Passenger school buses and one (1) 1996 GMC/Thomas wheelchair-acces-sible school bus. For information and/ or to arrange an inspection of theses vehicles, please contact the Administrative Offices at: (574)773-3131. Interested parties should prepare their sealed bid in writing and submit to the above office. Please mark the outside of the sealed bids, *1996 School Bus Sale*. Please indicate which bus you are interested in by using the Wa-Nee Bus number located on the vehicle. The sealed bids will be opened and read aloud at 9:00 AM local time. Any bids received after 9:00 AM wM be returned unopened. The side will be made to the highest responsible bidder. Vehicles wW be available for final acquisition on or before April 1, 2010. The highest responsible bidder wM be required to pay 10% of thsir bid as a deposit at the time of the bid opening with the balance due for the vehicle upon final aw quMtion. The vehicle must be removed from Wa-Nee Comnwr nity School property within 2« hours of the final acquisition date. All vehicles are sold “AS IS* with no Imp led warranty. Christina Eshebnan, Seoalffiy nw vsommumy School Corpotafioa F«>. 18,2S.201<MNttM?