The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 51, Milford, Kosciusko County, 17 December 1986 — Page 8

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., December 17,1986

8

Sports

In a thriller:

Mangas shot lifts Wawasee past Warsaw

By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Editor

SYRACUSE — Wawasee’s Tim Mangas was absent from Gary Goshert’s starting five against Warsaw last Friday. However, at the end, he sank a 13-foot jumper with two seconds remaining to give the Warriors a 63-62 Northern Lakes Conference victory over Warsaw. Mangas, entering the contest with a 29.3 scoring clip, twisted, his ankle during Tuesday’s practice and didn’t workout the rest of the week. But, prior to the game, Goshert and Mangas went to the gym to test his ankle. “It hurt a little bit,” informed Goshert of Mangas’ ankle. “But I would have had a player awfully mad at me if I didn't give him a chance to play.” Still, Mangas' injury may have been a blessing in disguise.

Warriors remain unbeaten with easy win

SYRACUSE — Wawasee’s boys’ swim team continued its unbeaten streak alive Monday, Dec. 15, when the Warriors used 10 lifetime best swims to propel them past Elkhart Central, 105-67.

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In fact, it was influential in Wawasee’s one-point win. The Warriors, with less experience and size than Warsaw, started the contest as though they would rout the Tigers. Scoring the first six points — all without Mangas — Wawasee had the momentum and confidence it needed to win. But, the rout never materialized. Instead, with Mangas entering the contest with 4:27 remaining in the first quarter, Warsaw outscored the Warriors 12-2. However, just like Wawasee earlier in the game, Warsaw stumbled in the second quarter and both teams were close the rest of the way. “The 6-0 lead was very important,” insisted Goshert. “It let our guys know that they could do it without Tim, if necessary.” But they needed Mangas at the end. Trailing Warsaw by three.

The Warriors, expecting a tougher meet than it received from the Blue Blazers, moved their record to 5-0 with the rout. However, Wawasee coach Tim Caldwell felt his team didn’t swim exceptionally well.

62-59, Wawasee used Mangas’ shooting ability and Darrin Atwood’s intelligence to pull out the victory. After Mangas canned a critical 15-foot jumper to pull the Warriors within one, 62-61, Atwood called timeout — Wawasee’s final one of the game. The strategy meeting paid off for Wawasee seconds later. Wawasee, trying to deny the ball inbounds, failed to keep the ball from coming in play, and was forced to foul. Mangas was whistled for the infraction while trying to steal the ball from Dan Sands. Warsaw’s senior guard failed to connect on the front end of the one-and-one opportunity, giving, the hosts at least one more chance of winning. But the Warriors needed two chances to pull out the victory. Setting up for the final shot, the Warriors found Mangas open from 13 feet, but the senior's shot

“We swam okay, but they swam poorly," insisted Caldwell. “We had several lifetime best swims, but they weren’t big drops. Basically, we swam well enough towin. ” In claiming the easy victory, the Warriors captured seven first places. Brad Smith led the Warriors in that category with a pair of victories. He won the 200 individual medley with a 2:10 time, then came back in the butterfly and won that event, with a :56.3 effort. Other first place finishers for Wawasee included Steve Rozow, a :23.6 time in the 50 freestyle; Steve Schmahl, finishing first in the 500 freestyle in 5:32.6; and Paul Morel, winning the backstroke in a time of 1:01.7. The other two victories for Wawasee included the 200 medley relay team and the freestyle relay team. The initial relay team, consisting of Morel, Scott Rozow. Matt Fryback, and Brian Neff won their event in 1:48.5. The latter team, with Smith, Mark Rich, Neff, and Steve Rozow easily won the freestyle relay. “We re coming along steadily," said Caldwell of his teams progress since the start of the season. “We re not making any big drops — boom. But I would be worried if we were. We are too tired to be making the big drops. ’ ’ Still, with a Wawasee team that usually is tired, its amazing the success it has enjoyed. "Right now we don’t have to be rested to win,” said Caldwell “It doesn’t matter if you win by 30 points or 10 points. But we will need to be rested before some of our meets." The Warriors' next action will be Saturday, Dec. 20, at the LaPorte Relays. Following the weekend meet, Wawasee returns home for a Monday, Dec. 22, meet with Mishawaka, then travel to the Cass Relays the following day. Tickets available for Concord game Due to the limited number of tickets available for Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference basketball contest between Wawasee and Concord, advanced tickets for the game will go on sale for Wawasee students and season ticket holders Thursday, Dec. 18, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Wawasee High School athletic office. If any tickets are available Friday, they will be on sale at the high school athletic office. All tickets are priced at $2.50.

rimmed out. However, on the rebound, the ball bounced off a Warsaw player and into Wawasee’s student section. This time, Mangas made the Tigers pay. Trailing 62-61 with seven seconds on the clock, Mangas worked himself free for the game-winner. His 13-foot jump shot found the bottom of the well, sending the partisan crowd into a frenzy. “We wanted to get the ball to Tim,” said Goshert, concerning Wawasee’s final offensive play of the game. “The first thing we needed to do was get the ball inbounds. Then, Tim had the choice of passing off, or sticking it. I think he wanted to stick it himself.” Following Mangas’ shot, as Wawasee fans and players spilled onto the court in celebration of the win, Warsaw was awarded a time out with one second left in the game. But, the extra tick didn't matter as Darren Miller’s 40-foot jumper was off target, ending Warsaw’s string of eight consecutive victories over Wawasee. “That was a very smart thing Darin did,” said Goshert, referring to Atwood s calling of a timeout with 18 seconds left. “If he doesn’t do that, we might not have been in position to win the game. That was a very big play for us.” The game, from the outset, contrasted greatly in style. Warsaw enjoyed great success inside the paint, while the Warriors held the upper hand from the perimeter. Despite Warsaw's strength inside, Wawasee outrebounded the Tigers, 32-26. “We fought like little dynamos around the basket, ” said Goshert about his club. “We had our share of fouls, but we were aggressive underneath. The players were assertive out there ' For that matter, so were Wawasee’s fans. I "There was a

Saturday: Wawasee battles Concord for NLC lead

(By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Editor DUNLAP — Concord was the preseason favorite to win the Northern Lakes Conference — and they probably still are. However, since those early indications, the conference has seen one surprising team rise to the top — Gary Goshert’s Wawasee Warriors. Thus, Saturday’s NLC clash at Concord, has all the ramifications of a conference championship

'Sixth man' comes to life — helps topple Tigers

It was better — but there’s always room for improvement. Wawasee’s basketball fans, dead during the Warriors’ first two home basketball games, woke up in time Friday evening to watch Wawasee defeat Warsaw, 63-62. During this contest, both teams played exceptionally well. The Warriors proved early they could play with the Tigers — even without Tim Mangas. But the real story in this Wawasee win, was the home crowd. It truly was Wawasee’s sixth man. From the moment I stepped inside the gym, I knew Wawasee’s faithful were ‘in’ the game. The stands were full, and the partisan crowd even cheered during the junior varsity game — unheard of before this game. But the junior varsity game was just the beginning. During the varsity affair, students used anything they could think of to make noise. Megaphones, hockey sticks, wood blocks highlighted the list. Their creativeness was refreshing to see. I particularly enjoyed the use of the hockey sticks, and wood blocks. This type of fan support reminded me of my years at Grace College. At Grace, we were known for making noise, and dressing up in a multitude of weird ways (toga night, hat night, formal wear night, etc...). But it worked. We drove the opposing teams crazy, even to the point that some teams refused to play Grace in the Winona Lake gymnasium. Tri-State’s Mark Peterman, in a NAIA tournament game put up a fuss because his team had to play at Grace. His main gripe was not the gym, but the intimidating fans. The same situation could be at Wawasee IF the student body supports the Warriors the rest of the season like it did against Warsaw. Wawasee students could

purpose in playing at Wawasee tonight,” added Goshert. “There was a sixth man on the floor for us with the crowd. Their participation was a big factor —a BIG factor.” Besides Mangas’ 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, the Warriors, offensively, received another stellar performance from Fred Steffen. The junior collected 16 points and seven rebounds as Wawasee won its biggest game of the season. Nathan Rhoades, who played a solid floor game for Goshert’s squad, chipped in with 10 points, five assists and three steals. Atwood finished with eight points for the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Tigers were led in scoring by Sean O’ Connor’s season-high 19 points. Sands contributed 14 for Warsaw, while Brian Rhoades added 10.

GAME SUMMARY WAWASEE (63) FG FT TP Mike Eastmanl-4 2-2 2 Fred Steffen 8-11 0-1 16 Nathan Rhoades4-6 2-2 10 Brian Rensbergerl-2 0-0 2 Darrin Atwood 3-6 2-2 8 Tim Mangas7-16 7-9 21 John Frasure .i l-3 0-0 2 Matt Dickl-3 0-0 2 Brett Hartero-0 0-0 0/ James Braggso-0 0-0 0 Totals 25-48 13-16 63 Team Fouls: 25 Team rebounds: 32 (Steffen —9) WARSAW (62) FG FT TP Darren Miller 2-11 4-6 8 Brent Bair3-7 1-2 7 Dan Sands 6-10 2 4 14 Brian Rhoades4-7 2-4 10 Sean OConnorß-13 3-7 19 Ty Woodruffl-1 2-2 4 Jeff Andersono-0 0-0 o Clint Johnsono-0 0-0 0 Paul Wiley,.o-0 0-0 0 Totals 24 48 14-25 62 Team Fouls: 14 Team Rebounds: 26 (O'Connor —7) Quarter Scoring Wawaseel4 18 16 15 - 63 Warsawl9 14 13 16 62 Officials: Harry Northington, Greentown, Carl Dittifield, Amboy. Preliminary Score: Wawasee, 61 60 (3 OT).

showdown between fourthranked Concord, and unbeaten Wawasee. “This game is critical,” insisted Concord’s Jim Hahn, referring to Saturday’s game with Wawasee. "Both teams have beaten Warsaw, a prominent team in the conference, and now we go after each other. It should be an exciting basketball game. ” The Warriors, entering the weekend with a 6-0 slate, knocked off Warsaw, 63-62, last weekend. The win, not only gave the Warriors some additional confidence,

On The Mark

M A R K bB WEINSTEIN •• y 808

have so much fun, and at the same time, give the Warriors a great advantage IF they supported Wawasee in this fashion. The responsibility rests on the students. The elder fans, meaning parents and interested spectators, just don’t get into a game like the students. I guess they feel they are too old to have fun. Incidentally, Tri-State defeated the Lancers that particular evening — with good defense and by taking the crowd out of the game. Anyway, WHS students took a step in the right direction Friday evening. Wawasee students proved to me they are capable of supporting their basketball team. However, the jury is out as to whether they can consistently cheer to the level that will give the Warriors a reason to play at home. The Columbia City and West Noble games should be the measuring stick. □ After Monday Night football this week, I have discovered something that I dislike more than liver and onions, and Bethel College.... the Chicago Bears. This team has a bunch of obnoxious, overweight players with a coach to match. Sure, they are the defending super bowl champions, but that was last year. This time around, they will not get past a wild card team.

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EASY SCORE — Nothing is going to stop Wawasee’s Fred Steffen from scoring this field goal during first half action in the Warriors’ 63-62 win over Warsaw. “ Darrin Atwood and Mike Eastman prepare to rebound Steffen’s shot for the Warriors. Steffen finished the contest with 16 points. (Photo by Mark Weinstein).

but it also opened the eyes of manv basketball coaches in the NLC. Including Concord’s Jim Hahn. “Wawasee has a very fine basketball team — they are fundamentally sound," said Hahn about the Warriors. "Steffen (Fred) has improved greatly for them. He’s one of the reasons why they are as good as they are.” Still, the Minutemen are favored in this Wawasee-Concord affair. And they should be. Concord, although barely slipp-

In the game against Detroit, the Bears were cocky, and overconfident. Fortunately, they were playing the Lions. Otherwise, Chicago would have been dropped on its rear with a loss However, there was one good thing that happened in this game. The Lions were able to sack Chicago’s Mike Tomczak — forcing him to the sidelines with a bruised leg. Although it may not happen soon, but, there will come a day when the Lions arise from the ranks of mediocrity, and beat up the Bears. But, until that happens, I’ll just root for the New York Giants to beat those Windy city players. □ Minnesota’s Kim Zurcher, enjoyed his finest game as a collegiate Monday evening when the former Wawasee standout scored 14 points. However, the Golden Gophers dropped a 77-66 decision to Oklahoma State. In a game one week earlier, Zurcher struggled offensively in Minnesota’s 69-67 win over Chapman College. Zurcher canned one of his eight field goal attempts, hit both free throws for his four points. Zurcher is a starting guard in his first year at Minnesota. □ I was disappointed in hearing that Jack Morris, the former Detroit Tigers pitcher, failed to reach a contract agreement with the Minnesota Twins yesterday. Poor Jack, no team will give him what he wants. In year’s past, Morris has been known for flying off the handle if he didn’t get his way. I wonder what he will do if no team signs him to a contract before the January 8 deadline? Will he give in, and sign with the Tigers again? Knowing the way Morris is, this probably will not happen.

Earlier this month, Morris turned down a two-year, 2.5 million dollar contract with the

ing past Bremen last week, boast the premier player in the Northern Lakes Conference — Shawn Kemp. The 6-10 junior has created problems for every team this season, including Bremen. During that game, Kemp was shut down, offensively, until the end. But in the closing seconds. Kemp canned a turn-around, 18-foot jumper to win the game for the Minutemen. However, Kemp, may not play in either contest for Concord this weekend. The Minutemen visit North Wood Friday evening, then.

Tigers. He is looking for a longterm contract worth more money. □ I don’t know about you, but I am tired of hearing about Kick Fox not being able to play, and what Warsaw High School is doing about it. Who cares anymore’’ To me, Warsaw Community High School is beating a dead horse. Last Friday evening, prior to the start of the Warsaw-Wawasee basketball game, I talked with Gene Gossman, Fox's guardian. We discussed the topic, and Gossman concluded that this subject should be allowed to die its normal death. However, that hasn’t been the case, especially since Warsaw Community High School is appealing the courts earlier decision. I guess we will just have to wait and see what -happens. Maybe Fox will be able to play this season. But I wouldn’t look for him in a WCHS uniform. □ Fame is a fleeting thing — just ask Derk Kuhn. Just one week ago, Kuhn was on top of his game, winning on seven of his eight selections and in first place in this prediction column. But, the tables turned on the Milford farmer when he projected Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley, Westview and Indiana Tech — all losers — to win. Those picks dropped Kuhn into second place, but, only four games away from Rich Rhodes' basement Incidentally, it was the second time this season that Kuhn went against the Warriors.

However, Kuhn vows to remain loyal to Wawasee the rest of the season.

In a comment prior to his Warsaw selection a week ago, Kuhn said that if Wawasee won, he'd pick them the rest of the season. He’s keeping to that statement

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return home Saturday to host the Warriors. “We won't know until Thursday whether or not Shawn will play,” added Hahn. “Right now, we are preparing as though he won’t play. He\s on crutches right now, and doesn't go to the doctor until Thursday. We just have to wait and see.” Still, with or without Kemp, Concord should provide the Warriors with stiff competition. During the first seven basketball games. Kemp led the 1 (’out link <1 on page 91

this week with his vision of a Wawasee win over Concord. Serving this week as the guest panelist is North Webster’s eighth grade basketball coach, Mitch Willaman. A former high school basketball and football star. Willaman is in his third year of teaching at North Webster. Incidentally, Willaman quarterbacked his high school football team until he was replaced by Todd Blackledge, now a quarterback in the National Football League. Os the games on tap for this week, the big question deals with Wawasee again. Can the Warriors win another BIG basketball game, this time, at Concord? The other games include Northridge at Bethany Christian, Fremont at Westview, Warsaw at Tippecanoe Valley, Goshen at West Noble, Wawasee at Concord (SCORE), Bremen at Plymouth, and Lakeland at Fairfield. MARK WEINSTEIN (.875) — Northridge, Westview, Warsaw, Goshen, Concord (66-60), Plymouth, Lakeland. DERK KUHN (.813) —Northridge, Westview, Tippecanoe Valley, Goshen, Wawasee (65-68). Plymouth, and Lakeland. ♦MITCH WILLAMAN (.781) —Northridge, Westview, Warsaw, West Noble, Wawasee (57-52), Bremen, Lakeland. MARK HUFFMAN (.774 ) —Northridge, Westview, Warsaw, Goshen. Concord (72-69), Bremen, Lakeland. HOMER MILLER (.750) —Northridge, Westview, Warsaw, Goshen, Wawasee (57-51), Plymouth, Lakeland. RICH RHODES (.688) — Bethany Christian. Fremont, Warsaw, Goshen, Wawasee (82-80), Bremen, Lakeland. ♦Denotes Guest Panelist