The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 32, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 September 1987 — Page 8

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THE MAIL-JOURNAL— Wed., September 23,1987

Sports

Warrior setback 'tough

| By MARK HUFFMAN 1 Sports Writer NAPPANEE — A quick look at the stat sheet may suggest a win for the Wawasee football team, that is, until one looks at the category where points are tallied. The Panthers of North Wood put a quick bite on the Warriors, with a touchdown and two point play in the final minutes last Friday night, Sept. 20, to secure their first Northern Lakes Conference win. While Coach Myron Dickerson and about 400 Wawasee faithful may have felt comfortable with a 7-0 lead going into the final minutes, a fumble by sophomore quarterback Chris Conkling at the North Wood six with 2:30 left

W|K]Up9uu|mK ! * i; S BT k\®PHRv \A _ y * *Str [ W-fynr J ■Blji let* Br a ' ' z ~.- WK5®Mlw*WB *^^ t *** 1 *’ M *‘‘'' *" '’*' Y; ' ■ i t|rf^Wraifc« * if , Hw-> ■R?®;^sr*-“-- F’rS**- ..r**\-.. —' UNDER PRESSURE — Sophomore quarterback Chris Conkling shows the poise of a veteran as he completes this 13 yard pass to the outstretched hands of senior Brett Harter. Conkling evaded North Wood defenders most of the night, completing eight of 15 passes for 94 yards, although two errant passes resulted in interceptions by the Panthers, who pulled out an 8-7 victory last Friday night, Sept. 18. (Photo by Dale Tobias) Milford spikers victorious

PIERCETON - Milford’s seventh grade volleyball team wasted little time Monday, Sept. 21, in defeating host Piercton 15-8, 15-7, in junior high volleyball. ' Lisa Klotz, Kristen Galegor

Everyone deserves a second chance

Some people just do not deserve second chances. Wait a minute, what am I saying? Does that mean someone who gets caught robbing a bank should be imprisoned and the key thrown away? Or, perhaps an unfaithful husband, after separating himself from his wife for five years, not be given a chance of returning to the marital situation. Should both violators be given the opportunity to return to their respective environments? Good question. Easy answer. Certainly, yes!! There’s no question both — bank robber and unfaithful husband — should be given the opportunity to resume a ‘normal’ lifestyle. Both made mistakes, but life continues. Thank the Lord I am not the only one ever to think about second chances. David Welker, owner of the Fort Wayne Komets’ International Hockey League club, is obviously concerned about others. The owner is giving former Detroit Tigers pitching great Denny McLain a second chance in life. For McLain, though, it is not a genuine second chance. Instead, the former pitcher has experienced more second chances than most major league baseball teams have world championships. This could be McLain’s last opportunity to straighten out his life. McLain has been involved in organized crime, and, most recently, has been convicted of racketeering, extortion and drug charges. He served 28 months of his 23-year sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution in Talladega, Ala.

on the clock erased that confidence. “Conkling was told to keep the ball, but just got excited and tried to pitch it,’’Dickerson said of the play that allowed North Wood mainstay Chon Shrock to pounce on the ball and set the stage for further heroics. Senior Doug Odiorne, who was wrestled to the ground four times earlier in the'evening while trying to pass, connected with Shrock on a fade to the corner of the endzone on the third down to put the Panthers within striking distance of Wawasee. North Wood mentor Jim Andrews then took a timeout with 1:23 on the clock to set up the game winner —a gutsy slant pass that paired Odiorne and Shrock once again for two points.

and Jill Williams paced the Trojans’ effort from the service line. Trisha Hostetler and Erika Lange were Milford’s top hitters in the contest. Meanwhile, Milford’s eighth

Last month a mistrial was declared and McLain was freed on $200,000 bond. His time behind bars was hard for the former pitcher, perhaps harder for his wife, Sharon. Nevertheless, she remained loyal to her husband, never giving up on the troubled man Mark My Words MARK WEINSTEIN WF | | F, 1 Sharon, with one child at home, struggled with barely an income. She relied, mostly, on friends and relatives to meet their needs. Some money was raised by selling McLain’s trophies, including ones from the 1968 glory days. Life has certainly been a puzzle for McLain. Unlike learning to play the organ, the Maestro has struggled with life’s entities. He’s learned from his mistakes and now is willing to make a positive contribution to society. McLain will serve the Komets as a community relations representative and part-time organist. He will also be co-owner of David Dan Beverages Inc., a firm Welker owns that distributes non-alcoholic, Australian-made beverages. McLain’s story isn’t typical. In fact, it is most bizarre. Nearly 19 years ago McLain was on the top of his game — baseball — with the Tigers. He

“Shrock had a good game, he’s our ‘big play’ guy,” Andrews said of the senior wide receiver. Another senior receiver, Doug Schrock, secured the North Wood win with the interception of a Conkling pass off a tip by senior Rob Vance with 1:23 remaining. “Our defense hung in well most of the night,” Andrews said, referring to the unit that was kept on the turf by a respectable Warrior offense most of the night. Wawasee’s touchdown came on a one-yard run by workhorse Mike Meek, who capped the second quarter scoring drive from the North Wood 49-yard line with 11 yards on five carries. The Wawasee senior finished the night with 83 yards on 29 carries. Conkling also looked im-

grade squad dropped a 13-15, 15-13, 15-8 decision to Pierceton. Shantel Miller, Donna Grimm and Kerri Speicher led the Trojans in serving. Rita Beer and Loretta Schafer paced Milford in the hitting department.

was coming off a Cy Young Award season in 1967 and was having a better season in ’6B. McLain won 31 games for Detroit in 1968, leading the American League club to the World Series against St. Louis. The Tigers struggled in the best of seven championship playoff, yet, won. The 31-game winner struggled in the championship series, winning one of three games against the Cardinals. The struggle continued. Two years following his banner season, McLain was traded to Washington. It was a great trade for the Tigers, but the demise of McLain. Once in the nation’s capital, McLain ran into serious problems. He had scuffles with teammates, management, even himself. This was nothing new for McLain. In fact, McLain seemed to enjoy scuffles. He enjoyed seeing what he could get away with, then laugh. He was described as a prankster in Detroit. One story, dealing with the subject, surfaced several years after McLain’s Detroit exit. Pat Dobson, another Detroit pitcher, was in the clubhouse with Doug Gallagher looking for his new pair of baseball shoes. They looked all over the room to no avail. Finally, McLain entered the room boasting of his new shoes...you guessed it — Dobson’s shoes. Needless to say there was friction between the two hurlers. Still, everyone loved Denny. He was a winner on the diamond. McLain’s antics finally caught up with him after baseball. What he did in the game, he couldn’t get away with in life.

pill to swallow'

pressive, completing eight of 15 passes for 94 yards, although many fans will only remember his two turnovers near the completion of the game. Senior Brett Harter was on the receiving end of six of Conkling’s passes for 67 yards, while classmate Kenny Wright gathered in a pair for 27 yards. Odiorne completed seven of 14 for 52 yards, with the Wawasee defense forcing him into the pocket much of the night. The Panther running game was nearly non-existent, with negative yardage showing as the result of the Warrior sacks, which accounted for a 40 yard loss. “Our defense did some outstanding things,” Dickerson confirmed, adding, “This is a tough pill to swallow.”

Harriers finish fourth

LIGONIER — Jeff Carey placed fourth with a 16:28 time and Jaspn Douglas was 15th as Wawasee’s boys’ cross country team finished fourth in West Noble’s competitive Invitational Saturday, Sept. 19. Westview took team honors with its 58 points. Fort Wayne Carroll was second with 107 and Homestead third at 126. The Warriors garnered 131 tallies and >6th-ranked East Noble was fifth at 152. Other area schools competing in the invitational included Northern Lakes Conference members North Wood, Goshen and Warsaw. The Panthers placed sixth with 196 points, Goshen 12th with a 333 score and Warsaw, 15th, with 378 points. Carey was the Warriors’ top finisher. His 16:28 put him in elite company and fourth overall. Douglas was Wawasee’s second runner to complete the course, finishing in 16:55. Other Wawasee runners participating were Steve Eastman, 31st; Chad Jones, 40th; Eric Mock, 41st; Kong Reed, 67th; and Brian Jones, 81st.

Warsaw, Goshen, North Wood gain NLC wins

MIDDLEBURY - For the second consecutive week the Warsaw Tigers have dropped onepoint losses to Northern Lakes Conference foes. The Tigers play well Friday, nevertheless, suffering a 28-27 defeat at Northridge. The loss drops Warsaw’s overall record to 1-3, 1-2 in the Northern Lakes Conference. Northridge, meanwhile, raises its mark to 2-2. The Tigers controlled the tempo for the first quarter, eventual-

His conviction and 23-year prison sentence seems to be what the hurler needed. If nothing else, it certainly got his attention. McLain’s troubles are now in the past. He now has a great opportunity to pick up the pieces of his life, supply family needs and serve the Fort Wayne public. The Komets’ position should be good for the former pitching great. Whether he makes the most of the chance remains to be seen. But judging his attitude, McLain has a great chance at succeeding. If he doesn’t succeed it’s his own fault. He can’t blame anyone for not giving him a second chance. □ The Grace College mens’ golf team hopes to benefit greatly from older Lancers — Grace Alumni. The 1987 squad will be hosting the second-annual Grace Alumni scramble Saturday, Oct. 17 — Homecoming Weekend — at Rozella-Ford Golf Course in Warsaw. . Tee times begin at 9 a m. for the nine-hole, four man, best ball scramble. Lancer mentor Richard Dilling will pair each team according to each players’ ability. Dilling expects a more competitive scramble with his chosingof the teams. Anyone interested in competing in the scramble should contact Dilling at Grace. The scramble is open to all Grace Alumni. □ The Lakeland Youth Center's soccer program seems to have started its season very strongly. According to recent figures, 215 children between ages 2-8 are playing in the 13-team league. '

Little time is left for recovery, with the Warriors slated to face a respectable Plymouth squad at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Pilgrims will also be looking to re-group, after losing a tough game, 25-21, to Bremen last Friday. Wawasee stands even (2-2) in its four NLC games. n w First Downs 13 19 Rushing Yards .g ]OB Passing Yards 52 94 Passes J >l4 0 815 2 Offensive Plays 37 53 Punts 7 5 Fumbles Lost 11 q.q Penalties 4-15 5.35 Scoring First Quarter — None. Second Quarter - Mikee Meek (W) 1 yard run, Randy Cesco kick. Third Quarter — None. Fourth Quarter — Doug Odiorne to Chon Shrock (N) 3 yard reception, Odiorne to Shrock two point conversion Score By Quarters North Wood 0 0 0 8 — 8 Wawasee 0 7 0 o—7

There were 158 runners in the varsity competition. Meanwhile, in the junior varsity race, Rodney Coy led the Warriors with an eighth place finish. Coy’s closing time edged teammate Chad Hoffert, who was 13th. David Neterer was 14th for the JV’s with Pete Bonner placing in the 17th position. Bob Livermore was 19th in the freshman race. Race Results Westview 38, Carroll 107, Homestead 126, Wawasee 131, East Noble 152, North Wood 196, DeKalb 213, Columbia City 247, West Noble 249, Eastside 296, New Haven 320, Goshen 333, Fairfield 348, Woodlan 376, Warsaw 378, Harding 400, Lakeland 440, Churubusco 475, Fre mont 549, Prairie Heights 551, Garrett 557, Whitko 561, Bishop Luers 614, Howe Military 754. Individual Stan Florey (Carroll), 16:13, Eric Schwartz (Homestead), 16:20; Tim Gorwell (Woodlan) 16:23; Jett Carey (Wawasee), 16:28; Shawn Hosfield (New Haven), 16:34; Fritz Bontrager (Westview), 16:38; Ben Solors (East Noble), Matt Jones (Westview), 16:41; Rob Eyer (Westview), 16:43; Leroy Weave (Westview), 16:43.

ly scoring the first points of the game in the period. Kelly Frank’s 42-yard burst with 9:46 remaining in the period gave the Tigers the early lead. Around the NLC Both teams added a pair of touchdowns in the second period, but the Raiders shut down Warsaw’s explosive offense in the second half. The Tigers could only

Contests are played Saturday mornings. In action last weekend, The State Bank of Syracuse defeated Syracuse Rubber 8-0. Other A Division games were Campbell’s IGA 3-3 tie with Cotton and Cotton Insurance and Kinro’s 5-1 victory over Laketronics. In the ‘B’ Division, SyracuseWawasee Rotary bested Kiwanis Club of Lakeland 12-1. In other games, Milford Kiwanis defeated Pace/Jaycees 5-2 and Sea Nymph turned Wawasee Kiwanis 3-1. □ Games on tap for this week are Plymouth at Wawasee, Warsaw at Goshen, North Wood at Northridge, Bremen at Concord, Missouri at Indiana, Long Beach State at (14) Michigan, (8) Notre Dame at Purdue, (5) Ohio State at (4) LSU (score) □ Wawasee High School will host the girls’ golf sectional Saturday, Sept. 26, at Wawasee Golf Club. The tournament begins at 11 a.m., according to Hal Traviolia, tournament director. MARK HUFFMAN (.750) — Plymouth, Goshen, Northridge, Bremen, Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, OSU (17-14). MARK WEINSTEIN (.708) — Plymouth, Goshen, Northridge, Bremen, Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, OSU (24-10) HOMER MILLER (.666) — Plymouth, Goshen, Northridge, Bremen, Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, OSU (28-23) DERK KUHN (.625 ) — Plymouth, Goshen, Northridge, Bremen, Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU (21-7) KIRBY JACOB (.542) — Wawasee, Goshen, North Wood, Concord, Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, OSU (21-17)

& V ’ r- 1 * • -***w**./ CLOSE CALL — Wawasee defender Jeff Galloway closes in on North Wood quarterback Doug Odiorne during second half action in Nappanee last Friday night. While Odiorne averted the Wawasee senior this time, Galloway did manage to take part iirone of four sacks on the night, resulting in -40 yards for the Panthers. (Photo by Dale Tobias) Tippe Valley fells to Wawasee

The Wawasee Girls swim team started this week with a bang by defeating Tippecanoe Valley on Sept. 21 and Bremen on Sept. 22. The girls will next swim against Manchester at home at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. At T.V.H.S on Monday the Wawasee team racked up a winning score of 112 to 31. The 200 medley relay team placed first with a time of 2:13:99 and the 400 free relay team finished first in 4:30:09. Diane Sisk, TVHS, placed first in the 200 freestyle, but Wawasee took the other three places. In the

dent the end zone once in the final half as Northridge scored the upset. Trailing 21-20, Northridge put the pressure on Warsaw with its early fourth quarter touchdown. Matt Steury’s’s 13-yard reception of a Randy Cook pass gave the hosts a five-point lead, 26-21. Then, just like in Warsaw’s loss to Bremen last week, the preceding two-point conversion handed the Tigers another loss. Doug VonGunten caught a Cook pass in the end zone for the twopointer and a 28-21 lead. Warsaw, however, didn’t fold. Instead, the Tigers marched down field on their next possession to score. The final yards came on Paul Wiley’s 20-yard TD strike to Jeremy Davis. Randy Dawson’s point after touchdown kick failed to find the mark, sending Warsaw to its second straight one-point loss. Warsaw must regrohp before Friday when it travels tJ Goshen to face the leagtiWeading Redskins. Northrjdge\ hosts North Wood. ' GOSHEN 24, CONCORD 6 — Jim Hoke scored two touchdowns and Rick Mirer threw for 165 yards and a TD as Goshen improved to 4-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference with its 24-6 victory over Concord.

Warriors swim by Goshen

SYRACUSE — Wawasee coach Tim Caldwell finally knows what it feels like to beat a Goshen girls' swim squad. His Warriors accomplished the first-time feat Thursday, Sept. 17, with their 119-50 victory at Wawasee. The closest Wawasee had come to a victory against "a Goshen squad was two years ago. The Warriors tied the Redskins in 1985. The Warriors’ medley relay set the tone for the lopsided Northern Lakes Conference victory. Danielle Iwankowitsch, Cyndi Guimond, Tonya Perzanowski and Steff Berkey dominated the race. The Wawasee unit finished in 2:08.3, well ahead of the Redskins’ second-place effort. Wawasee'went on to capture nine of the 11 victories. Guimond captured a pair of wins for the Warriors, then assisted in the winning medley relay. Guimond splashed to victory in the individual medley, then, seven events later, in the breaststroke.

200 IM, Steff Berkey finished first, followed by Danielle Iwankowitsch in second. Wawasee took the first three places in the 50 freestyle. Cindy Guimond was first, Tanya Perzanowski second and Shawna Miller third. They swept diving, with Julie Gunn first, Dawn Firestone second and Shelley Boyer placing third. In the 100 butterfly, Wawasee continued to dominate, with Cindy Guimond first, Sherry Payne second and Debbie Bickel third. In the 100 freestyle, Stef Berkey

The Redskins dominated the game, scoring in every quarter except the fourth. Goshen outgained the Minutemen 222-169. Mirer put Goshen on the scoreboard midway through the initial period. The junior QB connected with Jim Bechler for nine yards and the score. Eric Gouker added the PAT and the Redskins led 7-0. Moments later, Mirer added a 25-yard field goal, giving the hosts a comfortable 10-0 spread. It would only get worse for Concord. Goshen seemingly put the game out of reach just before halftime. Moving the ball tle difficulty, the Redskins marched 76 yards in 13 plays for the score. Hoke’s three-yard scamper culminated the time consuming drive. The second half seemed boring compared to the opening two quarters. The Redskins removed all doubt of the outcome by scoring an early third period touchdown. Concord managed a score with 12 seconds remaining in the game. Concord, with the loss, drops to 1-3, 1-2 in the conference. The Minutemen host Bremen Friday evening in its homecoming game.

The only other double winner for Wawasee was Sherry Payne. Payne won the 50 freestyle with her :27.5 clocking and later the 100 freestyle. Payne finished the 100 freestyle in 1:00.8. Other Wawasee wins came from Julie Gunn -in diving, Berkey in the butterfly, and Iwankowitsch in the backstroke. The Warriors also claimed both relays. Lori Boles, Sirena Bartow, Debbie Bickel and Payne won the 400 freestyle relay in 4:21 2. Besides Wawasee’s nine individual wins, the Warriors claimed six second places. Bartow finished in the runner-up slot in two events, 100 freestyle and 500 freestyle, while Boles was second in the individual medley and butterfly. Iwankowitsch turned in a second place effort in the 100 freestyle, while Berkey was second in the breaststroke.

placed first and Tonya Perzanowski was second. In the 500 freestyle, Lori Boles places first and Shanna Miller third. Diane Sisk, TVHS, took first in the 100 backstroke, followed by Wawasee’s Debbie Bickel and Shanna Miller. Wawasee’s Danielle Iwankowitch was first in the 100 breaststroke and Danyl Heckaman placed second. Wawasee also swam well at home against Bremen on Tuesday evening as the girls scored an 111 to 56 victory.

NORTHWOOD 8, WAWASEE 7 — It was all over except for the shouting. Wawasee held a slim 7-0 lead late in the game and was a sure bet to win its second straight Northern Lakes Conference game. Then disaster struck the Warriors. Sophomore quarterback Chris Conkling fumbled the ball at the Warriors’ five yard line and North Wood recovered. Three plays later the Panthers scored. Doug Odiorne hit Chon Shrock from the three with 1:23 remaining. The same connection — Odiorne to Shrock — teamed up for the two point conversion, giving the Panthers the come-from-behind win. Despite the loss, Wawasee outplayed the Panthers all evening. The Warriors netted 102 total yards, while North Wood managed 44-52 through the air and a minus eight on the ground. Conkling turned in an excellent game for the Warriors, connecting on eight-of-his 13 pass attempts for 94 yards. Wawasee returns home Friday evening for a NLC matchup with Plymouth. North Wood travels to Northridge.

At Syracuse Wawasee 119, Goshen 50 Medley Relay — Wawasee (Danielle Iwankowitsch, Cyndi Guimond, Tonya Perzanowski, Steff Berkey), 2:08.3; Goshen. 200 Freestyle - Susan Hertzler (G), 2:13.0; Sirena Bartow (W) Chris Ridings (W). Individual Medley — Guimond (W), 2:32.2; Lori Boles (W), Michelle Mar quls(G). 50 Freestyle — Sherry Payne (W), :27.5; Heather Vincent (G), Debbie Bickel (W). Diving — Julie Gunn (W), 211.3; Michelle Keidalsh (G), Dawn Firestone (W). Butterfly - Berkey (W), 1:09.5; Boles (W), Perzanowski (W). 100 Freestyle - Payne (W), 1:00.8; Iwankowitsch (W), Bickel (W). 5,00 Freestyle - Hertzler (G), 5:57.6; Bartow (W), Ridings (W). Backstroke — Iwankowitsch (W), Marqu,s ,G) ' Perzanowski Breaststroke - Guimond (W) 1:15.4; Berkey (W), Danyl Heckaman (W). 400 Free Relay — Wawasee (Boles, Bartow, Bickel, Payne) 4:21.2; Goshen, Wawasee.