The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 45, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 December 1987 — Page 8

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

Sports

Wawasee swimmers end Valpo domination in LaPorte

LAPORTE — In the biggest swim meet of the year, Wawasee rallied to win six events and capture the LaPorte Relays championship Saturday afternoon. It marks the first time any team except Valparaiso has won the event. The Warriors edged Valpo, 164-162, for the victory, while Chesterton placed third at 118. Crown Point finished fourth at 112 and LaPorte was fifth at 110. “This was probably the biggest win for us in a while,” said an elated Tim Caldwell. “This was a real big thrill for the kids, we’ve been coming here for a long time.” In winning the relays, Wawasee had four triple winners. Mark Rich, Brian Neff, Scott Rozow and Eric Hood all participated in three winning swims. The road to the championship was rocky at the outset for Wawasee as Valparaiso won the first three events. The Vikings' success translated into a 54-38 advantage, but the Warriors stormed back. r In the closest race of the day, Valpo opened with a narrow win in the 400 medley relay. Valparaiso finished in 3:53.07, three-one hundredths of a second faster than'Wawasee’s 3:53.10 time. The Vikings added victories in the 800-vard freestyle relay and diving before Wawasee started its charge. In the 600-yard individual medley, Rozow, Neff, Matt Fryback and Hood ignited the Warriors’ victory march. The Warrior unit finished in 6:22.51 for the win. It was the first of four straight wins for the Warriors.

Chesterton wins Wawasee Invitational

SYRACUSE - Wawasee wrestled well, but fell a little short as Chesterton captured the Wawasee Invitational Saturday, edging the Warriors, 226-167. Eight teams participated in the day-long event. Fort Wayne Northrup finished third with 163.5 effort, while Plymouth was fourth, 151.5; Homestead, fifth, 112; Elkhart Central, sixth, 105; Fort Wayne Wayne, seventh, 103.5; and Fort Wayne Elmhurst, eighth, 62. Indicative of the outcome, Chesterton posted the most individual champions — five. Wawasee witnessed six wrestlers advancing to the finals, but one, Shawn Jones came away with a victory. Jones captured the 119-pound title with a 10-6 decision over Chesterton’s Jason Gonzales. Entering the final round, the title was up for grabs. However, it quickly boiled down to Chesterton and Wawasee. Andrew Solomon gave Chester-; ton the momentum early by edging Wawasee’s Rick Weaver. The contest was a classic struggle between two strong wrestlers. In the end, though, Solomon prevailed, 4-3. Jones picked up some points for the Warriors with a convincing 10-6 victory over Gonzales, but the hosts could not keep the ball moving in their favor. Chesterton’s Scott Jackson whipped Kevin LePola, 6-1, to win the 130-pound championship and two weight classes later, Chad Jones was pinned by Homestead’s Mark Bruner. By the time Garrett Ponciroli took the mat, the outcome had been decided. Still, that didn’t hinder Ponciroli’s effort. The hard-nosed Warrior battled Northrup’s Kurt Emberlin evenly through three periods. The bout needed an overtime to decide a winner. Once in OT, Ponciroli fell. Emberlin took advantage of a weaker Ponciroli and pinned the Warrior in 1:39. Nevertheless, it was an outstanding match. Dan O’Haver closed the invitational by losing to Bernard Ingot 6 Besides Wawasee’s strong showing in the championship round, the Warriors also had two wrestlers performing for third place. Eliseo Roa and Josh Lantz both won their third-place matches in easy fashion. The Warriors return to the mats next week when they participate in the strong Mishawaka Invitational. Competition begins Monday, Dec. 28, at 9a.m.. Wawasee Invitational Team scores — Chesterton 225, Wawasee 147, F.W. Northrop I63'?j, Plymouth 151 Vi, Homestead 112, Elkhart Central iOS, F.W. North lO3M>, F.W. Elmhurst 42. 103: Andrew Solomon (EC) beat Kick Weaver (W), 4-3; 112: Keith Bat terrfield (FWNP) technical fall over Tim Reed (H), 14:00; 119: Shawn Jones (W) beat Jason Gonzales (C),

Rich, Neff, Paul Morel and Casey Kline added the Warriors’ second win, a 1:34.93 winning time in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Warriors, however, didn’t quit putting the pressure on Valparaiso. Wawasee kept the heat on the perennial winners by : taking the 300-yard buttefly relay. Rozow, Hood, Smith and ! Fryback won the race for Wawasee, finishing in 2:44.85. Wawasee inched closer to the 1 Vikings when it won the 400 ' freestyle relay — the fourth con- : secutive win. Rich, Neff, Christer ' Tungard and Hood finished in 3:31.56 for the win. ’ Still, the Warriors trailed t Valparaiso with four events remaining. Crown Point broke Wawasee’s > consecutive streak of four when it ’ won the 1600-yard freestyle relay. ’ The Warriors ’ foursome were disqualified, creating more distance - between Valpo and Wawasee. But Wawasee deficit was quickly erased when Rich, Scott , Berkey, Morel and David Ridings i won the 300-yard backstroke. The win, in 2:56.79, gave the Warriors their first lead of the day. 1 It proved to be a lead Wawasee 0 would not surrender. Neff, Berkey, Rozow and i Tungard gave the Warriors a 1 10-point lead after their victory in I the 300 breaststroke, it would take a total collapse for the War--1 riors to lose the meet. t In the final event, 2500-yard e freestyle, Valparaiso won the e event and Wawasee was fourth. A 1 fifth place finish by the Warriors r would have given the Vikings a share of the title with Wawasee.

10-6; 125: Jeff Aaron (C) pinned Keith Beghtel (FWN), 1:40; 130: Scott Jackson (C) beat Kevin LePola (W), 8-4; 135: Brad Nilson (C) beat Kirk Beckham (P), 6-1; 140: Mark Bruner (H) pinned Chad Jones (W), 1:30 145: Derrick Dodson (P) pinned Ryan Jackson (C), 4:47; 152: Tim Roahrig (P) beat Dave Bullock (C), 13-1; 160: Chris Evans (C) beat Dennis Springer (FWN), 9-2; 171: Keith Davison (C) pinned Brian Bolinger (EC), 2:33; 189: Kurt Emberlin (FWNP) pinned Garrett Ponciroli (W), 138 OT; Hvvt: Bernard Ingol (FWN) pinned Dan O'Haver (W), 5:06.

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HARD WORK — Jeff Carey, 20, attempts to move past Columbia City’s Rex Schrader during third quarter action Friday. Carey scored on the play, but Wawasee dropped a 57-54 non-conference decision to the Eagles. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)

Panel looks to football

As the high school basketball season takes a short vacation, our panel of sports authorities look towards the NFL to improve their mediocre statistics. Homer Miller continues to hold the top spot, although the rest of the panel closed the gap last week. Miller stumbled in week four, correctly picking just five of nine games.

“It wasn’t that close,” admitted Caldwell. “We knew we had to finish at least fourth. We did. It was a good meet for us. ” Besides the Warriors’ four triple winners, Caldwell cited the' team for the win. “It was a good team effort, one we’re all happy with.” The Warriors, after Tuesday’s whipping of Mishawaka, return to action Saturday, Dec. 19, in the Cass Relays. Wawasee hosts Penn in the biggest dual meet of the year Tuesday, Jan. 5. La Porte Relays / Final — Wawasee, 164; Valparaiso, 162; Chesterton, 118; Crown Point, 112; LaPorte, 110. 400 medley relay — Ist Valparaiso, 2nd Wawasee (Paul Morel, Christer Tungard, Mats Fryback, Brad Smith), 3:53.07

Wawasee rated sixth

INDIANAPOLIS - Wawasee’s boys’ swim team gained respect in the state this week when the Indiana High School Athletic Association released its Power Point ratings. The Warriors are sixth, behind five 5-A schools. North Central tops the list with Kokomo second. Bloomington South checks in the third position, with Lake Central, fourth, and Portage, fifth. Rl Jfl mark rich The power point ratings are based on season times. According to the list, Wawasee’s Brad Smith has the best 100-yard butterfly time in the state. He also holds the Wawasee school mark. Smith is the Warriors’ top

Games on tap this weekend include Cleveland at Pittsburgh, Washington at Minnesota, Chicago at L.A. Raiders, Tampa Bay at Indianapolis, L.A. Rams at San Francisco, San Diego at Denver, N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants. HOMER MILLER (.694) — Cleveland, Washington, Chicago,

800 yd. freestyle — Ist Valparaiso. 4th Wawasee, 8:26.18 600 yd. individual medley — Ist Wawasee (Scott Ruzow, Smith, Fryback, Eric Hood), 6:22.51 200 yd. freestyle — Ist Wawasee (Mark Rich, Brian Neff, Morel, Casey Kline), 1:34.93 Diving — Ist Valparaiso, 2nd Wawasee 300 yd. butterfly -r Ist. Wawasee (Rozow, Hood, Smith, Fryback), 2:44.85 400 yd. freestyle — Ist Wawasee (Rich, Neff, Tungard, Hood), 3:31.56 1600 Yd. Freestyle — Ist Crown Point, Wawasee (DQ) 300 yd. backstroke — Ist Wawasee (Rich, Scott Berkey, Morel, David Ridings),2:s6.79 300 yd. breastroke — Ist Wawasee (Neff, Berkey, Rozow, Tungard), 3:17.30 2500 yd.; fre-style relay — Ist Valparaiso, 4> Vawasee (Vince Koser, Thaddeu Dußois, Ridings, Kline), 2:20.56

■K / K Fl Im M BRAD SMITH swimmer, according to the ratings. The senior is first in the 100 butterfly; seventh in the 200 IM; second in the 50 freestyle; and fifth in the 100 freestyle The Warriors’ medley relay team is listed fifth in the state, while the 400 freestyle relay team is third. Other Warftors listed in-. clade Scott Rbzow, 19th in the 100 breaststroke; Paul Morel, 14th in the 100 backstroke; David Ridings, 17th in the 100 backstroke; Mark Rich, 11th in the 100 freestyle; eighth in » 100 butterfly; 16th in 50 freestyle; and 16th in 200 IM. David Keener is third in diving, with teammate David Neterer, 18.

Indianapolis, San Francisco, Denver, Giants. MARK WEINSTEIN (.639) - Cleveland, Washington, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Denver. Giants. DERK KUHN (.639) - Cleveland, Minnesota, L.A. Raiders, Indianapolis, San Fran-

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LOOKING FOR POSITION — Wawasee’s Julie Richereek and Northridge’s Dawn Wilson work for inside position after a missed Wawasee foul shot. The Warriors dropped the contest 42-38 as the Raiders held the upper hand at the charity stripe. (Photo by Terry Waggoner).

Eagles stun Warriors, 57-54

COLUMBIA CITY - Wawasee played its best basketball game of the season Friday evening, but the effort turned sour as a fourth quarter surge led the host Columbia City Eagles past the Warriors, 57-54, in a non-conference boys’ basketball game. The loss dropped Wawasee’s mark to 2-6, while Columbia City improved to 2-6. a “We played hard and together, both offensively and defensively,” said Wawasee head coach Gary Goshert moments after the disappointing loss. “The outcome is not what we wanted, but .we can go on — there’s a big half of the season remaining.” The second half of the season begins Friday, Jan. 8, against Northern Lakes Conference rival Plymouth. Wawasee travels to West Noble the following evening. The first half of action at Columbia City was exciting as both teams traded field goals. The Warriors held a 12-9 lead after the first break before the Eagles dominated the second quarter for a 29-26 halftime lead. The third quarter belonged to Wawasee. Playing with great emotion and drive, Wawasee controlled every phase of the game. Fred Steffen swept the boards clean, while Matt Dick sank three-pointers with regularity. The combination, along with a stingy defense, erased the threepoint halftime deficit and produced a 43-36 lead at the third break. ■ Wawasee enjoyed a 17-7 run in the period. Dick finished the game with scoring honors, netting 21 points. Darin Atwood finished with 10 markers and Steffen chipped in nine points before fouling out. However, the fourth period proved fatal for the Warriors. Columbia City, needing a spark, enforced a half-court trap defense and the Eagles were ready to fly. The defensive strategy gave the Warriors fits, creating three Grose scores 27 in win EVANSTON, 111. - Jeff Grose scored 27 points leading Northwestern past DePaul, 78-64, in a non-conference college basketball game Monday«vening. finale cisco, Denver, Jets. MARK HUFFMAN (.639) — Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Denver, Jets. DALE TOBIAS (.639) — Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Denver, Jets, i

consecutive turnovers at the start of the period. The Eagles capitalized on Wawasee’s errors, scoring six straight points to close within one, 43-42, with five minutes remaining. “Tbeir hsW-court trap was the difference, it allowed them to get back in the game,” admitted Goshert. “You have to give them a lot of credit, but we didn’t attack the pressure well.” The final five minutes proved to be a dog fight. Both teams traded baskets, momentum and the lead throughout the time span. Rex Schrader, Columbia City’s sharp-shooting guard, nearly sealed the Warriors’ fate in the MATT DICK period. He canned three straight field goals as the Eagles flew past Wawasee late in the game. With Schrader’s shooting, Columbia City forged a four-point lead with two minutes remaining. But the Warriors were not finished. Dick, who hit five three-point

♦ < A Ail fli m I a EO" b "in GOOD POSITION — Eliseo Roa had little trouble with Fort Wayne Northrup’s Dan Parker in the Wawasee Invitational. Roa pinned Parker la the first round match. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)

Shots in the game, sank a crucial three-pointer with less than a minute remaining. After a strong defensive stand by the Warriors, limiting Columbia City to one missed field goal attempt, Wawasee looked to take the lead. But a pass inside the paint went out of bounds, ending Wawasee’s chances of winning. The key to Wawasee’s successful second half was the play in the first. The Warriors held a 12-9 lead after the first break and stayed with the Eagles in the se cond quarter. Schrader led the Eagles’ attack with 18 points, while Jay Coy added 13. Ben Bunyan chipped in nine points for Columbia City. WAWASEE ($4) FG JFG FT TP J.Ctrty i 6 0 4 O.Afwood 3 0 4 10 M.Dtek.. 3 5 0 21 B. Bonner 0 0 2 2 B.Rensberger ..........A 0 2 4 F.Storfen ....4 0 I 0 M.KoMo 3 4 0 4 B.Harter o 0 0 0 J.Fratnre 0 0 0 0 R.Huey 0 0 0 0 Totals 15 5 9 34 Team Fouls: 24 COLUMBIA CITY (57) FG 3FG FT TP M. Beasley 1 0 4 4 T.Coon 1 0 1 3 J.Sheets ; ...l 0 I 3 J. Pettigrew 2 o 1 s B. Bunyan 2 0 5 * ». Schrader.... 4 0 4 1* J.Coy 5 0 3 13 Totals 1* 0 21 57 TeansFouls; 11 Quarter scoring Wawasee. .JI 14 17 11 54 Columbia Halftime score: Columbia City 29, Wawasee M \ ] Preliminary Score :\columbia dity 35, Wawasee 2*. J Officials: Steve Grocock, Rome City; Jerry Albertson, Borno.

Raiders edge Warriors

MIDDLEBURY — Wawasee played hard but the effort proved fruitless as Northridge edged the Warriors, 42-38, Saturday in a Northern Lakes Conference girls’ basketball game. The win was the Raiders’ first of the season. Wawasee fell to 0-8. The game was close from the outset as neither team held more than a six point lead. The Raiders used a solid inside game to forge an early lead before holding on at the end In typical fashion, Wawasee stormed out of the halftime — trailing 17-11 — and outscored the opponent The Warriors, behind Lai Reed and Amy Barton, closed the gap to 24-21 entering the final frame It was in the fourth quarter that Wawasee’s offense exploded. The Warriors tallied 17 points, but their defense couldn’t stop Northridge, which netted 18. Reed led the Warriors’ attack with nine points, including one three-pointer. Chris Eldridge, Wendy Lung and Barton each . scored five points in the loss. Northridge senior Julie Yoder proved to be a thorn in Wawasee’s side all afternoon. The Raider netted 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and had four steals en route to the emotional victory. Tiffany Raymond added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Raiders. o In junior varsity action, Northridge picked up another first — win — with a 25-20 triumph over the Warriors. Wawasee returns to the hardwood Tuesday, Jan. 5, when it hosts Westview. WAWASEE (38) FG3FG FT PF TP W.Lung 0 1 2 3 5 A.Barton 0 1 5 s A. Conroy 2 0 0 5 4 C. Eldridge 1 0 3 5 5 B. 0 0 3 5 3 L Reed 3 1 0 4 9 A.Kaufman ...J 0 0 4 2 J. Richcreek 10 0 3 2 L.Hollar 1 0 1 0 3 Totals -H 2 10 34 38 NORTHRIDGE (42) FG3FG FT PF TP r.Hellinga 0 0 0 3 0 S. Callihan 0 0 3 3 3 J Yoder v 3 0 12 4 18 $• Pritt 0 0 2 5 2 S Yoder 0 0 3 5 3 S. ~..0 0 0 0 0 T. Raymond 5 0 6 3 14 D. 0 0 0 3 0 Totals 8 0 26 26 42 Quarter Scoring Wawasee 4 7 10 17 -38 Northridge 8 9 7 18 -42 Officials: Chuck Garver, Bristol; Dan Robinson, Mishawaka. Zurcher, Gophers rout Marquette MINNEAPOLIS - Kim Zurcher scored a career-high 24 points Tuesday leading Minnesota to an 89-65 non-conference college basketball victory over Marquette Zurcher, the former Wawasee product, entered the game with a 4.0 scoring average. In the game, Zurcher canned three threepointers in leading the Gophers, 4-3. Richard Coffey and Tim Hanson joined Zurcher in double figures with 16 and 11 points respectively. On Saturday, Zurcher scored four points as Minnesota defeated Ball State in Ball State took a 12-7 lead early in the first half, but Ray Gaffney led a 21-4 Minnesota run that gave the Gophers a 28-16 lead with 6:18 before halftime. Melvin Newbern led the Gophers, 3-3, with 22 points and Gaffney added 13.