The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 50, Milford, Kosciusko County, 27 January 1988 — Page 8
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THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., January 27,1988
Sports
Warsaw wins NLC; Warriors third
SYRACUSE — Goshen’s depth proved to be the difference Saturday in the Northern Lakes Conference wrestling tournament as the Redskins edged Warsaw, 210-203, for team honors. Regardless of the Tigers’ second place finish, Warsaw won the NLC championship because of its 7-0 dual mark. Goshen placecMbcond in the conference and was third. In Saturday’s tournament, Wawasee followed Goshen and Warsaw with 152 points. Rounding out the scoring were Plymouth, 149'/ 2 ; Concord, 146V2; Bremen, 74; North Wood, 72; and Northridge, 68. In taking team honors, Goshen finished with three individual champions and two second places. Warsaw had more individual champions than any team in the field — four — but still fell short. Winning for Warsaw were Mike David (112), Dan Moon (130), Aaron Bruce (145), and Jon Smith (heavyweight). Despite its third place finish, Wawasee’s assistant coach Jim Jones was not disappointed with the Warriors’ effort. Shawn Jones and Josh Lantz were the only champions for Wawasee, although five wrestled for a particular championship. Jones won at 119, whipping Goshen's Brad Bontrager, 8-5. It was the first time this season that Jones had defeated the Redskins wrestler. Lantz, meanwhile, joined Warsaw’s Nate Conley (160 pounds) in one of the most exciting championship matches. The Warrior took control of the match early, then held on for a 4-3 victory. “Josh (Lantz) and Shawn (Jones) wrestled well in the championships,” said assistant coach Jim Jones. “I am really happy for them, they worked very hard.” But the substitute skipper had high praise for his entire squad. “We held on for third, which is where we expected to place,” said Jones who replaced head coach Dave VanLue along the sidelines for the tourney. “I am proud of our two champions, but
Wawasee pulls upset; stuns Goshen
SYRACUSE — Wawasee proved to itself and fans Friday evening that basketball is on the rise in Syracuse. After stumbling through the first half of the season, the Warriors turned their season completely round with a stunning 45-43 Northern Lakes Conference victory over Goshen. The conference win was the first this season for the Warriors in five attempts. Goshen fell to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in the NLC. “It is hard to measure how big this win really is,” said a jubilant Gary Goshert, the Warriors’ head coach, following the victory. ‘‘l know the kids will gain a lot of confidence from this win. It’s a great win.” Many observers thought the highly-touted Redskins would walk away with the conference victory. Goshen’s Mike Sorrell had other thoughts prior to the game. “I knew coming in here it would be a tough game, they are better/now than earlier in the season,” admitted Sorrell. “I certainly didn’t expect a breeze, just a wiiy” The game came down to free throw shooting, which the Warriors held the upper hand. Wawasee canned 11-of-12 free throws, including four doiyffthe stretch to preserve the win: Goshen connected on fiye-of-11 from the stripe for a meager 45%.
Collusion ruling ridiculous!
What is happening to baseball, once America’s favorite pastime? In looking afthe recent collusion decision, I am beginning to fear the wealthiest game today is in serious trouble. Well, it might not be the wealthiest professional sport, but it’s the only one played on a diamond. Anyway, the recent ruling — granting seven players free agent status —by an arbitrator was ridiculous! It makes no sense and can only hurt the game. What the ruling has done is take away ownership from the owners and give players more freedom in running their respective teams. The system is totally wrong, moving in a negative direction.
also I have to give credit to our other kids. The ones wrestling for third and fourth helped us.” Along with its two champions, Wawasee had three runners-up. Rick Weaver was the first, losing in the 103-pound division to Goshen’s Trung Nguyan by technical fall. Eliseo Roa, at 125, fell to Goshen’s Keith Whittern, 9-4, as the Redskins moved towards the tournament title. was the final Warrior to fall in the championship round. The senior dropped a see-saw affair (5-4) to Warsaw’s Jon Smith. Garrett Ponciroli, after a hardfought loss early in the competition, finished strong and finished third at 189. Ponciroli defeated Plymouth’s Gene Benedict, 11-0, for the third spot. Other Warriors placing in the top six were Larry Horwitz, fifth at 130; Tom Mangas, fifth at 135; Chuck Losee, fifth at 145; Tony Hostetter, sixth at 152; and Jason Prescott, sixth at 171. The Warriors now focus on this weekend’s East Noble Sectional, an event predominately won by Wawasee. VanLue is hoping for another sectional crown. “We’re looking forward to the sectional, it should be interesting,” said the Wawasee coach during a recent telephone interview. “We’ve had good success there, and I’m hoping this year will be the same.”
EAST NOBLE SECTIONAL DRAW Wawasee Opening Round Opponent 103 - <3) R. Weaver (18 $) Vs. WByall (WN) (18-4-1) 112 _ (NS)b. Gerstner (9-16) Vs. <i>Griffith (WN) (21-3-2) 119—<2) Vs. (NS)Smith (WV) (3-4) 125 — (I >E. Roa (17-6) Vs. <NS)Glick (WV) (6-7-1) 130 - < 4 >L. Horwitz (2-4) Vs. d’Boahde (WN) (23-4) \ 135 - <3)T. Mangas (15-15) Vs. < 2 >Loy (WN) (17-7) 140 — <2>C. Jones (14-9-1) Bye 145 — <3>C. Losee (8-12) Bye 152 _ (NS) T . Hostetter (3-14) Vs. <’>Kendall (WN) 160 - (')J. Lantz (27-4) Vs. <NS>Nethery (WV) (3-12) 171 — < 4 >J. Prescott (4-22-4) Bye 189 — (i>G. Ponciroli (24-6) Vs. £adr (WN) (4-7-1) Hwy. — (4 >D. O'Haver > (17-11-1) . Vsf (DRickuis (EN) * ( ) — Seeds In bracket before name NS —No Seed
“I knew we had to keep them off the line, they’re a good free throw scooting team,” added Sorrell. “f knew we were in trouble when they started going to the line.” Wawasee opened the fourth quarter ahead by three, 34-31, but the Redskins quickly charged in front. Rich Hollinger sank a 15-foot an inbounds play to close the spread to one, 34-33. " Then, Thad Holden, who ended play leading the Redskins in scoring with 15, bagged a threepointer. The shot gave Goshen a 36-34 advantage with 5:58 remaining. But Wawasee never quit. Darin Atwood mirroring Holden’s shot seconds earlier, sank a threepoint field goal propelling the Warriors past Goshen, 37-36. The see-saw affair continued as Holden tossed in his fifth threepoint field goal. The shot moved the Redskins into a two-point lead at the 5:08 mark, but was the last time Goshen enjoyed a lead. • The Warriors proceeded to score six unanswered points and put the game out of reach. John Erasure opened the spurt by sinking two free throws ancUa field goal. j Erasure’s fielder, a 12-foot jumper inside the paint, gafve the Warriors a 41-39 advantage with 2:48 remaining. Wawasete never relinquished its lead.
In case you’ve been hibernating for the winter and missed the ruling, let me fill you in. An arbitrator, last week, ruled that 62 baseball players could receive financial remuneration because of damages occurred when owners conspired to limit free " agency in 1985. Mark My Words MARK WEINSTEIN The free agents, although presently linked to a major league contract, were declared free agents and could seek employment from another club.
Wawasee inters the tournament with a decent draw, and according to VanLue, should win the crown. “I think we can win the sectional, but I think the score will be closer than in previous years,” added VanLue. “Some teams in the field do not wrestle at the; same level that we compete.? Hopefully, that will make a dip 7 ference.” Competition begins at 9 a.m. at East Noble High School. Goshen 210, Warsaw 203, Wawasee 152, Plymouth U9M, Concord 146'Zi, Bremen 74, North Wood 72, Northridge 68 103 —l. Trung Nguyen (G) T.F. Rick Weaver (WHS) .112 -1. Mike Davis (WCHS) pin Kent Frenger (NW) 119 —l. Shawn Jones (WHS) dec. Brad Bontrager (G); 5. Jerry Dilley (WCHS) dec. 125 —l. Keith Whittern (G) dec. Eliseo Roa (WHS); 3. Troy Lutes (WCHS) pin 130—1. Dan Moon (WCHS) dec. Andy Ecklebarger (G); 5. Larry Horwitz (WHS) 135 —l. Kirk Beckham (P) pin Jeff Cripe (G); 5. Tom Mangas (WHS) dec. 140 —l. Jim Bechler (G) dec. Brent Bumgardner (WCHS) 145 —l. Aaron Bruce (WCHS) pin Derrick Dodson (P); 5. ChOck Losee (WHS) pin 152 —l. Tim. Roahrig (P) dec. Kelly Frank (WCHS); 6. Tony Hostetter (WHS) 160—1. Josh Lantz (WHS) dec. Nate Conley (WCHS) 189 —l. Jason Franklin (C)dßc. Cory McKenzie (B); 3. Garrett Ponciroli (WHS) dec. 171 —l. Ron Coffel (B) dec. Todd Fruchey (C); 3. Eric Johnson (WCHS) pin; 6. Jason Prescott (WHS) Hwt. —l. Jon Smith (WCHS) dec. Dan O'Haver (WHS)
Matt Dick closed the which produced a 43-39 advarp tage, by canning two free throws with 16 seconds left. Bob Rossi halted the streak and moved Goshen within three, 43-40, by hitting one-of-two free throws. But Matt Koble closed the door on the Redskins with two free throws four seconds before the final bell. Dan Welz sank a threepointer at the buzzer to close the scoring. “Defense was a key to this win,” suggested Goshert. “When you get two of their three scorers slowed down you have a chance at winning. We were able to keep track of Essig defensively and were pretty efficient offensively.” Essig, entering the contest with a 17 point average, was held to eight points. Dan Welz also struggled offensively and finished with five points. Only Holden played near his capacity, scoring 15 points. Wawasee took a 12-10 first period lead, thanks to Koble’s perimeter shooting. The junior scored seven of the 12 points, which included one three-pointer. Goshen recovered in the second frame and evened the score heading into the half. But the Warriors pulled away, slightly, from the Redskins in the third. After Goshen scored the first basket in the period — an Essig layup off a missed Redskins shot,
Maybe I have missed the boat? I have been known to be wrong before. But I still believe owners have the right to decide, who they'll hire and how much they will pay them. Apparently the courts see this in a different light. What moves the ruling from bad to awful is the clubs, which presently have the ‘free agents’ under contract, will receive no compensation when a player signs with another club. Compounding the travesty is present clubs must honor the ‘free agents'” contract until the players terminate the pact. The new free agents have 30 days to sign with another team, and, if there are no takers, they can return to their present clubs.
1 ■■■■■■KB 4 B B B I 3v* B J • ■*>** ‘ • in—--"- ■■■ ■ ' " NLC CHAMPIONS — Wawasee finished third in Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference tournament held at Wawasee. Pictured above, however, are the Warriors’ two champions. Pictured from left, are Josh Lantz, 160-pound champion; assistant coach Jim Jones, and Shawn Jones, 119-pound champion. (Photo by Mark Weinstein)
Warriors dominate Warsaw
WARSAW — Angie Kistler took three first places, including allaround competition Tuesday leading Wawasee past Warsaw, 87.85-70.95, in a girls’ gymnastics meet at Warsaw. Kistler’si first win came from the uneven bars where she tied Nicole Iwankotfltsch with a 7.5 score. Barbie Signorelli placed third with a 6.4 tally. Kistler, later, scored 8.5 on the balance the victory. Anne Pohl finished second with a 6.9 score, while Warsaw’s Katrina Harden was third.
to take a 24-22 lead, Wawasee tallied eight unanswered points. The spurt gave Wawasee its largest lead, 30-24. Three-point shooting highlighted the Warriors’ run as Koble and Dick sank long-range bombs. Dick added a 15-foot jumper between the threepointers to aid Wawasee’s assault. But Goshen Closed within one when Holden sank a three-pointer and Essig sank his final points of the game, a 14-foot jump shot with 3:42 in the third. , The Warriors stretched then lead to fiVe, 34-29, when Brian Rensberger hit a soft 10-footer at 1:43. Scott Beres scored a layup with three seconds remaining, cutting the Redskins’ deficit to 34-41. Dick proved to be Wawasee’s leading scorer with 13 points, although the junior played a reserve role. Koble added 12 points, while Atwood chipped in seven. Holden was Goshen’s main offensive threat, ending play with 15 markers. Wawasee faces another double weekend of action beginning with Friday’s non-conference clash at- 9 Whitko. The Warriors return home Saturday for a date with East Noble. Both junior varsity games begin at 6:15. The Wildcats have an 8-5 mark and have two prolific scorers.
Also, if they decide to remain a free agent after the March 1 deadline, their present contract becomes void. Now, I realize players have the right to improve themselves, everyone does. But I think this is a little much. It seems like the owners have little freedom in running their clubs. I wonder what is next. Perhaps baseball managers will have to check with the players association before bringing in a relief pitcher, especially when it’s between a black and white pitcher. Managers wouldn’t want to be racial in their decisions. □ Heidi Brower rolled a 534 series in leading Vincennes University
In all-around competition, Kistler easily defeated Warsaw’s’s Tammy Gill. The Wawasee sophomore scored 30.75 points while Gill managed a 21.4 score. Signorelli and Pohl were the only other winners for Wawasee in the varsity meet. Signorelli won the vault competition with a 7.4 score, edging Harden’s 7.15 score. Kistler was third at 7.1. , Pohl, meanwhile, scored an 8.0 ip the floor exercise to collect the win. Kistler placed second with a 7.65 score and Wawasee’s Karen
Chad Christman /and Jim Juillerat lead Whitko, both averaging in double figures. “Whitko is Whitko, it has special tradition, a special coach, and always have good teams,” said Goshert when asked to look ahead to Friday’s action. “We are Ipoking to get better this weekend and look forward to playing two good basketball teams.” The Warriors host East Noble Saturday evening.' Wawasee (45) ' FG FT TP Harter 2 0-0 4 Rensberger 1 0-0 2 Huey 1 0-0 2 Frasure 1 2-2 4 Atwood 2 2-2 7 Dick 4 4-4 13 Bonner 0 1-2 1 Koble 4 2-2 12 Totals 15 11-12 45 Goshen (43) FG FT TP Rossi V 12-5 4 Holden \ 5 0-0 15 Hollgr 'H 2 0-0 4 Beres 3 1-2 7 Weitz 2 0-0 5 Essig 3 2-2 8 Totals 16 5-9 43 Three-Point Shots: Wawasee 4 (Koble 2, Dick 1, Atwood 1); Goshen 6 (Holden 5, Weitz 1). Score By Quarters Wawasee 12 10 12 11—45 Goshen 10 12 3 12—43 Officials — Dave Efnery (Macy) and Dennis Barnhisel (Roann - Junior VarsityZz Goshen 36, Wawasee 28
to a second place finish in the Sycamore Classic, held last week at Indiana State University. Brower is a freshman at Vincennes, majoring in Bowling Lanes Management. □ To the average basketball fan, Grace College’s success is nothing new. In fact, many expect the Lancers to be successful — they’ve won six consecutive conference championship. The 1988 campaign shouldn’t be any different. J But what makes up the Lancers’ success? Certainly talent is a major reason, no team can win championships with below average talent. Some (Continued on page 9)
Butt placed third (7.4). In junior varsity action, Wawasee remained unbeaten with a 68.75-56.15 triumph over the Tigers. Katja Neibert won the vault with a 7.1 score, then won the balance beam with a 5.75 tally r Gina Byrd took the uneven bars competition with a 5.55 score, while Britani Stoller was victorious in the floor exercise with a 6.9 score. Wawasee’s opens its 1988 home season Thursday, Jan. 28, with Concord.
x I K* WSr B L - flc *Ky£u I >h>b4&%Ssm ■ €v I^BrSSH’rf< F ■ r lr IS; ■®3?® i *M — - '—-w ■ b ■». ■ f^B j 14 ny , \ s v -Bh. xWt ’ Bk f *~\ A 1 "’ I R ' ■ bF< I • •s»btF >IM. J 'W ' - C. t igar . . v ■ seaT UMlt ”«»’■ ww > «*?.• . > \ ■■■MB* IMMHMBMHBM MB \ KEY BUCKET — John Erasure, far right, connects on a 12-foot jump shot with 2:28 left in the fourth quarter giving Wawasee a 41-39 lead. The Warriors never trailed following the fielder and eventually defeated Goshen 45-43. (Photo by Terry Waggoner)
Concord survives Penn's late scare
MISHAWAKA — Penn gave fourth-ranked Concord a scare Saturday evening before bowing to the Minutemen, 56-51, in a nonconference boys’ basketball game. Poor foul shooting was the difference in the contest. Although Concord connected on 13-of-26 attempts for 50%, the Kingsmen were worse (nine-of-22 for 41%). Both teams had opportunities of blowing the game wide-open, but mediocre shooting from the stripe kept the game close. Concord enjoyed its biggest lead early in the final quarter. After Penn moved within one, 39-38, the Minutemen scored six straight points for a 45-38 lead. Steve Larkin fueled the spurt with a three-point field goal. But the Kingsmen battled back, moving within three points on three separate occasions. Concord, however, was to the challenge and never allowed Pend any closer. Shawn Kemp led the Minutemen with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Jamar Johnson scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for Concord, while Larkin added 11 markers. WARSAW 81, ROCHESTER 66 —- Warsaw put together its best offensive output of the season Saturday evening en route to a lopsided 81-66 non-conference victory over Rochester. The game was close for one half as neither team could control the tempo. The second half, however, was all Warsaw. The
WHITKO POSITION WAWASEE JimJuillerat F Brett Harter Eric Fawcett F Basil Bonner Mike Glick C Brian Rensberger Chad Christman G Matt Koble Barry Ousley G Darin Atwood Game Time: Approximately 7:45 at South Whitley. Records: Whitko, 8-5; Wawasee, 5-9 Head Coaches: Whitko, Bill Patrick; Wawasee, Gary Goshert. EAST NOBLE POSITION WAWASEE Steve McKenney, 6-3 F Brett Harter, 6-1 Ben Vanßyan, 6-3 F Basil Bonner, 6-0 Ben Cramer, 6-4 C Brian Rensberger, 6-4 Brian Brown, 6-2 G Matt Koble, 6-0 Steve Herendeen, 6-2 G Darin Atwood, 6-1 Game Time: Approximately 7:45 at Syracuse. Records: East Noble, 11-2 (as of Friday); Wawasee, 5-9 (as of Friday)
Tigers erased their one-point halftime deficit with a 19-14 third period. Warsaw used the fourth quarter as the final blow to the Zebras. The Tigers scored a quarter-century worth of points in sprinting past Rochester. Jason Zimmerman led a balanced Warsaw attack with 24 points. Brandon Creighton added 17 markers for the Tigers, while Ty Woodruff added 14 and Rob Delp scored 12. Mike Pautsch led Rochester with 25 points, while Brian Thompson added 14 and Gregg Briggs scored 13. NORTHRIDGE 64, LAKELAND 57 — Gary Zimmerman scored 19 points Saturday and Doug VonGunten added 12 as Northridge slipped past Lakeland, 64-57, in a nonconference boys’ basketball game. Northridge, 7-5, hosts Goshen Friday in a make-up contest. The Raiders were scheduled to play Goshen in their season opener, but couldn’t because of Goshen’s football post-season play. GOSHEN 60, DEKALB 50 — Mike Essig .broke out of his shooting slump Saturday leading Goshen, 11-2, past DeKalb, 60-50, in a non-conference boys’ basketball game at Goshen. Essig, who scored eight points the night before in the Redskins’ two-point loss at Wawasee, went seven-for-nine from the field and # five-of-seven from the stripe in scoring 20 points.