The Mail-Journal, Volume 26, Number 52, Milford, Kosciusko County, 10 February 1988 — Page 8

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., February 10,1988

8

Sports

Tigers' late surge drops Warriors

I By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Editor WARSAW — Warsaw’s rout qf Wawasee in the Warsaw Sectional championship game never materialized as the Warriors extended the seventh-ranked Tigers for 3>/2 quarters before falling 46-30. The victory gave the host Tigers their second straight sectional championship, both victories over Wawasee. Warsaw, 19-1, awaits this Saturday’s regional competition against Columbia City at 12:30 p.m. The game also marked the last time Dale Brannock will be on the sidelines for Wawasee. The eightyear veteran mentor resigned earlier‘‘this week despite eight sectional championship appearances. The highly-touted Tigers struggled offensively throughouHnuch of the contest Jko we ver, riors, 5-15, could never [fully capitalize on the Warsaw took a 19-14 halftime lead, then stretched the margin after each break. Still, the upstart Warriors only trailed by nine, 31-22, entering the final quarter. Lai Reed closed Warsaw’s advantage to seven, 31-24, when she scored a brgak-aWay layup with 7:20 remaining/. 'The Warriors, however, equid not come any closer to th^Tigers. Wawasee’s offense sputtered in the closing minutes and its defense was cut to shreds by a powerful inside Warsaw attack. “At the half I thought we still had a shot at it,” said Brannock afterwards. “But to be truthful, I think we simply ran out of gas. The better team won.” The Tigers scored a wagonload of points in a short time period (nine from the foul line) to stretch their seven point lead to 14. In the final minutes, Brannock went to his bench, giving each player an opportunity to play in the championship tilt. “It has been a great year, we’ve never had a team that came back and finished like this one and show) steady improvement,” added Brannock. “I am

Wawasee explodes past Rochester, 91-82

By MARK WEINSTEIN Sports Editor SYRACUSE - Most high school basketball teams expect to win when scoring 82 points. Friday night, however, Rochester’s 82-point total Droved insufficient as Wawasee roared to a 91-82 nonconference victory. The win raised the Warriors’ mark to 8-9, an incredible record considering their 2-6 slate entering 1988. r Wawasee has won three straight and six-out-of-eight since Christmas break. “We’re playing pretty good basketball right now,” admitted Wawasee head coach Gary Goshert. “We’re moving in the right direction but still need to take care of some small matters.”

Wawasee administration on top

Score a victory for Wawasee High School’s administration. The Warriors’ front office was willing to make a very unpopular decision last week despite what ■heat may have come its way. I’m talking about the suspension of three Wawasee divers, which turned out to be the difference in the Warriors’ meet with Warsaw. Mark My Words MARK WEINSTEIN H ♦ Unpopular in the eyes of stwfents and some fans, yes. Unpopular in the eyes of some Wawasee athletes, yes. Unpopular in the eyes of some Wawasee coaches, perhaps yes. Still, it was the right move.

really proud of them as individuals.” Amy Barton led Wawasee’s offensive attack by netting 10 points and grabbing five rebounds. Reed chipped in six points and two steals for the Warriors, while Bobi Stookey added five points and five rebounds. Reserve Michelle White picked off two steals for Wawasee. “They killed us from the line in the second half,” added Brannock. “I don’t think we played that badly, and I think the season ended on a positive note, even though we lost.” Warsaw moves into regional competition Saturday against Columbia City. The Eagles are the only team this season to upend the seventh-ranked Tigers. Heather Gaerte paced Warsaw’s attack with 12 points, while Nicole Ryman, after returning from a first half injury, finished with 10. Wawasee moved into the championship contest by thumping Triton, 51-37, Thursday evening. The game was close throughout the first half, evident by the Warriors’ two-point halftime lead (18-16). But the Warriors owned the second half, pulling away to the double-digit win. Reed and Barton were the leaders for Wawasee in the win. Reed tallied 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and had four steals, while Barton added 13 points and nine rebounds. Wendy Lung passed out four assists for the Warriors. Wawasee broke the game open midway through the fourth quarter. Holding a 31-30 lead with 5:30 remaining, Wawasee went on a 21-6 tear to win going away. Barton started the streak with a short jump shot and Julie Richcreek capped the spurt with an 18-foot jumper. Wawasee’s momentum and lengthy lead was too much for Triton to overcome. Brannock emptied his bench with less than two minutes remaining, giving Krissy Eisenhour an opportunity to score her first varsity points. The sophomore canned both field goal attempts to finish with four points.

The Warriors took care of the visiting Zebras in the first half, racing to a 38-26 halftime lead. In the third period, Wawasee gave the appearance it would ice the game when it built a 21-point lead early. But it never happened. Instead, Rochester, with Joe Quick and Brian Thompson leading the way, closed within four points in the final period. Quick racked up eight third-period points, including two free throws that sliced the Warriors’ lead to seven, 52-45, before Thompson took over with his 11-point fourth quarter effort. z The pair of Zebras continued to close Wawasee’s gap in the fourth when they each hit a three-point field goal. Thompson’s longrange bomb closed the Warriors’

Wawasee Community School Corporation leaves no doubt what is important — the student. It doesn’t matter what issue is addressed, the corporation will not compromise its standards and the students’ best interest. Just in case area residents are not sure that statement is accurate, just take a look at Wawasee’s swim and boys’ basketball teams. Both have been affected by administrative decisions, ones that have eliminated athletes from their particular sport. The administration has no favorites, everyone involved in extra-curricular activities are treated the same. Some people disagree, but it’s truth. Speaking about the athletes involved in disciplinary action, I am not saying they are bad individuals — rotten eggs — and should be put behind bars for their acts causing dismissal. Quite the contrary. They should be given another opportunity to move in a positive direction. The local administration is giving each athlete that second chance through their disciplinary action. What we sow, we reap. At first glance, the punishment may seem hard and cruel. But

Wawasee (30) FG FT RB PF TP A. Barton, f 5-12 0-1 5 3 10 L. Hollar, f 0-4 0-0 2 1 0 B. Stookey, c 2-2 1-2 5 15 L. Reed, g 3-7 0-2 8 4 6 A. Kaufman, g o-o o-oiio A. Conroy 1-3 0-2 4 4 2 W. Lung 1-4 1-2 3 4 3 C. Eldridge 0-0 1-3 3 2 1 M. White 0-3 3-4 12 3 J. Richcreek 0-6 0-0 3 2 0 K. Eisenhour 0-1 0-0 2 10 C. Glassburn 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 12-42 6-16 37 25 30 Turnovers: 27 3-Polnt Shooting: (Team 0-3) Reed 0-2, Lung 0-1. Warsaw (46) FG FT RB PF TP H. Gaerte, f 4-5 4-4 5 0 12 A. Johnson, f 3-9 0-0 4 3 6 L. Reed, c 2-3 2-5 4 3 6 G. Dunwell, g 1-6 1-3 2 4 3 N. Ryman, g 2-16 5-10 6 1 10 D. Creighton 1-3 1-3 5 0 3 H. Bradford 1-9 2-6 7.2 4 L. Rose 0-0 0-0 12 0 T. Smith 0-1 0-2 2 10 M. Tuslng 0-1 0-0 2 0 0 K. Burner 0-12-3 1 0 2 S. Snyder 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 14-48 17-36 39 16 46 Turnovers: 13 3-Polnt Shooting: Ryman 1-4. Quarter Scoring Wawasee 13 13 10 17—53 Wawasee 65 8 8 B—3o Warsaw 11 8 12 15—46 Officials: Dennis Barnhlsel, Roann; Dale Ziegler, Fort Wayne Wawasee (51) FG FT RB PF TP A. Barton, f 6-14 1-4 9 4 13 L. Hollar, f 1-6 0-0 5 2 2 B. Stookey, c 1-4 0-3 4 1 2 L. Reed, g 6-13 4-6 9 1 16 A. Kaufman, g 0-1 0-1 1 0 0 W. Lung 1-6 0-0 2 4 2 A. Conroy 2-6 0-1 4 3 4 M. White 2-7 2-4 12 6 J. Richcreek 0-1 0-0 13 0 C. Eldridge 0-0 2-4 3 1 2 K. Eisenhour 2-2 0-1114 C. Glassburn 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 21-59 9-24 40 22 51 Turnovers: 12 3-Polnt Shooting: (Team 0-3) Reedo-2, White 0-1. Triton (37) FG FT RB PF TP K. Heisler, f 4-7 5-8 13 3 13 J. Bules, f 1-5 0-1 6 3 2 L. Anders, c 8-15 6-11 11 4 22 D. Hall, g 0-2 0-6 2 2 0 S. Feldman, g 0-7 0-5540 K. Meister 0-1 0-110 0 K. Klotz 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 J. Huffman 0-1 0-10 0 0 Totals 13-40 11 33 38 17 37 Turnovers: 22 3-PolntShooting: Feldmano-1 Quarter Scoring Wawasee 13 13 10 17—53 Wawasee 8 10 12 21—51 Triton 8 8 8 13—37 Officials: Dennis Barnhlsel, Roann; Michael Howell, Fort Wayne.

lead to four, 86-82, with 19 seconds remaining. But Wawasee’s free throw shooting slammed the door on Rochester. Matt Koble, who finished with 17 points, connected on eight-of-nine in the closing minutes and Darin Atwood, finishing with a game-high 21 points, sank four-of-five to preserve the win. “We hit some key free throws down the stretch, didn’t we?” asked Goshert. “You have to give Rochester a lot of credit, We had them down by 21 points and they never quit. With the three-point shot, nothing is safe anymore.” The Warriors, although allowing Rochester to creep back into the contest in the fourth period, were in control from the beginning. A balanced offensive attack

looking at the circumstances and what’s important, it’s fair. It is better to be punished at this level than later in life — when it really counts. Every parent in the world desires the best for their children. Wawasee’s administration desires the same for their students, that’s why they act like they do — first class! □ The season has come to an end for Wawasee’s girls’ basketball team, but the memories of a strong finish will last forever. It was an unusual season for the Warriors, one that many area fans will forget very quickly. 1 But for the participants — players and coaches—it will long last in their memory. Recordwise, it was a poor season, effortwise, it was a winning season. The players progressed in a manner becoming of them. They should be proud of their effort! At mid-season, they were laughed at because of their winless record. At season’s end, they were taken as a serious threat. They nearly picked off one of the best teams in Warsaw history — the seventh-ranked Tigers. It was a great season for Wawasee, one that ended prematurely.

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NEAR BLOCK — Wawasee’s Bobi Stockey nearly blocks Heather Gaerte’s shot during the chain pionship game of the Warsaw Sectional. The Tigers pulled away in the final period to claim the title 46-30. (Photo by Mark Weinstein) ,

keyed Wawasee’s quick start and strong finish. Atwood was the catalyst to the Warriors’ offensive scheme, penetrating and opening holes within Rochester’s defense. a very fine basketball player and he certainly hurt us tonight,” said Rochester head coach Bill Titus after the game. “He makes a lot happen for them, he had a fine game.” Not many basketball fans watching the contest would disagree with Titus’ statement. Besides Atwood’s sparkling performance, four other Warriors reached double figures in scoring. Koble was second in line with his 17, while Brett Harter had 13 before fouling out in the

Games on this week’s card imclude Wawasee at North Wood, Kokomo at Warsaw, Northridge at Mishawaka Marian, Goshen at East Noble, Central .Noble at Fairfield, West Noble at Churubusco, Tippecanoe Valley at Bremen, S.B. Riley at Concord, Grace at Marian, Goshen at Marion. HOMER MILLER (.735) — North Wood, Kokomo, Mishawaka Marian, Goshen, Fairfield, West Noble, Bremen, Concord, Grace, Goshen. MARK WEINSTEIN (.676) — North Wood, Kokomo, Northridge, East Noble, Fairfield, Churubusco, Tippecanoe Valley, Concord, Grace, Marion. MARK HUFFMAN (.647) — North Wood, Warsaw, Northridge, Goshen, Central Noble, West Noble, Bremen, Concord, Grace, Marion. DALE TOBIAS (.647) - North Wood, Kokomo, Northridge, Goshen, Fairfield, Churubusdo, Tippecanoe Valley, Concord, Marian, Marion. DERK KUHN (.603) — Wawasee, Kokomo, Northridge, East Noble, Fairfield, Churubusco, Tippecanoe Valley, Concord, Grace, Goshen.

fourth, Basil Bonner scored 12 ancf grabbed five rebounds and Matt Dick contributed 10 points and six rebounds. “We got contcjjautions from a lot of different players,” admitted Goshert. “That’s what we need, everyone playing a positive part in the game.” Nine Wawasee players saw action in the contest and all scored. John Frasure and Brian Rensberger each scored six points, while Rob Huey added five and Jeff Carey tallied a single marker. • The Warriors return to Northern Lakes Conference action Friday evening when they visit North Wood in a key conference clash. The Panthers are in the upper division of the conference and boast one of the top scorers (Rob Prenkert) in the NLC. Junior Varsity tip-off is slated for 6:15 with the varsity game following.

Warriors remain perfect, whip DeKalb

SYRACUSE — Wawasee turned in its best score of the season Thursday and the Warriors used the effort to whip DeKalb, 92.60-76.95, in a high school gymnastics meet in Syracuse. The win raised Wawasee’s record to 6-0 entering the Thursday, Feb. 11, match with Elkhart Central. The Blue Blazers are a strong contender for the sectional title. Angela Kistler captured the allaround competition with a 31.40 score. Barbie Signorelli was second with a 28.55 tally, while DeKalb’s Angie Bishop placed third. Still, Nicole Iwankowitsch was awarded the ‘gymnast of the meet” award from Wawasee coach Tracy Sumpter for her uneven bar routine and no-fall beam effort. Iwankowitsch won the bars competition with a 8.25 score, while Kistler was second at 7.95. Britani Stoller rounded out the top three places for the Warriors with a 7.40 score.

Wawasee (91) FG FT TP Harter 5-7 3-6 13 Bonner 3-5 6-9 12 Frasure 4-5 0-0 8 Koble 4-6 9-10 17 Atwood 8-13 3-3 21 Rensberger 2-5 0-0 4 Dick 3-10 4-4 10 Carey 0-2 1-5 1 Huey 1-2 3-4 5 Totals 30-55 29-41 91 Rochester (82) FG FT TP Pfeiffer 0-1 2-3 2 Ruckman 8-19 4-5 21 Pautsch 7-16 7-8 21 Quick 4-6 3-4 14 Thompson 6-14 3-4 16 McMillen 1-5 2-3 4 Shambarger 0-2 2-2 2 Vance 0-1 2-4 2 Totals 26-64 25-33 82 Three-Point Shots: Wawasee (Atwood 2-2, Dick 0-1, Koble 0-1). Rochester (Quick 3-3, Thompson 1-5, Ruckman 1-2, Pautsch 0-1). Score By Quarters Wawasee 18 20 21 32—91 Rochester 13 13 23 33—82

Iwankowitsch later added a victory on the beam, scoring a 7.65 total. The tally was her highest for the season, thanks to her no-fall routine. Stoller placed second for Wawasee with a 7.55 score and Kistler was third with a 7.20 score. * In other competition, DeKalb’s Bishop took top honors on the vault, scoring an 8.10 to edge Kistler's 7.95. Signorelli scored, 7.30 to place third in toe competition. In the floor exercise, Karen Butt claimed the top spot for Wawasee with an 135 score. Kistler narrowly placed second with an 8.30 score and Stoller was third at 7.85. In junior varsity action, Wawasee’s Nikki Marsh won the vault competition with a 6.55 score. Stoller placed hird with a 6.00 score. On the uneven bars, Butt won the/JV match with a 6.25 score, while Dawn Firestone’s 5.35 was

Brannock resigns

SYRACUSE - After eight seasons at Wawasee, Dale Brannock has decided to end his coaching career. The veteran mentor submitted his resignation Tuesday, three days after the Warriors lost ip the Warsaw Sectional championship contest. “He’s given a lot of time and built an excellent program,” said Wawasee High School Principal Ned Speicher after hearing of the resignation. “We’re very proud of the job he’s done over the years.” Brannock did not resign his teaching/guidance position at the school. His future plans are unclear, although he mentioned he would other possibilities. “I think it is time for a change in the program,” insisted Brannock. “Maybe someone else can give the program some new life.” In stepping down, Brannock leaves behind a legacy, one that produced a 119-53 record and eight sectional championship appearances. Six of his Warrior teams won the Warsaw Sectional. Wawasee, under Brannock, went 15-2 in the Warsaw Sectional and 26-8 in overall tournament action. The highlight to hisxoaching record was the 1984-85 / team that finished 23-2 and second in the state. The year before, Wawasee went 21-2 and were regional champions. “Every year has brought something new which I’ve enjoyed. It is tough to rate what was most enjoyable,” insisted Brannock. “Os course the 84-85 team

Concord trips St. Joe

SOUTH BEND — Concord soared to a 21-2 lead in the first 10 minutes against South Bend St. Joe Saturday, then withstood a furious Indians comeback for a 63-58 non-conference victory at Notre Dame’s Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center. The Minutemen stormed into the lead by switching defenses at the start of the game. Concord, normally playing man-to-man, opened with a 2-3 zone that seemingly confused the Indians. St. Joe connected on one of its first 16 shots as the Minutemen breezed to the large lead. But the second-ranked Minutemen couldn’t hold their comfortable spread as Sli. Joe outscored Concord in the middle two quarters. The comeback moved the Indians within seven at halftime (28-21) and 41-36 after three periods. The Indians crept even closer, moving within two, 41-39, seconds into the. final quarter. The home school had two other opportunities to tie the score but turnovers cost St. Joe each time. But a Shawn Kemp three-point play gave the Minutemen a 46-41 lead and the Northern Lakes Conference school never allowed St. *Joe closer than three the rest of the game. Kemp was Concord’s leader, scoring 19 points (15 in the second half) and 13 rebounds. Steve Larkin added 14 points for the Minutemen, while Bill Mutch chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds. Concord returns to Northern Lakes Conference action Friday when it visits Northridge. The Minutemen face South Bend Riley Saturday evening. PLYMOUTH 55, WARSAW 54 — Brent Osswald hit a three-point field goal at the buzzer Friday evening lifting Plymouth past Warsaw, 55-54, in a thrilling Northern Lakes Conference boys’ basketball game. Osswald was a one-man show for the Pilgrims, who raised their record to 6-9 overall and 4-2 in the

good for second and Marsh’s 4.60 placed third. Katja Neibert took top honors on the balance beam with a 6.50 score, while Butt was second with a 6.25 tally. Marsh placed third with a 4.55 score. Iwankowitsch’s 7.60 score in the floor exercise was good for first place in the junior varsity match. Diane Karst scored a 6.75 to place second and Marsh scored 1 a 6.65 for third place. The Elkhart Central match 'begins at 6 p.m. at Wawasee. WAWASEE 92.60-DEKALB 76.95 Final Standings Ist,- Wawasee, 92.60; 2nd, DeKalb, 76.95 Floor Exercise - Ist, Karen Butt (WHS), 8.35; 2nd, Angela Kistler (WHS), 8.30; 3rd, Barbie Signorelli (WHS), 7.85. Balance Beam Ist, Nicole Iwankowitsch (WHS), 7.65; 2nd, Brltanl Stoller (WHS), 7.55; 3rd, Angela Kistler, (WHS), 7.20.

■r -r a® ' ■H' ■ DALE BRANNOCK was enjoyable, bit so was this year’s team. The way the team came along, working for a common cause and inproving game-by-game was good o see. ” But Brannock topes he contributed to his former players in a way positive in life. It is here that the departing cotch felt the greatest heed. “I hope I’ve been r positive influence on the kids,” said Brannock. “I wanted to show them that athletics relatesto life. You need to be able to wiiiand lose in life, just like basketball.” In submitting his resignation, Brannock offered his assistance in finding a successor. Brannock’s resignation is expected to be acted at the next Wawasee Community School Corporation board meeting

conference. The senior scored 35 points, including 18 of Pkmouth’s 17 in the final period. In the final frame, Osswald shot five-of-10 from the ield and six-of-seven from the fouline. He also pulled down four of his game-high nine rebound in the period. The game came down t) which / team would have the finaishot. It turned out to be Plynouth, although Warsaw looked in fine shape when Ty Woodrufftanhed two free throws with two seconds remaining for a 54-52 advantage. Plymouth had 84 feet totravel in two seconds. It seemed ike an itnpossible task, certain? too much to ask from high school athletes. \But Plymouth was up o the task. A three-quarters length baseball pass to Osswald ;t the top of the key was perfect— so was his last second shot. Plymouth scores the thrilling NLC win. Alex Plothow was the only other Pilgrim scoring in d>uble figures (10), Meanwhile, Warsaw, which fell to 6-10 overal and 3-4 in NLC play, receivel 18 points from Woodruff and 15 tom Brandon Creighton. GOSHEN 53, NORTHWOO) 43 — Mike Essig was near perfect Friday, hitting eight-of-nine ield goals and two-of-two free throws leading Goshen past MorthWjod, 53-49, in an action-packed northern Lakes Conference garni in Nappanee. Goshen, 14-2, never traled although the contest was cose from the beginning. The Fedskins took a 13-6 lead after )ne period, then stretched the margin by one, 25-17, at halftime. North Wood closed within 3934 after three periods before dropping the four point contest. Rob Prenkert paced N«rthWood’s attack with 16 pouts. Brent. Reinhardt added 15 for he Panthers. North Wood, 7-9, hosts Wawasee Friday evening.

Uneven Bars Ist, Nicole Iwankowitsch (WHS, 8.25; 2nd, Angela Kistler (WHS), 7.9:; 3rd, Brltanl Stoller (WHS), 7.40. Vaulting Ist Angle Bishop (DeKalb), 8.11; 2nd, Angela Kistler (WHS), 7.95; 3ri, Barbie Signorelli (WHS), 7.30. All Around Ist, Angela Kistler (WHS), 31.40 2nd, Barbie Signorelli (WHS), 28.55 Angie Bishop (DeKalb), 28.35. JV 1 WAWASEE 72.80-DEKALBS2.7O Floor Exercise Ist, Nicole Iwankowitsch (WHS) 7.60; 2nd, Diane Karst (WHS), 6.75; Nikki Marsh (WHS), 6.65. Vaulting Ist, Nikki Marsh (WHS), 6.55; 2nd, Angle Gilbert (DeKalb), 6.25; 3rd, Brltanl Stoller (WHS), 6.00. Balance Beam Ist, Kat|a Neibert (WHS), 6.50; 2nd, Karen Butt (WHS), 6.26; 3rd, Nikki x Marsh (WHS), 4.55. Uneven Bars Ist, Karen Butt (WHS), 6.26; 2nd, Dawn Firestone (WHS), 5.35; 3rd, Nikki Marsh (WHS), 4.60. - ‘Wfc’-- ' ’ * / 11 V