Preps Plus

No. 1 Wawasee's road filled with potholes

If Wawasee does return to the state finals, the trek won't be easy.

And that's just getting out of the sectional.

The IHSAA sectional draw was done Sunday and the Warriors, who lost in the 2007 Class 3A title game to Brebeuf, will play host to NorthWood in the first game of the sectional Feb. 5.

Wawasee (16-2) is the top-ranked team in 3A and the game against NorthWood (14-5) is a rematch for the NLC rivals. The Warriors won that game pretty easily 59-36.

If the Warriors get past the Panthers, it would be a sectional semifinal game against Lakeland (13-6), which drew the bye game.

After that, it could be a finals matchup agianst Tippecanoe Valley (9-9), Whitko (14-5), Columbia City (12-7) or West Noble (14-5).

Maybe the regional will be easier for the Warriors? Probably not.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Cheviron on the move

New Haven wrestling coach Barry Humble decided that it would be better if senior Matt Cheviron moved up a weight class for the postseason.

So after wrestling all season at 215 pounds, Cheviron moved up to heavyweight (or 285). Humble said the 215 class in northeast Indiana was too deep and maybe Cheviron was the fourth best wrestler in that weight class. With Leo's Justin Woods, East Noble's Derrick Shire and Norwell's Hunter Harper, it was probably good thinking on Humble's part.

The switch has paid off as Cheviron won the NHC title at 285 last week and added a sectional crown Saturday with a 13-3 win over Homestead's Jason Simpson at New Haven. Against one wrestler at the NHC meet, Cheviron faced a wrestler with an 80-pound advantage.

Cheviron was 22-7 at 215 and is 8-0 since moving to 285.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Elmhurst seniors step up

Ebony Robinson and Teirenney Fincher were a week early in some regards.

The Elmhurst seniors will be honored on the school's Senior Night next Friday when the Trojans play host to South Side for the SAC title.

But Friday, the two seniors spoiled Bishop Luers' Senior Night with big fourth-quarter performances.

The two combined to score 14 points in the fourth and hit 7 of 8 from the free-throw line as the Trojans outscored the Knights 24-11 in the quarter and won the game 68-57.

Robinson finished with 14 points, while Fincher had 13.

Now the two seniors will try to deliver an SAC title against the Archers next week in a battle of two 7-1 league teams.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Support of Tony Miller's induction sought

Garrett is seeking a little support for Tony Miller's induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Friends and supporters of Miller, a former Railroader standout, can buy an advertisement in the school's program to offer congratulations. All of the proceeds will support the Hall of Fame in New Castle.

Ads must be purchased by Feb. 24. Call Garrett athletic director Steve Rhoades at 260-357-4116 to purchase the ads.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Class sports cut to three levels?

Apprarently there is a movement out there to reduce the number of classes in IHSAA sports like basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball down to three.

The movement right now is only among the state's athletic directors and their organization. If they pass it, then the IHSAA would act on it.

If the three-class format were to be used, it would create a four-team sectional, four-team regional and four-team semistate. The state finals would remain at two teams.

It would be used to create better rivalries in the sectional and regional level, reduce travel costs and give teams more chances to win sectionals.

The biggest problem would be eliminating one state champion, which has always been the biggest reason for class sports in the first place. The feel-good proponents have always like the extra hardware, and that's why the movement for three classes is probably doomed to fail.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Neff is Lakeland's No. 1 all-time scorer

Lakeland senior Abby Neff broke the school all-time scoring record, going over the 1,450-point plateau Saturday with 22 points against Hamilton.

The former record was held by former Lakeland boys basketball standout Jon Workman, currently playing at Western Michigan.

Apparently, Neff and current Westview senior Tiffany Fisher are neck and neck for the LaGrange County career scoring record. The two played on the same AAU team.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Concordia gymnast lost for season

Concordia had two freshman gymnasts win state individual titles last year, but only one will be able to defend that championship.

Cadets coach Barry Ruhl confirmed Brannon Springer, the 2007 bars state champion, is out for the year after suffering a knee injury Monday against Lakeland.

Springer will have surgery Jan. 28. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Michael Lee, whose daughter Olivia is a gymnast on rival Bishop Dwenger's team.

Ruhl said the rehabiliation should take four months, and Springer will be back for the club season and next year's high school slate.

"Brannon's not even limping," Ruhl said after Saturday's Becky Carter Classic at Concordia. "It hit her today, and I think it is starting to sink in more with her. But I think her mom is more upset about it. She trained so much in the offseason. I told her it was just an accident. It just happens."

Even without Springer, the Cadets finished third in the meet behind top-ranked Valparaiso's 113.0 and No. 3 Bishop Dwenger's 112.4. It was the school's first top-3 finish at the meet.

Fifth-ranked Concordia finished with a 105.125 with solid performances from sophomore Hannah Osborn, last year's floor state champion, and seniors Hillary Eshelman and Kara Doerffler.

The teams two seniors, Eshelman and Doerfler, have twice improved their career bests all-around scores in the week since Springer's injury.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Pedro now Luers' top rebounder

Despite her 20-plus scoring average this year, Bishop Luers senior Amanda Pedro has never been known as a scorer.

The Indiana State recruit has been a tough, tenacious rebounder. And now she has the record to prove it.

After Luers' 51-38 win over Harding on Friday, Pedro was given a gameball in a short ceremony for becoming the Knights' all-time leader in rebounds.

Pedro beat Rachel King's former record of 538.

Now King can only cling to being only the all-time leader in scoring, assists and steals.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

Hawks in command of SAC

Harding remained unbeaten in SAC boys basketball, and it might be a bit surprising for some.

After the Hawks' 75-65 win over Bishop Luers on Friday, it shouldn't be anymore.

Harding entered this week with a 3-0 league mark, but none of the wins were against top-tier teams.

But after two conference wins against Snider and Luers, the Hawks are 5-0 in the SAC and in driver's seat for the regular-season championship.

"I want to stay under the radar," Harding coach Al Gooden said after the game.

Sorry, Al that won't happen after beating the Knights.

South Side is 4-1 in the league, and no other team has fewer than two losses. That makes the Feb. 20 matchup between Harding and South Side more than likely the game that decides the SAC champion.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette

One star watches another

Bishop Luers sophomore sensation DeShaun Thomas could have compared notes with a fan Friday after the Knights' 75-65 loss to Harding.

Not many fans know what Thomas, who is averaging 31 points per game, is going through with his ascension into superstardom.

But Jarrod Parker does.

The former Norwell baseball standout, Mr. Baseball award winner and first-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks took in a boys basketball game and watched Thomas go for 33 points. Parker was there with his girlfriend, Bluffton senior girls basketball player Marah Kyle.

Parker, a million-dollar bonus baby, will report to spring training for the Diamondbacks when the pitchers and catchers report in about a month.

- By Greg Jones, The Journal Gazette