I’ve been asked “how are you enjoying the break from sports?” Frankly, I hate it. Before I go too deep with this, I understand that sports are not essential to life itself. I know no one who has experienced a global pandemic before, but we do have a history of moving heaven and earth to save lives.

In these days of darkened sports arenas and gyms and empty diamonds and tracks complexes, sports people are scrambling for sports to talk about. I feel like I have plenty of subjects for columns, but this one was suggested to me and so I thought I would tackle it. Its intent is to answer the age-old question “which team is the greatest team in Warsaw Tiger history?”

Athletics brings people together – teams often join forces to fight for something bigger than the self. As a faculty mentor for the women’s basketball and softball teams, Manchester University faculty member Dr. Heather Schilling, director of teacher education, knew the Spartans were on her team, but she never imaged how they would team up to fight for her. In early December, Schilling received devastating news. Elizabeth, her 27-year-old daughter who was scheduled to have surgery to remove a brain tumor, was sent home. The tumor had turned into stage four brain cancer, and instead of surgery, Elizabeth was ordered to start chemotherapy and radiation immediately.

Dear Lancer Nation, We began this journey two weeks ago, battling the COVID-19 outbreak through uncharted territory. You have faithfully responded with resiliency and tremendous character in the midst of these extreme changes, which is to be applauded.

Fifteen seniors and 15 underclass boys basketball players have earned IBCA/Subway "Supreme 15" All-State honors for 2019-2020, it was announced Thursday. The IBCA also named Large School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass) and Small School All-State players (15 seniors, 15 underclass). The "Supreme 15" is the top honor awarded, and players were voted to that group without regard to school size. The Large School and Small School all-state teams are secondary accolades -- the Large School group including players from Class 3A and Class 4A schools and the Small School group including players from Class A and Class 2A schools. Players who make the Supreme 15 are not considered for Large School or Small School honors. In addition, 89 more seniors and 93 more underclass players were selected honorable mention all-state. The honorable mention laurels are awarded without regard to school size.

Thanks to an eleventh-our discussion between the top brass at the Indiana Golf Association and state health officials, area golf courses are going to be permitted to open, with a set of new restrictions in place designed to allow people to get some exercise and fresh air and still help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Today would have been my dad’s birthday. He would have been 89 years old. While I wish he was still around, I know where he is and I have a pretty good idea of what he’s doing, and I could never wish him back from there. He never got to see me as a dad. He died of a series of strokes related to colon cancer in 2005, a few months before we started the process of being approved by China to adopt for the first time.

Six Indiana high school boys basketball coaches have been chosen as 2020 Bob King Coaches of the Year by their peers in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, it was announced Tuesday. Marc Davidson of Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Marc Urban of Chesterton, Al Gooden of Lawrence Central, David McCollough of Shenandoah, Nate Hawkins of Heritage Hills and Kendall Wildey of South Decatur have been selected as honorees for the 2019-2020 season through voting that occurred from late January through early March, IBCA executive director Steve Witty said.

The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced the Tom Bohlsen Winter Academic All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Team  Tuesday.

Six Indiana high school girls basketball coaches have been chosen as 2020 Bob King Coaches of the Year by their peers in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, it was announced Monday.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. announced this year’s group of 13 senior student-athletes who will be honored with the 2020 C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarships. Each individual will receive a $2,500 scholarship for their prep accomplishments and be recognized at this year’s Thomas A. Brady Sports Achievement Awards Dinner established by Methodist Sports Medicine. The upcoming dinner was recently postponed due to current events and will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced.

The Northern Lakes Conference announced Friday different scheduling and seeding formats for what would be an abbreviated spring sports season.

wo members of the Grace College men’s basketball team were lauded as All-Americans to end the 2019-20 season. Haden Deaton picked up two All-American nods, including NCCAA First Team All-American and honorable mention for NAIA All-American.

JINDIANAPOLIS – John “Paul” Neidig, who has enjoyed a 34-year career in secondary education and athletic administration, has been named by the Executive Committee as the next commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. Neidig (pronounced Ny-dig), has been an IHSAA assistant commissioner since 2017 and will officially assume the position Aug. 1, succeeding Bobby Cox. Cox announced his intention to retire this summer on Jan. 16. The Poseyville native will become the ninth individual to serve as IHSAA commissioner. He follows Cox (2011-20), Blake Ress (2000-2011), Bob Gardner (1995-2000), C. Eugene Cato (1983-1995), Ward E. Brown (1976-1983), Phil N. Eskew (1962-1976), L.V. Phillips (1945-1962) and Arthur L. Trester (1929-1945). Neidig, 56, joined the IHSAA staff July 1, 2017 as an assistant commissioner and has administered the sports of boys and girls cross country, boys basketball, boys and girls track and field, and unified track and field. “On behalf of the IHSAA Executive Committee, we are excited to confirm Paul Neidig as the next commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association,” said Matt Martin, chairman of the IHSAA executive committee and director of athletics at Knightstown High School. “Paul has some great thoughts and ideas about how to continue leading the Association and its member schools. We feel the organization is in great hands and we look forward to working with him.” Neidig said, “I’m very humbled to be chosen to become the next commissioner of the IHSAA. I’m proud to be a part of this organization and lead it into the future. Our primary focus will continue to be promoting and supporting education-based athletics in our state.” “Also, I ask everyone to please be safe during these unprecedented times. Listen to our state’s health experts and take care of yourselves and your family and we will get through these difficult times.” Prior to joining the Association office, Neidig spent 31 years with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, most recently as chief of staff and director of athletics. He also served as its chief administrative officer from 2012 to 2015, deputy chief of staff from 2009 to 2012 and director of athletics at Evansville Central from 2001 to 2010. Before that, Neidig had worked at Evansville Central as a teacher, department chair, head coach and assistant coach for boys basketball, assistant athletic director and technology director between 1985 and 2001. He was a continuous member of the IHSAA board of directors from 2004 to 2017 and served as chairman of the executive committee three times in 2006-07, 2009-10 and 2015-16. Neidig has held membership with the Indiana Association of School Principals, Indiana Association of School Business Officials, Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He has been honored with numerous awards including a NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2006, IIAAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2007, Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Administrator of the Year in 2012, IIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2013, and most recently with a citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2015. Neidig earned a B.S. degree in technology education in 1985 from Eastern Illinois University, where he played basketball for four years. He later earned an M.A. in education from the University of Southern Indiana in 1994. He is a 1981 graduate of North Posey High School and played basketball all four years for the Vikings. Neidig and his wife, Jean, are the parents of three adult children, Ashley (Charlie Grimes), Chris, and Kyle (Erin Neidig) and three grandchildren.

Indiana Wesleyan junior and Warsaw community High School graduate Kyle Mangas made IWU history Thursday, being named the 2020 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Kyannah Stull and Vironnica Drake capped off the 2019-20 season as All-Americans. Drake, the all-time scoring leader for Grace’s women’s basketball team, was named NCCAA First Team All-American and honorable mention for NAIA All-American. Stull was named NCCAA Third Team All-American.

Monday was supposed to be the first official day of IHSAA baseball practice. Instead, high schools were closed and practices postponed for weeks because of the Coronavirus pandemic. On local college diamonds, NAIA member Grace College had its season canceled and NCAA Division III Manchester University because of COVID-19 concerns is awaiting its next move.

IHSAA Hopes To Have Abbreviated Spring Seasons

The Crossroads League had nine men and eight women named to their respective NAIA basketball All-American teams Thursday, as announced by the NAIA office. Indiana Wesleyan’s Kyle Mangas, a Warsaw Comm-unity High School alum, headlined that group, being named the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, as well as a First-Team All-American selection. Spring Arbor’s Paul Marandet, another former Warsaw Tiger, joined Mangas in receiving NAIA First-Team All-American recognition.

Mishawaka High School will bring a new hue — literally, it’ll be maroon; figuratively, it’ll be much more — when it joins the tradition-rich tapestry that is Northern Lakes Conference sports. There will be iconic old venues the Cavemen can share and intriguing new rivalries to explore. There will be a dash more travel, too, but that seems a minor drawback.

March Madness took on another meaning for everyone in the sports world last week – a week like none other in the history of organized sports with the acceleration of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States. The madness was not the bouncing of basketballs in arenas around the country. Instead it was organization after organization trying to determine the viability of continuing to operate – particularly after the suspension of the NBA season and the cancellation of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

I was sitting in my favorite chair Saturday afternoon, considering the real possibility that I had broadcast not only my last sporting event of the winter but my last of the entire school year. I was thinking that, under normal circumstances, the high school boys regional semifinals would be just finishing up. The college basketball conference tournaments would be winding to a close.

Tiger DB, Coach Selected for IFCA?All-Star Game

Crossroads League Announces Athletes of the Week; NAIA Cancels All Spring Seasons

Small College Basketball has updated the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List list, narrowing the squad to just 25 of the best small college players. Junior Kyle Mangas, a Warsaw Community High School alumni,  made the cut for the second straight year, becoming the first Wildcat to dawn his name on the list twice.