The year is 2026. College football is a shell of its former self. Professional players are trying to return. Colleges are finding any and every judge that will allow them to break rules. In professional sports, things are just as chaotic. The Bears are still deciding between 12 different stadium sites. The White Sox are actually in a playoff race. Pat McAfee just became Emperor of the World. In these uncertain times, as the planet plunges into darkness, the people continue to ask one question: 

Mishawaka (2-1, 1-0 NLC) at Warsaw (3-0, 1-0 NLC), Tippecanoe Valley (2-1) at Knox (0-3), Wawasee (0-3, 0-1 NLC) at Northridge (3-0, 1-0 NLC), Lewis Cass (1-2, 1-1 TRC) at Manchester (1-2, 0-1 TRC), Maconaquah (3-0, 1-0 Three Rivers Conference) at Whitko (0-3, 0-2 TRC), Triton (0-3, 0-1 HNAC) at South Central (0-3, 0-1 HNAC)

As we prepare to pause and remember the events of the darkest day in modern American history, I think it’s also important to remember what happened afterward. 

The Warsaw boys soccer team, fresh off a draw against a good Penn side on Saturday, resumed Northern Lakes Conference play with a statement on Tuesday night. Hosting Mishawaka, the home side scored five goals in the first eleven minutes in what turned into a 13-0 blowout that kept the team perfect in conference play. 

Football dominates sports pages this time of year (and I’m quite happy with this fact), so let's spend a few minutes talking about another sport that has quietly become one of the biggest success stories in high school athletics: girls' volleyball.

The Warsaw Tigers football team moved to 3-0 in their 2026 Northern Lakes Conference (NLC) opener, outlasting the NorthWood Panthers 27-22 on Michael Schenck’s two-yard run riding the hip of junior giant Brock Lambert’s lead block with 27 seconds left.

Faced with the opportunity to take on a great Adams Central team at home on Friday night, the Tippecanoe Valley football team battled hard for a half, settling for a tie at the break. However, it was the Jets that showed why they are one of the top programs in the state in the second 24 minutes, rolling past the Vikings and handing them their first loss of the year 33-12. 

Fresh off a win over Mishawaka on Tuesday to begin Northern Lakes Conference play, the Warsaw volleyball team traveled to Goshen on Friday night to try and make it two wins in as many tries in the NLC. The Lady Tigers were locked in from the jump, wasting little time in picking up a 3-0 sweep. 

Grace’s women’s soccer team won a marquee battle on Wednesday night.

Warsaw (2-0, 0-0 NLC) at NorthWood (1-1, 0-0 NLC), Adams Central (1-1) at Tippecanoe Valley, Concord (1-1, 0-0 NLC) at Wawasee (0-2, 0-0 NLC), Benton Central (0-2) vs. Manchester (0-2), Whitko (0-2, 0-1 Three Rivers Conference) at Rochester (1-1, 1-0 TRC), Culver Community (0-2, 0-0 HNAC) at Triton (0-2, 0-0 HNAC)

The news broke last week that Manchester University was going to make a jump to join the Crossroads League.

Former conference rivals Tippecanoe Valley and Manchester met on the soccer pitch on Tuesday evening, with both teams playing well in the early season. In a game that was closer than the final scoreline indicated, it was the Squires that picked up goals in the opening and final minutes of the game to secure a 2-0 victory at home. 

For years NAIA schools aspired to NCAA membership, and Division III (D3) was often viewed as the destination.

A week ago, the Warsaw football team used some explosive plays to find the end zone in what was a thrilling comeback victory over Snider. However, the offense struggled to move the ball with any consistency. Fast forward to Friday night’s game against Northrop, and the Tigers found themselves just two yards away from clinching a victory. 

While it is one of the fiercest rivalries in northern Indiana, the Battle for the Bell between Tippecanoe Valley and Rochester hasn’t been all that close in recent years. Coming into Friday night’s meeting, the Vikings had retained the Bell for the previous eight years. They’ll hold onto it for at least another year, as Valley came out firing on all cylinders and never slowed down, crushing their rival 30-0 in what was an incredibly impressive performance. 

After beginning Northern Lakes Conference play with a massive win over Plymouth on Tuesday, the Warsaw girls soccer team looked to keep the good times rolling on Thursday, returning home to take on fellow NLC foe NorthWood. The Lady Tigers got off to as quick a start as you could ask for and cruised the rest of the way, remaining undefeated with a 7-0 win. 

Grace’s women’s soccer team poured in six second-half goals in a 6-0 rout of Indiana Tech on Wednesday.

Fort Wayne Northrop (0-0) at Warsaw (1-0), Rochester (1-0) at Tippecanoe Valley (1-0), West Noble (0-1) at Wawasee (0-1), Peru (0-1) at Whitko (0-1), Triton (0-1) at Bremen (1-0)

I was asked a question the other day and I have to admit; it was a question I had never been asked before.

Looking to start stacking wins to get some momentum going as the season picks up steam, the Tippecanoe Valley volleyball team traveled to Goshen on Monday evening for a nonconference game against the Lady RedHawks. All three sets were competitive, but it was Valley that found the extra gear in each of them, pulling off the 3-0 victory on the road. 

Grace’s women’s soccer team kicked off its much-anticipated season in the most thrilling way possible.

Every high school sports season has its strengths, but there's something unique about the arrival of fall sports. A quiet summer immediately shifts to the busy August sports calendar. Football, unified flag football, girls’ flag football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, volleyball, boys’ tennis, golf, cross country, and other activities all launch almost simultaneously, creating an energy that you don't see at any other point in the school year.

From his days kicking at Fisher Field for the Warsaw Tigers, to setting Southeastern Conference records at Missouri to working his way through the United Football League and tryouts with the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, Harrison Mevis has looked for consistency in his performance as a kicker. It’s been in that striving that has landed him in Los Angeles as the incumbent kicker for the Rams heading into the 2026 season.

Down 12 heading into the fourth quarter of Friday night’s season opener against Fort Wayne Snider, the Warsaw football team was facing its first bout with adversity in the 2026 season. The Tigers responded incredibly well. Scoring two touchdowns on a pair of long runs while the defense bent but never broke, Warsaw was able to escape with a 33-30 win to delight the crowd at Fisher Field and begin the year with a win. 

After starting off the season with a win on Tuesday night, the Warsaw boys soccer team remained at home to try to make it two in a row against visiting St. Joe. For the longest time, it looked as if neither side was going to come out on top, but the Tigers were propelled forward by a goal from senior Sam Lara with 1:11 left, which was good enough for a 1-0 win.