Ogle Hopes Grid Success Carries Over To HardwoodNearly half of Warsaw’s varsity boys basketball team was part of the Tigers’ first sectional championship in football earlier this month.
Doug Ogle, entering his 18th season as Warsaw’s hoops coach, hopes that gridiron success carries over to the hardwood.
“The fact the football team did so well and so many of those guys are transitioning now into basketball, I feel there’s a good chance that momentum will carry on into basketball,” said Ogle, who sports a career record of 262-131 with the Tigers.
“Five of our guys were playing key roles between Wyatt Amiss, Blake Marsh, Keagan Larsh, Luke Adamiec and Jackson Dawson. It’s been different, it’s unchartered territory (not having the football players in practice right away), but I was thrilled for those guys to accomplish what they did and to bring home that sectional championship.
“Last summer, we were playing somewhere, and I talked to those seniors … Larsh, Marsh and Amiss … I told them they could do something special, that they could be the first senior group to win a sectional in football and back it up with a sectional championship in basketball. Talk about leaving a potential legacy at your school. They checked that first box, and now we’re anxious to see how we can do.”
Warsaw’s roster includes seniors Amiss, Marsh, Larsh, Jaylen Coon and Connor Lennox; juniors Adamiec, Bishop Walters, Drew McCleary, Brock Poe, Caleb Sands and Ben Bergen; and sophomore Dawson.
The Tigers were 15-8 overall last year and 6-1 in the Northern Lakes Conference. They lost to Northridge in the sectional championship.
Lost to graduation from last season’s squad are starters Nolan Groniger, 6-foot-8 Tyler Metzinger and Jalen Reese, and super sub Trevor Rumple.
With Warsaw looks for its sixth consecutive conference title, Amiss and Marsh will play key roles as they return to the starting lineup for their final prep campaign on the hardwood.
“With Wyatt Amiss and Blake Marsh, they both started almost every game last year,” said Ogle. “Those guys certainly have a lot of experience. That’s something we can feel good about, those two guys returning to our team.
“Also, Luke Adamiec as the season wore on played a lot, so he has a lot of varsity experience. And then, Jaylen Coon, Connor Lennox and Keagan Larsh have some. It’s nice to have six varsity players returning.”
The Tigers open the season Wednesday at county rival Tippecanoe Valley.
While the football players transition into basketball mode and the new varsity players adjust to the higher level of play, Ogle said his team’s athleticism and its depth will be strengths.
“I would say one thing that I think is true, that our team athleticism is pretty good,” said Ogle. “I think we’re a little quicker, maybe a little stronger. We don’t have somebody like Metzinger, but I wouldn’t say we’re a team that’s lacking in length.”
Following Wednesday’s season opener at Valley, the Tigers travel to Columbia City on Saturday.
Warsaw will host Homestead and Huntington North the following Friday and Saturday.
The Tigers open NLC play Dec. 20 when they host Wawasee.
Warsaw’s schedule features 10 home games, three of which are conference games.
Of the remaining seven home games, five are against teams that won at least 21 games last season.
Warsaw’s daunting schedule features home games against Homestead, Huntington North, Valparaiso, Culver Academy and Carmel.
Culver Academy, which features Indiana University recruit Trey Galloway, won 24 games last season and was the Class 3A state runner-up.
Carmel was 26-1 a year ago and won the 4A state title.
The Tigers will travel to Wabash on Feb. 15 to face an Apaches team that returns nearly every player after winning 21 games and a sectional title last season.
“We’ve got home games with last year’s 4A state champion in Carmel, last year’s 3A state runner-up in Culver Academy,” said Ogle, “Huntington North was in the regional. Wabash won 20-some games last year and they have a guy who’s gonna play in the Crossroads League in college. Homestead is loaded … they won 20-some games last year, but lost to Huntington North in the sectional. I would say Homestead is the best team on our schedule. Carmel will be good, but they lost a lot.
“I’m excited about our home schedule. It’s daunting, but if you’re serious about being a state championship-level team you have to play really good teams, you can’t be messing around playing a bunch of bad teams.”
