MAB MONTHLY. Boys Basketball Sectional Preview. Road to Nationals. Swimming and Wrestling Finals Recap and more!

Transcription

1 MAB MONTHLY March 2014 FREE Boys Basketball Sectional Preview Road to Nationals Swimming and Wrestling Finals Recap and more!

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3 MAB ONLINE MAGAZINE March is always a fun month if you are a basketball fan. The girls state finals, the entire boys tournament and the NCAA tournament are all on the menu in March. This month, we have our boys sectional preview and take a look at dance, hockey, and even look ahead to some baseball and softball. Try to stay warm and safe as you read this issue. As always, if you enjoy what we do, support our sponsors (or become one!) and if there is something you would like to see more of or have a suggestion, please let us know. Contact Information MAB Staff Rich Sapper Staff Writer Broadcaster/ Host Sales Layout & Design Andy Wielgus Broadcaster/Host Staff Writer Brandon Vickery Broadcaster Brett Hill Staff Writer Sales Broadcaster Bob Potosky Broadcaster/ Host Staff Writer JT Hoyo Broadcaster/Host Staff Writer Sales Trisha Madura Staff Writer Sales Broadcaster Page 3 Phone: Website: Also find us on Facebook and Twitter

4 Page 4 Inside this issue: Athletes of the Month MAB IHSAA Boys Tournament Preview 8 IHSAA Announces Boys Sectional Draw 14 MAB Staff Boys Sectional Picks 18 MAB Announces Spring Broadcast Schedule 22 Road to Nationals 26 Hockey Returns to Bishop Noll 30 Swimming State Finals Recap 34 Wrestling State Finals Recap 38 Coaching Baseball: Do Not Overlook Any of Your Baseball Players 42 RailCats Announce 2014 Challenge Schedule 44 Did You Know? 44 March Broadcast Schedule 45 P. 8 P. 26 P. 30

5 You ve got that Hungry Feelin! Now Serving Chefs Choice Page 5 Chef s Choice Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 11-2 Every day, the Lunch Buffet includes: Pizza, Salads, Anti-pasta Salads, Soups and all the Fixens! 211 South East St., Crown Point, IN DINE-IN * CARRY OUT * DELIVERY Daily Specials are as follows: Monday.Baked Chicken Tuesday Tacos Wednesday.Variety of Pastas Thursday.Sausage Friday Fish

6 Page 6 ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Written and Compiled by Andy Wielgus MAB Staff Writer Wrestlers Northwest Indiana Dana Evans West Side Three Northwest Indiana Wrestlers win individual weight class state titles. Jeremiah Reitz, Stevan Micic, and Gelen Robinson. In 4A Sectional 1 - Gary West Side Freshman Guard Dana Evans had 22 points in a semifinal victory over Lake Central and 30 points in the victory over Lowell in the Sectional Championship game. Hyron Edwards East Chicago Central Ashley Campbell Oregon-Davis East Chicago Central Point Guard Hyron Edwards scored 24 points in a victory over the Crown Point Bulldogs. The Cardinals backcourt defense [that is led by Edwards] also caused several turnovers in the win. Oregon- Davis Lady Bobcat Senior Guard Ashley Campbell went over the 1,000 pt. mark and her team is 16-2 and no. 1 in 1A. The Lady Cats have not loss a regular season game at home since the season. CLEARLY DIFFERENT

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8 Page MAB IHSAA BOYS TOURNAMENT BASKETBALL PREVIEW By Andy Wielgus, MAB Monthly Staff Writer

9 Page 9 Bowman is looking to win their second state championship in a row and the first in 3A This year will be an interesting one in that some sectionals have some different dynamics that are affecting the general draw this year. One major factor is the injury factor. Chesterton has lost Chris Palombizio for the year and that has made 4A Sectional 2 even more interesting. In 1A Ryan Fazekas has been out with an injury for Marquette. Another is the play of young and inexperienced point guards around the region. In that many teams are having growing pains as they play the more physical veteran clubs like Lake Central. On the other hand, the region is the home to some of the best point guards in the state led by Hyron Edwards of EC Central and Tye Wilburn of Lake Central. Finally, the Region power this year may be seen in 4A with #8 Lake Central, in 3A with #2 Bowman, in 2A with #5 Noll, in 1A with #3 Marquette and #5 Kouts. Also, the region does have two Division 1 Big Men in Lake Central s Butler bound Wideman and Bowman s Dillard. Up North in 4A #6 Penn is 18-1 and #13 Northridge is A very athletic South Bend Washington team is 13-4 also, along with ever consistent Munster who is 17-4, and East Chicago Central is 11-8.In 3A, Bowman will be challenged by #3 Guerin Catholic who is led by former Chesterton Trojan Center Matt Holba. Also, some teams up North that may challenge Bowman will include # 5 Northwood, who took Penn to Overtime recently and #14 SBSJ. In 2A Noll will not have to worry about Bowman with them moving up to 3A, but look for Park Tudor led by Trevon Bluitt to be a major player again. In 1A, the Michigan City Marquette Blazers will have to battle it out with Kouts and Triton if they want to make a deep tournament run.

10 Page 10 Now we will look at each Sectional: In 4A at East Chicago, the Lake Central Indians are the favorite but they will have to beat East Chicago Central on its home floor and then Munster in the Final. At Valpo it is Up for Grabs with any one of 6 or even 7 teams having a shot. Whoever wins the CP- Michigan City game will have a real shot at making the final. And in the other bracket it will depend on how much offense can occur. Especially for teams that struggle to score. For no other reason then I think that Keenan Simmons is the best player in the Sectional, I will pick City. However, if CP can get enough from Barclay and Jeffers underneath, the Dogs led by Soph.Grant Gelon s long bombing could be the dark horse here. Another factor may Tylet Wideman will lead Lake Central in the tournament. He is headed to Butler next year. be the play of Valpo at home, in that their defense is outstanding. The Hammond Civic Center will host 3A sectional 17 Records as of At East Chicago Central Hammond Morton 8-12, Munster 17-4, Highland 8-12, Lake Central 15-3, Gary West Side 8-9, East Chicago Central 11-8, and Lowell At Valpo Portage 11-9, Hobart 9-11, Crown Point 11-8, Michigan City 12-8, Valpo 11-8, Chesterton 10-9, Merrillville 4-14, and LaPorte In 3A at the Hammond Civic Center the Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Eagles are the head of this class led by Davon Dillard, Justin King, and Arthur Haggard. The Eagles have played everyone tough except mmadura@sportsworx.com

11 Page 11 Carmel. Chicago Simeon is a game they should have won and they are the big favorite here. Griffith coached by former Lake Station Edison Head Coach Gary Hayes may be the team of the future, led by twins Anthony and Tremell Murphy. Gary Roosevelt and Gary Lew Wallace have talented rosters as well. But the Eagles are too talented and deep here. At Kankakee Valley, this sectional is very Hyron Edwards is a force for the Cardinals in Sectional 1 similar to 4A Sectional 2 in that there is no clear favorite. Andrean has beaten Michigan City Marquette this year and New Prairie has beaten Valpo. I will go with the Niners here,

12 Page 12 based on the strength of schedule, but Kankakee Valley should play well at home. Records At the Hammond Civic Center- Hammond Clark 0-20, Hammond Gavit 5-14, Gary Roosevelt 9-6, Gary Lew Wallace 8-6, Griffith 14-6, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy 16-3, Hammond High 13-8, and Gary Lighthouse CPA At Kankakee Valley Wheeler 6-12, New Prairie 10-8, Knox 1-18, Kankakee Valley 7-13, Andrean 10-8, Hanover Central 1-18, and Calumet In 2A Bishop Noll will be the pick at Hebron without a doubt. If Lake Station could somehow upset them they could win here led by Brian Patterson and Dwayne Haden. Congrats to RF JV Coach Joe Burleson as he retires after 50 years as the JV Coach at River Forest HS. At Rensselaer the home team is strong, but the North Judson San Pierre Bluejays are playing very strong right now. I will go with NJSP. Winamac could be a dark horse also. Brian Patterson and Dwayne Haden of Edison are looking for the upset in the sectional. Hoosier Bat Co. Turning Batters Into Hitters Records At Hebron River Forest 8-11, Hebron 12-8, Hammond Bishop Noll 17-3, Whiting 11-8, Boone Grove 6-12, and Lake Station Edison At Rensselaer Delphi 9-10, Rensselaer 12-7, North Judson San Pierre 12-6, North Newton 2-17, and Winamac Our bat is used by many Major and Minor League Players, along with College, High School and Youth League Players. We have the quality and service players expect. Baseball Bat Stools (1-800-BAT-ERUP) Let Hoosier Bat Be Your Designated Hitter! We have what the players want. Custom Made Baseball Jewelry Visit Us On Line at: For our many Gift Shop Items

13 Page 13 In 1A at Morgan the Marquette Blazers will be the favorite and my pick but they will get a strong challenge from Kouts and 21 st Century. Westville has had a good year too. At Culver Community, I look for Triton to squeak by the home team Culver in the semifinal and go onto win the sectional. Records At Morgan Township Covenant Christian 4-16, Washington Township 14-5,Morgan Township 10-8, Gary 21 st Century 11-5, Westville 12-8, Kouts 14-4, and Marquette At Culver Community Lacrosse 3-15, Culver Community 12-6, South Central 4-13, Oregon-Davis 6-14, Triton 11-7, and Argos Mid America Broadcasting, LLC. The heart of amateur sports. See Page 14 for the boys basketball sectional draw! Make sure to follow us on Facebook at Mid America Broadcasting LLC and on Twitter Mid America Broadcasting Company LLC. The Heart of Amateur Sports. Thank You for reading this preview from Interact with MAB on Facebook at Mid America Broadcasting LLC and on for scores, updates, and sports news! Us Highway 12 New Buffalo, MI

14 Page 14 IHSAA Announces Boys Basketball Sectional Draw

15 Page 15 Class 4A 1. East Chicago Central (7) Game 1: Hammond Morton vs. Munster. Game 2: Highland vs. Lake Central. Game 3: East Chicago Central vs. West Side Game 4: Lowell vs. Winner of Game 1 Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Ga me 3 Championship: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game Valparaiso (8) Game 1: Portage vs. Hobart. Game 2: Crown Point vs. Michigan City. Game 3: Valparaiso vs. Chesterton. Game 4: Merrillville vs. LaPorte. Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Ga me 2 Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Ga me 4. Championship: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6. Sat, 7 pm Class 3A 17. Hammond Clark (8) Game 1: Hammond Clark vs. Hammond Gav it. Game 2: Gary Roosevelt vs. Gary Wallace. Game 3: Hammond vs. Griffith. Game 4: Bowman Academy vs. Lighthouse CPA. Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Ga me 2. Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Ga me 4. Championship: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game Kankakee Valley (7) Game 1: Wheeler vs. New Prairie. Game 2: Kankakee Valley vs. Andrean. Game 3: Knox vs. Hanover Central. Game 4: Calumet vs. Winner of Game 1. Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Ga me 3. Championship: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5.

16 Page Hebron (6) Class 2A Game 1: Hebron vs. Boone Grove. Game 2: Lake Station Edison vs. Hammond Bishop Noll. Game 3: Whiting vs. Winner of Game 1. Law Office Of Paul Barenie (219) W. Joliet Street Schererville, IN Game 4: River Forest vs. Winner of Game 2. Championship: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Class A 49. Morgan Township (7) Game 1: Covenant Christian (DeMotte) vs. Washington Township. See a listing of every Indiana Boys Basketball All Star and the Colleges where they played at Game 2: Morgan Township vs. 21st Century Gary. Game 3: Westville vs. Kouts. Game 4: Marquette Catholic vs. Winner of G ame 1. mmadura@sportsworx.com

17 Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Ga me 3. Championship: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game Caston (6) Game 1: North White vs. South Newton. Game 2: West Central vs. Tri County. Game 3: Pioneer vs. Winner of Game Culver Community (6) Game 1: LaCrosse vs. Culver Community. Page 17 Game 2: South Central (Union Mills) vs. Ore gon Davis. Game 3: Triton vs. Winner of Game 1. Game 4: Argos vs. Winner of Game 2. Championship: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Game 4: Caston vs. Winner of Game 2. Championship: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4. Order These Great Products and many more at youravon.com/hsapper SportsJuice.com is the Internet s leading broadcaster of Minor League, Col- legiate and Amateur sports Listen to SportsJuice.com broadcasts online, on your iphone or Android

18 Page 18 MAB Staff Sectional Picks

19 Page 19 Andy Wielgus 4A Sectional 1 at East Chicago Central - Lake Central Sectional 2 at Valpo- Michigan City 3A Sectional 17 at the Hammond Civic Center - Bowman Sectional 18 at Kankakee Valley- Andrean 2A Sectional 33 at Hebron - Hammond Bishop Noll Sectional 34 at Rensselaer- North Judson San Pierre 1A Sectional 49 at Morgan Township - Michigan City Marquette Sectional 50 at Culver - Triton Hank Kilander 4A Sectional 1 at East Chicago Central - Munster Sectional 2 at Valpo Valpo 3A Sectional 17 at the Hammond Civic Center - Lew Wallace Sectional 18 at Kankakee Valley- Andrean 2A Sectional 33 at Hebron - Bishop Noll Sectional 34 at Rensselaer- North Judson 1A Sectional 49 at Morgan Township - 21st Century Sectional 50 at Culver - Triton JT Hoyo 4A Sectional 1 at East Chicago Central - Munster

20 Page 20 Sectional 2 at Valpo Valpo 3A Sectional 17 at the Hammond Civic Center - Bowman Sectional 18 at Kankakee Valley- Andrean 2A Sectional 33 at Hebron Bishop Noll Sectional 34 at Rensselaer- North Judson 1A Sectional 49 at Morgan Township - Marquette Sectional 50 at Culver - Triton Rich Sapper 4A Sectional 1 at East Chicago Central - Lake Central Sectional 2 at Valpo Valpo 3A Sectional 17 at the Hammond Civic Center - Bowman Sectional 18 at Kankakee Valley- Andrean 2A Sectional 33 at Hebron Bishop Noll Sectional 34 at Rensselaer- North Judson 1A Sectional 49 at Morgan Township - 21st Century Sectional 50 at Culver - Triton Simply Better Storage SCALE.59 scalecomputing.com ROGER BROCK HAMMONDSPORTS.COM COVERING HAMMOND INDIANA SPORTS including Morton Hammond High Gavit Clark Bishop Noll Hammond Academy BROCKROGER@YAHOO.COM mmadura@sportsworx.com

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22 Page 22 MAB Announces Spring Broadcast Schedule

23 Mid America Broadcasting is proud to announce our Spring schedule! 3-12 MAB Weekly 3-26 MAB Weekly 3-31 Softball Crown Hobart 4-3 Baseball Crown Point 4-7 Baseball - Railcats 6pm Hobart vs Highland 4-8 Baseball Bishop Crown Point 4-9 MAB Weekly 4-10 Baseball Griffith 4-11 Baseball- Railcats 430pm Portage vs Hammond Clark, 730pm Lafayette Central Catholic vs South Bend Adams 4-14 Baseball - Railcats 5pm Rensselaer vs North Newton, 8pm East Chicago Central vs Westville 4-16 Baseball Portage vs Lacrosse 5pm 4-24 Baseball Andrean Page Baseball Michigan Portage To Advertise on our broadcasts or in MAB Monthly Contact Rich Sapper or rsapper@midamericabroadcasting.com Bob Potosky bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com Brett Hill bhill@midamericabroadcasting.com JT Hoyo kbhoyojr1@yahoo.com Single game and season packages available! Check out Region Sports Desk s Shows, Highlight Videos and Recruiting Videos on 4-18 Baseball - Railcats TF North vs TF South 7pm 4-19 Baseball - Railcats Lowell vs Noll 7pm 4-21Baseball - Railcats Kouts vs Morgan Township 430pm 4-23 Baseball -Railcats Washington Twp. jtjrmoney8

24 Page Baseball Crown Point 5-5 Baseball Michigan Crown Point 5-6 Baseball Andrean 5-13 Baseball Griffith 5-14 MAB Weekly 5-15 Softball Crown Point 5-16 Baseball Crown Point 5-19 Baseball Griffith ROGER BROCK HAMMONDSPORTS.COM COVERING HAMMOND INDIANA SPORTS including Morton Hammond High Gavit Clark Bishop Noll Hammond Academy BROCKROGER@YAHOO.COM 5-22 Baseball Chesterton 6-11 MAB Weekly Join the Conversation on our Message Board! Talk about Football, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Track, Cross Country, Volleyball, Wrestling, Basketball, Boxing, MMA, Auto Racing, & Recruiting. Post scores and get news! Just go to click on message board and create a user name and log in to join in the conversation and the fun!

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26 Page 26 Road to Nationals With limited days until the NDA National competition in Daytona, Florida, collegiate dance teams around the country prepare for domination. By: Trisha Madura, MAB Monthly Staff Writer

27 Page 27 Davenport University Dance Team Five, six, seven, eight! From D1 to NAIA colleges, dance teams around the country are preparing their best dances to compete at the NDA (National Dance Alliance) National competition in Daytona, Florida, this April. Hours upon hours of training and rehearsals are occurring, in addition to designing numerous costumes and, of course, booking flights and hotels! Currently, the count is down to about forty days until Daytona, so it is officially crunch time! Time to work like the national champions that every team hopes to be this April. Being a freshman this year, collegiate nationals is about to be an entire new experience for me! Of course, last year I watched my future team online as still sitting in my senior year of high school classes, but being a part of this experience will be one of a lifetime. For myself, I have adapted many ways of training for the big event. First would be physical fitness. Yes, our dances are only two minutes long, but they require the energy of running miles! So that s how I m training: to become in the best physical shape of my life for this competition. Next is constantly listening to our routines music. Even playing the music during sleep helps the mind work on its own for remembering new choreography! And finally, even with the hectic preparation for Nationals, I am personally trying to stay as calm and stress-free as pos-

28 Page 28 The Davenport University Dance team prepares for Nationals sible. Practices will be tough. But I ve been learning that I need to just remember that the end results will be worth all of this hard effort being put forth. For our team as a whole, Davenport University will be competing in two dances at Nationals: team dance and hip-hop. Team dance will be under the NAIA small division, while including a mix of thirty seconds of pom, jazz, and hip-hop into one dance. Hip-hop Worship Times Sunday 9:00 am Wednesday 6:00 pm Saturday 6:00 pm 900 Luther Dr. Hobart, IN Preschool 8th Grade NLSA Accredited Sports, Music, Clubs, Activities 891 Linda St. Hobart, IN Trinity Lutheran School is state approved to accept vouchers!

29 Page 29 will be in DII against many other big schools and lots of great competition! Currently we have both of our dances learned, and now it s just time to clean and perfect the dances. From my previous article on this year s New Year s resolutions for collegiate athletes, many dancers from my team wished for a National title this April. Many dancers are putting in extra time for practice and fitness, including joining fitness clubs and spending optional time in the gym or studio for practice. The end results will be satisfactory if teams continue to put in so much effort. Until then, we will all be pushing our limits and giving it our all for this final competition. The NDA Collegiate Dance Nationals will be April in Daytona, Florida. Viewers can The Davenport Dance Team Performs see videos of the dances at nda.varsity.com during and after the competition. Interact with MAB on Facebook at Mid America Broadcasting LLC and on mmadura@sportsworx.com

30 Page 30 Hockey Returns to Bishop Noll By Rich Sapper, MAB Monthly Staff Writer

31 Page 31 In 2002, Bishop Noll disbanded it s hockey team when the administration decided that they did not like the rule change that allowed players from schools other than Bishop Noll to play on the team. The concern was not without merit, as there was a desire for unity within the school and the possibility that a Bishop Noll student would be cut from the team in favor of a player from another school. Fast forward to 2014 on the heals of an exciting Olympic hockey season and a renewed love of the Chicago Blackhawks and hockey in general in the region. The announcement of Principal Craig Stafford could not have come at a better time for the school and the region. It also is the culmination of the hard work of Rich Sobilio, who was the head coach of the hockey team from 1989 until the program was discontinued. Sobilio, who is also the softball coach at Noll, has been tapped to coach the team when they begin play once again next school year. According to a release from the school Coach Sobilio commented, We have a great hockey tradition, and we re looking forward to reviving it. Sobilio, who graduated from Bishop Noll and was a multisport athlete playing hockey and many other sports for the Warriors, is looking to revive that tradition which includes a state runner up showing in the late 90 s. As with any start up program, it may be a long road for the Warriors, although Sobilio is no stranger to winning having been the coach of that runner up team, an assistant coach on the Warriors 1989 football state championship team and as a player at the University of Notre Dame. This go around, despite the availability of roster spots for non-bishop Noll students, priority will be given to students who are enrolled at Bishop Noll. This is not dissimilar to other programs around the region who have players from other schools. Crown Point, for example, has

32 players from other schools on their roster, but give priority to Crown Point students. The idea for these policies is that a current student can not be bumped for an outsider, buit still gives the coach some flexibility to make sure that they have a full roster if they do not have enough players roaming their halls. Also implied in the announcement is that the Warrior s home ice will be at Midwest Training and Ice Center in St. John. While the announcement does not say that specifically, it is assumed since there will be an information session held there for parents and that is the home ice for most, if not all, of the high school hockey programs in the area. Page 32 Sapper s Market and Greenhouses 1155 South Lake Park Ave, Hobart To Advertise on our broadcasts or in MAB Monthly Contact Rich Sapper or rsapper@midamericabroadcasting.com Bob Potosky bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com Simply Better Storage SCALE.59 scalecomputing.com Brett Hill bhill@midamericabroadcasting.com JT Hoyo kbhoyojr1@yahoo.com Single game and season packages available!

33 You ve got that Hungry Feelin! Now Serving Chefs Choice Page 33 Chef s Choice Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 11-2 Every day, the Lunch Buffet includes: Pizza, Salads, Anti-pasta Salads, Soups and all the Fixens! 211 South East St., Crown Point, IN DINE-IN * CARRY OUT * DELIVERY Daily Specials are as follows: Monday.Baked Chicken Tuesday Tacos Wednesday.Variety of Pastas Thursday.Sausage Friday Fish

34 Page 34 Swimming State Finals Recap Press Release Provided

35 Page 35 Chesterton Repeats as Boys Swimming & Diving State Champion Seniors Blake Pieroni and Aaron Whitaker each won a pair of individual events and also swam on a pair of winning relays helping top-ranked Chesterton to successfully defend its IHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving state championship at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. It was the fourth state championship in seven years for Chesterton and coach Kevin Kinel. The Trojans outscored the field with 240 points followed by runner-up Avon with 198 points. Penn finished third with 187 followed by Columbus North with 133 and Carmel with 124. Six state records were set over the two days including four during the Saturday championship finals. Whitaker was responsible for two state marks winning the 100 butterfly in and 100 backstroke in 47.06, each for the second year in a row. The Chesterton 200 Medley Relay team of Aaron Whitaker, Jack Wallar, Blake Pieroni and Gary Kostbade blazed to a 1:29.64 record time, the second -fastest time in national high school history. Pieroni collected his third straight 100 Freestyle in and second consecutive in the 200 Individual Medley in 1: The pair also joined teammates Jack Wallar and Gary Kostbade to win the 200 Medley Relay in a state record-setting time of 1:29.64, the secondfastest recorded time in national high school history. They also added a 400 Freestyle Relay crown to end the day in 3: Chesterton Coach Kevin Kinel and the Trojans won their fourth state championship in 7 years Cody Taylor of Columbus North left no doubt who the top breaststroker was this year setting state records both days. The senior broke his own mark with a on Saturday after setting it the night before in Avon's Parks Jones helped the Orioles to the school's best finish in this meet when he won the 200 Freestyle in 1: He became the first swimmer in school history to win a state title. Bowen Anderson of Penn claimed the 500 Freestyle in 4:25.01 and teamed with Mate Kovacs, Hudson Bursch and Adam Wait to win the 200 Freestyle Relay in 1: Zionsville junior Kyle DeCoursey carried the day in the 50 Freestyle winning in and Hamilton Southeastern senior Cody Coldren won the one meter diving competition with points. Five state records were established during Friday's preliminaries, two of which weren't touched on Saturday. Pieroni's in the 100 Freestyle and the 400 Free Relay of 2:59.36 set by Pieroni, Ethan Whitaker, Patrick Curley, and Aaron Whitaker. Top 10 Teams

36 Page Chesterton Avon Penn Columbus North Carmel Bloomington South Hamilton Southeastern Northridge Zionsville Carroll (Fort Wayne) 84 State Champions 200 Medley Relay: Chesterton (Aaron Whitaker 12, Jack Wallar 12, Blake Pieroni 12, and Gary Kostbade 9), 1: State Record 200 Freestyle: Parks Jones, 11, Avon, 1: Individual Medley: Blake Pieroni, 12, Chesterton, 1: Freestyle: Kyle DeCoursey, 11 Zionsville, One Meter Diving: Cody Coldren, 12, Hamilton Southeastern, Butterfly: Aaron Whitaker, 12, Chesterton, State Record 100 Freestyle: Blake Pieroni, 12, Chesterton, Freestyle: Bowen Anderson, 11, Penn, 4: Freestyle Relay: Penn (Mate Kovacs 11, Bowen Anderson 11, Hudson Bursch 12, Adam Wait 11) 1: Backstroke: Aaron Whitaker, 12, Chesterton, State Record 100 Breaststroke: Cody Taylor, 12, Columbus North, State Record 400 Freestyle Relay: Chesterton (Blake Pieroni 12, Ethan Whitaker 12, Patrick Curley 12, Aaron Whitaker 12) 3: Follow us on State Records Set During Friday's Preliminaries 200 Medley Relay: Chesterton (Aaron Whitaker 12, Jack Wallar 12, Blake Pieroni 12, Gary Kostbade 9), 1: Butterfly: Aaron Whitaker, 12, Chesterton, Freestyle: Blake Pieroni, 12, Chesterton, Breaststroke: Cody Taylor, 12, Columbus North, Freestyle Relay: Chesterton (Blake Pieroni 12, Ethan Whitaker 12, Patrick Curley 12, Aaron Whitaker 12), 2: Check out Region Sports Desk s Shows, Highlight Videos and Recruiting Videos on jtjrmoney8

37 Page 37 Now Accepting Mid-Term Transfers and Students for

38 Page 38 Wrestling State Finals Recap Press Release Provided

39 Page 39 Hanover Central's Micic Wins Third Wrestling Title, Indianapolis Cathedral Captures First Team Crown With one state champion and two runner-up finishes, Indianapolis Cathedral carried home its first state championship while Hanover Central's Stevan Micic ended a memorable career with his third crown. Senior Wesley Bernard delivered the Cathedral title in the evening's last bout with his 5-2 decision over Ben Davis' Norman Oglesby in the 285 pound class. Bernard completed a perfect 49-0 season. Cathedral senior Vinny Corsaro and sophomore teammate Blake Rypel also made championship match appearances but both came up short in their respective bids. Corsaro finished as a runner-up for the third straight season falling to Yorktown's Rhett Hiestand in the 160 pound final while Rypel lost 9-8 in the 182 class to Edgewood's Damian Chambers. Cathedral outdistanced runner-up Franklin Community by a margin. It was Franklin Community's best finish in school history. Yorktown placed third with 55 points, three-time defending champ Perry Meridian ended fourth with 51.5 and New Palestine rounded out the top five with 50. The Irish, coached by Sean McGinley, entered the weekend with seven qualifiers. For Hanover Central's Micic, he became the 34th wrestler in state history with three or more titles with his 10-5 decision over Penn's Zachary Davis at 126. Micic (42-0) had won at 106 in 2012 and 113 last year. Franklin Community and Warren Central each celebrated with a pair of state champions. Hanover Central s Stevan Micic Won His Third State Championship Grizzly Cubs D.J. Smith and Jacob Stevenson won the 113 and 170 pound class, respectively with Deondre Wilson and Katrell Moss besting the fields at 132 and 195. It was Wilson's second consecutive title having won the 120 championship a year ago. Three others also added a second state championship to their collection. Chad Red of New Palestine took home the 120 title after winning 106 in Lake Central's Gelen Robinson defended his 220 pound championship of a year ago in a rematch with Kokomo's Fletcher

40 Miller. And Cody LeCount of Perry Meridian, last year's 132 champ, won the 145 final in a head-to-head match with Mishawaka's Tommy Forte, last year's winner at 138. The two-day, three-session attendance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was 29,807. Top 10 Teams 1. Indianapolis Cathedral Franklin Community Yorktown Perry Meridian New Palestine Penn Warren Central Merrillville Lake Central East Noble 32 State Championship Match Results 106: Jeremaih Reitz (9) Griffith (45-1) def. Paul Konrath (9) Mt. Vernon (48-3), SV : D.J. Smith (12) Franklin Community (39-1) def. Garrett Pepple (11) East Noble (41-2), Dec : Chad Red (10) New Palestine (44-0) def. Forrest Glogouski (12) Fairfield (44-3), Dec : Stevan Micic (12) Hanover Central (42-0) def. Zachary Davis (12) Penn (41-4), Dec : Deondre Wilson (12) Warren Central (39-0) def. Brandon James (11) Perry Meridian (41-4) Dec : Tommy Cash (11) Lawrence North (47-1) def. Jacob Covaciu (10) Merrillville (45-5) Dec : Cody LeCount (12) Perry Meridian (44-0) def. Tommy Forte Page 40 (11) Mishawaka (26-2) Dec : Brendon Kelley (12) Evansville Central (50-0) def. Darden Schurg (11) Crown Point (37-3) Fall 2: : Rhett Hiestand (12) Yorktown (47-2) def. Vinny Corsaro (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (48-1) UTB : Jacob Stevenson (11) Franklin Community (40-1) def. Chase Osborn (11) Penn (40-2) Dec : Damien Chambers (12) Edgewood (44-1) def. Blake Rypel (10) Indianapolis Cathedral (47-2) SV : Katrell Moss (12) Warren Central (31-2) def. Brian Wagner (12) New Palestine (41-5) Dec : Gelen Robinson (12) Lake Central (52-0) def. Fletcher Miller (12) Kokomo (56-2) Dec : Wesley Bernard (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (49-0) def. Norman Oglesby (11) Ben Davis (43-2) Dec 5-2. SportsJuice.com is the Internet s leading broadcaster of Minor League, Col- legiate and Amateur sports Listen to SportsJuice.com broadcasts online, on your iphone or Android

41 Page 41 Simply Better Storage SCALE.59 scalecomputing.com

42 Page 42 Baseball Coaching: Do Not Overlook Any Of Your Baseball Players! By: Larry Cicchiello Special to MAB Monthly The baseball hitting benefits of the soft toss drill As a baseball coach, I've always enjoyed watching my so called "superstars" perform. Hitting a "seed" up the gap or pitching six scoreless innings is lots of fun to watch. But I also enjoy watching a player who has been struggling and then overcomes any baseball struggles. I've had my share of baseball championships and have enjoyed them tremendously. After one of them, my year old team doused me with many different colors of an athletic beverage. One of my player's mothers asked me, "Larry, doesn't that feel terrible?" I was sticky, slimy and multicolored from head to toe, including my glasses. I looked at her and replied "No not at all, it feels great." Being a very competitive baseball coach, what mattered to me was my kids were celebrating their championship victory. Okay, so we all enjoy winning and I'll put myself at the top of that list. Now I want to switch gears for a moment and let's forget about winning, home runs, shutouts and all the other things our outstanding players accomplish. I want to share with you a story about Nick, a 12 year old I coached back in the year I knew Nick off the baseball field and knew he was a great kid with great parents. That's why I drafted him that year and in future years as well. We went to the batting cages about three weeks before our baseball season began. I had never seen several of the kids swing a bat, including Nick. I had my clip board in hand to jot down notes as to what I need to work on with certain players. I watched Nick and after only one or two of his swings, I saw a glaring baseball hitting weakness. Nick had this "long and looping" swing and was over matched by every pitch. Constantly late every time he swung the bat. I jotted this down, considering being short to the ball is one of the most important baseball tips on hitting. I mentioned this to Nick, a very intelligent kid. We went to the batting cages a couple of more times and he is still "long and looping" to the baseball. I'm not getting through to Nick. Our regular season begins and Nick is struggling big time. (Which means I"m strug- Follow us on

43 gling too because I really feel for Nick.) After about ten games, Nick is hitless for the year. (Hitless as in 0-20.) I'm coaching third base and Nick is up. He has a count of 2-2. For about the hundredth time, I call out to Nick, "Come on Nick, short to the ball." I then actually demonstrated it to him as if I were swinging the bat. Nick is a right-handed hitter and the pitcher throws him a fastball over the outside portion of the plate. With this lightning quick motion, Nick throws the head of the bat directly at the ball. Short and sweet. Nick hits a seed into the rightcenter field gap and gets a stand up double. I can't describe the great feeling I had. Wow! Remember, this is a great kid who had been severely struggling at the plate. Nick is standing on second base and looking toward home plate with his normal humble expression on his face. I called out to Nick. Before he completely turned his head toward me, I could already see a very, very huge grin. When we are making eye contact, I wave my right fist in the air at about head height. Nick, who is usually very low key and quiet, shakes his fist back at me so aggressively that I honestly thought he could have injured his right shoulder. Really, I give you my word. Sure, I remember many details of baseball playoff victories and championship victories. Who Page 43 got the big hits, who pitched great, who made game saving defensive plays, etc. But I remember Nick's seed to right-center like it happened five minutes ago and not seven years ago. If you are into baseball coaching, maybe you have a player similar to Nick on your team. I promise you that helping that player will be at least as rewarding as any playoff or championship victory. And believe me, I love to win as much as anyone you will ever meet! Nick never got to play high school baseball. He turned into a pretty good second baseman but his bat never really got going. But that's okay. When I see Nick or think of Nick, I think of that day where Nick had his moment of glory and I thank God for that double to right-center. He and I both needed it very much! Once in a while, it's good to take a step back and look at baseball from a different point of view. It is extremely rewarding. Larry Cicchiello is the successful author of Excellent Baseball: 30 Seconds Away. He unconditionally guarantees that ANY baseball player, coach or baseball parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips at Baseball coaching on hitting, pitching, fielding and base running for Little League, High School, College and Professional players.

44 RailCats Announce 2014 Challenge Schedule RailCats Press Release Provided Page 44 Did you Know? This year s Gary South- Shore RailCats High School Baseball Challenge will feature 27 different high schools. Morgan Park out of Chicago will actually play two dates at the SteelYard this season High School Challenge Saturday, April 5th 4:00 PM Calumet High School vs Hammond Academy Saturday, April 5th 7:00 PM Brother Rice High School vs. Morgan Park High School Monday, April 7th 6:00 PM Hobart High School vs. Highland High School Friday, April 11th 4:30 PM Portage High School vs. Hammond Clark Friday, April 11th 7:30 PM Lafayette Central Catholic School vs. John Adams High School Monday, April 14th 5:00 PM Rensselaer High School vs North Newton Monday, April 14th 8:00 PM East Chicago vs Westville High School Wednesday, April 16th 7:00 Westside High School vs. Morgan Park High School Friday, April 18th 7:00 PM TF North vs TF South Saturday, April 19th 1:00 PM Roosevelt High School vs Lew Wallace High School Saturday, April 19th 4:00 PM Victory Christian High School vs Calumet Christian School Saturday, April 19th 7:00 PM Lowell High School vs Bishop Noll High School Monday, April 21st 4:30 Kouts High School vs Morgan Township Monday, April 21st 7:00 PM Chicago Christian High School vs. IC Catholic Prep Wednesday, April 23rd 5:00 PM Washington Township High School vs. Lacrosse High School The RailCats will host the 12th high school baseball challenge this season. Tennis was originally played without a racket. Until 1937, the referee would throw a jump ball after every basket. Four MLB players were essentially traded for them selves when they were traded for a player to be named later and then were sent back to their original team. These players are Henry Chiti, Dickie Noles. Brad Gulden and John McDonald. Larry Bird was originally committed to play at Indiana, but was at IU for less than a month before going home to French Lick and eventually enrolling at Indiana State a year later.

45 March Broadcast Schedule 3-8 1A Girls Basketball State Championship 3-12 MAB Weekly 3-26 MAB Weekly 3-31 Softball Crown Hobart Show Broadcast Location: Page South East MAB Weekly Starts at 5:30 p.m. each week! Look for our Spring Schedule in this issue! Simply Better Storage SCALE.59 scalecomputing.com 5 Reasons to Advertise with MAB 1. Support exposure for high school athletes. 2. Low advertising rates. 3. Special packages available. 4. Your ad will run live and on our archive. 5. Option of game, web and online mag. Contact Rich Sapper at or rsapper@midamericabroadcasting.com for more infor- Check out our region basketball history pages at midamericabroadcasting.com

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