[Southsider2k12]

They got 2 votes and came in at #20 overall

http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=731...=menu32_15_20_1

[Ang]

I hope Gary Collins has as a good a season as last year. He's worked so hard, never giving up, with these girls to have a productive team. He deserves a day in the spotlight, and a state trophy in the Wolves Den.

He's been through many trials and tribulations with the girls over the past few years. I could tell you some real horror stories--sometimes girls are worse than boys!--but Gary has always held his head up, dealt with the situations and moved forward as best as he could. I really admire Gary Collins, not only as a high school coach, but as a man. He's one of the most patient men I've ever known.

Here's wishing Gary and the Lady Wolves success this season and a State Championship to boot!

[Roger Kaputnik]

I think a girls'team coach and great patience go together!

[JHeath]

Mr. Collins is also a PE teacher at Joy Elementary--my daughters and their calssmates have the utmost respect for him. Knowing what my oldest daughter has put him through (no, I won't bore you with the details), I can tell you first-hand that he is a class act all around, and has the patience of a saint.

Good luck Lady Wolves!

[Roger Kaputnik]

Details!

[JHeath]

Details!

Alright, but you asked for it...
My oldest was born with Downs Syndrome--she's 10 now, and is a great kid. But, like other kids, she sometimes acts out when she's frustrated (and she can't always get the words out to express why she's upset). So...one day last year, the kids were playing a game, and she couldn't keep up. So, she was trying to get his attention and tell him this in her own way... (Oops...)

Needless to say, she got in trouble, and we had a very stern talk whe she got home that day. (I also made her personally apologize to him.)

But how could you be frustrated or angry at a face like hers for very long?


This post has been edited by JHeath: Nov 13 2007, 09:14 AM

[Ang]

My details include fighting amonst the girls, theft, ineligible players, foul language on the court, fighting after games with players from another team, vandalism at away games, and the sexual assault of a player by her teammates on the bus coming home from an away game. That's about all I can say. I can't give you graphic details of the occurances because I am obligated not to.


Oh, and Jenny--your daughter is beautiful. Such a gorgeous smile she has!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=53973.89

More Poll Silliness
Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch


Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I submit into evidence Exhibit D.

"D" in this case stands for "dumb," specifically referring once again to high school polls, both preseason and in-season.

I've made the argument before, but once again this week the idea of ranking teams within the state became even less credible, if that was even possible.

Michigan City's girls basketball team had an incredible 2006-07 season, going 22-2 with its only defeats coming at the hands of eventual Class 4A state champion South Bend Washington. In the second of those two defeats, City held a six-point lead in the fourth quarter before a Washington rally won the game.

From that team, City lost exactly one major contributor: 6-foot, 3-inch center Emma Tucker. Without question, that's a big loss.

But the Wolves still have an incredibly strong group back, led by Division I recruits Ta'Kenya Nixon and Bianca McGee, and a super senior class paced by Missy Johnson and Katie Knoll.

Certainly this City team could be considered one of the top 10 teams in Class 4A in the preseason. Any logical girls basketball fan in the state could draw that conclusion based on the above information.

But not the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association pollsters, who slighted the Wolves all season last year by refusing to introduce them into the state's top 10.

When this year's preseason poll was released, City made an appearance - in 20th place, with two votes.

Predictably, the teams ranked ahead of City are primarily from Central Indiana, which tends to dominate most polls. The northern part of the state is often overlooked, for whatever reason.

Notable exceptions here include Washington, ranked No. 1, along with Penn (No. 15) and Elkhart Memorial (No. 19).

To coach Gary Collins' credit, he handles the slight well. While I believe he's upset about it internally, this year he isn't voicing his concerns.

"To be in that top 10, you just have to maintain this program at that type of level," he said. "I think maybe they think we're a one-year wonder."

Well, Collins is much more diplomatic than I'm about to be.

The thing is, I don't really care much for the idea of the polling system. To me, it's just not possible to compare teams from different parts of the state that never play each other and have no common opponents.

It can lull people into a false sense of security and is just generally misleading.

But if you're gonna do it, do it right. A team like Michigan City that plays in the always-tough Duneland Conference and has won 23 of its last 25 games with virtually the same roster has to be considered one of the top 10 teams in the state based on any criteria any pollster could possibly be using.

The good thing for City is its players can use the situation to their advantage.

Whether it's merely a perceived slight or an actual one is irrelevant. City's players feel they're good enough to be considered among the state's top 10, and they're going to strive toward achieving that goal.

What that means is, night in and night out the Wolves' opponents will feel the brunt of their rage.

Considering City went 14-0 in the DAC a year ago, I wouldn't want to be standing on those tracks when the Collins-engineered train comes through.

Be sure to check out Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse's blog, "Adam's Rib," at www.thenewsdispatch.com. Contact him at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Right on!

Hey, Admin: Have you sent the link to the MB to the ND?

[Ang]

I don't know if they would post it on their site or not. We are pretty critical of them here and they don't like criticism. Once, I referred to them as the News-Disgrace on Feedback. My post was deleted and I got a rather angry email from the editor. Although we've never met personally, we both know who each other are so the email was more personal than he would have typically wrote to any other poster (I believe). I wrote back, smoothed his feathers, and all is well between us now but, speaking from first-hand experience, they definitely don't like criticism at the News-Dispatch.

[Southsider2k12]

Yeah, just by history, I don't think they have any interest at being associated with us. I'm not going to get into the history of it, but I think that is fair assessment from my point of view.

[Roger Kaputnik]

The News-Disgrace was used back to when I was in early grade school, and I am sure it was before then. Here is another one: Tony's Place, for St. Agonies.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=48271.53

City Wants To Be Respected

Michael Gluskin
The News-Dispatch

One word describes the Michigan City girls basketball team's conference season last year: perfection.

The Wolves roared through the Duneland Conference, going 14-0 for the first time in school history. They open up this year's conference season Friday with a 7:30 p.m. varsity start at Lake Central.

Despite last year's impressive Duneland mark, the team feels like its accomplishment was slighted by some.

"We heard last year that our conference was weak, and that's the only reason why we went 14-0," City coach Gary Collins said. "We have a chip on our shoulder. Everyone says (the conference is) one of the best now."

No. 18 City won its opener last Friday, 79-48 over South Bend Adams. Lake Central dropped its first two games last weekend during a tournament, losing to two ranked opponents, No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern and No. 5 Carmel.

Collins watched the Indians play those contests, looking for advantages his team could exploit. Collins noted that when his team has the ball, there should be some mismatches, which will allow City's guard to post up.

The Wolves' guards had a good game against Adams, with their three leading scorers coming from the backcourt. Ta'Kenya Nixon led the way with 25 points, while Katie Knoll had 13 and Bianca McGee poured in 12. That trio figures to be important all season long, not only in scoring, but also with applying defensive pressure.

City forced 39 turnovers in the season opener, including 12 steals. They'll continue to use their quickness to their advantage, and will try to trap and pressure the Indians when they can.

During practice, Collins said his team is preparing for conference play by trying to stress physical play among the team's forwards and centers. The Wolves are one of the few teams in the Duneland that likes to run, something they'll try to do in order to force teams out of their comfort zone.

Collins hopes to have Jackie Davis, a transfer from Marquette, in uniform. Her paperwork is still being completed, but the guard's presence on City's bench would add to the team's depth.

South Bend Adams at New Prairie, 5:15 p.m. Today

The Eagles dropped their opener against City last week. Although they hung around through most of the first half, Adams faded during the second half.

New Prairie opened its season up with a 54-21 loss against Elkhart Central. The Eagles won last year's game, which was in South Bend, against the Cougars, 44-24.

Elkhart Christian Academy at Westville, 5 p.m. Today

Westville won its season opener against Lake Station, scoring 47 points, but put up just 14 points in its second game, a loss at Morgan Township.

Elkhart Christian is 0-2 so far. The two teams will be meeting for the fifth straight season, with the Eagles winning three of the last four.

West Central at LaCrosse, 5:30 p.m., Today

The Trojans have won at least the last eight meetings between these two teams, with LaCrosse failing to score more than 34 points in any of those games.

West Central won its first game over Morgan Township, while the Tigers lost their opener to Tri-County.

Marquette at Culver, 5:30 p.m., Thursday

Marquette begins its season with this matchup a Culver, a game the Eagles have won each of the past three seasons. The Blazers won their first game last season over Lake Station.

Culver lost its opener this year to South Central, and they face Winamac today.

La Porte at Chesterton, 6 p.m., Friday

Both the Slicers and Trojans won their first games on the season, and they'll meet for their first Duneland game Friday. La Porte edged Mishawaka in its opener, and fell easily to South Bend Washington.

Chesteron topped Munster in its first game. The Trojans have won nine of the past 10 games versus La Porte, and the teams split last season.

Marquette at Washington Township, 6 p.m., Saturday

The Blazers' second game will be the third for the Senators this year. Washington Township begins play tonight against Hobart, and faces Hebron on Friday.

Washington Township has won the last six games against Marquette, including a 58-28 victory last season.

South Bend Riley at La Porte, 5:30 p.m., Saturday

La Porte takes a quick break from Duneland play with a game against the Wildcats, a team they've beaten the past two seasons.

South Bend Riley lost two of its first three games, scoring at least 60 points in two of the games. They'll play South Bend Clay Friday night.

Penn at Chesterton, 5:30 p.m., Saturday

A night after taking on La Porte, Chesteron goes against the Kingsmen, who split their first two games. Penn has beaten Chesteron the last two seasons, winning 50-27 last year.

New Prairie at NorthWood, 5:15 p.m., Saturday

The Panthers have won four of the past five games over New Prairie. NorthWood won two of its first three games, and plays Bremen on Thursday night.

South Central at Triton, 11 a.m., Saturday

The Satellies won their season opener against Culver, then lost by a point against Argos. Triton lost its first two games, and play Argos tonight.

South Central has won each of the past two seasons.

Westville at Whiting, 11 a.m., Saturday

Westville and Whiting have split each of their last four meetings, with the Blackhawks winning last season.

The Oilers lost their first two games, and play Hammond Gavit Friday.

LaCrosse at Oregon-Davis, 5:30 p.m., Saturday

The Bobcats are the No. 1 ranked team in Class A, and have won their first three games. Oregon-Davis has won at least its last seven games against LaCrosse.

Contact sports writer Michael Gluskin at mgluskin@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 577.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Like I said elsewhere, watch for frosh Mag Gondeck in hoops--geat kid!

[Southsider2k12]

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/11/16/sp...39100214b44.txt

Michigan City Wolves

Last year: 22-2, 14-0 DAC

Head Coach Gary Collins

"I'm confident we could have a pretty nice season. Our bench is a lot deeper this season. These girls are really killing each other in practice."

Inside the Wolves

Leading returning scorer: TaKenya Nixon, 11.5 ppg.

Leading returning rebounder: Missy Johnson, Nixon, 4.9 rpg.

Star quality: TaKenya Nixon, Jr., G. Nixon had an impressive season last year, and she might be the focal point of the offense this season. Collins said that college recruiters asked Nixon to work on her quickness, and he believes that's been done. "She's also worked on her left hand, because defenders would just sag off of her and let her go left ... and she's better from 3-point range."

She's got next: Essence Robinson, So., F. Robinson tore her ACL at the end of last season, and her absence was a costly one. "I love her game. She can do it all. We were lacking top-notch bench players last year, and she'll provide a lift for us off the bench," Collins said.

The Times' Breakdown

Emma Tucker graduated, but this team is still very talented. Nixon and McGee are quality scorers, and the Wolves also have added some height to their roster. This team might be deeper this season, and they lost just two times a year ago. Their losses last season were both to Class 4A state champion South Bend Washington. This year a deeper postseason run might be possible, as the Wolves and LaPorte were moved to Sectional 2 with many other Duneland foes. Michigan City didn't lose a league game a year ago, and that might be the case again this season. -- Jim Hunsley

Probable starters

Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Missy Johnson 6-1 Sr. F

Natalie Studtman 5-9 Sr. F

TaKenya Nixon 5-9 Jr. G

Katie Knoll 5-9 Sr. G

Bianca McGee 5-10 Jr. G

In reserve

Name Ht. Yr. Pos.

Jackie Davis 5-7 Sr. G

Liandra Cash 5-6 Sr. G

Essence Robinson 5-11 So. F

Daralyn Richard 6-1 Sr. C

Maggie Gondeck 6-2 Fr. C

Assistant coaches: Mike Lamb, Brian Studtman, Kisha Ward.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39364.16

Lady Wolves Keep the Streak Alive

Michael Gluskin
The News-Dispatch

ST. JOHN - One Duneland Conference win, 13 to go?

After a flawless conference season last year, the Michigan City girls basketball team opened their 2007-'08 DAC campaign with a strong 68-36 victory at Lake Central on Friday night.

"It just feels good we were able to do that," City guard Bianca McGee said. "Because a lot of people don't respect us. We're just happy that we're 1-0 in the DAC."

For a team that went 14-0 in the Duneland a year ago, City coach Gary Collins understands the importance of getting out ahead in the conference race.

"As long as we keep winning, we'll keep putting pressure on everybody else to catch up with us," he said. "That's what we need to do. It was a good win for us tonight."

The Wolves outscored the Indians 12-3 in the first quarter, and took off from there, improving to 2-0 on the season. Ta'Kenya Nixon led the way with 17 points, while McGee poured in 16. Five different players grabbed at least six rebounds.

City is a quick team that pressures the ball, trying to force turnovers from the opposition. The Wolves caused 39 turnovers in their season opener against South Bend Adams, and forced the Indians (0-3) into 24 turnovers Friday night, most of them coming in the first half.

"We want to force every team to at least 30 turnovers," Collins said. "Then we get the ball 30 more times."

Many of those errors turned into fast-break points for the Wolves, which is important for the team because their transition game is strong than their set offenses, for now.

"We're a fast, running team," McGee said. "We try to force a lot of turnovers because that's how we get a lot of our points, off fast breaks."

Missy Johnson scored eight of City's first 12 points, and grabbed eight rebounds on the night. The Wolves led by 22 points at halftime, backed by a strong, 27-point second quarter. McGee drained two 3-pointers in the quarter, while the Indians struggled to get into any offensive rhythm.

The Wolves opened the game with a 2-3 zone, but switched to man-to-man defense soon after. Lake Central had difficulties setting up their offense, and were forced to shoot mostly 3-pointers during the second half since they trailed.

Lake Central outscored City in the third quarter, as the Wolves looked sluggish coming out of the break, managing just six points in the frame.

"We've gotta come out and make better adjustments at the half," Collins said.

Although the Indians may have had some momentum entering the fourth quarter, City finished the game strong, getting six points from Daralyn Richard in the fourth.

In the junior varsity game, Lake Central won 40-34. Sierra Richards scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Wolves (1-1), while Angelique Moore had six points and three assists in that game.

Contact sports writer Michael Gluskin at mgluskin@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 577.

[Southsider2k12]

The latest polls are out, and the Lady Wolves are up to #12 with 8 votes.

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dl...00397/-1/SPORTS

CLASS 4A

W-L Pts Prv
1. S. Bend Washington (13) 3-0 139 1
2. Indpls Ben Davis (1) 1-0 127 2
3. Carmel 3-0 100 4
4. Hamilton Southeastern 3-0 79 6
5. Martinsville 2-0 73 7
6. Bloomington South 3-0 68 8
7. Lawrence North 2-0 65 5
8. Terre Haute South 4-1 40 3
9. Indpls N. Central 2-0 22 10
10. Columbus East 3-0 18


Others receiving votes: South Side 13, Michigan City 8, Fishers 7, Seymour 4, Elkhart Memorial 2, S. Bend Clay 1, Bloomington North 1, Jennings Co. 1, Mooresville 1, Floyd Central 1.

[Roger Kaputnik]

What do you think is the best poll, coaches or writers?

[Southsider2k12]

For my money it is the coaches. I don't think the writers get to see as much basketball, and on a smaller town level, they have a few more biases towards specific regions and towns.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I'd've thought writers because they see more action, more games, than the coaches.