$1.00 • kpcnews.com • 2021 Spring Sports Preview 2 Spring Sports Preview kpcnews.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc. April 10, 2021 102 N. Main Street, Sue Carpenter Kendallville, IN 46755 [email protected] (260) 347-0400 Special Sections Editor Terry Housholder ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES [email protected] Lisa Burnett President/Publisher Machele Waid Mitch Anderson Ann Saggars Michele Trowbridge [email protected] Print & Design Manager Spring Sports Preview is a special supplement to The Star, The News Sun Kanisha Bevins and The Herald Republican, which are publications of KPC Media Group Inc. [email protected] ©2021 All rights reserved Special Sections Graphic Designer Now blooming at BIGGBY® Hibiscus Sparkling Strawberry Hibiscus Sweet Mocktail Foam with Zip! Hibiscus Cold Brew Strawberry Hibiscus Creme Freeze any grande/super $1.00 off specialty beverage hot, iced or frozen! 1500 North Wayne Street, Angola, IN Expires 5/10/21. Applies to hot or iced favorite lattes, tea lattes and hot chocolates. Good at this location only. Not good with any other offer, including BIGGBY® loyalty card programs. For franchise information visit biggby.com. April 10, 2021 ©KPC Media Group Inc. • kpcnews.com Spring Sports Preview 3 Area boys golf preview East Noble a group of underclassmen. Rogers, Bryce Barton and Zachary Miller Eastside Senior Brock Miller and junior Brayden and sophomores Evan Litwiller, Ethan Coach: Jason Buchs Bohde are the top two golfers for the Konkle, Logan Schwartz and Justin Miller. Coach: Brent Keen The Knights bring back only one player Chargers this season. The newcomers for Westview are juniors The Blazers will have one of the largest with varsity experience and it’s senior Ryan They will be joined by newcomers Landon Bennett and Elijah Hostetler rosters in school history with 16 golfers, Gienger, who played at the varsity level in junior Brenden Parson and sophomores and freshmen Judson Hershberger, Wade including five girls. his sophomore season. Rodrigo Melchor, Luke Schermerhorn and Springer, Riley Helman and Carson Brown. Senior Kaylob Shaffer, and sophomores The first-year coach Buchs expects Andrew Torry. “We are all looking forward to getting Ethan Kerr and Shayla Shaffer are the freshman Caden Anderson to be a force in started this season and are hoping to have experienced players returning for the the coming years. Angola a complete season this year. We are going new coach in Keen, who moves up after The rest of roster will be made up of to be working on building confidence one coaching the Blazer junior high program golfers with no varsity experience, but Coach: Brian Miller match at a time and taking the positives for two years. Buchs says this team has talent and expects The Hornets have some experience on from each match to the next one,” “We have a young team that should to be competitive this spring. a huge roster. Seventeen guys will grow in Marchant said. develop some intra-team competition Mitchell Bell, Mathew Kumfer, Avery the game of golf at various levels. for the varsity five,” Keen said. “Several Kline, Kane Sibert, Ronan Fisher, Collin “We have a great group of kids,” Miller golfers have been showing improvement Hayes, Brant McKinley, Griffin Mullins, said. “We didn’t cut anybody. We have 12 Prairie Heights with our indoor practices at our indoor golf Ryan Norden, Caden Treesh and Joseph guys who can get around the course. But Coach: Allison Hall facility.” Sorrell make up the rest of the East Noble we’re very inexperienced. Hall moves up from coaching at the Keen said the Blazers are shooting for golf roster. “We’ll see who will step up and take the middle school golf program at Prairie fundamental development across the board. lead and not look back.” Heights to replace Charlie Pettibone. Angola lost the best golfer from a Seniors Collin Keeslar and Cameron Lakeland couple of years ago. Drew Dunham Sailor have had varsity experience and Garrett Coach: Jon Roush transferred to Columbia City for his senior will lead the Panthers. Freshmen Brayden Coach: Dave Demske Talented youth is going to play a huge year. Levitz and Noah Butler will move up to The Railroaders will build around three role in getting the Lakers back to their Senior Caleb Price is a varsity starter prominent roles at the high school with golfers who were in the varsity lineup at winning ways. for his third year and is hitting the ball their coach. the end of 2019. Sophomores Tommy Curtis and Ben really well in the earlygoing. Junior Walker “Being able to coach some of these Seniors Colton Weimer and Noah Dapp Keil and freshman Nathan Keil are Blaschak was in and out of the varsity underclassmen again allows me to build are back with two years of experience, seasoned and well-traveled in junior golf. lineup as a freshman in 2019. on a foundation that was already created in while Thomas Loeffler improved througout The Keil boys are brothers of two-time Sophomores Mason Gruner and Gage their middle school seasons.” said Hall, a his freshman season and saw varsity time girls state qualifier Madison Keil, a Hankey are young players to watch for Fremont High School graduate. at the end. Lakeland senior who will play at Valparaiso Angola. “Levitz has put in a lot of work over the Isaac Wright and Brady Cook are University in the fall. summer months and I expect to see great possibilities to fill the remaining two “We hope to improve on the mental Fremont things from him this season.” varsity slots, “but with a very young team, aspect of the game as the season goes on,” we are looking to create some competition Coach: Nick Herndon Roush said. to complete the varsity roster,” coach Dave The Eagles have a starting lineup that DeKalb Roush thought of last year’s lone senior Demske said. Bayley Iddings in beginning his 21st could be together for the next two seasons. Coach: James Fislar Juniors Lukas Berlew and Jake Allman Fislar made his debut with the Baron The Railroaders had big expectations season as coach. Iddings missed playing for last season with 2019 Northeast Corner last season because of the COVID-19 have varsity experience from 2019. They girls in the fall, and now will finally get will be joined by juniors Josh Sherbondy to start with the boys with an experienced Conference champion Levi Follett and pandemic. He has two seniors setting the Warren Joseph back as seniors, but now tone this year with their hard work in the and Alex Chilenski and freshman Luke team. Campbell. Seniors Jack McComb, Will Potter will go back to work after last season was preseason in Carson Aldrich and Luke wiped out by COVID. Follett is golfing at Franke. “We should have a pretty good starting and Max Oswalt will be joined by juniors five to compete in every match or invita- Kyle Toyias, Grant McAfee, Jackson Saint Francis and Joseph is playing football “I’m glad to finally be out here with the at Trine. guys and try to help them succeed on the tional,” Herndon said. Barth, Grant Fetter and Gavin Morr. Grant course as well as in life,” Roush said. “The biggest strength for our team is Stuckey also may contribute in his first year the work ethic that they have put into the of high school golf. Churubusco Central Noble offseason. Every player has improved “The kids were swinging pretty well Coach: Dustin Papenbrock significantly even though we didn’t have a indoors,” Fislar said. “We want to go Churubusco is experienced, but also Coach: Joey Mawhorter season last year. It is very clear that they outside and work on our short games and pretty young. Five players return for the The Cougars have experience returning. put in the time and effort to improve.” putting. We’re going to focus on course Eagles, led by senior Tyler Miller and Senior Riley Smith, Logan Behm, Nate The Eagles will look to grow in the management and scoring to begin the junior Brady Crick. They also have four Robinson and Kaden Coburn all have mental game in order to be more consistent. season.” newcomers. varsity experience and hope to lead Central “Understanding the importance of Improving accuracy off the tee away Noble to a successful 2021 season. having a clear head, and a short memory is Hamilton from its home course of Eel River will be a The newcomers for the Cougars are key to maintaining a consistent score from big key to contend with teams that play on Owen Norris and Blake Weeks. match-to-match,” Herndon said. Coach: Brad Hennessey tougher courses. It will also help the Eagles Mawhorter likes the way his team is The Marines have a young squad which be competitive in the NECC. able to manage their way to the greens, but Westview will depend on its three returning golfers: just need to improve once they are there. Jackson Stuckey, Chase Hill and Caleb “This will prove to be a growing year Coach: Jeff Marchant Creager. for the Churubusco boys golf team with a The Warriors almost have a brand new Kody Ellert, Ryan Cool and Kyle bright future ahead,” Papenbrock said. “Our West Noble team for the 2021 season. They do have Williams are new golfers who hope to focus has been playing intelligent golf and Coach: Marc Daniel experience, but very little of it. contribute. using course management to minimize silly Daniel, who is in his fifth season as the The returning golfers are juniors Carl “We are very young so we will need to mistakes that cause big numbers on the coach, has two returning letterwinners and Miller, Nathan Miller, Gramm Egli, Isaac be relaxed,” Hennessey said.