LIGONIER – If you see a Wawasee basketball player walking around with slightly better posture in the next few days its because the Warrior just lifted a huge weight of their back Tuesday night. Wawasee took its first step towards winning a sectional title by winning its first postseason game since March 4, 2011. The …read more.

Warsaw’s Paul Marandet is the top choice on the 2014-15 IFN All-Area Boys Basketball Team (File photos by Mike Deak) Basketball teams at any level of play win a lot of games due to great guard play. The first IFN All-Area boys basketball team would win a lot of games for that reason. The honor …read more.

NAPPANEE – The Whitko boys basketball team closed out the regular season with a loss at NorthWood Friday night. The host Panthers rolled to the 75-33 win in the regular-season finale for both teams. NorthWood, now 19-2 on the season, led 29-8 after the opening period en route to the win. Nate Walpole led Whitko …read more.

Diary entry 2/27/15: Day eight without Twitter. I am beginning to wonder why I gave up the app for Lent. I often find myself confused and lost throughout the day without knowing what Norm Macdonald or Pat McAfee are doing at every waking moment. I find it most difficult to have a thought that I …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – First-year head coach Roger Fleetwood isn’t expecting the moon from his Whitko Wildcats. But he isn’t expecting his young team to lie down at the West Noble Boys Basketball Sectional, either. Fleetwood, who has coached for over 35 years and is closing in on 500 wins (496 as of Feb. 23), knew …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko Pony League is set to hold registration for the upcoming season. Registration will be held on March 5 from 6-8 p.m. and on March 7 from 9-11 a.m. at the Richland Township Fire Department Building in Larwill. Players must be a student at Whitko Community Schools and not older than …read more.

CHURUBUSCO – The Whitko boys basketball team dropped an 84-52 final at Churbuco Saturday night. The hosts led 23-19 after the opening period and 42-28 at halftime in the win. Nate Walpole tossed in 26 points to pace the Wildcats. River West had 17 points for Whitko. Cole Kessie had seven rebounds and Devon Adkins …read more.

Why the pink pen? Who the heck is Oscar? Well, you know the Oscars are this weekend. So, that answers one question. But, why the pink pen? Every week I write out my picks before typing them up. I typically do this with my perfect Sharpie pen (product placement…ca-ching!) but, I lost that pen. So, …read more.

Cory Hersha is headed to the State Finals. Hersha, a member of the Whitko bowling team, earned a spot at State last weekend. He qualified with his performance at the semi state in South Bend. The State Finals are set for Saturday in Anderson.

SYRACUSE – It was like the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball program had done this before. Three times before, to be exact, but the fourth time was the sweetest for the Lady Vikings after beating Whitko, 62-36, Monday night in the championship game of the IHSAA Class 3-A Wawasee Girls Basketball Sectional. Tippecanoe Valley’s season has …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko boys basketball team dropped a 58-47 final to Manchester Saturday afternoon. The Squires improved to 14-6 overall with the Three Rivers Conference win. Manchester also clinches at least a share of the TRC championship with a final league mark of 6-1. Both Tippecanoe Valley and Southwood are 5-1 in TRC …read more.

SYRACUSE – The other half of the equation at the Wawasee Girls Basketball Sectional would be whether Wawasee would defend its home court or Whitko continue its momentum toward the finals. Aly Reiff put Whitko on her back and sent the Wildcats to the sectional championship after dumping Wawasee, 37-33, in game two of the …read more.

The first wave of the girls postseason in nearly over. Can you believe that we are already this far along in the sports season? It seems like just yesterday I was standing in the frigid rain at the girls golf state finals. But tomorrow I’ll be standing on the deck at The Nat at the …read more.

WARSAW – The Warsaw boys bowling team will compete Saturday in the semi state in South Bend. The team earned a runner-up finish in the regional held in Lafayette on Feb. 7. Rochester won the team title at the regional round of competition. The Warsaw boys team is comprised of Jim Pifer, John McGurn, Jacob …read more.

SYRACUSE – Watching the Whitko girls basketball team file out of their lockerroom Wednesday evening, you would have thought the team lost by 17 and not won by that margin. Adorned with red faces, several looking at the floor in a scurry, many a Whitko letter jacket were headed to the Wawasee athletic training room …read more.

Tippecanoe Valley’s Anne Secrest headlines the IFN All-Area Team for 2014-15 (File photos by Mike Deak) Youth is the buzzword for the inaugural Ink Free News All-Area Girls Basketball Team. The five-member First Team, selected by the members of the IFN sports staff, features four underclassmen. The superb squad is led by the 2014-15 IFN …read more.

FORT WAYNE – The Whitko wrestling team saw its season come to an end Saturday in the Carroll Regional. The six Wildcats who earned berths in the regional round of the state tournament series all lost their first-round matches Saturday to be eliminated. The top four finishers in each weight class at Carroll advance to …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Visiting Fairfield outscored Whitko for an 80-65 prep boys basketball win Saturday night. River West canned 28 points to lead the way for Whitko. Nate Walpole had another big night for the Wildcats with 26 points to go with four assists. Devon Adkins had five points and five rebounds for the hosts. …read more.

DENVER – The Whitko boys basketball team collected its first conference win of the season Friday night. The Wildcats edged past host North Miami 62-58 in Three Rivers Conference action. Nate Walpole continued his scoring surge with 28 points to pace the Wildcats to the win. River West and Devon Adkins each had 12 points …read more.

MONROE – Aly Reiff’s huge first half propelled Whitko to a 56-33 girls basketball victory at Adams Central Friday night. Reiff had 11 of her game-high 21 points in the second quarter and took 15 points into the lockerroom. Brianna Cumberland added 11 points and Jennifer Reiff chipped in eight points for the Lady Wildcats, …read more.

Last week started out very ugly for the picks. I picked five boys games and five girls games. The boys did me no favors as I went just 1-4 with those picks. Thankfully, the girls picks came through and I went 4-1 there to be an even 5-5. That was a close call, way too …read more.

After a thrilling weekend in the sectional round, the amount of local wrestlers still in contention in the state tournament has been weeded out. 27 local grapplers, six of which are top seeds, remain in regional tournaments taking place at Rochester and Fort Wayne this weekend. Warsaw Aiming To Beat The Odds Again At last …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Brianna Cumberland was dialed in from long distance Tuesday night. The Whitko standout had a record-setting performance from 3-point land as the host Wildcats topped Fort Wayne North 61-43. Cumberland drained six treys, a new school record. The performance surpassed the old school standard of five 3-pointers in a game. Cumberland tossed …read more.

PONETO – A big effort in the third quarter enabled the Whitko boys basketball team to rally past Southern Wells Tuesday night. The hosts led 26-22 at halftime before the Wildcats used a 21-11 edge in the third quarter and went on to post a 55-46 win. Nate Walpole canned 17 points to lead the …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A tough third quarter led to a loss to Wabash for the Whitko girls basketball team Saturday. The Apaches outscored the host Wildcats 19-3 in the pivotal period en route to a 58-47 win in Three Rivers Conference play. Whitko led 12-8 after the opening quarter and 25-17 at halftime. Aly Reiff …read more.

WABASH – Host Wabash used a big third quarter effort to top Whitko 61-49 Friday night. The Apaches outscored the Wildcats 15-4 in the pivotal period en route to claiming the Three Rivers Conference win. Whitko led 32-29 at halftime before being outscored by 11 in the third stanza. Nate Walpole canned 24 points to …read more.

PLYMOUTH – The road to the 77th Annual IHSAA State Wrestling Finals begins this weekend for local wrestlers and many have a chance to make some serious noise at their respective sectionals. Plymouth will once again be the center of attention for the majority of local grapplers as Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Warsaw and Wawasee will …read more.

If all of the local teams playing for conference titles actually win said titles, they should send me a shirt… Disclaimer: I’m only writing this so I won’t get fined. Just when you thought it was safe to walk the streets, somebody goes and steals cold cuts. What is this world coming to, Kosciusko? Alright, …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Nate Walpole led the way as the Whitko boys basketball team posted a win Tuesday night. Walpole tossed in 30 points as the host Wildcats collected a 68-59 win over Woodlan in non-conference play. Whitko, which has won its last two games, led 20-14 after the opening quarter. Walpole also had seven …read more.

LAGRANGE – The Whitko girls basketball team guaranteed itself a winning record with a win Tuesday night. The Wildcats picked up win number 12 by downing potential sectional opponent Lakeland 48-39. Aly Reiff led all scorers with 26 points, including a 12-point effort in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats outscored the hosts 23-10 in …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A fast start set the tone for the Whitko boys basketball team on Saturday. The host Wildcats got off to a great start en route to a 65-52 win over West Noble. Whitko led 22-10 after the opening period of the non-conference affair. Nate Walpole continued to excel for Whitko with 25 …read more.

WABASH – A strong second-half effort enabled Whitko to collect a conference girls basketball win at Northfield Saturday. The Wildcats outscored the hosts 22-11 in the final half to post a 37-28 win in Three Rivers Conference action. Northfield led 13-5 after the opening period and 17-15 at halftime. Brianna Cumberland led the way to …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko boys basketball team came up on the short end of a 64-57 final Friday night to Northfield. The visiting Norsemen held close leads throughout the Three Rivers Conference game to earn the league win. Nate Walpole had another big night for the Wildcats. He tossed in 27 points to go …read more.

(After school special, because it’s after 3 p.m. Do you get it??? Yeah, you get it.) Here we are, a new week of games and a new week of picks. Usually I try to come up with something mildly interesting to talk about before getting to my picks for the week, but I really don’t …read more.

FORT WAYNE – Thanks to Parkview Sports Medicine, high school baseball will be back at Parkview Field in 2015. While the TinCaps are out of town in the spring, 24 area schools will have the opportunity to play at Minor League Baseball’s top-rated ballpark as part of the Parkview Sports Medicine High School Baseball Series. …read more.

By KELLY GOODE Whitko Middle School On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Whitko Middle School held a R.O.A.R. Reward celebration after school for students as part of our Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program. Students who demonstrated Respect, being On Task, Advocacy, and Responsibility during the first semester of this school year were eligible to attend. The …read more.

SYRACUSE – It was a tale of two halves for the Whitko and Wawasee girls basketball teams Tuesday night. After a spectacular first half of play by the visiting Wildcats, Wawasee found its niche in the second half to keep fans entertained to the final minute. Whitko did enough early on to stay safe late …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The 1-2 punch of Cole Kessie and River West helped Whitko deck Adams Central Tuesday night. The pair combined for 44 points as the host Wildcats picked up a 72-68 win in non-conference boys basketball action. Kessie tossed in seven treys en route to tallying 23 points for Whitko. West was right …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko wrestling club is seeking wrestlers for its successful program. The club will hold practices every Tuesday and Thursday in the Whitko Middle School wrestling room, running from 6-7:30 p.m. The Whitko wrestling club is open to both boys and girls from pre-school to fifth grade. There is no charge to …read more.

WABASH – Brianna Cumberland had a big night as the Whitko girls basketball team returned to its winning ways Saturday night. Cumberland popped in a game-high 20 points to lead her team past host Southwood 51-33 in a Three Rivers Conference contest. Whitko, which had lost its last two games, improves to 9-7 overall and …read more.

WABASH – A horrific start to the boys basketball game Friday night by Whitko gave Southwood a definitive advantage in a 71-62 win for the host Knights. Southwood opened with a 25-9 lead after one quarter of play, to which Whitko could not fully make up the difference. The Wildcats would pull within five points …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A fast start paved the way for Norwell to defeat Whitko 61-44 in girls basketball action Thursday night. Norwell bolted to a 20-9 lead after the opening period en route to the non-conference win. Hanna Yohe led Whitko with 11 points. Haley Yohe scored eight points and Brianna Cumberland six for the …read more.

It’s been nearly a month since I’ve written a picks article. So, the important questions need to be asked up front. How have you survived, Kosciusko!? I was not there for you during the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs. I was not there when you needed me most for the Golden Globes picks, …read more.

MARION – A big second half paced host Eastbrook past Whitko 68-49 in prep boys basketball action Tuesday night. Whitko, which led 18-10 after the first quarter, was outscored 38-22 in the second half of the non-conference contest. Nate Walpole paced the Wildcats with 17 points and six assists. Cole Kessie netted 12 points and …read more.

ROCHESTER – The Whitko girls basketball team gave Rochester all it wanted Saturday night. It wasn’t quite enough for the Wildcats to pull the Three Rivers Conference upset though. The host Zebras held on to defeat Whitko 50-47 in a key league clash. Whitko trailed 40-30 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the hosts 17-10 …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A strong start paved the way for Rochester to notch a Three Rivers Conference boys basketball win at Whitko Saturday. The Zebras bolted to a 14-4 lead after the first quarter en route to a 62-48 win in the league matchup. Nate Walpole canned 16 points to lead the way for the …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – In a matchup of potential sectional opponents, Whitko used a big fourth quarter to get past Fairfield, 39-30, Tuesday night in girls hoops. Fairfield led the game 20-14 heading into halftime, but Whitko battled back to tie the game at 24 opening the fourth quarter. A 15-6 run by the Lady Wildcats …read more.

PERU – The Whitko girls basketball team collected a tournament title in a big way Tuesday night. The Wildcats whipped Maconaquah 58-25 in the championship game of the Miami County Tournament. Whitko outscored the Braves 19-6 in the second period to take a 33-14 halftime lead. The Wildcats then outscored Maconaquah 25-11 in the second …read more.

PERU – The Whitko boys basketball team picked up its first win of the season in impressive fashion Tuesday. The Wildcats used a fast start to best North Miami 77-55 in the consolation game of the Miami County Tournament. Whitko outscored North Miami 21-8 in the first period en route to the win. The duo …read more.

PERU – The Whitko boys basketball team dropped a 60-39 final to host Peru Monday in a semifinal game of the Miami County Tournament. The host Tigers led just 17-16 after the opening period. Peru then outscored the Wildcats 14-0 in the second quarter to take control of the contest. River West led Whitko with …read more.

PERU – The Whitko girls basketball team rolled to a big win Monday in semifinal action of the Miami County Tournament. The Wildcats plastered host Peru 68-28 in the four-team tourney. Whitko advances to the championship game back at Peru Tuesday night at 6 p.m. The Wildcats will play Maconaquah (3-10) in the title tilt. …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – In a girls basketball game of ebbs and flows, Tippecanoe Valley weathered a Whitko storm well enough to escape with a 42-38 road win Saturday night. After looking like it was poised to pull away from Whitko in the first half, Valley needed to make a defensive stand in the final 10 …read more.

AKRON – Whitko’s boys basketball team will eventually come together. It just wasn’t going to be Friday night. Tippecanoe Valley exposed Whitko’s glaring weaknesses full bore in the first half, leading to a 70-49 victory Friday night at Valley. Without a presence inside, Whitko had two options. One, watch Tippecanoe Valley soar to the hoop …read more.

I could blame the late time of this post on several things. It could be that I’ve spent too much time at Christmas parties. I could easily use that excuse. I could blame the delicious pizza I had a few hours ago at our office party. Or the bacon-apple pie I had yesterday at another …read more.

LIGONIER – West Noble was able to edge past Whitko Thursday night 42-40 in a non-conference high school girls basketball contest. The hosts led 31-28 entering the final period of play and held on for the win. Aly Reiff scored 15 points to lead the way for Whitko, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. …read more.

SYRACUSE – What started as a tight contest between two sectional foes ended as a blowout victory for the home team. Whitko set up camp in Warrior territory Saturday night but Wawasee made sure the Wildcats never got too comfortable at the Hardwood Teepee. The Warriors used a big second half to claim their fifth …read more.

FORT WAYNE – The Whitko wrestling team had an outstanding performance Saturday at the Fort Wayne Luers Invitational. The Wildcats went a perfect 5-0 on the day at the tournament. Whitko defeated Fort Wayne South 54-26 and Maconaquah 60-21. The Wildcats also picked up wins over Luers 63-24, Fort Wayne Northrop 55-18 and Heritage 51-27.

NORTH MANCHESTER – It was all about defense Friday night for Whitko. The Wildcats used defense and a strong second half to post a 37-29 Three Rivers Conference win over host Manchester in girls basketball action. Whitko trailed 10-9 after the opening period before taking a 21-16 halftime lead on the Squires. The Wildcats then …read more.

UN-DE-FEATED *clap*-*clap*-*clap, clap, clap* Yes, let the perfection flow through you! Last week I went a perfect 9-0, with the help of our wonderful local athletes. It’s something to be proud of, if you all didn’t come here to read this week after week, then I wouldn’t be able to write this article week after …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A fast start carried undefeated Jimtown past Whitko by a 64-40 final Thursday night in boys basketball action. The Jimmies raced to a 25-2 lead after the opening period versus the winless Wildcats. Nate Walpole led Whitko with 17 points. Devon Adkins had eight points and River West six for the Wildcats. …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY –  The Whitko boys basketball team came up just short in dropping a 58-55 final Wednesday night to Central Noble. The host Wildcats trailed 16-11 after the opening period and 27-19 at halftime. Whitko rallied by outscoring Central Noble 23-17 in the final frame. The duo of Nate Walpole and Cole Kessie led …read more.

DECATUR – The Whitko boys basketball team came up just short Saturday night in dropping a 48-43 final at Bellmont Nate Walpole led the Wildcats with 14 points. River West scored 11 points for Whitko. Tanner Gaff grabbed nine rebounds and Cole Kessie had six for Whitko. Whitko drops to 0-2 on the season, while …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko girls basketball team rolled past North Miami Saturday night in the Three Rivers Conference opener for both teams. The host Wildcatsb bolted to a 16-4 lead after the opening quarter en route to a 57-19 win. Brianna Cumberland popped in 21 points and Aly Reiff had 20 to pace Whitko. …read more.

So, who still has Thanksgiving leftovers? I hope nobody, it has been more than a week so those leftovers should be gone. If, for some reason, you still have leftovers than you did something wrong. You either made too much food, have not been properly partaking of the leftovers since last week or made bad …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – A big second quarter performance paced Whitko past Fort Wayne Northrop in girls basketball action Wednesday night. The host Wildcats outscored the Bruins 14-4 in the second period en route to a 45-34 win. Brianna Cumberland scored a game-high 17 points to lead the way for Whitko. Hanna Yohe netted 13 points …read more.

SYRACUSE – The annual Wawasee November Super Duals were held this past Saturday and several local teams participated in the event. Of the local squads in attendance, Whitko carried the torch, finishing fifth place in the 10-team invite. Tippecanoe Valley finished in ninth with Wawasee finishing just ahead of the Vikings in eighth. Columbia went …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The goals are set, the kids are ready and the season has begun. The Whitko wrestling program is one of great history and pride. Numerous trophies line the hall outside of the wrestling room at Whitko High School, but the program has not seen a conference or sectional title since 2010. The …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Oh man, what a defense! The Warsaw Lady Tigers basketball team headed east for a post-holiday showdown with Whitko Friday night. Warsaw was able to use a solid performance on the defensive side of the court to claim a 54-30 victory over the host Lady Wildcats. While the victory was well-earned by …read more.

COLUMBIA CITY – It will only go up from here. The Whitko boys basketball team tipped its 2014-15 season Wednesday night and things did not necessarily go as planned. The Wildcats struggled with the press and overall size that Columbia City brought to the table. The Eagles would breeze to a 73-16 victory. Columbia City …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – It is a curious time to be a fan of Whitko boys basketball. After one of the more dismal seasons the program had ever faced last year, a rejuvenation of sorts, perhaps even a revival of a proud program has begun. The catalyst? Meet coach Roger Fleetwood. A pedigree most down programs …read more.

And we’re back! (Later than I planned!) Okay, so my break went a little longer than I had originally said. I originally put the wrong date in my last article about when I was going to return and then some things happened last week that made me put this on the back burner. But now …read more.

INDIANAPOLIS – Darby Maggard and two other standout players have been chosen was Week two winners in the IBCA/Subway Player of the Week program for 2014-15. Maggard, who averaged 34.3 points and 10.3 assists in three victories, was chosen as the District 1 winner (for games played Nov. 17-22) in the player recognition program overseen …read more.

HUNTINGTON – Brianna Cumberland put up a huge scoring night, but it wasn’t enough for Whitko to escape Huntington North with a win Friday night. Cumberland scored a career-high 32 points, but Whitko’s fourth quarter rally fell short in a 71-61 loss to Huntington in girls basketball. Cumberland scored 15 points in the fourth quarter …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko girls basketball team bounced back Saturday night. The Wildcats were fine at the line in defeated visiting Churubusco by a 52-47 count. Whitko, which dropped a tough 37-34 final at Columbia City Friday night, improves to 2-1 on the young season. The hosts outscored the Eagles 19-4 from the free …read more.

COLUMBIA CITY – In the annual girls basketball grinder between Columbia City and Whitko Friday night, the Lady Eagles held its home court in a 37-34 victory over the visiting Lady Wildcats. City moved its win streak in the series to six games by riding the 13 points from Elise Cormany. City only scored six …read more.

The South Pleasant United Methodist Church invites the public to hear the Whitko High School Gospel Choir perform for worship at 10:10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23. Afterwards, join in for the annual harvest dinner where the food and fellowship will overflow. For questions or more information, call Pastor Russ at (260) 982-4399.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Whitko didn’t waste any time feeling good about the 2014-15 girls basketball season, smoking Central Noble, 48-27, Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams. Whitko’s Brianna Cumberland hit a pair of treys and finished with 18 points to lead all scorers. Teammate Aly Reiff added 14 points and Maddie Gawthrop …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko girls basketball team is out to show that its success in 2013 was far from a fluke but rather the first sign of great things to come. The Wildcats ended a streak of five-consecutive losing seasons last year by finishing with a 16-7 mark and an appearance in the sectional …read more.

A total of 10 players from the Whitko and Tippecanoe Valley football teams have earned all-conference honors for the 2014 season. The Wildcats, who finished as Three Rivers Conference runner-up this fall, had six players named to the all-conference team by the league’s coaches. Whitko players honored from coach Josh Mohr’s squad were seniors Zach …read more.

DECATUR – Bellmont used a fourth-quarter rally to sideline Whitko Friday night in prep football playoff action. Whitko led 20-9 entering the final period of play before the hosts outscored them 15-0 for a 24-20 win in a Class 3-A sectional opener. Whitko, which lost 35-13 to Bellmont in a first-round game a year ago, …read more.

Another week of being ink free has come and gone. It has been a difficult journey for everyone here to keep up this ink free lifestyle. We had to fight back the pro-ink propagandists outside of our office this week. Eventually the unruly group of six disbanded and went to lunch, but it was an …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Whitko High School girls soccer program will be well represented in the 4th Annual Indiana Elite North vs. South All-Star Soccer Challenge. A trio of Wildcat players from coach Gary Sims’ program will take part in the event set for No. 8 at Danville Community High School. Chosen to represent Whitko …read more.

GOSHEN – The Whitko volleyball team knew it would have to bring its best to the table when it began its postseason journey Tuesday night in the Class 3A Sectional 21 Tournament at Fairfield High School. There was one team the Wildcats definitely did not want to draw for its opening match but luck was …read more.

LIGONIER – Whitko’s Brigit Nemitz competed Saturday in the West Noble Cross Country Regional. Nemitz finished in 43rd place overall with a time of 21:44. Fort Wayne Carroll won the regional team championship with a team score of 38. Host West Noble finished in fifth place to earn a spot in the New Haven Semistate …read more.

[weaver_youtube EXy1MJfnl2U rel=0] AKRON – For two teams coming into Friday night’s football contest with something to prove, Whitko spent more time proving its point in a 34-16 win at Tippecanoe Valley. Both teams came into the night’s contest limping after lopsided losses last week in statement games. Valley started off red hot but cooled …read more.

Ink? We don’t need no stinking ink! Okay, so technically all of my picks articles have been “ink free” but this one is extra ink free since it’s the first picking action to be on our new site. It’s also not called the Ink Free News edition because, well, none of what I’m doing here …read more.

Step one of the state cross country journey is in the books and, for most, a learning curve was established. As the IHSAA cross country regionals loom this Saturday, second chances to improve and ultimately advance in the state tournament are on the course, and with luck, the course will be steady. Looking to maintain …read more.

GARRETT – The Whitko volleyball team closed out regular-season play with a win Tuesday night. The Wildcats got big performances from several players in defeating host Garrett 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20. Maddie Gawthrop led the way for the winners with 11 kills and two blocks. Kaitlyn Reed had 12 kills and 30 digs for Whitko. …read more.

ALBION – Central Noble topped Whitko 3-0 in prep volleyball action Monday night. The hosts posted a 25-14, 25-21, 25-16 win over the Wildcats. Maddie Gawthrop led the way for Whitko with seven kills and four blocks. Delaney Ray had six kills and Kaitlyn Reed had six kills and 18 digs for the Wildcats. Setter …read more.

FORT WAYNE – The Whitko girls cross country program will be represented at the regional this coming Saturday. Brigit Nemitz of the Wildcats earned a regional qualifying spot as an individual with her performance on Saturday at the Fort Wayne Northrop Sectional. Nemitz placed 24th overall in the girls’ race, but was in the top …read more.

[weaver_youtube praAAl2WuTc rel=0] ROCHESTER – There was hype surrounding the matchup between Whitko and Rochester all week leading up to Friday night. There was plenty at stake as both team’s stepped on to Barnhart Field with 5-0 marks in the Three Rivers Conference but only one team could leave with bragging rights and sole control …read more.

Skyrockets in flight, afternoon delight. I didn’t forget about you, Kosciusko! This week has been very busy and finding time to write out my picks became difficult. But, here they are. All five of our coverage teams have a chance to win this weekend, but am I risky enough to actually pick all five? We’ll …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – The Tippecanoe Valley volleyball team rallied to edge past host Whitko Wednesday night. The Vikings took the Three Rivers Conference match by a 17-25, 25-21, 27-25, 28-26 final. Senior standout Caylie Teel came up big for the winners. Teel had 17 kills to go with four aces, 13 digs and five blocks …read more.

The 2014 IHSAA cross country postseason is here, and runners from all over the state are starting to taper and really worry about those stopwatches. Sectional championships will be on the line Saturday as boys and girls teams will take to the 5,000-meter courses in the official beginning march to the state finals. The Culver …read more.

The Whitko girls soccer team saw its season end with a sectional loss Monday night. The Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision to South Adams in the opener of the Class 1-A Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Sectional. Senior Reghan Craig tallied the lone goal for Whitko. Sophomore Riley Insley collected the assist. Goalie Ilyssa Bennett had …read more.

PLYMOUTH – The postseason has arrived for local footballers, no not those footballers. Soccer sectionals start around the state this week and several local teams are hoping to bring home some hardware this year. Most fans will have their attention focused on the Plymouth Sectional as both Warsaw and Wawasee will start their postseason journey …read more.

SOUTH WHITLEY – Tanner Hughes was huge Friday night for the Whitko football team when it took on North Miami. Whitko’s senior tailback hardly had the best game of his career statistically speaking, but Hughes did hit a milestone that he will remember for the rest of his life during the Wildcats 28-0 victory over …read more.

The Whitko volleyball team made some history Thursday night. The Wildcats defeated host Fort Wayne Canterbury 3-0 to collect their 10th win of the season. The 10 wins are the most in a season for the Whitko program since the 1990’s. Delaney Ray led a balanced offense in the 25-15, 25-12, 25-13 win with 10 …read more.

The fall sports season is nearing its end. IHSAA State Finals for girls golf start this weekend, soccer and cross country sectionals start next week, tennis regionals take place next week and football conference races are finally starting to shape up. I usually ramble on for way too long with my article as a whole, …read more.

WARSAW – Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Warsaw tennis team was victorious once again. The Tigers completed the run to their third consecutive sectional title in dominating fashion. After waiting nearly two hours for the match to start after rain had passed through the area, Whitko and Warsaw finally began to play for …read more.