By Greg Keim
Two important league games — one in the Northeast Corner Conference and the other in the Northern Lakes highlight the local high school boys basketball action this week.
The NECC leading Fairfield Falcons (8-3, 4-0) entertain the Westview Warriors (9-3, 3-2) Friday evening in a rematch of a league tournament game last week won by the Warriors 36-33.
In a key NLC matchup on Friday, the Concord Minutemen (10-2, 1-2) host the Warsaw Tigers (9-2, 3-0).
“Fairfield is a very good team that will be a challenge for us,” Westview coach Rob Yoder said. “Fairfield plays good defense and they have enough weapons on offense that make them difficult to guard.”
The Warriors went on to defeat Angola, 51-45, in the championship game for the program’s 10th NECC tournament title.
Westview played the entire tourney without its leading scorer — 6-2 junior Justin Jantzi (19.5) — who is still out of action due to a broken foot.
If that wasn’t bad enough, 6-1 junior Kurt Lambright sustained a concussion in the first period of the Fairfield game and 6-0 junior Dominique Neely had problems with leg cramps near the end of the contest.
“I turned around late in the game and there was one player on the bench besides the ones on the floor,” Yoder said. “Winning the tourney was great for us and it should make us better later in the season.”
Lambright has yet to return to practice.
“We are taking all the precautions we can,” Yoder said. “The doctors are saying 24 hours after all the symptoms disappear he can resume practice.”
Neely averages 16.3 ppg and 6-0 junior Seth Wagler 13.2 for the Warriors.
“Neely and Wagler are getting the chance to showcase their skills and they are rising to the occasion,” Fairfield coach John Wysong said. “Neely is an excellent shooter and Wagler might have been the most valuable player in the NECC tournament.
“We need to score more effectively and that is going to be difficult for us against a very good club.”
Tanner Foust has been in double figures in three of the last four games for FHS.
“He is gaining experience after not playing a great deal last season,” Wysong added. “One of the things I appreciate about him is how hard he works on shooting drills in practice.”
Fairfield travels to White Pigeon (Michigan) and Westview hosts Jimtown (7-5) on Saturday.
“Warsaw beat us twice a year ago and will be a good challenge for us,” Concord coach Steve Austin said. “Warsaw does a lot of things well and they will show our weaknesses if we are not ready for them.
“I like the direction of our team. Our defense is getting better and the offense is starting to click.”
The Northridge Raiders (2-8, 0-3 NLC) have a Thursday-Saturday home twin bill with the Penn Kingsmen (8-4) coming to Middlebury tonight for a non-conference contest and Elkhart Memorial (8-5, 2-1 NLC) in NLC competition on Saturday.
Penn is coached by Al Rhodes who has a 469-210 career record in his 29th season, including a 405-133 mark in 22 campaigns at Warsaw.
Six-five senior Jordan Berry averages 13.2 ppg, 6-3 sophomore Jeff Laidig 12.3 and 5-11 senior Chris Chaffee 6.6 for the Kingsmen.
“Brady is as tough a post player as we will see, Laidig an excellent shooter and Chaffee a very steady point guard,” Northridge coach Jason Ridge said. “The kids are in their second year under Coach Rhodes and they are getting better at executing his system.”
Memorial’s top scorers are 6-7 senior Michael Kibiloski 15.8 ppg, 6-3 senior Antonio Sanders 10.1 and 5-9 sophomore Todd Johnson 9.0.
“Even without Karvel Anderson (Memorial’s leading scorer last season) they are very similar to the team that ended our season last year (64-50) in the sectional championship,” Ridge said.
“Early in his career Kibiloski was pretty much limited to the post area. Now he can take his game outside to the 3-point line as well as being able to score around the block. Sanders runs the floor and always seems to be around the ball. Johnson is a quality point guard who can also score when called upon.”
In another NLC game, the Wawasee Warriors (6-4, 2-1) visit Plymouth (7-5, 2-1) on Friday.
Six-four junior Riley Stichter leads the Warriors in scoring at 21.9 ppg, followed by 5-10 senior Keegan Beer 18.0 and 6-3 freshman Jacob Thompson 12.5.
Beer is coming off a 32-point performance in which he drilled six ‘3s’ in last Friday’s 88-71 win over Memorial.
“Beer hit a couple of shots early on and his confidence started growing,” Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said.
“I think a lot of people felt Plymouth would try to slow us down, but the Pilgrims like to run a little bit,” Mishler said. “Plymouth takes whatever the opposing team gives them and then limits the opposition’s strengths.
“They always have good shooters from the perimeter (69 3-pointers so far this season) so we need to be ready to challenge those shots.”
Bethany Christian (4-6) hosts Fort Wayne Canterbury (7-3) tonight. The Bruins have not played since a 41-31 loss to Argos on Jan. 8.
“Like the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints we are shaking off some rust,” Bethany coach Jim Buller said. “We are anxious to play again.
“Canterbury is a solid team loaded with good athletes. Any time you have a situation like that it’s a problem because we have a hard time trying to simulate that in practice.”
The Bruins are led in scoring by 6-4 senior Seth Kauffman 20.1 ppg, 6-7 junior Hamilton Thorne 7.8 and 5-10 senior Mikey Kelly 5.5.
