Coach Doug Ogle and his Tiger boy's prepared to play for a championship Saturday night. The Warsaw boys had rolled off a an amazing twelve consecutive victories. Lucky number 13 would give Warsaw their 2nd sectional title in three years.

First they would have to handle last year's sectional champion - The Elkhart Memorial Crimson Chargers. Memorial entered the title bout having won 5 of their last six including two victories this week over Elkhart Central and Northridge. The Tigers defeated the Chargers 57-46 on this same floor February 5th to secure at least a share of the Northern Lakes Conference. In that TV 46 game of the week, Nic Moore scored a game high 24 points while Justin Clemens pitched in 12 for the winning Tigers.

The Warsaw fans showed up in masses for this championship game. Three fourths of the entire North Side Gym were sporting Orange and Black for their beloved Tigers! If you've never experienced the atmosphere of an Indiana high school basketball Sectional game you're missing out because they are intensely electrifying and rival most of the nation's high school State Championships.

The game itself lived up to this and started out with physical play from both teams. If it wasn't for Warsaw Senior Justin Clemens fighting for the game's first 2 points, I'd be able to tell you that there were two "jump ball" calls with the scoreboard reading 0-0. The Tiger Nation will just have to let it slide because before Elkhart Memorial could even put a point on the board Clemens received two fast break passes and put the Tigers up 6-0. The Chargers would answer back with a run of their own as they banked off of a couple of missed opportunities for the Tigers.

Sophomore Todd Johnson scored the first 4 for Elkhart Memorial and they landed a 3-pointer to give them their first lead of the contest. Warsaw would answer with 2 points to end the quarter with a 1 point lead.

Three "jump ball" calls in the first quarter made for a physically demanding start. Both teams wanted this badly. Clemens scored all 8 of Warsaw's points.

End of Quarter 1: Warsaw 8 - Memorial 7

Now if you're wondering where #11 is, don't fret. Tiger Junior Nic Moore was the sleeping 5'8" giant in this game and when the Chargers would score 5 points to put them up 12-8, Nic wasn't having any of it.

Moore would methodically drain of couple of 3-pointers and a distant 2 and would put his Tigers up 16-12. Nic wasn't the only problem Elkhart Memorial had either. With 4:24 left in the half they were already at 6 team fouls.

Clemens would go to the charity stripe and make his 9th and 10th points of the game for an 18-14 lead.

Elkhart Memorial pushed their way back into it with a couple of jumpers from just outside the paint to tie it up at 18.

With 2:09 left in the half, Sophomore Jordyn Coon made his presence known with a shot from beyond the arc and Moore would follow with the same. Clemens seemed to be everywhere he needed to be and with 45 seconds left, scored with a hard lay-up to put his squad at a 26-18 advantage.

Sophomore Lucas Grose would be fouled and with the Chargers having over 7 team fouls would go to the line for a 1 and 1. He made it 28-18 but the half would end with Memorial's Johnson making 1 of his 2 free throws.

The never-ending sea of orange and black gave their boys a standing ovation as they walked to the locker room. Confidence was at a season high and I'm guessing Warsaw's 20-12 outscoring over Elkhart Memorial had something to do with it.

End of 1st Half: Warsaw 28 - Memorial 19

The second half started with Coon getting a traveling call and then making up for it with a steal. The third quarter would belong to Moore though. He quickly scored 2 points and on Warsaw's next 3 possessions would nail down just as many 3 pointers. You read it correctly. Three straight shots taken from beyond the arc, three straight shots made from beyond the arc. It was incredible and fans looked at the scoreboard and saw the game's largest lead at 14. With Warsaw running away with a 39-25 lead Elkhart Memorial had to figure something out quick.

They turned to Todd Johnson.

The Chargers would gain ground when Johnson would make a 3 pointer and on his next possession be fouled on a reverse lay-up. The ball rolled around the orange ring only to fall in. The Memorial cheerblock got even louder when he made his free throw.

Warsaw started playing fast break basketball and Coach Doug Ogle had to slow things down with a time-out at the 2:13 mark.

Elkhart Memorial's Urston Smith added to the comeback with a trinity shot of his own to bring the Chargers within 3.

Clemens would close out the quarter with a couple of lay-ups giving Warsaw a 43-38 lead. Warsaw fans became uneasy with one team's season ending in about 8 minutes.

End of Quarter #3: Warsaw 43 - Memorial 38

The Cardiac Quarter. Why? Like I said, one team's season was ending but EVERYBODY'S heart was pounding.

Warsaw let a 14 point lead slide down to 5.

Nic Moore was on fire but was it enough?

He started the quarter with the ball in his hands. As he called for a pick, he came around the other side of the block to find a Charger in his face. He was clobbered but the official cited him with a traveling call. Warsaw fans hissed and booed with many standing on their feet waving their arms. The entire game was like this for both sides. INTENSE INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL I SAY!

Johnson seemed to know exactly what to do every time he had the ball and got his team even closer with some rain from beyond the arc line.

43-41 Warsaw.

With the ball in Moore's hand, Warsaw fans believed. He answered back with a 3 pointer of his own and suddenly the orange and black felt like their boys were back on track.

They certainly were. Sure, Todd Johnson made 2 points to bring his team back within 3 but not before Jordyn Coon would smack 2 of his shots back into Johnson's face.

Coach Ogle would call a time-out to talk about strategy. Coming out of the T.O. Moore would sink a 3 pointer giving his Tigers a hint of taste from a Sectional Championship. The Tigers led 49-43 at this point.

Chargers Mike Kibiloski, Todd Johnson and Urston Smith weren't going down without a fight though.

Johnson scored 2 points. 49-45 Warsaw.

Grose would be fouled on a lay-up that found it's way into the hoop. Nic Moore had a few intense and encouraging words for Grose before the free throw shot. Unfortunately, Grose missed the charity shot and the Chargers would rebound.

Smith sank a 3 pointer for a 51-48 Tigers lead.

The Chargers would call a time-out with 2:22 left to go in the game. If your heart wasn't pounding before it definitely is now because Senior Kibiloski put up a jumper bringing his Chargers within just 1 point.

51-50 Warsaw Tigers lead.

The next cluster of plays would be the final deciding factor in the 2010 Sectional #4 Championship game.

Moore would find a wide open Coon for a 3 point shot but Coon would miss with less than 45 seconds to play. Tiger fans cringed when the Chargers rebounded but that cringe quickly turned to relief when Coon would make the play of the game and steal it before Memorial's Johnson passed the half court line and drove to the basket for 2 points. 53-50 Warsaw Tiger lead.

Every Warsaw Tigers fan was standing in anticipation and appreciation.

With 21 seconds to go Coon was fouled and would make both free throws giving the Tigers their final points of the game. Nobody knows what would have happened had Coon not made that steal.

Time-out Elkhart Memorial.

With that 21 seconds still left to score 5 points, the Charger played like they were still in a one possession game. Their passing abilities seemed to work but zero shots were taken on the possession and the game would end when the ball was overthrown and would sail out of bounds with only 3 seconds left. Charger fans were stunned.

The sea of orange and black would erupt on the other side though! Tigers fans were high-fiving and throwing their arms up in victory as the ball was in-bounded and the sweet sound of the buzzer rang.

Final Score: Warsaw 55 - Memorial 50

The sectional #4 champs will now travel to Michigan City Saturday March 13th to play the winner of the Valparaiso/Merrillville contest that was postponed to Monday night. Merrillville beat Valpo 64-59 in overtime just three weeks ago.

Warsaw will play in game #2 starting at 12:00pm CST. Game #1 will begin at 10:00am CST and will feature the Munster Mustangs (23-2) vs. the South Bend Washington Panthers (15-9). The regional final will be played in the same gym at 7:30pm CST. For those traveling Tiger fans remember that those are Central Time Zone times.

Way to go Warsaw Tigers!! 2010 Sectional #4 Champions!!

Regional tickets will be on sale in the Athletic Office at WCHS by mid-week. More information will be posted here at www.TigerSportsNation.com

Posted In: Boy's Sports > Basketball

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