Mid-Indiana Conference play begins this Friday night at Richard R. Rea Stadium. The Northwestern Tigers visit their county rival, Western, as both teams search for their first victory of the 2013-14 season. Northwestern and Western are very familiar with each other. They usually have the chance to face off twice each season because of the Howard County Tournament, and in recent history, the Old School Sectional. Western has won eight of the last nine games against Northwestern. Last season, the Panthers defeated the Tigers twice by the slim margin of only three points total between both games. Fans can expect to see the same nail-biting action this Friday night. The Tigers and the Panthers match up very well. Both squads lost a good portion of their interior bulk last year to graduation. The size matchup will be virtually identical this year, as the two teams will sport guard-heavy lineups. “This years Tigers team is made up of around ten players who all have similar basketball skills,” Northwestern’s head coach Jim Gish said. Early foul trouble from key starters forced coach Gish to go with some unusual lineups in their season opener loss to Madison Grant last week. Keeping starters out.......
Kokomo’s boys basketball team was defeated for the second straight time after a tough 54-53 overtime loss to Muncie Central last night at the historic Muncie Fieldhouse. The game was decided by a putback from Muncie Central’s Tyler Arens as time expired. Controversy surrounding the referee’s decision to count the basket looms large, as some believe the shot was not off before the clock hit zeros. Whether you believe in home cookin’ or not, the Wildkats begin their NCC campaign with a loss. Last night’s loss follows a four-point loss to Fishers last weekend. Losing to a pair of very talented teams, by only a handful of points, is not that bad when you consider the Wildkats’ situation. They are still dealing with the absence of senior guard, Tayler Persons. I think it is a safe bet to say that Persons could easily be the difference maker in these close games, but what we should all be impressed with is how the Wildkats have proven that they can still compete at the highest of levels without him. The Kats will look to rebound from back-to-back losses tonight as they host the Westfield Shamrocks. Westfield is coming off their.......
It is no secret that the state of Indiana favors the sport of basketball. Some of the NBA’s and NCAA’s greatest athletes, such as Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, and Shawn Kemp, just to name a few, hail from our great state. In fact, Indiana produces more professional basketball players, per capita, than any other state. Kokomo fans, in particular, are no strangers to witnessing some of the great talents that Indiana produces. In the past 20 years, Kats’ supporters have had the opportunity to witness first hand the talents of players such as Bonzi Wells, Zach Randolph, Tom Coverdale, AJ Ratliff, Mike Conley, and Greg Oden. This Friday night, Wildkat fans will once again have the chance to witness something great as the class 4A 11th ranked Marion Giants visit Memorial Gymnasium. Senior James Blackmon Jr. will lead the Giants’ attempt to hand Kokomo their third straight loss. Blackmon Jr. is one of the most talented players in the state. He is a candidate for Indiana’s Mr. Basketball and signed to play his college career at Indiana University. Currently ranked 19th in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2014, Blackmon will surely make Friday night’s game worth every bit.......
Boredom should be the last thing on the mind of any Wildkat fan this weekend. Memorial Gymnasium will be the site of three varsity games. The action starts this Friday as the Lady Kats take on the New Castle Trojans. The boys varsity teams will play following the girls. Both matchups will mark the first time that Kokomo and New Castle face off in a non-conference game since both teams joined the NCC in 1926. New Castle left the NCC before this school year began. The Trojans are currently recognized as an independent team and will join the Hoosier Heritage Conference in the 2014-15 school year. The Lady Kats are hotter than ever. They have won their last four games after dropping three in a row earlier this season. The Lady Kats are getting better at closing games and putting four quarters of good basketball together. They play a very good New Castle team that comes into tomorrow’s game with an 11-2 overall record. The game will be a great measuring stick for the Lady Kats to see where they stand heading into the last third of the season. This weekend will be very important for the Kokomo boys team. .......
