We made them earn it!

We had the game plan, we executed the game plan, but we got beat. We got beat by a good team. It wasn't because of lack of effort. We didn't lose because we got out hustled. We made them earn every bucket. Tonight the Concordia Cadets defeated our Railroaders by a score of 56-35. We were right in the game through the first half and were only down 9-8 in the first quarter. We turned the ball over too many times in the second quarter and were down 11 at the half. We never gave up and ended up winning the 4th quarter 12-11. Our Coaching staff and our players were well prepared and we were focused on doing whatever it took to win. The win just wasn't meant to be.

I am so proud of our seniors, Todd Frickey, Tyler David, and Logan Casselman.  We are honored to have watched them play Basketball this year. They can hold their heads high for all their hard work and the role models they are. We wish them all the luck in their future and will miss their leadership.

I can't say enough about Drake Landes. He is only a Junior but with the Seniors, he is the true leader of this team. He scored 22 of our 35 points. I really believe he played within himself and proved he could match up with some really great athletes.

In the end, we just didn't have enough offense and turned the ball over too many times to come out on top.

In the second game, the other private school in our sectional, Bishop Dwenger, was too much for Angola and one that game 59-35.  So the championship game is set. Concordia and Dwenger will play MONDAY NIGHT in the Bateman Gym to earn the right to play in the Regional Next week. Good Luck Teams!

Day #1 Sectional 22 - 99!

Day #1 at the Garrett 3A Sectional -- Points, Points and more Points!

I saw very little defense tonight in the Paul Bateman Gymnasium as three of the four teams scored over 80 points and one almost broke the century mark. In game #1, the offense minded Leo Lions scored 83 points but Concordia put up 99 and could have had well over 100 if they wanted to. In game #2, Angola put up 81 points while Woodlan only managed 65. Poor Bob Novy, voice of the Railroaders, had virtually no time off between shots and his vocal chords got a major workout. Leo, Concordia, and Angola all had 4 players in double figures.

If someone could just learn to play defense on Friday Night, the outcome could be quite different. I am a firm believer that Defense wins championships. I don't care what sport it is. If you play good solid defense, you will win most of your games. Garrett and Bishop Dwenger will have there chance to prove defense is the key to victory.

Friday Night the Railroaders will take on Concordia in game one, starting at 6pm. Game 2 will feature the Bishop Dwenger Saints taking on the Angola Hornets. That game should begin around 7:30pm.
Good Luck Railroaders, remember Defense Wins Championships!

Frickey Leads to Victory at Manchester!

It's a long bus trip. It was senior night at Manchester. It was Hall of Fame night. They had a flash mob dance that was way cool before the game. But, the Railroaders owned the Basketball game tonight! The Boys Basketball team ended the regular season with a victory on the road over the Squires. The Game started out all Railroaders as the team led by 10 (31-21) at the half. The third quarter was all Squires as they came out inspired. At the end of the quarter they had scored 21 more points and we only had 11, tied at 42-42. The 4th quarter was ours and we held off the home team for a 56-51 win.

Todd Frickey had a career high 18 points and was consistent all night long. Drake had 13 points and Casselman had 12. It was great to see so many contributing again. The victory tonight was for the entire team. Matt Singleton continues to improve. Joe Martin also had key minutes. The guys off the bench also had a good night. Zack Sarrazine and Vince Marshall had some key shots late in the fourth quarter to also contribute to the win. Even our rock solid Student Cheer Section added to the outcome. There weren't many of them, but they held there own as they were considerably outnumbered! Thanks Connor, Chase, Tyler, and Alex! Go Railroaders!

Now all our concentration is on the Sectional Tournament. The Railroaders will have extra time to prepare as they go the bye and will play the winner of Leo vs Concordia. That game will be played on Friday Night at 6pm. I can't wait to see the  Railroaders fight for another sectional crown. Go Railroaders!

63-58

The Boys Basketball team had their chances tonight. We fell behind by over 9 points on several occasions. We then would charge back and make it a game. But in the end the Railroaders didn't have enough for a pretty good Lakewood Park Program.

As usual we battle for every point and possession we can get. Matt Singleton had a great night tonight, scoring 16 points. That is something we need more often. Drake had 17 points to help the Railroaders. We really had a poor first half especially on the Boards. We gave way too many second and third shots. Our defense was good but we had too many holes that gave up some easy buckets.

We have one more game to get us heading the right direction in the post season. The Railroaders make their first trip to Norht Manchester to take on the Squires.  There are many ways to get there. I and going to take i-69 to Highway 24 toward Huntington. Then before I get to Roanoke I will head west on Indiana 114. That will take you all the way to North Manchester. Once you get into town their are plenty signs to get you to the High School. If you have difficulty finding it, the High School is located near the college.

Good Luck Railroaders!

This week in GHS sports!

The boys basketball team is the last winter sport still playing and this week they are on the road to finish the regular season. On Tuesday they travel a short distance to
Take on Lakewood Park in Auburn. The jv will start the night at 6pm. Then the boys will take the long trip to North Manchester to take on the Squires this friday night. The Manchester jv game begins at 6:15. That game will end the regular season as the following week is the IHSAA sectional tournament.

Good luck team as the season heads to crunch time!

Boys Sectional Pairings!

Garrett will host the IHSAA Sectional #22 Tournament and it will be another great tournament. Here are the pairings:

Game #1 will see the two favorites face each other when Leo takes on the Concordia Cadets. That game will be played on Tuesday, February 28th at 6pm.

Game #2 on Tuesday will be between Woodlan and Angola. That game should start at approximately 7:30pm.

Garrett got the first bye and will play the winner of Leo / Concordia on Friday Night at 6pm.

The second game on Friday will see the Bishop Dwenger Saints face the winner of Angola and Woodlan.

The Championship game will be Saturday, March 3rd starting at 7:30pm.. Good Luck Railroaders!

Great Group of Seniors and Wall of Fame Night

The Basketball wasn't that great. I'm not talking about Garrett. Im talking about the game winners, Dekalb. Garrett had a slow start tonight and were behind 7-2 at the end of the first quarter. We would have loved to play some basketball, but the cross county rivals didn't want to play. After getting an early lead all they wanted to do was hold the ball. It's not much fun to watch. They spread the court and hardly looked at  the basket. I goes thats quite a compliment if they didn't think they could match up to us otherwise.

Still the home team Railroaders fought hard all night but couldn't find a way to get the Barons to come out and play. WE said goodbye to 3 Senior Basketball Players and 2 Senior Cheerleaders. Logan Casselman, Todd Frickey, and Tyler David were all honored before the Varsity game. Tori Cox and Janelle Wilhelm were also honored.  It is always tough to say goodbye to GOOD kids. That was certainly true tonight. I have a lot of respect for these young men and women.

Tonight was another special night at GHS. We honored 5 new inductees to the wall of fame. Andy Bodey was the first inductee. I had the privilege of Coaching Andy. What a great young man and very talented Pole Vaulter. He qualified for the NCAA Regional Track meet in Pole Vault after placing at the State meet his Senior year. He is certainly a deserving athlete.

Next we honored Dan and Courtney Feagler. Courtney who traveled all the way from California to accept her honor was an exceptional basketball player. She is the first Lady Railroader to score over 1000 points and she had a great College Career. Dan or as we like to call him "The Legend!" is the best Basketball Coach this school has ever had. His accomplishments after taking over the reigns from Denny Feagler, is legendary. I am so honored to have been apart of many of those successes and also proud that my daughter had a chance to play for Dan.

We then honored Heath Peters. After honoring his teammate Travis Hampshire last year, it was perfect to honor Heath Tonight. Heath was an exceptional golfer and football player at GHS. He participated at the IHSAA State meet twice and earned the Mental Attitude award. He also was an excellent golfer at IU. As a Hoosier, he is ranked in the top ten in IU golf history in many different categories.

The Last honoree was Gary Shippy. Gary was n excellent athlete at GHS with his strength in Baseball. He went on to play at Texas Wesleyan and participated in 2 national championships as a 4 year letter winter at TW. What a great man and a man in love with Garrett.

I am so honored to have been apart of tonights festivities. It is great to see a small town come out to support it's current team and to honor the past successes. Just another example of why Garrett is a great place to be!

GHS - Week of 2_13_2012

This week at GHS:


The Varsity Boys Basketball team will host Dekalb High School this Friday Night. JV will tip-off at 6pm. The Varsity game will begin at approximately 7:30pm.  We will honor our Senior Basketball Players, Cheerleaders, and Show Choir Members at the conclusion of the JV game. At Halftime of the Varsity Game we will honor the newest WALL OF FAME Inductees. We have 5 great athletes to recognize spanning several decades. After the game we will have a reception in the gym commons.


ALSO ON FRIDAY, We have two GHS Wrestlers traveling to Indianapolis for the 2012 IHSAA State Wrestling Tournament. Hayden Lee and Austin Gibson will wrestle on Friday for a chance to advance into the Saturday Tournament. Wrestling at Indy will begin at 6pm. Here is the rest of the information:

Site: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis | Website
Dates & Times
Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT (First Round).
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, (Quarterfinals at 9:30 am ET with semifinals to follow; Consolations at 5 pm ET; Finals at 7:30 pm ET).
Admission: $8 per session or $20 both days.
Webcast: Saturday night’s state championship matches will be streamed live at www.ihsaatv.org beginning at 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT.

GOOD LUCK Hayden and Austin!

Play Hard=Good Things!

As I have mentioned on several occasions, our Boys Basketball team has been playing hard. Even through tough times, they have never given up. If you keep playing hard, good things will happen. Tonight was that night. The Railroaders got a great win against a quality opponent tonight defeating Heritage 62-48.

Garrett led at every quarter tonight and really out hustled Heritage on both ends of the court. Zack Sarrazine was the leading scorer with 16 points. WOW! But, Zack also led the team in hustle during the second half. He scored all 16 points in the 4th quarter. The Railroaders shot 50% form the field while holding Heritage to only 34%. We also shot a fantastic 93% from the Free throw line. Joe Martin also had a wonderful game scoring a double double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. We really needed that.

That was a great team win. Everybody played hard. Congrats to the Coaches and Players. Now lets get ready for cross county rival Dekalb. They're coming to our house next week!

This Week at GHS!

The IHSAA Girls Basketball Sectional Tournament Headlines this week at GHS. But, that's not the only event on the schedule.

The Sectional Games begin on Tuesday Night in the Paul Bateman Gymnasium. The first game sets the stage for all the other games as the Lady Railroaders take on ACAC Rivals Leo. That game will begin at 6pm on Tuesday. It will be followed by the Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger vs Woodlan game. That game will start at approximately 7:30pm.

We expect a large crowd at the games. You can use one of 3 entrances to get into the gym. All the gates will open at 5pm. I expect the Garrett Middle School entrance to be the best entrance to use. Remember, you can NOT use your Big Train Tickets. Single Game cost is $6.00. To purchase tickets for the entire tournament, the cost is just $10. Seating in the gym will also be different than normal. So, you may not be able to sit in your regular seats. We will divide the gym equally for all 4 teams.

This is one of the Best Sectionals in the Area and our Lady Railroaders have a great chance to earn their first ever 3A Sectional Title. Good Luck Ladies!

Between the Sectional games, we will host another Regular Season Boys game on Thursday Night. Garrett will host the Patriots of Heritage High School on Thursday. The JV game will begin at 6pm. REmember, there is no Freshman game. The Varsity game will start at approximately 7:30pm.

On Friday Night the winner of the Garrett vs Leo game will take on Sectional Favorite Angola. That game will tip off at 6:00pm. The winner of the Dwenger vs Woodlan game will play in the second game against Concordia.

The Championship game will be held on Saturday Night at 7:30pm.

Also, on Saturday, 4 Garrett Wrestlers will travel to FOrt Wayne and the Memorial Coliseum to compete in the Semi-State Wrestling Tournament. Good Luck to Hayden Lee, Brayden Moreau, Austin Gibson, and Travis Carunchia.

Loss at Busco

The Railroaders had another slow start offensively at Churubusco tonight and we just couldn't get it going. The final score was 21-4 at the end of the first quarter. We played them even in the second quarter and were down 31-14 at the half. We are down 41-22 at the end of 3. We wind the final quarter 12-9, but it wasn't enough. The final score was Busco 50-34. Nobody can fault the effort. OUr kids always play hard, no matter what.

The Boys will try to get on track offensively this Thursday night vs Heritage. The game will be in the Bateman Gym. There is NO FRESHMAN game on Thursday.

Railroader Split with the Knights!

The Lady Railroaders absolutely dominated a good East Noble team tonight on Senior Night! The final score was 48-24. The Lady Railroaders forced 17 turnovers, out rebounded East Noble 25 to 14, and out shot the Lady Knights 58% to 25%.  Senior Katie DePew was on a mission tonight. She led the team with 17 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals.  Laura Moynahan was 5 of 7 from the field and had 11 points. Brandi Dawson also had 11 points. The 3rd senior Jordyn Knott added 7 points, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot.

We are SOOOOO very proud of these girls and their accomplishments. We will dearly miss them.

The Boys team battled East Noble throughout the game, but couldn't get enough shots to fall when it counted. We ended up losing 45-39. We would make a charge, take the lead, and then fall back again. But, we never gave up and battled the compete game tonight, fighting for every  possession.  Drake Landes fought for 16 hard earned points and Todd Frickey added 10 for the Railroaders.  We had 14 turnovers to just 5 for East Noble.

Next up on the Schedule is the IHSA Girls Sectional tournament. The Railroaders open the tournament with a BIG game against Leo. Tuesday Nights second game is Bishop Dwenger taking on the Lady Warriors of Woodlan High School.

The Boys will see action again next Thursday Night vs Heritage. This is the last ACAC Conference game of the year. The game will also be played at Home . Good Luck G-Men!

This Week at GHS!

This week:

Thursday -- Varsity / JV Basketball vs East Noble -- This is a really busy night at GHS. We are Hoop'in it up for Health Care in support of St. Martins. There is a dinner before the games, hoop shoot at halftime of the jv game and the girls varsity game. There is also a bake sale. ALL of these events are to support Garrett's very own St. Martins. We will also honor the Senior Girls Basketball players at halftime of the Varsity Boys game.  Here is the game schedule:

5:00 pm -- JV girls (Bateman Gym) and JV boys (Middle School Gym)

6:15 pm (approx.) -- Varsity Girls (Bateman Gym)

7:45 pm (approx.) -- Varsity Boys (Bateman Gym)

Friday -- NO GAMES

Saturday -- IHSAA Regional Wrestling at Carroll High School begins at 9:00 am -- We have 7 wrestlers competing for a chance to make it to Semi-State. Those wrestlers are: Hayden Lee, Austin Gibson, Brayden Moreau, Travis Carunchia, Austun McCray, Kyle Lanning, and Gabe Gunion.

Also, Saturday, The Boys Basketball team travels to Churubusco to take on the Eagles. The JV game begins at 6pm followed by the Varsity at approximately 7:30.  Good Luck Railroaders!

We are competitors!

No matter what goes on during the week, when it comes to competing, our Railroader Student-Athletes are second to none. Tonight was a perfect example of how our kids always rise above. We battled every step of the way against a very good Bluffton Tiger Basketball team tonight. We came back after having a terrible start to the game, down 8-3 at the end of one, we played some pretty good defense to take the lead. We ended the first half up on Bluffton, in the Tiger Den, 25-23. I am proud of those kids. After halftime, we kept that same intensity and fought back-and-forth through the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter we started to fall back. Our shots weren't falling. All the way to the end we fought, but the score ended in favor of Bluffton 51-43.

We got great contributions from the bench and our team leaders did their part. I'm proud of those kids. Justin McCoy got his first varsity minutes at the end of the game and nailed a big 3 pointer to give us a chance to make a run. We had to foul and Bluffton hit their free throws to seal the deal. All we can ask is to compete for 32 minutes, never give up, and give it our best. We had chances. This time they didn't work out for us. Thank You Railroader Basketball team for your dedication and hard work this week.

Railroader Pride and Tradition is alive and well!

This week in GHS Sports!

The Wrestlers are the first to enter the Winter IHSAA Tournament season. The wrestlers will travel to Carroll High School for the IHSAA Sectional Wrestling Tournament this Saturday!. Wrestling will begin at 8am. The Railroaders will face the top wrestlers from:

Carroll (Fort Wayne), Churubusco, Columbia City, Eastside, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne North Side, Fort Wayne Northrop, Leo, and Whitko.

Good Luck Wrestlers.

The Girls Basketball team will host Eastside in a WEDNESDAY night game this coming Wednesday. The JV will tip-off at 6pm followed by the Varsity at approximately 7:30pm. Then the girls will travel to Heritage High School to finish the ACAC regular season. That game will be played this coming Saturday Night starting at 6pm (JV)

The Boys Basketball teams will travel to Bluffton to take on a very good Tiger program. The Freshman will start at 5pm, JV will play at approximately 6:15 and the Varsity at approximately 7:45.  

Good Luck to all the teams as we end the month of January and head toward the end of the winter season!

Great Saturday.....................For Some!

The Garrett Wrestling team continued to improve today on the way to a 4th place finish in the ACAC Wrestling Tournament. The Railroaders were only two points behind 3rd place Leo. The meet was won by Adams Central and the other Adams County team, South Adams, placed 2nd.

The Railroaders had 3 champions for the day. Hayden Lee won the 106 lb. weight class, Brayden Moreau won the 138 lb. weight class, and Austin Gibson was the champion of the 195 lb weight class defeating a great sophomore wrestler from South Adams (My grandson - Klayton Hinshaw).

The Railroader team has made major improvements throughout the season and we are excited about the upcoming IHSAA tournament series!

Here are the rest of the Railroader Placers:

Garrett Placers
1st- Hayden Lee 106
1st- Brayden Moreau 138
1st- Austin Gibson 195
2nd- Austun McCray 132
3rd- Kyle Lanning 152
3rd- Gabe Gunion 160
4th- Dustin Alwine 126
4th- August Novy 145
4th- Jake DenHartigh 285
5th- Travis Carunchia 220
6th- Bo Davis 170

The Girls Basketball team defeated a feisty Lady Raider team by the score of 48-44. The Railroaders dominated the first quarter. But, after Senior Jordyn Knott went down with an ankle injury, the Lady Raiders won the last 3 quarters. The final outcome was determined at the free throw line. Alaina Creager and Katie Depew hit some key free throws to finish with the 4 point victory.  Brandy had 19 points and Katie DePew had 14 points. Katie was  8 out of 10 from the Charity Stripe.

I haven't gotten the Boys Stats yet but the Raiders defeated the Railroaders on a really bad night for Garrett. Garrett was just out played in this game. They out rebounded us, out shot us, and out hustled us on both ends of the court. I don't need a stat sheet to tell that.  So, we put it behind us and work toward next weeks game at Bluffton. The schedule doesn't get any easier! Roll Big Train!

Boys BBall still in hunt for ACAC title + Big Saturday!

Despite the Crazy WInter weather outside, the Bateman gym was warm and friendly for the Railroaders Basketball team. The Railroader Boys team defeated South Adams 62-44 for a big ACAC win. The Boys are now 2-2 in the ACAC and 6-5 overall.

Logan Casselman led the Railroaders with 20 points, Drake Landes had 18 points, and Brandon Porter had 10 points.  Logan had a great night shooting. He has such a great shot and it was good to see them finally go though the net. We kept the turnovers down below double digits and we so much more patient offensively. We made better decisions and the outcome will always follow when that happens.

The top teams in the ACAC still have to battle, Bluffton, Adams Central,  and Leo still have to play each others so, we are still in the hunt for a Championship. It is entirely possible for the ACAC champs to have to losses.

The Railroaders get another chance tomorrow as the Boys and Girls travel to Southern Wells to take on the Raiders. The JV teams tip off at 5pm. The Girls Varsity will start at approximately 6:15 and the Boys Varsity will probably start at 7:45.

ALSO, The wrestlers travel to AC for the Conference tournament. REMEMBER THE START TIME WAS MOVED TO 11AM due to weather. 

GHS Winter Sports hit the Home Stretch!

The ACAC Basketball tournament is a thing of the past. Now we head down the Home Stretch of the winter sports season.

Wednesday Night -- Wrestling Senior Night -- We will honor the Senior Wrestlers in the Bateman Gym Wednesday night when the Railroaders conclude the regular season against the Columbia City Eagles. Wrestling will begin at 6:30pm. Parents should be in the gym by no later than 6:30.

Thursday Night - The Boys Freshman Basketball team will host the Eastside Blazers in the Ober Gym. Tip-off is at 6:30pm.

Friday Night - The Freshman, JV, and Varsity Boys Basketball teams will host the Starfires of South Adams High School. The Freshman and JV will tip-off at 6pm. The freshman game will be played in the Middle School gym.  Also on this Night Alliance Industries is hosting a dinner before the game.  This is a great cause. More information will be posted later this week.

Saturday - The ACAC Wrestling tournament will take place at Adams Central High School. Wrestling will begin at 9am. Some out and support our Great Wrestling Program.

Saturday - The JV and Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams will travel to Poneto, Indiana to take on the Southern Wells Basketball Teams. The JV Boys and Girls will tip-off at 5pm. The Varsity Girls game will start at approximately 6:15pm. The Boys Varsity game will start at approximately 7:45pm.

Good Luck to the Railroaders! Roll Big Train!

ACAC Championship Results

What a great day at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. A great crowd witnessed 4 good basketball teams battle it out for ACAC bragging rights for 2012. In the first game the Southern Wells Lady Raiders never gave in to Goliath, but eventually fell to Leo by the score of 62-51. Jenna Beer earned MVP honors for the tournament and the great Southern Wells crowd took home the Allen County Sheriff's Sportsmanship Award.

In the Boys Championship, the battle was between Bluffton and Leo.  These are two really good teams and the game was great to watch. Bluffton took an early lead 17-2 but Leo ROARED back to lead at the Half 43-42. The 3rd and 4th quarters were back and forth until the final 3 minutes. Then Bluffton took over the game. Bluffton spread the floor and Leo couldn't mount a come back. The final outcome was Bluffton 87-Leo 75. Keith Cochran won the MVP and Heritage High School took the Sportsmanship award.

So, the 89th boys and 38th girls tournament is in the books. IT was great to see all the support and great championship crowd today.

At Halftime of the girls game, we honored Dan Feagler for his 16 years as Head Girls Basketball Coach at Garrett. We also recognized Woodlan's former Athletic Director, Denny Miesle, for his 35 years in educations. At Halftime of the boys game, we honored Stan Gilbert of Bluffton for his 45 year teaching career and Track/Cross Country coaching career.

Boys ACAC Semi-Finals

The Bluffton Tigers dodged a bullet tonight from a vastly improving Heritage Patriot team. The Tigers defeated Heritage 65-61.  This was a very close game all the way. It was 12-11 at the end of the 1st - Heritage, 27-26 Bluffton at the Half, and 43-43 at the end of the 3rd. The Tigers had to get a couple calls from the officials late to get the W. They did and make their way to the Finals on Saturday.

The High Flying Leo Lions scored 105 points and defeated the South Adams Starfires by the score of 105-80. They will also move to the finals.

The Lions and the Tigers are two of the ACAC Premier teams and it will be a real battle on Saturday. The Boys Championship game will tip-off at Noon, this Saturday!