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>> It is week one of the prep sports report.

Tonight, we focus on boys and girls high school basketball and a special feature on girls high school wrestling.

All that next on lakeshore PBS.

[ THEME MUSIC ] >> All right.

It is week one of prep sports here on layingshore PBS.

We start off tonight with some girls high school basketball.

Our first game to preview is Michigan city and crown point.

We thought it was going to be a rebuilding year for the crown point lady bulldogs.

But recently, they're improving and I was really impressed with how they played like central.

>> As a matter of fact, we have two ranked teams in the region and crown point played them tough.

That is good news if you are a CP fan.

>> Michigan city, 5-9 as he come in tomorrow night.

Won three out of the last four.

>> ISUM is averaging 14 points per game.

She's a strong player for Michigan city this year.

>> I think the problem might not be offense but as we talked about before we came out, crown point is forcing >> That's what you have to do.

When you lose two of the best player ins northwest Indiana from last year, defensively, you have to step your game up especially when February comes around >> Defensively, that's the nice steal and break-away.

So Michigan city brings the defensive intensity as well.

But they also share the ball.

>> Yeah.

They what?

>> They share the ball.

It's a concept in basketball.

>> Wow.

>> And there's a nice shot there at the top of the D. >> I hope the boys are taking notes on this.

Share the basketball.

And there's some quickness.

Drove the baseline.

Get the basket right there.

And the note for that person.

Don't give up the baseline.

That being said, nice play by Michigan city.

>> That is a nice defensive steal.

>> They're sharing the ball.

Absolutely.

So they're showing that defensive prowess and may be able to slow crown point down.

>> All right.

You see Michigan city, their top scorers and defense will be important for them against crown point.

How about the lady bulldogs?

>> Speaking of defense.

>> 11-7 on the season after losing tremendous group of young ladies who played for them the last two years.

>> They lost a lot of productivity from this team.

There's been a lot of talent there behind that productivity and an excellent Coach in Chris.

This team is why they won state championships recently and it's because of the efficiency and the overall athletic ability from this team.

>> These girls played last year and they do have experience.

That's going to help them this season >> It's a different role.

I think the young lady who played the most and she's taking on a bigger role as a scorer.

>> She embraced that leadership ability.

She's averaging 118 points per game and shooting 53% from the field.

She's high volume and scoring at a high clip.

>> The Stoddard girl went to Purdue.

>> Expecting you to know whether she's playing and all.

>> You know what?

I will say this much.

I will do some research.

I will say this much that we are very glad to have all the talent we can get.

>> The women's team is doing better this year.

>> The team is doing pretty good.

>> What can I say about that?

>> I'm excited about that.

>> That's I contradicted a Purdue person, what's wrong with me?

People ask that often.

Check out the Rebounding for crown point.

They will beat you on the glass if you don't hit the Rebound against them and defensively, they're pretty good, too, this season.

>> All right.

Let's see the prediction.

All right.

Crown point over Michigan city.

I think the bulldogs are improving, and you know, getting better here into January.

Give Michigan city some motivation.

>> I think so.

We have already seen that Michigan city has a lot of skills.

They are playing some good defense.

Is it enough defense to chip away at that 20-point prediction, we'll see.

>> Let's not remind me if it isn't.

[LAUGHTER] Okay.

How about Valpo Portage girls with another game on the slate tomorrow night.

Here's the basketball team in Valparaiso who really had it going on.

They were winning every game and then the injuries in late December that kind of screwed them up.

>> Yeah.

Becca averaging 14 points per game.

She's injured and will be out here.

Valpo a skilled team with a lot of experience on this roster.

They're going to have to fill that void there because 14 points per game is an awful lot.

>> Valpo, 14-1, lost to Penn.

Got one of the best freshmen in the state.

Not going to win when you say that.

>> Leads the team in scoring, Rebounding, assists, the whole nine yards.

She can-- >> Whoa!

Beautiful spin move in the lane finishing.

That's an excellent play.

>> And her Coach says she-- I think we have seen it already.

She doesn't ask like a (inaudible).

She can run the floor.

>> That's Becca with the finish.

She's going to have an opportunity to kind of be a leader from the bench here because of her injury.

Definitely something that Valpo needs to fill that missing piece, and I think they have the talent to do it.

>> You can see the young lady right there.

15 and her Coach says she's good enough to Coach the team by herself.

She's that good.

Kristin BAKATA from downtown.

That's an excellent shot.

Signed with Elmhurst and continued her basketball career.

Averaging 18 steals a game.

That's what pops out right there.

>> That's a huge number.

Not only for sales but forced turnovers.

That's an excellent sign for Valparaiso going forward.

>> I bet a third are by the freshman >> She's the real deal.

All right.

Let's check out a little Portage.

They come into this game 9-8 on the season.

>> They do have some momentum behind them.

They have won three out of the last five game.

They may be an underdog here but they're definitely in a position to have some positive transactions going in their way.

>> That's the Rebound.

You don't have a problem going to the basket.

ALONTE Wright for two.

>> Look at that teamwork there.

the give and go three-pointer from the corner by Melinda.

That's an excellent play.

>> They pass the ball and how many times did we talk about that today.

They try to find a person who is open for a good shot.

That's going to help them in any game they play this year.

>> Good Dish off there to Evelyn GARZA.

This Portage team plays a very strong brand of team basketball.

We're seeing these assists.

We're seeing the drives.

We're also seeing deadly from beyond the arc.

That's what they need to keep this game close.

The three-pointers are the great equalizer, right?

They have the ability to drain them.

>> And the volley with the knockdown 3.

Here's a steal by Ann, and what a play.

Finishing in traffic with two defenders on her.

Incredible play.

>> And Portage is getting the Rebound, too.

You got to give them credit.

29 per game.

Not bad.

Average 49 points for a game.

They got the combination that could really knock off some very good basketball teams.

So this is my prediction for this game.

I figure 58-45.

I know that Valpo is a little short-handed and Portage has a lot of momentum behind them.

I think right now the way these two teams are playing, that's where we will wind up.

>> I think, too, Valpo is probably still not past that adjustment period playing without their starter there.

>> It's been a week.

Obviously, practice, you can do it, you know, a little, but playing games and I think defensively, Portage will be focus more maybe even on it.

>> We have to see.

It's a next woman up type scenario.

Who's gonna step up?

We're going to find out.

>> Let's move to boys.

Traditional January 1 Friday night game between COWL is a wonderful little town and the basketball team is the passion of the town.

>> Yeah >> There's 2,000 people that live in counts and that gym is filled almost every night.

>> Spencer Andrews for 2.

There he is again.

Nice move.

Matthew Baker knocked down a shot.

They're 3-0 in the PCC.

Yes, they are.

They have lost a lot in the last couple of years.

Two years ago, they made a run downstate.

These younger players that were on that team are taking that leadership position and look at that wonderful play there by Gabe Matthews-- Mathis, because that is an excellent team brand of ball.

>> And even though you got a whole bunch from three years ago you are winning basketball games.

>> Coach is highly respected for all he's done for, A, being a successful Coach and being a good teacher, but B, doing what's right and making sure that these guide kids are playing the right brand of basketball.

>> They're not a high scoring team but I like what we are seeing in the highlights.

They have three, four guys all scoring.

>> Yeah.

That's something you that want from a team like this.

There's maybe not a superstar on this squad, but it's definitely something that, hey, if you score 10 today and I score 10 today, nip on this roster can go off for a little bit of scoring and that makes the game more threatening to the opponent.

>> North Judson is a team that hasn't got a lot of hype this year.

They had the 7-2 record coming in.

They've been off to a really good start this season and let's check them out.

They're 7-2 as I said.

They also-- they average 60 points ayou game.

They're looking to play more uptempo and getting more shots off the floor.

>> They won 3 of the last 5 games.

This is a team filled with athletes.

They have a lot of good athletes there.

They're showing it so far.

>> What a beautiful shot from downtown.

>> I like the fact they went to the hoop on one play and on the next play, they show the outside shooting ability.

This say team that's well rounded and they will be tough to beat.

>> The turnaround jumper.

>> You saw TYSCHUMACHer with 3. ?

they have Cheyenne Allen.

He has a long football season with going to the semistate.

So he might be in the form basketball-wise as well.

>> Justin with the dagger from the corner.

>> Another team with balance >> And outside shooting ability.

If you can hit that outside shot on a consistent basis, you can make an opponent nervous.

>> They are consistent.

It shows in the highlights.

They're efficient.

They're making a lot of tough shots that are even contested.

They're doing it in the lane and doing a great job.

>> I'm going with counts by 10, 65-55.

>> How come you ain't picking?

>> Who me?

>> Yeah.

>> Danger.

[LAUGHTER] >> I like north Judson by 10.

Our last boys game that we're going to check out is whiting and lake station.

And that's how we're picking this game.

>> Yeah.

Definitely wanted to because a little bit of-- [LAUGHTER] Because everybody that plays lake station will lose 100-0.

>> He looks an outstanding pointer.

He's fluid out there.

He finds the open man and he's a good player.

He's actually averaging 18.6 points.

He's not just distributing.

He's scoring at a high clip as well.

>> Saw Nolan post.

Knocked down a J.

>> Look at that.

>> That was Jeremiah ALLARD there with that jump shot.

>> He has a future ahead of him.

He's an excellent ballplayer.

>> How many times did you say with the team that they're doing an outside jumper.

>> And posting up.

Going into the post.

>> Too soon.

Too soon.

>> Sorry.

No one-- you're seeing a team that has struggled a little bit record-wise, but if you look at their offensive sets, they're really efficient.

Finding the open man on the swing passes and they're hitting all their shots.

They're averaging 48 points per game, but they are Rebounding.

>> They're going to have more than 48 when they take on lake station.

>> People tend to put a few points on the board.

>> 8-1, who did lake station lose to?

>> I have no idea.

I have no comment on that comment.

It was west side, yeah.

That's a good team for lake station.

Because if you recall, there was a lot of pressure on them, unbeaten, going into the Month of February and last year, as it turned out, they got that and end up losing again.

All right.

Lake station, 3-0 in the greater south shore.

Outstanding high school basketball player and he led this team to an 8-1 start which is really impressive.

They're playing good ball.

>> Yeah.

And they're playing with the good teams because they want to be prepared for the Month of march.

They are not the size of last year's team, but they have people who can get it done.

>> Yeah.

Not bad at all.

>> they are still big.

Dan the man from the corner.

Knocked that out.

He had himself a good game.

>> Yeah.

That's eastland.

Throwing the shots from the corner.

That's Willy mill Theatre we already mentioned.

>> You will hear a lot of different names.

That's the good thing about this basketball team.

Ask Miller again but eastland can hit that if necessary.

You have other guys on that team and and that's this point.

>> Look at the height of this squad.

>> They have a lot of good size and a lot of good physiques.

They're strong, athletic individuals.

This is an excellent team.

>> They got the shorter guy playing inside.

ARMANI Gonzales.

>> Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] >> And ARMANI came up with the big shot the game the one we just saw.

It was like three-point shot from the right side to win the game and it goes to show that it's not just Willy Miller.

So this is my pick here since Tommy did not want to pick the lake station team.

Lake station, 63, whiting 45.

I think that lake station will be just a little bit too much for whiting.

>> Time for our feature.

Did you know because I didn't a month ago, two, three months ago.

That girl high school wrestling is a thing.

>> No.

>> You know now.

You didn't know then >> No, I didn't >> We all didn't know.

>> It's growing in popularity.

We have a handful of programs here.

I think hope had it for a couple of years and Buffalo has.

This is a program that's exciting and the girls seem to love it.

>> Crown point has a girls team.

Portage, Maryville and we check out the HOVERT girls wrestling team.

>> This is the girls wrestling team.

Right now, it's girling wrestling is an emerging sport in Indiana.

We are only concerned as a club and in two, three years there have the tournament.

>> I'm junior of 2024, and this is my first time like ever wrestling.

Like I wrestled in elementary school when I was like maybe five or six.

It's getting more kids active and getting them involved with their school.

They're not playing basketball, you know, basketball team is so small.

Wrestling, we take everyone and hope you can survive.

You're a part of the team.

Show up every day.

I feel like wrestling really helps teach you guys self-discipline.

You get what you put in is what you tell them.

>> Obviously, it's a team sport.

You are on a team of other girls, it's what you want to do and how good you want to be.

I feel like it's showing the best version of yourself, how good you want to be, how good you want to show everyone else you are.

>> We keep getting more and more girl.

I have been coaching for quite a while and the number of girl on the team is increasing.

Right now, girls want to wrestle other girls.

We're at a point like with the Olympics and Colleges all getting girls teams, that we just need more girls to come wrestling.

They feel more comfortable wrestling other girls than if they are around boys.

They feel outmatched by boys who have been wrestling for a long time and they are a beginner.

>> My brothers I have seen them.

So everyone was like why don't you give it a shot.

Here I am.

>> I think it's really cool for girls wrestling is often intimidating and doing it with other girls, it makes eight little less scary.

I think if you're a freshman, you should give it a go.

I do wish it was earlier so I could have experienced it a little bit longer.

It was kind of hard.

I'm not going to lie.

Wrestling is a different pace.

It's a super fast paced.

You are doing something.

It's six minutes of westling straight on with someone, just working hard.

>> It's a change compared to the other sports I play.

So it was like getting used to like the breathing type of it, always constantly doing something.

>> I love how conditioned it makes me.

>> I play soccer and run track.

They do not compare.

This is a different level in regard to the strength you need to have with your body and how conditioned you need to be.

I played 80-minute soccer games and this is by far way harder, even though it's only six minutes >> We try to hype it up like this in the history of our first girls wrestling team.

30 years down the road, maybe they'll call you guys back and this was the first team.

You know, you guys paveed the road.

So now we have like this full wrestling team and it's all because you ladies all showed interest and now, here we are later on.

We have more girls.

>> I think it's awesome that our school is doing something like this, giving the girls a chance to show that hey, we can do the same thing the boys can do.

I know a lot of other schools, girls are on the boys team.

I think giving us our own team, it's saying that we can do it, too, and we're just as good.

Showing what girls can do.

>> I hope this program goes far.

And I hope we get a lot of girls >> this is the first team and we have 20, 24 girls.

I hope it continues to grow and gets bigger.

More people come out and see how fun it is.

>> It's a huge mental game.

You need to have a really strong mental attitude to get this done.

It's making me a stronger person.

I never had much strength, but now I feel like I could say I'm a little bit stronger since I joined wrestling.

>> I feel hike we have an awesome Coach.

I feel like he has a lot of patience because we're so new and a lot of us don't know what we're doing.

He does a great job teaching us what we need to know and being patient.

>> I hope that this keeps going because I think it's so cool.

I think girl wrestlers are cool.

Yeah.

Just really awesome to be able to be a part of the first-ever team and make history.

>> All right.

That was an awesome feature.

We got a few minutes left here.

So we got to get to the girls basketball poll and the boys basketball poll for this week and the prep sports report.

Well, Valpo lost.

So let's see if there's changes in this poll.

>> Who does the drum roll?

>> Go ahead.

[ Drum roll ] >> Crown point is 10.

North Judson 9.

KD is 6.

Morgan, Washington township, what about the top five?

>> Oh, I think that's right.

Valpo at 14-1, should probably still be number one.

>> Highland and Andrean.

A lot of good programs at 4, 3 about 2.

Valparaiso, number one.

It could be because of the record right now.

Because obviously there's a lot of fight.

A lot of strong teams.

We got to play the games.

We have to see and right now, they earned it.

>> That's that's one reason they have four losses.

Indiana Christian on the boys side.

That's a lake station rival.

>> They're playing good basketball as well.

>> Valpo at 10.

Chester at 10.

Valpo at 9.

They're pretty evenly matched.

Morgan and Maryville.

>> Chesterton is going to be moving up.

They played a tremendous schedule.

They played carmel but Valpo played carmel, too.

Hannan central is 12-1 with the big win over 21st century.

I wasn't happy about that.

[LAUGHTER] The cougars are 9-3 on the season.

Munster back at it.

They've had a tremendous start to the year.

Lake central boys doing very well.

I think LC beat Munster last week or two ago.

>> Lake station, who we have already seen.

>> Did you do the poll?

[LAUGHTER] Lake station and we congratulate different team, CC from the girls team, she picked up her 1,000th career point >> Congratulations.

>> Are you handing her the basketball tomorrow night?

>> I think they did it already.

[LAUGHTER] All right.

Upcoming game this week in high school basketball.

Some of the ones we talked about, La Porte on the girls side, that will be a good one.

Crown point and Munster.

>> That's going to be a fun match-up and get your tickets now.

>> Lowell is a rivalry game.

They obviously know each other very well.

Elsewhere, some other games, boys side, city and crown point, Maryville, chesterton, that's a good one.

>> Congratulations to merryville, they bounced back from a not so well season and doing well this year >> They havic anded it up and battle of bridge, Munster and highland.

>> They don't paint that bridge anymore, do they?

>> I don't think so.

All right.

We will see you again next Thursday night.

Don't forget, you can watch all these videos.

If you missed a show and you saw athlete on television and you want to call somebody, call because these videos go on our Facebook page.

Lakeshore prep sports@facebook.com.

You can check out the Holbert wrestling feature, all the highlight packages, tonight.

They will run here in northwest Indiana, and I know that happens a lot because we see the posts up there where they call somebody's name and say, hey, look.

That's how I consume a lot of our media here.

I check it out on Facebook and check it out on YouTube what we have posted there.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to show your friends.

Hey, I was on television on Thursday night.

>> Tomorrow night, you need to say Willy, did you see yourself knocking down those 3s?

>> Yeah.

All right.

See you next Thursday night.

Good night.