Cool Claussen leads Hobart to big softball sectional win

CROWN POINT | The world was spinning quicker. The heart should've been pounding. But Hobart pitcher Dana Claussen's mind was somewhere else.

Andrean's Cunningham hired to coach at Montana college

MERRILLVILLE | Carson Cunningham knows his future will now have his beloved region pizza frozen and sent to him via the U.S. Postal service.

Crown Point gets revenge in beating Chesterton in sectional opener

CROWN POINT | Miranda Elish and her teammates didn't hear it once or twice or three times.

West Side's Johnson commits to Ohio State for football

The courtship lasted awhile, but the date with destiny for West Side wide receiver Lonnie Johnson and Ohio State was confirmed.

Hobart's Wilson overcomes much to get to the top

HOBART | Hannah Wilson is not alone. The sophomore softball player at Hobart is like roughly half the kids in America, whose parents have gone through the emotional roller coaster of a divorce.

West Side's Johnson leads Cougars to historic win at Highland boys track sectional

HIGHLAND | Depth is a great asset in boys track sectionals. Insane speed is right there with the large numbers when trophies are being handed out.

Keilman leads Noll to the top as a freshman

HAMMOND | Bishop Noll lost a lot of talent from its softball team last year. At the top of the list was hard-throwing pitcher Vanessa Hartzell, a powerful strikeout waiting to happen.

Noll's Trost resigns to return home for coaching job in Utah

Bishop Noll boys basketball coach Drew Trost is looking forward to returning home to Salt Lake City, where he accepted the coaching position at Juan Diego Catholic High School, making the announcement on Thursday afternoon.

Blind draw gives tough sectional openers to many area softball teams

The IHSAA blind draw tournament is as traditional in Indiana as corn and dirty flannel shirts. Sometimes it gives good results. Sometimes it doesn't.

Noll pitching, hitting gets back-to-back win over Whiting

HAMMOND | The biggest drama took place on Tuesday night when Times No. 6 Bishop Noll scored five runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh inning to beat No. 10 Whiting to win the Greater South Shore Conference championship.

Andrean's Cunningham interviewing for college post in Montana

Carson Cunningham led Andrean to the Class 3A Northern Semistate in March. After the 68-63 overtime loss to Fort Wayne Concordia and the coming loss of nine seniors, the Purdue grad was asked if he would return as the 59ers coach.

Morton gets past Westville on passed ball

HAMMOND | Many old-timers say today's youth just don't listen to their elders anymore. Too busy with social media and other silly nonsense, it's been suggested.

Elish not surprising anyone with her fantastic start for the Bulldogs

CROWN POINT | She's like Elvis at a county fair in the mid 1950s. Or the Beatles playing in front of a German crowd before Ed Sullivan.

Murphy sisters lead Munster to at least a share of NCC crown in softball

GRIFFITH | You would think that Carly Murphy would've taken her little sister, Tegan, out for dinner on Thursday night. And paid for it, too. At a place that doesn't serve grub in a bag.

K.V.'s Cavinder steps up big for her mother

WHEATFIELD | Diane Cavinder gingerly walked to the softball diamond at Kankakee Valley on Wednesday before the Times No. 8 Kougars took on No. 4 Griffith.

IHSAA to allow home-schoolers to compete at public schools

When Calumet Christian School volleyball coach Melinda Carr learned the Indiana High School Athletic Association adopted a bylaw to allow home-schooled students to participate in IHSAA-sanctioned sports, Carr said two words.

Big changes come as IHSAA releases new sectional allignments

The IHSAA's Board of Directors were busy on Monday. The new sectional alignments for all sports were released for the next two school seasons, and the IHSAA approved home-school students to participate in athletics in the school district where they live.

Rock leads Crown Point to dramatic come-from-behind win against L.C.

CROWN POINT | One of the oldest and most time-tested adages in softball is simple: "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."

K.V.'s Matson doing what she always does, win

Alyssa Matson was your typical 10-year-old. She didn't really know what she wanted to do so she did everything.

Bohnert's blast caps crazy Chesterton comeback against L.C.

ST. JOHN | If it was by design, Chesterton coach LouAnn Hopson won't admit it. If it was planned out, it was brilliant and allowed The Times No. 1 Trojans to win an insane game at Lake Central on Thursday.

Boyle keeps young Andrean moving in the right direction in softball

MERRILLVILLE | Maybe it was the freezing wind blowing straight into her face. Or maybe one of her Andrean 59ers cracked a joke when she was in the middle of the circle.

Lowell 'drops' Kankakee Valley in big NCC softball contest

LOWELL | It was a Yin and Yang kind of afternoon. It had a little good, a little bad and a little ugly.

High school all-stars get a quarter pounding in McLegends

HARVEY | Tim Zasada looked at the rosters and knew it was a little slanted. The 1990 Hammond grad's premonition proved true Saturday afternoon at Thornton High School.

Lake Central's Del Toro learning how to lead

ST. JOHN | Lily Del Toro was an interesting young lady. There were highs and lows as she started her love of physical activity.

Lowell's Pokropinski not alone in her solo quest

LOWELL | Pete Iussig heard a noise last summer. He looked out the window and saw nothing. No car. No tractor. No cows.

Munster's Schlotman named to Indiana All-Star team

Michael Schlotman lead Munster to an undefeated regular season, the No. 1 ranking in the state in every poll and a sectional championship.

Hanover Central picks Harrison as new football coach

CEDAR LAKE | The Hanover Community School Board hired its first football coach in more than four decades on Tuesday night, voting 5-0 in favor of hiring Robert Harrison.

L.C.'s Del Toro deals goose eggs against Crown Point in softball

ST. JOHN | It wasn't a "must win" game as "must win" games go, but it wasn't too far away.

Region hoop fans celebrate the 'hometown' Michigan Wolverines

Across Northwest Indiana on Saturday night, sports fans cheered loudly for their favorite team in the NCAA tournament's semifinals. Pubs and sports bars were packed.

SYF coach remembers fondly Michigan's three frosh

Several years ago Mitch McGary grabbed a rebound in a summer AAU tournament game. His coach started barking the same thing over and over again.

Kankakee Valley softball gets wind-blown win over Hanover

CEDAR LAKE | Sometimes being nice isn't the best way to go. At least in a wild and crazy high school softball game played on a cold field with gale force winds blowing at hurricane speed.

Frigid temps have area softball teams begging for some sunshine

On Tuesday night, Mallory McKee was doing what she loved. She was on a softball field competing. It is what the Chesterton junior was born to do.

Tymorek proves last year was no fluke and beats Lake Central again

CHESTERTON | Megan Tymorek heard it about 1,000 times last June. So, too, did Chesterton softball coach LouAnne Hopson. It was a constant theme in region softball conversations.

Region moms celebrate their sons' Final Four run

All of America will be watching. Likely half the world will be eyeballing Saturday's NCAA Final Four at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. The greatest percentage will care about the game's outcomes.

Area Cubs fans can't believe it's been 10 years since 'The Bartman Game'

It was a beautiful autumn eve on the north side of Chicago. Dave Pishkur and his son, Ryne, were taking it all in. The buzz in the air was intense, historic.

Chesterton scores six unearned runs to edge Hanover Central in softball

CEDAR LAKE | On a not-so-good Friday where both teams played less than their best, Mallory McKee got the game-winning "hit."

Andrean's Davidson ends career as one of 59ers' best ever

MERRILLVILLE | The resume is impeccable. The numbers are insane.

Highland native Magiera seeing Gulf Coast's NCAA run up close

Steve Magiera played tennis when he was a student at Highland back in the 1970s. But that doesn't mean the 1976 graduate wasn't keeping an eye on the game of basketball.

Rea taught his Eagles how to respect the game

GARY | The Bowman Academy boys basketball team was having lunch. The Eagles weren't talking cocky hoops in early January. How could they?

Former Wallace football head coach dies after collapsing at school

Many students at Lew Wallace High School had tears in their eyes on Wednesday and heavy hearts at the Glen Park school. Thomas Powell, a math teacher and former football coach for the Hornets, died.

Bowman wins Class 2A state title

INDIANAPOLIS | Three Bowman Academy Eagles fans drove 30-plus hours to get to Indianapolis on Saturday for the Class 2A state championship game against Linton-Stockton.

CLASS 2A STATE NOTEBOOK: Pipkin comes off the 'bench' to spark Bowman

INDIANAPOLIS | Had someone told Antonio Pipkin that he'd only play 11 minutes in Saturday's Class 2A state championship game, he probably would've choked on his Corn Flakes.

It's now or never for the Bowman Academy Eagles

GARY | Of the 410 schools in this year's boys basketball tournament, 406 will end their season with a loss.

Player's mom donates kidney to save coach's life

SCHERERVILLE | The Peifer Elementary School second-graders listened closely as a story was told to them Tuesday morning. It was a tale that could change their life.

Bowman has a Bond with Pipkin in the lineup

GARY | Antonio Pipkin was a freshman in March of 2010. His feet were firmly on one path. He didn't even know there was another road out there.

Bowman's Jackson is playing 'In the Clouds'

GARY | Linden Jackson heard someone ask a profound question once, and it has been his daily icon ever since.

It's official, Lunsford to take over Lake Station football program

Rich Lunsford was influenced greatly by his high school football coach, Kirk Kennedy. The 1998 Lowell grad knew what he wanted to do with his life playing for Kennedy's Red Devils.

Andrean's Boyle hopes to keep the dream rolling

MERRILLVILLE | Brenna Boyle had to pinch herself after Tuesday's practice at Andrean. Literally. And it wasn't because of the freezing temperatures outside that made softball practice on the frozen tundra a living hell.

Linton-Stockton's big men could cause problems for Bowman

Dess Fougerousse sums up his life pretty simply. The senior standout on Linton-Stockton's boys basketball team says his life isn't much different from the rest of his Miners, who will play in Saturday's Class 2A state championship game against Bowman Academy.

Bowman makes third trip to state in four years

INDIANAPOLIS | Joey Hart had a long chat with Clint Swan on Sunday. The two old friends who played basketball together at Dugger High School spoke about this week's final chapter of Hoosier Hysteria.