NEW CARLISLE – As Ella Bensz churned through the final half-mile of Saturday’s New Prairie Semistate, the La Porte senior heard coach Corbin Slater scream, “You’re going to state!”

NEW CARLISLE – No shoe, no problem, evidently.

A little Panera, a little walking, a little shopping.

PLYMOUTH -- Even for the uninformed, a glance at the roster wasn’t necessary to know what year of high school Bobby Siford is in.

UNION MILLS -- A heartfelt hug for his dad Brian, his play caller, another for his brother Brice, the center, one last group picture of three, and that was it.

La PORTE – Next person up.

A few years ago, when Lilly Zelasko was running in middle school and still trying to figure out the whole cross country thing, she asked her dad a couple questions after a race.

UNION MILLS – Back in the 90s, Isaac Bules and his wife Jessica moved into a new home on Long Lane in Union Mills.

La PORTE – Their athletic acclaim came in volleyball, but for La Porte’s senior quartet of Paige Conklin, Halle Seaburg, Justine Talbert and Olivia Voelker, it all actually started on a softball field early in grade school.

UNION MILLS – Back in August, prior to the start of the football season, Brendan Carr held off on buying receiver gloves.

For anyone out there who may not take the coronavirus seriously, John Barron would like to have a word.

NEW CARLISLE — Being the youngster on the volleyball court has never been a big deal for Haley Robinson.

Four-year New Prairie standout Elise Swistek has been named the Northern Indiana Conference Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row.

Coaching amidst a viral pandemic certainly wasn’t what Grayce Roach envisioned when the former high school and college basketball standout decided to channel her passion for the game by teaching it to others.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — Four years, four semistates.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP — Come next Saturday, it’ll be different.

MICHIGAN CITY — Already minus three players from a depleted lineup, including 6-foot-1 junior middle Aniya Kennedy, La Porte found itself down 17-10 in the opening game of Saturday’s Class 4A Michigan City Sectional.

NEW CARLISLE — Scan down the New Prairie volleyball roster, and it’s hard to miss there is only one senior on the team.

La Porte's Cole Raymond won the Chesterton Regional in boys cross country, while the La Porte and New Prairie volleyball teams won sectional titles Saturday.

NEW CARLISLE -- As the third-quarter clock expired and the players started their march to the other end of the field, the spectators on the home side of Amzie Miller Field got on their feet and sent an ovation the way of the New Prairie Cougars.

PORTAGE -- For over two quarters Friday, La Porte was showing all the symptoms of an emotional hangover.

MICHIGAN CITY — A season of promise for Mirabellah Hernandez came to screeching halt one match into the season.

NEW CARLISLE – For Emma Fleck, there’s nothing better than the sight and sound of one of her team’s hitters smacking a volleyball to the floor.

When Ben Fronk describes himself as a football player, he doesn’t hesitate.

UNION MILLS — At small schools, football coaches sometimes have to come up with creative ways to draw athletes into the sport.

UNION MILLS — While Allee Garner was outside the gym doing an interview Tuesday, South Central coach Jan Fitzpatrick popped inside to see what was going on with the rest of the team.

Three La Porte County girls golfers have shown they have their games together on and off the course.

La PORTE — Post-season momentum isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

La PORTE — La Porte’s volleyball team is like one of those 12-in-one screwdriver sets.

LAKEVILLE -- As with most soccer teams this season, COVID-19 constraints put teams in catch-up mode, forcing them to get up to game speed in matches.

NEW CARLISLE -- There was a point in Saturday's New Prairie Sectional when it dawned on Lilly Zelasko where she was in the race, specifically running second, ahead of Chesterton's Bailey Ranta.

NEW CARLISLE -- An entertaining part of watching Cole Raymond win a race is seeing what the La Porte junior is going to do at the finish line.

MICHIGAN CITY — Sunday is family dinner day at the Salary house, and given the drama of Friday’s 14-13 La Porte overtime win over Michigan City, the conversation was bound to be interesting.

MICHIGAN CITY — Did he or didn’t he?

The Indiana High School Athletic Association Executive Committee unanimously approved honoring three retired IHSAA administrators by officially adding their names to various mental attitude awards.

Going into the post-season on a roll or sharpening your game against quality competition.

Right as Michigan City was ramping back up to speed, the Wolves could be back in neutral.