‘Bigger and stronger’
Wheeler looks to future after first sectional title since 2013, regional loss
Wheeler’s players and staff departed from their home field with their heads held high.
Losing in a Class 2A regional game to powerful Pioneer wasn’t going to put a damper on the Bearcats’ season.
“There’s nothing to be upset or disappointed about,” Wheeler coach Mark Becker said. “We would’ve liked to have won, but it makes us bigger and stronger for next season. We’re going to be a growing program over the next two or three years.
“I’d like to see them win state. I’d like to know the team that knocked us out of the tournament won state. But it was a very good season. We’re satisfied.”
Wheeler (20-8) competed well in a 7-0 loss Tuesday against top-ranked Pioneer (30-2), which moved up after winning the Class A state title in 2018 and finishing as the runner-up in 2019.
To reach that point, the Bearcats won their first sectional title since 2013, topping Illiana Christian 7-3 on Monday, after also having secured the Greater South Shore Conference title. They achieved those results with a roster that had just two seniors, including outfielder Haley Weiland, and a half-dozen freshmen.
“We’ve come leaps and bounds since this class came in, especially since the beginning of the season,” Becker said. “When I look at the maturity not only on the field, but the life lessons and leadership and helping the younger kids, it’s a very satisfying feeling.”
Junior catcher Kyla Chevalier, a potential Division I player, and freshman pitcher Clara Phariss, who flourished despite an ankle injury that caused her to miss three weeks, are among the players expected to return.
Becker pointed to losses during the regular season to teams such as Hobart, Kankakee Valley and Boone Grove as benefiting Wheeler in the long run.
“Those served as a foundation for growth and learning,” Becker said. “It helped us to not only win the conference, which was a surprise to many, but to win the sectional and get to the regional.
“We were always smiling. Even when we lost, we never got down on ourselves. That’s why we did so well in sectionals and why we didn’t embarrass ourselves (Tuesday).”
Inaugural Illiana: The first season that ended in the Indiana High School Athletic Association postseason was a success for Illiana Christian.
The Vikings (14-11) won two sectional games, including a 5-0 victory against Andrean in a semifinal to reverse a regular-season result, before losing to Wheeler.
“Overall, I’m very proud of the season our girls put together,” coach Nicole Terpstra-Wondaal said. “We let a few games slip through our fingers, but we rebounded well and competed against the best teams in our region well. Our 14-11 record doesn’t reflect our capability as a team. We’re better than that record reflects. However, we played some of our best ball the last two weeks of the season, and that’s what we preach to our girls.
“We teach a growth mindset, with progress as the goal. The old adage of ‘it’s not how you start, but how you finish’ still rings true. And
while we didn’t win the last game of the season — only one team gets to experience that feeling — we’re proud of our never quit attitude and our desire to compete day in and day out.”
After moving from Lansing, Illinois, to Dyer before the 2018-19 academic year, Illiana Christian became eligible to participate in the postseason on this side of the state line for the first time in 2020-21.
The Vikings are slated to join the Greater South Shore Conference for 2021-22.
“While we’re very disappointed to be finished for the season, we had many great games and moments throughout our season,” Terpstra-Wondaal said. “So many firsts for our program. … Being one of the last 17 teams to be playing ball in 2A is nothing to hang our heads about. We’re proud of that fact and will build on this season to continue to develop a solid program.
“We’re grateful to the community for adding Illiana to their schedules and welcoming us.” Worthy Westville: Westville won two home games Monday, a 9-7 victory against Morgan Township in a semifinal and a 5-4 victory against Kouts in the final, to claim a Class A sectional championship.
The title was the first for the Blackhawks (15-12) since 2015 and was the program’s third overall, the school’s only three.
Westville lost to top-ranked South Central (25-5) in a regional game Tuesday.