Hanover Central boys win season-opener on road at Lake Station, 47-45

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith
11-27-2006

Tuesday, 11-21-2006 at Lake Station, IN - boys basketball (nonconference) season opener

HANOVER (47)  Charlie Huffnagle 3-2-10, Andrew DeYoung 2-3-7, Jordan Rizo 7-0-14, Aaron Jackson 1-3-5, Scott Krager 1-0-2, Josh Styx 4-1-9, Joe McClymont 0-0-0, Tim Kubiak 0-0-0, Matt Kozlowski 0-0-0.  TOTALS 18 (9-14) 47.

LAKE STATION (45)  Dmitri Tsahas 1-0-2, John Unrue 3-0-6, Aaron Todd 3-0-9, Ryan Todd 4-0-12, Chris Davis 6-0-12, Ian Enriquez 2-0-4, Noah Frizzel 0-0-0, Russell Jorgensen 0-0-0.  TOTALS: 19 (0-2) 45.

FREE THROWS:  HANOVER (9-14, 64.2%) DeYoung 3-3, Jackson 3-4, Styx 1-3, Huffnagle 2-2.
LAKE STATION (0-2, 0%).

REBOUNDS:  HANOVER (17) Aaron Jackson 6, Jordan Rizo 4, Jordan Rizo 3, Charlie Huffnagle 2, Craig Myers, Joe McClymont, Josh Styx;  LAKE STATION (22) Chris Davis 6, Ian Enriquez 4, Aaron Todd 3, John Unrue 3, Ryan Todd 2,  Dmittri Tsahas 2, Russell Jorgensen, Noah Frizzel.

STEALS: HANOVER (10) Jordan Rizo 3, Scott Krager 3, Charlie Huffnagle, Andrew DeYoung, Josh Styx, Aaron Jackson;  LAKE STATION (7) Ian Enriuqez 2, Noah Frizzel ; Ryan Todd 2, Dmitri Tsahas, Aaron Todd.

ASSISTS: HANOVER (10) Andrew DeYoung 3, Scott Krager 2, Tim Kubiak,  Aaron Jackson, Jordan Rizo 2, Charlie Huffnagle;   LAKE STATION (9) John Unrue 2, Chris Davis 2, Aaron Todd 2, Ian Enriquez 2, Dmitri Tsahas.

TURNOVERS:  HANOVER 13,  LAKE STATION 21.

THREE-POINT GOALS: HANOVER (2) Charlie Huffnagle 2,  LAKE STATION (7) Ryan Todd 4, Aaron Todd 3.

FOULED OUT:  None.

LAKE STATION, IN (11-21-2006) - In past years, the local 2A sectional has boiled down to Boone Grove, Bishop Noll or Wheeler.  That's in the process of changing.  The other two 2A teams in Northwest Indiana showed they are much improved in the season opener Tuesday night, with Hanover Central beating Lake Station 47-45 on Charlie Huffnagle's two free throws with one second to play.

But that's not really the issue.  By the time these two teams meet again in March or next November, this game will be long forgotten.

The difference was in how these two teams looked.  Hanover, which is 13-28 the last two seasons, started freshman forward Aaron Jackson and sophomore Jordan Rizo and the pair combined for 19 points and 10 rebounds.  The backcourt of juniors Huffnagle and 6-foot-4 guard Andrew DeYoung combined for 17 points and made big plays in a 7-2 Wildcat run in the final minute.

Hanover Central's Aaron Jackson #43 is a 6-3, 230 lb. freshman center, and is being watched closely by Lake Station's senior John Unrue #44 (6-6, 250), 11-21-2006.

The Wildcats' zone defense includes sophomores Jordan Rizo #34 and Tim Kubiak #42 and senior John McClymont #45.  Pictured for the Eagles are senior Dimitri Tsahas #22 and junior Chris Davis #23, 11-21-2006.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

Hanover Central's varsity head coach Dave Uran talks to his team during a time-out in the Wildcats' 47-45 road victory at Lake Station, 11-21-2006.  (All photos by Mark Smith)

Lake Station's brother tandem of senior guard Ryan Todd and freshman guard Aaron Todd combined for seven three-point baskets and raw, 6-foot-4 junior Chris Davis, who missed all last season with injuries, scored 12 including four dunks.

Lake Station is an incomprehensible 20-151 in boys varsity basketball the last eight years, including 1-20 last season, 2-19 the year before and 0-20 the year before that.  Lake Station will win 6-10 games this year.  If everyone stays healthy, they have turned a corner.  And there were people in the stands at a Lake Station basketball game.  Maybe 200 watched a Tuesday night contest on a holiday week.

"We're still young," said HC coach Dave Uran.  "We've just got two seniors.  "DeYoung's coming off a sore ankle.  He came on in the second half and gave us the energy we needed.  (Josh) Styx very first varsity game was tonight.  Jackson doesn't play like a freshman, does he?"

Hanover may put a few extra folks in the home stands this year, too, starting with Saturday's home opener against Calumet.  The Wildcats suddenly have a half dozen players with promise.  They didn't start a senior Tuesday night.  Hanover is not the equal of Boone Grove or Wheeler right now, but the gap figures to narrow dramatically this season.

"We didn't have a scrimmage," Uran said.  "Rensselaer (the scheduled foe) went a long way in football and they had to cancel.  So this was our first look at what we have.  We've got a tough assignment coming up next with Calumet.  They're a little quicker (than Lake Station), but that's just the kind of game we want before we play Hebron."

Tuesday's (Nov. 21) game was ragged in the first half.  Both teams pressed full court and there were 20 turnovers, 12 by the host Eagles.  Aaron Todd banked in a three-point shot to give Lake Station an 8-7 lead after one quarter and Jordan Rizo hit a 12-footer to tie the game 18-18 at the half.

Davis fired up the crowd with three third quarter dunks, but a steal and lay up by Josh Styx gave the Wildcats a 32-28 lead before Ryan Todd's three-point bank shot cut the lead to 32-31 after three quarters.  Two baskets by Rizo inside gave HC a 36-33 lead, but Lake Station rallied for a 43-40 lead on another three-point shot by Ryan Todd with 2:17 left.

As the clock ran down, HC missed a shot and fouled intentionally to put Davis on the line with 56 second to go.  The Eagles' junior missed the 1-and-1 attempt and Jackson scored on a give-and-go pass from Huffnagle with 40 seconds to go.  The Wildcats stole the inbounds pass and a three-way pass from Rizo to Huffnagle to DeYoung created a three-point play and a 45-43 Hanover lead with 23 seconds to go.

With HC spreading to shut down the Todd brothers on the three point circle, Davis passed to 6-foot-6 Eagle center John Unrue for the game-tying basket with seven seconds left.  Huffnagle took the inbounds pass, raced up the court and was fouled as he elevated to shoot the ball with one second left.

"He knew what to do in that situation," said Uran with some pleasure.  "And he didn't look to give the ball up."

Huffnagle sank both free throws (he was instructed to miss the second one) and Ryan Todd's 40 footer carried over the basket as time ran out.

"Lake Station's going to win some games," said Uran.  "This is a tough place to play when there's people in here.  I don't think we played as well as we could.  But to win a varsity game on the road... they had a lot of emotion here.  A new coach and a new spirit."

"There's also Chris Davis.  You might want to go see him play," advised Uran.  "The Eagles have new life and Davis is one of the reasons.  The 6-foot-4 junior is way up over the rim to grab rebounds and one of his four dunks was from a standing start underneath the basket.  I don't know if there is anyone in this region who can dunk the basketball from a flat footed start under the basket.  He brought the crowd to its feet with powerful dunks that the other boys stood and watched.  Davis is a raw player with very little game.  No perimeter shot and few moves under defensive pressure off the dribble.  But he also has, I would guess, a 40-45 inch vertical leap."

"That kid is exciting," said Uran, who seemed more relieved with the victory than excited. "He's all inside right now.  He doesn't have a perimeter game.  But he's something."

"We played a lot of man-to-man.  We just have to get the kids to believe in their own ability more.  We can do things now.  We just have to believe it.  It's going to be an exciting season."

CAT NOTES:  This is the fifth consecutive season that Hanover Central has started the schedule with a win over Lake Station.  The Eagles beat Hanover twice in the 2001 season.

Hanover's season opening starting lineup had junior Charlie Huffnagle at lead guard with junior Andew DeYoung, sophomore Jordan Rizo, freshman Aaron Jackson and junior Josh Styx.  Josh Styx was a JV player last season who grew two inches. 

"He's got such a smooth shot," noted Uran.  "Jackson has a freshman body but a junior mentality.  Our two guys down low make good decisions."

Rizo is a polished player for a 6-foot-1 sophomore post.  He head-faked the 6-4 Davis into the air twice.

"He's just played a lot," said Uran.  "He played a lot of AAU.  He's played for coach Mike (Holabowski) in eighth grade.  He played about 60 summer games.  He just eats, sleeps and drinks basketball."

Hanover Central's game with Calumet Saturday (Nov. 25) may appear on some schedules as a night game.  The HC gym is not available Saturday night.  The junior varsity will play at 1:00 p.m. and the varsity plays at 2:30 p.m.  As expecetd, PCC favorite Boone Grove was massacred 74-32 by 4A No. 4 Valparaiso.  Pay no attention to that score.  Valpo beat Boone 68-37 last year and Boone went on to win the 2A sectional championship.

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Revised: November 27, 2006 .