That time of year is here – it’s time to take a look back at some of the best stories to grace the PortageLife Sports Section in 2011!
We posted well over 350 articles to the PortageLife Sports pages this year, our most ever! With over 350 GOOD stories across all areas of sporting LIFE, we covered middle schools, club sports, parks departments, high school, college, and some professional sports!
It’s easy as ever to share your sports story with us too! If you’re the coach, team mom, manager, on the Board of a sports organization, Athletic Director, or involved in any way with a sports team in Northwest Indiana, we want to share your registration information, fundraiser, shout-out, score/result, championship photo, and anything else you can think of. If it’s good, we want to share it! Just send us an email at contribute@portagelife.com and we can get started today!
Without further ado (and in no particular order), here are the Top 10 PortageLife Sports Stories of 2011!
PHS Athletes Honored at Fall Awards Banquet
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The Portage High School fall athletes gathered in the East Auditorium on Monday night along with their coaches and parents in order to recognize the accomplishments that they achieved this fall. After each season of athletics at Portage High School, an awards banquet is hosted by the Athletic Department to review the season.
All eight sports that competed during the fall season took part in the banquet, including the junior varsity and freshmen squads. Athletic Director Jeff Smith delivered the opening remarks. He is thrilled with the hard work and dedication that was displayed by the parents, coaches and athletes during the fall season.
Juniors Top Seniors in PHS Powder Puff Football Game 
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Each year during Homecoming week, Portage High School hosts a Powder Puff Football game, where female students from the junior and senior class meet in an annual showdown. On Monday, the juniors came away with a 21-0 shutout of the seniors.
A portion of the proceeds from the game were donated to Dollars for Scholars. The PHS Student Council was in charge of organizing the event. Sophomores Noah Volk and Jomari Miranda headed up the planning process. Each year it is the duty of the sophomore class to put the game on for the upperclassmen. Sophomore class faculty sponsors Gretchen Hargarten and Melissa Deavers-Lowie and Principal Jennifer Sass were also instrumental in the preparations.
PHS Holds Homecoming Game Against Crown Point
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Portage High School spirit was on display all week long with the festivities cumulating with the Homecoming football game against Crown Point on Friday night. Unfortunately, the game resulted in a tough 42-0 loss for the Indians.
Rashaan Coleman received the start at quarterback in place of the injured Kris Knies. He led the rushing attack for Portage throughout the night, leading Portage inside the 25 yard line at one point, only to have the Indians turn the ball over on downs.
Lakeshore Paws 1st Annual "Run for Paws" 5K and 2k Dog Walk Has an Amazing Turnout
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Lakeshore Paws "Run for Paws" First Annual 5K Run and 2K Dog Walk was a success. On August 14, 2011, runners, dog walkers and spectators came out to Sunset Hill Farm to show their support for this newly founded organization. Lakeshore Paws was co-founded by Jeanne Sommer and Kim Langer.
Sommer, of the Jeanne Sommer Team, Century 21 Alliance Group, said that as a realtor, "I saw so many foreclosures, and people in that situation don't want to give up their pets, but have to. It's just sad, so I wanted to do something."
2011 Perch Fest Reaches Finish Line with 5K & 1 Mile Runs 
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The 2011 Portage Perch Fest concluded on Sunday night with the 5K Run/Walk, which started and ended in Founders’ Square. The runners enjoyed a perfect night for a race with cool and overcast conditions, complimented by a nice breeze.
A one mile race for children 12 and under was held prior to the start of the 5K. Awards were handed out to the top three finishers in each age group. They received metals to wear around their necks.
Save Money, Support Portage Pop Warner with Special Discount Cards
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The Portage Pop Warner teams are raising money with their first-ever PPW discount card, available for just $10!
The cards are valid from August 1, 2011 until August 12, 2012 and feature great deals from local Portage restaurants and stores! For more information, contact any person whose son or daughter are participating in Portage Pop Warner this year, or email Tricia Bloom at tricia@portagepopwarner.com! Save some money and help a great program!
Many Mudathletes Run "A Muck" in 2011 Mudathlon
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On Saturday, July 23, 2011, nearly 1,600 thrill-seeking Mudathlete participants made their way to the Chicagoland/ NW Indiana's 2nd annual Mudathlon at Graeber Family Farms in Valparaiso, Indiana to have "A Mucking Good Time!"
This particular Mudathlon is the second of four Mudathlon Series and had participants who came from 4 different countries and 22 different states. All participants had to be 14 years of age or older.
Portage’s Bliss, Evans Represent Well with Top Finishes at Midwest Meet of the Champions
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Recent Portage High School graduates Tori Bliss and Kristy Evans competed in the 2011 Midwest Meet of Champions on the Indiana All-Star team over the weekend, representing the school well in the tri-state meet.
Bliss placed first overall in the Shot Put event, throwing a distance of 48 feet and four inches. Evans competed as a part of the Indiana 4x100 meter relay team, running the third leg for the second-place team that ran a 47.95.
Harlem Wizards Put on a Show, Top PHS All-Stars
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The Harlem Wizards dominated the court on Friday night knocking off the Portage All-Stars 98-83. The Wizards backed up their slog of “Tricks, Hoopz & Alley Oopz” on the court by entertaining the crowd with some hilarious performances, while converting on dunk after dunk.
The trickery included an addition of Wizards Football with 30 seconds left in the basketball game. Swoop, the lead Wizard who was wired with a microphone throughout the night, decided to play quarterback and toss a touchdown pass with a basketball. Harlem also fooled the crowd by chasing one of its players up into the stands with what appeared to be a bucket of water. Instead of being doused with liquid, the fans in that section were hit with confetti.
Tori Bliss Named to Girls All-DAC Basketball Team
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Portage High School senior Tori Bliss was the only Indian to be named to the All-Duneland Athletic Conference team for the 2010-11 basketball team.
Bliss is joined by MVP Claire Holba and Brooke Gardner from Chesterton, Carolyn Sandrick from Lake Central, Melanie Stubbs and Raveen Murray from Merrillville, Jameka Collins and Toni Murphy from Michigan City, Adriana Paul from Valparaiso, and Crown Point’s Courtney Kvachkoff.