Warsaw coach Doug Ogle talks to a TV reporter Friday night at halftime of the sectional in Elkhart.

ELKHART – Two outstanding coaches who have a profound impact on hundreds of young men in Warsaw faced off Friday night.

Doug Ogle, the current Warsaw coach, went against his former mentor in Penn coach Al Rhodes.

It was pupil versus professor in many ways for the duo who are synonymous with Tiger basketball over the last 35 years.

Warsaw, ranked No. 5 in the state, left North Side Gym with the 52-31 sectional semifinal win.

Both men, who are great educators in the classroom and on the hardwood, had their game faces on once the ball was tipped for March Madness.

But both were not comfortable going against a great friend that’s for sure.

The game was not an easy one for Ogle, who took over as head coach when Rhodes resigned at WCHS in 2002 to pursue other interests at the time. The Tigers had faced Rhodes’ Penn team just once, back in the 2008-09 season which was his first at Penn. The Kingsmen were added to the sectional field at Elkhart this year.

“I just don’t like it one bit,” said Ogle of facing Rhodes, the man he spent 15 seasons as his junior varsity coach for at WCHS. “I came to Warsaw because of coach Rhodes. I wanted him to be my mentor in coaching. I just wish that we were still not in the same sectional.

“I think of all the time we spent together. We traveled a lot together, including out to California to see coach Wooden. I just don’t like coaching against someone who is a good friend, just like Aaron Wolfe at NorthWood (who was an assistant coach for Ogle at WCHS).”

Rhodes, who played basketball at Penn High School, forged the majority of his Hall of Fame career in orange and black. He was 405-133 in his 22 years at Warsaw. Rhodes won 14 sectionals, 10 conference titles, seven regional and four semistate championships. His 1984 team won a state championship. He coached a pair of Mr. Basketball winners in Jeff Grose (1985)  and Kevin Ault (1996).

Penn coach Al Rhodes waits for player introductions Friday night.

Rhodes admitted that he is impressed with the latest edition of the Tigers. Warsaw is now 22-1 on the season.

“I take great pride in seeing this Warsaw team that Doug has put together,” said Rhodes following Friday night’s contest.

Rhodes, who coached at Fort Wayne Northrop and Logansport after leaving Warsaw,  is 571-262 in his 35th season overall. His 571 wins are the 16th most all-time in state boys basketball history and currently rank sixth among active coaches in the Hoosier State. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ogle, like Rhodes a math teacher, has put his own stamp on Tiger basketball greatness. The Purdue graduate is 215-100 in his 14th season as the head coach. Ogle has won four sectional and five conference championships and led the Tigers to a state runner-up finish in 2010.

Ogle, who is now 2-0 head-to-head versus Rhodes, was an amazing 270-30 in his 15 season as the JV coach under Rhodes.

The real winner, regardless of the final score Friday night, has been the basketball loving community of Warsaw.

Two great men, two class acts and two true role models for countless young men in the Lake City.

As someone who has been privileged enough to cover both of these great educators/coaches and their outstanding teams in my long sportswriting career, all I can say is the following.

Well done gentlemen.

Well done.