Junior basketball player Chase Tarwacki feels comfortable at Edwardsburg High School.

A year away made Tarwacki appreciate the school even more.

Because of a family move, Tarwacki attended Penn High School as a sophomore after spending his freshman year at Edwardsburg High School.

Another family move, placed Tarwacki back at Edwardsburg this year.

“It’s been good,” Tarwacki said about being back at Edwardsburg. “Edwardsburg High School is a lot smaller than Penn, but I like the people here a lot. It was like nothing happened when I returned to the basketball team. I was expecting something different. I was kind of scared and timid about it, but they welcomed me back with open arms.”

During his first year of high school, Tarwacki was on Edwardsburg’s freshman basketball team. He didn’t play basketball at Penn, but he continued to work on his game.

“I didn’t try out for basketball at Penn,” Tarwacki said. “I was up in the Penn fitness center shooting every day. It was hard and tough not playing basketball. I love playing basketball.”

Tarwacki has shown his love through his play this year for the Eddies. In his first year of varsity competition, the 5-foot-11 Tarwacki is contributing as a scorer, rebounder and defender.

In Edwardsburg’s game on Jan. 5 against Berrien Springs, Tarwacki scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds in just a second half of action. Tarwacki’s play helped the Eddies erase a 28-22 halftime deficit and beat the Shamrocks, 62-51, to improve to 4-1.

“It wasn’t anything major,” Edwardsburg boys basketball coach Steve Wright said on why Tarwacki didn’t play in the first half.

Tarwacki, who’s averaging almost 10 points a game, was asked what he was thinking about in the first half while sitting on the bench and watching his team struggle.

“I just wanted to go in there and get rebounds and score some points,” Tarwacki said. I thought I did allright.”

Wright feels Tarwack’s play this year has been more than allright.

“Chase is an aggressive kid,” Wright said. “He works hard and he kind of has that motor that never stops,” the Edwardsburg coach said. “He does some things when it comes to rebounding that are impressive. I wish he was 7-foot, but he plays like he is.
“Getting him back into our system has been huge for us. He’s been great for us. Guys have rallied behind him and he has rallied behind the guys.”

Tarwacki’s contributions helped a shorthanded Edwardsburg squad win four of its first five games. The Eddies played those games without injured standout Dante Razzano, who suffered a dislocated right elbow in Edwardsburg’s season-opener against Cassopolis.

“I had to step it up a little more and contribute more with scoring,” Tarwacki said about his mindset after Razzano’s injury. I just try to lead by example and from what I do on the court.”
That feels like home to Tarwacki.