Tigers Fall To Michigan City In Home Opener
August 29, 2020 at 4:31 a.m.
Tigers Fall To Michigan City In Home Opener
By Chip Davenport-
However, the visiting Silver Wolves silenced the crowd sixteen seconds later with a 64-yard touchdown run by Kaydarious Jones; a jet sweep to regain a lead it would never relinquish. Warsaw experienced its first loss of the season 41-21 Friday night.
The Tigers (1-1) once again had a significantly greater time of possession advantage, 19 of the 24 first half minutes, but it was the Silver Wolves who went to the locker room at halftime with a 28-14 lead thanks to another quick series (85 seconds) capped by MC’s Esau Haynes’s second TD pass of the first half with 54.3 seconds remaining.
The team who rammed senior Jonathon Flemmings’s 5’8 190 lb. frame at the Tiger defense last year used the bulky back sparingly until it was time to run the clock out in the final stanza. Instead, “City” threw early and often. Giovanni Laurent completed 12 of 22 passes for 208 yards, spreading those completions among four receivers, and four touchdowns among three receivers.
The boys from Warsaw had limited reps from workhorse B-back Juan Jaramillo, but the hosts aren’t a team who makes excuses. They still managed to rush for 292 yards, and coupled with Zollinger’s TD catch, they totaled 326 offensive yards.
Head Coach Bart Curtis pointed out his team’s improved engagement and overall attitude and approach to this week’s game, despite the loss.
He said, “I’m a hell of a lot happier than I was 168 hours ago with our effort, attitude, body language and overall give-a-crap factor about football. We looked like we were interested in playing today. Now that being said, we turned the ball over, gave up (41) points, got the ball thrown over our heads a few times, missed a lot of tackles, so those are a lot of correctable things.”
Another takeaway is the offensive performance by junior A-back, Julius Jones. He turned in a 129-yard rushing performance including an electrifying 77-yard run where he appeared to be caught in the grasp from behind by a Silver Wolves defender at the 12-yard line, but made an indescribable move to continue to the end zone. The score put the Tigers as close as they would get in the second half, trailing 28-21 before the visitors tacked on two more touchdowns.
The Tigers will put their collective effort toward another “1-0 week” when they travel to the Rock Pile to battle with the Plymouth Rockies, who lost to Class 4A runner-up East Noble 31-0 in Week One, and lost to Kokomo this week 38-14.
The Rockies may look vulnerable in the upcoming conference opener, but Curtis will continue to instill an improved energy, attitude, and approach to prepare for one of the state’s oldest continuous rivalry games.
“I feel this team could be good, possibly great,” he said. “We’ll continue to work on the things we’re bad at. Having a pulse, and really caring about your teammates over yourself, and showing it every day in practice and Friday nights. That’s really gonna be the difference.”
MICHIGAN CITY 41, WARSAW 21
MC - 7 21 0 13 - 41
W - 0 14 7 0 - 21
MC – Esau Haynes 56 pass from Giovanni Laurent (Andrew Oleksiuk kick) Q1 3:52
MC – Omarin Hatch 66 run (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 8:14
W – Colton Wampler 1 run (Wampler kick) Q2 5:57
W – Patrick Zollinger 34 pass from Greene (Wampler kick) Q2 4:25
MC – Kaydarious Jones 64 run (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 4:09
MC – Haynes 26 pass from Laurent (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 0:54.3
W – Jones 77 run (Wampler kick) Q3 1:29
MC – Hatch 17pass from Laurent (Oleksiuk kick) Q4 11:47
MC – Treylen Simmons 11 pass from Laurent (kick failed) Q4 6:21
However, the visiting Silver Wolves silenced the crowd sixteen seconds later with a 64-yard touchdown run by Kaydarious Jones; a jet sweep to regain a lead it would never relinquish. Warsaw experienced its first loss of the season 41-21 Friday night.
The Tigers (1-1) once again had a significantly greater time of possession advantage, 19 of the 24 first half minutes, but it was the Silver Wolves who went to the locker room at halftime with a 28-14 lead thanks to another quick series (85 seconds) capped by MC’s Esau Haynes’s second TD pass of the first half with 54.3 seconds remaining.
The team who rammed senior Jonathon Flemmings’s 5’8 190 lb. frame at the Tiger defense last year used the bulky back sparingly until it was time to run the clock out in the final stanza. Instead, “City” threw early and often. Giovanni Laurent completed 12 of 22 passes for 208 yards, spreading those completions among four receivers, and four touchdowns among three receivers.
The boys from Warsaw had limited reps from workhorse B-back Juan Jaramillo, but the hosts aren’t a team who makes excuses. They still managed to rush for 292 yards, and coupled with Zollinger’s TD catch, they totaled 326 offensive yards.
Head Coach Bart Curtis pointed out his team’s improved engagement and overall attitude and approach to this week’s game, despite the loss.
He said, “I’m a hell of a lot happier than I was 168 hours ago with our effort, attitude, body language and overall give-a-crap factor about football. We looked like we were interested in playing today. Now that being said, we turned the ball over, gave up (41) points, got the ball thrown over our heads a few times, missed a lot of tackles, so those are a lot of correctable things.”
Another takeaway is the offensive performance by junior A-back, Julius Jones. He turned in a 129-yard rushing performance including an electrifying 77-yard run where he appeared to be caught in the grasp from behind by a Silver Wolves defender at the 12-yard line, but made an indescribable move to continue to the end zone. The score put the Tigers as close as they would get in the second half, trailing 28-21 before the visitors tacked on two more touchdowns.
The Tigers will put their collective effort toward another “1-0 week” when they travel to the Rock Pile to battle with the Plymouth Rockies, who lost to Class 4A runner-up East Noble 31-0 in Week One, and lost to Kokomo this week 38-14.
The Rockies may look vulnerable in the upcoming conference opener, but Curtis will continue to instill an improved energy, attitude, and approach to prepare for one of the state’s oldest continuous rivalry games.
“I feel this team could be good, possibly great,” he said. “We’ll continue to work on the things we’re bad at. Having a pulse, and really caring about your teammates over yourself, and showing it every day in practice and Friday nights. That’s really gonna be the difference.”
MICHIGAN CITY 41, WARSAW 21
MC - 7 21 0 13 - 41
W - 0 14 7 0 - 21
MC – Esau Haynes 56 pass from Giovanni Laurent (Andrew Oleksiuk kick) Q1 3:52
MC – Omarin Hatch 66 run (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 8:14
W – Colton Wampler 1 run (Wampler kick) Q2 5:57
W – Patrick Zollinger 34 pass from Greene (Wampler kick) Q2 4:25
MC – Kaydarious Jones 64 run (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 4:09
MC – Haynes 26 pass from Laurent (Oleksiuk kick) Q2 0:54.3
W – Jones 77 run (Wampler kick) Q3 1:29
MC – Hatch 17pass from Laurent (Oleksiuk kick) Q4 11:47
MC – Treylen Simmons 11 pass from Laurent (kick failed) Q4 6:21
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