Warsaw Returns Core Of Skilled Players
August 18, 2016 at 4:24 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Jensen certainly has a number of reasons to be excited about the 2016 season, which begins Friday when the Tigers travel to Columbia City for a 7 p.m. game.
Jensen was involved in an accident at his home in November, falling from a ladder in his garage while getting Christmas decorations down.
He hit his head on the concrete garage floor.
His wife, Debbie, gave him CPR.
After a stay in a Fort Wayne hospital, Jensen recovered from his injuries and is more than excited to be on the sideline again.
“It’s amazing,” said Jensen. “I told the kids in our first meeting, I’m blessed, I’m happy, I’m excited to be here. Obviously God has a plan for me to be a part of this, and I don’t know what that plan is, but if He didn’t I would be here. I could have been, should have been dead. That’s the reality of it.
“There’s part of you as a coach that you’re always dreaming, you always have goals. There’s part of you as a dad, you’re always dreaming for your son. I’d love to sit here and say we’re gonna go undefeated, we’re gonna win the W Trophy, we’re gonna win the conference, we’re gonna win the first sectional championship in school history, but I don’t know. Maybe we’re gonna go 0-10. Maybe God kept me around to help them get through that. I don’t know. That’s why it’s called faith. If we knew, there would be know faith part of it. You have to put your trust in God that there’s a plan, and that there’s a reason. We talked about it eight years ago when I came back ... I’m coaching because this is what I believe I’m supposed to be doing.”
Football is very much a part of Jensen’s life, and this is his son Michael’s senior season.
Michael Jensen, after not playing football as a sophomore, set school records last year in pass attempts, completions and yards.
The younger Jensen, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, completed 179 of 358 attempts for 2,174 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Not only do the Tigers return Michael Jensen, but also running backs Will McGarvey and Rob Sullivan, and tight end Jeremy David.
McGarvey, a 6-foot, 195-pound junior, carried the ball 158 times for 651 yards and seven touchdowns last year.
Sullivan, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, tallied 336 yards and four scores on 101 carries.
David, a chiseled 6-4, 210-pound senior, was second on the team last year in both receptions and yards with 32 catches for 470 yards and five TDs.
Graduated is electrifying receiver Riley Rhoades, who had 74 catches for 783 yards and eight scores.
“We’ve got some really nice components coming back,” said Phil Jensen. “The thing I really like is they’re a close group. They like to be around each other. They like to play football together. Because they’ve grown up around my son and been to my house, they know how to take me, maybe better than some other groups have. It’s been a really enjoyable summer. It’s been a really enjoyable camp.
“To have four big parts of our offense back is huge. Those kids have produced for us in our spread offense, and to have them back is big.”
Other skill-position players that Phil Jensen said he’s counting on to produce include senior twins D’Andre and Devin Street, junior Zach Riley, senior Rane Kilburn.
“We’ve got some really nice skill-position kids, which is why we went to the spread offense anyway,” said Phil Jensen. “It’s no secret, I’d rather be in a double tight-end set and run Iso, but that’s not the makeup of our kids anymore.
“We need to attract and get multi-sport athletes out. That helps us. The new turf field helps us. It all plays into what they play on video games and see with college football and the NFL It’s what football has become in some areas.”
Senior Aaron Lewis returns as a starter on the offensive line.
Senior Andrew Mevis, a soccer player, is back to handle the kicking duties.
Defensively, the Tigers return senior Mason Faas at middle linebacker and David at outside linebacker.
Phil Jensen called them “big, big parts of our defense last year.”
Seniors Collin Marshall and Riley return as starters in the secondary.
Junior Jack Tucker has moved from linebacker to defensive end, and will be joined on the line by classmate Keegan Bays.
Phil Jensen said Bays will be used on both sides of the ball, probably starting the season on the offensive line.
Others who could see time on the D-line include senior Dyllan Hernandez, a rugby player, senior Austin Bellamy, junior John Svinarich, a thrower on the track team, and senior AJ Villarreal, a move-in from Wawasee.
Following Friday’s opener at Columbia City, the Tigers host East Noble in Week 2, and then open the Northern Lakes Conference schedule at Plymouth on Sept. 2.
“The NLC?is a great conference, and it’s going to be that way again,” said Phil Jensen. “I agree with some of the things I’ve heard and read, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the winner isn’t undefeated. If you don’t play every night, if you’re not ready, anything can happen. We’ve just gotta keep working and get better, and be ready to go.”
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Jensen certainly has a number of reasons to be excited about the 2016 season, which begins Friday when the Tigers travel to Columbia City for a 7 p.m. game.
Jensen was involved in an accident at his home in November, falling from a ladder in his garage while getting Christmas decorations down.
He hit his head on the concrete garage floor.
His wife, Debbie, gave him CPR.
After a stay in a Fort Wayne hospital, Jensen recovered from his injuries and is more than excited to be on the sideline again.
“It’s amazing,” said Jensen. “I told the kids in our first meeting, I’m blessed, I’m happy, I’m excited to be here. Obviously God has a plan for me to be a part of this, and I don’t know what that plan is, but if He didn’t I would be here. I could have been, should have been dead. That’s the reality of it.
“There’s part of you as a coach that you’re always dreaming, you always have goals. There’s part of you as a dad, you’re always dreaming for your son. I’d love to sit here and say we’re gonna go undefeated, we’re gonna win the W Trophy, we’re gonna win the conference, we’re gonna win the first sectional championship in school history, but I don’t know. Maybe we’re gonna go 0-10. Maybe God kept me around to help them get through that. I don’t know. That’s why it’s called faith. If we knew, there would be know faith part of it. You have to put your trust in God that there’s a plan, and that there’s a reason. We talked about it eight years ago when I came back ... I’m coaching because this is what I believe I’m supposed to be doing.”
Football is very much a part of Jensen’s life, and this is his son Michael’s senior season.
Michael Jensen, after not playing football as a sophomore, set school records last year in pass attempts, completions and yards.
The younger Jensen, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, completed 179 of 358 attempts for 2,174 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Not only do the Tigers return Michael Jensen, but also running backs Will McGarvey and Rob Sullivan, and tight end Jeremy David.
McGarvey, a 6-foot, 195-pound junior, carried the ball 158 times for 651 yards and seven touchdowns last year.
Sullivan, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, tallied 336 yards and four scores on 101 carries.
David, a chiseled 6-4, 210-pound senior, was second on the team last year in both receptions and yards with 32 catches for 470 yards and five TDs.
Graduated is electrifying receiver Riley Rhoades, who had 74 catches for 783 yards and eight scores.
“We’ve got some really nice components coming back,” said Phil Jensen. “The thing I really like is they’re a close group. They like to be around each other. They like to play football together. Because they’ve grown up around my son and been to my house, they know how to take me, maybe better than some other groups have. It’s been a really enjoyable summer. It’s been a really enjoyable camp.
“To have four big parts of our offense back is huge. Those kids have produced for us in our spread offense, and to have them back is big.”
Other skill-position players that Phil Jensen said he’s counting on to produce include senior twins D’Andre and Devin Street, junior Zach Riley, senior Rane Kilburn.
“We’ve got some really nice skill-position kids, which is why we went to the spread offense anyway,” said Phil Jensen. “It’s no secret, I’d rather be in a double tight-end set and run Iso, but that’s not the makeup of our kids anymore.
“We need to attract and get multi-sport athletes out. That helps us. The new turf field helps us. It all plays into what they play on video games and see with college football and the NFL It’s what football has become in some areas.”
Senior Aaron Lewis returns as a starter on the offensive line.
Senior Andrew Mevis, a soccer player, is back to handle the kicking duties.
Defensively, the Tigers return senior Mason Faas at middle linebacker and David at outside linebacker.
Phil Jensen called them “big, big parts of our defense last year.”
Seniors Collin Marshall and Riley return as starters in the secondary.
Junior Jack Tucker has moved from linebacker to defensive end, and will be joined on the line by classmate Keegan Bays.
Phil Jensen said Bays will be used on both sides of the ball, probably starting the season on the offensive line.
Others who could see time on the D-line include senior Dyllan Hernandez, a rugby player, senior Austin Bellamy, junior John Svinarich, a thrower on the track team, and senior AJ Villarreal, a move-in from Wawasee.
Following Friday’s opener at Columbia City, the Tigers host East Noble in Week 2, and then open the Northern Lakes Conference schedule at Plymouth on Sept. 2.
“The NLC?is a great conference, and it’s going to be that way again,” said Phil Jensen. “I agree with some of the things I’ve heard and read, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the winner isn’t undefeated. If you don’t play every night, if you’re not ready, anything can happen. We’ve just gotta keep working and get better, and be ready to go.”
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