Concord Lives Up To Name, Beats Wawasee
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - No. 10 (4A) Concord is known as the Minutemen, but it took the team from Dunlap just 54 seconds to erase a 17-point deficit and hang on to beat heated Northern Lakes Conference rival and third-ranked Wawasee 45-26 at Warrior Field Friday night.
Concord started the barrage with a one-yard run by senior running back Monty Marion, followed by a Jeremy Howard extra point with 40 seconds left in the first half to bring the Minutemen to within 10 points at 20-10.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors failed to cover the kick and allowed the ball to bounce, with Concord recovering at the 18-yard line.
The Minutemen's junior quarterback Bob Cira found receiver Nolan Vann in the endzone on the following play from 18 yards out to draw Concord to within a field goal at 20-17.
A short kickoff by Wawasee to start the second half put Concord at its own 42-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Cira found a streaking Mike Meade down the Minutemen sideline for a 58-yard touchdown to put Concord on top 24-20 with 11:44 left in the third quarter.
Cira connected on his third touchdown pass of the evening two minutes later when he found brother James Cira from 29 yards out to extend the Minutemen lead to 31-20.
"We had a mental mistake," said Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld about the botched kick return at the end of the first half and Concord's ensuing offensive outburst. "When you're dealing with high school kids that'll happen. (Concord) just did some nice things out there. Meade catches balls against everyone in America and their running back did a nice job."
The running back in question, Marion, rushed for 209 yards on 23 carries while Meade had two receptions for 87 yards.
The Warriors were able to hold Bob Cira below a 50-percent completion rate (9 of 19, 47%), but couldn't contain the big play.
Cira averaged 24.2 yards per completion, while Marion rushed for 9.1 yards per carry.
Wawasee was the team that showed some offensive explosion early as they jumped out to a 20-3 first half lead.
The Warriors regrouped after their first possession of the game ended in a three-and-out. Wawasee drove the ball down the field and capped a four-play, 53-yard drive with a 12-yard run by senior running back Rob McKibben to put the Warriors up 6-0.
Wawasee scored three times in the first half but missed two extra points while converting on a two-point conversion to earn its 20-3 lead.
McKibben rushed 20 times for 119 yards but left the game with a foot injury in the third quarter while blocking on a Joe Leach quarterback keeper.
Second-string running back Blake Thompson came in for McKibben but was also lost to an injury on another Leach run later in the quarter.
While McKibben was able to limp off the field on his own accord, Thompson was carried off the field and immediately taken back to the locker room for more observation.
Rietveld wasn't aware of the nature of either back's injury after the game.
The Warriors were forced to go to a five-wide receiver set for the majority of the second half with the loss of their top two running backs. Wawasee occasionally used junior running back Sam Bohnke to block for Leach.
With the threat of a running attack gone, Concord's defensive front attacked Leach while the secondary clamped down on Wawasee's big-play ability.
After completions of 40, 37 and 24 yards earlier in the game, Leach's last seven completions went for seven yards or less. The junior signal caller also threw an interception into the hands of Concord's Vann after the Warriors drove down to the Minutemen 13-yard line.
Despite the pick, Leach was solid without the aid of a running game in the second half and finished 18 of 30 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, with all three going to receiver Andrew Mock.
Mock finished with seven catches for 54 yards, while Austin Bender led the Warriors with five catches for 59 yards.
Along with the lapses in special teams, Wawasee also committed seven penalties in the first half for 70 yards.
"You can't do some of the things we did out there and expect to win," said Rietveld.
"We just stuck to our game plan and made great defensive adjustments in the second half," said Concord head coach Tim Dawson. "(The second half) might have been the best I've seen since I've been here."
Friday night's contest marked just the fourth time in 12 meetings between Wawasee and Concord that the game took place in Syracuse. The Warriors are 2-10 in those meetings.
The Warriors, 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the NLC, look to get back on the winning track Friday when they travel to Nappanee to take on a 1-3 NorthWood team at 7 p.m.
NO. 10 (4A) CONCORD 45, NO. 3 (4) WAWASEE 26
Concord 0 17 21 7 - 45
Wawasee 14 6 0 6 - 26
C W
First downs 13 23
Rushing yards 33-219 43-205
Passing yards 218 203
Comp.-Att.-Int. 9-19-1 18-30-1
Total offense 437 408
Fumbles/lost 1-0 2-1
Punts/avg. 3-29.6 2-42
Penalties/yards 8-70 9-73
First Quarter
W -ÊRob McKibben 12 run (kick failed) 7:21 6-0
W - Joe Leach 11 pass to Andrew Mock 0:00 (Leach run) 14-0
Second Quarter
C -ÊJeremy Howard 22 field goal 8:43 3-14
W -ÊLeach 21 pass to Mock (kick failed) 4:40 20-3
C -ÊMonty Marion 1 run (Howard kick) 0:40 10-20
C -ÊBob Cira 18 pass to Nolan Vann (Howard kick) 0:29 17-20
Third Quarter
C -ÊCira 59 pass to Mike Meade (Howard kick) 11:44 24-20
C - Cira 29 pass to James Cira (Howard kick) 9:43 31-20
C -ÊMarion 2 run (Howard kick) 1:44 38-20
Fourth Quarter
W -ÊLeach 1 pass to Mock (pass failed) 4:37 26-38
C - Robert Thornton 21 run (Howard kick) 1:04 45-26
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - Concord, Monty Marion 23-209, Robert Thronton 1-21, Scott Matthews 5-2; Wawasee, Rob McKibben 20-119, Blake Thompson 6-46, Joe Leach 15-33, Andrew Mock 2-7.
Passing - Concord, B. Cira 9-19-218, 3 TD, 1 INT; Wawasee, Leach 18-30-203, 3 TD, 1 INT
Receiving - Concord, James CIra 5-106, Mike Meade 2-87, Vann 1-18; Wawasee, Austin Bender 5-59, Mock 7-54, Heath Shock 3-38, Ryan McDonald 1-40 [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - No. 10 (4A) Concord is known as the Minutemen, but it took the team from Dunlap just 54 seconds to erase a 17-point deficit and hang on to beat heated Northern Lakes Conference rival and third-ranked Wawasee 45-26 at Warrior Field Friday night.
Concord started the barrage with a one-yard run by senior running back Monty Marion, followed by a Jeremy Howard extra point with 40 seconds left in the first half to bring the Minutemen to within 10 points at 20-10.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Warriors failed to cover the kick and allowed the ball to bounce, with Concord recovering at the 18-yard line.
The Minutemen's junior quarterback Bob Cira found receiver Nolan Vann in the endzone on the following play from 18 yards out to draw Concord to within a field goal at 20-17.
A short kickoff by Wawasee to start the second half put Concord at its own 42-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Cira found a streaking Mike Meade down the Minutemen sideline for a 58-yard touchdown to put Concord on top 24-20 with 11:44 left in the third quarter.
Cira connected on his third touchdown pass of the evening two minutes later when he found brother James Cira from 29 yards out to extend the Minutemen lead to 31-20.
"We had a mental mistake," said Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld about the botched kick return at the end of the first half and Concord's ensuing offensive outburst. "When you're dealing with high school kids that'll happen. (Concord) just did some nice things out there. Meade catches balls against everyone in America and their running back did a nice job."
The running back in question, Marion, rushed for 209 yards on 23 carries while Meade had two receptions for 87 yards.
The Warriors were able to hold Bob Cira below a 50-percent completion rate (9 of 19, 47%), but couldn't contain the big play.
Cira averaged 24.2 yards per completion, while Marion rushed for 9.1 yards per carry.
Wawasee was the team that showed some offensive explosion early as they jumped out to a 20-3 first half lead.
The Warriors regrouped after their first possession of the game ended in a three-and-out. Wawasee drove the ball down the field and capped a four-play, 53-yard drive with a 12-yard run by senior running back Rob McKibben to put the Warriors up 6-0.
Wawasee scored three times in the first half but missed two extra points while converting on a two-point conversion to earn its 20-3 lead.
McKibben rushed 20 times for 119 yards but left the game with a foot injury in the third quarter while blocking on a Joe Leach quarterback keeper.
Second-string running back Blake Thompson came in for McKibben but was also lost to an injury on another Leach run later in the quarter.
While McKibben was able to limp off the field on his own accord, Thompson was carried off the field and immediately taken back to the locker room for more observation.
Rietveld wasn't aware of the nature of either back's injury after the game.
The Warriors were forced to go to a five-wide receiver set for the majority of the second half with the loss of their top two running backs. Wawasee occasionally used junior running back Sam Bohnke to block for Leach.
With the threat of a running attack gone, Concord's defensive front attacked Leach while the secondary clamped down on Wawasee's big-play ability.
After completions of 40, 37 and 24 yards earlier in the game, Leach's last seven completions went for seven yards or less. The junior signal caller also threw an interception into the hands of Concord's Vann after the Warriors drove down to the Minutemen 13-yard line.
Despite the pick, Leach was solid without the aid of a running game in the second half and finished 18 of 30 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, with all three going to receiver Andrew Mock.
Mock finished with seven catches for 54 yards, while Austin Bender led the Warriors with five catches for 59 yards.
Along with the lapses in special teams, Wawasee also committed seven penalties in the first half for 70 yards.
"You can't do some of the things we did out there and expect to win," said Rietveld.
"We just stuck to our game plan and made great defensive adjustments in the second half," said Concord head coach Tim Dawson. "(The second half) might have been the best I've seen since I've been here."
Friday night's contest marked just the fourth time in 12 meetings between Wawasee and Concord that the game took place in Syracuse. The Warriors are 2-10 in those meetings.
The Warriors, 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the NLC, look to get back on the winning track Friday when they travel to Nappanee to take on a 1-3 NorthWood team at 7 p.m.
NO. 10 (4A) CONCORD 45, NO. 3 (4) WAWASEE 26
Concord 0 17 21 7 - 45
Wawasee 14 6 0 6 - 26
C W
First downs 13 23
Rushing yards 33-219 43-205
Passing yards 218 203
Comp.-Att.-Int. 9-19-1 18-30-1
Total offense 437 408
Fumbles/lost 1-0 2-1
Punts/avg. 3-29.6 2-42
Penalties/yards 8-70 9-73
First Quarter
W -ÊRob McKibben 12 run (kick failed) 7:21 6-0
W - Joe Leach 11 pass to Andrew Mock 0:00 (Leach run) 14-0
Second Quarter
C -ÊJeremy Howard 22 field goal 8:43 3-14
W -ÊLeach 21 pass to Mock (kick failed) 4:40 20-3
C -ÊMonty Marion 1 run (Howard kick) 0:40 10-20
C -ÊBob Cira 18 pass to Nolan Vann (Howard kick) 0:29 17-20
Third Quarter
C -ÊCira 59 pass to Mike Meade (Howard kick) 11:44 24-20
C - Cira 29 pass to James Cira (Howard kick) 9:43 31-20
C -ÊMarion 2 run (Howard kick) 1:44 38-20
Fourth Quarter
W -ÊLeach 1 pass to Mock (pass failed) 4:37 26-38
C - Robert Thornton 21 run (Howard kick) 1:04 45-26
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - Concord, Monty Marion 23-209, Robert Thronton 1-21, Scott Matthews 5-2; Wawasee, Rob McKibben 20-119, Blake Thompson 6-46, Joe Leach 15-33, Andrew Mock 2-7.
Passing - Concord, B. Cira 9-19-218, 3 TD, 1 INT; Wawasee, Leach 18-30-203, 3 TD, 1 INT
Receiving - Concord, James CIra 5-106, Mike Meade 2-87, Vann 1-18; Wawasee, Austin Bender 5-59, Mock 7-54, Heath Shock 3-38, Ryan McDonald 1-40 [[In-content Ad]]