Familiar Foes Concord, Wawasee Clash
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee coach Joe Rietveld may know Concord well as any opponent, and Concord coach Tim Dawson may know Wawasee as well as any opponent.
Friday's sectional football game will mark the fourth time in 18 games the two teams have met since Sept. 1999.
Concord is 3-0 during that stretch, beating Wawasee 49-21, 43-13 and 27-14. The 49-21 win came at Wawasee during the 1999 regular season, while the 43-13 win came at Concord during the first round of the 1999 sectional. Concord hosted and beat Wawasee 27-14 this year during the regular season.
"We know what they will do, and they know what we will do," Wawasee coach Joe Rietveld said. "It's a matter of going out there and executing better. We probably prefer to face someone we have not faced because our offense can present teams problems."
Wawasee's last win over Concord came in 1997, when the Warriors won 26-10 under former coach Gene Mitz.
The two teams are similar in 2000.
Wawasee enters 4-6; Concord is 3-7.
Wawasee averages 24.6 points per game; Concord averages 23.4 points per game.
Wawasee allows 28.9 points per game; Concord allows 29.8 points per game.
Wawasee scored 34 points in its first-round sectional win, 34-17 in South Bend against South Bend Washington (4-6); Concord scored 34 points in its first-round sectional win, 34-27 in overtime at Northridge (1-9).
This is a benchmark game for the Warriors. A win would give them five wins and put them in the sectional championship game.
"We're in a good position now," Rietveld said. "I don't know the last time Wawasee has had five wins, but it's been a while. And when was the last time Wawasee was in a sectional championship game, 1986?
"People earmarked us as another 2-8 Wawasee team, that we would win two out of our first three and lose the rest. The kids have proved a lot of people wrong."
The last time Wawasee won five games was in 1989 (5-5), and the last time the school advanced to the sectional championship game was in 1986.
The Wawasee team Concord beat 27-14 on Sept. 8 is not the same Wawasee team Concord will face tomorrow night.
During the NFL season, talk of making a switch at quarterback occurs daily.
Wawasee did not have to make a quarterback change, as the team is set with Brent Doty, who is ranked No. 13 in the state with 197.8 passing yards per game.
The Warriors instead changed their running back. Logan Lees started the season as the featured running back, but Rietveld in early October replaced him with 6-foot-1, 260-pound Jimmy Meyer, an outside linebacker.
The move paid off in several ways.
It paid off offensively.
Meyer rushed 24 times for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 41-10 win at Mishawaka Marian on Oct. 6. Since that game, Meyer has rushed for 60 yards in a 28-20 home loss to Goshen and for 95 yards in last week's 34-17 sectional road win against South Bend Washington.
It paid off defensively.
The move made Lees the starting inside linebacker and moved Sam Calobrace from inside linebacker to outside linebacker, where he has been more effective. The team speed on defense has improved.
The Warriors are 2-1 since the running back switch, and the loss came to a Goshen team that was ranked No. 13 in the final 4A poll.
"Our running game was getting shut down, and we needed speed on defense," Rietveld said. "Both players were receptive to the idea. Both were starters, and each was the other's backup. The switch has given us spark on offense and defense.
"Jimmy is 260 pounds. You give him a crease, and he can fall forward and get you three or four yards. We moved Logan to inside linebacker and Calobrace to outside linebacker. Meyer had been an outside linebacker.
"Logan is a pretty good linebacker who's physical with an attitude and aggressiveness. We have to have him on defense."
Said Concord coach Tim Dawson: "I see major improvement offensively and defensively since they made Meyer the running back. Doty doesn't throw interceptions, and Meyer gives them a power running game. Lees makes more plays on defense because of his speed."
Concord is hurting, missing two starters on the offensive line and its starting fullback. Chris Will, a 6-foot-7, 270-pound senior guard, is out; Nick Leffert, a 200-pound junior guard, is out; and junior fullback Joe Baier is out. All are injured.
"If Chris Will wasn't their best lineman," Rietveld said, "he was one of their best."
Concord's rushing and passing numbers are nearly identical. The team has rushed for 1,605 yards and passed for 1,643 yards. Quarterback Ian Nelson has completed 124 of 231 passes (54 percent) and is 23rd in the state with 164.3 passing yards per game. His top receiver is Micah Staley, who has caught 53 passes and is fourth in the state with 112.7 receiving yards per game.
Dawson knows he will see a different Wawasee team with the running back change. Rietveld expects to see a different Concord team.
"Concord is not emphasizing the run as much as they were earlier in the season," he said. "Now the Nelson kid is a big threat. He got selected first team All-Conference on defense, he directs the offense and runs the option."
Rietveld does not expect a defensive struggle.
"I think both teams will score some points, but I don't think it will be 44-40," he said. "Our teams have similar offensive numbers and similar defensive numbers. The team that avoids turnovers and the team that gets the best special teams play will have the biggest advantage."
The winner of this 7:30 p.m. game hosts the sectional championship next Friday.
The winner will play the winner of the South Bend Adams (1-9) and Goshen (8-2) game.
2000 4A FOOTBALL SECTIONAL
Wawasee at Concord
7:30 p.m. Friday
CONCORD MINUTEMEN
Coach: Tim Dawson
Record: 3-7
Concord scores (home team in caps)
East Noble 34, CONCORD 14
Elkhart Memorial 44, CONCORD 22
NORTHWOOD 42, Concord 21
CONCORD 27, Wawasee 14
Goshen 7, CONCORD 0
JIMTOWN 34, Concord 19
Plymouth 36, CONCORD 35 (OT)
Concord 49, NORTHRIDGE 19
WARSAW 41, Concord 13
Sectional
Concord 34, NORTHRIDGE 27 (OT)
Concord leaders
Rushing (carries-yards, average) -ÊNick Matney 174-945 (5.4), Eric Watson 67-284 (4.2), Joe Baier 45-161 (3.6), Jeremy Lugbill 8-54 (6.8), C.J. Shafer 13-48 (3.7), Mike Simpson 3-45 (15.0)
Passing (comp.-att.-int. yards touchdowns) -ÊIan Nelson 124-231-12 (54%) 1,643 18
Receiving (catches-yards, average) - Micah Staley 53-802 (15.1), Bryan Kelly 30-325 (10.8), Lugbill 25-347 (13.9), Matney 9-95 (10.6)
Touchdowns - Lugbill 8, Staley 7, Matney 6, Kelly 5, Baier 2, Nelson 2, Watson 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) - Nelson 35-1130 (32.3)
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) - Shafer 2-11 (5.5), Staley 1-11 (11.0)
Kick returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊMatney 21-398 (19.0), Lugbill 14-311 (22.2)
Extra points/field goals - Lugbill 21 for 25/0 for 2
Tackles (solo) - Tim Koontz 73, Shafer 39, Matney 38, Eric Obregon 37, Lugbill 32, Nelson 31
Sacks - Koontz 5, Lugbill 5, Matney 4, Joe Lake 3, Nelson 3
Interceptions - Shafer 3, Nelson 2, Lugbill 2
Fumble recoveries - Koontz 3, Shafer 3, Billy Dalton 2, Lugbill 2
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Coach: Joe Rietveld
Record: 4-6
Wawasee scores (home team in caps)
WAWASEE 42, Whitko 22
CARROLL 35, Wawasee 28
WAWASEE 21, Northridge 0
CONCORD 28, Wawasee 14
NorthWood 40, WAWASEE 12
PLYMOUTH 47, Wawasee 21
Warsaw 63, WAWASEE 13
Wawasee 41, MISHAWAKA MARIAN 10
Goshen 28, WAWASEE 20
Sectional
Wawasee 34, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 17
Wawasee leaders
Rushing (carries-yards, average) - Logan Lees 91-493 (5.4), Jimmy Meyer 72-324 (4.5), Brent Doty 44-177 (4.0), Travis Klenke 9-54 (6.0), Drew
Evans 11-30 (2.7)
Passing (comp.-att.-int. yards touchdowns) - Brent Doty 193-303-13 (64%) 1,978 21
Receiving (catches-yards, average) - Bobby Likens 64-762 (11.9), Klenke 55-532 (9.7), Lees 19-152 (8.0), Andrew Packer 10-87 (8.7), Peter Chang 9-120 (13.3), Brian Adkins 9-105 (11.7), Nate Edgington 8-143 (17.9), Josh Roa 8-68 (8.5)
Touchdowns -ÊKlenke 10, Lees 7, Meyer 6, Likens 6, Doty 2, Chang 2, Edgington 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) - Guy Simmons 24-686 (28.6), Mike Ellsworth 9-274 (30.4)
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) - Klenke 15-323 (21.5)
Kick returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊKlenke 21-591 (28.1), Lees 5-138 (27.6)
Extra points/field goals - Chad Wooten 24 for 32/0 for 1
Tackles (solo; do not include sectional game) - Luke Speakman 45, Sam Calobrace 32, Peter Chang 31, Edgington 25, Speicher 21, Ellsworth 21
Sacks - Justin Magid 3, Speakman 2
Interceptions - Ellsworth 2, Speicher 2
Fumble recoveries - Speakman 3, Lees 1, Chang 1 [[In-content Ad]]
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SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee coach Joe Rietveld may know Concord well as any opponent, and Concord coach Tim Dawson may know Wawasee as well as any opponent.
Friday's sectional football game will mark the fourth time in 18 games the two teams have met since Sept. 1999.
Concord is 3-0 during that stretch, beating Wawasee 49-21, 43-13 and 27-14. The 49-21 win came at Wawasee during the 1999 regular season, while the 43-13 win came at Concord during the first round of the 1999 sectional. Concord hosted and beat Wawasee 27-14 this year during the regular season.
"We know what they will do, and they know what we will do," Wawasee coach Joe Rietveld said. "It's a matter of going out there and executing better. We probably prefer to face someone we have not faced because our offense can present teams problems."
Wawasee's last win over Concord came in 1997, when the Warriors won 26-10 under former coach Gene Mitz.
The two teams are similar in 2000.
Wawasee enters 4-6; Concord is 3-7.
Wawasee averages 24.6 points per game; Concord averages 23.4 points per game.
Wawasee allows 28.9 points per game; Concord allows 29.8 points per game.
Wawasee scored 34 points in its first-round sectional win, 34-17 in South Bend against South Bend Washington (4-6); Concord scored 34 points in its first-round sectional win, 34-27 in overtime at Northridge (1-9).
This is a benchmark game for the Warriors. A win would give them five wins and put them in the sectional championship game.
"We're in a good position now," Rietveld said. "I don't know the last time Wawasee has had five wins, but it's been a while. And when was the last time Wawasee was in a sectional championship game, 1986?
"People earmarked us as another 2-8 Wawasee team, that we would win two out of our first three and lose the rest. The kids have proved a lot of people wrong."
The last time Wawasee won five games was in 1989 (5-5), and the last time the school advanced to the sectional championship game was in 1986.
The Wawasee team Concord beat 27-14 on Sept. 8 is not the same Wawasee team Concord will face tomorrow night.
During the NFL season, talk of making a switch at quarterback occurs daily.
Wawasee did not have to make a quarterback change, as the team is set with Brent Doty, who is ranked No. 13 in the state with 197.8 passing yards per game.
The Warriors instead changed their running back. Logan Lees started the season as the featured running back, but Rietveld in early October replaced him with 6-foot-1, 260-pound Jimmy Meyer, an outside linebacker.
The move paid off in several ways.
It paid off offensively.
Meyer rushed 24 times for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 41-10 win at Mishawaka Marian on Oct. 6. Since that game, Meyer has rushed for 60 yards in a 28-20 home loss to Goshen and for 95 yards in last week's 34-17 sectional road win against South Bend Washington.
It paid off defensively.
The move made Lees the starting inside linebacker and moved Sam Calobrace from inside linebacker to outside linebacker, where he has been more effective. The team speed on defense has improved.
The Warriors are 2-1 since the running back switch, and the loss came to a Goshen team that was ranked No. 13 in the final 4A poll.
"Our running game was getting shut down, and we needed speed on defense," Rietveld said. "Both players were receptive to the idea. Both were starters, and each was the other's backup. The switch has given us spark on offense and defense.
"Jimmy is 260 pounds. You give him a crease, and he can fall forward and get you three or four yards. We moved Logan to inside linebacker and Calobrace to outside linebacker. Meyer had been an outside linebacker.
"Logan is a pretty good linebacker who's physical with an attitude and aggressiveness. We have to have him on defense."
Said Concord coach Tim Dawson: "I see major improvement offensively and defensively since they made Meyer the running back. Doty doesn't throw interceptions, and Meyer gives them a power running game. Lees makes more plays on defense because of his speed."
Concord is hurting, missing two starters on the offensive line and its starting fullback. Chris Will, a 6-foot-7, 270-pound senior guard, is out; Nick Leffert, a 200-pound junior guard, is out; and junior fullback Joe Baier is out. All are injured.
"If Chris Will wasn't their best lineman," Rietveld said, "he was one of their best."
Concord's rushing and passing numbers are nearly identical. The team has rushed for 1,605 yards and passed for 1,643 yards. Quarterback Ian Nelson has completed 124 of 231 passes (54 percent) and is 23rd in the state with 164.3 passing yards per game. His top receiver is Micah Staley, who has caught 53 passes and is fourth in the state with 112.7 receiving yards per game.
Dawson knows he will see a different Wawasee team with the running back change. Rietveld expects to see a different Concord team.
"Concord is not emphasizing the run as much as they were earlier in the season," he said. "Now the Nelson kid is a big threat. He got selected first team All-Conference on defense, he directs the offense and runs the option."
Rietveld does not expect a defensive struggle.
"I think both teams will score some points, but I don't think it will be 44-40," he said. "Our teams have similar offensive numbers and similar defensive numbers. The team that avoids turnovers and the team that gets the best special teams play will have the biggest advantage."
The winner of this 7:30 p.m. game hosts the sectional championship next Friday.
The winner will play the winner of the South Bend Adams (1-9) and Goshen (8-2) game.
2000 4A FOOTBALL SECTIONAL
Wawasee at Concord
7:30 p.m. Friday
CONCORD MINUTEMEN
Coach: Tim Dawson
Record: 3-7
Concord scores (home team in caps)
East Noble 34, CONCORD 14
Elkhart Memorial 44, CONCORD 22
NORTHWOOD 42, Concord 21
CONCORD 27, Wawasee 14
Goshen 7, CONCORD 0
JIMTOWN 34, Concord 19
Plymouth 36, CONCORD 35 (OT)
Concord 49, NORTHRIDGE 19
WARSAW 41, Concord 13
Sectional
Concord 34, NORTHRIDGE 27 (OT)
Concord leaders
Rushing (carries-yards, average) -ÊNick Matney 174-945 (5.4), Eric Watson 67-284 (4.2), Joe Baier 45-161 (3.6), Jeremy Lugbill 8-54 (6.8), C.J. Shafer 13-48 (3.7), Mike Simpson 3-45 (15.0)
Passing (comp.-att.-int. yards touchdowns) -ÊIan Nelson 124-231-12 (54%) 1,643 18
Receiving (catches-yards, average) - Micah Staley 53-802 (15.1), Bryan Kelly 30-325 (10.8), Lugbill 25-347 (13.9), Matney 9-95 (10.6)
Touchdowns - Lugbill 8, Staley 7, Matney 6, Kelly 5, Baier 2, Nelson 2, Watson 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) - Nelson 35-1130 (32.3)
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) - Shafer 2-11 (5.5), Staley 1-11 (11.0)
Kick returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊMatney 21-398 (19.0), Lugbill 14-311 (22.2)
Extra points/field goals - Lugbill 21 for 25/0 for 2
Tackles (solo) - Tim Koontz 73, Shafer 39, Matney 38, Eric Obregon 37, Lugbill 32, Nelson 31
Sacks - Koontz 5, Lugbill 5, Matney 4, Joe Lake 3, Nelson 3
Interceptions - Shafer 3, Nelson 2, Lugbill 2
Fumble recoveries - Koontz 3, Shafer 3, Billy Dalton 2, Lugbill 2
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Coach: Joe Rietveld
Record: 4-6
Wawasee scores (home team in caps)
WAWASEE 42, Whitko 22
CARROLL 35, Wawasee 28
WAWASEE 21, Northridge 0
CONCORD 28, Wawasee 14
NorthWood 40, WAWASEE 12
PLYMOUTH 47, Wawasee 21
Warsaw 63, WAWASEE 13
Wawasee 41, MISHAWAKA MARIAN 10
Goshen 28, WAWASEE 20
Sectional
Wawasee 34, SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON 17
Wawasee leaders
Rushing (carries-yards, average) - Logan Lees 91-493 (5.4), Jimmy Meyer 72-324 (4.5), Brent Doty 44-177 (4.0), Travis Klenke 9-54 (6.0), Drew
Evans 11-30 (2.7)
Passing (comp.-att.-int. yards touchdowns) - Brent Doty 193-303-13 (64%) 1,978 21
Receiving (catches-yards, average) - Bobby Likens 64-762 (11.9), Klenke 55-532 (9.7), Lees 19-152 (8.0), Andrew Packer 10-87 (8.7), Peter Chang 9-120 (13.3), Brian Adkins 9-105 (11.7), Nate Edgington 8-143 (17.9), Josh Roa 8-68 (8.5)
Touchdowns -ÊKlenke 10, Lees 7, Meyer 6, Likens 6, Doty 2, Chang 2, Edgington 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) - Guy Simmons 24-686 (28.6), Mike Ellsworth 9-274 (30.4)
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) - Klenke 15-323 (21.5)
Kick returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊKlenke 21-591 (28.1), Lees 5-138 (27.6)
Extra points/field goals - Chad Wooten 24 for 32/0 for 1
Tackles (solo; do not include sectional game) - Luke Speakman 45, Sam Calobrace 32, Peter Chang 31, Edgington 25, Speicher 21, Ellsworth 21
Sacks - Justin Magid 3, Speakman 2
Interceptions - Ellsworth 2, Speicher 2
Fumble recoveries - Speakman 3, Lees 1, Chang 1 [[In-content Ad]]