As the starting quarter at Edgewood Middle School, Justin Clemens lost one game in two years.

Friday night he'll face the challenge of leading Warsaw Community High School's varsity football team against Class 5A No. 8 Homestead (9-1) in Sectional 3 semifinal action in Fort Wayne.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the winner will face either No. 7 Marion (9-1) or No. 10 Fort Wayne Snider (8-2) in next week's sectional championship game.

Clemens, who at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds doesn't look like your average freshman, is starting in the place of senior Tyler Akers and junior Ben Higgins, who are both out with knee injuries.

The 5-10, 168-pound Akers, who was injured in Warsaw's 28-21 win over Carroll in the sectional opener, completed 67 of 157 passes for 840 yards this season with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Akers threw two of his five touchdown passes against Carroll, as the Tigers snapped an eight-game losing streak, improved to 2-8 on the season and scored their first postseason win since 2002.

Akers, who played in 10 games, carried the ball 84 times for 121 yards and four touchdowns.

Higgins, listed on Warsaw's roster as 6-4 and 190 pounds, was injured in the eighth game of the regular season in a 20-17 loss at Northern Lakes Conference rival NorthWood.

While getting playing time in six games, Higgins completed 30 of 73 passes for 389 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Clemens, who has been starting at tight end for the varsity team and who caught a 45-yard touchdown pass in the win over Carroll, has completed 5 of 9 passes this year for 62 yards.

Warsaw's team stats list Clemens as having a quarterback rating of 113.4, while Akers has a rating of 89.2 and Higgins a rating of 82.2.

Though he's just a freshman, Warsaw head coach Troy Akers said he has confidence in Clemens.

"I have a great deal of confidence in Justin," said Akers, whose Tigers are looking for their first sectional championship game appearance since 2002. "He can run the offense. He's surprisingly mobile for his size. He's not afraid to tuck it and run. And he's definitely got a strong arm."

Clemens has carried the ball five times this year for 24 yards. His longest rush of the season came Friday in the sectional opener, gaining 16 yards when the Tigers needed 15 yards for a first down.

"Justin is very smart," said Akers. "He's a very intelligent football player with great football sense. The biggest question is the same question we've had all year, can we protect him? We challenged the senior offensive linemen to protect him, we're already without Tyler and Ben. That makes Luke Champion our backup. After that, I don't know where to go."

Champion, a 5-11, 168-pound sophomore, was Warsaw's junior varsity quarterback.

The Spartans and Tigers met in the second game of the regular season this year, with Homestead beating Warsaw 28-6 at Fisher Field.

For the Tigers to be more successful this time, getting the ball to speedy senior receiver Chas Simpson is going to be key, as will opening holes for Warsaw's stable of running backs.

"To have any shot, we're going to have to play a perfect game offensively," said Akers. "We have to get the ball in Chas Simpson's hands."

Simpson, Warsaw's all-time leading receiver, had 900-plus yards last year. This season, he has 38 catches for 617 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior Blaine Allen is second in both receptions and yards this season with 18 catches for 229 yards, but is out with a broken hand.

Akers did say he could move senior Justin Hanson and junior Aaron West from defense to offense.

The Tigers' running game is led by junior Ben Davis' 120 carries for 524 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman Andy Conrad has carried the ball 30 times for 186 yards. Conrad scored his first varsity touchdown against Carroll on a 69-yard run.

"I like how our younger running backs are contributing," said Akers. "Ben Davis is doing a better job. Cody Kindle is rotating in. The addition of Tommy Reinholt has been a shot in the arm to the running game."

Reinholt, a senior linebacker, started at running back against Carroll and rushed for 70 yards in the first half. He suffered a deep bone bruise, however, and his status for Friday's game against Homestead, according to Akers, is a "game-time decision."

Through 10 games, Warsaw's offense has scored 123 points, while the defense has given up 271 points.

Friday, the Tiger defense will have to slow a Homestead team that averages 32.4 points per game.

Homestead's defense, which gives up just 12.8 points per game, has held its opponents to six or fewer points in five of 10 games this season.

Only once this season have the Spartans given up more than 13 points - a 55-18 loss to Class 3A No. 3 Norwell (10-0).

"I think we're better than we were when we played Homested the first time, and I think they're definitely better," said Akers. "Their wakeup call was Norwell. We've seen game tapes post-Norwell and they're playing better. But like I said, I think we're better, too. There were a couple big mistakes that led to some points for them the first time we played."

While Clemens is making his first start at quarterback, Homestead will be led by veteran signal caller Jordan Wise.

In last week's 35-14 sectional win over Goshen, Wise racked up 148 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and completed 7 of 11 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.

For the season, Wise has carried the ball 100 times for 432 yards and 11 scores. He has completed 92 of 148 (62 percent) passes for 1,560 yards with 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

"Defensively, we're going to have our hands full," said Akers. "We can bend but can't break. All but the Norwell game, Homestead has gotten off to a fast start. We can't let that happen. Against Goshen, they got off to a great start."

Goshen, which beat Warsaw 34-10, fell behind 35-0 in last week's sectional opener.

Bryan Wright has rushed 32 times for 399 yards and three touchdowns, while Ross Heckber has 320 yards and five touchdowns, Charles Seals has 283 yards and five touchdowns and Larry Buchanan has rushed for 189 yards.

Jordan Barnes, son of former Detroit Lions player and current sports agent Roosevelt Barnes, has rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown for the Spartans this season.

The Tigers are 4-4 in the overall series with Homestead and have won four of the past six meetings. [[In-content Ad]]