Hungry Warriors One Game Away
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Every Thursday during the football season, Wawasee's Gridiron Club, a group of parents and supporters, attempt the impossible - to feed the Warriors' entire 90-plus man roster including coaches and their families. The goal is to build greater team unity off the field.
On the field, Wawasee has had little trouble with the concept of team unity. Whether it is the ground game of Jordan Swain, the air attack of Kory Lantz or the defense stepping up, this team has found a way to win.
Tonight's contest against Logansport (11-2) will decide the northern representative in the 4A state final at the RCA Dome. The last time the Warriors were in Indianapolis was in week five for the NLC's Day at the Dome.
Since that game, where Wawasee beat NorthWood 38-34, the Warriors have been on the warpath.
Wawasee's margin of victory since that game has been an average of 21 points per contest.
The Warriors hope that running back Jordan Swain is healthier than he was against Lowell last week. Swain injured his back during an onsides kick in the waning minutes of the sectional final against Plymouth.
Wawasee squeaked out of Lake County with a 28-21 win over Lowell, the Warriors' closest margin of victory since the NorthWood game.
Swain has rushed for 2302 yards on 262 carries; good for a 9.0 yards per carry average. Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld said Swain will be healthier, if not 100 percent, for tonight's contest.
Bumps and bruises aside, the mental grind is something that both Wawasee and Logansport are dealing with. Unlike the Penns and Sniders of the world, this is new terrain for the Warriors and Berries.
Wawasee hasn't been to the state finals since 1985, while Logansport won its first regional in school history last week against Muncie Central with a 20-11 win.
"Our kids have been very focused this week," said Rietveld of his team's preparation. "We've tapered things down a bit. We've worked more on mental preparation."
What the Warriors will have to prepare for is an efficient option attack by Logansport. Berries' quarterback Dan Angle is 62 of 125 for 985 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, solid if not spectacular numbers on an offense that relies heavily on the run. Angle is also the team's second leading rusher with 978 yards on 130 carries.
Logansport's workhorse is running back Brent Woodruff. Woodruff has rushed for 1202 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.
"They give you enough misdirection to keep you honest and keep you from over-pursuing," said Rietveld.
For Logansport and head coach Elmer Britton, they have quite the offensive juggernaut to deal with.
Britton is in his 34th year of coaching and his third at Logansport. The long-tenured head coach has been with Lake Central and South Bend Clay. At Clay, Britton coached a young Jon Gruden.
Gruden is now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that in recent years has been known for their defense.
For Logansport to win, they may need a vintage Buccaneers defensive performance to move on in the tournament.
"Lantz is an excellent athlete. He's got a lot of savvy as a player. He's the kind of athlete anyone would want. What's really difficult to tell is how you're going to match up," said Britton of Wawasee.
Logansport may have trouble matching up against Wawasee receiving corps. Ben Champoux is the leading receiver for the Warriors with 34 catches for 610 yards. Wawasee has four receivers with 300 yards or more. Along with Champoux, Andrew Mock, Ryan Christner and Ryan Kauchak pose as threats to Logansport's secondary.
When the Berries have aired the ball out it's been Brandon Minglin who has been the main threat. The junior wide out has caught 26 passes for 580 yards.
Whether through ground or air, Logansport will need to control the time of possession. In last week's game against Lowell, the Warriors had to scored four times in their first six possessions to win. If the Berries can use their ground game to keep Wawasee's potent offense off the field and limit possessions, they have a chance to make their first state finals appearance in school history.
Wawasee has a chance to erase 1985 like Red Sox fans did with 1918. Interestingly, the Warriors could potentially face Roncalli in the Dome. The Rebels were Wawasee's opponent in the 1985 state final and won 37-3.
Before the Warriors can avenge a 19-year-old loss, they must first get past Logansport tonight. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Warrior Field. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Every Thursday during the football season, Wawasee's Gridiron Club, a group of parents and supporters, attempt the impossible - to feed the Warriors' entire 90-plus man roster including coaches and their families. The goal is to build greater team unity off the field.
On the field, Wawasee has had little trouble with the concept of team unity. Whether it is the ground game of Jordan Swain, the air attack of Kory Lantz or the defense stepping up, this team has found a way to win.
Tonight's contest against Logansport (11-2) will decide the northern representative in the 4A state final at the RCA Dome. The last time the Warriors were in Indianapolis was in week five for the NLC's Day at the Dome.
Since that game, where Wawasee beat NorthWood 38-34, the Warriors have been on the warpath.
Wawasee's margin of victory since that game has been an average of 21 points per contest.
The Warriors hope that running back Jordan Swain is healthier than he was against Lowell last week. Swain injured his back during an onsides kick in the waning minutes of the sectional final against Plymouth.
Wawasee squeaked out of Lake County with a 28-21 win over Lowell, the Warriors' closest margin of victory since the NorthWood game.
Swain has rushed for 2302 yards on 262 carries; good for a 9.0 yards per carry average. Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld said Swain will be healthier, if not 100 percent, for tonight's contest.
Bumps and bruises aside, the mental grind is something that both Wawasee and Logansport are dealing with. Unlike the Penns and Sniders of the world, this is new terrain for the Warriors and Berries.
Wawasee hasn't been to the state finals since 1985, while Logansport won its first regional in school history last week against Muncie Central with a 20-11 win.
"Our kids have been very focused this week," said Rietveld of his team's preparation. "We've tapered things down a bit. We've worked more on mental preparation."
What the Warriors will have to prepare for is an efficient option attack by Logansport. Berries' quarterback Dan Angle is 62 of 125 for 985 yards and eight touchdowns on the season, solid if not spectacular numbers on an offense that relies heavily on the run. Angle is also the team's second leading rusher with 978 yards on 130 carries.
Logansport's workhorse is running back Brent Woodruff. Woodruff has rushed for 1202 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.
"They give you enough misdirection to keep you honest and keep you from over-pursuing," said Rietveld.
For Logansport and head coach Elmer Britton, they have quite the offensive juggernaut to deal with.
Britton is in his 34th year of coaching and his third at Logansport. The long-tenured head coach has been with Lake Central and South Bend Clay. At Clay, Britton coached a young Jon Gruden.
Gruden is now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that in recent years has been known for their defense.
For Logansport to win, they may need a vintage Buccaneers defensive performance to move on in the tournament.
"Lantz is an excellent athlete. He's got a lot of savvy as a player. He's the kind of athlete anyone would want. What's really difficult to tell is how you're going to match up," said Britton of Wawasee.
Logansport may have trouble matching up against Wawasee receiving corps. Ben Champoux is the leading receiver for the Warriors with 34 catches for 610 yards. Wawasee has four receivers with 300 yards or more. Along with Champoux, Andrew Mock, Ryan Christner and Ryan Kauchak pose as threats to Logansport's secondary.
When the Berries have aired the ball out it's been Brandon Minglin who has been the main threat. The junior wide out has caught 26 passes for 580 yards.
Whether through ground or air, Logansport will need to control the time of possession. In last week's game against Lowell, the Warriors had to scored four times in their first six possessions to win. If the Berries can use their ground game to keep Wawasee's potent offense off the field and limit possessions, they have a chance to make their first state finals appearance in school history.
Wawasee has a chance to erase 1985 like Red Sox fans did with 1918. Interestingly, the Warriors could potentially face Roncalli in the Dome. The Rebels were Wawasee's opponent in the 1985 state final and won 37-3.
Before the Warriors can avenge a 19-year-old loss, they must first get past Logansport tonight. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Warrior Field. [[In-content Ad]]