Jensen, Tiger Football Team Say 'We Believe'
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
It's like last weekend's Boston College-Notre Dame game, Phil Jensen said Wednesday afternoon, there's a reason why the game is still played.
Clearly written off as the underdog, Boston College knocked off highly-ranked, undefeated Notre Dame in its own backyard as a stunned football nation watched on.
Friday, in a rematch of a sectional semifinal game that saw Snider win 23-20 in overtime a year ago, Jensen and his Warsaw football team hope to accomplish what Boston College did, as the Tigers (8-3) travel to Fort Wayne to play No. 3 Snider for the 5A Sectional 3 title.
The game, which is slated to kick off at 7 p.m., will be played at Wayne High School and marks the first sectional championship appearance in school history for the Tigers.
Snider, at 10-0 this season, has done in the past 11 years under Russ Isaacs what some teams can only dream of - seven sectional championships, four regional championships, a semistate title, a state championship and a 122-20 overall record.
"That's why football is the greatest team sport there is, it's gonna take all of us playing together," Jensen said. "Life is full of challenges and obstacles, you have to have faith. Without faith you don't have anything."
The Tigers will face another challenge this week due to injury, as 6-foot-3, 280-pound All-Conference senior defensive lineman William Knepper will be sidelined 4-to-6 months with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
Knepper, a three-year starter, had 80 tackles through 11 games, including 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
"The next guy just has to step up," Jensen said. "You substitute, you can't replace someone like that. William is a very special athlete. I was really concerned Monday about telling the kids William was gone. Some of the kids knew, but we came out and addressed the rest of the kids and they stayed focused. Then we had to tell them Coach (Terry) Rosenbarger's sister was killed in a terrible accident. These kids have stayed focused. We feel real confident about what we're doing."
Jensen has done nothing but face obstacles in his seven years at Warsaw. Starting with a 2-7 team, he coached the Tigers to the school's first ever sectional win in just his third year. Warsaw then won three straight Northern Lakes Conference championships, another first.
Under Jensen, the Tigers have gone from 5A whipping boys to contending for a sectional championship and records of 8-2, 9-2 and 10-1, to where they are now at 8-3.
"A year ago that was us," Jensen said of Snider's No. 3 ranking and 10-0 record. "Now we've got the opportunity to go up there and fight for a sectional championship. We're fighting for the right to practice next week. It's 30 degrees at practices now, and it gets dark by 5 (p.m.). There's only 16 teams left (in 5A), and we're one of them."
As it has been all season, Warsaw's offensive stats are centered around 6-4, 210-pound senior quarterback Ryan DeGeeter.
DeGeeter enters Friday's sectional championship contest as the Tigers' leading rusher with 646 yards on 96 carries. Through the air he has completed 108 of 248 passes for 1,730 yards.
Junior Nathan Miller has 39 catches for 537 yards from his flanker position, while senior Mike Thallemer has 26 catches for 558 yards.
Ryan Hamilton, Ben Kreinbrink and Thomas Balestri have combined for 813 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
"Offensively, we're gonna have to play a great team game," Jensen said. "On defense, we can't give up big plays, we have to make them earn it. Special teams are big at this time of the year."
Special teams played a huge roll in Snider's 23-21 semifinal win a week ago over then 10-0 Homestead, as senior speester Aaron Lane ran back the opening kickoff 100 yards. The Panthers then won the game on a field goal with three seconds left.
The winner of Friday's Snider/Warsaw battle will play the winner of 5A Sectional 4, where Carmel (7-4) plays at Lafayette Jeff (7-3).
5A SECTIONAL 3
At a glance
WARSAW AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER
7 p.m. Friday in Fort Wayne (at Wayne High School)
Look at the Numbers
OFFENSE
Rushing -Ê(att-yds) - Warsaw, Ryan DeGeeter 96-646, Ryan Hamilton 71-363, Ben Kreinbrink 80-277, Thomas Balestri 38-173, David Burnley 39-138
Passing -Ê(comp.-att.-int. yards, TDs) - Warsaw, DeGeeter 108-248-9, 1,730, 12
Receiving -Ê(catches-yards) - Warsaw, Nate Miller 39-537, Michael Thallemer 26-558, Balestri 13-133, Adam Griggs 11-214, Adam Suchecki 10-144
DEFENSE
Tackles (solo-assists) - Warsaw, Zach Smith 84-45 (129), Thallemer 61-30 (91), Brandon Cordell 58-26 (84), William Knepper 58-22 (80)
Interceptions - Warsaw, Thallemer 7, DeGeeter 2, Griggs 2
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickoff Returns - Warsaw, Balestri 12-217, Miller 6-123, Hamilton 4-72
Punts - Warsaw, DeGeeter 40-1,586
Punt Returns - Miller 13-64, Balestri 1-30, DeGeeter 1-7 [[In-content Ad]]
It's like last weekend's Boston College-Notre Dame game, Phil Jensen said Wednesday afternoon, there's a reason why the game is still played.
Clearly written off as the underdog, Boston College knocked off highly-ranked, undefeated Notre Dame in its own backyard as a stunned football nation watched on.
Friday, in a rematch of a sectional semifinal game that saw Snider win 23-20 in overtime a year ago, Jensen and his Warsaw football team hope to accomplish what Boston College did, as the Tigers (8-3) travel to Fort Wayne to play No. 3 Snider for the 5A Sectional 3 title.
The game, which is slated to kick off at 7 p.m., will be played at Wayne High School and marks the first sectional championship appearance in school history for the Tigers.
Snider, at 10-0 this season, has done in the past 11 years under Russ Isaacs what some teams can only dream of - seven sectional championships, four regional championships, a semistate title, a state championship and a 122-20 overall record.
"That's why football is the greatest team sport there is, it's gonna take all of us playing together," Jensen said. "Life is full of challenges and obstacles, you have to have faith. Without faith you don't have anything."
The Tigers will face another challenge this week due to injury, as 6-foot-3, 280-pound All-Conference senior defensive lineman William Knepper will be sidelined 4-to-6 months with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
Knepper, a three-year starter, had 80 tackles through 11 games, including 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
"The next guy just has to step up," Jensen said. "You substitute, you can't replace someone like that. William is a very special athlete. I was really concerned Monday about telling the kids William was gone. Some of the kids knew, but we came out and addressed the rest of the kids and they stayed focused. Then we had to tell them Coach (Terry) Rosenbarger's sister was killed in a terrible accident. These kids have stayed focused. We feel real confident about what we're doing."
Jensen has done nothing but face obstacles in his seven years at Warsaw. Starting with a 2-7 team, he coached the Tigers to the school's first ever sectional win in just his third year. Warsaw then won three straight Northern Lakes Conference championships, another first.
Under Jensen, the Tigers have gone from 5A whipping boys to contending for a sectional championship and records of 8-2, 9-2 and 10-1, to where they are now at 8-3.
"A year ago that was us," Jensen said of Snider's No. 3 ranking and 10-0 record. "Now we've got the opportunity to go up there and fight for a sectional championship. We're fighting for the right to practice next week. It's 30 degrees at practices now, and it gets dark by 5 (p.m.). There's only 16 teams left (in 5A), and we're one of them."
As it has been all season, Warsaw's offensive stats are centered around 6-4, 210-pound senior quarterback Ryan DeGeeter.
DeGeeter enters Friday's sectional championship contest as the Tigers' leading rusher with 646 yards on 96 carries. Through the air he has completed 108 of 248 passes for 1,730 yards.
Junior Nathan Miller has 39 catches for 537 yards from his flanker position, while senior Mike Thallemer has 26 catches for 558 yards.
Ryan Hamilton, Ben Kreinbrink and Thomas Balestri have combined for 813 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
"Offensively, we're gonna have to play a great team game," Jensen said. "On defense, we can't give up big plays, we have to make them earn it. Special teams are big at this time of the year."
Special teams played a huge roll in Snider's 23-21 semifinal win a week ago over then 10-0 Homestead, as senior speester Aaron Lane ran back the opening kickoff 100 yards. The Panthers then won the game on a field goal with three seconds left.
The winner of Friday's Snider/Warsaw battle will play the winner of 5A Sectional 4, where Carmel (7-4) plays at Lafayette Jeff (7-3).
5A SECTIONAL 3
At a glance
WARSAW AT FORT WAYNE SNIDER
7 p.m. Friday in Fort Wayne (at Wayne High School)
Look at the Numbers
OFFENSE
Rushing -Ê(att-yds) - Warsaw, Ryan DeGeeter 96-646, Ryan Hamilton 71-363, Ben Kreinbrink 80-277, Thomas Balestri 38-173, David Burnley 39-138
Passing -Ê(comp.-att.-int. yards, TDs) - Warsaw, DeGeeter 108-248-9, 1,730, 12
Receiving -Ê(catches-yards) - Warsaw, Nate Miller 39-537, Michael Thallemer 26-558, Balestri 13-133, Adam Griggs 11-214, Adam Suchecki 10-144
DEFENSE
Tackles (solo-assists) - Warsaw, Zach Smith 84-45 (129), Thallemer 61-30 (91), Brandon Cordell 58-26 (84), William Knepper 58-22 (80)
Interceptions - Warsaw, Thallemer 7, DeGeeter 2, Griggs 2
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickoff Returns - Warsaw, Balestri 12-217, Miller 6-123, Hamilton 4-72
Punts - Warsaw, DeGeeter 40-1,586
Punt Returns - Miller 13-64, Balestri 1-30, DeGeeter 1-7 [[In-content Ad]]