Tigers Take Charge Out Of Memorial
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Friday, in a Northern Lakes Conference game at Elkhart Memorial, the Tigers got back to the basics — blocking, running the ball and tackling.
It wasn’t fancy, it was old-school football that featured strong offensive line play, a productive running game and a defense that shut down Memorial’s high-octane passing game.
The end result was a 28-13 win for Warsaw, its first victory of the season and its highest point total in nearly two years.
“The kids just played great,” said Jensen, whose team improved to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the NLC. “I told the kids before the game there’s other place I’d rather be than here, and there’s no other team I’d rather coach.”
The Crimson Chargers, who last week got a school-record performance from senior quarterback Brody Rosenberg when he completed 33 of 43 passes for 384 yards, fell to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
With a ball-possession game plan, the Tigers chewed up clock and yardage, as they carried the ball 59 times for 270 yards. Warsaw attempted just two passes.
“We’ve tried a lot of things,” said Jensen. “Tonight we went back to what won us football games, running the ball and getting after it on defense.”
Five-foot-9, 175-pound senior Zach Rooney spearheaded the Tigers’ ground game with 32 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Classmate Peyton Balazs added 17 carries for 50 yards, while junior Tim Perkey chipped in with 37 yards on five attempts.
“The offensive line took a big step tonight,” said Jensen.
While Jensen praised the play of his offensive line and his team’s running game, senior Cameron Fritzel scored touchdowns for the Tigers on both defense and special teams.
After a 4-yard run by Rooney helped Warsaw build a 7-0 advantage with 3:36 remaining in the second quarter, Fritzel blocked a Memorial punt, scooped it up and found the end zone a minute-and-a-half later. The Tigers’ extra-point kick failed, but they were up 13-0 and had momentum on their side.
Fritzel came through again with 44 seconds left in the first half when he intercepted a Rosenberg pass and took it 54 yards to paydirt. Rooney added the two-point conversion run to give Warsaw a 21-0 lead at halftime.
“We scored in all three phases of the game,” said Jensen. “The kids stuck with it. They bought in to the game gameplan and executed it almost perfectly.”
The Tigers extended their lead to 28-0 when Rooney scored on a 3-yard run and Jeff Ballinger added the extra-point kick with 6:15 remaining in the third.
Memorial didn’t get on the scoreboard until senior Urston Smith scored on an 80-yard kickoff return with 6:01 to play in the third quarter.
The Crimson Chargers’ other touchdown came via a 5-yard run by junior Brody Slone with 4:55 left in the game.
After his school-record performance last week, Rosenberg completed just 7 of 22 passes Friday for 96 yards. He was picked off three times, as sophomore Gabe Furnivall and junior Tanner Dickerhoff also had interceptions for the Warsaw defense.
“We need to build on our strengths and get some more consistency,” said Memorial coach Kevin Downey. “Warsaw played well. I thought their offensive line did a good job getting off the ball and moving us up front. It all comes back to consistency. Their defense was solid, and their offense did a great job keeping us off the field. They did what they had to do.”
The Crimson Chargers racked up just 52 yards on the ground and 96 through the air.
After he had nearly 200 receiving yards last week, Todd Johnson caught five passes for 62 yards for Memorial Friday night.
Warsaw is in action again Friday when it hosts Northridge for homecoming at Fisher Field. Memorial will entertain Plymouth.[[In-content Ad]]
Friday, in a Northern Lakes Conference game at Elkhart Memorial, the Tigers got back to the basics — blocking, running the ball and tackling.
It wasn’t fancy, it was old-school football that featured strong offensive line play, a productive running game and a defense that shut down Memorial’s high-octane passing game.
The end result was a 28-13 win for Warsaw, its first victory of the season and its highest point total in nearly two years.
“The kids just played great,” said Jensen, whose team improved to 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the NLC. “I told the kids before the game there’s other place I’d rather be than here, and there’s no other team I’d rather coach.”
The Crimson Chargers, who last week got a school-record performance from senior quarterback Brody Rosenberg when he completed 33 of 43 passes for 384 yards, fell to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
With a ball-possession game plan, the Tigers chewed up clock and yardage, as they carried the ball 59 times for 270 yards. Warsaw attempted just two passes.
“We’ve tried a lot of things,” said Jensen. “Tonight we went back to what won us football games, running the ball and getting after it on defense.”
Five-foot-9, 175-pound senior Zach Rooney spearheaded the Tigers’ ground game with 32 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns.
Classmate Peyton Balazs added 17 carries for 50 yards, while junior Tim Perkey chipped in with 37 yards on five attempts.
“The offensive line took a big step tonight,” said Jensen.
While Jensen praised the play of his offensive line and his team’s running game, senior Cameron Fritzel scored touchdowns for the Tigers on both defense and special teams.
After a 4-yard run by Rooney helped Warsaw build a 7-0 advantage with 3:36 remaining in the second quarter, Fritzel blocked a Memorial punt, scooped it up and found the end zone a minute-and-a-half later. The Tigers’ extra-point kick failed, but they were up 13-0 and had momentum on their side.
Fritzel came through again with 44 seconds left in the first half when he intercepted a Rosenberg pass and took it 54 yards to paydirt. Rooney added the two-point conversion run to give Warsaw a 21-0 lead at halftime.
“We scored in all three phases of the game,” said Jensen. “The kids stuck with it. They bought in to the game gameplan and executed it almost perfectly.”
The Tigers extended their lead to 28-0 when Rooney scored on a 3-yard run and Jeff Ballinger added the extra-point kick with 6:15 remaining in the third.
Memorial didn’t get on the scoreboard until senior Urston Smith scored on an 80-yard kickoff return with 6:01 to play in the third quarter.
The Crimson Chargers’ other touchdown came via a 5-yard run by junior Brody Slone with 4:55 left in the game.
After his school-record performance last week, Rosenberg completed just 7 of 22 passes Friday for 96 yards. He was picked off three times, as sophomore Gabe Furnivall and junior Tanner Dickerhoff also had interceptions for the Warsaw defense.
“We need to build on our strengths and get some more consistency,” said Memorial coach Kevin Downey. “Warsaw played well. I thought their offensive line did a good job getting off the ball and moving us up front. It all comes back to consistency. Their defense was solid, and their offense did a great job keeping us off the field. They did what they had to do.”
The Crimson Chargers racked up just 52 yards on the ground and 96 through the air.
After he had nearly 200 receiving yards last week, Todd Johnson caught five passes for 62 yards for Memorial Friday night.
Warsaw is in action again Friday when it hosts Northridge for homecoming at Fisher Field. Memorial will entertain Plymouth.[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092