Warrior Defense Deserving Of Respect
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Aretha Franklin sang about it, while the late Rodney Dangerfield joked about not getting any.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
With Wawasee High School's varsity football team enjoying its best season in the program's history, setting a school record for victories and winning the Northern Lakes Conference and sectional championships for the first time since 1985, the Warrior defense, in a way, might feel like Dangerfield.
On a team with offensive stars like Kory Lantz, Jordan Swain, Andrew Mock and Ben Chamoux, Wawasee's defense has garnered few headlines this season, yet has stood its ground time and time again.
An underestimated group, coach Joe Rietveld's defensive team held conference rival Plymouth to 81 yards rushing on 33 attempts in Friday's 28-7 sectional win.
Running the football is Plymouth's bread-and-butter, yet it was the Warrior defense that feasted play after play, shutting down talented Rockies running back Jared Gaul.
Gaul entered last week's sectional title tilt with 1,418 rushing yards, averaging 129 yards per game.
Against Wawasee's speedy and stingy defense, a group that has allowed more than 10 points in a game only once in the past six games, he racked up just 50 yards.
"They're very business-like," said Rietveld of his Warriors, who will play Friday at Lowell, where a regional championship will be on the line at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST). "They do their job and they do it pretty quickly. I think there's a direct relation between being good and being fast."
Wawasee's defense will be presented with one of the stiffest challenges of the season Friday, having to slow down Lowell's rushing attack.
Through 12 games this season, the Red Devils' offense has attempted just 58 passes.
Lowell averages 305 yards per game on the ground, and of the Red Devils' 4,151 yards of offense this year, 3,661 of them have come via the running game.
"We have to continue doing what we've been doing and be fundamentally sound," said Rietveld, whose Warriors put an 11-1 record and a Class 4A No. 10 ranking on the line against the Red Devils (9-3) Friday. "They (Lowell) look a lot like Plymouth, just not as diversified."
On paper or on the field, there's no secret as to who Lowell's offense is centered around.
Six-foot-1, 225-pound tailback Toby Goetz (pronounced Gates) has rushed the ball 257 times for 1,882 net yards and 27 touchdowns and averages 7.3 yards per carry.
"They have a quality running back," said Rietveld. "He's 6-1, 225, that's as big as our tight end. We have to get guys to the ball. He's a power runner and would love to run you over."
Fullback Jeff Clemens has rushed 51 times for 596 yards, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns.
Three other Red Devils have at least 247 yards rushing for an offense that has gotten 152 of its 181 first downs this year with the running game.
Given the task to stop Lowell's rushing attack is a Warrior defense that is not extremely big, but one that certainly is quick.
Linebackers Rob McKibben and Jeremy Curry lead the Warrior defense with 95 tackles each and have combined for 33 tackles for loss. Defensive back Michael Conrad has racked up 81 tackles.
Defensive end Tim Brumbaugh, whom Rietveld said he is more and more impressed with each time he sees him play, leads Wawasee with 6-1/2 sacks.
As a team, the Warriors have tallied 118 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and 12 interceptions.
Offensively, Swain leads the Warriors with 2,246 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, while Lantz has 636 rushing yards and McKibben, 259.
Through the air, Lantz has thrown for 1,662 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Senior Ben Champoux leads Wawasee's talented group of receivers with 541 yards, while Andrew Mock has 344, Ryan Christner, 333, and tight end Ryan Kauchak, 287.
"It all starts up front," Rietveld said of what his offense had to do to be successful. "They (Lowell) are very physical. If we can't rush the ball, it'll be a long night. We're also going to have to throw the ball more. We may throw it 20-25 times."
Lowell's defense gives up less than 100 rushing yards per game.
The Warriors' goal is to play in the RCA Dome for a state championship. They are now among just eight teams still alive in Class 4A action.
The winner of Friday's Wawasee/Lowell game will battle the winner of Logansport (10-2) and No. 3 Muncie Central (12-0) in next Friday's northern semistate. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Aretha Franklin sang about it, while the late Rodney Dangerfield joked about not getting any.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
With Wawasee High School's varsity football team enjoying its best season in the program's history, setting a school record for victories and winning the Northern Lakes Conference and sectional championships for the first time since 1985, the Warrior defense, in a way, might feel like Dangerfield.
On a team with offensive stars like Kory Lantz, Jordan Swain, Andrew Mock and Ben Chamoux, Wawasee's defense has garnered few headlines this season, yet has stood its ground time and time again.
An underestimated group, coach Joe Rietveld's defensive team held conference rival Plymouth to 81 yards rushing on 33 attempts in Friday's 28-7 sectional win.
Running the football is Plymouth's bread-and-butter, yet it was the Warrior defense that feasted play after play, shutting down talented Rockies running back Jared Gaul.
Gaul entered last week's sectional title tilt with 1,418 rushing yards, averaging 129 yards per game.
Against Wawasee's speedy and stingy defense, a group that has allowed more than 10 points in a game only once in the past six games, he racked up just 50 yards.
"They're very business-like," said Rietveld of his Warriors, who will play Friday at Lowell, where a regional championship will be on the line at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST). "They do their job and they do it pretty quickly. I think there's a direct relation between being good and being fast."
Wawasee's defense will be presented with one of the stiffest challenges of the season Friday, having to slow down Lowell's rushing attack.
Through 12 games this season, the Red Devils' offense has attempted just 58 passes.
Lowell averages 305 yards per game on the ground, and of the Red Devils' 4,151 yards of offense this year, 3,661 of them have come via the running game.
"We have to continue doing what we've been doing and be fundamentally sound," said Rietveld, whose Warriors put an 11-1 record and a Class 4A No. 10 ranking on the line against the Red Devils (9-3) Friday. "They (Lowell) look a lot like Plymouth, just not as diversified."
On paper or on the field, there's no secret as to who Lowell's offense is centered around.
Six-foot-1, 225-pound tailback Toby Goetz (pronounced Gates) has rushed the ball 257 times for 1,882 net yards and 27 touchdowns and averages 7.3 yards per carry.
"They have a quality running back," said Rietveld. "He's 6-1, 225, that's as big as our tight end. We have to get guys to the ball. He's a power runner and would love to run you over."
Fullback Jeff Clemens has rushed 51 times for 596 yards, an average of 11.7 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns.
Three other Red Devils have at least 247 yards rushing for an offense that has gotten 152 of its 181 first downs this year with the running game.
Given the task to stop Lowell's rushing attack is a Warrior defense that is not extremely big, but one that certainly is quick.
Linebackers Rob McKibben and Jeremy Curry lead the Warrior defense with 95 tackles each and have combined for 33 tackles for loss. Defensive back Michael Conrad has racked up 81 tackles.
Defensive end Tim Brumbaugh, whom Rietveld said he is more and more impressed with each time he sees him play, leads Wawasee with 6-1/2 sacks.
As a team, the Warriors have tallied 118 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and 12 interceptions.
Offensively, Swain leads the Warriors with 2,246 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, while Lantz has 636 rushing yards and McKibben, 259.
Through the air, Lantz has thrown for 1,662 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Senior Ben Champoux leads Wawasee's talented group of receivers with 541 yards, while Andrew Mock has 344, Ryan Christner, 333, and tight end Ryan Kauchak, 287.
"It all starts up front," Rietveld said of what his offense had to do to be successful. "They (Lowell) are very physical. If we can't rush the ball, it'll be a long night. We're also going to have to throw the ball more. We may throw it 20-25 times."
Lowell's defense gives up less than 100 rushing yards per game.
The Warriors' goal is to play in the RCA Dome for a state championship. They are now among just eight teams still alive in Class 4A action.
The winner of Friday's Wawasee/Lowell game will battle the winner of Logansport (10-2) and No. 3 Muncie Central (12-0) in next Friday's northern semistate. [[In-content Ad]]