Warriors Indianapolis Bound!
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Jimtown head football coach Bill Sharpe visited the Wawasee Warriors on Tuesday and told the players whoever made the least amount of mistakes would win Friday's northern semistate. Sharpe knows a thing or two about winning postseason football, leading his Jimmies to three 2A state titles in 25 years.
The Warriors played a near flawless first half on their way to a 49-19 defeat of Logansport that earns Wawasee its first state finals appearance since 1985.
The coach of that '85 team, Myron Dickerson was a special color analyst for one of the local radio stations Friday night.
And the colors du jour were forest green and old gold, those of Wawasee.
Logansport received the ball to start the game and drove to Wawasee's 38-yard line before Berries running back Brent Woodruff was stripped and his fumble was recovered by Wawasee defensive end Tim Brumbaugh.
As they've done all year, the Warriors were quick to capitalize.
Wawasee started on its own 40-yard line and drove 60 yards in nine plays before Jordan Swain capped the drive off with a nine-yard run up the gut of the Logansport defense.
In the sectional championship game against Plymouth, Swain injured his back on an onside-kick attempt that limited his play in the regional against Lowell. Swain was sparsely used, but late in the Lowell game, the 5-foot-10 running back was dealt a hit to his back that left him stinging. In what Swain says was, "like a miracle," he woke up the next day back at 100 percent.
With Swain's back feeling fine, he broke the vertebrae of the Berries after Logansport drew to within a score.
Berries quarterback Dan Angle found David Tribbett wide open from 21 yards out with 7:03 left in the first half to draw Logansport to within a score at 14-6 after a missed extra point.
On Wawasee's very next play, Swain broke a 71-yard touchdown run that Logansport never fully recovered from. Wide receiver Ryan Christner provided two separate downfield blocks to make the touchdown happen.
"I knew the guy was going to come inside and I just set myself up that way so I would be able to block him, and Jordan came around. We've been working on it all year and I tell him to fake inside then go outside and that's what he did. We've been doing it all year," said Christner.
From that point on the game was in the hands of Wawasee's defense. The Warriors were stout, allowing the Berries a scant 111 yards of offense in the first half.
Linebacker Jeremy Curry made several big hits on the night and spent most of the game in the Logansport backfield.
"We came out tonight and everyone just knew that they had to do their jobs. Everyone had to tackle, wrap up and we'd come out with the victory," said Curry of the Warriors' defensive performance.
The Warriors capped off their near-perfect first half when Kory Lantz found an uncovered Ben Champoux from 19 yards out on play action that froze Logansport's defense.
Lantz was 3-of-4 passing in the first half for 28 yards and one touchdown. Wawasee scored on every one of its four first-half possessions, not punting once, and committing just one penalty.
The penalty came after Lantz's 19-yard run in the early part of the second quarter. Lantz slipped and the referees interpreted it as a celebration and tacked 15 yards onto Champoux's extra-point attempt.
But not even a cold November rain could slow down a focused and determined Warrior squad.
Lantz's lone incompletion came when Christner dropped a slant pass inside Logansport's 10-yard line that was destined for six points.
Christner was described earlier in the week by Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld as the "unsung hero" of the Warriors.
While Christner missed his chance to score his first official touchdown of the season, he not only sprung Swain for his 71-yard run, but also blocked on Champoux's second score of the evening with 22 seconds left in the third quarter on a screen pass by Lantz.
"After that touchdown I went over and gave Christner props because that was his touchdown," said Champoux.
Linebacker Rob McKibben, Swain's heir apparent, put an exclamation point on the night when he picked off Angle's pass intended for Brandon Minglin and rumbled 32 yards for a touchdown.
After the game, the mud-soaked Warrior Field was packed with fans, students, parents and media.
While many in said media picked Wawasee to win, Rietveld and his players realized they couldn't look ahead.
"The focus was winning the game," said Rietveld. "You don't go to state unless you win this game. We just focused on beating Logansport. I'm just proud of the way our kids played."
For the players, this is what they've been waiting for since they were big enough to hold a football.
"It's just an incredible feeling. Most of us have been playing football together or against each other since fifth grade and we came out here tonight with focus and played awesome football," said Champoux
"This is the best thing I've had in my entire life. I can't describe it," said Swain.
Swain shredded the Berries defense to the tune of 239 yards on 19 carries. Swain is the lone back left in the top 10 of the state's leading rushers and has a chance to end his season on top of that list with a solid performance Saturday.
The win sets up a rematch 19 years in the making. Before any of the current Wawasee players were even born, the Warriors fell to Roncalli in the 1985 class 3A championship, 37-3. After the Rebels beat Columbus East Friday night, 15-14, they will face the Warriors in the RCA Dome at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Jimtown head football coach Bill Sharpe visited the Wawasee Warriors on Tuesday and told the players whoever made the least amount of mistakes would win Friday's northern semistate. Sharpe knows a thing or two about winning postseason football, leading his Jimmies to three 2A state titles in 25 years.
The Warriors played a near flawless first half on their way to a 49-19 defeat of Logansport that earns Wawasee its first state finals appearance since 1985.
The coach of that '85 team, Myron Dickerson was a special color analyst for one of the local radio stations Friday night.
And the colors du jour were forest green and old gold, those of Wawasee.
Logansport received the ball to start the game and drove to Wawasee's 38-yard line before Berries running back Brent Woodruff was stripped and his fumble was recovered by Wawasee defensive end Tim Brumbaugh.
As they've done all year, the Warriors were quick to capitalize.
Wawasee started on its own 40-yard line and drove 60 yards in nine plays before Jordan Swain capped the drive off with a nine-yard run up the gut of the Logansport defense.
In the sectional championship game against Plymouth, Swain injured his back on an onside-kick attempt that limited his play in the regional against Lowell. Swain was sparsely used, but late in the Lowell game, the 5-foot-10 running back was dealt a hit to his back that left him stinging. In what Swain says was, "like a miracle," he woke up the next day back at 100 percent.
With Swain's back feeling fine, he broke the vertebrae of the Berries after Logansport drew to within a score.
Berries quarterback Dan Angle found David Tribbett wide open from 21 yards out with 7:03 left in the first half to draw Logansport to within a score at 14-6 after a missed extra point.
On Wawasee's very next play, Swain broke a 71-yard touchdown run that Logansport never fully recovered from. Wide receiver Ryan Christner provided two separate downfield blocks to make the touchdown happen.
"I knew the guy was going to come inside and I just set myself up that way so I would be able to block him, and Jordan came around. We've been working on it all year and I tell him to fake inside then go outside and that's what he did. We've been doing it all year," said Christner.
From that point on the game was in the hands of Wawasee's defense. The Warriors were stout, allowing the Berries a scant 111 yards of offense in the first half.
Linebacker Jeremy Curry made several big hits on the night and spent most of the game in the Logansport backfield.
"We came out tonight and everyone just knew that they had to do their jobs. Everyone had to tackle, wrap up and we'd come out with the victory," said Curry of the Warriors' defensive performance.
The Warriors capped off their near-perfect first half when Kory Lantz found an uncovered Ben Champoux from 19 yards out on play action that froze Logansport's defense.
Lantz was 3-of-4 passing in the first half for 28 yards and one touchdown. Wawasee scored on every one of its four first-half possessions, not punting once, and committing just one penalty.
The penalty came after Lantz's 19-yard run in the early part of the second quarter. Lantz slipped and the referees interpreted it as a celebration and tacked 15 yards onto Champoux's extra-point attempt.
But not even a cold November rain could slow down a focused and determined Warrior squad.
Lantz's lone incompletion came when Christner dropped a slant pass inside Logansport's 10-yard line that was destined for six points.
Christner was described earlier in the week by Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld as the "unsung hero" of the Warriors.
While Christner missed his chance to score his first official touchdown of the season, he not only sprung Swain for his 71-yard run, but also blocked on Champoux's second score of the evening with 22 seconds left in the third quarter on a screen pass by Lantz.
"After that touchdown I went over and gave Christner props because that was his touchdown," said Champoux.
Linebacker Rob McKibben, Swain's heir apparent, put an exclamation point on the night when he picked off Angle's pass intended for Brandon Minglin and rumbled 32 yards for a touchdown.
After the game, the mud-soaked Warrior Field was packed with fans, students, parents and media.
While many in said media picked Wawasee to win, Rietveld and his players realized they couldn't look ahead.
"The focus was winning the game," said Rietveld. "You don't go to state unless you win this game. We just focused on beating Logansport. I'm just proud of the way our kids played."
For the players, this is what they've been waiting for since they were big enough to hold a football.
"It's just an incredible feeling. Most of us have been playing football together or against each other since fifth grade and we came out here tonight with focus and played awesome football," said Champoux
"This is the best thing I've had in my entire life. I can't describe it," said Swain.
Swain shredded the Berries defense to the tune of 239 yards on 19 carries. Swain is the lone back left in the top 10 of the state's leading rushers and has a chance to end his season on top of that list with a solid performance Saturday.
The win sets up a rematch 19 years in the making. Before any of the current Wawasee players were even born, the Warriors fell to Roncalli in the 1985 class 3A championship, 37-3. After the Rebels beat Columbus East Friday night, 15-14, they will face the Warriors in the RCA Dome at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. [[In-content Ad]]