SYRACUSE - As time goes by and fact becomes folklore, one thing will remain true; Wawasee's 28-7 win over Plymouth gave the school its first sectional football title since 1985.

The two-headed monster of quarterback Kory Lantz and tailback Jordan Swain were effective if not superb.

Lantz scored three touchdowns, including the Warriors' first with 1:37 left in the first quarter on a run from five yards out to put his team up 7-0 after a Ben Champoux kick.

The scoring run was set up by a nine-yard pass from Lantz to tight end Ryan Kauchak on a rollout. Kauchak tiptoed the sidelines and stayed in bounds NFL style to extend the eventual scoring drive.

Wawasee is usually known for it's quick strike offense but was unable to get into a groove, partially due to Plymouth's deliberate ground attack.

The Rockies' first drive of the ballgame lasted over seven minutes and 10 plays before stalling. A high snap forced punter and backup quarterback Michael Brown to scramble and throw an incomplete pass to give Wawasee the ball at its own 37 to set up the game's first score.

Lantz put the Warriors up 14-0 on a four-yard run. The drive appeared to have stalled when Lantz was unable to find a receiver and was leveled for a 13-yard loss on the sack. The Warriors didn't take long to gain the yardage back when on the next play Swain received a shovel pass from Lantz and rambled 27-yards before being tackled.

From that point on the Warriors defense, overshadowed by the likes of Swain and Lantz, tightened the screws and carried Wawasee's sporadic offense.

The front four of Creighton Kaiser, Tim Brumbaugh, Bob Lechlitner and Trent Weisser pressured Plymouth quarterback Chad Clinton and shut down the Rockies' running attack of Jared Gaul.

The Warriors allowed just 80 rushing yards by Plymouth on the evening. Gaul managed just 50 yards on 15 carries.

Wawasee's defensive backfield of Tom Brown, Ryan Christner, Cole Garland and Kyle Spitler gave Clinton fits and gave up just one big pass play. Clinton, when not flushed out of the pocket, found many of his passes deflected or nearly picked off by the Warriors' opportunistic defenders.

Spitler ended a Plymouth drive when the 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior knocked loose a pass hauled in by Plymouth's Kreigh Hirschy deep in Warrior territory on third down.

The defense ended the first half on a high note when Clinton was sacked for a six-yard loss on the half's final play.

Down just 14-0 at halftime, Plymouth received the ball to start the second half with good field position. Champoux's kickoff got caught in the fierce crosswinds that blew Friday night, leading to a solid return by Alex Quintana.

Quintana, a sophomore tight end, was the lone offensive bright spot for Plymouth. Quintana had six catches for 106 yards, including two catches in the team's first drive of the half.

The drive stalled after Clinton coughed up the football at Wawasee's 24-yard line. He recovered his own fumble and three plays later Clinton short-hopped a pass intended for Quintana on fourth down.

The Rockies controlled the ball for most of the third quarter and held the Warriors scoreless. Plymouth was unable to take advantage on its second drive of the quarter despite driving the ball to Wawasee's 40-yard line.

Once again the defense was stout with another Spitler knockdown and Clinton sack by Brumbaugh and Thornburgh. Garland put an exclamation point on the drive when he gave Clinton a teeth chattering hit on an incomplete pass.

Wawasee began to pull away in the final stanza on the strength of its passing game.

Andrew Mock hauled in a 20-yard reception despite being sandwiched by two Plymouth defenders on third down to extend his team's drive. Three plays later, Swain broke into the open field and scored from 20 yards out to give the Warriors a three-touchdown lead.

Wawasee's wide receivers have been obscured by Lantz and Swain but stepped up when needed for coach Joe Rietveld.

"I wanted to run the ball because a lot of bad things can happen when you pass the ball. But our guys made some great plays. Ryan Christner and Andrew Mock had big third down conversions. There were just a lot of kids who stepped up and played," said Rietveld.

The Rockies answered back on their very next drive aided by two personal foul penalties by Wawasee.

The strangest play of the evening came when Clinton passed to Quintana, who coughed up the football. After Wawasee recovered, the Warriors lost the ball on the return to give possession back to Plymouth. Four plays later, Gaul maneuvered his way into the end zone from five yards out with 5:55 left in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, the hearts of the Warrior faithful all skipped a beat when Swain ended up on the bottom of a pile during an onside kick that Plymouth recovered.

Swain laid on the field for several minutes before being carried off. As Swain lay on the grass, obscured by the team's bench, it was Lantz who stood over him like a concerned parent, oblivious to the game.

"I felt we were going to win this game but I was worried about next week. Swain is the key to our team," said Lantz. "We have to have Swain. We would have adjusted. We would have fought back but I just wanted him to be alright. I was just praying to God that he would bless him for the time he put in this summer and that he would not have an injury like this to end his senior year."

After the game, Rietveld said that Swain was hurt when he was bent back during the scrum but appeared to have no ill effects after the game. Swain finished the game with 145 yards on 18 carries.

Kaiser, one of the many defensive catalysts for Wawasee, talked about what this sectional title means to the Warriors.

"This is huge. It's something the school hasn't had in a real long time. We just need to keep on breaking records and hopefully keep wining," he said.

The Warriors are 11-1 on the season and travel to Lowell Friday at 7 p.m. for a shot at a regional championship. Lowell defeated Highland 48-7 to win its sectional. [[In-content Ad]]