Warsaw Plays Big Role In Football All-Star Game
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
To say the least, Saturday's North/South All-Star football game at Indianapolis North Central High School will be sprinkled with local flavor.
For starters, Biomet Inc., will again sponsor the game, giving it the official title Biomet North/South All-Star Game.
After guiding Warsaw Community High School to a 17-4 record the last two seasons with two Northern Lakes Conference championships and a near-win over powerful Penn, Tiger coach Phil Jensen has been selected by the Indiana Football Coaches Association to guide the North Team.
"To be able to represent the Warsaw community and all the players is just a real honor for me," said Jensen, who has turned around the Tiger program and gone 32-21 the past five seasons. "With Kris (Hueber) being there, and Biomet sponsoring it, it makes it that much more special."
Playing linebacker for the North team will be recent Warsaw graduate Kris Hueber, who will play college ball at Manchester.
Hueber, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, set a school record for most tackles in a season this year with 141. He also owns the record for most tackles in a career.
"Kris is just really a fine example of what we want our kids in the program to be like," Jensen said. "What he exemplifies as a young man makes it special for me to coach him."
Said Hueber, who also wrestled and ran track, "I think it's a great honor to be selected to the team. Coach Jensen has really helped me and I'm glad I could pay him back by playing for him in the All-Star game. That really means a lot to me."
To go with his record-number of tackles, Hueber had two tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and two blocked kicks. While anchoring Warsaw's defense, which held state-champion Penn to seven points in the second round of the sectional, Hueber found time to throw a touchdown pass in a 63-13 win in Wawasee's Homecoming.
After a stellar senior campaign, Hueber was named AP 5A All-State first team, IFCA Top 50, Times-Union All-Area first team and Defensive Player of the Year, South Bend Tribune Dream Team and Bloomington Herald Times first team All-State.
Also playing for Jensen and the North team will be NorthWood graduate Willy Will, who will play college ball at the University of Dayton.
"It's just a great honor to know that I was selected to play with some really outstanding football players," said Will. "After four years, it's really an honor to play in this game."
Playing for the Panthers, who finished this past season as semistate runners-up, Will tallied 51 receptions for 1,195 yards, (23.4 yard average) and scored 11 touchdowns. He also returned 21 punts for a total of 343 yards.
Will leaves NorthWood High School owning the records for most catches in a season and most receiving yards per catch.
Will, listed as 6-3 and 195 pounds, concluded his prep career by being named AP 3A All-State first team, IFCA Top 50, South Bend Tribune Dream Team and Times-Union All Area and Offensive Player of the Year.
Other than strapping on the pads one more time in their prep careers and mingling with the best players in the state, Hueber and Will will visit Camp Riley, a camp for disabled children.
"That's just a special night," Jensen said of visiting with the children. "For those guys with all that athletic ability to take time out and spend it with some special kids is just an awesome feeling. It's a night if you witness it you'll never forget it."
Saturday's game at Indianapolis North Central, the 35th in the series, is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. Jensen was an assistant coach last year, while Warsaw's Ross Kesler and NorthWood's Charlie Roeder were selected as players.
Hueber is the third Warsaw player under Jensen to make the All-Star team, following Derrick Duncan and Kesler.
The North Team trails 19-15 in the overall series and hasn't won since 1996.
Don't count out the North, though, Jensen is right at home at turning programs around. [[In-content Ad]]
To say the least, Saturday's North/South All-Star football game at Indianapolis North Central High School will be sprinkled with local flavor.
For starters, Biomet Inc., will again sponsor the game, giving it the official title Biomet North/South All-Star Game.
After guiding Warsaw Community High School to a 17-4 record the last two seasons with two Northern Lakes Conference championships and a near-win over powerful Penn, Tiger coach Phil Jensen has been selected by the Indiana Football Coaches Association to guide the North Team.
"To be able to represent the Warsaw community and all the players is just a real honor for me," said Jensen, who has turned around the Tiger program and gone 32-21 the past five seasons. "With Kris (Hueber) being there, and Biomet sponsoring it, it makes it that much more special."
Playing linebacker for the North team will be recent Warsaw graduate Kris Hueber, who will play college ball at Manchester.
Hueber, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder, set a school record for most tackles in a season this year with 141. He also owns the record for most tackles in a career.
"Kris is just really a fine example of what we want our kids in the program to be like," Jensen said. "What he exemplifies as a young man makes it special for me to coach him."
Said Hueber, who also wrestled and ran track, "I think it's a great honor to be selected to the team. Coach Jensen has really helped me and I'm glad I could pay him back by playing for him in the All-Star game. That really means a lot to me."
To go with his record-number of tackles, Hueber had two tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and two blocked kicks. While anchoring Warsaw's defense, which held state-champion Penn to seven points in the second round of the sectional, Hueber found time to throw a touchdown pass in a 63-13 win in Wawasee's Homecoming.
After a stellar senior campaign, Hueber was named AP 5A All-State first team, IFCA Top 50, Times-Union All-Area first team and Defensive Player of the Year, South Bend Tribune Dream Team and Bloomington Herald Times first team All-State.
Also playing for Jensen and the North team will be NorthWood graduate Willy Will, who will play college ball at the University of Dayton.
"It's just a great honor to know that I was selected to play with some really outstanding football players," said Will. "After four years, it's really an honor to play in this game."
Playing for the Panthers, who finished this past season as semistate runners-up, Will tallied 51 receptions for 1,195 yards, (23.4 yard average) and scored 11 touchdowns. He also returned 21 punts for a total of 343 yards.
Will leaves NorthWood High School owning the records for most catches in a season and most receiving yards per catch.
Will, listed as 6-3 and 195 pounds, concluded his prep career by being named AP 3A All-State first team, IFCA Top 50, South Bend Tribune Dream Team and Times-Union All Area and Offensive Player of the Year.
Other than strapping on the pads one more time in their prep careers and mingling with the best players in the state, Hueber and Will will visit Camp Riley, a camp for disabled children.
"That's just a special night," Jensen said of visiting with the children. "For those guys with all that athletic ability to take time out and spend it with some special kids is just an awesome feeling. It's a night if you witness it you'll never forget it."
Saturday's game at Indianapolis North Central, the 35th in the series, is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. Jensen was an assistant coach last year, while Warsaw's Ross Kesler and NorthWood's Charlie Roeder were selected as players.
Hueber is the third Warsaw player under Jensen to make the All-Star team, following Derrick Duncan and Kesler.
The North Team trails 19-15 in the overall series and hasn't won since 1996.
Don't count out the North, though, Jensen is right at home at turning programs around. [[In-content Ad]]