Warsaw Splits Its Two Quarters
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
MISHAWAKA - If attitude and enthusiasm count for anything, the Warsaw Tigers are way ahead of the game after their showing in the Mishawaka Football Jamboree Friday at Steele Field.
After a slow start in its opening quarter against defending 5A state champion Penn, the Tigers began to heed the advice of their first-year coach Phil Jensen.
"Enthusiasm and attitude is what I saw that I liked," Jensen said. "We are not there yet, we have a long way to go, but we had some real positive things.
"You have to have attitude, you have to have belief and you have to have team before anything else matters," he said. "We are starting to move ahead in that direction."
Warsaw opened up against the Kingsmen in the second quarter and immediately found themselves with their backs to the collective wall. And when Penn's Ricky Siri got behind the Tiger defensive secondary only seven plays into the quarter, Warsaw found itself down 6-0 and down even further emotionally.
The Tigers went three-and-out on its first offensive series, and didn't even gain a yard. Things looked even bleaker when Penn started to drive down the field again on four straight running plays.
The turnaround came in the form of sophomore Ryan Von Rueden, who stepped in front of a Nic Boehnlein pass to end the Penn rally. The Tiger sidelines erupted after the play, led by the energetic Jensen.
Warsaw eventually turned the ball over on its next offensive series. But another interception by P.J. Wiley helped keep things close as Penn eventually "won" the quarter by only that 6-0 count.
"We played hard," Jensen said. "After that first series against Penn. We were kind of watching to see what was going to happen, and they took it to us.
"Then (Penn) Coach (Chris) Geesman went to work on his passing game, and we were able to do some good things against that," he said. "Then we executed well on both sides of the ball. Von Rueden is just a sophomore, and he does a super job. He stepped up and made the right play. Good things happened when the kids started to believing in what they are being coached and started executing what they are being coached. If that continues to happen, more good things will come."
It was Jensen's first appearance against his former coaching mentor Geesman.
Penn outgained Warsaw in total offense 106-38, but the two interceptions stalled any Kingsmen thoughts of totally dominating the Tigers.
5Q: Warsaw 7,
Mishawaka Marian 0
Warsaw kept up the defensive pressure in its second quarter, holding Marian 10 total yards and sacking Marian quarterbacks three times, two of which come despite the fact Marian was called for holding. And the offense showed off the big play capability.
With just 16 seconds left in the quarter and on a fourth-down play, Tiger quarterback dumped a little screen pass to Wiley at midfield and the speedster did the rest, racing down the sideline for a 54-yard scoring strike. Sam Wihebrink bounced the extra point in off the upright and Warsaw took home a split of its two quarters, beating Marian 7-0.
"He has to touch the ball," Jensen said of Wiley.
Wiley also had 33 yards on the ground in addition to his work through the air.
Warsaw will open up its regular season next Friday at Fisher Field against Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley.
The jamboree, the last of its kind with addition of a ninth regular season next season, also included a matchup of Penn, the defending 5A state champs Penn and defending 3A state champs South Bend St. Joseph's. The Kingsmen prevailed 14-7. [[In-content Ad]]
MISHAWAKA - If attitude and enthusiasm count for anything, the Warsaw Tigers are way ahead of the game after their showing in the Mishawaka Football Jamboree Friday at Steele Field.
After a slow start in its opening quarter against defending 5A state champion Penn, the Tigers began to heed the advice of their first-year coach Phil Jensen.
"Enthusiasm and attitude is what I saw that I liked," Jensen said. "We are not there yet, we have a long way to go, but we had some real positive things.
"You have to have attitude, you have to have belief and you have to have team before anything else matters," he said. "We are starting to move ahead in that direction."
Warsaw opened up against the Kingsmen in the second quarter and immediately found themselves with their backs to the collective wall. And when Penn's Ricky Siri got behind the Tiger defensive secondary only seven plays into the quarter, Warsaw found itself down 6-0 and down even further emotionally.
The Tigers went three-and-out on its first offensive series, and didn't even gain a yard. Things looked even bleaker when Penn started to drive down the field again on four straight running plays.
The turnaround came in the form of sophomore Ryan Von Rueden, who stepped in front of a Nic Boehnlein pass to end the Penn rally. The Tiger sidelines erupted after the play, led by the energetic Jensen.
Warsaw eventually turned the ball over on its next offensive series. But another interception by P.J. Wiley helped keep things close as Penn eventually "won" the quarter by only that 6-0 count.
"We played hard," Jensen said. "After that first series against Penn. We were kind of watching to see what was going to happen, and they took it to us.
"Then (Penn) Coach (Chris) Geesman went to work on his passing game, and we were able to do some good things against that," he said. "Then we executed well on both sides of the ball. Von Rueden is just a sophomore, and he does a super job. He stepped up and made the right play. Good things happened when the kids started to believing in what they are being coached and started executing what they are being coached. If that continues to happen, more good things will come."
It was Jensen's first appearance against his former coaching mentor Geesman.
Penn outgained Warsaw in total offense 106-38, but the two interceptions stalled any Kingsmen thoughts of totally dominating the Tigers.
5Q: Warsaw 7,
Mishawaka Marian 0
Warsaw kept up the defensive pressure in its second quarter, holding Marian 10 total yards and sacking Marian quarterbacks three times, two of which come despite the fact Marian was called for holding. And the offense showed off the big play capability.
With just 16 seconds left in the quarter and on a fourth-down play, Tiger quarterback dumped a little screen pass to Wiley at midfield and the speedster did the rest, racing down the sideline for a 54-yard scoring strike. Sam Wihebrink bounced the extra point in off the upright and Warsaw took home a split of its two quarters, beating Marian 7-0.
"He has to touch the ball," Jensen said of Wiley.
Wiley also had 33 yards on the ground in addition to his work through the air.
Warsaw will open up its regular season next Friday at Fisher Field against Kosciusko County rival Tippecanoe Valley.
The jamboree, the last of its kind with addition of a ninth regular season next season, also included a matchup of Penn, the defending 5A state champs Penn and defending 3A state champs South Bend St. Joseph's. The Kingsmen prevailed 14-7. [[In-content Ad]]