By Dale Hubler, Times-Union Sports Editor

SYRACUSE - Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

Each a sports superstar in his own right, but more often than not remembered as part of a tandem, a dynamic duo.

For Wawasee High School's football team, seniors Kory Lantz and Jordan Swain are that winning combination, a pair that have played a large part in taking head coach Joe Rietveld's Warrior program to the next level.

With Lantz at quarterback and Swain at running back, the Warriors have taken a huge step forward in each of the three years they've started together at the varsity level.

Two years ago during their sophomore season, Lantz and Swain led Wawasee to a win over state power NorthWood, a Northern Lakes Conference rival the Warriors hadn't beat since 1986.

As juniors, the talented twosome played a major role in Wawasee's 7-4 record, a mark that included three more wins than the season before.

The Warriors' season ended in the sectional semifinal with a heartbreaking 38-36 loss to Class 4A No. 1 East Noble. Wawasee scored 22 points in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter, but East Noble went on to win the sectional, regional and semistate before finishing as state runner-up to Indianapolis Roncalli.

And so here they are now as seniors, Swain a four-year starter and Lantz in his third varsity season under center.

Led by Lantz and Swain - no, they're not Wawasee's only offensive threats but are the ones that opposing coaches focus their defensive efforts around - the Warriors are 9-1 and ranked 10th in the Class 4A polls heading into Friday's sectional semifinal battle with DeKalb (4-6).

The game will be played at Warrior Field in Syracuse and is slated to get under way at 7 p.m.

Though Wawasee's offense is loaded with talent, including the likes of tight end Ryan Kauchak and receivers Ben Champoux and Ryan Christner, it is in fact Swain and Lantz who garner a lot of the headlines.

Opposing head coaches plan defensive schemes around what they think the twosome will do.

Many have tried to stop them, none have.

Through 10 games this season, Swain has rushed the ball 212 times for 1,903 yards and 20 touchdowns. He averages 9.0 yards per carry and 190 yards per game.

His 1,903 yards are fourth best in the state, and he's closing in on 5,000 yards for his career.

Lantz has rushed 102 times this season for 505 yards and 14 touchdowns, while completing 92 of 155 passes for 1,343 yards and nine scores.

As if one of them wasn't bad enough for opposing defenses, together they've left their mark on Wawasee's program as well as the would-be defenders they've run over, through or around.

"Jordan makes people key on him, and Kory is good enough to come back and go to the opposite side," said Rietveld, who, with a win Friday, would be the first Wawasee coach in the history of the program to guide the Warriors to 10 wins in a single season. "Teams can't cheat their defense to one side of the field."

Fielding questions about their stellar careers, their superb senior seasons and the game that awaits them Friday, one that if Wawasee wins will put them in the sectional championship with a likely rematch with the East Noble Knights, who are again undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state, it's easy to see that Lantz and Swain complement each other on and off the field.

They fired answers back as quick as they chew up yardage on opposing defenses. Their answers were quick yet well planned, like a Lantz touchdown pass. There were some that were fancy and some that just got the job done, like Swain running the ball.

"We've been playing together since third grade," said Swain. "We've been in the same backfield for a long time. We've lost together and won together. If there was one other person I'd want to have the ball, it'd be Kory."

The two started playing together at a young age with the Wawasee Waves.

Along the way, they've made waves of their own, oftentimes leaving opponents in their wake.

"We know each other inside and out," said Lantz. "We talk a lot. There isn't anyone else I'd want back there. I have so much confidence in him."

Seeing how much Swain has improved, even over last season when he was a 1,500 yard rusher, Lantz' confidence in Swain is well-met.

In preparation for his senior football season, as well as the spring and his final prep track and field season, Swain says he "lived in the weight room and on the track."

He ran hurdles day in and day out, which he said has helped him keep his legs going and his knees high while running the ball.

"I basically stopped doing anything that was bad for you," said Swain. "I lived in the weight room and on the track. I remember that feeling last year (losing to East Noble in the sectional), I don't want to feel that again."

The Warriors have had to deal with being on the losing end of the scoreboard just once this season, a 27-21 setback to NLC foe Concord, a team that Wawasee thrashed 48-9 last week in the sectional opener.

In their last four games, the Warriors have outscored their opponents 155-25. Wawasee enters Friday's contest with the visting DeKalb Barons averaging nearly 36 points per game, while giving up 14.8.

DeKalb enters Friday's sectional semifinal contest averaging 17 points per game, while giving up 23.6.

DeKalb's offense centers around senior running back Trevor Chalfant, who has rushed 136 times for 795 yards and 15 touchdowns.

"They have a good running back that is explosive," said Swain. "He's a big part of their team. He runs the ball hard. They played East Noble tough, they lost in the third quarter. Their record doesn't show it, but they're a good team."

The Warriors, on the other hand, their record speaks for itself. [[In-content Ad]]