Where There's A Willy, There's A Will
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE -ÊWilly Will, NorthWood's No. 9, has been wreaking havoc on opponents all year.
When he is not catching one of Mike Blosser's passes to gain yardage for the Panthers, Will is stopping opponents dead in their tracks at the strong safety position.
As one of just two Panthers who plays both offense and defense on a regular basis, Will causes many of NorthWood's opponents to scratch their heads and wonder how to avoid him.
"We're sure glad he's on our side," said NorthWood football coach Rich Dodson.
"NorthWood has a great wide receiver in Willy Will," said Lakeland coach Rex Bowser. "I am really impressed with him."
NorthWood (9-2), ranked No. 5 in the final class 3A poll, hosts 6-5 Lakeland at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a sectional championship game.
Will started playing football in fifth grade when he and as many as nine other current NorthWood players made the trek to Warsaw to play in a pee-wee league.
Through the years, Will has played several positions.
"I have played quarterback, wide receiver, safety and cornerback," said Will. "I used to play quarterback, but then I decided that I would rather play wide receiver. I have been playing wide receiver for the past two years."
And the Panthers are glad Will chose to make the change to wide receiver. So far this season, Will has caught 41 passes for 957 yards. Will's 11 receiving touchdowns lead make him dangerous as well.
"Willy is a very versatile athlete," said Dodson. "He does a lot of things for us. He plays receiver and defensive back for us. He can step in and be our backup quarterback. He is a valuable player to our team, and without him we probably wouldn't have some of the guys doing as well as they are in other positions.
"He takes some of the pressure off the running game, and he does a good job blocking as a receiver. He has also made some big plays for us defensively.
"He's just an all-around outstanding athlete."
Although playing on both sides of the football is no cakewalk, Will feels that it has benefits.
"I like it because I am never out of the action," said Will. "I'm always on the go. It helps me keep my head in the game at all times."
The way NorthWood runs its practice schedule helps Will play both positions.
"We practice offense one day and the next defense," said Will. "Monday we practice both, but then we switch offense and defense the rest of the week."
When Will and the Panthers take the field Friday, they will face a 6-5 Lakeland team. Will is going to have the task of covering Lakeland's leading rusher Drew Leer and leading receiver Maurice Satterfield.
Leer leads the Lakers with 152 carries for 1,866 yards and 22 touchdowns, while Satterfield has 26 catches for 564 yards and five touchdowns of his own.
After losing starting quarterback Brody Duncan in the sixth game of the season, Lakeland now looks to John VanderRoest for leadership. He is 27-of-76 passing for 548 yards and three touchdowns.
"Our quarterback John VanderRoest has really come on in the last few games," said Bowser. "After we lost our starting quarterback in the sixth game of the season, John stepped in and is doing well. He has steadily improved every week."
However, Lakeland knows that they have a stiff challenge ahead of them.
"NorthWood is a very, very good football team," said Bowser. "They are one of the elite football programs in the state.
"Obviously we have our work cut out for us. We'll have to figure out some way to handle them."
Along with Will, the Lakers will have to deal with NorthWood quarterback Blosser and running backs Jesse Fink and Ben Lehman.
"They have an outstanding quarterback who can run and throw. They run the option and run it very well."
Blosser has completed 97 passes for 1,797 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Fink and Lehman have combined for 1,444 yards.
"We have been working on being the best team we can be," said Dodson. "We don't plan to throw anything new in on the offense. Basically we will be doing the same thing we have been doing all year.
"We cannot rest on our laurels, we must keep improving through the tournament season. We have been stressing that in each practice, and I hope the guys take it to heart. We need to be ready to go."
"Very few teams get the opportunity to play for a sectional championship," said Dodson. "We are hoping to make the most of this opportunity."
NORTHWOOD PANTHERS
Coach - Rich Dodson
Record -Ê9-2
NorthWood scores (home team in caps)
JIMTOWN 30, NorthWood 21
NorthWood 56, BREMEN 0
NORTHWOOD 42, Concord 21
NORTHWOOD 16, GOSHEN 13
NorthWood 40, WAWASEE 12
NORTHWOOD 42, Northridge 7
NORTHWOOD 39, Dowagiac (MI) 20
Warsaw 29, NORTHWOOD 28, OT
NorthWood 32, PLYMOUTH 21
Sectional
NorthWood 34, NEW HAVEN 7
NORTHWOOD 49, Angola 6
NorthWood leaders
Rushing (carries-yard, per game average) -ÊJesse Fink 114-729 (66.3); Ben Lehman 115-715 (65.0); Mike Blosser 99-444 (40.4)
Passing -ÊMike Blosser 97-156-4, 1,797, 62.2 percent completion, 20 touchdowns
Receiving (catches-yards, per game average) -ÊWilly Will 41-957 (87.0); Jesse Fink 24-356 (32.4); Ryan Mast 12-139 (12.6)
Touchdowns -ÊJesse Fink 20, Willy Will 12, Ben Lehman 9, Mike Blosser 6
Punts (attempts-yards, average) -ÊMike Blosser 19-568 (29.9); Abe Almager 7-274 (39.1)
Punt Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊWilly Will 18-282 (15.7); Scott Hill 4-34 (8.5)
Kick Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊScott Hill 10-204 (20.4), Ben Lehman 5-82 (16.4), Willy Will 4-112 (28.0)Ê
Tackles -ÊJosh Cook 85, Willy Will 80, Jeff Baumgartner 72, Tim Schmucker 69, Justin Titus 55, Todd Blanton 44, Josh Snyder 43, Eric Flickinger 42, Jared Hershberger 42
Sacks -ÊJeff Baumgartner 2.5, Justin Titus 1, Jared Hershberger 1, Jamie Garcia 1, Ryan Mast 1, Jason Gibson 1
Interceptions -ÊTim Barrett 3, Willy Will 2, Scott Hill 2, Josh Snyder 1, Tim Schmucker 1
Fumble Recoveries -ÊJustin Titus 3, Josh Snyder 2
LAKELAND LAKERS
Coach -ÊRex Bowman
Record -Ê6-5
Lakeland scores (home team in caps)
Lakeland 56, SB Adams 0
East Noble 42, Lakeland 0
Lakeland 40, Prairie Heights 7
West Noble 27, Lakeland 26 OT
Lakeland 42, Angola 14
Lakeland 21, Fairfield 14
Garrett 13, Lakeland 7 (OT)
SB St. Joe 27, Lakeland 14
Central Noble 20, Lakeland 18
Sectional
Lakeland 34, Concordia 13
Lakeland 47, Whitko 16
Lakeland leaders
Rushing (carries-yard, per game average) -ÊDrew Leer 152-1866, (169.6); B.J. Kerns 25-166 (15.1); Brody Duncan 29-103 (9.4); Ben Miller 35-110 (10.0); Jon Micken 27-190 (17.3)
Passing -ÊBrody Duncan 18-359-4, 359 yards, 41.9 percent completion; John VanderRoest 27-76-6, 548 yards, 35.5 percent completion, 3 touchdowns
Receiving (catches-yards, per game average) -ÊMaurice Satterfield 26-564 (51.3); Anthony Howard 9-252 (22.9); Drew Leer 5-52 (4.7)
Touchdowns -ÊDrew Leer 22, Maurice Satterfield 5, B.J. Kerns 3, Jon Mickem 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Kick Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Tackles -ÊJon Mickem 20, Ben Miller 20, B.J. Kerns 16, Maurice Satterfield 15, Drew Leer 14
Sacks -ÊJon Mickem 13, Drew Leer 4, Ben Miller 2 [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE -ÊWilly Will, NorthWood's No. 9, has been wreaking havoc on opponents all year.
When he is not catching one of Mike Blosser's passes to gain yardage for the Panthers, Will is stopping opponents dead in their tracks at the strong safety position.
As one of just two Panthers who plays both offense and defense on a regular basis, Will causes many of NorthWood's opponents to scratch their heads and wonder how to avoid him.
"We're sure glad he's on our side," said NorthWood football coach Rich Dodson.
"NorthWood has a great wide receiver in Willy Will," said Lakeland coach Rex Bowser. "I am really impressed with him."
NorthWood (9-2), ranked No. 5 in the final class 3A poll, hosts 6-5 Lakeland at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a sectional championship game.
Will started playing football in fifth grade when he and as many as nine other current NorthWood players made the trek to Warsaw to play in a pee-wee league.
Through the years, Will has played several positions.
"I have played quarterback, wide receiver, safety and cornerback," said Will. "I used to play quarterback, but then I decided that I would rather play wide receiver. I have been playing wide receiver for the past two years."
And the Panthers are glad Will chose to make the change to wide receiver. So far this season, Will has caught 41 passes for 957 yards. Will's 11 receiving touchdowns lead make him dangerous as well.
"Willy is a very versatile athlete," said Dodson. "He does a lot of things for us. He plays receiver and defensive back for us. He can step in and be our backup quarterback. He is a valuable player to our team, and without him we probably wouldn't have some of the guys doing as well as they are in other positions.
"He takes some of the pressure off the running game, and he does a good job blocking as a receiver. He has also made some big plays for us defensively.
"He's just an all-around outstanding athlete."
Although playing on both sides of the football is no cakewalk, Will feels that it has benefits.
"I like it because I am never out of the action," said Will. "I'm always on the go. It helps me keep my head in the game at all times."
The way NorthWood runs its practice schedule helps Will play both positions.
"We practice offense one day and the next defense," said Will. "Monday we practice both, but then we switch offense and defense the rest of the week."
When Will and the Panthers take the field Friday, they will face a 6-5 Lakeland team. Will is going to have the task of covering Lakeland's leading rusher Drew Leer and leading receiver Maurice Satterfield.
Leer leads the Lakers with 152 carries for 1,866 yards and 22 touchdowns, while Satterfield has 26 catches for 564 yards and five touchdowns of his own.
After losing starting quarterback Brody Duncan in the sixth game of the season, Lakeland now looks to John VanderRoest for leadership. He is 27-of-76 passing for 548 yards and three touchdowns.
"Our quarterback John VanderRoest has really come on in the last few games," said Bowser. "After we lost our starting quarterback in the sixth game of the season, John stepped in and is doing well. He has steadily improved every week."
However, Lakeland knows that they have a stiff challenge ahead of them.
"NorthWood is a very, very good football team," said Bowser. "They are one of the elite football programs in the state.
"Obviously we have our work cut out for us. We'll have to figure out some way to handle them."
Along with Will, the Lakers will have to deal with NorthWood quarterback Blosser and running backs Jesse Fink and Ben Lehman.
"They have an outstanding quarterback who can run and throw. They run the option and run it very well."
Blosser has completed 97 passes for 1,797 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Fink and Lehman have combined for 1,444 yards.
"We have been working on being the best team we can be," said Dodson. "We don't plan to throw anything new in on the offense. Basically we will be doing the same thing we have been doing all year.
"We cannot rest on our laurels, we must keep improving through the tournament season. We have been stressing that in each practice, and I hope the guys take it to heart. We need to be ready to go."
"Very few teams get the opportunity to play for a sectional championship," said Dodson. "We are hoping to make the most of this opportunity."
NORTHWOOD PANTHERS
Coach - Rich Dodson
Record -Ê9-2
NorthWood scores (home team in caps)
JIMTOWN 30, NorthWood 21
NorthWood 56, BREMEN 0
NORTHWOOD 42, Concord 21
NORTHWOOD 16, GOSHEN 13
NorthWood 40, WAWASEE 12
NORTHWOOD 42, Northridge 7
NORTHWOOD 39, Dowagiac (MI) 20
Warsaw 29, NORTHWOOD 28, OT
NorthWood 32, PLYMOUTH 21
Sectional
NorthWood 34, NEW HAVEN 7
NORTHWOOD 49, Angola 6
NorthWood leaders
Rushing (carries-yard, per game average) -ÊJesse Fink 114-729 (66.3); Ben Lehman 115-715 (65.0); Mike Blosser 99-444 (40.4)
Passing -ÊMike Blosser 97-156-4, 1,797, 62.2 percent completion, 20 touchdowns
Receiving (catches-yards, per game average) -ÊWilly Will 41-957 (87.0); Jesse Fink 24-356 (32.4); Ryan Mast 12-139 (12.6)
Touchdowns -ÊJesse Fink 20, Willy Will 12, Ben Lehman 9, Mike Blosser 6
Punts (attempts-yards, average) -ÊMike Blosser 19-568 (29.9); Abe Almager 7-274 (39.1)
Punt Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊWilly Will 18-282 (15.7); Scott Hill 4-34 (8.5)
Kick Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊScott Hill 10-204 (20.4), Ben Lehman 5-82 (16.4), Willy Will 4-112 (28.0)Ê
Tackles -ÊJosh Cook 85, Willy Will 80, Jeff Baumgartner 72, Tim Schmucker 69, Justin Titus 55, Todd Blanton 44, Josh Snyder 43, Eric Flickinger 42, Jared Hershberger 42
Sacks -ÊJeff Baumgartner 2.5, Justin Titus 1, Jared Hershberger 1, Jamie Garcia 1, Ryan Mast 1, Jason Gibson 1
Interceptions -ÊTim Barrett 3, Willy Will 2, Scott Hill 2, Josh Snyder 1, Tim Schmucker 1
Fumble Recoveries -ÊJustin Titus 3, Josh Snyder 2
LAKELAND LAKERS
Coach -ÊRex Bowman
Record -Ê6-5
Lakeland scores (home team in caps)
Lakeland 56, SB Adams 0
East Noble 42, Lakeland 0
Lakeland 40, Prairie Heights 7
West Noble 27, Lakeland 26 OT
Lakeland 42, Angola 14
Lakeland 21, Fairfield 14
Garrett 13, Lakeland 7 (OT)
SB St. Joe 27, Lakeland 14
Central Noble 20, Lakeland 18
Sectional
Lakeland 34, Concordia 13
Lakeland 47, Whitko 16
Lakeland leaders
Rushing (carries-yard, per game average) -ÊDrew Leer 152-1866, (169.6); B.J. Kerns 25-166 (15.1); Brody Duncan 29-103 (9.4); Ben Miller 35-110 (10.0); Jon Micken 27-190 (17.3)
Passing -ÊBrody Duncan 18-359-4, 359 yards, 41.9 percent completion; John VanderRoest 27-76-6, 548 yards, 35.5 percent completion, 3 touchdowns
Receiving (catches-yards, per game average) -ÊMaurice Satterfield 26-564 (51.3); Anthony Howard 9-252 (22.9); Drew Leer 5-52 (4.7)
Touchdowns -ÊDrew Leer 22, Maurice Satterfield 5, B.J. Kerns 3, Jon Mickem 2
Punts (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Punt returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Kick Returns (attempts-yards, average) -ÊN/A
Tackles -ÊJon Mickem 20, Ben Miller 20, B.J. Kerns 16, Maurice Satterfield 15, Drew Leer 14
Sacks -ÊJon Mickem 13, Drew Leer 4, Ben Miller 2 [[In-content Ad]]