On The Gridiron
November 2, 2017 at 2:50 p.m.
By Staff Report-
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday in Osceola
Coaches: Phil Jensen (Warsaw), Cory Yeoman (Penn)
Records: Warsaw 6-4, Penn 9-1
Last Game: Warsaw 26, Chesterton 16; Penn 13, Valparaiso 0
Last Meeting: Penn 42, Warsaw 21 (Oct. 19, 2012, sectional)
Matchup: Friday's Class 6A Sectional 2 final features a pair of teams with very different stories when it comes to postseason success. The Warsaw Tigers are looking for their first sectional title, while the fourth-ranked Penn Kingsmen are trying to extend their sectional championship streak to five years with the program's 24th crown. The Tigers and Kingsmen have met on the gridiron 10 times, with Penn posting a 10-0 record against Warsaw. The Kingsmen outscored the Tigers 365-74 in those games, including 228-43 in six playoff meetings. The teams last played in 2012 when Penn won 42-21 at Fisher Field. Warsaw's last trip to Freed Field ended in controversial fashion, as Penn escaped with a 10-7 victory in the sectional semifinals on Oct. 27, 2000, and then cruised to a state championship. Penn missed a field goal late in that game, but the Tigers were called for a roughing-the-holder penalty, and the Kingsmen made good on the ensuing attempt. This year's Warsaw team, coached by 1983 Penn graduate Phil Jensen, advanced to the sectional title game with a 26-16 victory over Chesterton that saw the Tigers trail 16-2 at halftime before scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half. After tallying -9 yards of offense in the first half last week, the Tigers benefited from six Chesterton turnovers after the intermission. Senior quarterback Tristan Larsh rushed for a touchdown in last week's win, his 11th score in the last four games – six rushing, five throwing. Through 10 games this season, Larsh has rushed for 708 yards and nine TDs on 162 attempts and completed 68 of 132 pass attempts for 730 yards with seven scores and four interceptions. Senior running back Will McGarvey played for the first time since Sept. 15, returning from a foot injury that required surgery, and rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Chesterton. Despite missing a number of games, McGarvey is second on the team in rushing with 377 yards and four TDs on 77 carries. Junior Bryce Garner filled in for McGarvey and has rushed for 359 yards and two TDs on 101 carries. Senior Zach Riley leads Warsaw's receiving corps with 36 catches for 455 yards and five scores. No other Warsaw receiver has more than 13 catches or 124 yards. Penn punched its ticket to the sectional final by going on the road and beating No. 5 Valparaiso 13-0, avenging a 12-7 loss to the Vikings in Week 1. In the win at Valpo last week, Penn quarterback Ryan Lynch threw two first-half touchdown passes – a 3-yarder to Zach Usenick and a 36-yarder to Paul Moala. The 6-foot-1 Moala, a standout defensive player from his safety position, has committed to play at Notre Dame.
Jensen: "This week we have focused on embracing the moment. We have the chance to make history. It's a great opportunity. We have been enjoying our week of practice, something half the schools in Indiana are not getting to do. Practice this week has been the same approach as it has all year. We need to control the football. We have to limit the negatives, turnovers and big silly penalties, and take points when we can get them."
TRITON AT LAVILLE (CLASS 1A SECT. 41 FINAL)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday in Lakeville
Coaches: Ron Brown (Triton); Will Hostrawser (LaVille)
Records: Triton 8-3, LaVille 7-4
Last Game: Triton 48, Winamac 29; LaVille 19, Culver Community 16
Last Meeting: Triton 22, LaVille 14 (Aug. 25)
Matchup: LaVille comes in on a four-game winning streak, having defeated the Hoosier North Athletic Conference's fifth-place team, Culver Community, and sixth-place team, North Judson, twice each. The streak coincides with a switch from freshman quarterback Leyton Czarnecki to senior Braxton Sauer. The upperclassman had been nursing an injury the first half of the season and played running back until he was ready to go behind center. The Lancers trailed the Cavaliers 16-0 at the end of the third quarter before rallying to advance. Sauer ran for a touchdown, a two-point conversion, had a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Fischer (his only catch of the season to date), then passed to Jacob Good for another two-point conversion to tie the game. Dakota Figg hit a game-winning 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play. The Lancers, like most teams in the HNAC, are a run-first squad. Sophomore Kolby Watts leads LaVille with 462 yards rushing, and freshman Andrew Dill is second with 443 yards. Robby Pope, Sauer and Figg each average better than three yards per carry. Dill has five rushing TDs, and Sauer four to pace LaVille. Jacob Good has 12 receptions and three of LaVille five receiving touchdowns. Figg has seven catches, and no one else on the team has more than four. Meanwhile, Triton beat the No. 8 and No. 7 teams in the HNAC, Caston and Winamac, respectively, to advance to the title game. All season long coach Triton Ron Brown has emphasized taking what the defense is giving, and junior QB Bo Snyder has been the top passer in the conference with 104 completions for 1,865 yards and 22 touchdowns. Delano Shumpert is No. 5 in Class 1A with 836 receiving yards and ranked fourth in the class with 14 receiving touchdowns. Max Slusser is third among conference rushers with 855 yards and fourth in the HNAC with 12 touchdowns. A key to the Triton success has been its downfield blocking, with the likes of Tye Orsund and Drew Stichter often making the difference between a first down and a touchdown. The Trojans have allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, one last week to Winamac and the other in the first LaVille game. Brown said he and his coaches have taken steps to strengthen that part of the team. On and off the field, Triton has shown great resiliency. On the field, the Trojans have twice overcome early deficits to roll to victory, playing with a great deal of heart in honor of their fallen teammate, Cam Scarberry. The junior died Sept. 17 in a car accident. On several occasions Brown has said the Trojans rallied around the memory of Scarberry. Both teams are looking to end sectional title droughts. LaVille is looking for its first trophy since 2003, and the Trojans haven't won a sectional since 2008. With a victory, Triton would set a school record with nine wins. Triton has had three other 8-win seasons. The Trojans were 8-1 in both 1970 and '72 under head coach Charlie Smith, and 8-5 in 2008 with coach Rodney Younis. The winner of Friday's game will play either Lafayette Central Catholic or HNAC champion and top-ranked Pioneer in the regional.
Brown: "It's been pretty exciting this week. I'm getting e-mails from people I've never met wishing us well. Sauer is a really nice athlete, and they have some different formations they've presented over the last four games. They're going to want to control the ball, and their defense is magnificent. They're going to give us the same problems they normally would, but having the senior at quarterback is a little different wrinkle we didn't have to deal with the first time around. I talked to Coach (assistant Rodney) Younis and my wife earlier this season, and they mentioned how the kids don't get too excited, and I've come to the conclusion that our guys have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Now nothing really shocks them too much. The focus is 100 percent on winning the sectional for Cam. Winning the sectional was on Cam's goal sheet at the beginning of the year. On defense, we have senior leadership out there reminding people not to go for the spectacular play, but to do their jobs. That's important, and it lets us put different kids in to do different things. We've moved some people around on the kickoff team, and we've already seen an improvement in practice. As far as the punt (receiving) game is concerned, our philosophy is as long as a drive ends in a kick, it's a good series for us."
E-Editions
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday in Osceola
Coaches: Phil Jensen (Warsaw), Cory Yeoman (Penn)
Records: Warsaw 6-4, Penn 9-1
Last Game: Warsaw 26, Chesterton 16; Penn 13, Valparaiso 0
Last Meeting: Penn 42, Warsaw 21 (Oct. 19, 2012, sectional)
Matchup: Friday's Class 6A Sectional 2 final features a pair of teams with very different stories when it comes to postseason success. The Warsaw Tigers are looking for their first sectional title, while the fourth-ranked Penn Kingsmen are trying to extend their sectional championship streak to five years with the program's 24th crown. The Tigers and Kingsmen have met on the gridiron 10 times, with Penn posting a 10-0 record against Warsaw. The Kingsmen outscored the Tigers 365-74 in those games, including 228-43 in six playoff meetings. The teams last played in 2012 when Penn won 42-21 at Fisher Field. Warsaw's last trip to Freed Field ended in controversial fashion, as Penn escaped with a 10-7 victory in the sectional semifinals on Oct. 27, 2000, and then cruised to a state championship. Penn missed a field goal late in that game, but the Tigers were called for a roughing-the-holder penalty, and the Kingsmen made good on the ensuing attempt. This year's Warsaw team, coached by 1983 Penn graduate Phil Jensen, advanced to the sectional title game with a 26-16 victory over Chesterton that saw the Tigers trail 16-2 at halftime before scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half. After tallying -9 yards of offense in the first half last week, the Tigers benefited from six Chesterton turnovers after the intermission. Senior quarterback Tristan Larsh rushed for a touchdown in last week's win, his 11th score in the last four games – six rushing, five throwing. Through 10 games this season, Larsh has rushed for 708 yards and nine TDs on 162 attempts and completed 68 of 132 pass attempts for 730 yards with seven scores and four interceptions. Senior running back Will McGarvey played for the first time since Sept. 15, returning from a foot injury that required surgery, and rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries against Chesterton. Despite missing a number of games, McGarvey is second on the team in rushing with 377 yards and four TDs on 77 carries. Junior Bryce Garner filled in for McGarvey and has rushed for 359 yards and two TDs on 101 carries. Senior Zach Riley leads Warsaw's receiving corps with 36 catches for 455 yards and five scores. No other Warsaw receiver has more than 13 catches or 124 yards. Penn punched its ticket to the sectional final by going on the road and beating No. 5 Valparaiso 13-0, avenging a 12-7 loss to the Vikings in Week 1. In the win at Valpo last week, Penn quarterback Ryan Lynch threw two first-half touchdown passes – a 3-yarder to Zach Usenick and a 36-yarder to Paul Moala. The 6-foot-1 Moala, a standout defensive player from his safety position, has committed to play at Notre Dame.
Jensen: "This week we have focused on embracing the moment. We have the chance to make history. It's a great opportunity. We have been enjoying our week of practice, something half the schools in Indiana are not getting to do. Practice this week has been the same approach as it has all year. We need to control the football. We have to limit the negatives, turnovers and big silly penalties, and take points when we can get them."
TRITON AT LAVILLE (CLASS 1A SECT. 41 FINAL)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday in Lakeville
Coaches: Ron Brown (Triton); Will Hostrawser (LaVille)
Records: Triton 8-3, LaVille 7-4
Last Game: Triton 48, Winamac 29; LaVille 19, Culver Community 16
Last Meeting: Triton 22, LaVille 14 (Aug. 25)
Matchup: LaVille comes in on a four-game winning streak, having defeated the Hoosier North Athletic Conference's fifth-place team, Culver Community, and sixth-place team, North Judson, twice each. The streak coincides with a switch from freshman quarterback Leyton Czarnecki to senior Braxton Sauer. The upperclassman had been nursing an injury the first half of the season and played running back until he was ready to go behind center. The Lancers trailed the Cavaliers 16-0 at the end of the third quarter before rallying to advance. Sauer ran for a touchdown, a two-point conversion, had a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Fischer (his only catch of the season to date), then passed to Jacob Good for another two-point conversion to tie the game. Dakota Figg hit a game-winning 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play. The Lancers, like most teams in the HNAC, are a run-first squad. Sophomore Kolby Watts leads LaVille with 462 yards rushing, and freshman Andrew Dill is second with 443 yards. Robby Pope, Sauer and Figg each average better than three yards per carry. Dill has five rushing TDs, and Sauer four to pace LaVille. Jacob Good has 12 receptions and three of LaVille five receiving touchdowns. Figg has seven catches, and no one else on the team has more than four. Meanwhile, Triton beat the No. 8 and No. 7 teams in the HNAC, Caston and Winamac, respectively, to advance to the title game. All season long coach Triton Ron Brown has emphasized taking what the defense is giving, and junior QB Bo Snyder has been the top passer in the conference with 104 completions for 1,865 yards and 22 touchdowns. Delano Shumpert is No. 5 in Class 1A with 836 receiving yards and ranked fourth in the class with 14 receiving touchdowns. Max Slusser is third among conference rushers with 855 yards and fourth in the HNAC with 12 touchdowns. A key to the Triton success has been its downfield blocking, with the likes of Tye Orsund and Drew Stichter often making the difference between a first down and a touchdown. The Trojans have allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, one last week to Winamac and the other in the first LaVille game. Brown said he and his coaches have taken steps to strengthen that part of the team. On and off the field, Triton has shown great resiliency. On the field, the Trojans have twice overcome early deficits to roll to victory, playing with a great deal of heart in honor of their fallen teammate, Cam Scarberry. The junior died Sept. 17 in a car accident. On several occasions Brown has said the Trojans rallied around the memory of Scarberry. Both teams are looking to end sectional title droughts. LaVille is looking for its first trophy since 2003, and the Trojans haven't won a sectional since 2008. With a victory, Triton would set a school record with nine wins. Triton has had three other 8-win seasons. The Trojans were 8-1 in both 1970 and '72 under head coach Charlie Smith, and 8-5 in 2008 with coach Rodney Younis. The winner of Friday's game will play either Lafayette Central Catholic or HNAC champion and top-ranked Pioneer in the regional.
Brown: "It's been pretty exciting this week. I'm getting e-mails from people I've never met wishing us well. Sauer is a really nice athlete, and they have some different formations they've presented over the last four games. They're going to want to control the ball, and their defense is magnificent. They're going to give us the same problems they normally would, but having the senior at quarterback is a little different wrinkle we didn't have to deal with the first time around. I talked to Coach (assistant Rodney) Younis and my wife earlier this season, and they mentioned how the kids don't get too excited, and I've come to the conclusion that our guys have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Now nothing really shocks them too much. The focus is 100 percent on winning the sectional for Cam. Winning the sectional was on Cam's goal sheet at the beginning of the year. On defense, we have senior leadership out there reminding people not to go for the spectacular play, but to do their jobs. That's important, and it lets us put different kids in to do different things. We've moved some people around on the kickoff team, and we've already seen an improvement in practice. As far as the punt (receiving) game is concerned, our philosophy is as long as a drive ends in a kick, it's a good series for us."
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