Rockies Spoil Warsaw’s Conference Opener, 24-19
September 7, 2019 at 5:11 a.m.
Rockies Spoil Warsaw’s Conference Opener, 24-19
By Chip Davenport-
Penalties (the Tigers committed nine for 88 yards) and big scoring plays in the second and fourth quarters plagued the Tigers in a 24-19 loss to Plymouth that came down to the Tigers final offensive series before their fate sealed.
Facing fourth down and seven at the Tiger 34-yard line, senior quarterback Wyatt Amiss tossed a pitch to Blake Marsh (who had success on a similar play against Michigan City), but senior linebacker Joe Styers and junior 6’2” 190-pound defensive back Jake Reichard did not take the bait, stopping Marsh who fought hard but could not let the ball fly in their grasp with 1:11 remaining in the contest. The Rockies took a knee twice to close the game.
The two rivals otherwise were close in total yardage, with Plymouth’s 381 edging Warsaw’s 336. The Tigers were opportunistic on offense, scoing on all four trips to the red zone. The Tigers had significant more offensive possession time, 28:15 to 19:45.
Nearly four minutes before that fourth-down play, the Tigers closed to within 24-18 when junior split end Luke Adamiec recovered Juan Jaramillo’s fumble on a second-down and one yard run as the ball rolled right, and Adamiec was at the right place pouncing on the ball for a Tiger touchdown. Harrison Mevis’s extra point kick closed the Rockies’ lead to 24-19 with 5:10 remaining in the game.
The Tiger had the Rockies where they wanted them with another Mevis touchback kick setting up their first play at their 20-yard line. But the defense started off on the wrong foot with their third personal foul of the ball game, a 15-yard facemask on the Rockies’ first play.
The Plymouth offense made their way to the Tiger 15-yard line two more big gains of 25 and 20 yards. The defense stepped up when the Rockies moved to the 15-yard line with third and two, and the Tiger defensive front four stuffed Winkle and Barron for two straight no-gain plays.
The Tiger offense took over on downs at their own 15-yard line hoping to turn what could have been another Rockies score into a game-winning drive that ended on the attempted halfback pass option play.
Plymouth opened the game’s scoring when Seth Rundell, whom Barron tried to connect on first and ten on the Rockies 34 before senior safety Keagan Larsh broke up Rundell’s go route, got it right the second time with another 66-yard go route. The Adrian Cardona extra point kick put Plymouth in front 7-0 at the 9:34 mark in the first quarter.
The Tigers responded with Mevis’s field goal from 39 yards out at 1:37 in the first quarter that ended an 18-play, 73-yard drive for the Tigers. The Tigers trailed 7-3 after one complete quarter
The Rockies drove the ball 78 yards on fourteen plays in 5:52 on the following possession, to the Tiger two-yard line when Barron’s pass was snatched by Adamiec, who returned the pick 38 yards to his own 39-yard line. Mevis followed that with a 35-yard field goal after nine plays in another Tiger drive ended at the Rockies 19-yard line with 3:59. Warsaw was as close as they would be trailing 7-6 when this pick led to Mevis’s second field goal. Warsaw came as close as they would come all evening in their 100th meeting against Plymouth, trailing 7-6.
Mevis followed his field goal with his fifth touchback in as many kickoffs. The deep kicks kept the ball out of the hands of dangerous returner, 5’8” 145-pound junior Ivan Winkle. The fourth Rocky to play running back in three games due to major and minor injuries took the ball on an outside run for the first play from scrimmage and turned upfield for an 80-yard touchdown 17 seconds after Mevis’s field goal, increasing Plymouth’s lead to 14-6 at 3:42 in the second quarter.
Cardona split the uprights with a 29-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the first half, sending his team to the locker room with a 17-6 halftime lead.
The Tigers opened the second half with a 15-play, 77-yard, 7:14 drive churning downfield capped by Juan Jaramillo’s 3-yard TD run with 4:46 remaining in the third stanza. Warsaw attempted a two-point conversion run that fell short, but they moved to within five points, trailing 17-12 heading into the final quarter. Jaramillo was a workhorse, carrying the ball 36 times for 155 yards. Blake Marsh added 45 yards on nine carries
Rundell added another 39-yard touchdown catch when he switched directions on the field and turned on the burners to hit pay dirt. This put the Rockies in front 24-12.
What was most notable on the Tiger defense was the pass coverage play of junction cornerback Caden Silveus. Plymouth targeted him eleven times, their taller receivers particularly with fades to the left corner of the end zone. Silveus broke up every one of these plays, and when targeted in the third quarter he stopped the Rockies drive deep in Tiger territory with an interception, Barron’s second one he threw in the contest.
“I watch their eyes,” Silveus said. “I don’t stop and try to swat the ball. We work on it every day in practice. I stay as close as I can and break up the pass better that way instead of being fooled by looking at the ball.”
Wyatt Amiss completed 6 of 10 passes for 70 yards, all in the fourth quarter for the Tigers.
The Tigers fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in their conference opener. They travel to Elkhart Memorial (1-2, 1-0). The Rockies face another undefeated conference foe next week, Northridge (3-0, 1-0).
PLYMOUTH 24, WARSAW 19
P 14 3 0 7 – 24
W 3 3 6 7 – 19
P – Seth Rundell 66 pass form Joe Barron (Aaron Cardona kick)
W – Harrison Mevis 39 FG
W – Mevis 35 FG
P – Ivan Winkle 80 run (Cardona kick)
P – Cardona 29 FG
W – Juan Jaramillo 3 run (run failed)
P – Rundell 39 pass from Barron (Cardona kick)
W – Luke Adamiec fumble recovery in end zone (Mevis kick)
Penalties (the Tigers committed nine for 88 yards) and big scoring plays in the second and fourth quarters plagued the Tigers in a 24-19 loss to Plymouth that came down to the Tigers final offensive series before their fate sealed.
Facing fourth down and seven at the Tiger 34-yard line, senior quarterback Wyatt Amiss tossed a pitch to Blake Marsh (who had success on a similar play against Michigan City), but senior linebacker Joe Styers and junior 6’2” 190-pound defensive back Jake Reichard did not take the bait, stopping Marsh who fought hard but could not let the ball fly in their grasp with 1:11 remaining in the contest. The Rockies took a knee twice to close the game.
The two rivals otherwise were close in total yardage, with Plymouth’s 381 edging Warsaw’s 336. The Tigers were opportunistic on offense, scoing on all four trips to the red zone. The Tigers had significant more offensive possession time, 28:15 to 19:45.
Nearly four minutes before that fourth-down play, the Tigers closed to within 24-18 when junior split end Luke Adamiec recovered Juan Jaramillo’s fumble on a second-down and one yard run as the ball rolled right, and Adamiec was at the right place pouncing on the ball for a Tiger touchdown. Harrison Mevis’s extra point kick closed the Rockies’ lead to 24-19 with 5:10 remaining in the game.
The Tiger had the Rockies where they wanted them with another Mevis touchback kick setting up their first play at their 20-yard line. But the defense started off on the wrong foot with their third personal foul of the ball game, a 15-yard facemask on the Rockies’ first play.
The Plymouth offense made their way to the Tiger 15-yard line two more big gains of 25 and 20 yards. The defense stepped up when the Rockies moved to the 15-yard line with third and two, and the Tiger defensive front four stuffed Winkle and Barron for two straight no-gain plays.
The Tiger offense took over on downs at their own 15-yard line hoping to turn what could have been another Rockies score into a game-winning drive that ended on the attempted halfback pass option play.
Plymouth opened the game’s scoring when Seth Rundell, whom Barron tried to connect on first and ten on the Rockies 34 before senior safety Keagan Larsh broke up Rundell’s go route, got it right the second time with another 66-yard go route. The Adrian Cardona extra point kick put Plymouth in front 7-0 at the 9:34 mark in the first quarter.
The Tigers responded with Mevis’s field goal from 39 yards out at 1:37 in the first quarter that ended an 18-play, 73-yard drive for the Tigers. The Tigers trailed 7-3 after one complete quarter
The Rockies drove the ball 78 yards on fourteen plays in 5:52 on the following possession, to the Tiger two-yard line when Barron’s pass was snatched by Adamiec, who returned the pick 38 yards to his own 39-yard line. Mevis followed that with a 35-yard field goal after nine plays in another Tiger drive ended at the Rockies 19-yard line with 3:59. Warsaw was as close as they would be trailing 7-6 when this pick led to Mevis’s second field goal. Warsaw came as close as they would come all evening in their 100th meeting against Plymouth, trailing 7-6.
Mevis followed his field goal with his fifth touchback in as many kickoffs. The deep kicks kept the ball out of the hands of dangerous returner, 5’8” 145-pound junior Ivan Winkle. The fourth Rocky to play running back in three games due to major and minor injuries took the ball on an outside run for the first play from scrimmage and turned upfield for an 80-yard touchdown 17 seconds after Mevis’s field goal, increasing Plymouth’s lead to 14-6 at 3:42 in the second quarter.
Cardona split the uprights with a 29-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the first half, sending his team to the locker room with a 17-6 halftime lead.
The Tigers opened the second half with a 15-play, 77-yard, 7:14 drive churning downfield capped by Juan Jaramillo’s 3-yard TD run with 4:46 remaining in the third stanza. Warsaw attempted a two-point conversion run that fell short, but they moved to within five points, trailing 17-12 heading into the final quarter. Jaramillo was a workhorse, carrying the ball 36 times for 155 yards. Blake Marsh added 45 yards on nine carries
Rundell added another 39-yard touchdown catch when he switched directions on the field and turned on the burners to hit pay dirt. This put the Rockies in front 24-12.
What was most notable on the Tiger defense was the pass coverage play of junction cornerback Caden Silveus. Plymouth targeted him eleven times, their taller receivers particularly with fades to the left corner of the end zone. Silveus broke up every one of these plays, and when targeted in the third quarter he stopped the Rockies drive deep in Tiger territory with an interception, Barron’s second one he threw in the contest.
“I watch their eyes,” Silveus said. “I don’t stop and try to swat the ball. We work on it every day in practice. I stay as close as I can and break up the pass better that way instead of being fooled by looking at the ball.”
Wyatt Amiss completed 6 of 10 passes for 70 yards, all in the fourth quarter for the Tigers.
The Tigers fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in their conference opener. They travel to Elkhart Memorial (1-2, 1-0). The Rockies face another undefeated conference foe next week, Northridge (3-0, 1-0).
PLYMOUTH 24, WARSAW 19
P 14 3 0 7 – 24
W 3 3 6 7 – 19
P – Seth Rundell 66 pass form Joe Barron (Aaron Cardona kick)
W – Harrison Mevis 39 FG
W – Mevis 35 FG
P – Ivan Winkle 80 run (Cardona kick)
P – Cardona 29 FG
W – Juan Jaramillo 3 run (run failed)
P – Rundell 39 pass from Barron (Cardona kick)
W – Luke Adamiec fumble recovery in end zone (Mevis kick)
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