Warrior Coach Sees Experience, Improvement In Team
August 20, 2020 at 2:00 a.m.
Warrior Coach Sees Experience, Improvement In Team
By Steve Krah-
“We’re excited,” says Reutebuch, who takes his IHSAA Class 4A Warriors into the 2020 season open Friday at Lakeland in LaGrange. “We feel like we have improved line depth and play. That should help us improve on our record from last year (Wawasee went 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the Northern Lakes Conference in 2019).
“We return our leading tackler from defense. Our top offensive producer as a receiver and runner is back.”
On the offense, the Warriors sport senior Justin Castro, Gage Morris and Haegan Slusher and juniors Driedyn Hernandez, Logan Mast, Quintin Spitzmacher and Mark Wiggs on the interior line.
Reutebuch calls Castro “a difference maker.”
Slusher has transferred back to Wawasee from Tippecanoe Valley.
On the defensive side of the football, the Warriors play at 4-2-5 with two tackles and two ends in front of two linebackers and a collection of cornerbacks and safeties.
Hernandez, Mast, Slusher and Wiggs look to be interior linemen with Morris, Spitzmacher, junior Dante Landeros and senior Zach Smith on the end.
Robert Schmucker (53) paced Wawasee in tackles in 2019. He is now a senior.
Reutebuch plans to employ multiple offensive formations in 2020. Back in that group is Kameron Salazar (20 receptions for 197 yards).
Also returning is senior quarterback Parker Young (69-of-174 for 189 yards and four touchdowns plus a team-best 231 yards rushing with six TDs in 2019). He will be backed up by senior Jacob Meek.
Junior Nathan Larson is to be the featured tailback.
Reutebuch says Landeros and sophomore Brendan Freeman will be used in a tight end/fullback combination, more like at H-back that is sometimes in the back field and sometimes on the line of scrimmage like a second tight end.
Smith and Schmucker are the top two candidates at traditional tight end.
Wide receivers include senior Adam Beer, Calob Fein and Hayden Dement and junior Lucas Ringler.
Slot receivers will be Salazar and Meek.
“We should be much-improved,” says Reutebuch of the Warriors’ offensive capabilities. “We feel like we can shift gears if we need to.”
Reutebuch notes that Wawasee was able to eat up a lot of clock in 2019 drives against Warsaw and Goshen.
“The line is the key to everything,” says Reutebuch. “Last year we had injuries with lack of depth.”
Wawasee’s linebacker mix features Schmucker, Freeman and junior Dominic Blair.
Cornerbacks are Ringler, Fein, Dement and Beer.
Safeties are Meek, Salazar, Larson and sophomore Cameron Zimmerman. Young and sophomore Chase Dennis may also see time in the deep secondary.
Two of the Warriors’ safeties are identified as the Bandit, which operates like a defensive back and the Fox, which plays like a linebacker or defensive end.
Junior Caleb Clevenger is expected to handle kicking duties with Blair and Fein as punters.
In the return game, there’s Salazar and Lucas Ringler as a the main men.
The Warriors’ schedule also includes five home games on the turf at Warrior Field (West Noble Aug. 28, Northridge Sept. 4, NorthWood Sept. 18, Warsaw Oct. 2 and Goshen Oct. 16) and three other road contests (Concord Sept. 11, Plymouth Sept. 25 and Mishawaka Oct. 9). Lakeland and West Noble are non-conference opponents.
Mark Osimalowski (offensive coordinator), Andy Zaebst (defensive coordinator), Brady Nyland, Zack McKee, Kerry Murphy, Clayton Cook, Tyler Smith and J.J. Perry are on the Wawasee coaching staff.
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“We’re excited,” says Reutebuch, who takes his IHSAA Class 4A Warriors into the 2020 season open Friday at Lakeland in LaGrange. “We feel like we have improved line depth and play. That should help us improve on our record from last year (Wawasee went 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the Northern Lakes Conference in 2019).
“We return our leading tackler from defense. Our top offensive producer as a receiver and runner is back.”
On the offense, the Warriors sport senior Justin Castro, Gage Morris and Haegan Slusher and juniors Driedyn Hernandez, Logan Mast, Quintin Spitzmacher and Mark Wiggs on the interior line.
Reutebuch calls Castro “a difference maker.”
Slusher has transferred back to Wawasee from Tippecanoe Valley.
On the defensive side of the football, the Warriors play at 4-2-5 with two tackles and two ends in front of two linebackers and a collection of cornerbacks and safeties.
Hernandez, Mast, Slusher and Wiggs look to be interior linemen with Morris, Spitzmacher, junior Dante Landeros and senior Zach Smith on the end.
Robert Schmucker (53) paced Wawasee in tackles in 2019. He is now a senior.
Reutebuch plans to employ multiple offensive formations in 2020. Back in that group is Kameron Salazar (20 receptions for 197 yards).
Also returning is senior quarterback Parker Young (69-of-174 for 189 yards and four touchdowns plus a team-best 231 yards rushing with six TDs in 2019). He will be backed up by senior Jacob Meek.
Junior Nathan Larson is to be the featured tailback.
Reutebuch says Landeros and sophomore Brendan Freeman will be used in a tight end/fullback combination, more like at H-back that is sometimes in the back field and sometimes on the line of scrimmage like a second tight end.
Smith and Schmucker are the top two candidates at traditional tight end.
Wide receivers include senior Adam Beer, Calob Fein and Hayden Dement and junior Lucas Ringler.
Slot receivers will be Salazar and Meek.
“We should be much-improved,” says Reutebuch of the Warriors’ offensive capabilities. “We feel like we can shift gears if we need to.”
Reutebuch notes that Wawasee was able to eat up a lot of clock in 2019 drives against Warsaw and Goshen.
“The line is the key to everything,” says Reutebuch. “Last year we had injuries with lack of depth.”
Wawasee’s linebacker mix features Schmucker, Freeman and junior Dominic Blair.
Cornerbacks are Ringler, Fein, Dement and Beer.
Safeties are Meek, Salazar, Larson and sophomore Cameron Zimmerman. Young and sophomore Chase Dennis may also see time in the deep secondary.
Two of the Warriors’ safeties are identified as the Bandit, which operates like a defensive back and the Fox, which plays like a linebacker or defensive end.
Junior Caleb Clevenger is expected to handle kicking duties with Blair and Fein as punters.
In the return game, there’s Salazar and Lucas Ringler as a the main men.
The Warriors’ schedule also includes five home games on the turf at Warrior Field (West Noble Aug. 28, Northridge Sept. 4, NorthWood Sept. 18, Warsaw Oct. 2 and Goshen Oct. 16) and three other road contests (Concord Sept. 11, Plymouth Sept. 25 and Mishawaka Oct. 9). Lakeland and West Noble are non-conference opponents.
Mark Osimalowski (offensive coordinator), Andy Zaebst (defensive coordinator), Brady Nyland, Zack McKee, Kerry Murphy, Clayton Cook, Tyler Smith and J.J. Perry are on the Wawasee coaching staff.
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