Tiger Football Looking To Forge Identity For 2021 Season
August 18, 2021 at 11:15 p.m.
Tiger Football Looking To Forge Identity For 2021 Season
By Steve Krah-
“We want this group to come together and forge their own identity,” says Curtis, the fourth-year Tigers head coach. “We’re hoping to build a group that is resilient, has a lot of resolve and can play the game when they’re uncomfortable.
“Anybody can play when they’re chipper.”
Curtis and his assistants will try to throw situations at the players so they can “match or exceed anything we’ll see Friday night.”
Warsaw went 8-3 overall and shared the Northern Lakes Conference title with Mishawaka at 6-1 in 2020. The Tigers also won the first sectional championship in school history.
The 2021 season opens Friday, Aug. 20 at home against first-time opponent Dublin (Ohio) Coffman. The Shamrocks have won at least seven games in 16 of the past 17 seasons and went 8-1 in 2020.
The Tigers play road games against Michigan City Aug. 27, Mishawaka Sept. 10, Goshen Sept. 24 and Concord Oct. 15. Other home tilts are against Plymouth Sept. 3, Northridge Sept. 17, Wawasee Oct. 1 and NorthWood Oct. 8.
On defense, Warsaw has nine players — seniors Luke Anderson (30.5 total tackles in 2020) and Aiden Binkerd (25) and juniors Jonney Burritt (25.5) and Zackary Diecks (28), Nick Katris (25.5), Theo Katris (32), Trey Koontz, Kyle Schnackenberg and Russ Winchester— that are battle-tested. They started at least one game as an underclassman.
“They better be better,” says Curtis, is 24-9 in his first three seasons at Warsaw and 225-111 in 30 campaigns overall.
As the Tigers prepare for the season opener, Curtis expects Anderson to be at end with Schnackenberg and Winchester at either end or nose guard. Fighting for a spot on the line are sophomores Nathaniel Rosas and Chase Carl and senior Pedro Alonso.
Diecks and Nick Katris (who started at outside linebacker in 2020) are the frontrunners at inside linebacker with Binkerd and Burrito at outside linebacker. Senior Jackson Bradley is nipping at their toes.
In the mix at cornerback are Koontz, senior C.J. Mendez and sophomore Corbin Johnston.
Theo Katris will be at free safety. Curtis says he expects sophomore Colt VanHouten or juniors Dimitri Chandler or Jackson Murrell to be a strong safety.
Warsaw set a number of offensive records in 2020, including most first downs (214), highest first downs per game average (19.4), most first downs in a game (27 vs. Carroll), most rushing first downs in a game (25 vs. Carroll), most rushing yards in a game (523 vs. Carroll), most rushing attempts in a game (79 vs. Carroll), most rushing yards (3,898) and high rushing yards per game (354.4).
Returnees on offense include seniors Noah Chew, Isaiah Courtois, Kyle Dawson (moving from defensive start to offense), Julius Jones, Dane Koontz, Michael Ramirez and Trace Stookey.
Halfback Jones (87 carries for 871 yards and six touchdowns, 58 points and 1,137 all-purpose yards in 2020) is the lone returning player in the Tiger backfield. He will be joined by junior quarterback Tucker Curtis, junior halfback Bryson Brown and junior fullback German Flores. The rotation could also feature Trey Koontz or sophomore Reed Zollinger at halfback or fullback.
Vying for time at split end are Dane Koontz and senior Connor Suissi as well as Murrell.
There’s a competition at center between junior Braden Rios and Stookey (who started at guard in 2020).
Curtis says Chew will be one guard and either senior Kyler Denney or Courtois are likely to be the other.
Dawson will be one tackle and junior Ashton Chilcutt is vying with Ramirez, senior Ian Shepherd and Derrek Warner for the other tackle slot.
Freshman Mason Smythe or Binkerd looks to do the placekicking with senior Josh Pelfrey returning for his third season as starting long snapper.
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“We want this group to come together and forge their own identity,” says Curtis, the fourth-year Tigers head coach. “We’re hoping to build a group that is resilient, has a lot of resolve and can play the game when they’re uncomfortable.
“Anybody can play when they’re chipper.”
Curtis and his assistants will try to throw situations at the players so they can “match or exceed anything we’ll see Friday night.”
Warsaw went 8-3 overall and shared the Northern Lakes Conference title with Mishawaka at 6-1 in 2020. The Tigers also won the first sectional championship in school history.
The 2021 season opens Friday, Aug. 20 at home against first-time opponent Dublin (Ohio) Coffman. The Shamrocks have won at least seven games in 16 of the past 17 seasons and went 8-1 in 2020.
The Tigers play road games against Michigan City Aug. 27, Mishawaka Sept. 10, Goshen Sept. 24 and Concord Oct. 15. Other home tilts are against Plymouth Sept. 3, Northridge Sept. 17, Wawasee Oct. 1 and NorthWood Oct. 8.
On defense, Warsaw has nine players — seniors Luke Anderson (30.5 total tackles in 2020) and Aiden Binkerd (25) and juniors Jonney Burritt (25.5) and Zackary Diecks (28), Nick Katris (25.5), Theo Katris (32), Trey Koontz, Kyle Schnackenberg and Russ Winchester— that are battle-tested. They started at least one game as an underclassman.
“They better be better,” says Curtis, is 24-9 in his first three seasons at Warsaw and 225-111 in 30 campaigns overall.
As the Tigers prepare for the season opener, Curtis expects Anderson to be at end with Schnackenberg and Winchester at either end or nose guard. Fighting for a spot on the line are sophomores Nathaniel Rosas and Chase Carl and senior Pedro Alonso.
Diecks and Nick Katris (who started at outside linebacker in 2020) are the frontrunners at inside linebacker with Binkerd and Burrito at outside linebacker. Senior Jackson Bradley is nipping at their toes.
In the mix at cornerback are Koontz, senior C.J. Mendez and sophomore Corbin Johnston.
Theo Katris will be at free safety. Curtis says he expects sophomore Colt VanHouten or juniors Dimitri Chandler or Jackson Murrell to be a strong safety.
Warsaw set a number of offensive records in 2020, including most first downs (214), highest first downs per game average (19.4), most first downs in a game (27 vs. Carroll), most rushing first downs in a game (25 vs. Carroll), most rushing yards in a game (523 vs. Carroll), most rushing attempts in a game (79 vs. Carroll), most rushing yards (3,898) and high rushing yards per game (354.4).
Returnees on offense include seniors Noah Chew, Isaiah Courtois, Kyle Dawson (moving from defensive start to offense), Julius Jones, Dane Koontz, Michael Ramirez and Trace Stookey.
Halfback Jones (87 carries for 871 yards and six touchdowns, 58 points and 1,137 all-purpose yards in 2020) is the lone returning player in the Tiger backfield. He will be joined by junior quarterback Tucker Curtis, junior halfback Bryson Brown and junior fullback German Flores. The rotation could also feature Trey Koontz or sophomore Reed Zollinger at halfback or fullback.
Vying for time at split end are Dane Koontz and senior Connor Suissi as well as Murrell.
There’s a competition at center between junior Braden Rios and Stookey (who started at guard in 2020).
Curtis says Chew will be one guard and either senior Kyler Denney or Courtois are likely to be the other.
Dawson will be one tackle and junior Ashton Chilcutt is vying with Ramirez, senior Ian Shepherd and Derrek Warner for the other tackle slot.
Freshman Mason Smythe or Binkerd looks to do the placekicking with senior Josh Pelfrey returning for his third season as starting long snapper.
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