Tigers Have Takeaways From Loss Despite Giveaways
September 24, 2022 at 3:57 a.m.
Tigers Have Takeaways From Loss Despite Giveaways
By Chip Davenport-
The difference in total offensive yardage between the two squads wasn’t significant. Mishawaka outgained Warsaw 293-240, but the Cavemen (6-0, 4-0 NLC) were brutally efficient, and opportunistic following Tiger turnovers when they had the ball.
Mishawaka’s first two offensive series – bookending a two-play Tiger drive abruptly ended with an interception – put Warsaw behind 15-0 by the time 10:48 shown on the scoreboard in the second period. The Cavemen, at that point, ran 23 plays compared to Warsaw’s two snaps.
The Cavemen used the one-two punch of quarterback Brady Fisher (23 carries, 94 yards 3 touchdowns, 1-2 passing, 19 yds., 2 extra point conversion tosses), and Chase Gooden (26 car., 103 yds., 2 TDs) in the triple-option offense Mishawaka head coach Keith Kinder has continued using after taking the helm when Tiger head coach Bart Curtis brought the precision-based, physical, power running game to the Lake City in 2018.
“They're massive, and that's their style of play,” Curtis said about his foe’s blend of speed, physicality, and skillful execution of the triple option offense. “They're very good. They got a great kid running that offense, and… smart guys maneuvering their kids to get him into the right place. Brady Fisher’s a great quarterback who gets them into the right play.”
Fisher drew first blood with a 1-yard run at 5:01 in the first quarter, and a Mishawaka interception at the Cavemen 48-yard line resulted in an opportunistic 11-play scoring drive turning the first of five Tiger turnovers into points when Gooden barreled into the end zone from two yards.
Suddenly Warsaw faced a two-score deficit. The Tigers, however, maintained their tenacity, and stayed close to their guests, and were only outscored 28-19 among the remaining 36 ½ minutes.
“I'm very pleased with Warsaw's effort tonight,” Curtis remarked. “I'm not nearly as downtrodden as I was a week ago (in a 42-21 NLC loss to NorthWood).
“I hate losing. Our kids hate losing. Here's what's nice - we didn't fold the tents when crap got tough tonight, and a week ago I thought we folded the tents so - that - I'm very proud of.”
Warsaw responded to the early adversity with an 80-yard drive on seven plays in just over 3 ½ minutes, giving the defense a little more time to rest than the previous 25 plays opening the contest.
Quarterback Grady Nolin scored on a 7-yard run for Warsaw’s first TD, but the ensuing errant extra point kick snap left the Tigers with only 6 points on the board.
Mishawaka used four more minutes to counter the Tigers’ dent in the scoreboard on Gooden’s second score, an eight-yard run with 2:57 left in the first half, moving ahead 22-6.
Warsaw had better success on outside runs than the prior week, and Reed Zollinger’s 56-yard scoring sprint was one of those successful moments cutting Mishawaka’s 29-6 lead to 29-12 with 6:46 left in the third frame.
If Zollinger (4 car. 73 yds., 1 TD) was Mr. Outside, then German Flores-Ortega, the Tigers’ bulky B-back (10 car. 101 yds.) was Mr. Inside. Flores-Ortega brought Warsaw to within two scores with a 34-yard breakaway score blasting through the middle of the Cavemen defensive front with 10:13 remaining in the game.
Warsaw committed two more turnovers hindering its comeback effort, and Mishawaka consequently finished the evening’s scoring on Fisher’s third TD run with 4:15 left in the final frame.
“You can't play against somebody that physical and good and make mistakes we made and expect to win, O.K.? We gotta get better,” Curtis commented regarding the miscues.
The Tigers had strong individual defensive performances among junior linebackers Jette Woodward and Eric Pohl, and senior safeties Trey Koontz and Dimitri Chandler. Lucas Ransbottom started at cornerback Friday and snared a fourth-quarter interception to stifle a Cavemen scoring drive, a leaping grab against a much taller Caveman receiver.
Warsaw (4-2, 2-2 NLC) lost two straight NLC games for the first time in Curtis’s tenure. The defeats, notably, came from two squads (NorthWood, Mishawaka) whose matching 6-0 records are their best respective starts since 2018.
Mishawaka hosts NLC co-leader NorthWood (6-0, 4-0 NLC) at Steele Stadium Friday, and only one team will remain unbeaten while Warsaw – aiming to break away from a three-way tie for third place in the conference - heads North to battle intercounty rival Wawasee (1-5, 1-3 NLC) to defend the “W” trophy and get back on the winning track.
The difference in total offensive yardage between the two squads wasn’t significant. Mishawaka outgained Warsaw 293-240, but the Cavemen (6-0, 4-0 NLC) were brutally efficient, and opportunistic following Tiger turnovers when they had the ball.
Mishawaka’s first two offensive series – bookending a two-play Tiger drive abruptly ended with an interception – put Warsaw behind 15-0 by the time 10:48 shown on the scoreboard in the second period. The Cavemen, at that point, ran 23 plays compared to Warsaw’s two snaps.
The Cavemen used the one-two punch of quarterback Brady Fisher (23 carries, 94 yards 3 touchdowns, 1-2 passing, 19 yds., 2 extra point conversion tosses), and Chase Gooden (26 car., 103 yds., 2 TDs) in the triple-option offense Mishawaka head coach Keith Kinder has continued using after taking the helm when Tiger head coach Bart Curtis brought the precision-based, physical, power running game to the Lake City in 2018.
“They're massive, and that's their style of play,” Curtis said about his foe’s blend of speed, physicality, and skillful execution of the triple option offense. “They're very good. They got a great kid running that offense, and… smart guys maneuvering their kids to get him into the right place. Brady Fisher’s a great quarterback who gets them into the right play.”
Fisher drew first blood with a 1-yard run at 5:01 in the first quarter, and a Mishawaka interception at the Cavemen 48-yard line resulted in an opportunistic 11-play scoring drive turning the first of five Tiger turnovers into points when Gooden barreled into the end zone from two yards.
Suddenly Warsaw faced a two-score deficit. The Tigers, however, maintained their tenacity, and stayed close to their guests, and were only outscored 28-19 among the remaining 36 ½ minutes.
“I'm very pleased with Warsaw's effort tonight,” Curtis remarked. “I'm not nearly as downtrodden as I was a week ago (in a 42-21 NLC loss to NorthWood).
“I hate losing. Our kids hate losing. Here's what's nice - we didn't fold the tents when crap got tough tonight, and a week ago I thought we folded the tents so - that - I'm very proud of.”
Warsaw responded to the early adversity with an 80-yard drive on seven plays in just over 3 ½ minutes, giving the defense a little more time to rest than the previous 25 plays opening the contest.
Quarterback Grady Nolin scored on a 7-yard run for Warsaw’s first TD, but the ensuing errant extra point kick snap left the Tigers with only 6 points on the board.
Mishawaka used four more minutes to counter the Tigers’ dent in the scoreboard on Gooden’s second score, an eight-yard run with 2:57 left in the first half, moving ahead 22-6.
Warsaw had better success on outside runs than the prior week, and Reed Zollinger’s 56-yard scoring sprint was one of those successful moments cutting Mishawaka’s 29-6 lead to 29-12 with 6:46 left in the third frame.
If Zollinger (4 car. 73 yds., 1 TD) was Mr. Outside, then German Flores-Ortega, the Tigers’ bulky B-back (10 car. 101 yds.) was Mr. Inside. Flores-Ortega brought Warsaw to within two scores with a 34-yard breakaway score blasting through the middle of the Cavemen defensive front with 10:13 remaining in the game.
Warsaw committed two more turnovers hindering its comeback effort, and Mishawaka consequently finished the evening’s scoring on Fisher’s third TD run with 4:15 left in the final frame.
“You can't play against somebody that physical and good and make mistakes we made and expect to win, O.K.? We gotta get better,” Curtis commented regarding the miscues.
The Tigers had strong individual defensive performances among junior linebackers Jette Woodward and Eric Pohl, and senior safeties Trey Koontz and Dimitri Chandler. Lucas Ransbottom started at cornerback Friday and snared a fourth-quarter interception to stifle a Cavemen scoring drive, a leaping grab against a much taller Caveman receiver.
Warsaw (4-2, 2-2 NLC) lost two straight NLC games for the first time in Curtis’s tenure. The defeats, notably, came from two squads (NorthWood, Mishawaka) whose matching 6-0 records are their best respective starts since 2018.
Mishawaka hosts NLC co-leader NorthWood (6-0, 4-0 NLC) at Steele Stadium Friday, and only one team will remain unbeaten while Warsaw – aiming to break away from a three-way tie for third place in the conference - heads North to battle intercounty rival Wawasee (1-5, 1-3 NLC) to defend the “W” trophy and get back on the winning track.
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