WARSAW — Depth is a point of emphasis for Warsaw Community High School football in 2023.
Making a commitment to having players ready at every spot, the Tigers coaching staff is having most players learn an offensive and defensive position.
“Our roster is light in numbers, but I think good on depth-building,” says sixth-year head coach Bart Curtis, who has 65 players in the top three grades which is at least 10 less than normal. “There are kids that will get more reps on one side than the other. But they still need to know O-line and D-line, inside linebacker and fullback, outside linebacker and halfback. (Defensive backs) have to know halfback and split end.”
In going 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the Northern Lakes Conference, IHSAA Class 6A Warsaw produced a pair of four-game win streaks in 2022, beating 5A Michigan City, 5A Chesterton, 4A Plymouth and 5A Concord to open the season. After losses to 4A NorthWood and 5A Mishawaka, the Tigers topped 4A Wawasee, 5A Goshen, 4A Northridge and 6A Elkhart before losing to eventual 6A state runner-up Fort Wayne Carroll in a second-round sectional game.
Sixteen returnees saw significant playing time last fall, including 11 current seniors.
“The kids we have back that made an impact last year as juniors and sophomores have some quality experience,” says Curtis. “Getting them to not feel comfortable is going to be the big thing. Nobody should feel comfortable including the head coach.”
As the Friday, Aug. 18 season opener at Michigan City approaches, Curtis is pleased to report that there is great competition for starting spots and playing time.
Junior Drew Sullivan (100 carries for 525 yards and three touchdowns and 154 yards passing with two scores in 2022) returns at quarterback for a “flexbone” attack, but is being pushed by sophomore Quinton Brock.
“We have proven that you better have two and three ain’t bad because they’re one play away from going down,” says Curtis. “You better have guys at the trigger position that feel confident.”
Senior Reed Zollinger (315 yards rushing with four TDs last fall) moves from halfback to fullback where junior Robinson Hoffert and senior Jette Woodward are also in the mix.
A number of players are in the picture at halfback or split end including seniors Leyton Isbell, Grady Nolin (244 yards rushing with five TDs last fall), Eric Pohl and Corbin Johnston and juniors Ethan Egolf, Jason Smythe, Daylor Vilamaa, Tristan Wilson, Evan Davis and Carson Chizum.
“We’ve got some pieces,” says Curtis. “We just need to make sure we’ve got them in the right spot doing the right things.”
Curtis regularly asks his coaches to rank Warsaw’s top offensive linemen.
“I like our line,” says Curtis. “There’s some experience there.”
All-state tackle Harrison Stover, a senior, is switching to guard. Line candidates also include seniors Chase Carl, Aiden Williamson, Nathan Rosas and Braxton Daniels and juniors Kameron Kauffman, Wyatt Dawson, James Leiter and Ivan Ponce.
“We want both technique and size and quickness never hurts,” says Curtis. “We’re not massive, but we have some healthy lads upfront.”
The Tigers play a 3-4 base defense, where Jake Cauhorn is now the coordinator with Kris Hueber still on the staff.
Curtis says he likes to rotate six or seven players in at the three line spots without a drop in productivity.
Among players in that group are seniors Isaac Beam (44 total tackles with five sacks in 2022) and Alexander Trusty and junior Mason Gabrich (34 total tackles last fall) plus Rosas (24 total tackles), Ponce, Dawson and Carl.
Vying for time at inside or outside linebacker are Woodward (78 total tackles), Johnston (21 total tackles), Pohl (48 total tackles), Leiter, Nolin as well as juniors Cohen Heady (32 total tackles), Jayden Habegger, Benjamin Booren and Daniel Ramirez and sophomore Garrett Hood.
In the secondary (cornerback or safety), there’s seniors Luke Ransbottom and Kaden Sleighter plus Isbell, Wilson, Egolf, Wilson, Chizum, Brock and sophomore Robbie Staughan.
Junior Mason Smythe is back to handle kicking and punting. He booted 33 extra points and two field goals in 2022. He also had 23 touch-backs on 60 kickoffs.
A quote from George S. Patton encapsulates the Tigers’ mission: “A good plan executed violently today is better than a great plan next week.”
“We need to focus on what’s important now,” says Curtis. “I still believe it’s effort and how you conduct business. It’s not so much what you do but how you do it. If we can consistently do a better job of that I think this group will be OK.
“When we become more consistent with our focus in our day-to-day operations practice-wise that’ll make us a whole lot more dangerous.”
Curtis defines what he means by a good practice.
“We’re engaged,” says Curtis. “We’re not having to do things twice like warm-ups; we’re not having to start practice over for lack of effort or focus; the ball is not on the ground; the kids are locked in when instruction is happening; drills are going smoothly and kids are having a good time.”
After Michigan City, Warsaw goes to 5A Chesterton then 4A Plymouth to being NLC play. After that there’s two straight home games on the turf at Fisher Field against 5A Concord and 4A NorthWood followed by a trip to 5A Mishawaka and the “W” game vs. 4A Wawasee at home. Then comes a contest at 5A Goshen and a home clash with 4A Northridge.
The Tigers won at least seven games in each of Curtis’ first five seasons at Warsaw. The Indiana Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer goes into 2023 with a career mark of 240-117 in his 33rd season, including 39-15 at WCHS.
The Tigers’ lone sectional championship came in 2019.