SYRACUSE — Banners for 11 players grace the fence at Wawasee High School’s Warrior Stadium.
These 12th-graders — tight end/defensive lineman Donovan Blair, wide receiver/defensive back Derek Bontrager, running back/linebacker Brandon Kelly, two-way lineman Hunter Kunish, wide receiver/defensive back Lucas Linder, two-way lineman Weston DeLong, wingback/linebacker Trey Rollins, wide receiver/linebacker Dawson Schmucker, wingback/linebacker Payton Sewell, quarterback Mason Shoemaker and wingback/defensive back Hunter Tinkey — are among those who will be counted upon during the 2023 football season which opens for the IHSAA Class 4A Warriors on Friday, Aug. 18 with a non-conference home game against 3A Tippecanoe Valley.
After fifth-year Wawasee head coach Jon Reutebuch leads his squad on the turf against the Vikings, there’s a non-conference game at 3A West Noble followed by a visit to 5A Goshen to begin Northern Lakes Conference play.
After that comes a home game with 4A Plymouth, trip to 5A Concord, home contest vs. 5A Northridge, the “W” game at 6A Warsaw, hosting 4A NorthWood and a trek to 5A Mishawaka.
The Warriors are coming off a 2022 campaign in which they went 1-9 overall and 1-6 in the NLC — the win coming in Week 4 at Plymouth.
The team’s slogan in 2023 is “Something To Prove.”
Wawasee’s base offense is the shotgun T-formation — a combination of the wing-T and spread.
The Warriors play “11 personnel” — one quarterback, one running back, one wingback, one tight end and two wide receivers plus one center, two guards and two tackles.
Shoemaker (556 yards passing and two TDs in 2022) is the trigger man. He became the No. 1 signal caller when Jaxon Brown went down last fall.
The Kelly brothers — Derek (364 yards rushing with three touchdowns last fall after 314 yards and one score as a sophomore in 2021) and junior Barrett — look to share the load at running back.
Wingback Tinkey (26 catches for 404 yards and three TDs to go with 206 yards rushing with two scores and 476 kick return yards) led the team in scoring last fall with 38 points. Brandon Kelly (24) was tied for second. Bontrager (11 receptions for 150 yards and one TD) was fifth with 12 points.
Tight end Blair is coming off a campaign where he made 24 catches for 242 yards and one score.
Besides Hunter Kunish, Reutebuch says the line rotation is likely to include 6-foot-7, 230-pound Weston DeLong (who came out for football this season) at tackle, junior Cooper Garden at center and junior Charles “C.J.” Peschel at guard or tackle.
Wawasee uses a 3-4 base on the other side of the ball.
“We’re going to be an attacking kind of defense,” says Reutebuch.
Among those with defensive experience are Blair (29 total tackles with 1.5 sacks last fall) and Hunter Kunish on the line, Brandon Kelly (75 total tackles) at linebacker and Tinkey (20 total tackles and three interceptions), Bontrager (54 total tackles and two interceptions), Linder (17 total tackles and two fumble recoveries) and junior Bradyn Pike in the secondary.
There are no fewer than six players on each side of the ball who have considerable varsity experience.
Junior Reed Reidenbach looks to be the punter with junior soccer player Dane Sigler likely to handle kicking duties.
“Our numbers are good,” says Reutebuch, who has nearly 50 players in the top three grades with about 30 in the freshmen class. “That’s not too bad in a school of 950.”
The ’22 Warriors gained 914 yards with 11 TDs on the ground and 1,107 yards and five TDs through the air.
Wawasee scored 139 points in 2022 and gave up 357.
The Warriors open 2023 with a non-conference game against 3A Tippecanoe Valley on the turf at Warrior Stadium followed by a game at 3A West Noble before NLC play starts.
This summer, Wawasee participated in a lineman camp at Ball State University, Manchester University team camp and 11-on-11 competitions at Bremen with Twin Lakes and Lakeland and at home with Norwell, Fort Wayne Wayne and LaVille.
Aaron Zaebst is the Warriors’ defensive coordinator. Bart Osmialowski is the offensive coordinator. Chase Pinion is an addition as an assistant.
“It’s probably the best coaching staff I’ve had in five years,” says Reutebuch. “These are guys that really care about kids, coaching them up and getting them ready.”
Making up the remainder of the staff which touts attitude, effort and mental toughness are Josh Mohr, Nick Feldman, Blake Haynie, Scott Hatfield and Conner Glon.
Wawasee’s last sectional title came in 2004.