Isaac Beam and Eric Pohl, Warsaw Tiger football defensive standouts and recent graduates in the Class of 2024, will represent the North in tonight’s Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA) North-South All-Star Game at Decatur Central High School.
This will be the first time since the inaugural North-South battle two Warsaw Tigers were selected to compete in tonight’s action. Jan Essenberg and Rocky Clemens represented Warsaw in the 1967 game.
Beam and Pohl shared Co-Defensive Player of The Year honors in the most recent Tiger football season. This is quite an honor considering this is one of the best defenses in Warsaw’s Bart Curtis coaching era, and one might go back to the days when current assistant defensive coach Kris Hueber (another IFCA North All Star) played for Phil Jensen’s Tigers in the late 1990’s/early 2000s to look for a comparably athletic, physical defensive unit.
Beam, a 6’2” 240-lb. defensive lineman is still being recruited by schools ranging from Division II to NAIA but has not committed. Beam’s solid frame flew off the line pursuing quarterbacks and other ballcarriers who had trouble making it out of the backfield when the All-conference lineman used his 4.8-second 40-yard dash speed.
18 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback sacks in the 2023 campaign are testimony toward Beam’s selection to participate in the All-Star clash. These numbers in the opponent’s backfield are the most prolific in at least a decade of Tiger football.
He finished his senior year with 43 solo tackles and 33 assists in 11 games. Most defensive linemen in a 3-4 defense are plugging opposing offensive lines so a quartet of linebackers can stifle opposing ballcarriers. The last time a Tiger defensive lineman registered such an output was Parker Davenport’s 2019 senior campaign when he landed 49 solos and 52 assists in 12 games.
Beam excelled in wrestling (220-lb. weight class) and competed in a rare event blend of throwing shot put and discus mixed with 100- and 200-meter dashes on the Warsaw track and field team.
Beam will don jersey number 94 Friday night for those streaming or attending the contest, and he might not only see defensive end action, but possibly line up on the defensive interior, too.
Pohl’s season at outside linebacker for the Tigers earned him one last outing on the high school turf tonight, but he will line up at defensive end, and wear jersey number 90. Pohl’s fans and family are accustomed to seeing him wear 22 for the orange and black.
The 6’2” 230-lb. Marian University signee won’t be too far Southeast of his soon-to-be-new surroundings in Indianapolis.
Pohl, another All-Conference honoree for Warsaw, was the leading tackler in the 2023 campaign with 51 solos and 37 assists. He terrorized opposing backfields with 11 tackles for loss, but the most notable “oomph” in Pohl’s game was his ability to cover the pass from his linebacker position along with fellow classmate Jette Woodward. The Tiger linebacking corps was probably the best pass-defending collective in that position in more than a decade.
Pohl snared five interceptions, an impressive stat for a high school linebacker who faced teams who tended to be run heavy. The senior added 8 pass break-ups to his curriculum verité last season.
Pohl finished a strong 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles campaign with finishes among the top of the conference fleet in those events, including a berth to the regionals.
Curtis noted many factors contributing to each gentleman’s IFCA North-South All-Star selection.
“The light bulb moment for each athlete, although they had already been multi-year returning starters, was a sense of urgency between their junior and senior seasons,” the Tiger head football coach noted. “Eric (Pohl) came into varsity action at 170 pounds a few seasons ago, hit the weightroom, and used track to improve his speed (4.7-sec. 40-yds).
“Isaac (Beam) grew leaner, stronger, and more athletic each season with not much fluctuation in weight. Instead, he became stronger, faster, and more solid competing in three sports seasons.”
Both gentlemen have a warm, magnetic personality although neither are vocal leaders. Beam and Pohl led by example on and off the field. Beam earned IHSAA Academic All-State honors, and both athletes were named IHSAA Class 6A All-stars.
“Each one of them played with a high level of passion, and both loved the game of football,” Curtis continued. “Eric is a student of the game who’s best playing days are still ahead of him. He’s already developed an ability to diagnose pass plays.
“Isaac also has an exciting football future, and his quickness will allow him to break in well at the next level.”
The IFCA All-Star game will also honor past and present coaches and other contributors to Indiana high school football in pregame and halftime ceremonies Friday night.
Kick-off is 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.