WARSAW — A contrast of offensive styles promises to be on display at Fisher Field.
When Associated Press No. 2/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 2 Lafayette Jeff (11-0) visits AP No. 9/IFCA No. 10 Warsaw (8-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 with an IHSAA Class 5A regional football title on the line it’ll be the visiting Bronchos’ spread pass-first, run-second attack against the Tigers’ run-based Flexbone.
“They are hurry-up, warp speed at times and they know who they are,” said Bart Curtis, who is in his seventh season as Warsaw head coach and 34th overall. “It’s a combination of wanting to confuse the defense and wear the defense down. When you play that many snaps that quickly all it takes is one misalignment or one mistake and they have the speed and athleticism to make you look foolish in a heartbeat.”
Said ninth-year Jeff head coach Pat Shanley, “We try to play uptempo and go fast. (How fast) depends on who we’re playing.”
What about slowing down the Tigers with a ground game that regularly produces long, time-consuming drives?
“When you’re going against Coach Curtis you’ve got to get stops,” says Shanley. “Their offense can be a very effective defense.
“We have not really seen anything like (the Flexbone). We see run-heavy teams but nothing like what Coach Curtis does in terms of the ‘academy’ option game.
“Our defensive coordinator, Scott Cronk, week-to-week he’s got to adjust and craft that game plan based on who we’re going against. I’ve always listed us as being multiple on defense.”
Cronk, who was at Seeger before Jeff, has been part of more than 200 wins in his career.
Though they have never coached against one another, Shanley and Curtis became acquainted through their work on the IFCA ratings board.
“I have a lot of mentors that know him well, too,” says Shanley, who played for Indiana Football Hall of Famers Chris Meeks at Rensselaer Central and was Jeff offensive coordinator under Hall of Famer Brian Moore and on the Ben Davis staff of Hall of Famer Mike Kirschner. “There’s not anybody within our association that has anything negative to say about him. The amount of respect that every member of our association has for (Hall of Famer) Bart Curtis and his family and what he’s done for Indiana high school football is immense.”
Warsaw advanced to the regional with a thrilling 31-28 victory at No. 1 Concord Friday, Nov. 8 to earn the program’s second-ever sectional title.
Junior halfback Quinton Brock’s 4-yard touchdown run via a toss play to the right on fourth down-and-3 and senior kicker Mason Smythe’s extra point with 12.9 seconds to go put Warsaw up 31-28 in the Sectional 11 final.
Following the ensuing kickoff, the Minutemen started at their own 17 and the game ended with four different players touching the ball on Concord’s last-ditch hook-and-ladder play.
Senior quarterback Drew Sullivan had 32 carries for 120 yards and junior fullback Brody Duncan 20 totes for 87 yards. Sullivan was 4-of-8 passing for 65 yards, including one to senior split end Ethan Egolf on fourth-and-7 to keep a drive alive and what Curtis calls “one of the best best high school football catches I’ve ever seen.”
Down 21-10 near the end of the first half, the resilient Tigers converted the turnover into points. A fumble by Concord was recovered by sophomore lineman Grady Nelson.
With 34 seconds left in the second quarter, Brock threw a 15-yard halfback pass to sophomore halfback Tucker Reed for a TD and Smythe tacked on the extra point and Warsaw trailed 21-17 at halftime.
Warsaw gained 360 total yards (280 rushing) with 27 first downs (vs. six for Concord) and had 73 total plays to 16 for the hosts. The time of possession was 40:13 to 7:47 in the Tigers’ favor.
“Without a doubt our kids just continue to amaze me with their competitiveness and their fighting spirit,” said Curtis. “(Last) Friday night was no different. If we don’t complete to pass on fourth-and-7 and don’t score with 12 seconds to go in the game I would still be saying the exact same thing. It happened to go our way. I’m so proud of our kids with their enthusiasm and effort.
“We played this exact game seven weeks prior.”
In Week 5 on Jake Field, the Minutemen bested Warsaw 28-24.
“The difference being we had the ball last,” said Curtis of the rematch. “It was two physical, tough teams and the game could’ve gone either way. What a great team and a great season (for Concord). That’s where the fun is when you get to play someone of that caliber.
“Congratulations to the Minutemen and their staff.”
On the season, a running game that’s gained 3,383 yards is led by Brock (77 carries for 737 yards and five TD’s), Duncan (131 carries for 593 yards and five TD’s), Sullivan (106 carries for 428 yards and six TD’s), Reed (27 carries for 374 yards and nine TD’s), junior fullback Daylon Fitzpatrick (48 carries for 249 yards and four TD’s) and senior halfback Evan Davis (26 carries for 230 yards and three TD’s).
Sullivan is 16-of-37 passing for 285 yards and two TD’s with four interceptions and Brock is 12-of-22 for 163 yards with fiveTD’s and one pick.
Egolf has 18 catches for 285 yards and four TD’s.
Smythe is 46-of-48 on extra points, 4-of-5 on field goals with 43-of-65 kickoffs for touchbacks. As a punter, he has put 5-of-13 boots inside the 20.
Tackle point leaders are sophomore linebacker Matthew Flores-Ortega (101), senior back Tristan Wilson (87), senior back Daylor Vilamaa (83), senior linebacker Jayden Habegger and senior linebacker Cohen Heady (67).
Wilson has intercepted five passes and Heady two.
Flores-Ortega has gathered two fumbles and Habegger has forced two.
Warsaw’s two tournament foes far have been Goshen (0-10) and Concord (10-1). Counting each just once, the Tigers’ opponents have a combined mark of 49-48. That includes 6A Warren Central (10-1).
Jeff secured the Sectional 12 trophy with a 45-14 against visiting North Central Conference foe Kokomo.
Counting Kokomo just once since Jeff played the Wildkats during the regular and in the sectional championship game, the Bronchos’ opponents have a combined record of 31-69.
The only team Jeff has played with a record above .500 is Lafayette Harrison (6-4).
The Bronchos score 45.5 points per game and yield 15.3.
Senior quarterback Keyen Crowder has competed 208-of-291 passes for 2,676 yards and 37 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Last week against Kokomo, he threw for 245 yards and four TD’s with no interceptions.
The top three receivers are senior Andre Fancher (74 catches for 962 yards and 11 TD’s), sophomore Bryce Vanostran (56 catches for 685 yards and 10 TD’s) and junior Omar Williams Jr. (55 catches for 779 yards and 15 TD’s). Vanostran retired the opening kickoff 85 yards for a TD and Williams caught four first-half TD aerials last week.
Rushing leaders are junior Marquis Adkins 136 carries for 785 yards and 13 TD’s), junior Antwoine Richmond (91 carries for 678 yards and five TD’s) and Crowder (34 carries for 202 yards and one TD).
Senior Joel Garrido is 61-of-61 on extra points, 8-of-12 on field goals with 55-of-84 kickoff for touchbacks. As a punter, he has put 2-of-15 inside the 20.
Pacing in total tackles is sophomore Kavion Campbell (148), junior Jayden Scowden (123) and senior Ben Riva (95 to go with five fumble recoveries).
Seniors Keyon Burns and J.K. Powers have five interceptions each and Campbell has four.
In the Sagarin Ratings, Jeff (84.57) is No. 18 overall and No. 3 in 5A. Warsaw (79.66) is No. 25 overall and No. 5 in 5A.
Since 1985, Warsaw’s all-time tournament record is 20-39. Lafayette Jeff is 39-44 with its first playoff game coming in 1979.
The Tigers’ other sectional title came in 2019 against Penn in 6A. The Bronchos won their seventh sectional championship and first since 2022.
Neither team has won a regional crown.
The semistate on Friday, Nov. 22 could be Warsaw at Valparaiso, Merrillville at Warsaw, Merrillville at Jeff or Valparaiso at Jeff.