One of the most anticipated matchups in the state all year long in the 5A division, No. 3 Concord and No. 5 Warsaw met at Jake Field Friday night. The first half was thoroughly dominated by the Tigers, as the visitors jumped out to a 17-0 lead at half. However, the second half belonged to the Minutemen, as the home side outscored the Tigers 28-7 in the second half to win the pivotal Northern Lakes Conference showdown 28-24.
“I feel sick for the kids. We had the opportunities tonight but we didn’t finish the deal,” Warsaw head coach Bart Curtis said after the game. “Sometimes you’re on the verge of catching a big fish, and you’ve got him close to the boat. You get excited, so you get the net out too soon and all of a sudden it’s off the hook. That’s how I feel right now. I’m really proud of these kids.”
The Tigers began the game by receiving the opening kickoff, getting the ball at the 23-yard line to start things off. Warsaw was able to move the ball quite well on its first possession, getting the ball past midfield on a big chunk play: a 22-yard reception by Ethan Egolf. The Minutemen defense would sharpen up after the big play, forcing a stop at their own 40 that required the visitors to punt after a drive that lasted four and a half minutes.
After giving up a big passing play on Concord’s first play from scrimmage, the Tiger defense toughened up, forcing a third and long that led to a passing play for the home side. Warsaw read it perfectly, with Tristan Wilson picking it off and returning it to the Minutemen 30 to set his team up nicely.
A miscue on offense would prevent the Tigers from converting the turnover into a touchdown, as a fumble on a pitch play led to a nine-yard loss as Quinton Brock was able to pounce on it and keep possession. Warsaw was still able to come away with points though, as star kicker Mason Smythe drilled a 47-yard field goal to put the visitors on the board with a 3-0 lead with three and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The defense kept the momentum on Warsaw’s side, forcing a three and out on the next Concord drive to get the ball right back to the offense. This is where Tiger quarterback Drew Sullivan would make his presence felt. Every other carry for the Warsaw offense was a keeper for the senior, and he made the most of each one. Sullivan welcomed the contact he got on each run, routinely needing at least two or three defenders to bring him down.
“He’s a tough leader. Tough competitor. When we needed a first down he was able to get one for us,” Curtis said. “He completed some big passes. He’s what makes us go.”
The QB led the charge on a long, methodical drive that spanned over six minutes over two quarters and went for 73 yards. He’d punctuate things with a one-yard sneak up the middle for a touchdown to put Warsaw up 10-0 with six and a half minutes remaining in the first half.

    Warsaw senior Evan Davis makes a nice gain during the second quarter...Nieter

From there, the defense kept it rolling once again, turning the Minutemen offense away for the second straight drive without the visitors recording a first down. The punt that ensued wasn’t a great one, giving the Tigers the ball right back at their own 45.
On the second play of the drive, Warsaw narrowly missed out on another touchdown, as Sullivan overthrew a wide-open Egolf in the center of the field. It didn’t end up mattering much, as the two would connect on a 33-yard catch and run on the sideline just a play later.
From there, the Tiger offense went back into the methodical style that had gotten them this far, with Sullivan diving into the pylon from three yards out for his second TD of the night to continue the Warsaw domination and make it a 17-0 lead with a minute before the half.
Needing to get something before the halftime whistle sounded, the Minutemen put together their best drive of the first half in the final minute, using the passing game to operate quickly and get into field goal range with just a handful of seconds left. The attempt was a 47-yarder like Smythe’s earlier, but this one did not have the distance. The end result: a 17-0 lead at halftime for the visitors.
After a first half where nearly everything went against them, Concord showed off its poise as they began the second half on offense. The Minutemen were able to move the ball well, primarily relying on the running game to move the chains. The home side was able to move the ball to the edge of the red zone before the Tiger defense came up big once again. Facing a 3rd and 5, the Warsaw D got stops on two consecutive plays to force a turnover on downs. Furthermore, that opening drive took nearly five minutes, an awfully large chunk of clock to burn to come away empty.
The visitors picked up a first down after getting the ball back, but were unable to advance the ball any further. The drive wasn’t a total loss for the Tigers though, as a beautiful punt by Smythr ensured Concord started its next drive at their own three-yard line.
They didn’t stay there for long. After receiver Reese Breveard broke a couple of tackles to give the Minutemen some breathing room, quarterback Bo Brunner connected with receiver Jack Jewett, who made two guys miss and made them pay for it, going 70 yards for a score to put the home team on the board at 17-7 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.
Getting the ball back with now a two-possession lead to protect, Warsaw ran the ball three straight times to burn the remainder of the third, setting up a 4th and 1 as the fourth quarter began. The team elected to go for it on their own 29, and the risk paid off. Sullivan picked up two yards and kept the chains moving.
A play later, the drive was stopped in its tracks. Sullivan threw, trying to fit his pass through a tight window for a big gain. This risk did not pay dividends, as the pass was intercepted, giving the Minutemen the ball right back at the Warsaw 45.
“If I could go back, I’d change that play call,” Curtis said. “It gave them some life. They’ve got the heart of the champion. It’s easy to give up when you’re down 17-0 but they didn’t.”
For the second straight drive, the Minutemen struck quickly. With the offense finally clicking, the home side cruised into the red zone and scored from seven yards out to make it just a three-point game with a little under nine minutes to go.
Looking to get back on track, Warsaw put the ball back in Sullivan’s hands, and while he was able to pick up a first down, that would be the extent of it. Two straight option plays to Brock were blown up in the backfield for losses, leading to yet another punt. To make matters worse, Smythe’s punt wasn’t a great one. Concord had the ball right back with five minutes left at the Warsaw 45.
Within two minutes, the Minutemen had taken their first lead of the game. Tackling had become a struggle for the Tigers in the second half, and this drive was no exception. A 28-yard passing play to Derek Gomez saw at least four broken tackles, and ended in the end zone to give the home side a 21-17 lead after the team’s third straight touchdown drive.
Warsaw now had three and a half minutes to drive the length of the field and get into the end zone. A good return by Brock set the visitors up nicely, giving them the ball at the 50. On the first play from scrimmage, the team elected to keep the ball in Brock’s hands. What a good choice it was. Brock made it to the sideline and that’s all he needed, beating everyone to the edge and making it into the end zone on a 50-yard scamper to put the Tigers right back in front.
The Tigers had a chance to essentially ice the game with two minutes to go, forcing Concord to deal with a 4th and 13 deep in their own territory. The Minutemen were able to convert, and didn’t stop there. The home side kept the drive going, getting just outside the red zone with a minute and a half left in the contest. One again, the Warsaw defense would bring up a fourth down play, with the Minutemen facing a 4th and 3 on the Tigert 18 with 30 seconds left. Instead of electing to tie things up with a field goal, Concord went for it. It paid off. Brunner connected with Gomez yet again, and he did the rest, running all the way to the end zone to give the home side a 28-24 lead with just 24 seconds left.
The Tigers were able to get the ball to their own 43 after the kickoff, but no further. The last ditch effort attempt by Brock would fall incomplete, giving the Minutemen the stunning come-from-behind win.
“All the credit goes to them. We had chances to put them away and when you have those opportunities and don’t take advantage of them, it’ll come back to bite you.”
Warsaw (3-2, 2-1 NLC) will host Plymouth next week.