Asked about his star running back, veteran Warsaw football coach Phil Jensen described Tristan McClone as quiet, humble and hard-working. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior that wowed Warsaw fans and tortured opposing defenses this fall is the eptiome of “actions speak louder than words.” McClone, you see, lets his play do the talking. And his record-breaking season in which he rushed for 1,718 yards and 16 touchdowns screamed Times-Union Offensive Player of the Year. “It started with my offensive line, fullback and tight end,” McClone said in a phone conversation Thursday when asked about his stellar junior campaign. “(Quarterback) Austin (Head) did a great job running the offense. I have great teammates.” McClone was the focus of opposing teams’ defenses. The standout rusher who averaged five yards per carry and 172 yards per game, however, seems to shy away from individual attention. Just as quick as he jukes a defender en route to another first down or touchdown, he dishes out accolades and credit to his teammates. “Tristan is respected by his teammates,” said Jensen. “Every time he’s interviewed after a game, he talks about the offensive line, or a play the defense made. He’s a team player. He’s just a great kid. Our seniors didn’t care that he was just a junior. They wanted it as bad as him. They worked together, and when reporters asked Tristan about something he did, he talked about his teammates.” McClone started on the varsity team last year as a linebacker, but as a running back this season, he burst onto to the scene. After rushing for 100 yards in a backup role as a sophomore, McClone carried 43 times for 295 yards and three touchdowns to open his junior year, leading the Tigers to a 20-14 win at Columbia City. In just his first varsity start in the backfield, he was 16 yards shy of breaking Brad Seiss’ school record for yards in a game. McClone broke Seiss’ record in Week 5, as he racked up 322 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-21 win at Northridge. McClone could have set the bar even higher, but Jensen chose to rest his workhorse in the fourth quarter. It’s a game that McClone remembers well because the score was tied at halftime, and Warsaw outscored Northridge 14-0 in the second half. “I’m not into individual stats, but one play that was really memorable was in the game at Northridge,” said McClone. “We were tied 21-21 at halftime, and I scored a 77-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half. My offensive line, my tight end, my receivers, my quarterback, they all made their blocks. It was a big play, and the most important thing was we went on to win the game.” With his senior season remaining, McClone already holds school records for yards in a game and season. His 1,718 yards broke Rod Wildman’s mark of 1,652, a record that had stood since 1972. “To be mentioned in the same breath as Brad Seiss is an honor, he’s probably the best athlete that’s ever been at Warsaw,” said McClone. “And then to break a 40-year-old record, that was pretty cool.” Jensen doesn’t seem surprised by McClone’s accomplishments, and he’s excited about the possibilities of what his star player can do next season. “When your best player is also your hardest worker, you’ve got something special,” said Jensen. “Tristan is one of our best players, and he’s our hardest worker. He has an incredible work ethic.” McClone rushed for 1,718 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. Warsaw’s opponents rushed for a combined 1,569 yards and 17 touchdowns. Despite all the yards and touchdowns, Jensen’s favorite highlight of McClone is his character and how he has handled success. “Tristan is such an unassuming kid,” said Jensen. “He’d rather talk about his teammates. I think Jeff Grose said it best. Jeff’’s a guy that was Mr. Basketball, he’s a Warsaw guy, he knows the students and the athletes at the high school. And he said to me, ‘Coach, you know what the greatest thing about Tristan McClone is? I wouldn’t know who he was if he walked up to me.’ Obviously he’d recognize him on the football field, but what a powerful message about a humble young man. Tristan doesn’t worry about standing out in a crowd at school, he just goes about about his business.”
2012 Times-Union All-Area Football Team
OFFENSE Linemen – Brennen Adams (T. Valley), Cameron Castle (T. Valley), Chad Eppley (Wawasee), Drew Fleagle (Triton), Cameron Shepherd (Warsaw) Tight End – Mason Teel (T. Valley) Running Back – Tritan McClone (Warsaw), Justin Gunter (T. Valley) Quarterback – Ben Shriver (T. Valley) Receiver – Tanner Andrews (T. Valley), Clayton Cook (Wawasee)
DEFENSE Linemen – Adam Furry (T. Valley), Austin Grove (Wawasee), Zach Shepler (Warsaw) Linebackers – Forde Ness (Warsaw), Braxton Ohaver (Wawasee), Jacob Ritchey (T. Valley), Jim Sainsbury (Manchester), Cody Shively (Triton) Secondary – Austin Lutz (Wawasee), Nolan Sponseller (T. Valley), Alex Stoddard (Whitko)
SPECIAL TEAMS Kicker – Caleb Klusman (Warsaw) Punter – Derrick Sorenson (Wawasee)
SPECIAL AWARDS Offensive Player of the Year – Tristan McClone (Warsaw) Defensive Player of the Year – Nolan Sponseller (T. Valley) Coach of the Year – Tom Wogomon (Wawasee)
