Warsaw Community High School football coach Phil Jensen considers himself old fashioned.
Back for his second stint with the Tigers, Jensen, who replaces long-time friend Troy Akers, said he will do things the same way he did before.That could be good news for Tiger fans, because what Jensen did in his first eight years at Warsaw - 1996 to 2003 - was turn Warsaw into a program to be reckoned with.
Jensen guided the Tigers to their first ever playoff win in 1998, their first ever sectional finals appearance in 2002, and to three consecutive Northern Lakes Conference titles from 1999-2001.
In 2001, Warsaw was 10-0 and ranked third in the state heading into sectional play. It was the Tigers' first undfeated regular season since 1964.
Those are all things of the past, though, and Jensen insists he's not a magic man. He said there is work to be done by his players and the coaching staff.
"I told the kids there's no magic bullet, I'm no magic bullet," said Jensen, a 1983 Penn High School graduate who went on to play tight end at Butler University. "We're going to work hard and we're going to be dedicated, that's how we're going to do things. There are no short cuts. We're going to work hard and we're going to do things the right way on and off the field. We're going to count on each other and we're going to act like a team."
Warsaw opens the season Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Columbia City. The Tigers have defeated the Eagles the last 10 times the U.S. 30 rivals have played.
"Columbia City is not a team we can overlook," said Jensen, who posted a record of 53-31 in eight previous years at Warsaw and who is 82-43 in 12 years overall as a head coach. "They have a second-year coach, a young guy, and I expect them to be much improved."
Warsaw enters the 2008 campaign on the heels of last year's 7-5 season that saw the Tigers advance to the sectional championship game, where they fell to state power Fort Wayne Snider.
The Tigers do have some returning starters from last season's sectional runner-up squad, including 1,000-yard rusher Andy Conrad and all-conference tight end Justin Clemens, both of whom are juniors.
"We have some individual talent, but that doesn't matter," said Jensen. "What matters is functioning as a team. The kids are working hard at what we're trying to do, things are just a little different for them this year. The way I run practice and the way I do things is a little different. Whether that's good, bad or indifferent, it's different for them."
One of the more noticeable things to Warsaw's fans and the Tigers' opponents will be that Clemens has been moved to quarterback.
"He fits the mold of what we've used in the past," Jensen said of Clemens. "He's got good size, and that's what we've had at that position in the past. He's worked hard, but he's still going to be a rookie. Playing quarterback and running the offense is a heck of a lot different than playing tight end. He is a two-year starter. He's got a lot to learn, but he's working real hard. He's a smart young man. He shows signs of leadership. I'm very pleased with his progress so far."
Also returning to the offensive backfield is senior fullback Cody Kindle.
Returning starters on the offensive line include seniors Dylan Goble and Alex Nulf.
Senior James Dove was a starter on the O-line last season, but has been moved to the defensive line.
Among Clemens' throwing targets will be varsity newcomers Jaylan Roscoe (sophomore tight end), Zack Linky (junior receiver), Quinn Scheller (senior receiver) and Lucas Denlinger (junior receiver).
Defensively, Jensen said there will be little change from what his teams ran before, as the Tigers will again employ a 4-4 defense.
Among those expected to play defense for the Tigers include Larry McClelland, Tanner Humphrey, Gabe Carvajal, Josh Anglin, Erich Sale, Brenden Barber and Tom Daniels.
The Tigers play their first home game Aug. 29 when they host Homstead.
Warsaw opens the Northern Lakes Conference portion of its schedule Sept. 5 at Plymouth.
Once again, Jensen expects the NLC to be tough.
"I know that the NLC is still one of the best conferences in northern Indiana," said Jensen. "There's some awfully good coaches in this conference. Concord had a lot of succes this summer in the 7-on-7 league and has some of their skilled kids back. (Skyler) Titus is back at NorthWood, and Rich Dodson's teams are always better at then end of the season. We're trying to compete for the NLC championship, and those two teams are our last two games of the regular season. As far as the conference goes, Concord, NorthWood and Plymouth are right there year in and year out."
That's also where Jensen had the Tigers in his first stint in Warsaw. Only time will tell if it happens again.
