ELKHART - Elkhart Memorial High School's varsity football team held the lead for just under two seconds Friday night.
The Crimson Chargers led when it mattered most, though, as senior Tyler Keck's field goal with 1.7 seconds remaining gave them a 9-7 victory over visiting Northern Lakes Conference foe Warsaw."It was a typical night in the NLC," said 20th-year Memorial coach Phil Teegarden, who earned his 257th career win in his 44th season overall. "This team doesn't give up. We could be 1-3 or 0-4, but we're not. We did it at (Elkhart) Central. We did it at Goshen. These kaids fight back. I'm not saying we're gonna be 8-1, but we've got a chance."
With the win over the Tigers, Memorial, which pulled out a 10-7 win at city rival Central in the season opener and a 27-26 win at conference foe Goshen last week, improved to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the NLC.
Warsaw, which fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the NLC, didn't surrender a touchdown Friday after giving up 31 unanswered points at Homestead two weeks ago and 41 unanswered points last week to visiting Plymouth.
Yet the Tigers didn't capitalize on some golden opportunities in the fourth quarter and were left heartbroken in The City With A Heart.
"I feel really bad for the kids, for the coaches, for our fans," said Warsaw coach Phil Jensen. "I feel really bad for everybody. They (Elkhart Memorial) made plays when they had to and we didn't. Their coaches made calls to win the game and we didn't."
Trailing 7-3 at halftime, the Crimson Chargers opened the third quarter with a 17-play drive that started on their own 10-yard line and ended with a 27-yard field goal from Keck that cut Warsaw's advantage to one point with 4:20 remaining in the quarter.
The Tigers attempted a field goal of their own midway through the fourth quarter, but the snap sailed high over junior kicker Scott Smyth's head. Smyth scooped up the ball and tried to run with it but was quickly brought down.
Memorial fumbled the ball away on the fourth play of their ensuing drive, but the Tigers went three-and-out.
With 2:45 remaining in the game, the Crimson Chargers started a drive on their own 26-yard line - a 12-play drive that won them the game.
After a 15-yard catch by Tyran Hansborough on the first play of the drive and a 9-yard run by Hansborough on the next play, Memorial quarterack Dustin Mills was sacked for a 20-yard loss by a Warsaw defense trying to prove itself after the stinging losses to Homestead and Plymouth.
On third-and-21, with 70 yards of real estate in front of them, the Chargers got most of the lost yardage back when senior running back Zach Corpe connected with Devante Anderson for a 20-yard gain on a halfback pass.
Facing a fourth-and-1 situation, Mills kept the ball and ran for four yards, giving Memorial a first down on Warsaw's 46.
Seven plays later, Keck split the uprights with his third field goal of the game.
While it was Keck that put all nine of the Crimson Chargers' points on the board, Memorial wouldn't have won the hard-fought NLC battle without Corpe.
"Thank God Corpe is on our team," said Teegarden, whose Chargers are 5-4 against Warsaw since joining the NLC. "He gave us a chance to get that first down. I'm glad he's on our team."
Corpe finished the game with 22 carries for 120 yards. He was 1 of 1 through the air for 20 yards and also had a pair of receptions for 23 yards.
"I think Coach Teegarden said it best," said Jensen. "It was just another night in the NLC. This is not a conference for the timid. This is not an easy conference to play football in. That's why it's such a great conferene. Every team in this conference can play."
The Tigers got on the board first Friday, as Andy Conrad powered his way in from a yard out. Smyth's kick gave Warsaw a 7-0 advantage with 3:51 to play in the first quarter.
Conrad finished the game with 25 carries for 137 yards.
Conrad's touchdown was ultimately set up by a 49-yard catch by senior Zack Linky, who finished the contest with three catches for 60 yards.
A 7-yard catch by Linky in the fourth quarter kept a drive alive, as he reeled in a pass from classmate Justin Clemens on fourth-and-4. Four plays later, though, the Tigers turned the ball over on downs.
Clemens, returning to the lineup after missing last week's game with a shoulder injury, completed 5 of 13 passes for 69 yards. He threw one interception.
The Chargers used two quarterbacks Friday night, with Keck completed 6 of 11 passes for 42 yards and Mills completing 5 of 8 passes for 60 yards.
Hansborough led Memorial with four catches for 35 yards, while both Urston Smith and Anderson finished with three catches for 37 yards.
Warsaw will host Northridge Friday for homecoming at Fisher Field. Northridge was in a 7-7 deadlock at halftime at Plymouth Friday night before falling 27-16.
"It's gut-check time now," said Jensen. "Northridge and Plymouth were tied 7-7 at Plymouth. Every team in this conference can play. We better be ready to play Friday night."
