Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NAPPANEE - To have a chance to stay even remotely close to NorthWood, there was one thing Warsaw could not do: turn the ball over.
Head coach Phil Jensen said as much earlier this week and added, "If we are going to be successful against them, you can't help them."
The Tigers went out and did exactly what Jensen said they could not do. They fumbled nine times, lost five and lost the game 41-0 to NorthWood on Friday.
NorthWood, ranked No. 2 (3A), improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference. NorthWood, who won the NLC title, has won 36 regular season games in a row.
Warsaw fell to 2-5 overall and 2-3 in the NLC.
On the opening play of the night, the Tigers were in a giving mood.
Dan Wrenn fumbled the opening kickoff. Three plays later and just 85 seconds into the game, NorthWood quarterback Wes Dodson scored on an 11-yard touchdown run.
Two minutes later, NorthWood's Amos Frye returned Warsaw's first punt 56 yards for a touchdown. With 8:37 left in the first quarter, Warsaw trailed NorthWood 14-0.
Two big plays in the first four minutes. That killed Warsaw, Jensen said.
"You can't come in and fumble the opening kickoff," he said. "You can't give up a punt return for a touchdown. We're down 14-0. Our young kids don't know how to react to that."
The rout was officially on when NorthWood fullback Justin Hershberger scored on a nine-yard run with 25 seconds left in the first quarter, helping the Panthers to a 21-0 lead.
Jumping on top early is what head coach Rich Dodson wanted his NorthWood team to do.
"You never know coming into a game like this," he said. "I've been in games before where you're the better team, but if you don't go out and show them right away, strange things can happen."
Warsaw was missing starting wingback Jose Esquivel, who was serving a one-game suspension. But Matt Ryan filled in for him with a solid effort, leading the Tigers with 74 yards rushing on 13 carries.
But only Walter Payton could have made a difference for Warsaw last night. The NorthWood defensive line overwhelmed Warsaw's offensive line. The NorthWood defense, which came in allowing only 8.7 points per game, continually got in Warsaw's backfield before the Tigers knew what hit them.
Quarterback P.J. Wiley was 0-for-8 passing, mainly because the NorthWood defense was on top of him before he even thought about throwing.
Jensen admitted his team needs to get more physical, but also said that's something that doesn't happen overnight.
"Something that gets fixed in the long term, but it doesn't help us much this year: we have to get our tail in the weight room," Jenson said.
Dodson threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Frye and a 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kortney Geyer, putting NorthWood up 34-0 at halftime. Dodson went to his reserves at the start of the second half.
Sophomore quarterback Joe Abel scored NorthWood's last touchdown on a 15-yard run with five minutes left in the third quarter.
"They are a great football team with a great coaching staff," Jensen said. "They are the best football team we've played this year, without a doubt."
Halfback Daniel Rouch led NorthWood with 78 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Hershberger had 60 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Warsaw hosts Concord next Friday.
