PLYMOUTH – Mother Nature provided Friday’s storm, suspending Warsaw’s Northern Lakes Conference football opener at Plymouth midway through the first quarter. Saturday’s storm, which came under mostly blue skies when the game resumed, was compliments of Plymouth seniors Taylor Fulton and Justin Drudge. In a 41-6 win over the Tigers, Fulton rushed 22 times for 229 yards and five touchdowns, while Drudge caught eight passes for 122 yards. Their offensive performances were too much for Warsaw to weather, and the Tigers fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in NLC play. The Class 4A No. 10 Rockies, who played a weather-delayed game at Rochester in Week 2 that didn’t end until well after midnight, improved to 3-0 and 1-0. “They’re a good football team,” Warsaw coach Phil Jensen said of the Rockies, who are coached by John Barron, his longtime friend and former teammate at Butler University. “We caught them the last couple years when they had kids out. They’re at full strength now, and they’re good.” The gridiron series between the Tigers and Rockies dates back to 1924. Plymouth owns a record of 49-44-2 against Warsaw. The Tigers claimed victories in 2012 and 2013. Their latest clash with their U.S. 30 rivals, however, was a different story. Senior kicker Caleb Klusman gave Warsaw a 3-0 lead Friday night, making good on a 28-yard field goal attempt with 10:28 remaining in the first quarter. Fulton scored his first of five touchdowns when he ran in from 10 yards out with 8:12 left in the opening quarter. After a lengthy weather delay, the game was supended Friday with 6:17 left in the first quarter and Plymouth leading 7-3. When play resumed at 2 p.m. Saturday, it was as if the Tigers never went back to Marshall County. In terms of total offense, Plymouth outgained Warsaw 451-155. The Rockies racked up 19 first downs to the Tigers’ eight. While Fulton and Drudge did pretty much whatever they wanted to, Warsaw’s offense mustered just 81 yards through the air and 74 on the ground. “Hats off to Coach Barron, he’s got a great team,” said Jensen, whose team also got a 45-yard field goal from Klusman in the second quarter. “Their fullback (Fulton) was an all-conference defensive end last year,” added Jensen. They moved him to fullback ... and he’s good. Throw in (junior quarterback Jack) Barron and Drudge, they’ve got a great offensive unit. Offensively, we just didn’t do enough. You can’t kick field goals against at team like Plymouth and expect to win. All you’re doing is putting your finger in the hole of the dam or dyke.” Plymouth led 20-6 at halftime, and then added two touchdowns in the third quarter and one in the fourth before pulling its starters from the lineup. For Warsaw, senior Jake Mangas completed 15 of 25 passes for a season-low 81 yards. Sophomore Jeremy David caught four passes for 31 yards, while junior Riley Rhoades reeled in three balls for 27 yards. Rob Sullivan, playing the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, led the Tigers with 42 yards on five carries, while senior starter Ethyn Bradley rushed 13 times for 27 yards. “We’ve got to get better,” said Jensen. “They have to show up Monday and want to get after it.” The Tigers are in action again Friday when they host Elkhart Memorial for homecoming, while Plymouth heads to Middlebury to face Northridge in a battle of unbeatens.
PLYMOUTH 41, WARSAW 6 W 3 3 0 0 — 6 P 7 13 14 7 — 41
W P 1st downs 8 19 Rushing yds 74 310 Passing yds 81 141 Comp-Att-Int 15-25-0 10-13-0 Total yds 155 451 Fumbles/lost 1/0 3/2 Penalties/yds 2/15 8/60 Punts/avg 6/30 2/36
First Quarter W – Caleb Klusman 28 FG 10:28, 3-0 P – Taylor Fulton 10 run (Jacob LaFree kick) 8:12, 7-3 Second Quarter P – Jack Barron 5 run (kick failed) 9:21, 13-3 W – Klusman 45 FG 4:28, 13-6 P – Fulton 1 run (LaFree kick) :35, 20-6 Third Quarter P – Fulton 17 run (LaFree kick) 6:32, 27-6 P – Fulton 1 run (LaFree kick) 3:44, 34-6 Fourth Quarter P – Fulton 8 run (LaFree kick) 9:59, 41-6 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing — Warsaw, Rob Sullivan 5-42, Ethyn Bradley 13-27, Rane Kilburn 1-10; Plymouth, Fulton 22-229, Barron 11-43, Justin Drudge 4-23. Passing — Warsaw, Jake Mangas 15-25-81, 0 TD, 0 INT; Plymouth, Barron 10-13-141, 0 TD, 0 INT. Receiving — Warsaw, Jeremy David 4-31, Riley Rhoades 3-27, Kyle Mangas 4-12, Thomas Hickerson 2-11; Plymouth, Drudge 8-122, A.J. Styres 2-19.
