Elkhart Memorial, wet field can't stall Warsaw ground game
Posted
Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
Field conditions for Friday’s Northern Lakes Conference game with Elkhart Memorial were less than ideal, and Warsaw football coach Phil Jensen didn’t seem to mind at all. Using their trademark grind-it out, ball-control rushing attack, the host Tigers dominated the visiting Crimson Chargers on a wet Fisher Field en route to a 28-0 win. “We played Warsaw football,” said Jensen, whose team racked up 217 yards on the ground to Memorial’s 26. “This is what we’re built for, this is what we want. When it comes time for the playoffs, or there’s rain and mud, that’s what we’re built for.” With the win, Warsaw improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the NLC. The Crimson Chargers, who have been outscored 128-3 this season, fell to 0-4 and 0-3. It wasn’t flashy by any means, that’s just not Warsaw’s style, but the Tigers were in control from beginning to end. In total offense, Warsaw outgained Memorial 279-70. “We did what we had to do,” said Jensen. “I told the kids, it hit me about 1 o’clock this afternoon that we went into a game favored to win. It’s been a long time since that’s happened. I’m not proud of that, but it is what it is. The kids handled it well, and we did what we had to.” What the Tigers did was hold Memorial to four first downs and allowed Memorial 14 minutes of possession in a 48-minute game. Warsaw scored its first two touchdowns on runs by junior running back Tristan McClone – a 4-yarder in the first quarter and a 3-yard in the second stanza. Junior quarterback Austin Head put the Tigers up by three scores when he ran in from 10 yards out with 2:46 remaining in the first half. Warsaw’s final touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from sophomore backup quarterback Jake Mangas to senior Adam Roberts. McClone led the ground game with 31 carries for 113 yards, while junior Dylan Campbell added 41 yards on nine carries. Head completed 3 of 4 passes for 52 yards. Senior Taylor Cone caught two passes for 42 yards. Memorial’s offense, on the other hand, looked about as sloppy as the playing surface. The Crimson Chargers ran 30 offensive plays – running the ball 17 times for 26 yards, and completing 8 of 13 passes for 44 yards. Backup signal caller Nick Young, a senior, led Memorial in rushing with 17 yards on six carries. Senior Brody Slone had five yards on two carries. Junior Blake Kramer, who started the game under center, completed 5 of 7 passes for 31 yards, while Young was 3 of 5 for 13 yards. Warsaw is among just two teams that are still unbeaten in the NLC, joining the Concord Minutemen, who are 3-0 in league play. Goshen, NorthWood, Plymouth and Wawasee are all 1-1, while Northridge is 0-2 and Memorial is 0-3. The Tigers will travel to Northridge Friday.
WARSAW 28, ELK. MEMORIAL 0 EM 0 0 0 0 — 0 W 7 14 0 7 — 28
EM W 1st downs 4 19 Rushing yds 26 217 Passing yds 44 62 Comp-Att-Int 8-13-0 4-5-0 Total yds 70 279 Fumbles/lost 2/2 2/1 Penalties/yds 2/10 0/0 Punts/avg 5/42 0/0
First Quarter W – Tristan McClone 4 run (Caleb Klusman kick) 1:24, 7-0 Second Quarter W – McClone 3 run (Klusman kick) 8:36, 14-0 W – Austin Head 10 run (Klusman kick) 2:36, 21-0 Fourth Quarter W – Jake Mangas 10 pass to Adam Roberts (Klusman kick) 4:37, 28-0 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing — Memorial, Nick Young 6-17, Brody Slone 2-5, Blake Kramer 6-4, Nathan Troutman 2-3, Brock Rhoda 1-(-3); Warsaw, Tristan McClone 31-113, Dylan Campbell 9-41, Austin Head 6-21, Tim Perkey 4-12, Jason Taylor 3-11, Justin Arscott 2-10, Jacob Olberg 2-9, Chris Woolridge 3-0. Passing — Memorial, Kramer 5-7-31, Young 3-5-13, Caleb Platz 0-1-0; Warsaw, Head 3-4-52, Mangas 1-1-10. Receiving — Memorial, Troutman 3-18, Platz 3-9, Kane Rickey 1-15, Slone 1-2; Warsaw, Taylor Cone 2-42, McClone 1-10, Roberts 1-10.
