Championships are never given away, and champions overcome adversity. The Wawasee Warriors overcame a two-touchdown blitz early, then scored late and held off NorthWood’s final challenge to earn a 31-28 victory in Class 3A Sectional 18 semifinal action in Syracuse Friday night. With the win, the Warriors now have an opportunity to do something not done at the school since 2004 – play for a sectional championship. From the opening kickoff, NorthWood hit Wawasee with its best shot, scoring a pair of first-quarter touchdowns in just seven plays. Panther quarterback Will Kirkwood ran for 46 yards on three carries to cap a four-play opening drive, then Luke Edwards scored from 51 yards out midway through the quarter. Each time, the Warriors responded with trips to the end zone of their own, first on a 12-play drive, then using a 40-yard run by Derrick Sorensen to set up a short run by Gabe Rhodes to end the first period tied at 14. Defensively, both teams settled down in the second quarter until Warrior sophomore quarterback Gage Reinhard found classmate Clayton Cook open for a 64-yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead. NorthWood wasted little time in getting the tying score, as Kirkwood hit Nick Graber down the sideline with a 20-yard touchdown pass. Reinhard was then picked off by Conner Bunch, but NorthWood couldn’t convert the turnover into points when Brendan Widner missed a 36-yard field goal attempt with just seconds left in the half. Wawasee kicker Jordan Acton put Wawasee in front with a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter, and NorthWood reclaimed the lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when Kirkwood found the end zone on a weaving 27-yard run. After a Wawasee turnover and a Panther punt, it was the Warriors’ time to shine. The Warriors took the ball at their own 24 with 4:26 left, and called Rhodes’ number four times and added a Reinhard 19-yard scramble to move into Panther territory. Reinhard then found Cook, the receiver he’s been throwing to since they were 7th graders in Milford, for a 39-yard catch and run to give the Warriors the lead. “We’ve been playing together a while now,” Reinhard said. “(Cook) runs good routes, and I know where he’s going to be. He can turn a short pass into a big play, and that makes a big difference.” NorthWood moved the ball to midfield as time ran down, but the Wawasee defense pressured Kirkwood into four incompletions, one a close call for Warrior fans, to turn the ball over on downs, ending the Panthers’ season. Wawasee’s resiliency wasn’t lost on Warrior head coach Tom Wogoman. “The thing about these kids is they are some pretty cool customers,” said Wogoman. “This is an offensive line win; a running backs win, receivers, defense. This is a great moment for Wawasee football.” The Warriors will play November football, and for a sectional championship, travelling to Concord for a rematch with the Minutemen Friday night. Concord dominated the first game, taking a 54-7 decision back on Sept. 7. Wogoman said he, his staff and players will first take a little while to enjoy the accomplishment, and then be ready to go next week. “To be able to move on and knock out such a historic program like NorthWood is really cool,” Wogoman said. “But we’ve got unfinished business. We’ve got to move on to Dunlap and play a team that basically had their way with us last time. So we’re going to enjoy this for a little while, and come back ready to go back to work Monday.”
