Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
INDIANAPOLIS - Wawasee showed they weren't scared of two-time defending 4A football champ Roncalli by jumping out to an early 10-0 lead Saturday afternoon. Roncalli showed why it was the two-time defending champ, scoring 35 unanswered points to secure its third straight state title with a 35-10 win over the Warriors in the RCA Dome.
The fireworks began early when on the opening kickoff, Ben Champoux skied a kick that left the Rebel return team confused as to whether it would stay in bounds. As the ball took an Astroturf bounce, Warrior Lance Zimmerman pounced on the ball at Roncalli's 28-yard line.
The Rebels held strong and kept the Warriors out of the end zone. Champoux capped the drive with a 31-yard field goal with 8:50 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Warrior defense came out inspired and stuffed Roncalli running back Scott Lutgring early. Lutgring, who finished the game with 23 carries for 61 yards, was ineffective for most of the game.
Wawasee stuffed the box and proceded to stuff Lutgring and any other running back Roncalli threw the Warriors' way.
When quarterback Kory Lantz rumbled into the end zone from 13 yards out with 7:57 left in the second quarter, Wawasee appeared on its way to another offensive explosion as the Warrior faithful had become so accustomed to all year.
The Rebels had other ideas.
Brandon Axim returned a Champoux kickoff 48 yards to Roncalli's own 49-yard line. Quarterback Andrew Hasty found receiver Taylor Donnell for 11 yards that set up Roncalli's first score of the evening on a 34-yard run by Zac Kidwell.
The Rebels took the lead for good late in the second half when Hasty found Jason Werner on a 46-yard pass play. Werner, who will be playing for Purdue next year, was all over the place for the Rebels on Saturday.
Werner, Roncalli's free safety, and the rest of the Rebels defense came out in the second half, with a 14-10 and a renewed purpose.
Wawasee received the ball to start the second half and was unable to counter the defensive adjustments Roncalli made at halftime.
"They made the necessary adjustments on defense to get them going and we didn't on offense," said Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld.
The Warriors opening drive of the second half ended abruptly when Lantz's pass intended for Champoux deflected into the arms of cornerback Billy Cobb.
Hasty, who had only thrown 96 times leading into Roncalli's game against Wawasee, showed a strong arm and precision touch in the second half.
The Rebels moved out to a 21-10 lead immediately following the Lantz pick, when Hasty found Kidwell on a pass from 30 yards out.
Things then began to fall apart for the Warriors.
Less than a minute after Kidwell's second touchdown of the game, Lantz connected on a 23-yard pass with Champoux, who was stripped by Werner.
Werner, whose stock rose in the race for Indiana's Mr. Football Saturday, set up Roncalli's fourth touchdown of the day when Hasty found the 6'5' receiver for 59 yards as Werner torched the Warrior secondary.
One play later, Hasty dove in a quarterback sneak to give Roncalli an 18-point lead.
The Rebels added another score late in the third quarter when Hasty aired it out once again, this time to Phil Andrews from 28 yards out to cap the evening's scoring.
The Warrior offense sputtered in the third quarter and was unable to advance the ball past midfield.
Before Saturday's contest, Champoux was drawing cheers from the RCA Dome crowd as he nailed 45-yard field goals.
Wawasee had just one scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter when Champoux just missed a 48-yard field goal try and giving Warrior fans something to cheer about.
"We got up real early and they made some adjustments. Their defensive backs are real quick," said Lantz after receiving the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude award.
Lantz, who had thrown just two interceptions since the second week of the season, threw two against Roncalli.
Despite the two interceptions, Lantz finished his senior season 133 of 222 for 2,039 yards with 17 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions.
Lantz's running mate, Jordan Swain, was held in relative check by Roncalli's swarming defense but still managed 79 yards on 19 carries. Those 79 yards put Swain at 2,625 for the season to end his high school career as the state's leading rusher.
Swain's biggest run of the game, 16 yards, came on the Warriors' final possession of the game. The final drive came to an abrupt end when Swain was stripped and Werner recovered the football.
Like Werner, Swain is a Mr. Football candidate and one of only three running backs in the state nominated for the honor.
Champoux finished year as the Warriors leading receiver with 41 catches for 744 yards and eight touchdowns.
Linebacker Rob McKibben led the Warrior defense on the day with eight tackles while Tom Brown had seven. McKibben also had a forced fumble. Cole Garland had Wawasee's lone sack of Hasty.
The Warriors end the season 13-2.
