Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Soccer has come a long way in Warsaw since boys head coach Scott Bauer started just six short years ago. The Warsaw Wave has created a feeder system to provide Bauer with soccer players and not just athletes.
In the past Warsaw was known as a conservative, defensive team. Now the Tigers roster is packed with soccer players who spend their off-season with club teams honing their skills.
Last year Warsaw went to the wire with Penn in the Argos Regional. The Tigers fell to the Kingsmen 2-1 in double overtime.
This year Warsaw looks to build from that.
Up front, junior Jake Rogers' who scored more than 20 goals, and his running mate, Jordan Quiroz, along with striker Ben Rice, look to put a lot of pressure on the opponent's keeper. Juniors Tony Perales and Nate Salsgiver add depth to any already offensively gifted squad.
In goal for the Tigers will be senior Adam Churchill, who played for the Fort Wayne Fever in the off-season and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in northern Indiana. Brian Kolbe and Austin Evans also played for the Fever and will see significant time for the Tigers.
The mantra for the Tigers this year is simple. Practice hard, play hard and let the rest take care of itself.
Rather than the unneeded pressure of making state or semi-state appearances the goal, Bauer chooses to deal with performance rather than results.
"My goal every year, and I think the guys understand this, is that we play the best soccer we can play. Soccer is a funny game. You can dominate a team and just have an unlucky day. And an unlucky day in postseason means you go home. The goal is to play the best soccer we can during the regular season and see where that takes us. You practice with that in mind, being the best you can be."
Bauer points out this is the same attitude the 2002 team had. The 2002 squad made it to the semi-state final against Merrillville.
In the NLC, Warsaw appears to be one of the favorites. The increased popularity of soccer has created more parody in the conference. Northridge is picked by some to be the favorite, while Elkhart Memorial is looking for their third NLC crown in as many years.
Last year Warsaw finished second and lost just three seniors from the 2003 team.
The defense for the Tigers is the main question mark while the offense will be an exclamation point.
"For the casual fan, if they want to watch some nice attacking soccer with some gifted kids putting together some combinations in the attacking third then we can provide that," said Bauer.
The question will be if Warsaw can keep the opponents off the board.
As Greece proved in this year's European championships, any team on any day can win. The Greeks were an 80-1 long shot heading into the Euros.
Odds are Warsaw will be fighting for the top spot in the NLC.
The Tigers start the season away against Huntington North at noon.
AREA PREP SOCCER PREVIEW CAPSULES
MANCHESTER SQUIRES
Head Coach/years - Dave McKee/first
2003 record/postseason - result NA
Key losses - Sam McFadden, Mathis Miller, Kasym Mork
Returning - Nick Hippensteel, Dan Long, Keith Fearnow, Ben McElwee, William Rhudy
McKee - "We're looking to improve every game, have fun and have the younger players learn the game and just to play hard."
WARSAW TIGERS
Head Coach/years - Scott Bauer/sixth
2003 record/postseason result - 16-3-1, lost in regionals to Penn after penalty kicks
Key losses - Andrew Sawyer, Nate Kline, Thomas Burnworth.
Returning - Brian Kolbe, Austin Evans, Tony Perales, Nate Salsgiver, Adam Churchill, Jordan Quiroz
Bauer - "The nucleus of what I had last year returns. I think with the players that we have, we should be contending for the conference."
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Head coach/years - Paul Boyd/10th
2003 record/postseason result - Lost in Westview sectional championship to Westview
Key losses - James Ward, Brandon Davis, Chris Mock, Anthony Argentino
Returning - Tyler Rondeau, Austin Kaiser, Ben Brown, Wayne Henderson, Matt Granger.
Boyd - "We graduated 10 players from last year. We're very young. Of the 16 guys we have, five are seniors. I feel confident when we start playing together we'll be fine. We've got a lot of good athletes. Our team goal is conference. Play hard, play smart and let's see how it turns out."
