Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WARSAW — A trophy will be presented Friday, Nov. 6 at Fisher Field.
Warsaw (9-1) can take the third sectional football title in program history by topping visiting Fort Wayne Snider — a team the Tigers rebounded from a 30-18 fourth-quarter deficit against and nipped 33-30 on the same field in Week 1 (Aug. 21).
Warsaw reigned as sectional champions in 2019 and 2024.
Heading into the 2026 IHSAA Class 5A Sectional 11 championship game at 7 p.m., Bart Curtis’ USA Today/Network Indiana No. 4/Indiana Football Coaches Association No. 6 team is coming off a 44-0 semifinal home victory against Fort Wayne Wayne.
Snider (6-4) — coached by Kurt Tippmann — is after its first sectional crown since 2023 and 30th all-time after beating Fort Wayne South Side 37-14 at Russ Isaacs Stadium.
A Warsaw win Friday means a regional road trip to either Lafayette Jeff or Huntington North on Nov. 13.
Over the last 40 years, Snider is 5-2 against Warsaw including 5-0 in the postseason.
John Harrell predicts a 35-24 Warsaw victory over the Panthers.
“(Snider) is a good-looking team,” Curtis said. “It’s going to be a battle.
“They’re tournament-tested. They have a rich tradition. That, along with being well-coached, gives you trouble.”
On the season for Snider, junior quarterback Max Johnson is 159-of-265 passing for 2,014 yards and 12 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
Tops in receiving yardage are senior H-back Keaton Robinson (713 on 46 catches with four TD’s), senior tight end Ketron Paschall (317 on 27 catches with three TD’s), senior wideout Josh Neal (259 on 26 catches with two TD’s), senior H-back Caleb Clapper (246 on 19 catches with two TD’s) and junior running back Braylon Burton (139 on 16 catches).
Leaders in rushing yardage are Burton (1,009 with 15 TD’s) and senior running back Omari Buchanan (300 with five TD’s).
“They'll line up in shotgun with their back behind the quarterback, and then they'll also get under center and put a fullback or more than one fullback in the game,” Curtis said of the Panthers’ use of multiple offensive sets. “They are a lot dynamic and very versatile with how they approach the game.
“You’ve got to make them snap it again, and that sounds simple. But what I mean by that is we need to tackle well in-space.
“We need to make sure we keep the football inside of us and in front of us at all times. They broke some tackles and bounced some things outside the first time, and they had some big plays against us.
“We had some big plays against them.”
The Tigers produced seven plays of 40 yards or more in the first meeting.
Snider kicker Maddox Shovlin is 31-of-38 on extra points and 5-of-7 on field goals
Total tackle leaders are senior inside linebacker Jakari Cole (88), junior free safety Que Hunter (71), junior inside linebacker Cole Baumgartner (56), senior lineman Jamin Dean-Portee (45) and senior lineman Braylon Fertil (44).
Hunter has three interceptions and Davis two.
Besides Warsaw, teams to beat the Panthers in 2026 are East Noble (now 11-0), Carroll (9-1) and Bishop Dwenger (10-1).
The Tigers’ lone setback came against Northridge (11-0) in Week 9.
Snider has committed 20 turnovers (eight fumbles) with 17 for their opponents. Those numbers are 11 (five fumbles) for Warsaw with 18 for the opposition.
“You give a team like Snider additional possessions, you're asking for a poor outcome,” Curtis said. “Carrying the ball with proper leverage, protecting it in traffic and making sure it's in the correct hand are key.”
On the season for Warsaw, junior quarterback Mark Haynes is 9-of-20 passing for 200 yards and five TD’s with three interceptions.
Rushing yardage leaders in the “Flexbone” attack are senior fullback Michael Schenck (919 with 11 TD’s), senior halfback Tucker Reed (880 with 11 TD’s), Haynes (389) with five TD’s), sophomore fullback Mason Silveus (358 with seven TD’s), senior halfback Wyatt Hartman (325 with four TD’s) and junior quarterback Brady Sauer (291 with two TD’s).
Sophomore kicker John Conley is 33-of-34 on extra points and 4-of-4 on field goals.
Total tackle point leaders are senior inside linebacker Matthew Flores-Ortega (104), junior outside linebacker Ty Martin (84), senior inside linebacker Nathan Villa (84), junior free safety Jack Bradford (76), senior lineman Grady Nelson (58), senior lineman Brody Heady (54), senior cornerback Andrew Robertson (45), junior cornerback Ethan Sinclair (41), junior lineman Jaxon Hershberger (37), senior lineman Jacob Stoffer (32) and senior inside linebacker Cam Bause (30).
Leaders in fumble recoveries are Bradford, Villa and sophomore outside linebacker Josiah Bontrager with two apiece.
Bradford has gathered four interceptions.
