Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Sitting at 7-0 and heading to the new Jake Field for the first time to take on Concord, the Warsaw football team had its hands full with the Minutemen on Friday night, despite getting out to a 21-0 lead. The home side was able to get within a touchdown multiple times, but each time, the Tigers were able to come up with an answer, hanging on for a 37-29 win.
“Their record is 3-5 which is crazy to me. They’ve been in so many of these close games and eventually they’re going to start winning them,” Warsaw head coach Bart Curtis said. “They’ve got a heck of a team and we are very fortunate to leave here with a win tonight.”
As has been the case all season long, the undefeated Tigers began the game by taking it to their opponent early. Starting on offense, Warsaw methodically marched down the field using every aspect of its option offense. Quarterback keepers, fullback dives, misdirection plays, even a pass. It didn’t matter what play they ran, the visitors continued to rack up first downs as they made their way to the goal line, where Michael Schenck punched it in from two yards out to make it a 7-0 game after a nearly eight minute drive.
After a long, smashmouth drive, the next score came in a flash. After what looked to be a quick three and out, the Minutemen left their offense on the field on fourth down. It proved to be a poor choice, as a reverse play was snuffed out by the defense to force a turnover on downs at the opposing 27. The Tigers elected to put the ball in the air on the first play, and Mark Hayne’s pass to Micah Kohler was a beauty. The senior bobbled it for a second, but eventually came down with it for the score, making it 14-0 two minutes after the first touchdown.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side from there. Facing a 4th and 5 near midfield, a delay of game prevented Concord from going for it and the punt team came out. The punter did not get all of it, as he sent it off of the back of one of his blockers. It sailed into the air and landed into the arms of lineman Grady Nelson, who shook the punter off of him and rumbled 47 yards into the end zone for a special teams score. Less than 13 minutes into the game, it was already 21-0 Warsaw.
“[Grady] is incredible. He means so much to us. We didn’t know if he was going to play, but he told us he had to play football. We’re glad he did,” Curtis said.
Needing something and needing it fast, the Minutemen put together a response on their third drive of the night. A couple of fourth down conversions, the second of which was a 23-yard run by JJ Lee that ended in the end zone and made it a two-touchdown game with seven minutes until halftime.
It had been a long time since the Tiger offense had been on the field, but they did not miss a beat upon returning. The team’s third drive of the night resembled the first an awful lot, as the visitors chugged down the field, eventually feeding Schenck his second touchdown of the night from less than a yard away from the goal line to make it 28-7. Again, Concord had an answer. Less than 40 seconds later, quarterback Cade Court connected with receiver Phillip Laroche on a 52-yard touchdown pass to keep the home side within striking distance just before the half.
It appeared as if Warsaw was just going to run out the clock to send things to halftime, but a costly fumble on the first play from scrimmage gave it right back to the surging Minutemen. They took advantage of the gimme, as Jaron Allen scored with just eleven seconds left to makr it a one-touchdown game, 28-21 at the half.
Junior quarterback Mark Haynes of Warsaw breaks through the line for a gain during Friday night's game at Concord...Nieter
Concord got the ball to begin the third quarter and a chance to tie the game. Instead, they committed a penalty on the kickoff to back them up, and then threw a lateral that went out the back of the end zone for a safety. Getting the ball around midfield, Warsaw picked up a first down before they took another shot. With every player on the field cramping the line of scrimmage and expecting a run, the visitors went play action, with Grady Nelson sneaking by everyone untouched. When Haynes threw the ball, there wasn’t a player within 20 yards of the receiver. He caught the ball without a problem for his second touchdown of the night, a 35-yard score that opened the game up once again. The Tigers came into the game having completed two passes this season. They completed four on Friday night.
“There were some things we thought we could get on them based on how they had played us in the past,” Curtis said. “They’re so good at bottling up what we want to do and it forces you to try some new things.”
That still wasn’t enough to put Concord away, as the home side continued to make Warsaw work for it. Court responded well to his turnover on the following drive, coming up with a couple of key passes to push the ball down the field and towards the end zone. Lee did the dirty work from there, fighting through bodies and into the promised land. After a two-point conversion, it was a one-possession game again with the Tigers leading 37-29 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
“We were not able to tackle them in the open field. They’re really problematic when they get the ball to the perimeter and then the quarterback starts scrambling around,” Curtis said. “It was not easy for our kids to deal with.”
The Minutemen didn’t touch the ball again until about nine minutes remained in the game, but the next touch was a big one. In the midst of another long drive, Haynes mishandled a snap in Concord territory, giving the ball back to the home side. Warsaw was able to burn some time off the clock, but they were not able to make it a two-possession game.
The defense, which had struggled to contain the Minutemen since the first quarter, finally came up with a stop, giving the ball back to the offense with four minutes left. Concord was able to get it deep into Tiger territory, but a pair of holding calls, one that took away a touchdown, stalled the drive. Still trailing and looking for something quickly, Court pressed the issue on one pass too many and he was intercepted by a leaping Nelson, who snagged the ball with one hand and came down with it to cap off the game of his life.
The home side never got another shot at it. Warsaw fed Schenck, who moved the chains twice to run the clock out and push his team to 8-0 as they survived the scare on the road.
Warsaw (8-0, 6-0 NLC) has a massive clash in the regular season finale against fellow undefeated team Northridge in Middlebury. The winner will take home the Northern Lakes Conference championship.
