Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE — Matt Thacker is looking for improvement in his second season as head football coach at Wawasee High School.
As the IHSAA Class 4A Warriors prepare for the 2025 season opener Friday, Aug. 22 at home against 3A Jimtown, Thacker has set the bar high for a team that went 1-9 overall and 1-6 in the Northern Lakes Conference in 2024.
“The expectations are much higher,” says Thacker, who was head coach at Fairfield for six seasons before coming to Syracuse. “The standard is much higher.
“Getting our kids there is the focus right now.”
Mary Thacker — the coach’s wife — hears her husband’s enthusiasm for the 2025 Wawasee team pretty much every night.
“When I get home I tell her I can’t wait to get back to be with these kids,” says Thacker. “I’m just champing at the bit.
“That probably sums up this group.”
Familiarity with Thacker’s methods has been helpful.
“I’ve noticed in the off-season workouts how much faster the kids were with the terminology, our expectations and how things are supposed to look,” says Thacker. “The kids have bought into what we’re doing, flying around and being coachable.”
After the season opener comes contests at 3A West Noble Aug. 29, vs. 4A NorthWood Sept. 5, at 5A Warsaw Sept. 12, vs. 4A Plymouth Sept. 26, at 5A Goshen Sept. 26, vs. 4A Northridge Oct. 3, vs. 5A Concord (at Elkhart’s Rice Field) Oct. 10 and at 4A Mishawaka Oct. 17. The last seven regular-season games are in the NLC. The team’s conference win in 2024 came in Week 6 against Goshen (36-7 at Warrior Stadium).
Wawasee’s last sectional title came in 2004.
The 2025 Warriors’ roster of more than 70 players features 20 returning letterwinners — seniors Benji Brace, Kassidy Carter, Julian Dixon, Addison Hatfield, Derek Morrison, Cam Senter, Konnor Sharp, Jayden Stahl and Alex Tienda and juniors Kaden Andrew, Jaxon Brown, Keny’n Burney, J’Ceon Evans, Luke Lehman, Jayden Lowery, Max Pena, Blake Rolston, Parker Schmidt, Logan Stahl and Johnny Zachary.
Says Thacker, “We'll be using a lot of sophomores this year, too, because they're pretty good kids and pretty good athletes for what we're trying to get done.”
Top returnees in rushing yards for a Flexbone offensive include Brace (447 with four touchdowns), Senter (349 with three TD’s) and Stahl (124).
Senter (304 with four TD’s) and Andrew (20) had the most passing yards, but sophomore sophomore Mark Haynes, Zachary and left-handed sophomore Jesus Nunez (who moves from wide receiver) are the top candidates to trigger the attack.
“Mark has a good grasp of our offense,” says Thacker. “He definitely has the attributes and intangibles to be a solid quarterback for us.”
Fullbacks include Carter, Stahl, Brace and sophomore Baldemar Robles. Brace, Stahl, Andrew and Lehman are in the halfbacks corps.
The wideouts group features Lowery, Andrew, senior Braedon Clay and sophomore Luke Nettrouer.
According to Thacker, Morrison looks to be the starter at left tackle with Hatfield at left guard. On the right side, it looks to be sophomore Dirks Miller at right tackle and sophomore Reagan Francis at guard. Center duties go to junior Brock Coday. Miller could also see action at tight end.
Junior Josiah Jones, junior Dewey Lindsay and sophomore Salvador Hernandez are vying for time at kicker. Mark Haynes, senior Braedon Clay and freshman Cash Walter are in the conversation at punter.
Wawasee’s base defense formation is the 4-3, but there will be adjustments depending on the opponent.
Says Thacker, “We prepare for multiple fronts on a daily basis.”
The Warriors went to a 7-on-7 event in Fort Wayne this summer.
“It was kind of interesting,” says Thacker. “We were like a fish out of water since we were the only Flexbone team.
“It was mainly for our defensive kids (to understand different offensive schemes), but it also helped our offense. We were able to install the two-minute (package).”
The returning leaders in total tackles from 2024 include Carter (58), Morrison (35) and Stahl (29).
Thacker says lineman Morrison may be Wawasee’s lone two-way starter. Hatfield, Tienda, Francis, senior Mookie Flores, junior Josh Wilson and sophomores Aidyn Archer and Dalton Moore could also see time on the D-line.
Carter, Pena, junior Jaxon Brown are among the linebacking crew.
Sharp, Evans, Lehman, junior Cam Collins and sophomore Aiden Beer look to have parts in the secondary.
Thacker’s coaching staff features Cody Anderson, Nick Brassell, Chad Brennaman, Brenden Butler, Rob Chalk, Ben Champoux, Nic Davis, Nick Feldman, Ben Garden, Scott Hatfield, Blake Haynie, Ryan Hoover
Mark Osmialowski, Chase Pinion, Zach Price, Troy Sausaman, Dustin Stutsman and Andy Zaebst.
