Green And Gold Gunning For Gridiron Glory
SYRACUSE – Though the saying is traditionally, “Defense wins championships” there seems to be a lot of love going around for the offensive units of local teams. Fans in Indianapolis, Bloomington, South Bend and even Chicago, of all places, are raving about how productive their team’s offense will be this season.
Though the size of the fan base may not exactly add up with the aforementioned teams, fans in Syracuse are getting just as excited about what their team’s offense is bringing to the table in 2014.
The Wawasee football team will enter the new season with one of its largest senior classes in recent memory. A senior class that is loaded with athletic players that will contribute on both sides of the ball. There is a confident and enthusiastic feel with the team, both at practice and around the Wawasee community and for good reason.
“This senior class has embraced the fact that this is their team,” said Warrior head coach Josh Ekovich. “They’ve embraced the fact that there are some pretty good athletes on this team and that we can find continued success this season.”
Clayton Cook and Gage Reinhard are the most notable athletes of the bunch. From being sectional runners-up their sophomore year to knocking off a ranked Plymouth team last season, the tandem have become a dynamic duo in the Northern Lakes Conference and plan on being super sensations yet again in 2014.
“I think we are just more excited, as a team, this year then we have been before,” stated Cook. “I really think that will take us far, as long we stay enthusiastic.”
Wawasee will start potentially eight senior on offense, giving the unit much needed experience in the always challenging NLC. Reinhard has been throwing passes to Cook since middle school and has been under center for Wawasee’s varsity squad since 2012. The gunslinger has the experience, now he is looking for the hardware to go with.
“I’m looking to win conference this year,” Reinhard stated. “Nothing is a given and we have to work hard but we have a good chance at going undefeated in the NLC this year.”
That goal may very well be attainable given the other athletes that Wawasee has to offer. Mylon Betts and Nic Wilson return a lot of experience to the Warrior backfield while Cook will be joined in the receiving corps by Sam Clark, Cameron Krizman and J.J. Gilmer.
The offensive line, while undersized, will be improved and anchored by seniors Nate Prescott and Hunter Jones. Ekovich is pleased not just with the talent in the starting lineup, but on the bench as well.
“We have 18 seniors and that gives us a lot of experience,” Ekovich said. “It’s really, really nice to have a solid two-deep across the board. We have the depth not only in the skill positions, but also across the line.
“Instead of worrying about where to play six linemen like we have in years past, we have the luxury of eight to ten guys that we feel comfortable with playing.”
The luxury of having depth will be key if Wawasee is to fulfill Reinhard’s goal of winning conference.
When asked about whether or not he expected his team to win the NLC, Ekovich showed that he has gotten the hang of coach speak in his second year as a head coach and replied that the team is really just focusing on beating Whitko in week one.
Wawasee will travel to South Whitley to take on the Wildcats Friday night with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.