Tigers, Wildcats Want To Build On Wins
The wait was well worth it last week for both Warsaw and Whitko on the high school gridiron.
The Tigers and the Wildcats each posted much-needed wins in conference games postponed or delayed by thunderstorms.
Warsaw came back on Saturday and topped Northridge 14-7, while the Whitko waited out a two-hour delay at home Friday night before finishing off a 12-0 win over Tippecanoe Valley.
Warsaw travels to surprising Goshen this week and Whitko makes the trip down to Southwood.
Wawasee hopes to bounce back after a tough loss at NorthWood in another game finished on Saturday. The Warriors, who have lost three in a row, welcome in undefeated Plymouth for Homecoming in Syracuse.
Valley will also play host to its Homecoming game versus Manchester. It will be a special night in Akron as members of the 2014-15 girls basketball team receive their state runner-up rings.
Concord, which rallied to edge Goshen 24-20 last week, leads the Northern Lakes Conference standings at 4-0. Plymouth is 3-0, followed by Goshen (2-1), Warsaw (1-2), NorthWood (1-2), Northridge (1-2), Elkhart Memorial (1-3) and Wawasee (0-3).
Northfield and Maconaquah pace the standings in the Three Rivers Conference. Northfield leads the North Division at 3-0, followed by Rochester (2-1), Whitko (1-2), Tippecanoe Valley (1-2) and Manchester (0-3). Maconaquah tops to South Division at 3-1, followed by Wabash (2-1), Peru (2-1), Southwood (2-1) and North Miami (0-4).
The new Hoosier North Conference has unbeaten LaVille in first place at 5-0. Pioneer sits at 4-0, followed by North Judson (3-1), Winamac (3-2), Culver (2-2), Knox (1-3), Triton (1-3), Caston (1-4) and West Central (0-5.
Following are a quick look at local games on the docket Friday night.
Warsaw (2-3, 1-2) at Goshen (4-1, 2-1), 7 p.m.
The Tigers hope the “fun” continues this week with a trip to Foreman Field.
“We challenged the kids on Saturday (when the game with Northridge resumed) to play hard and together and just go out and have fun and they responded,” said Warsaw coach Phil Jensen. “It was just great to see the kids be excited and playing hard and together.”
Goshen has opened many an eye with a 4-1 start. The Redskins began the season on a 23-game losing streak, including a 24-0 loss to Warsaw last year.
“You watch the film and it’s not surprising that they are 4-1,” Jensen said. “Our kids know what Goshen has. Their record speaks for itself. They are fundamentally strong. They are not flashy, but solid.”
Warsaw was helped immensely by the return last week of Dylan Childers and Jeremy David, both back from injuries.
“We need to stay consistent offensively, not allow the big play and win the special teams,” remarked Jensen.
Plymouth (5-0, 3-0) at Wawasee (2-3, 0-3), 7 p.m.
The Warriors will welcome in a Rockies team that is going through a tragic week.
Plymouth junior David Bacon, who played safety, committed suicide on Sunday night. The young man will be laid to rest on Thursday.
“We just have to make sure that we prepare like this is any other game,” said Wawasee coach Josh Ekovich, in no way downplaying the tough and trying situation that the Plymouth team finds itself in.
Plymouth, ranked No. 2 in Class 4-A, rallied to beat Memorial 23-14 last week. The Rockies are led by do-it-all quarterback Jack Barron, son of head coach John Barron.
“He just makes things happen,” said Ekovich of the younger Barron. “He’s tough and his field vision is unbelievable.”
Wawasee had a tough time at NorthWood in a 38-10 setback marred by turnovers and costly penalties.
“We have to learn from that and realize that actions have consequences,” noted Ekovich.
“I told our guys that this is Homecoming and they can play spoilers,” Ekovich said. “All I want is for them to go out and leave it all on the field Friday night.”
Plymouth beat Wawasee 32-7 in 2014.
Manchester (0-5, 0-3) at Tippecanoe Valley (1-4, 1-2), 7 p.m.
The Vikings have been so close to wins in three of their four losses.
First-year coach Darin Holsopple is anxious to see his team put it all together.
“We have made improvements, have been competitive and have been close,” said Holsopple. “It’s just a matter of time before we put it all together.”
Valley has put in work on a couple of key areas this week.
“We hammered on both our run and passing game Tuesday and focused a lot on tackling on Wednesday,” noted Holsopple.
Manchester is coming off a 65-6 drubbing by Northfield last week.
“I want our guys to play with energy and confidence,” said Holsopple. “I want to see the confidence to execute and overcome mistakes. I want to see them have the will to not be denied.”
Manchester beat the Vikings 27-20 last season.
Whitko (2-3, 1-2) at Southwood (2-3, 2-1), 7 p.m.
The Wildcats got a needed boost as they snapped a three-game losing streak in beating both Valley and the weather.
“I think the win helped all of us,” said Whitko coach Josh Mohr. “It renewed our energy, gave us a boost and helped our confidence.”
“The thing is that our kids came back after the delay ready to play. They showed resilience and maturity. I was proud of how we battled. Valley is improving.”
Whitko faces a Southwood team that has won two in a row, including beating Wabash 28-21 last week.
“They are on an upswing,” said Mohr of the Knights. “They have good skill guys and this game could go back and forth. We are preaching assisgnments, technique and effort.”
Whitko blanked Southwood 7-0 during the 2014 campaign.
Triton (1-4, 1-3) at Winamac (3-2, 3-2), 7 p.m.
The Trojans look to snap a four-game losing skid on the road.
“We’re moving some guys around with some injuries and other things,” said Triton coach Ron Brown. “We need to clean things up and execute better.”
“We have some younger guys who are hungry and competing for spots. That’s what we need for the future of the program.”
Triton lost 19-0 to Culver and Winamac beat North Judson 24-7 last week. The two teams did not play last season.