ELKHART — After a tough offensive night in their first playoff game on Tuesday, the Warsaw Tigers returned to North Side Gym for the semifinal round of 4A Sectional 4 on Friday night. Matched up with Goshen, Warsaw had no such issues scoring in this one, lighting up the scoreboard en route to a 59-51 win.

“I thought our first quarter was as important of a quarter as we’ve played this year and the guys came through,” head coach Matt Moore said. “Really proud of the guys and how they came out.”

Mydin Burgher led the way for the Tigers offensively in the initial minutes of the game, scoring the first four points of the night for Warsaw. The early offensive issues that plagued the team in Tuesday’s win over Concord seemed to have gone by the wayside, as a contested layup by Robbie Finlinson gave the home team on the scoreboard six points in the first two minutes.

On the other end, the Redhawks were able to keep pace with the Tigers thanks to some shotmaking from deep. A steal and score by Goshen temporarily put them in front at 8-6 before a layup by Burgher tied things up a possession later.

That wouldn’t be the last time the lead changed hands in the opening period, as Goshen remained aggressive. Now attacking the rim at will, guard Braxton Cline found some success attacking Carson Gould, forcing the Tiger point man to pick up two early fouls. Cline scored nine of the first 14 points of the game for the RedHawks, putting them in front multiple times.

Each time the visitors went on top, the Tigers came up with an answer. One stretch saw a triple by Brandt Martin, followed up by a dunk from Finlinson, off of a fantastic behind the back feed from Gould, for a quick 5-0 run. Warsaw didn’t stop there. Sam Lara and Parker Justice got in on the action to extend the run to 11-0. Soon, it was a double digit lead for the Tigers.

After scoring 20 points in the first half on Tuesday, Warsaw scored 24 in the first eight minutes on Friday, and led 24-14 after one.

Goshen used a quick spurt in the opening 90 seconds of the second quarter to cut the lead down to three in a hurry. The teams continued to trade buckets as the period wore on, with the Tigers remaining in the lead, albeit a much less comfortable one than in the first.

During the middle portion of the quarter, things slowed down a tad for Warsaw as the team experienced its first scoring drought of the game. Goshen was able to take full advantage of this, getting to within one during the stretch. It wouldn’t be the only time the RedHawks would crawl within a point, but each time they did so, the Tigers answered on the other end with a basket of their own.

The visitors had a hard time taking care of the basketball in the final minutes of the half, allowing Warsaw to get its lead back up to five as the two sides headed to their locker rooms.

A big three by Gould two minutes into the third served as the first Tiger points of the second half. After Martin’s second basket of the game about a minute later extended the lead to eight, Goshen quickly called timeout to talk things over. After scoring the first bucket of the third in the opening seconds, they had now gone over three minutes without any points.

The break didn’t do much to stop the bleeding, as a three for Finlinson put him in double figures and extended the lead to double digits for the second time in the game. After the make, the Tigers would encounter another stretch where it seemed as if a lid was on the basket before Justice was able to end the cold spell with a three of his own. With eight minutes to go in the game, Warsaw led 46-36.

With its season on the line, Goshen scored four quick points to begin the fourth to cut the lead to six, but just when it seemed as if momentum was beginning to shift, Justice squashed it with a massive corner three to go back up by nine. With a little over five minutes left, the lead was back up to eleven on a layup by Lara.

“Very proud of Parker. He did not have a very confident Tuesday game so for him to come into tonight and come through for us, we need it,” Moore said.

Midway through the fourth, the Tigers were still up by nine, looking to deny one final push by the RedHawks. They were doing a fine job of it, holding the visitors scoreless for the next couple of minutes as time really started to become a factor. Soon, just two minutes remained in the game and Warsaw led by 10.

The lead only grew as time continued to wind down, as the Tigers grew nearer and nearer to a spot in the sectional championship game. With less than a minute to go, Goshen was able to get within nine, but it was too little, too late.

Justice led the way with 12 points. Martin and Finlinson each had eleven. Burgher added 10.

Warsaw (24-4) will face off against Northridge Saturday night with a sectional title on the line.

“You play for these opportunities. This game is going to be about seniors,” Moore said. “They’re going to have to produce. It comes down to can you minimize mistakes and take advantage of theirs.”

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WARSAW — In a heart-pounding matchup that kept fans on the edge of their seats, Warsaw clawed back from a tied game with Northridge in the third quarter, 10-10, to secure a victory in the fourth.

This epic clash was huge for Northern Lakes Conference implications, as the game ended in a 24-10 Tiger victory, giving Warsaw a share of the conference title.

Head coach Bart Curtis was pleased with his team’s win.

“[We’re] excited that our kids got to hold a trophy at the end of the game,” Curtis said after being asked about the pressure of winning the conference.

“it's been a long time coming," he added.

The game started with Warsaw winning the toss. Soon the Raiders began to gain a few yards on the Tigers but were stopped and tackled by Nathan Rosas and pressured by Isaac Beam.

As Northridge began to press in on the 15-yard line, they gained a few yards and soon hit the 9-yard line, running for a touchdown and ending the first quarter with a 7-0 lead.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, both teams demonstrated their offensive prowess and defensive tenacity.

Both teams struggled to get anything going on either side of the 40 but Warsaw took a chance and Mason Smythe made a 36-yard field goal, changing the score to 7-3.

The Tigers then began to give Northridge some trouble as Cohen Heady and Daylor Vilamaa accompanied Nathan Rosas on the tackle to stop the Raiders from progressing further along the field.

Not long after that, fullback Reed Zollinger found the end zone for the first time in the game on a 40-yard carry to give his team a lead just before halftime.

This resulted in a nail-biting third quarter that locked the teams in a 10-10 tie after the Raiders kicked a field goal. The Tigers began by catching the first kickoff by the Raiders and going toward the 20-yard line. Drew Sullivan picked up some speed and carried the ball a bit farther gaining some yards for Warsaw.

Sullivan ran for 36 yards in the game.
The Tigers took the field at the beginning of the fourth quarter with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. Isaac Beam, a senior on the Warsaw Team said, “I was hyped up, we could not lose, it was senior night.”

The fan-cheering moment that put the game in the Tigers' hands was when Reed Zollinger began to gain several yards in benefit for Warsaw.

But, the excitement was short-lived as the tackles from the Raiders began to rain down.

But, that didn’t stop the Tigers as Zolllinger ran 4 tight yards, flipping the score to 17-10 and changing the tide for the rest of the game.

Warsaw would not trail again.

Warsaw got one final score in the fourth quarter as Zollinger scored his third of the game on a five-yard run.  The senior finished with 211 yards on the ground. The dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter was a great example of resilience, grit, and unwavering determination from the Tigers and will be remembered for future co-conference matches.

The Tigers will be off next week before hosting Carroll for their sectional opener on Oct. 27.

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WARSAW — In a world where the words "You have cancer" can change lives forever, the Warsaw Community High School Cheer Block is taking a heartfelt stand against this relentless disease.

On Oct. 13, join us for an evening filled with unity, support and hope as we rally our community in the fight against cancer during the WCHS Football Game vs. Northridge.

Students and fans are encouraged to wear a 2023 Pink Out Shirt (purchase before 9/24) or a pink ribbon (available at the game).

Visit the webstore: pinkout.maverickwebstores.com/shop/home/ to get your shirt!

The commitment to the cause goes beyond our student cheer block members, who will be proudly sporting pink out shirts along with pink face paint and stickers.  Even our football players are rallying behind this important initiative; they will be sporting pink shoelaces, with the extra proceeds donated to the Cheer Block Cancer Care Fund.

WCHS Senior, Liz Martinez, shared her thoughts about the importance of the event, “It shows that we as a community help each other out when in need and we are here to support during a tough time.”

Under the leadership of our Cheer Block students, we invite everyone to be a part of our "Walk the Block" initiative. At the start of halftime, if you're wearing a 2023 Pink Out Shirt or a pink ribbon, stand with us as we embark on a symbolic lap around the track. This walk is a celebration of survivors, a show of unwavering support for those currently battling cancer, and a moment of remembrance for those affected by this disease. For those in the stands, we encourage you to stand in solidarity with those on the track.

Immediately following the walk, individuals who have been impacted by cancer are invited to attend a special reception in the building behind the home bleachers.

All funds raised from Pink Out t-shirt and ribbon sales will directly contribute to the Warsaw Cheer Block Cancer Care Fund. These vital resources will be utilized by our compassionate student leaders to provide assistance to individuals and families in our community who are facing the challenges of cancer. Our first beneficiary from the Cancer Care Fund highlights the real impact of the community’s support; the funds will support Carla Milliman's (previous WCS teacher) one-year-old granddaughter, bravely fighting leukemia,

This event wouldn't be possible without the incredible generosity of our sponsors. A big thank-you goes out to A&G Beauty and Tri Kappa for their unwavering support.

About Warsaw Community High School Cheer Block Cancer Care Fund:  The Warsaw Community High School Cheer Block Cancer Care Fund is dedicated to supporting individuals and families in the community who are facing the challenges of cancer. Through fundraising and community initiatives, the Cheer Block aims to provide vital resources and emotional support to those affected by cancer.

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