WARSAW —  After playing three straight road games to start the season, for the first time since 1976 no less, the Warsaw Tiger football team was welcomed home with open arms Friday night for their home opener against Concord.

The Tigers rewarded their patient fans with a remarkable defensive performance, winning 10-3 to remain undefeated at 4-0.

Despite coming out on top, Warsaw head coach Bart Curtis wasn’t exactly thrilled, citing too many penalties (eleven for 65 yards) and ball security (five fumbles, two lost).

“At some point that is going to bite us. There are things that I think are going to get fixed and then we come out and have the same problems. It’s a little troublesome,” Curtis said.

“I’m at a loss for words. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s hard to win when things go well and we just make it harder on ourselves. That being said, it does feel nice to pull on out on a Friday night.”

The visitors received the opening kickoff, beginning their first drive with some dysfunction. Concord quarterback Hudson Glantz turned the wrong direction on a handoff, resulting in Warsaw’s Isaac Beam blowing him up for a loss. The Minutemen would rebound and move the chains once on the drive before punting the ball away.

Not much happened on the Tigers’ opening drive, as the home side gave the ball right back after going three-and-out. After forcing another punt by Concord, Warsaw began to show some signs of life offensively, with fullback Reed Zollinger breaking free for 19 and 15-yad runs. It wouldn’t lead to points though, as immediately after, the Tigers would fumble the ball on a pitch and give the ball right back to their opponents.

After getting the ball in a favorable position, the Minutemen would get to work immediately. The visitors would get into the red zone with ease and looked to be on their way to a score.

But Cohen Heady would come up huge on a third-down sack that would prove to make a difference. The sack turned the ensuing Concord field goal into a 42-yard attempt as opposed to 31. The extra distance was enough to force a miss, leaving the game scoreless.

The next Tiger drive ended in disaster, as quarterback Quinton Brock threw an interception that gave the ball right back to the visitors at the Warsaw 25-yard line. But the Tiger defense, which has been no stranger to making big plays all season long, had Brock’s back. Ethan Egolf would come up with a big interception of his own, returning it 17 yards and putting his team in business.

This appeared to be the burst the home side needed. The very next play, Zollinger would break loose for his longest yard yet, a gain of 33. The Tigers methodically drove the ball the rest of the way, with a plethora of players getting carries in the red zone as Warsaw tried to punch it in. In the end, it would be Zollinger punching it in from three yards out to give the Tigers the first points of the game with three minutes left in the half.

Following the score, Warsaw continued to apply the pressure. Concord’s next drive saw the Minutemen getting into Tiger territory once again, but no further. This time, it was Beam making the big hit on the quarterback on a fourth down play, giving the ball right back to the home side.

Zollinger, already having a huge first half, added onto it with a 37-yard carry on the first play from scrimmage following the turnover on downs.

It looked as if Warsaw was going to add onto its lead just before half, but the Minutemen defense held strong at the goal line, forcing a 21-yard field goal attempt by Mason Smythe. The junior hit his first attempt, but an offsides penalty on Concord forced a re-kick. The second attempt would not be successful, with a Concord player possibly grazing the ball on its way up. The miss would keep the Tiger lead at seven going into half.

The strong defenses of both teams continued to shine in the beginning of the third, as both offenses began the second half by going three-and-out on their first two drives. The first drive with any substance wouldn’t come until the final minutes of the third quarter, when the Tigers would take advantage of some decent starting field position to set up Smythe for a 34-yard kick. This one would go through, extending the Warsaw lead to 10 with the fourth quarter looming.

   Warsaw senior Lucas Ransbottom snatches the ball out of the air during the third quarter of Friday night's home game against Concord. Photo by Gary Nieter
 

The good times wouldn’t stop there for the home side, as on the first play of the following Concord drive, Tristan Wilson would intercept Glantz on a deep ball to give his offense the ball right back.

“Our defense played incredible tonight. Inspired, got after it, had their backs against the wall several times and continued to get out of it,” Curtis said. “I’m incredibly proud and excited about that unit.”

The Tigers would give the ball right back after a turnover of their own. Punting on fourth and long, Smythe would mishandle the snap, getting tackled in the backfield and giving the Minutemen a prime opportunity on the Warsaw side of the field. Once again though, the defense wouldn’t give the visitors an inch, picking up two sacks on the first two Concord plays and forcing yet another punt.

The Minutemen would finally get on the board with just under five minutes to go in the game on a short field goal. The visitors were given great starting field position after the Tigers imploded with a series of penalties and were forced to punt out of their own end zone.

On the following drive, ball security issues reared their ugly heads once again, as Warsaw fumbled at their own 36-yard line, giving Concord the ball and a chance to tie or take the lead with less than four minutes left.

Now facing the biggest sequence of the game, the Tiger defense didn’t blink. The Minutemen was able to move the ball just inside the red zone but were unable to get any further. The relentless pressure of the Warsaw front line showed up in a massive way, consistently pressuring Glantz and forcing a series of incompletions that resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Tiger offense would finish off the job. Zollinger would add onto his total with a pair of 29-yard runs to pick up the first downs necessary to run out the clock. Zollinger ended his night with 247 yards on 28 carries.

“We’ve been waiting for him to run with that type of power and speed. He had a great game and is starting to look like the type of back we’ve had in the past,” Curtis said.
Warsaw is back at home next week against 4A powerhouse NorthWood.

The post Tiger defense dominates in home opening win over Concord appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

PLYMOUTH — After winning its first two games this season on the back of its defense, the Warsaw Tiger football team finally had the offensive success it was waiting for, steamrolling 41-7 past Northern Lakes Conference rival Plymouth in both teams’ NLC opener. Warsaw remains undefeated this season at 3-0, 1-0 in the NLC.

The stout Tiger defense, which has allowed only 9.5 points per game so far on the young season, took the field to start the game. It was an interesting first series for the Warsaw D, as the team continued the trend of stuffing the run, but struggled mightily with the pass. The Tigers consistently stopped runs at or near the line of scrimmage, but the Rockies continued to move the ball well through the air.

Regardless, it looked as if the visitors would get off the field after a huge sack by Nate Rosas to force third and long, but a quarterback keeper would get it all back for Plymouth, and the home side would open up the scoring a few plays later with a touchdown after a six-minute drive.

“All of the credit goes to Plymouth, they executed well and made it really hard for us on the opening drive,” Warsaw head coach Bart Curtis said. “We can’t just expect people to look at us and our record and rollover. They punched us in the mouth and took it to us from the jump.”

The lead would not hold for long. The run-reliant Warsaw offense took the field next and went to work immediately. The Tigers would use a 28-yard run by Reed Zollinger and an 18-yard carry from Ethan Egolf to get into the red zone, where Lucas Ransbottom would take them the rest of the way. Less than two minutes after his team fell behind, the senior would tie the game up with a 15-yard scamper.

  Warsaw senior Lucas Ransbottom scampers down the sideline for a long gain during the second quarter. Photo by Gary Nieter.

The Warsaw defense was much more successful on its second series. The Rockies would pick up a pair of first downs, but not much else. A punt would give the ball back to the visitors, and once again, they would get onto the scoreboard. After putting together another nice drive, kicker Mason Smythe, who has been busy in the early going, came up clutch once again. The junior would convert his 46-yard field goal to put his team on top for the first time.

Plymouth was able to put together another nice drive on the following series, using the passing attack to inflict damage on the visitors once more. This time, however, the Tigers would bend, but not break, forcing a short field goal attempt. Senior linebacker Eric Pohl would use the situation to come up with the biggest highlight of the night so far: a block that would keep the home team behind on the scoreboard.

“We were definitely a little shell-shocked at first but it was a good thing that the offense was able to get going and make up for the early defensive issues.”

With momentum starting to really turn in Warsaw’s favor, the Tigers put together another impressive drive following the stop. It looked as if Curtis’ side was going to find the end zone once again, but ball security issues that have hurt the Tigers all season long would say otherwise. After a nice first down run, Leyton Isbell coughed up the ball in the red zone, giving the Rockies new life.

Isbell’s defense would have his back. Warsaw would force a three-and-out after the turnover and get the ball back with just under three minutes to go in the half. The visitors would use this opportunity to catch their opponents off guard. On just his second pass of the night, Warsaw quarterback Quinton Brock would hit Ransbottom for a 35-yard gain to put his team in Plymouth territory. After methodically moving it towards the goal line, Zollinger would punch it in from two yards out to extend the Tiger lead to 10 with just 30 seconds left in the half.

“We felt that they were committed to stopping the fullback up front, so we were able to adapt and start running outside, which I was really proud of,” Curtis said. “It’s great when you have so many guys that can get you yards.”

Already on top and getting the ball to begin the third, Warsaw put together a picture-perfect drive to extend its lead. After spending a majority of the first half handing the ball off or tossing it back, Brock began to keep the ball himself, resulting in the QB picking up a handful of first downs with his legs. Just about everybody who could touch the ball for the Tigers did so on this drive, as the visitors burned four minutes off of the clock and reached the end zone once again on a one-yard carry from Zollinger.

Needing something and needing it fast, the Rockies were able to string some first downs together on the following drive, getting the ball into Warsaw territory. But the home side was unable to get any points to show for it. Needing a fourth down conversion to continue the drive, Plymouth would not get it. Senior D-lineman Isaac Beam would blow up the play and lay a devastating hit for a sack to get his team off the field.

Warsaw used the stop to its advantage, getting into scoring range once again and letting Smythe do the rest. This time, his field goal would be good from 52 yards, extending the Tiger lead to an even 20.

The fourth quarter was relatively drama-free, with Warsaw adding another touchdown four minutes in on a two-yard run by junior Robbie Hoffert, and another with just over three minutes remaining on a one-yard carry by Brody Duncan to put an exclamation point on the win.
The Tigers ran for 343 yards in the game, led by Ransbottom’s 133. Egolf added 64 yards and Zollinger rounded out the top three with 58. Brock threw for 55 yards, all to Ransbottom, while running for 23 on the ground.

After three straight road contests to begin the year, the Tigers will finally get the chance to enjoy their home opener next Friday against Concord.

“It’s better than going on the road,” Curtis said, “Although this one felt like a trip down the neighborhood compared to our last two.”

The post 41 unanswered points help Tigers blow past Plymouth appeared first on News Now Warsaw.