Warsaw Football Preview
WARSAW – Can the product on the field be as brilliant as the new field they will play on at least four times this season?
Warsaw football coach Phil Jensen certainly hopes so as his team prepares to head into the 2016 campaign.
The Tigers have a gorgeous brand-new synthetic turf field to now call home at Fisher Field. A ribbon-cutting for the new home facility, which was made possible by a partnership between Lutheran Health Network/Kosciusko Community Hospital and the the school system, was held last Friday night prior to a scrimmage with Tippecanoe Valley.
Jensen enters his 17th season at WCHS, including his ninth year in his second stint as head coach, and is looking forward to it.
“I’m nervous and excited,” said Jensen, who coached the Tigers from 1996-2003 and then returned in 2008. “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen in the growth and maturity of our kids in the offseason. I think that they have come a long way.”
Jensen, who is 92-75 at Warsaw, is very fond of his tight-knit senior class. That group includes his son, Michael, who enters his second season as the starting quarterback for the Tigers.
“I’m just so grateful to them,” noted Jensen of the Class of 2017. “I’ve been around these seniors for a long time, coaching them in Pee Wee football and baseball and basketball when they were younger. I’ve watched them grow up together. This group is different because of the relationship I have with them.”
Warsaw looks to improve upon last year’s campaign. The Tigers lost their final three games, including a 49-21 decision to Carroll in a Class 6-A sectional semifinal game, to finish at 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the Northern Lakes Conference. Warsaw averaged 22.6 points-per-outing, while allowing 22.
“A big key for us will be to stay healthy,” remarked Jensen. “We have to make sure that we take care of the ball and that we score points. We missed too many scoring opportunities last year. We found a way to shoot ourselves in the foot too many times.”
The Tigers will count on Jensen to lead the way as he directs the spread offense, which Warsaw went to two years ago. The senior completed 50 percent of his passes for 2,174 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions last season as he returned after not playing his sophomore year.
Warsaw returns its top two tailbacks in junior Will McGarvey (651 yards, seven touchdowns) and senior Rob Sullivan (336 yards, four touchdowns). The receiving core took a hit with the graduation of three of Jensen’s top targets, including Riley Rhoades (74 catches, eight touchdowns). The Tigers do return senior tight end standout Jeremy David (32 catches, five touchdowns) and senior receiver D’Andre Street (12 catches, three touchdowns).
“One of our goals this season is to run the ball more consistently and I’m confident with Will and Rob back,” said Jensen. “And I think that we have a nice group of receivers with guys like Jeremy, D’Andre and Devin Street, Zach Riley and Trevor York.”
The Tigers do have some question marks as graduation hit the offensive line hard and took away the top three tacklers on defense.
“I think that we have the pieces on the lines to get us where we need to be,” stated Jensen. “We just have to put them in the best spot to be successful.”
Warsaw will count on the likes of Keegan Bays, Jack Tucker and Dylan Hernandez up front. David, along with Mason Faas and Lane McClone will be key at linebacker spots. The Tigers return experience in the secondary. led by Zach Riley, Collin Marshall and Josh Malagon, each of whom had two interceptions last year.
The Tigers also have a big weapon in kicker Andrew Mevis. The senior, who handles all the kicking chores, averaged 39.1 yards per punt and hit 28-29 extra points last season, plus has the leg to put one through the uprights from 40-plus.
“The key for us is how much our players care about each other and the team’s success,” emphasized Jensen. “They have to bring attitude and effort every day. I know the ultimate goal of this group is to win a sectional championship. They have to start the season with that end in mind.”
Warsaw opens the season Friday night at Columbia City. The home opener is Aug. 26 versus East Noble.