Warsaw Football: Tigers Look To Hit The Ground Running
WARSAW – When Phil Jensen talks about his senior class for this upcoming season he gets a certain gleam in his eye.
The kind of look that only a veteran coach could really understand.
Jensen knows that the Class of 2018 will be a big key to the fortunes this fall of his latest edition of Warsaw Tiger football.
“This group is different,” said Jensen of his collection of seniors this season. “As a group, they are a little rougher around the edges, which is not all bad. They respond to me differently, but better than most.”
“They (the seniors) have done a good job in our offseason work. We had a good summer, a busy summer. I really liked what I saw from our kids at the DePauw Camp.”
Jensen enters his 18th season at Warsaw (in two coaching stints) and his 22nd overall on the sidelines. The Tigers, who finished 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the Northern Lakes Conference in 2016, have plenty of question marks as graduation hit hard.
Warsaw lost record-setting quarterback Michael Jensen (2,044 yards, 25 touchdowns), All-American kicker Andrew Mevis (now at Fordham University), stud tight end Jeremy David (38 receptions, seven scores) and the athletic receiver tandem of D’Andre Street (40 catches, 12 touchdowns) and Devin Street (19 catches, three touchdowns). The squad also lost four of its top five tacklers from a defense that allowed 25 points-per-outing a year ago.
Jensen knows that his team will have a different look this fall from the one that relied heavily on the passing game last year in its spread offense to average 32.5 points-per-game.
“We are not going to be the team we were last year,” Jensen remarked. “We will be more of a run team. That’s what we can do best this season.”
The run game will rely heavily on the 1-2 punch of senior running back Will McGarvey and new quarterback Tristan Larsh. McGarvey rushed for 1,065 yards on 173 carries and found the end zone six times last year. Larsh, who played receiver last fall, is a rock-solid speed burner.
Larsh, a 6-2, 200-pound senior, is coming off some track season in the spring for coach Matt Thacker, who just happens to be the offensive coordinator for the football team. Larsh was conference and sectional champion and regional runner-up in the 200 and placed 16th in the prelims at the State Finals. He also ran on the Tigers’ 4 X 100 relay team that won conference, sectional and regional titles before placing 13th at the State Finals. Larsh was also third in the conference and second in both the sectional and regional in the 100.
“Tristan is big, strong and fast and those are three really good attributes to have,” said Jensen. “He’s worked hard on his ability to throw the football. I’m pleased with our depth at running back and that starts with Will. He’s a three-year starter for us now.”
Josh West, a junior, is the backup quarterback to start the season for Jensen.
The Tiger offense is also slated to include the likes of juniors Bryce Garner and Cobe VanHouten and sophomore Johnny Feldman at running back. The duo of seniors Trevor York and Zach Riley return with experience at receiver, while seniors Jack Tucker and Andrew Owens will play at tight end. The trio of junior Matt Shoemaker and seniors Dalton Smoker and Keegan Bays, a 6-2, 300-pouder, return with the most experience up front on the O line. Also expected to contribute on the line are seniors Jacob Rios, Craig Miner, Dillon Estepp and Grant Wolfe.
The Warsaw defense will count on the tandem of seniors Lane McClone and John Svinarich to lead the way. Linebacker McClone had 50 tackles last season and Svinarich, who checks in at 6-2 and 265 pounds, will play on both the defensive and offensive lines. Tucker and junior Braxton Deford will also play on the line with guys like senior Braden Weaver, junior Trenton Sands, junior John Culbertson and Owens at linebacker. The secondary will count on guys like Riley, senior Kendal Miller, Owens and senior Sky Knisely.
“The biggest thing for us this season is to win the big plays (those over 15 yards) on third and fourth downs on both sides of the ball,” commented Jensen. “We have to finish and have the intensity that we need to make plays when we need to make them.
“The other big goals (keys) for us are turnover margin and time of possession. Those two are also critical to our success this season.”
The kicking game will be handled by a familiar name. This fall it will be sophomore Harrison Mevis, the younger brother of Andrew.
“Harrison is physically ahead of where Andrew was as a sophomore,” noted Jensen of his new do-it-all kicker, who is 6-0 and 190 pounds.
The numbers this fall for the program were up with 74 players in the top three grades and another 41 freshmen on the roster.
“I’m anxious and I’m excited to get things going,” concluded Jensen.
Warsaw hosts Columbia City Friday night to open the season. The Tigers then play at East Noble Aug. 25 before hosting Plymouth in the conference opener Sept. 1.