Andrew Mevis nails a field goal against NorthWood earlier this year. Mevis has been selected to participate in the Under Armour All-American Bowl this January. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

WARSAW – The Warsaw kicking game part of its special teams play this season has been down right special.

Andrew Mevis has made sure of that for the Tigers.

Senior star Mevis has been quite the weapon in giving his team a leg up on opponents in every phase of the kicking game all season long.

Warsaw fans and Tiger foes are not the only ones who realize just how talented the Warsaw standout is.

Mevis has been selected for a huge honor as he is among a small number of prep players nationwide picked to play in the Under Armour All-American Bowl. The game will take place on Jan. 1, 2017 in Orlando, Florida and will feature the top high school players from across the country.

“Awesome,” said Warsaw football coach Phil Jensen about Mevis being picked for the game. “It’s just a great honor for Andrew. The neat thing is that he earned it with his performance in competitions over the summer at different camps he was at like Kohl’s. He has worked really hard at his kicking. It’s just going to be neat to see where he goes with it in the future.”

Mevis, a 5-11, 190-pounder, does all of the kicking for the Tigers. The two-sport athlete, who also plays for the Warsaw soccer team, is averaging 37 yards per punt this season.

Mevis has really excelled this fall in the placekicking game for Warsaw. He has hit on 9-12 field goal tries on the season, including making a program record-tying 51 yard try versus Concord at home on Oct. 14. That kick tied the school standard set by Jake Rogers in 2005. Rogers, who kicked for the Tigers for just one season, went on to kick for the University of Cincinnati and in the NFL.

Mevis holds the school record for punting average in a season with his 39.1 mark in 2015. He is averaging 37 yards per punt attempt this fall.

Mevis is 3-3 on field goals from 40-49 yards and 1-2 on ones from 50 yards or more this season. He just missed a 54-yard try versus Concord. His nine field goals this fall ties the record set by Caleb Klusman in 2014 and Rogers in 2005.

Mevis, who is ranked eighth nationally as a kicker and 11th as a punter by Kohl’s Kicking, has impressed veteran coach Jensen all season with his work in putting the Tigers in control of the field position game.

“Andrew just gives us such a big advantage in the kicking game,” said coach Jensen last Friday night after Mevis was brilliant in a 23-13 Warsaw win over Carroll in a Class 6-A playoff game at Fisher Field. “He’s just such a weapon for us to have.”

Mevis, who has been the Tiger punter for three seasons and its placekicker for the last two, turned in a stellar effort in last week’s win by the Tigers. He drilled field goals of 42, 39 and 24 yards.

“I can’t put into words how valuable Andrew is for us,” said Warsaw quarterback and fellow senior Michael Jensen following the win over Carroll.

Mevis is also 40-41 on extra-point kicks this season. He has had just one of his 63 kickoffs returned by an opponent this season and has had 56 touchbacks.

Mevis, who is still considering his options for kicking in college, also excels in the classroom. He carries an 11.9 grade-point average (on a 12.0 scale).

Mevis will receive his jersey for the All-American Bowl game on Nov. 10 at a special ceremony in the Performing Arts Center at WCHS. The event, which is open to the public, will begin at 9:15 a.m. with doors opening at 8:50. The PAC is located on the south side of WCHS and parking will be available in the southwest lot.

The Tigers, who are 6-4, host No. 11 Homestead (8-2) in a Class 6-A sectional championship game Friday night at 7 p.m. at Fisher Field.