Warsaw senior Harrison Mevis kicked, and caught, his way to a huge fall season for the Warsaw soccer and football programs. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – He was only called upon maybe a half-dozen times a game, but his presence was mega important to the success of a pair of Warsaw programs.

Harrison Mevis was a two-sport standout in one season, starring for both the boys soccer and football teams at Warsaw this past fall. Mevis spent most of his minutes on the soccer pitch, where he was the primary option in net for the Tigers. On Friday nights (and one Saturday morning), Mevis donned No. 92 and sent the football flying as kicker for the black and orange.

Where Mevis made his money was on the gridiron. The senior was as efficient as they come kicking the pigskin, converting all 54 of his extra point opportunities in Warsaw’s 12 games. He made 6-11 field goals, including a game-winning 51-yarder in a big Tiger road win at Michigan City in week two. The six-foot senior will also be forever-linked to the first sectional championship in Warsaw football history, hitting all five of his extra point attempts against Penn in a 35-18 bookmark win for the program.

Mevis also landed 55 of his kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks in a stat often overlooked, and punting the ball, Mevis averaged 33.5 yards per attempt, covering over 500 yards of flipped field.

“I’m pretty proud of being an All-American, but probably my goal was just to help the team and be part of Warsaw football,” Mevis said in November. “We won a sectional, and that probably my biggest thing for the school, for me, that’s the biggest accomplishment I’ve had at Warsaw.”

For the 2019 season, Mevis was rated No. 2 in the country in kicking per Kohls Kicking, and No. 10 in punting.

As icing on the cake, Mevis was named an Under Armour All-American, joining his brother, Andrew, as the only two from Warsaw to be named to such a lofty group. In the game itself in January, Mevis hit all six of his kicks, converting three extra points and field goals of 36, 35 and 35 yards.

For his career at Warsaw, Mevis was 16-29 in field goals, his longest was the 51-yarder against Michigan City. He only missed three of his 111 extra point tries and averaged 33.0 yards in 81 punts.

The résumé gave Mevis the opportunity to sign with the University of Missouri as a kicker. He graduated from Warsaw in December and enrolled at Mizzou in January.

“I’ve coached 35 years and have never and will probably never again be blessed with a kicker and punter like Harrison Mevis,” said Warsaw football head coach Bart Curtis. “Making a team travel 80 yards is absolutely a huge asset for our defense. Particularly in 2018 when we were not very good on offense early in the season. Harrison was an obvious huge weapon and will continue to do the same things at the University of Missouri.

“Don’t be shocked if he is kicking on television on Sunday afternoons someday.”

Mevis was named Mr. Football in Indiana as a kicker, as well as All-State for the second year in a row.

The Northern Lakes Conference football performer was also named that in soccer, as Mevis helped Warsaw to a 14-4 mark and a Top 10 team ranking for much of the campaign.

Mevis made 15 appearances as goalkeeper for the Tigers, working an 8-3 record in those matches. He made 46 stops and collected four clean sheets wearing the lime green duds, allowing just 10 goals on his watch.

His shutouts were all key matches, including stymies of Concord, Memorial and Wawasee to keep the Tigers in the NLC hunt until the final week of the regular season before losing to Northridge in its final fixture.

“Being a kicker, it’s really not about what you can be worried about, it’s can you stay consistent,” Mevis said. “Can you do your job. That’s what it is about.”