As I was watching the 8th grade Lakeview football team pulverize a then undefeated Whitko team yesterday afternoon, a gentlemen who I will refer to as the "Whitko guy" leaned over to me and asked me an interesting question.

He asked me, "Why are your middle school teams so good and your varsity teams so bad?"

I took a deep breath as Lakeview scored again and gave him answers any politician would have been proud of. As a matter of fact by the end of the game, "Whitko guy" would have washed my car in the parking lot had I told him to. I was that convincing and I can't for the life of me remember what I told him!

The middle school game ended...Lakeview 35 Whitko 7 and trust me, it wasn't that close. The short drive from Larwill to Warsaw gave me a little bit of time to actually think about the question "Whitko guy" asked me. After a quick stop at Subway to feed my always starving wife and kid I decided I would get home and do a little research. What I found is rather interesting.

Let's take a short stroll down memory lane. I won't go back too far because as I get older I am remembering less and less.

2007

Troy Akers' last year as the varsity head coach. The Tigers start the year 5-1! WHAT?
I remember. Do you?
A few highlights:
After 4 straight losses to the arch rival Wawasee Warriors, the Tigers win a thrilling 28-27 overtime game to bring the "W" trophy back where it belongs.
The Tigers then make a run in the tournament losing to Fort Wayne Snider in the SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. A Fort Wayne Snider team that lost the following week to Carmel who eventually won the state championship!

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

2008

Phil Jensen returns as the head football coach.
A few highlights:
The Tigers start out strong defeating Columbia City and then state ranked Homestead to start the season 2-0. After a couple of tough losses the Tigers reel off 3 wins in a row to run their record to 5-2. One of those wins was a shellacking at Wawasee, 28-0...keeping the "W" trophy safe and sound.
A disappointing end to the season, but the Tigers salvage a 5-5 record in Coach Jensen's first year back.

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

2009

A very poor and disappointing start for the Tigers as they begin the season 1-4. Two of those four losses were heartbreakers at the very end of the game(Should have been 3 - 2!) . A lot of teams would have thrown in the towel and started to think about Nic Moore and what the basketball team had in store. Not this group of seniors.
The Tigers go on the road at Goshen and pick up a win.
The next week the Wawasee Warriors leave Fisher Field after taking a 57-27 spanking! The "W" trophy is in the right place for the third straight year.
This group of seniors would not be denied as they reel off 6 straight wins highlighted by a 10-7 victory in the sectional semi-finals against Homestead...a team that had defeated the Tigers handily during the second week of the season.

Fort Wayne Snider makes its way to Fisher Field as the Tigers play for the SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST THREE YEARS!
Writing about the sectional championship vs. Snider still leaves me with an upset stomach.
After leading throughout the entire game the Tigers entered the 4th quarter looking for their first ever sectional title. Snider sneaks ahead but Zack Linky makes a circus catch on the sideline. A catch that was clearly inbounds giving the Tigers a 1st down inside the Snider 10 yard line! Warsaw was about to take the lead! Wait. The official was not paying attention and called Linky out of bounds. Zack's cleat marks are still there...clearly two yards in bounds. It wasn't even close.

Snider takes over and Warsaw's defense stiffens. Stiffens to a point that the Snider quarterback scrambles on 3rd and long and completes a pass...a pass that he threw clearly 3 yards over the line of scrimmage! The official sees it. This would have resulted in a Snider punt giving Warsaw a chance to win the game with one last drive! Wait. The cowardly official waves off the flag on a play that again was not even close. Snider runs out the clock. I am still waiting for an apology letter from the officiating crew. An officiating crew that in this writers opinion has no business officiating pee-wee games.

After a 1-4 start, the Tigers end the season with a 7-5 record and a winning record in the ever so tough Northern Lake Conference.

Soooooo...a coaching change which is always difficult, especially on the seniors and Warsaw Tiger football team plays for TWO sectional championships in the last THREE years.

The precious "W" trophy stays in Warsaw for 3 straight years!

IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?

2010

Here we go.
The year that all the "haters" have been waiting for.
OK, the Warsaw Tigers finished with a 1 -9 record. The "haters" are in their hey day. Let me start out by saying that I think that people forget ... people who do not have kids that have ever played a varsity sport...the seniors...16 and 17 year old boys played their hearts out on this team.

I will tell you that Jeremy Coppes, Jalen Roscoe, Keelan Simpson and Cody Bragg to name a few, wanted to win more than any of you reading this article. Their moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas wanted them to win more than any of you reading this article.

Here is what the "haters" choose to forget...

The 2010 team lost the likes of Warsaw's ALL TIME LEADING RUSHER Andy Conrad. As a matter of fact they lost 99% of their offense in Conrad, quarterback Justin Clemens and wide receiver Zack Linky.
What goes unnoticed is that the 2010 team also lost the entire defensive backfield from the year before in Brendan Barber, Tom Daniels and Nick Simpson. Let's throw in a couple more defensive studs like Josh Anglin and Brandon Head. And oh by the way, "all everything" kicker Matt Franco. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Tigers lost the guy who changed field position with his foot in Stephen Straits.

The 2010 Warsaw Tiger football team fought like Tigers.

This seems like a good time to "shout out" to all of the "basketball stars" who think they will be the next Nic Moore. This writer hopes you become that player. This writer will also tell you that in his opinion, Nic Moore is the best high school basketball player that he has ever seen. Read between the lines.

Here is a little more realistic scenario. During the 2009/2010 basketball season, the Warsaw Tigers went a remarkable 23-3. Conference champions. Sectional champions. Regional champions. Semi -State champions. State runner up. A year that sparked excitement in this community that will never be forgotten. There were THREE seniors on that great team. Justin Clemens, Andy Conrad and Zack Linky. Ironically those were also the guys who scored the majority of the points during the 2009 football season! Read between the lines.

2011 (present)

Let's go ahead and start at the middle school level. Lakeview's 7th and 8th grade teams remain undefeated. Edgewood has won more than they lost.

Our freshman team may be the closest knit group of them all. A great group of kids with Dave "Big Cat" Baumgartner steering the ship. The frosh have won two games in a row and unless the world comes to and end before Thursday, when we lay our heads on our pillows Thursday night the freshman will have beaten Northridge soundly for their third win of the season.

Our JV kids may be the most excited group of junior varsity kids we have had in a while. The JV team is currently 2-3 but the two wins, a 34-0 pounding against Plymouth and a 48-0 dismantling against Northridge and the future looks bright. I want to make sure I mention that Austin Head, a sophomore is currently the starting quarterback...on Friday nights at the varsity level!

The varsity Tigers started off an abysmal 0-3. However, we have kids who "fight like Tigers."

The Tigers headed up to Elkhart with an 0-3 record.

NO ONE and I mean NO ONE gives the Tigers a chance to beat the athletic Elkhart Memorial Crimson Chargers. Not only do the Tigers beat Memorial but they dominate the Crimson Chargers by a score of 28-13.

Homecoming against Northridge was a mismatch. TIGERS 36 NORTHRIDGE 14.

The Tigers head to Goshen this Friday night and look to extend their winning streak to three.

Now that I have had a chance to think and reflect back on the Warsaw Tiger football program, I can only hope that the 8th grade Lakeview Tigers draw Whitko as their opponent in the opening round of the playoffs. I plan on sitting next to "Whitko guy" as we both watch Lakeview destroy Whitko.

I am chomping at the bit to utter the words...

"IS IT REALLY THAT BAD?"

Posted In: Boy's Sports > Football