VALIANT EFFORT NOT ENOUGH, TIGERS SEASON COMES TO AN END
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | ||
 | Warsaw Tigers(1-8)(1-6 NLC) | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
FW Northside Redskins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
For one half on Friday night, the Warsaw Tiger football team did not look like a team that had one win during the season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, football consists of two halves.
After executing to near perfection in the first half .... leading 16 - 7 at halftime, the Tigers fell apart in the second half and saw their season come to an end, losing to the FW Northside Redskins 27 - 16.
Averaging just 14 points a game and allowing a gaudy 29 points per contest coming into Sectional play, the Warsaw Tigers looked like they believed the old cliche' .... " everyone's 0 - 0 at Sectional time. "
The Tigers came out in the first half and pounded the Redskins. When I say pounded, I mean pounded. Warsaw's rushing game, led by junior Zach Rooney piled up 202 yards rushing .... again, in the FIRST HALF! Leading 16 - 7 at halftime, the Warsaw fan base was buzzing. There was a certain amount of excitement in the stands.
That excitement was short lived.
Northside received the kickoff to open the second half and things started turning sour for the Tigers. The Redskins drove down the field and scored the only touchdown of the third quarter. Warsaw's lead was cut to 16 - 14. That certain amount of excitement in the crowd turned to anxious nervousness.
As the fourth quarter started, both teams looked like they wanted the other to win the game as Warsaw turned the ball over. Northside fumbled the ball right back to the Tigers. As the momentum shifted back and forth, the Redskins forced the Tigers to punt. Two illegal procedure penalties later and the Tigers were punting deep in their own territory. This is where the entire game changed .... in Northside's favor. Northside blocked the Warsaw punt and set themselves up to take the lead for good. Three plays and a dazzling 11 yard run by D.J. Neal and Northside took the lead 20 - 16.
The Tigers still had a chance .... for about another minute. 58 seconds after Neal's "highlight film" run, Josh Slayton intercepted an errant Jeremy Coppes pass and returned the interception 20 yards for a Northside touchdown. The extra point was good and with 5 minutes and 22 seconds left in the game, Northside took the lead for good 27 - 16.
This game was a hard fought battle and this writer does not want some of Warsaw's best plays of the year to go unnoticed.
Scott Smyth's 45 yard field goal in the first quarter ...... that would have been good from 50 yards plus, put the Tigers on the board as Warsaw led 3 - 0.
Senior Jeremy Coppes' beautiful fade pass in the corner of the end zone to senior Keelan Simpson for a Tiger touchdown stretched Warsaw's first half lead to 16 - 7 heading into halftime.
The player of the game for the Tigers, in this writer's opinion .... Zach Rooney who rushed 14 times for an impressive 151 yards (an average of 10.8 yards per carry !).
Senior Tyler Adams ... who did everything the coaches asked him to do rushed 16 times for 60 yards.
The defense was led by hard hitting Cameron Fritzel with 4.5 tackles. Senior Matt Abbitt was second with 4 tackles. Josh Hueber had 3.5 tackles.
Senior Cody Bragg, who moved from tight end to the offensive line in order to help the team .... played linebacker as well, chipped in with 3 tackles. Rooney, Simpson and junior Clay Anderson also had 3 tackles each.
| Team | Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | Home | Visitor |
| Warsaw | 1 | 5:30 | Smyth 45 yd FG | 0 | 3 |
| Fort Wayne North | 2 | 12:00 | Jackson 56 yd run (Hillery kick) | 7 | 3 |
| Warsaw | 2 | 3:34 | Rooney 47 yd run (Smyth kick) | 7 | 10 |
| Warsaw | 2 | 0:25 | Coppes 2 yd pass to Simpson (Smyth kick failed) | 7 | 16 |
| Fort Wayne North | 3 | 9:57 | Williams 39 yd run (Hillery kick) | 14 | 16 |
| Fort Wayne North | 4 | 6:45 | Neal 11 yd run (Williams pass failed) | 20 | 16 |
| Fort Wayne North | 4 | 6:04 | Slayton 30 yd Interception Return (Hillery kick) | 27 | 16 |
| Fort Wayne Northside | Warsaw | |
| 14 | First Downs | 15 |
| 11-3-0 | First Downs: Rushing - Passing - Penalty | 10-4-1 |
| 260 | Rushing Yards | 252 |
| 4/12 | Passing: Completions / Attempts | 4/15 |
| 74 | Passing Yards | 43 |
| 0/0 | Passing: Touchdowns - Interceptions | 1/1 |
| 45 | Total Plays | 63 |
| 334 | Total Offense | 295 |
| 4/2 | Fumbles - Lost | 2/2 |
| 5/34 | Penalties - Yards | 3/15 |
| 0/0 | Defensive Sacks - Yards Lost | 0/0 |
| 19:53 | Time of Possession | 28:07 |
| 2 OF 7 | 3rd Down Efficiency | 5 OF 15 |
| 0 for 3 | 4th Down Efficiency | 1 of 2 |
| 3/37.7 | Punts - Average |
Warsaw ends their season with a record of 1 - 9. The record was not what the Tigers were hoping for heading into the 2010 season. However, what many people do not realize is the workouts, the meetings, the film sessions ... the time commitment in general is something that remains constant ....... whether you are 9 - 1 or 1 - 9. The record does not effect the work that goes into a football team and a football season.
Tiger Sports Nation would like to recognize all of the players and managers, especially the seniors for all of their hard work and for the time they have put in over the last four years.
TSN would also like to thank Phil Jensen and his staff for their hard work and dedication.
When things are going well and you are winning .... it's all good. When things aren't going so well and you are losing .... it's not so good.
However, when things don't go as you had hoped and you keep giving everything you have and you keep fighting ..... well, that cannot be taught. This year's Warsaw football team fought all year .... like TIGERS !
The staff at Tiger Sports Nation thanks each and every one of you.
Posted In: Boy's Sports > Football
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