‘Formidable Foe’ Chesterton Next For WarsawA sectional football championship game berth will be on the line Friday when No. 12-ranked Warsaw (7-2) travels to Chesterton (6-3).
Kickoff at The Field of Troy is slated for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Tickets will be $6 and sold only at the gate. There will be no presale.
What can the Tigers expect from the Trojans?
Multiple offensive looks and plenty of passing and an aggressive defense. That’s the way the coaches – Warsaw’s Bart Curtis and Chesterton’s Mark Peterson — see it.
“They present some problems,” says Curtis. “(Sophomore quarterback Chris Mullen) is deceivingly quick when it comes to escaping pressure.
“If you don’t make this kid somewhat uncomfortable, he’s going to pick you apart. They use the entire width and length of the field.”
Do the Trojans like to pass?
Of Chesterton’s 2,765 total offensive yards, 2,248 have come through the air. By contract, 2,907 of Warsaw’s 3,327 total yards have come on the ground.
Mullen, a sophomore who started the last three games of his freshman year, completed 20-of-42 passes for 286 yards and three TDs with seven receptions for 97 yards and one TD by senior wide receiver Ben Slatcoff, seven catches for 75 yards by senior halfback Bryce Pickering in 27-20 Week 10 Duneland Athletic Conference loss against Merrillville.
Also catching TD passes were senior wide receiver Jake Warren and senior slotback Gunner Burkhart.
On the 2019 season, Mullen has completed 131-of-251 for 2,162 yards and 23 touchdowns. He has thrown nine interceptions and been sacked 35 times (Warsaw has four sacks on the season).
Slatcoff (33 receptions for 634 yards), Warren (31 receptions for 592 yards), Bryce Pickering (41 receptions for 548 yards), Burkhart (12 receptions for 171 yards) and sophomore halfback Colby Bullock (12 catches for 163 yards) pace a deep and productive receiving corps.
Bryce Pickering (38 carries for 198 yards and three TDs) and sophomore Ethan Pickering (25 carries for 121 yards and two TDs) are the Trojans’ top rushers.
Curtis calls Bryce Pickering, who is used in the backfield and out wide, as a “real playmaker.”
The Trojans offense is averaging 23.8 points per game and is 36-of-108 on third-down conversions and 10-of-25 on fourth down.
Chesterton had been very run-oriented the past couple of years then came the talented pass catchers and Mullen to deliver the ball.
Offensive variety marks the Trojans as they use any number of looks.
“We want to make sure we’re prepared for what the defense is going to show us and give us,” says Peterson. “We want to be able to work some offensive scheme against that.
“Teams have played a variety of defenses against us. We’ve had to prepare for multiple-front like type alignments, some man-to-man and blitz/rush defenses.”
Curtis will send his defenders against an offensive line that features 6-foot-9, 345-pound senior Wes Petersen at right guard and 6-6, 290 junior William Rinker in the mix at left guard.
“If we tie up with these guys, we no chance defending the run or the pass,” says Curtis. “It might be the biggest team we’ve faced this year.
“It’s definitely going to be a formidable foe — without a doubt.”
Chesterton kickers — senior Seth Conway and junior Jackson Syren — have a combined to make 17-of-25 extra points and 1-of-2 on field goal attempts.
Leaders for the Trojans in total tackles are senior back Kyle McWhirter (62), senior tackle Alex Dzugas (58) and junior end Kaleb Wymer (53). Junior tackle Jackson Fleming has nine sacks.
Chesterton is plus-seven turnover differential (16 interceptions and losing three fumble recoveries). Back Slatcoff has seven interceptions, senior linebacker Ryan Klespies our and senior linebacker Zach Zimmerman three.
The Trojans finished 4-3 in the DAC with other two losses being 21-7 to Michigan City in Week 3 and 40-6 to unbeaten Valparaiso in Week 5.
The Tigers lost 34-28 at Concord in Week 9 to tie for third in the Northern Lakes Conference at 5-2. Warsaw was down 34-7 at halftime and had the ball late with a chance to win.
“We need to come out of the gates fast (against Chesterton),” said Curtis. “We’re not good enough to overcome those kinds of deficits.”
All 6A schools had Week 10 off. Curtis used the bye week to focus on what Warsaw does and to give his players a break. This week has been about preparing for the Trojans.
Warsaw’s offense is averaging 34.4 points per game and is 44-of-84 on third-down conversions and 11-of-18 on fourth down as well as 15-of-19 in scoring touchdowns in the red zone with three field goals.
Rushing leaders for the Tigers include junior fullback Juan Jaramillo (221 carries for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns), senior quarterback Wyatt Amis (91 carries for 570 yards and eight TDs), senior halfback Blake Marsh (37 carries for 386 yards and four TDs), senior halfback Keagan Larsh (32 carries for 261 yards and three TDs) and sophomore halfback Julius Jones (19 carries for 220 yards and two TDs).
Amiss (17-of-35 for 378 yards and five TDs) guides the Tigers in passing. Junior split end Luke Adamiec (eight catches for 162 years and one TD) and Larsh (four catches for 132 yards and two TDs) are Warsaw’s top receivers.
Senior kicker Harrison Mevis is 6-of-9 on field goals (with two of 40 yards or more) and 40-of-40 on extra points with 42 touchbacks in 50 kickoffs.
Senior lineman Parker Davenport (54 tackles with 7.5 for lost yardage), senior linebacker Gage Lyon (51 with 6.5 for lost yardage) and junior linebacker Zach DeFord (48) are among the top total tacklers.
Adamiec and junior back Caden Silveus have two interceptions each. Warsaw is plus-eight in turnover differential (seven interceptions and nine fumble recoveries).
The two teams have met twice in the last 35 years with Warsaw winning 26-16 in sectional play on Oct. 27, 2017 and Chesterton prevailing 13-0 in sectional action on Oct. 20, 1995. Peterson, who has been head coach at Hammond Bishop Noll and Portage, is in his seventh season in charge at Chesterton, which has lost four straight playoff games.
JohnHarrell.net predicts a 28-24 Chesterton victory.
Like Warsaw, Chesterton has never won a sectional title. The winner of Friday’s game takes on the winner of Portage vs. Penn for a sectional championship on Nov. 8. Warsaw would be the home team for either opponent.
Curtis has earned eight sectional championships in his Indiana Football Hall of Fame coaching career — six at Mishawaka and two at New Prairie.
