It truly was a memorable season for Warsaw football a season ago. Ten wins. First-ever regional and semistate titles. Class 5A state title appearance. Knocking off No. 1, 2 and 3 in the playoffs.
But Coach Bart Curtis wants you to forget all about it.
Well, maybe not forget entirely, but put it on the backburner. It’s a new year, which presents new challenges for the Tigers and starting with a visit to Fort Wayne to take on Snider in Week 1. So the slogan for this year’s team fits…
“They wrap fish in yesterday’s newspapers.”
Which basically means, what came before doesn’t matter.
It’s a good lesson for a team with a lot of new faces. Studs like quarterback Drew Sullivan, wideout Ethan Egolf, safety Tristan Wilson and kicker Mason Smythe are gone. A new crop of Tigers is looking to make sure last year was not an aberration.
There experience at quarterback. Quinton Brock moves back to the position after playing halfback last year. He started at the position as a sophomore, so he brings plenty of experience and confidence. While he only completed 14 passes last year, six of them went for touchdowns. He also had a pair of receiving touchdowns and 10 rushing scores in 2024. Brock is, by all measures, the centerpiece of the offense returning.
But Brock will have help. Junior Tucker Reed is back after rushing for 550 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He also had a receiving score and a pair of kickoff returns to the house.
Senior running backs Daylon Fitzpatrick (249 rushing yards, four TDs) and Brody Duncan (782 yards, eight TDs) are also back. Fellow seniors Fletcher Pohl and Logan Carl are the top receivers. Big, strong Grady Nelson is back at tight end.
Just two linemen with some starting experience return, including senior Andrew Contreras, who is a huge problem, literally, at 6-3, 270 pounds. Blake Cooksey will make the center spot again.
Nelson will plug the middle of Warsaw’s 3-4 defensive scheme. Junior Matthew Fortes-Ortega is the team’s leading returning tackler with 37 solos to go with 10 tackles for loss and a sack. Seniors Pohl and Robbie Straughn have experience in the secondary.
The good thing for the Tigers is they have plenty of numbers, meaning there is considerable depth set to step up due to graduation. But until we see how they work themselves onto the field, it is impossible to understand if there will be a drop in production from this team.
WHY #2?
Coach Curtis has really built something at Warsaw, which culminated in last year’s advancement to the Class 5A state finals. But Curtis is driving the point home that last year is over. There are a lot of new faces hitting the field in starting roles, but the Tigers have been able to reload in recent years. This program has won seven or more games every year dating back to 2018, including 27 victories over the last three years.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Good question. Blitz really considered putting Warsaw No. 1 to open the season, but he couldn’t pull the trigger.
With the offensive scheme that Warsaw employs, it could very well pick up where it left off due to the Flexbone attack being so engrained into their players for years before they see the field on Friday nights. However, last year was a breakthrough despite losing three games in the regular season. The Northern Lakes Conference is tough, but the Tigers are looking to be better this year.
CRUCIAL GAME
Week 1 at Snider
A Week 1 out-of-conference contest as the crucial game? Yes, and here’s why.
Warsaw has lost eight-consecutive games to the Snider Panthers. The last time the Tigers won in the series, it was a 35-25 win on Sept. 1, 1979. That’s 46 years ago.
The Tigers have beaten Carroll in the recent past. What it hasn’t done is knock off the alpha when it comes to football in Fort Wayne – Snider. Because of that, there is an aura of disrespect in the Summit City for Warsaw.
Come in to the city in Week 1 and knock off Snider? It opens a lot more eyes, and earns Warsaw the attention it deserves as one of the most complete programs in this area.
CRITICAL PLAYER
QB Quinton Brock, senior
No one on the offense has as much varsity experience as Brock, who has seen it all over the last two years for this squad. Back to a position he knows, Brock is dangerous with the ball in his hands, and even when it isn’t, as he is highly skilled at selling fakes and misdirection.
The offense last season was a machine in averaging over 285 rushing yards a game. Drew Sullivan ran that show. It’s now Brock’s turn, again.
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