VINCENT — Warren head coach Andy Schob brings his Warriors to town on Friday night looking to make history.
While his team’s 26-12 loss last week against Portsmouth shattered hopes of a Southeastern Ohio Athletic League championship, the Warriors can record a third-straight win over Logan for just the second time since the teams first met in 1986.
It has been a strange series. The Chieftains won the first nine meetings before Warren won three straight games from 1995-1997, and Logan won 13 straight games until Warren won each of the last two seasons.
The Warriors played nearly flawless that night in the French City and dominated in almost every facet of the game. However, last week against Portsmouth, the Warriors showed their Jekyll and Hyde nature in a 26-12 home loss.
They’ve also lost to Jackson (35-20) in league play.
Outside the SEOAL, Warren defeated Marietta (20-13) and Parkersburg South (47-39) and lost to Parkersburg (51-40), Athens (42-6), Meigs (43-18), and East Liverpool (35-7).
Warren uses a balanced ball-control offense and has used a big offensive line to wear out opponents. The Warriors are slow starters, scoring only 17 points in the first quarter all season, but increase their scoring each quarter. Despite the ball control, the Washington Countians are only averaging 22 points per game.
Senior quarterback Austin Klintworth (6-3, 158) leads the Warrior attack with a team-high 508 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 124 carries while passing for 1,271 yards with 13 touchdown passes. He has completed 54 percent of his passes (95-178) but been intercepted nine times.
Tight End David Ryan (6-4, 220, senior) is the top pass catcher, grabbing 31 passes for 528 yards while scoring nine touchdowns. Jake Powell (5-11, 185, senior) adds 13 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown and Cole Wigal (6-2, 170, junior) contributes 10 catches for 175 yards and two scores.
Joining Klintworth in the backfield are fullback Jake Scott (6-0, 210, senior) and halfback Jared Isner (5-8, 155, junior). Isner is the team’s second-leading rusher with 340 yards and three touchdowns on 72 carries. Scott adds 208 yards and one score on 59 carries but has caught 16 passes for 178 yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Junior Andrew Henthorn (5-10, 160, junior) was among the Warriors’ key producers but suffered an injury against Jackson and his status for Friday night is unknown.
Senior guards Tyler Welch (6-3, 220) and Chris Massey (6-2, 225) lead a line that averages 241 pounds per man from tackle to tackle. Brandon Pahl (6-4, 315, junior) and Gunnar Smith (6-3, 220, senior) are the tackles while Mikael Hinton (6-0, 225, junior) is the center. Zach Clegg (6-2, 251, sophomore) adds depth for the Blue and White.
The Warriors have used both 3-5 and 4-3 defensive fronts, with the 3-5 used more against rushing offense and the 4-3 against passing offenses like Gallipolis and Portsmouth.
Connor Cisler (6-4, 255, senior) and Pahl are the tackles with Cody Dobbs (5-9, 155, senior) playing nose guard in the 3-5 front and end in the 4-3.
David Rowland (6-3, 249, sophomore) is the middle linebacker with Scott and Smith playing inside. Ryan and Powell are the outside linebackers. Smith will play defensive end instead of linebackers if Warren moves to a 4-3 front. Zach Henthorn (5-10, 215, senior) and Brogan Davis (6-2, 215, senior) add depth at linebacker.
Tanner Huck (5-9, 155, junior) and Justus Johnson (5-10, 165, sophomore) are the cornerbacks with Klintworth playing free safety. Powell moves to free safety when Warren is in a 4-3 defense while Isner plays strong safety.
Alex Miller (6-1, 160, senior) will do the punting and kicking for Warren, having converted 13 points after touchdown and two field goals. Miller also ran for a score on a fake field goal try earlier this season. Johnson and Powell will return kicks and punts.
Logan football historian Spencer Waugh of loganfootball.com previews the Chiefs’ opponent every Thursday in The Logan Daily News.