2016
Friday Night Ohio game recap :
The Indians have already rushed for over 500 yards as a team this
season and are averaging nearly four-and-a-half yards per carry. The
production starts with senior tailback Joe Waring, who has really led the charge for an offense that's already clicking.
Waring
has registered 253 yards and seven touchdowns this fall, reaching the
century mark in both games this season. There’s no doubt he’s the
workhorse back in the Indians’ backfield, either. His coach describes
him as a player that's happy to get his hands on the ball as many times
as he can.
“Joe is carrying the load for us; he’s our most versatile player,” Harbour
said. “He can be explosive on the outside as well as inside. We try to
get him lots of touches, maybe a few more than what we originally
anticipated.”
Waring
has logged over 20 carries in both games so far this season. That’s a
high volume for a player that doubles as one of Northwest’s starting
defensive backs. Because of that, Harbour says his staff is trying to find ways to keep Waring as fresh as possible throughout the course of a game, and, inevitably, the season.
Joe Waring for 138 yards and three touchdowns to power Northwest to a 33-14 victory over Canton South
joe Waring ran for 114 yards and two TDs on 27 carries to lead the
Indians to a rout of the visiting Red Riders. Northwest is 3-0 for the
second straight season.
2015
LAWRENCE TWP. He’s here. He’s there. He’s seemingly everywhere on the football field.
Where Northwest High School junior Joe Waring typically is each play, is in on the action.
Last week against Canton South, the tailback scored on a run from scrimmage to open the scoring. He later picked up a fumble and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. But Waring also plays on all the special teams for the 2-0 Indians, and his 51-yard touchdown run around end on a fake punt in the fourth quarter was a huge play in Northwest’s 36-33 win over Canton South.
Of his scoring run on the fake, “Something gets inside of you where you just need the ball,” Waring said. “I just needed the ball. I told (Broc Minne) to snap it and just went as hard as I could.
“I wanted it. I had to take over. Momentum carried us through the game.”
Northwest head coach Vic Whiting trusted him to do the right thing earlier. Waring ran for a first down on fourth-and-2 on the team’s first series, and the momentum carried him and the Indians to six points on Waring’s 13-yard TD run.
He finished Week 2 with 10 carries for 103 yards and two scores, two catches and a defensive touchdown. In the Week 1 win over Cloverleaf, Waring had a rushing and a receiving touchdown.
All in his typical Friday night’s work, according to Whiting.
“He’s not going to run it 51 times for 250 yards,” Whiting said, alluding to South tailback Trey Longoria’s Week 1 performance. “But he can run the ball for 150 yards, have 100 yards receiving and add another 100 yards on kick returns.
“Joe’s been doing this for three years,” Whiting added, “all as a two-way starter.”
Waring the team player deferred to his teammates.
“I’m used to it, I’ve been playing both ways since my freshman year,” he said. “But the whole team is going both ways, pretty much.”
He’s right. Nasir Martin had two interceptions, including a pick-six, and three catches including a touchdown in Week 1. Kyle Myers had two catches, a huge kick return and a big game in the secondary against South. Guard Eli Beers blocked an extra point. Minne is a stud linebacker as well as center. Michael Roman, Matt Fennell and more also play both ways.
Waring had high expectations placed on him coming into the season. He was Northwest’s top returning rusher (659 yards), receiver (37 catches) and scorer (nine TDs) as well as second-leading tackler.
At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Waring wrings everything he can out of his body.
“He was third team all-state last year,” Whiting said. “He would be our premier player.”
After two losing seasons, the only thing that matters to him and the Indians is winning, Waring said.
“We had 15 sophomores (like myself), young guys, playing last year,” Waring said of last year’s 3-7 season. “We’re all juniors and seniors now. We’re older and more experienced now.
“We play with a lot of heart. It’s all about the team.”
Reach Jim at 330-580-8336 or
jim.thomas@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @jthomasREP
