Coach Steve McDowell isn’t afraid to acknowledge that his team fell about three wins short of expectations in 2013. Warrenton ended the season 2-8, letting several potential victories slip away …
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Warrenton Fell Short of Goals
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
Coach Steve McDowell isn’t afraid to acknowledge that his team fell about three wins short of expectations in 2013.Warrenton ended the season 2-8, letting several potential victories slip away with what McDowell laments was an ability to finish strong.“I was a little disappointed,” said McDowell. “We had expected to be around .500.”Injuries and troubling inconsistency on defense hindered the Warriors, who managed only to defeat Winfield and St. Charles.“Getting a level of consistency was a our big on the defensive side of the ball,” said McDowell. “We’ve got to address some things to improve going into next season.”McDowell says the Winfield victory was by far the Warriors’ best performance, indicated by the school-record 74 points the offense unleashed.But up until that point, scoring had been a struggle. Through five games, the Warriors did not score a single passing touchdown.“We started out more as a spread team and just weren’t able to get the ball to the receivers like we wanted to,” said McDowell.Over the course of the season, Warrenton shifted personnel and adjusted its offense from a spread look to an ultimately success Power-I formation.“We weren’t throwing the ball very consistently, so our thought process was to go to more a power running game and take time off the clock,” said McDowell.It worked, as the Warriors were able to deliberately move the ball on the feet of all-conference running backs Corey Eckenfels and Zach Logan.Logan, who began to the season at quarterback, found more success in his converted role. He rushed for 427 yards on 108 yards.“Zach is a good athlete and has got real good mechanics,” said McDowell. “Zach is the type of kid you can’t keep off the field. He accepted that role and responded very well.”Eckenfels emerged late, becoming a fixture in the Power-I. He racked up 379 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns on 79 touches.Quarterback Braydan Chmiel, who saw an increased role as the season progressed, rushed for 297 yards on 58 carries. He also completed 63 of 115 passes for 625 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.“Braydan progressed as quarterback,” said McDowell. “He did a very good job with that and showed good leadership skills.”The majority of the sophomore’s passes went to junior Ryan Bradshaw, who snagged 30 receptions for 314 yards. Senior Luke Darity, who played much of the season injured, caught 22 passes for 183 yards.Darity wasn’t the only Warrior ailing, as Warrenton lost two starting receivers and return specialist in the first two weeks of the season.“We had to battle back through adversity,” said McDowell. “We had a lot of kids that were playing hurt and nursing some injuries.”Sophomore Justin McBroom and junior Alec Tonioli were expected to play pivotal roles, but each only saw the field in two games this season.“We had a ton of injuries that depleted us this season,” said McDowell. Losing Alec and Justin really hurt, especially on the offensive side of the ball.”McDowell says other underclassmen responded well during their absence, including sophomores Jacob Abel and Hunter Russell. The Warriors also dealt with injuries at the running back position, as senior Drake Wagner sat out much of the season.“Wagner performed very well while we had him,” said McDowell. “If he would have stayed healthy, he would have been first-team defensive back with his speed.”Abel was also an asset on defense, where he made 59 tackles and grabbed two interceptions. The unit was led by linebacker George Wielms, who recorded 81 tackles. While he’ll return for another season, the Warriors will lose senior Logan Shay, who was responsible for 68 tackles and seven sacks.McDowell also spoke highly of a pair of newcomers who emerged this season.“Mason Stevens did a good job on defensive line,” said McDowell. “Dane Huck played very consistently defensive.”The Warriors opened the season with three straight wins, before beating St. Charles 21-7. They then suffered consecutive shutouts before bouncing back with an offensive explosion against Winfield.“After we were able to beat St. Charles, I thought we could turn things around,” said McDowell.Warrenton closed the season with a district road loss at Hannibal.
Warrenton sophomore Braydan Chmiel took over as starting quarterback this season.
