Jimtown High School

Jimmies swamp Wawasee in ‘26 football opener By Red Williams Freelance Sportswriter ELKHART - Was it opening-game jitters? Or perhaps something in the air? Whatever, Jimtown High School’s football squad took advantage of four turnovers, 11 penalties, some strange plays and a strong performance at quarterback to defeat visiting Wawasee, 41-21, Friday night (8.21.26). Several hundred fans were on hand in the steamy atmosphere at Knepp Field as the Jimmies exacted a bit of revenge in knocking off the Warriors. (Wawasee had just one victory last season, and that was a surprise against Jimtown.) Senior Cam Inbody led the Jimmies with a highly efficient passing attack that generated 129 yards on nine of 11 aerials with no interceptions. He was quick to deflect the praise: “I couldn’t have done it without our line blocking and the turnovers by the defense.” Nash Hamby, a senior running back for the Boys of Baugo, rushed for 61 yards to lead Jimtown’s ground game. He said last year’s loss to Wawasee left a bad taste in his mouth: “Everyone remembers how bad it hurt.” JHS head coach Cody Vincent remarked, “I had a good feeling going into the game without really knowing what to expect.” He was especially impressed with Inbody’s leadership in the contest. “So many guys stepped up,” he added, including some freshmen who were needed in the game. The Jimmies drew first blood in the game. After a scoreless first quarter, they scored with 10:43 left before halftime when Nate Guthrie plowed thru the left side for a two-yard score. The touchdown was set up by a 57-yard pass play when Inbody spotted a wide-open Tucker Sahlhoff down the left side. He was brought down at the Warriors’ 5. Murphy DiPiro added the first of five point-after kicks. A sack by Brax Laird and 24-yard loss also was instrumental, setting the Warriors back to their 11. Wawasee came back to tie it at 7:18 on a 10-yard run by Kaden Andrew. He set up his own score with a 30-yard romp to Jimtown’s 10. The Jimmies then controlled the ball most of the second half and put the game out of reach with three TDs in the third period, two more by Guthrie, and Inbody’s six-yard pass to Zander Whitaker. One of the most dramatic plays came after the Jimmies zoomed to a 34-7 advantage. Lawson VanHoozer, a senior playing his first varsity contest, picked off an errant Wawasee pass and returned it 26 yards to the Warriors’ 28. He was leveled by a hard hit, with many on the sideline expecting a “targeting” call. The officials conferred for several minutes before assessing only an illegal blocking penalty against Wawasee. On the ensuing TD run by Guthrie, Jimtown was charged with two 15-yard penalties and forced to kick off from its own 12 yard line. Vincent was greatly puzzled by the sequence of official flags. Score by quarters: Wawasee 0 7 0 14 - 21 Jimtown 0 14 20 7 - 41 Scoring: J - Nate Guthrie 2 run (Murphy DiPiro kick) W - Kaden Andrew 10 run (Cash Walter kick) J - Guthrie 1 run (DiPiro kick) J - Zander Whitaker 6 pass from Cam Inbody (DiPiro kick) J - Lawson VanHoozer 42 fumble return (run failed) J - Guthrie 2 run (DiPiro kick) J - Guthrie 9 run (DiPiro kick) W - Andrew 9 pass from Johnny Zachary (Walter kick) W - Zachary 2 run (Walter kick) Statistics Wawasee Jimtown 14 First Downs 19 23/120 Rushing Yards 40/130 120 Passing Yards 129 5-13-2 Passes 9-11-0 3/33 Punts/Average 1/28 2/2 Fumbles Lost 1/1 11/80 Penalties/Yards 6/55 Officials: Tim Grueger, ref; Jeb McNally, ump; Augie Freda, head line jdg; Andy Metzger, line jdg; Savon Williams, back jdg.