Football
2020 Bishop Dwenger Football Preview: Is Another Deep Playoff Run in Store?
Head Coach: Jason Garrett (3rd season)
2020 Schedule:
Aug. 21 Fort Wayne Wayne
Aug. 28 at Fort Wayne North
Sep. 4 Fort Wayne South
Sep. 11 at Homestead
Sep. 18 at Carroll (Fort Wayne)
Sep. 25 Fort Wayne Concordia
Oct. 2 at Fort Wayne Luers
Oct. 9 Fort Wayne Snider
Oct. 16 Fort Wayne Northrop
Key Returning Players:
QB Brenden Lytle
RB/OLB Devon Tippmann
RB Louie Tippmann
WR Rocco Ciocca
WR/SS Sam Pesa
TE Michael Finley
TE Jack Tippmann
OT/DT Vincent Fiacable
OC/MLB Joe Fabini
SB/OLB John Michael Fabini
Key Losses:
WR Griffin Eifert
WR Michael Ledo Jr
RB/WR/DB Patrick Finley
RB/OLB Hayden Ellinger
OT/DT Luke Wiginton
OC/NG Nolan Fischer
Year two under head coach Jason Garrett was another successful one, and though this time it didn’t end in a state championship, Dwenger proved that they can compete in 5A. The Saints finished the year 11-2 with their only losses coming at the hands of Homestead and Valparaiso in the state semifinals. Dwenger saw good, consistent play from every part of their team. And as always that consistency starts on their offensive line.
You’ll never have to ask if the Saints will have a good o-line. This year, players like Vinny Fiacable and Joe Fabini who know the history of Dwenger football in the trenches will look to keep the tradition of dominating opposing defenses going, despite losing some important pieces from last year.
“I think we’ll be pretty good,” Fiacable said. “We always got to get better, guys will step up. We’re missing a lot of key guys from last year, but we’ll be alright.”
Behind him will be the senior quarterback Brenden Lytle. Lytle threw for 2,045 yds and 18 TD while completing 61% of his passes last year as a junior. Lytle was also the quarterback during the end of the 2018 state championship season. Since then, his numbers have continued to improve each week.
“I don’t know that you can measure it,” Garrett said of his quarterback’s growth. “When you take a sophomore that begins week 8, then goes through the rest of our season in 2018 and we go through a state championship game. Then, to go through the season in 5A last year and to lose a tough one at semi-state, you just can’t measure the amount of maturity he has on the field and obviously that translates to who he is as a young man and as a leader for us.”
Lytle will be joined again in the backfield by his top two running backs from a year ago, Devon and Louie Tippmann. Devon had 431 yds and 12 TD on the ground last season, while Louie put up 525 yds and 3 TD. Each back averaged over 4 yds a carry on their runs.
While the offense looks strong, the defense will be even better. Fiacable will be a force on the defensive line, coming off 17 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 2 sacks a season ago. The Saints will be set at linebacker, with Joe and John Michael Fabini pairing with Devon Tippmann for a fearsome front 7. Tippmann led the team with a very impressive 106 tackles, averaging to about 8.2 a game, with 13 tackles for a loss. Sam Pesa returns in the secondary, after having 13 tackles, a sack, and 4 interceptions. The Saints have always prided themselves on having great defenses and 2020 is no exception.
“At Bishop Dwenger High School it’s everything,” Garrett responded when asked about the emphasis the Saints have put on defense. “That goes back 50-plus years. I think great football starts on the defensive side, it starts with how you play on that side. Everything revolves around our defense so that’s a strong emphasis at the start of camp.”
Dwenger will continue to work on both sides of the ball this summer and will prepare for their first opponent, the Wayne Generals, on August 21 at Bishop Dwenger High School.
