WARSAW – Ellis Coon admits he’d be lying if he didn’t acknowledge that he enjoys being “The Man” for the very successful Warsaw boys cross country team.

The senior star has definitely put in his time and paid his dues to enjoy that well-earned tag.

Coon, who recently committed to run at Temple University next year, has his sights set on just a handful of races left in his outstanding prep career.

Coon will lead the No. 13 Tigers into the NLC Meet Saturday at Ox Bow Park in Elkhart. Warsaw capped off its third straight undefeated NLC regular season Tuesday night with a pair of league wins at Ox Bow.

“I feel like I’m head, neck, torso, everything, above where I was last year,” said Coon at a practice last week. “I feel like the sky’s the limit.

“A state title is a goal I want so badly. I know there are probably 10 guys in the state saying the same thing.  My mindset is that I’ve put in the work and I know what I can do.”

Coon will look to regain his Mojo starting Saturday with just a handful of postseason races after that, starting with the sectional at Culver Academies on Oct. 15. Coon has struggled in his last two races, clocking at 16:16 to place 20th in the Elite Division race at the Culver Academies Invitational last Saturday and at 17:50 Tuesday evening to place fifth overall.  His “subpar” efforts came after he recently missed some training time and the New Prairie Invitational on Sept. 21 due to illness.

Coon helped lead the Tigers to a program best fourth place finish at the State Finals in 2012. He was part of the “Big Three” then with Jake Poyner and Robert Murphy. All three earned All-State honors last fall with Coon placing eighth overall at State in a time of 15:41.  Poyner is now at Wake Forest and Murphy at Vincennes.

Coon is now the main man for coach Jim Mills’ talented team that has not missed a beat this fall.

“I miss Jake and Robert a lot,” admitted Coon. “But. it’s nice to be up front now and it was nice to finish first on Senior Night. Last year I was trying to hold on to Jake and Robert.”

Coon has bounced back after missing most of his junior track season in the Spring due to a foot injury.  It was a crushing blow to him as the Tigers went on to place fifth as a team at the State Finals in June.

Coon set the school record with a winning time of 15:21 at the Marion Invitational on Sept. 7.

“I’m not worried about Ellis,” said coach Mills Tuesday night following wins over Concord and Plymouth. “We just need to get him back in his groove and I think he’ll be fine by semi state. He’s too tough a runner not to be.”

Mills, at practice last week prior to the Culver Academies Invitational and Tuesday night’s meet, expressed his confidence and admiration for his star.

“I don’t think that there’s a runner in the state who should be favored over Ellis,” said Mills. “At State, it all comes down to who’s on that day.

“Ellis likes winning and likes the limelight. He’s got swagger. When you run like him, you can do it. He’s confident, but I don’t call it cocky.

“His goal is to win a state championship and he deserves it. He’s self-motivated and has done the same things with our kids that Jake (Poyner) did in terms of his work ethic and leadership.”

Mills team is thin, but extremely talented, again this fall. The likes of Owen Glogovsky, Tyler Houvener, Daniel Messenger, Nick Bergen and Jonathon Beres have been tough so far for the Tigers.

“I think we have proven we have a team that can be back on the podium again at State this year,” Mills said. “We are talented, but thin. We’ve had four guys who have been pretty consistent for us. Nick Bergen has really stepped up this season and saved us. He came out of nowhere. He was running in the 18:30’s last year.”

Bergen was third overall on Tuesday night in a time of 17:47 as the Tigers took the top five places in dominating wins over the Minutemen and the Pilgrims.

Coon goes into the NLC Meet Saturday eyeing the final handful of races he’s got left in a Tiger cross country uniform. He won the NLC title a year ago at Ox Bow in 15:56, just ahead of teammates Murphy and Poyner.

“The postseason is what matters,” concluded Coon.