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North 45 Harrison 13 - Enlow Field Sep 26, 2008

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Energy.

It is the ingredient that had been lacking from the 2008 Husky defense.

Friday night at Enlow Field that all changed…

…but the change really began occurring on the previous Monday night when the Junior Varsity Huskies sustained their unbeaten streak with a 26-14 thumping of Memorial.  Several young Huskies showed the “right stuff” in that match and worked their way into the rotation with the varsity defense during the week of practice that followed.

Players like DB Derrick Hinsey, LB Tony Mendoza, and DE Mitch Reiber propelled themselves into the mix for Friday night’s showdown with the Harrison Warriors on the strength of the great success they shown at the JV level.

It’s the way the system is supposed to work: hard work gets rewarded with success and that success generates opportunities.

These players are the type of people who get excited by an opportunity and that excitement generates energy.  It generates energy and enthusiasm.

…and enthusiasm had not been apparent on the defensive side of the football since that fateful Saturday afternoon trip to The Bowl to square off with Mater Dei.

Unfortunately for the Harrison Warriors, that enthusiasm bubbled up into an intensity that generated a 45-13 rout of the east-siders and jump started the Huskies 2008 campaign.

1^st QUARTER

Defensive intensity was visible on the very first play from scrimmage.  DE Damien Jackson, playing what would be his best game of the season-to-date, took advantage of a poor snap to the quarterback and dropped the hapless Warrior for a 20 yard loss.  Following that loss, Harrison faced a three-and-out and gave the Huskies their first possession.

It was apparent from the outset that the North brain-trust felt they could run on the Warriors—and run they did.  RB Travis Carlile picked up 9 yards on a dive and then ran the draw play to perfection, found daylight, and cutback not once, not twice, but three times en route to a 46 yard gain.  Following a third run off tackle for four more yards, the ball rested at the Harrison 24 less than two minutes after North had taken possession on their own 15.

Running a play action fake, QB Cameron Whitler spun back to face the line of scrimmage, planted his feet, and tossed a perfect spiral to WR Drew Hawkins.  Hawkins traipsed into the end zone untouched and the Huskies went up 7-0.

HELD BREATH

Events would play out that gave the Husky faithful some initial cause for concern.  Following an interception by the Warriors deep in their own territory, the defense appeared to revert to an unpleasant condition.  The Harrison quarterback lined up in the shot gun on 2^nd and 6 at his own 9 yard line, took the snap, and ran toward the defense’s right end.

A would be tackler tugged uselessly at one of the runner’s arms and allowed him outside.  The fleet footed QB jetted down the sideline in front of the Warrior bench where it appeared that an armada of Husky defensive backs awaited him.  First one, then another, and then another North defenseman clutched at the runner.  In succession all three failed to sustain their legs and fell to the ground.   As the ball carrier ran uncontested from mid-field to the end zone, a collective sigh was released from the North stands—it appeared nothing had changed from previous weeks of failed execution.

The game’s next two plays, however, showed that this night would be different.

CLEMENTS’ TURN

When Bosse lined up to kick the extra point, it was an exercise in futility.  The reason being that for the next several minutes of the game, LB-RB Cameron Clements was like a man possessed.  Blasting up the middle on the snap, Clements leapt in front of the kick and smothered it with his chest.  The Husky lead stood at 7-6

On the kickoff, Derrick Hinsey's return twisted back and forth across the field and brought the ball out to the North 40 yard line.  Hinsey refused to be bottled up by the defense and kept maneuvering until blocks could be aligned and pathways could be found.  Following that return, it was Clements’ turn to take over the offense.  On an 11 play, 60 yard march to the end zone, it was #33 who got the call time and again.  He touched the ball 8 of the 11 plays, gained 38 of the yards, and went the final two for six points.  North went up 14-6.

2^ND QUARTER JUGGERNAUT

The Huskies would put up 24 points in the quarter.  Clements got his six, K Preston Meador added a 30 yard field goal, and Carlile would score twice, but it was the defense that would set up most of the scoring opportunities.

Following the Clements score, Harrison started off with a 15 yard pass over the middle that netted them a first down at their 26.  Big defensive tackle Ivan Irvine stepped up and stuffed a run on first down for no gain.  The entire line surged and shut down a quarterback draw for no gain on second down, and when the Warriors went back to the well across the middle on third down, it was one trip too often.

SS Ben Green recognized the play for what it was, stepped in front of the Warrior tight end at the 38, intercepted the pass and ran a brilliant return through traffic all the way back to the 18 yard line.  Four plays later, Meador split the uprights for his three pointer.

The following possession, the Warriors looked like they might sustain their first drive as they moved into North territory at the 43 with 1^st and 10.  Hinsey diagnosed a screen play and held the receiver to a two yard gain.  DB Chase Johnston, another player who’d proven himself in the JV wars, nailed the quarterback for a two yard loss as he took off around end.  When a third down screen brought up 4^th and 3 at the Husky 36, DB Drew Hawkins deflected the ball away and the Huskies took over on downs.

DOUBLE PUMP

The Warriors got pumped up and threw a heavy blitz on first down.  The all-out rush corralled Carlile in the backfield for a 7 yard loss.  On third and 17, it was an ‘old reliable’ whose number got called in the huddle.   Split out to the right, WR Mitch Parker (who has moved into the top 10 of all the Husky career receiving records) drew single coverage. 

On the snap, he smartly dashed 7 paces and executed a hitch in his route.  Whitler pump faked the ball to him at that point and the Warrior cornerback ‘bit’ on the fake.  Parker then executed the “go” portion of his ‘hitch and go’ route and took off deep down the right hand sideline.  Whitler, getting great protection from the right hand side of North’s offensive line (G Josh Douglas and T Damien Jackson), paused a moment and then threw a deep spiral that Parker caught on the fly.

62 yards later, North was facing 1^st and Goal to Go from the Warrior ten yard line.  Carlile took the option pitch on second down, cut smartly up field as he approached the hash mark, and went into the end zone standing up.

GOING GREEN

The Warriors, intent on trying to exploit the Husky deep middle secondary, wasted no time and repeated their long pass attempt to the tight end in the center of the field.  Twice before on first down, this effort had been rewarded.  But if their last attempt to do so had been one trip to the well too-often, this trip had the sound of the bucket hitting the bottom of the well altogether.

Once again Ben Green was there to step in front of the pass and once again he maximized the return opportunity.  Taking the ball at the Husky 31, he twisted, cut, and juke stepped his way out to the Harrison 45 before being taken down..

With 2:14 remaining in the half and a short field ahead of them, the Huskies lined up Whitler in the shotgun and completed two quick passes to set up 1^st and Goal to Go from the 10.  Carlile made short work of the distance and with 1:18 to play in the half, the Huskies led 31-6 and had played their best quarter of football since the season opener.

SECOND HALF

The third quarter saw an odd occurrence: Harrison sustained an 11 play 72 yard drive in which seven of the plays were for either negative yardage or no gain.  Timely third down conversions and a busted play, bobbled-snap-run by the quarterback gave them all they needed to get to the end zone.  The drive—if you could call it a ‘drive’ rather than a series of fortunate events—would be their last gasp of the evening.

HINSEY AGAIN

The Huskies, who went without a score in the third quarter, pretty much settled the issue early in the fourth quarter.  When a North fake punt at their own 40 gave the Warriors great field position with plenty of time remaining, tension levels began to rise.

In stepped Derrick Hinsey again.  On second down, the Harrison quarterback looked downfield for a receiver and he found one.  The only problem was that Hinsey had watched the Warrior QB just as closely.  When the pass was thrown, Hinsey went to it like a magnet, snatched the ball from the air and returned it to the Harrison 43 yard line.

GOTT SPEED?

Following a holding penalty against the North offensive line, the Huskies were confronted with a 3^rd and 16 from midfield.  3^rd and 16 is not a play situation in which anyone likes to find themselves.  3^rd and 16 however, is the situation in which the Green and White can always trust one number:  Three.

#3 James Gott lined up split wide to the left.  On the snap, he took off on a fly pattern that pitted his speed versus the Warrior secondary.  Harrison is a team that “knows” speed.  Their 91 yard run in the first quarter had been evidence of it.  Their backfield features the reigning city 100 meter dash champ.  The Warriors, by all accounts, have all the angles covered with speed when it comes to stopping long runs downfield.

What they don’t ‘got’ is an answer for James Gott.  When Whitler hit #3 with the pass, Gott kicked in the afterburners and was off to the races.  50 yards later, the Warriors had all the evidence of what speed can do to you as the senior wide receiver recorded his third touchdown reception of the season.  It was Gott’s seventh play from scrimmage this year that was 33 yards or longer.

And the game was essentially over. 

GETTING “MENDOZA-ED”

On the ensuing kickoff, the intensity level was never more apparent.  With the crowd and the sideline abuzz over Gott’s electrifying play, the kickoff team prepared to contain Harrison’ speed deep in their own territory.  When a Warrior kickoff returner bobbled the kick at the ten, he paused momentarily and stood up to regain his balance.

A new verb was added to the Husky lexicon at that moment.  LB Tony Mendoza came flying downfield bent on wreaking havoc.  Placing his helmet squarely in the upright ball carrier’s sternum, he leveled the Warrior.  For an instant the player was parallel to the ground, the top half of his body flying backwards and the lower half flying upward. 

He got “Mendoza-ed” and fell flat of his back to the ground.  Only the fact that Mendoza landed squarely on top of him prevented the ball from flying free.

On 1^st and 10, Irvine bottled up another runner for a loss and then Damien Jackson nearly took the handoff from the quarterback to stuff another run for loss.  A third down pass fell incomplete and a short punt gave the ball to the second string Husky offense at the Harrison 48.  Keeping the ball on the ground, RB Brandon Scott went the final 15 yards “up the gut” for the game’s final score with 3:28 to play.

SOMETHING NEW

The Huskies played with intensity Friday night.  The infusion of 'new blood’ into the defense added a spark that had been missing.  Admittedly, the Warriors’ record is not sterling and the Huskies were expected to win the game. 

But it was the manner in which North won. 

This Harrison team played Mater Dei to a standstill before losing 8-0 last weekend.  Mater Dei had soundly defeated North.  There were those in the local media who claimed that while North was favored, the game might be close.

At 45-13, the Huskies made a statement.  The 2-4 record may not truly indicate what this team is capable of.

This can be an exciting team in their own right.  They’ve developed a swagger.  They’ve developed some style.  Most of all, they’ve developed some energy.

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