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North 48 Harrison 7 - Enlow Field Sep 3, 2010

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Defense

Game Recap

Sometimes the scoreboard can be misleading.  To look at Friday night’s scoreboard at Enlow Field, it would be easy to assume that the offense had a banner night in North’s 48-7 victory over Harrison.

The truth of the matter is, Friday night was all about defense.  Other than some long runs by RB Richard Compton and FB Ryan Wickham, the offense never put itself in a position to score.  It was the defense that set up field position, forced turnovers, and denied Harrison on its first nine third down conversions.

That’s where this particular ballgame became a blowout. 

It didn’t hurt that Harrison self-destructed with bad snaps from center in the 2^nd quarter, but the relentless pressure from the defensive front seven had Harrison on the run from the game’s opening minutes.

1^ST QUARTER

It looked like disaster might strike early when the Huskies turned the ball over with an interception near midfield barely a minute into the game.  Nightmare visions of last week’s horrific start against Henderson went through most fans’ minds when a first down offside penalty set up 1^st and five for the Warriors.

It was LB Tyler May who fired the first shot in what would be a defensive salvo when he threw a runner for a loss on third and short.

Following a Harrison punt, the offense began to find its rhythm following an off-tackle run by Compton behind G Damien Jackson and T Jarrod Hawkins for a 16 yard pickup.  QB Luke Blankenship then hit WR Caleb Kinnaird for 11 more yards and a first down at the North 48. 

Two plays later, the Huskies ran their “jumbo” formation with Jackson lined up at tight end.  The senior lineman “can openered” the linebacker and drove him toward the sideline.  T Austin Moll sealed off the  defensive end and Compton darted into the open between the two blockers.  Forty-nine yards later he waltzed into the end zone—out running a Warrior secondary that possesses some of the better track stars in Evansville in the process.

Sophomore linebacker “Big” Mike Johnson stepped up on the next defensive stand.  Harrison had the benefit of good field position again due to a poorly executed onside kickoff, but when Johnson twice stuffed runners for no gain during the drive, the Warriors were forced to punt.

North’s offense sputtered badly on the next possession.  A fumbled snap and a false start backed the Huskies up within their own 5 yard line and an 11 yard punt just made matters worse.

Again it was Tyler May and the defense who answered the call.  May dropped the hapless Harrison quarterback for a five yard loss on second down and DE Devin Rios forced the QB out of the pocket on 3^rd and long.  Settling for a 2 yard gain, it set up 4^th and 15 and it was DT Damon Byars who correctly read a screen pass and intercepted the ball to thwart the Harrison scoring opportunity.

2^ND QUARTER

The Husky offense was feeling particularly generous this evening, however.  Following an 8 yard cut back pass to FB Duvante Lane and a 26 yard run by Compton out of the jumbo formation, Harrison intercepted a pass to stall the drive.

It fell to the defense to once again take the starch out of the upset-minded Warriors.

And, yet again, it was LB Tyler May who first answered the call.   Zooming through the line on a blitz, May stopped the Harrison tailback for a 2 yard loss to set up 2^nd and 12.

At this point in the game, the Husky ‘blitz’ was wreaking havoc with Harrison’s offensive timing.  To counteract the fierce rush by the North front seven, the Warrior coaching staff chose to move to a ‘shot gun’ style formation.  It was a decision that would prove to be fateful for Harrison hopes at victory.

On the following play (and, as it turned out, on each of their next three possessions) a poor snap from center sent the quarterback scurrying for the loose ball and resulted in a huge loss.   Another third down screen pass attempt fell harmlessly incomplete and a 28 yard punt gave the Huskies excellent field position for the first time in the game.

The offense capitalized.

FB Ryan Wickham zoomed 37 yards on a quick trap play between C Sam Jones and G Damon Byars to set up 1^st and goal.  Two plays later RB Mike Johnson vaulted into the end zone for a touchdown.  Following the second of what would be six extra point kicks by David Patton, the Huskies led 14-0.

A ‘grabbing the face mask’ penalty on the kickoff gave Harrison great field position at the North 49 and again the defense forced a three-and-out after a fumbled snap on first down.

North was forced to punt as well when there was confusion on a third down pass route.  The Warriors, however, got a nifty return on the kick and were looking at another short field with 1^st and 10 from the North 31 yard line.  Another 3^rd down bad snap from the shotgun formation caused a three-and-out.

It was Compton who again provided a spark behind the blocking of messrs. Byars, Moll, and Jackson.  On a sweep play to the right out of the jumbo formation, the senior tailback cut up field and rambled 46 yards before a Warrior forced him out of bounds at the Harrison 39.  Blankenship rolled out left on the next play and picked up 15 more yards to the 24. 

FB Duvante Lane ran a pitch-trap play up the middle between Jones and Byars and gained 14 yards to make it first and goal to go.  Two plays later, Lane appeared to be stopped in the center of the line when no hole emerged for him to run through.  The sophomore showed natural running skills when he alertly jumped to his right, planted his lead foot, and then darted around right end for a touchdown.  With Patton’s kick the score was 21-0 as halftime neared.

SECOND HALF

If some of the Husky domination of the second quarter could be attributed to the poor exchanges between the Harrison center and quarterback, the credit for the outright destruction of the Warriors that took place in the third quarter has to go to DE Devin Rios and the rest of the Husky front seven.

Seldom has such one-sided opportunism been seen from a North defense.

Friday night, to start the second half, the Huskies were relentless.

On just the second play of the quarter, Rios broke through the line and stripped the ball away from the quarterback as he was wrestling him to the ground.  DE Austin Moll grabbed up the loose ball and very nearly scored his second touchdown of the season before being pulled down on the two yard line.  Compton dove in for a touchdown on the Huskies first try at the goal and made the score 28-0.

PATTON’S ‘LONG LEG’

K David Patton’s long kickoffs bottled up the Warriors the entire second half.  Where Harrison’s average starting field position in the first half had been the North 49 yard line, Patton’s booming kickoffs resulted in the Warriors starting their next five possessions inside their 22 yard line.

Harrison lacked the firepower to overcome the 30 yard difference that Patton’s kickoffs made.

Starting their next possession from just their 14 yard line, Rios stopped a runner for no-gain on second down to set up third and long.  This time it was LB Kyle Holland who blitzed and dropped the Warriors for a loss to force a punt from inside their ten yard line.  DB DeWayne Williams fielded the punt at the 36, found an opening, and made it to the Harrison 16 before he was brought down.  Just two plays later, Compton sealed Harrison’s fate with a 10 yard touchdown run off right tackle and the score went to 35-0.

Trailing by such a large margin, Harrison began throwing the ball on nearly every play and given the ferocious rush by Rios & Company, the Warriors failed to make much headway.  When the defense forced another three and out, Williams returned another punt inside the Warrior 35 and set up a short field for the offense.

Facing 3^rd and short, RB Blake Howell cut off a tremendous block by Jackson at left guard, got a block on the linebacker from T Jarrod Hawkins, and then sliced through the Warrior secondary for a 27 yard TD.  A poor snap cost the Huskies the extra point but North had scored 20 points in just five-and-a-half minutes of play to make the total 41-0.

It was the opportunistic defense that fittingly closed out the scoring for North.  Bottled up inside their ten yard line by another Patton kickoff, the Warriors attempted a draw play out of the shot gun formation.

Surrounded by a hoard of Huskies, the exchange between the Warrior quarterback and running back was muffed, and somehow or another the ball ended up free ten yards beyond the line of scrimmage.  DB Caleb Kinnaird scooped up the ball and tore his way down the right side line.  He dove into the end zone and the Huskies had their fourth touchdown of the quarter.

In tennis parlance, it was game, set, and match at that point.

CONCLUSION

Good defense is a thing of beauty.  It begins with a game plan designed to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.  It is realized by the execution of fundamental football—linemen have to get off the ball quickly, linebackers have to wrap up runners and bring them to the ground, and defensive backs have to play their men tight.

When everything comes together on defense—a good plan combined with great execution—few teams can be beaten.

North’s defense was unbeatable Friday night.   Harrison was zero for nine on third down conversions prior to the starters leaving the game.

North’s kicking game was vastly improved Friday night.

North scored a defensive touchdown for its third straight game Friday night—something that hadn’t been done since 2001.

A couple things stood out that raise questions heading into this week’s game with Mater Dei:

·         12 penalties for 90 yards

·         The offense’s sluggishness in the first half.

The Wildcats will welcome North into Reitz Bowl with all the ferocity that they are known for.  North can ill afford another slow start by the offense or a series of drive-killing penalties.

But if the defense shows up Saturday like it did Friday night, it could be a very rosy afternoon for the Huskies.

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