Defense key for Aledo success

Jimmy Ivey

August 30, 2006 07:19 pm

— The Aledo Bearcats are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but with a schedule that features offensive machines like Stephenville and Weatherford, it will be the defense that will be called upon to get the job done.
The Bearcats run a 4-3 defense, and according to Aledo head football coach Tim Buchanan, the 4-3 fits his personnel well.
“You have got a choice these days, you can either run the 4-3 or you run the 4-2-5,” Buchanan said. “When you look at our defensive linemen, you got Michael Wilcoxon, who is 6-3, nearly 6-4, 270 pounds that runs a 4.7 40, then you got other kids playing that are big old strong kids, like Colby Sikes, Kyle Hix and Tanner Been.
“Then at defensive end, you have Bobby Whan, Anson Kelton, Blake Whisnand and Andy Gosnell. You have got all of those kids. That is eight kids that can play in those four spots, so we have a lot of depth for a four-man front.
Where at the linebacker depth, as opposed to having four linebackers like you do in a 3-4, the 4-3, you have three linebackers and they can be a little bit smaller inside linebackers like we have. We have got one, Calvin Jones, who is a 200 pounder, but the other linebackers we have are smaller kids who run well.”
The Bearcat defense starts with the play of its down linemen. Some schools have their defensive linemen force the play outside so the linebackers and secondary can make the plays. That is not the case at Aledo.
“We want them to make plays,” Buchanan said. “We are not just drawing double teams and things like that. We are actually trying to make plays with those guys. If they try to run the ball in A gap or B gap, those D-tackles better be making plays. If they are not making plays, they better be double teamed.
“Back in the old days, you put big old slow guys in there and told them to occupy the gap and not to get knocked backward. That is not the way we play it any more.
“Basically, we tell them if they don’t make the tackle, they better be getting double teamed.”
Despite Aledo’s quality linemen, Buchanan doesn’t think he has the market on good linemen this year.
“Everybody is going to have some pretty good looking offensive linemen this year,” Buchanan said. “We are not the only ones who have good offensive linemen. Not many people are going to be able to single block Michael Wilcoxon or Kyle Hix if he is in there playing D-tackle. They are going to have a hard time just base blocking Bobby Whan or Kelton. They are big strong kids and have good speed and great agility. We are hoping people have to double team them.
“If we face someone that can single block those guys, we are in big trouble.”
In the defensive backfield, Aledo goes from having little varsity experience last year to having a good deal of experience.
“One of the major strengths [of the secondary] is all four of them are experienced football players and have several games under their belt, with Ryan McGuire, Taylor Zambreski and Nico Dollar having 14 games underneath their belt as far as experience. You cannot replace that experience. You cannot coach that kind of stuff.”
The fourth member of the defensive backfield last year, junior Cole Loftin, will be playing offense this season, and Buchanan said he will be trying not to have a lot of players going both ways. Logan Armstrong, a transfer from Brewer High School, replaced Loftin as the starting free safety, but that is the only change.
Buchanan said the Aledo defense will try to stay in the 4-3, but if the Bearcats move into the 4-2-5, they will have the versatility to either drop a linebacker back into coverage or take a linebacker out and replace him with a defensive back.
“We can do it either way, and that is one of the benefits of our linebackers,” Buchanan said. Blane Cheatham can play a safety position. Mikey Moore can play a safety position. We have got a couple of linebackers who can play that safety position along with other people. It is a good situation.
“Right now, our plan is to take out a backer and put in another DB. We have got Kenton Day, [Cole] Loftin, guys who are not starting in the secondary who can play back there.
“The biggest deal on that is being able to play our base defense against the spread offense and not having to go to the 4-2-5,” Buchanan said. “But I am very confident if we go to the 4-2-5, because of how good of tacklers Ryan McGuire, Nico Dollar and Logan Armstrong are. Those guys are probably some of our better tacklers. I am not worried about going to the 4-2-5, but I would like to stay in our base 4-3 and defend [the spread offense].