Published: August 28, 2007 06:19 pm            

POJO defense looks to be improved

SPRINGTOWN — In 2006, The Springtown Porcupines defense was poor. Springtown head football coach Brad Turner admits that and even takes a good share of the responsibility.

The offense he installed last year, scored a lot of points, but its quick strike ability left the defense exposed and allowed opponents too many opportunities to exploit it.

A year later, Turner feels the defense will be improved from last season for a number of reasons, one being it could not be much worse than it was last season.

“On defense, I think there were five or six [players] who had not even played football the year before,” Turner said. “They had left the program and had come back, so we were playing not only with new varsity players, but we were playing some guys who had been out of the game for at least a year, some more. The strength, the conditioning, [it was not there and] we just did not tackle well.

“To be good on offense, you have to block and to be good on defense, you have to tackle and we just, fundamentally, were not as good as we needed to be. If you go back and watch the film, 90 percent of the time, we are in the right position. We just did not make the play. A year of strength, maturity and experience and all that, we don’t have a choice but to be better.”

Having six returning starters from last season helps a team, which allowed an average of 251.4 rushing yards per game. The Porcupines are also looking to take advantage of last year’s JV defense, which was a bright spot for the developing program.

“Our JV defense was really good and they played really well,” Turner said. “In fact, I think we lost to Fossil Ridge, but it was 13-7, 14-7. We played really good defense against them and they were way more athletic than us. A lot of those kids are going to be asked to step up and make plays.”

It will not be just juniors like defensive tackle, R.J. Wilson, nose guard Chad Hoffman and linebacker Eric Baltodano who are stepping up to fill huge roles for the defense from last year’s JV defense. The Porcupines bring at least one starter at every level of the defense. Senior Ty Burtnett returns to the line, while last year’s surprise, Matt Pierce, who finished the year with 44 tackles, will lead the linebacker corps. Senior Al Owens anchors the defense from his safety position, while junior Caleb Bankston returns for his second varsity season at cornerback.

The Porcupines also got a move-in from Azle, junior linebacker Tyler McDowell. McDowell was on Azle’s varsity squad last season and adds another degree of experience to the Porcupines linebacker corps along with junior Trace Pawelek and seniors Brian Bolling and Josh Mendenhall.

Turner feels that any reputation the Springtown defense developed last year is wrong. The defense is not new this year for the Porcupines. They have had a full year to learn it and make adjustments to it. It is now time for the Porcupines to put into action what they learned from last season.

“We believe in what we do, scheme-wise,” Turner said. “Coach [Scott] Wells certainly knows it as well as anybody. They spent a lot of time in the offseason. They visited with several schools that do same type of thing we do. We tweaked some things. We have changed our secondary a little bit as far as coverage, which we think will help us.

“It is not that we questioned what we were doing. It was just we had to get better at who was doing it. Fundamentals have to be the first and foremost place to start.”

The Porcupines defense gets its first chance to change the opinions of many people Friday when they travel to Miller Stadium to face the Mineral Wells Rams at 7:30 p.m.

        

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