Sports

WILDCAT DEFENSE VITAL DURING PLAYOFF RUN

By Troy Schulte/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, November 19, 2009 11:53 PM CST

The Watson Chapel football team has reached this point in its season mostly because of an offense that has been able to score 36.1 points per game through 11 weeks.

The Watson Chapel defense, led by Barry Jackson (20) and Clayton Cantrell (right), have improved steadily over the second half of the season. PINE BLUFF COMMERCIAL/RALPH FITZGERALD.

But what shouldn’t be ignored — though is often difficult because of the high-scoring offense — has been a defense that is void of any stars, but has steadily improved heading into tonight’s Class 6A quarterfinal against Jonesboro (9-1), the No. 2 seed from the 6A-East Conference, at Cooksey-Johns Field.

It’s improved so much that, following a span of two games in three weeks in which it allowed at least 36 points last month, it rolls into tonight’s game against the Golden Hurricane having allowed just 20 points over its last four contests.

Watson Chapel coach George Shelton can’t pinpoint one reason as to the improvement in his defense. He cited simple adjustments such as polishing their techniques and a better discipline as possible reasons.

And it hasn’t just been a player or two, but rather the entire unit, that has allowed just three touchdowns in the last month.

“Defense is certainly a collective effort,” he said. “If one piece is not in place, the whole dike can break.”

Shelton added that the insertion of Kyle Coleman and Mitch Lane at the cornerback positions midseason hasn’t hurt. With that move, the Wildcats have two of their best athletes on the edges who, at 6-2, are taller than almost any receiver they’ll face.

Lane intercepted two passes against Searcy in the first round of the playoffs last week, and the two have helped hold five of the last six quarterbacks they’ve faced to under 200 yards passing. That span has included two shutouts, against Little Rock J.A. Fair and Sheridan, and the Wildcats have three this season.

Another adjustment the Wildcats (9-2) have made has been, at times, shifting middle linebacker Barry Jackson to the outside. Jackson made 96 tackles and forced six fumbles as a junior last season and played well on the inside at the beginning of this season. But his speed and quickness has made it tough not to put him out there.

“He’s very athletic, he’s very fast and he’s very physical,” Shelton said. “He’s just a good football player.”

But Jackson’s playing there wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the play of middle linebackers Stephen Carroll and Tavours Hollowell, which helps make up Shelton’s sum-of-all-parts theory.

None of these moves were done by Shelton himself. As the team’s offensive play-caller, he relies on defensive assistants Andy McCready (coordinator and linebackers coach), Chad Cope (defensive backs) and Bobby Hyatt (defensive line) to make most of those decisions.

He and McCready have been coaching together since Shelton took over at Augusta in 1999. He remembers getting a tip from his friend and former Arkansas-Monticello teammate Donald Harris, who is the coach at J.A. Fair now but was at Eudora then, about a bright defensive coach who wanted to move closer to his home in Little Rock.

“I called him and told him ‘Coach Harris said you were a good coach and if Donald Harris said you’re good, you’re good with me. Do you want a job,’” Shelton said. “He said he did and I said ‘Meet me in Augusta tomorrow.’

“And that was it.”

It’s safe to say Shelton’s gamble worked. He and McCready helped Augusta reach the Class 2A state final in 2001 and did the same for Class 4A Dollarway in 2004 and ‘07.

Now, just two seasons into their third building project the pair has helped the Wildcats reach a point to where another state title appearance is attainable.

Jonesboro coach Randy Coleman has been impressed with what he has seen on film of Watson Chapel’s defense. He doesn’t like to compare opponents but admits that his team might see the most physical defense it has played all season.

“They’re just solid all around,” Coleman said. “You look up and on any given play you’ve got four or five players that are right there around the ball making the tackle. That goes to good coaching and kids buying in.”

Coleman’s spread offense might have an even tougher go tonight against Watson Chapel. The coach said his team’s leading rusher Kowan Wright, who has ran for more than 1,000 yards the last two years, has been suspended indefinitely.

“Kowan made some choices and due to those choices he’ll be sitting out this week,” said Coleman, who added that the senior won’t play next week, or in a state championship game, if the Hurricane keep winning.

Without Wright, the Hurricane still have senior C.J. Jones who has rushed for more than 600 yards this season and sophomore quarterback Moe Malugen, who has passed for 1,351 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Shelton said, physically, the Hurricane look like a team from the 6A-South Conference.

“I’d say they look more like El Dorado than anybody we’ve played,” Shelton said. “It’s going to be a real challenge.”

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