Getting Defensive

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October 9, 2008

New Waverly breaks out own version of black-shirt defense

By Gene Schallenberg The Huntsville Item Thu Oct 09, 2008, 11:32 PM CDT

It’s all smiles in New Waverly. Despite facing some talented teams prior to district play, the Bulldogs have tasted victory in all three of their games and their hard-hitting defense is one of the biggest reasons why.

In all three of its games this season, New Waverly led late with the opposing team threatening to score. The team’s aggressive defense stood tall in each of those moments to help the amped up Bulldogs march off the field to celebratory shouts that show the team’s growing confidence.

Much of the fiery nature of the Dogs defense can be traced back to the competitiveness of practices.

The Bulldogs (3-0) took a page out of the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ book, incorporating the use of black practice jerseys for the defense.

After strategizing for the next game, the coaching staff hands out black jerseys to the defensive starters each week.

“It’s a reward system that we use,” New Waverly defensive coordinator Paul Donelson said. “The kids take pride in wearing the black shirts. It makes them work even harder.”

Along with being a motivating tool, the black jerseys also help keep the defense on its toes. The starters know there is always someone waiting, someone more than willing to take their spot.

“It’s a competition,” senior Michael Keller said. “We just compete every day for who’s going to wear that black jersey. It makes us real hungry come Friday night because we know we’ve worked real hard to keep the jersey all week.”

“You get the hardest hits, you keep the jersey,” junior Justin Ward said. “If you don’t want to practice, you’re not going to get it.”

Printed across the front of the jersey in big letters is the word Maddog.

“It’s just something coach Paul told us about,” Keller said of his defensive coordinator, who played quarterback at New Waverly High before becoming a hard-hitting safety at Sam Houston State. “It’s how we should play defense. We’re going to come hard every snap until the end of the whistle.”

“We’re the ones that are going to lay some good licks on people,” Ward added.

Maddog has become more than just a logo. It has become a philosophy in how the Bulldogs practice and play on Friday nights.

“You don’t see many teams winning championships unless they play very good defense,” head coach Ken Craig said. “Defense is definitely an emphasis of what we do. I’m real proud of the way they’ve played thus far.

“Anybody that’s any good tries to have some sort of identity with different aspects of the game. As a defense, it’s how they identity themselves. They want to fly to the ball and be all over the opponent. They never let up and never quit.”

While the Bulldogs are undefeated, this group doesn’t take that for granted. The players admit that hard work and conditioning is the reason they are winning.

“It’s long days of practice and running that have helped us,” Keller said. “We do a lot of running. All 11 of us. We don’t take it easy. We have to be out there busting it every practice snap we go through.”

“We practice like it’s a game,” Ward added. “The whole goal at practice is for our defense to stop our offense.

“We’re very talented and we know we got a special team here. We got three linebackers that are just beasts. Our corners are good. We got hard-hitting safeties. Matt Gray is 110 percent man. Dadrian (Powell) comes to try and knock your block off. Ethan (Abbott) isn’t scared to hit you. Cole (Bohannon) has really stepped up. Kyren (Watts) also goes hard every play.”

The Bulldogs are looking to step up the intensity even more now that district play is set to begin. Centerville comes to town tonight for a showdown that starts at 7:30.

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New Waverly breaks out own version of black-shirt defense

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