Leading the charge: The Bucs' 'D'

Thu, Nov 5, 2009    to del.icio.us

For a unit that was supposed to go through some growing pains this fall, Grand Haven's defense has certainly exceeded expectations.

With just three seniors starting on the defensive side of the ball, the Buccaneers have dominated opposing offenses to the tune of just 115 points allowed all season. That number would be impressive for any team, but going up against some of the state's best teams week-in and week-out, giving up just 11.5 points per game is flat-out amazing.

"The class underneath us is a great squad. They've got a lot of skill," said defensive lineman Jordan Goetz, one of three senior defensive starters. The others are cornerbacks Derrik Lattig and Patrick Thornock.

"They can't take all the credit, though," Goetz added with a grin. "Our seniors are doing a great job, too."

Grand Ledge coach Matt Bird certainly saw enough of the Buccaneers' defense last Friday night to last a lifetime.

"They're one of the best defenses in the state," Bird said after Grand Haven limited his high-scoring offense to just 26 rushing yards on 29 carries. "They're everything I expected."

Bird was especially impressed with Goetz, who was consistently in the Comets' backfield.

Now the Buccaneers hope to put on a similar show against the defending state champion Rockford Rams on Friday night.

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"Physically, we feel we match up good. It's just a mental thing," Goetz said. "They run so many different formations and do such a good job exploiting not just one weakness, but everything.

"When we played Rockford the first time, we went back and watched the film, and we saw we could play with those guys. They're not above our level."

At this point, there's not a team in the state of Michigan playing above Grand Haven's level, and while the Bucs' offense has played a big part in that fact, it's been the defense that has caught the attention of programs across the state.

"Definintely, the defense has played great all year," said Alec Smith, Grand Haven's leading receiver who also spends time in the defensive backfield. "Our defensive line, linebackers, our secondary, they've all played great. That's taken a lot of pressure off our offense."

It wasn't a let-down on defense that cost the Bucs at Rockford earlier this year. It was a rash of penalties and turnovers, mental mistakes, along with the failure to score in a goal-line situation late in the first half, that ultimately led to Grand Haven's downfall.

"We just have to eliminate mistakes," Grand Haven coach Mike Farley said. "The team that turns the ball over the least is going to have the best chance to win. Every team makes mistakes. That's what's helped us the last couple weeks is that we've eliminated some of those mistakes.

"Against Rockford, we had a couple turnovers, a couple missed assignments, a couple penalties in key situations that hurt us, and Rockford capitalized on our mistakes. When you play a well-disciplined team like Rockford, they're going to have success because they're not going to turn the ball over, they're not going to make mental mistakes, they're not going to make physical mistakes."

The Rams love to run the football behind a big, strong offensive line. Joe Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, is Rockford's leading rusher, while Nick Smythe and several other backs get in on the action. Quarterback Taylor Masiewicz, a 6-4, 175-pound senior, doesn't put up big numbers, but he makes they plays his team needs him to make.

"Kind of like we do, he wants to be able to establish the run, and that really sets up the play-aciton passing game," Farley said. "The thing with Rockford is, they're so multi-dimentional, and thy do so many things, that if there's one thing they're not having success with, they go to something else."

Farley said the Rams employ a wide range of formtions, which makes defending them so difficult.

"They go double-tight wishbone, then they'll spread it out spread and go empty," Farley said. "They're very effective at what they do. They're a sharp, crisp football team."

The Rams also feature an outstanding defense, led by a pair of all-conference linebackers in Brett Egatuk and Joe Stefanski.

"They're two of the top defenders in the conference," Farley said. "I just hope we play well on Friday. They're the No. 1-ranked team in the state and the defending Division 1 state champs. We have to prepare for a lot of things."