Knights football playing its best on defense at right time
West Holmes turned in its best defensive performance of the season in a win over Ashland on Oct. 6.
The West Holmes football team’s motto throughout the week leading up to its game against Ashland was, “Lay your piece of wood on the fire.”
Meaning if each player does his job, the game plan will lead to positive results.
The Knights defense took that message to heart and turned in its best performance of the season in a 20-6 win over the host Arrows on Oct. 6.
“All week long we talked about understanding the game plan and doing your part and doing it to the best of your ability,” WH coach Zach Gardner said. “That’s what our kids went out and did tonight. We know what people say about our defense. We live in this community.
“For our kids to go out and have a gusty, tough, tenacity-filled defensive performance is a huge moment for us this season. It shows that we can win any type of game that we play, and that’s something that’s going to serve us well in the tournament.”
It’s been a bumpy ride for WH’s defense to get to this point. The unit held Triway to seven points in a dominating season-opening win. Its next five opponents scored at least 31 points, although some of those points came on kickoff returns for touchdowns.
But the defense is starting to come into its own, which started at the end of the Wooster game when it came up with several fourth-quarter stops to seal the win.
That momentum carried over to the following week against Lexington, which didn’t score in the second half until the Knights pulled their first-team defense.
Then came the masterpiece against Ashland, which was held scoreless over the final three quarters.
“We started off the season (with a lot of young players) and still have a lot of young guys on the defense and all over the field,” linebacker Gus Warner said. “I think it just comes down to making adjustments and getting those guys inclined and getting used to playing on the football field with the other guys. We got off to a slow start to the season, but I think you’re seeing now that we’re all jelling together. The coaches just make adjustments every week to put the right guys in the right places to make plays.
“Every week we get better, and I hope it continues throughout the rest of the season.”
Defensive linemen Elijah Williams-Dixon and Jack Marmet were relentless against the Arrows and have been throughout the season. Williams-Dixon leads the defense with six sacks and 12 tackles for loss while Marmet has recorded three sacks and four tackles for loss.
“We work in practice — thanks to coach (TJ McAvene) — on pass-rushing moves,” Williams-Dixon said. “You just have to work them enough to get good at them.”
“Those two guys are dogs,” Warner said about the duo. “They never stop. They have massive motors. Nothing gets in their way when it comes to getting to the quarterback.”
Eight Knights have at least 40 tackles, and four have intercepted at least one pass or caused at least one fumble this season. It’s been a team effort, but it took some time for the chemistry to build between the players.
“We just have so many players, and we try to rotate them in to see who can do best at different spots,” Williams-Dixon said. “We work hard every week on our defense to make sure it’s perfect so we can make a statement to people around our community and let them know that we’re the best defense around.”
Warner leads the unit with 92 tackles and is followed by Lynn Cline (76), Williams-Dixon (62), Grant Miller (60), Mason Shankel (48), Logan Zollars (45), Cole Porter (41), Hunter McCluggage (41) and Brock Gallion (38).
Feeding off each other’s energy has been a key component of the unit playing its best as the season has progressed.
“Coach Gardner told all of us to lean on each other,” safety Kyle Maltarich said. “It just brings the energy. When you see one of your guys bat down the ball, you’re hyped for him. You want to do it. When you see a (defensive) lineman get a sack, the linebackers are hyped for him.
“When you can see the energy coming off when someone makes a big play, it’s just huge. It fuels you. And we’re getting the sideline involved, the student section, the fans. Everyone is just leaning on that energy.”
The unit has excelled at forcing turnovers this season. Through eight games the Knights have recorded six interceptions and recovered 10 fumbles.
“In every position group we have, we’re dogs,” Williams-Dixon said. “We’re going to fight. We just have to make sure we’re going hard in practice, and we’re lit and having fun. That’s what it’s about.”
West Holmes has hitting drills every day in practice with an emphasis on ripping the ball out of the ball carrier’s arms.
“Once we know that one guy has a secure tackle, the next guy will push the pile back and rip at the ball,” Maltarich said. “(The ball) is precious. We want it. When the pile is stuck at a standstill, why leave it at a standstill when you can rip at the ball?”
With their defense rounding into form, the Knights are riding a lot of positive momentum at the right time of the season. The win over Ashland was their fourth in a row.
They finish up the regular season at New Philadelphia on Oct. 13 and at home against Mount Vernon on Oct. 20. Then it’s postseason time.
“I think getting three stops at the end of the Wooster game really created a spark (with our defense),” Gardner said. “We are a young football team, especially on the defensive side of the football. You just have that moment where it sparks and the light bulb goes off and it clicks. And that was the end of the Wooster game.
“And basically, we’ve played nine quarters (in a row) of great football defensively. When you pair a defense that’s playing really well with our offense, that’s a recipe for a lot of success.”