ES South vs. Whitehall — and strategy that’s unique
Five players to watch in Friday night’s title tilt
After plenty of research and a deep dive into analytics, East Stroudsburg South coach Matt Walters has approached high school football in a new way this season.
The Cavaliers are doing aggressive, unconventional stuff such as going for two points after every touchdown, going for it almost all the time on fourth downs and also trying onside kickoffs.
“We took a look at percentages of what wins us games and starting field position wasn’t in the top five percent of reasons for us winning games,” Walters said. “So we took on a new approach of using four downs to get 10 yards and that has changed our offensive philosophy. Now, I’m not afraid to run the ball on third-and-10 because we’re going to go for it on fourth down.”
Walters said it was easy to convince the kids to play the game this way.
“They love it,” he said. “They love knowing I am not going to punt on fourth down and we treat it like a normal down. They also love that we onside kick. They love the whole aspect of it because that’s the game they play when they play Madden. They never kick in video games. So to have that kind of approach in games gets the kids fired up. They protect that philosophy, they take personal accountability for what we do.”
Walters said it also boosts the confidence of the defense. Even if the opposition is given a short field by recovering an onside or getting the ball on downs, the Cavs feel they’re still going to get a stop.
“Our defense has that chip on their shoulder because we’re saying to them by onside kicking that we don’t need 80 yards of the field to stop that opposing offense,” Walters said. “We’re going to go for it on our own 30-yardline because we’re confident that we’re
going to stop the other from 30 yards if we don’t make it on fourth down. There’s no number attached to that kind of value you get from that. Just the emotional and mental boost it gives you can go a long way.”
Walters said not worrying about practicing how to defend kickoff returns is another plus and he added that teams have to spend extra time in practice recovering onside kicks.
“You’re starting to see more college teams get more aggressive and I think you’re going to see a wave of teams go for it because the numbers scream to go for it,” Walters said.
Of course, strategies and schemes are one thing; having players to execute them are another.
If South’s unorthodox ways are going to work in Friday night’s District 11 5A title game against Whitehall at Lehighton, several players are going to have to step up when it matters.
The same goes for Whitehall, which will play a more traditional style of football in going for its second straight 5A crown.
Here are five players to watch in the battle for the championship:
Bryce Bashore, Whitehall
The Zephyrs’ senior wide receiver and defensive back has 26 receptions for 225 yards on offense and 40 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He is a three-sport athlete and his athleticism is always on display.
“He’s like your utility guy, the guy you can put anywhere on the field,” said Zephyrs coach Matt Senneca. “You put him anywhere and he’s going to do well. He has taken reps at quarterback, he has taken reps at running back and receiver.
He holds the ball on extra points. He plays safety on punt returns and he pretty much never comes off the field.”
Ron Blake, ES South
A four-starter, Blake is a force on both sides of the ball for the Cavaliers.
He has 1,047 yards rushing on 121 carries, averaging just under nine yards per carry, and has scored 20 touchdowns while a leading tackler on defense with an interception and fumble recovery.
“Ron is our first-team all-star running back and first-team all-star defensive end,” Walters said. “He was voted almost unanimously for those spots. He can cause some havoc back there and force running backs to not hit the proper holes. The size and speed he has, you can’t teach that stuff. He works hard and has been a big part of our success and will play a big role for us on Friday night.”
The latest in a long line of Buskirks who have played sports at Whitehall, Buskirk is another valuable performer on both sides of the ball. He has 14 catches for 141 yards on offense and is second on the team in defense with 55, including four for losses, and has two interceptions.
“His family background speaks for itself and we talk about tradition all the time at Whitehall,” Senneca said. “Tommy is hard to describe. To me, he’s under the radar and gets overlooked a little bit. That’s the way it was with the all-league stuff, but he has been consistent for us all year. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities on offense but when gets them, he makes plays. On defense he has been outstanding all year as a safety/outside linebacker type. He’s solid.”
Damonte Foreman, Whitehall
Due to a variety of injuries to key personnel, Foreman, another senior and three-year starter, has become the focal point of the Zephyrs offense and he had the biggest game of his career in the district semifinals with five touchdowns, including an 80-yard reception for a TD and an 89-yard kickoff return.
While he has 764 yards rushing and 9 TDs to go along with 14 catches for 270 yards and two more scores, he is even more of a key on defense where he has made a team-high 67 tackles, including 12 for loss. He also has an interception and a fumble recovery.
“He’s been our man all season,” Senneca said. “He’s our workhorse, our iron man. He does it all for us.”
Bobby McClosky, ES South
McClosky had big shoes to fill in replacing Will Fish, who had a prolific career at quarterback for the Cavaliers.
McClosky didn’t get a lot of playing time last year as a junior, but got up to speed quickly and has passed for 1,749 yards and 23 touchdowns and run for 304 yards and two scores.
“The big thing is he hasn’t thrown an interception in his last four years,” Walters said. “He has played very well and is one of the smartest kids I’ve ever been around. He’s going to have the choice to go to whatever Ivy League school he wants to go to. He has outstanding character.”
McClosky is only the three QB in school history to pass for more than 1,700 yards in a season, joining Jake Cirillo and Robbie Moyer.
“He also runs the ball very well and he’s a commander-in-chief back there as a safety,” Walters aid.