Wildcats load up to stop the run
El Dorado’s change defensively from a 3-3-5 to a 3-4 is fairly subtle add a linebacker, subtract a defensive back. But the Wildcats hope the small adjustment will pay big dividends on the field this season.
“We’re putting a big emphasis on stopping the run. That’s why we went to the 3-4, to put more bigger bodies in the box,” said El Dorado defensive coordinator Trey Outlaw. “Plus, it fit our personnel. We feel like we have good strength at defensive line and linebacker this year so we wanted to put more guys out there to be able to stop the run. Because of that and because of how athletic our secondary is, we’re able to put a little more pressure on them by putting more guys in the box.”
Playing against the run was El Dorado’s defensive Achilles heel last season, especially against teams such as Sylvan Hills and Lake Hamilton. As soon as last season ended, the coaches established shoring up the rushing defense as a primary priority in the off-season.
The Wildcats worked to get bigger up front while remaining fast on the back end.
“You’ve got to stop the run to win. Even though you see offenses talking about we’ve got to throw the ball more, you still have to stop the run. That’s still where you win ball games,” said Outlaw. “You look at Sylvan Hills and you look at Lake Hamilton, two teams that really love to run the football and they were in the semifinals. Everybody wants to talk about Greenwood and Greenwood’s a good team. But, you’ve got to stop the run first.”
Linebacker, the meat of El Dorado’s defense, should be tough. A big burden will fall on the secondary, however, which hopes to be opportunistic ball hawks.
“I feel the same way defensively as I do with our offense. We have speed and playmakers on that side of the ball,” said El Dorado head coach Steven Jones. “Starting up front, our defensive line
is very athletic. We feel like they can move around and give some offensive linemen issues. Inside linebacker is solid with Patrick Sixbey and Javin Steward. Outside backers seem to be progressing. Coach Byran Jones has Danquez Shelton and Jyrin Steward playing at a high level.
“On the back end, at the safeties, there’s still a few question marks there. Rakel Williams has come on throughout the summer and been impressive. At the corners, Mario Ganter and Bryson Boulden have pulled away and solidified themselves as starters at that spot. We’re starting to see some depth. One guy that’s stood out as a sophomore is Caden Perry. He’s had a good start to fall camp. I could see him getting into the rotation. We feel like we’re building more and more depth each week.
Overall defensively, it’s about speed and guys who can make plays.”
The Wildcats looked sharp in the secondary in 7-on-7 competition over the summer. The defense won the spring game in May and appears ready for a superior effort going into the season. The transition from the 3-3-5 to the 3-4 looked to be complete by the end of the spring.
“We have a lot of potential. We need to make sure we cash in on that. That’s for sure,” said Outlaw. “Our goal is to be the best defense in the 6A if not the state. We have goals we talk to our players about every day. They’re lofty goals. If we didn’t have the potential to meet these lofty goals, we would change it. But we have great potential. We expect excellence out of them.
“We’re excited and ready to hit somebody that’s not purple.”