PG closing in on second-ever unbeaten regular season
TEXARKANA, Texas — In football, injuries come frequently and without warning. The baton of destiny passes swiftly, beckoning the next valiant soul to rise and confront the foe.
“Next man up,” is thus more than a slogan or rallying cry; for a team like Pleasant Grove, closing in on just the second undefeated regular season in school history, it is a testimony to resilience and adaptability.
A perfect example arose Friday night when the Hawks faced North Lamar and a ball-control offense that a week earlier ground out 253 yards against Gilmer and averaged 6.3 yards per carry. PG opened without four starters, including three of its top four tacklers. Linebackers Noah Sexson and Buck Anderson, and safeties KJ Reader and Kaden Mcfadden all were spectators. Combined, the four have 183 tackles.
Backups Isaiah Wooten, Terrel Pattin, and Brody Watts jumped into the breach. Joined by waves of reserves rotating through the line and secondary helped Pleasant Grove slam the door on the Panthers, giving up 69 yards on the ground, an average of 2.0 yards per carry.
When Lamar quarterback Blake Hildreth threw his only complete pass of the night, a 56-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, it would prove to be the last first down for the Panthers until they got one by penalty late in the fourth quarter. North Lamar converted on just two of eight first downs and was 0-for-one on fourth downs.
In the meantime, the firstteam offense found the end zone on each of its six possessions. The second-teamers, led by quarterback Walker Wright and a convoy of hard-running backs, went two-for-two to boost the final score to 56-8.
Getting that kind of production out of backups is a matter of design, said co-defensive coordinator Jonathan Darby.
“We know we’re going to need them, so they get the same number of reps in practice as the starters,” Darby said. “They have to play scout team against our first team, so they learn how to play the game.”
Play hard, play fast, or play dead is the rule on every practice snap. One thing every defender learns is how to play assignment football. When certain things occur on the snap, every player has a gap to fill or a job to do. To throw off the offense, coaches call for different defensive formations, but the assignments remain the same.
To ingrain this idea, in practice coaches simulate plays without a ball so players will stop chasing it and start doing their jobs.
While top offensive performers often get the headlines, PG has quietly crafted an elite defense that gives up just 13.2 points per game. The Hawks have created 22 turnovers, making PG plus-15 through nine games.
On third and fourth downs, the defense wins 56% of the time because everyone, most are future dentists, teachers, electricians, mechanics, a coach or two, dads – not football stars – does his job.
“That’s why on a quarterback option if the ball doesn’t get pitched, the pitchman still gets tackled,” Darby said. “That was somebody doing his job.”
Which is how things roll at PG. It is not about the stars. It is about the next man up.
“We were able to rotate in a bunch of guys,” Darby beamed. “Every single player on the roster got snaps.”
LOOSE ENDS
• Coaches named Jaylen Boardley (9 carries, 149 yards, 4 TDS) and linebacker Landon West (7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery) as the offensive and defensive players of the game.
• Pleasant Grove (9-0, 4-0) has not nailed down the 7-4A Division II title but could not be closer. Gilmer knocked off Spring Hill Friday to pull into a second-place tie at 3-1. Spring Hill visits PG this week and must win by more than 17 points to create a tie. Otherwise, the Hawks own a 63-28 tiebreaker over Gilmer.
• This Friday is not only Senior Night but also a chance for the seniors to give coach Josh Gibson his 100th win.
• The other Hawk team to go 10-0 in the regular season finished 16-0 and brought home the 2017 State Championship trophy.