Getting defensive
By RANDY CAPPS, Dispatch Sports Editor
What weighs a little over half-a-ton, bleeds Raider blue and worries more about the greater good than personal glory?
The Southern Vance defensive line.
Seniors Jerald Hunter (6-3, 309) and Daronte Hawley (6-1, 305) and juniors Diral Burwell (5-8, 227) and David Brodie (5-10, 205) spearhead a Raider defense that's allowing 11.5 points per game while posting three shutouts so far this season.
The quartet has turned it up another notch in the postseason, allowing just one touchdown after halftime in its four playoff wins.
“The defensive line is the strength of our defense,” Southern coach David Jennings said. “They set the table for everything else that we do. They're always plugging along, trying to work as a unit.”
Ask each player about his job description and you get four different versions of the same answer - stop the run and keep offensive linemen off the linebackers.
Hunter has started every game for the Raiders since his freshman year with start No. 55 coming Saturday in the 2AA State Championship Game in Winston-Salem against Shelby.
He's got 89 tackles on the season (26 solo, four sacks) despite drawing double teams as the focus of opposing game plans.
He didn't talk much to reporters after practice on Tuesday, but he has plenty to say to his teammates during games.
“He's definitely a leader on the field,” Jennings said. “He's started every game here on the varsity level, so that's pretty impressive stuff. He's our vocal leader. He keeps everyone energized.”
“It's wonderful,” Hunter said of the chance to play for a state title. “I'm just going to go out there and play my hardest.”
Hawley is the team's leading tackler with 133 stops (25 solo) but he has yet to record a sack this season.
And if you ask his coach, that's just the way the soft-spoken lineman wants it.
“He takes pride in the fact that he doesn't have any sacks,” Jennings said. “That's not his job. His job is to move up and down the line. That's why he has so many assists. Most people try to run away from Jerald, so they run right to him. That gives him the opportunity to make plays.”
“We just want to play hard, stop the run and make them throw it,” Hawley said.
Ask him about his opinion of Shelby, and the answer's short and to the point.
“They're going to be all right,” Hawley said. “I think we can beat them, though.”
Burwell has 49 stops on the year and leads the team in sacks with 5.5.
“He's our sack guy,” Jennings said. “He does a good job of getting to the quarterback.”
While he appreciates the Raiders' accomplishment by reaching the title game, Burwell isn't planning on stopping there.
“I think it's really good that we made some history by getting this far,” he said. “We set our minds to it and made it our goal, so now we're going for it.”
Brodie has added 101 tackles (17 solo, four sacks) on the year, and he led the team with 12 stops and a sack last week against Forest Hills.
“Recently, Brodie's been playing phenomenally,” Jennings said. “It seems like he's elevated his game as the playoffs have gone along.”
While he credits Shelby as a team, he's not backing down from the challenge.
“They're a good football team,” Brodie said. “We're still going to do our best to beat them.”
And, of course, he's excited about the opportunity.
“It feels good,” he said. “This is the first time I've ever been in something like this. I started playing football when I got to Southern Vance, so it's special to me.”
Contact the writer at
rcapps@hendersondispatch.com.
What weighs a little over half-a-ton, bleeds Raider blue and worries more about the greater good than personal glory?
The Southern Vance defensive line.
Seniors Jerald Hunter (6-3, 309) and Daronte Hawley (6-1, 305) and juniors Diral Burwell (5-8, 227) and David Brodie (5-10, 205) spearhead a Raider defense that's allowing 11.5 points per game while posting three shutouts so far this season.
The quartet has turned it up another notch in the postseason, allowing just one touchdown after halftime in its four playoff wins.
“The defensive line is the strength of our defense,” Southern coach David Jennings said. “They set the table for everything else that we do. They're always plugging along, trying to work as a unit.”
Ask each player about his job description and you get four different versions of the same answer - stop the run and keep offensive linemen off the linebackers.
Hunter has started every game for the Raiders since his freshman year with start No. 55 coming Saturday in the 2AA State Championship Game in Winston-Salem against Shelby.
He's got 89 tackles on the season (26 solo, four sacks) despite drawing double teams as the focus of opposing game plans.
He didn't talk much to reporters after practice on Tuesday, but he has plenty to say to his teammates during games.
“He's definitely a leader on the field,” Jennings said. “He's started every game here on the varsity level, so that's pretty impressive stuff. He's our vocal leader. He keeps everyone energized.”
“It's wonderful,” Hunter said of the chance to play for a state title. “I'm just going to go out there and play my hardest.”
Hawley is the team's leading tackler with 133 stops (25 solo) but he has yet to record a sack this season.
And if you ask his coach, that's just the way the soft-spoken lineman wants it.
“He takes pride in the fact that he doesn't have any sacks,” Jennings said. “That's not his job. His job is to move up and down the line. That's why he has so many assists. Most people try to run away from Jerald, so they run right to him. That gives him the opportunity to make plays.”
“We just want to play hard, stop the run and make them throw it,” Hawley said.
Ask him about his opinion of Shelby, and the answer's short and to the point.
“They're going to be all right,” Hawley said. “I think we can beat them, though.”
Burwell has 49 stops on the year and leads the team in sacks with 5.5.
“He's our sack guy,” Jennings said. “He does a good job of getting to the quarterback.”
While he appreciates the Raiders' accomplishment by reaching the title game, Burwell isn't planning on stopping there.
“I think it's really good that we made some history by getting this far,” he said. “We set our minds to it and made it our goal, so now we're going for it.”
Brodie has added 101 tackles (17 solo, four sacks) on the year, and he led the team with 12 stops and a sack last week against Forest Hills.
“Recently, Brodie's been playing phenomenally,” Jennings said. “It seems like he's elevated his game as the playoffs have gone along.”
While he credits Shelby as a team, he's not backing down from the challenge.
“They're a good football team,” Brodie said. “We're still going to do our best to beat them.”
And, of course, he's excited about the opportunity.
“It feels good,” he said. “This is the first time I've ever been in something like this. I started playing football when I got to Southern Vance, so it's special to me.”
Contact the writer at
rcapps@hendersondispatch.com.
posted by Randy Capps at 1:30 AM
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