Raider Defense Domnates In Win Over Wawasee
September 5, 2020 at 5:01 a.m.
Raider Defense Domnates In Win Over Wawasee
By Alaister McFarren-
Offensively, it was a tough game for the Warriors. Mustering only two first downs – one on a roughing the punter penalty – prior to halftime.
“There’s no excuses,” said Jon Reutebuch, Wawasee’s head coach. “It’s just one of those nights where we just barely missed on a lot of plays. We had multiple shots down the field that we just barely missed on.”
Although senior quarterback Parker Young - who had completed 19-of-26 passes coming into the game for 371 yards and 7 touchdowns - completed only one of his 10 first-half pass attempts and largely struggled to get the ball into the hands of his receivers, he was not as wildly inaccurate as his box score might suggest: over the course of the game, Wawasee’s offense had at least a half-dozen potential big plays where the ball was inches away from being hauled in for a big game or a score.
Northridge took full advantage of the Wawasee offense’s inability to move the ball down the field. In the second quarter, they put together a 13-play drive – including a fourth-down conversion – that culminated in a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Dom Crowder.
Wawasee’s defense maintained its high level of play from the first two weeks of the season, nearly holding the Northridge offense to that solitary score before halftime. However, a pass interference penalty put the ball on the 34-yard line, and Northridge quarterback Logan Hooley threw a touchdown to receiver Barrett Reschly on the next play to make the score 14-0 with just over a minute to go.
“Defensively, you can’t put your guys out on the field for that many plays,” said Reutebuch, referring to Northridge’s domination of the time of possession. “As much as you try to rotate guys through, you can’t put them in that position. They played their hearts out.”
While they managed a few more first downs in the second half than they did in the first, Wawasee was still unable to score the ball against a tremendous Northridge defensive line and secondary. As much as they struggled throwing the ball, their ability to run the ball was no greater on Friday.
“We’re going to have to work a lot harder up front. We’re deep on the O-line, and we’re big up there, but we’re not getting the movement we need to get,” said Reutebuch.
The coach attributed part of his team’s rushing struggles to having a lot of guys playing heavy minutes on both sides of the ball.
“They’ve got to either get in better shape or we’re going to have to start limiting carries and rotating guys in,” said Reutebuch. “It’s never one thing, and it’s a work in progress. Normally, you’d have a whole summer to get those things worked out, but we didn’t have that this year.”
With Wawasee’s defense winded after spending so much time on the field, the Raiders tacked on one final touchdown in the fourth on a run by Hooley made the score 20-0.
“That last touchdown was just a fatigue touchdown,” said Reutebuch. “There’s not much you can do there.”
In the huddle, the coach told his team that it’s not where you start: it’s where you end.
“Our defense is what we thought they were,” he said. “We did a good job tonight. If we had complemented them on the offensive side of the ball, I think you see a different ballgame.”
“Sometimes the offense gives it to you and the defense doesn’t, or vice versa,” added Reutebuch. “I told (the players) that there won’t be any finger pointing. You have to have your brothers’ back.”
Wawasee (2-1, 0-1 NLC) will go on the road to face Concord (1-1, 0-1 NLC) next Friday.
NORTHRIDGE 20, WAWASEE 0
W 0 0 0 0 – 0
N 0 14 0 6 – 20
N – Dom Crowder 9 run (Carter Stoltzfus kick)
N - Logan Hooley 34 pass to Barrett Reschly (Stoltzfus kick)
N - Hooley 12 run (kick failed)
Offensively, it was a tough game for the Warriors. Mustering only two first downs – one on a roughing the punter penalty – prior to halftime.
“There’s no excuses,” said Jon Reutebuch, Wawasee’s head coach. “It’s just one of those nights where we just barely missed on a lot of plays. We had multiple shots down the field that we just barely missed on.”
Although senior quarterback Parker Young - who had completed 19-of-26 passes coming into the game for 371 yards and 7 touchdowns - completed only one of his 10 first-half pass attempts and largely struggled to get the ball into the hands of his receivers, he was not as wildly inaccurate as his box score might suggest: over the course of the game, Wawasee’s offense had at least a half-dozen potential big plays where the ball was inches away from being hauled in for a big game or a score.
Northridge took full advantage of the Wawasee offense’s inability to move the ball down the field. In the second quarter, they put together a 13-play drive – including a fourth-down conversion – that culminated in a nine-yard touchdown run by running back Dom Crowder.
Wawasee’s defense maintained its high level of play from the first two weeks of the season, nearly holding the Northridge offense to that solitary score before halftime. However, a pass interference penalty put the ball on the 34-yard line, and Northridge quarterback Logan Hooley threw a touchdown to receiver Barrett Reschly on the next play to make the score 14-0 with just over a minute to go.
“Defensively, you can’t put your guys out on the field for that many plays,” said Reutebuch, referring to Northridge’s domination of the time of possession. “As much as you try to rotate guys through, you can’t put them in that position. They played their hearts out.”
While they managed a few more first downs in the second half than they did in the first, Wawasee was still unable to score the ball against a tremendous Northridge defensive line and secondary. As much as they struggled throwing the ball, their ability to run the ball was no greater on Friday.
“We’re going to have to work a lot harder up front. We’re deep on the O-line, and we’re big up there, but we’re not getting the movement we need to get,” said Reutebuch.
The coach attributed part of his team’s rushing struggles to having a lot of guys playing heavy minutes on both sides of the ball.
“They’ve got to either get in better shape or we’re going to have to start limiting carries and rotating guys in,” said Reutebuch. “It’s never one thing, and it’s a work in progress. Normally, you’d have a whole summer to get those things worked out, but we didn’t have that this year.”
With Wawasee’s defense winded after spending so much time on the field, the Raiders tacked on one final touchdown in the fourth on a run by Hooley made the score 20-0.
“That last touchdown was just a fatigue touchdown,” said Reutebuch. “There’s not much you can do there.”
In the huddle, the coach told his team that it’s not where you start: it’s where you end.
“Our defense is what we thought they were,” he said. “We did a good job tonight. If we had complemented them on the offensive side of the ball, I think you see a different ballgame.”
“Sometimes the offense gives it to you and the defense doesn’t, or vice versa,” added Reutebuch. “I told (the players) that there won’t be any finger pointing. You have to have your brothers’ back.”
Wawasee (2-1, 0-1 NLC) will go on the road to face Concord (1-1, 0-1 NLC) next Friday.
NORTHRIDGE 20, WAWASEE 0
W 0 0 0 0 – 0
N 0 14 0 6 – 20
N – Dom Crowder 9 run (Carter Stoltzfus kick)
N - Logan Hooley 34 pass to Barrett Reschly (Stoltzfus kick)
N - Hooley 12 run (kick failed)
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