Hey Jumper_Dad. Coach Lucus stopped by my Restaurant today for breakfast. He is such a great guy I wish you guys the best of luck tomorrow night.:thumb:Have a safe trip...AA.:thumb:

Defensively, Belfry will run their same 5-2 defense they have run for a long time. The two attributes that stand out about this defense is they have good team speed and pursue well, and they will hit you. The Pirates are very young on this side of the ball, but when you make it this far in the playoffs, even your younger guys have quite a bit of experience under their belts.

 

In the past, defensively, Belfry has tried to limit what the opponent can do by trying to take away something. They know they can’t take away everything, so they will focus on taking away what the other team likes to do and force them into more of a one dimensional game. My guess is they will try and take away the run as much as possible and force Somerset to go to the pass. If they can do this effectively enough they can put them in 3^rd and long situations, then they feel like they can better defend the pass because it will be more on their terms. Against very good passing teams, they have had success by playing deep zone and trying to rush 3 and cover with 8. If they can do this and still get some pressure on the QB, then they will be happy. They may be content to give up short yardage completions if they can eliminate the big play by sitting back there in that zone.

 

Up front, they have a few different looks they can throw at you. Following their own footsteps over the last several years, they prefer to use a smaller, quicker defensive line primarily, especially in throwing situations. They also will bring in a jumbo package for short yardage and goal line plays where the focus is more on beef than agility. Anchoring the DL is Sr NG #65, Young. He is a brute and has been a disruptive force in the playoffs. The defensive tackles are Sr T #56 Mahon and Sr T #33 Gibbs. These are the leaner and quicker package you will likely see for the majority of this game. Mahon is the leading tackler with nearly 100 tackles on the year. You will also see Sr NG #77 Hardin and So T #75 May in the jumbo package.

 

The defensive ends and linebackers will be a key to this game, IMO. They will have to balance run support with pass coverage duties and it will be a tough assignment for those 4 guys to fulfill. The DE’s have traded spaces a lot during the year, but recently has been #5 Runyon and #23 Messer. Runyon has been a 3 year starter at LB, but has filled in at DE this season and is a leader on defense no matter where he lines up. Belfry starts a couple of sophomores at the linebacker spots. #17 Mullins and #44 Ghormley. Mullins is one of the leading tacklers and hardest hitters on the team, he pursues well and is fun to watch.

 

The secondary is young and bit undersized, but made up of 4 guys with a ton of heart. The safeties are Jr #4 Williams and Jr #10 Dixon. Keep an eye on #10, he is the hardest hitter on the team and is a good defender. If you catch a pass and he gets a clean shot at you, you will remember it. The cornerbacks are Sr #11 Francis and Fr #6 Warren. Francis has the heart of a lion and always gives 110% and Warren leads the team with 4 interceptions. No doubt this group will get a good workout this Friday night.

 

Other contributors are Sr DE/DT #16 Bentley, Jr CB #22 Dotson and So CB #14 Francisco.

Defensively, Belfry will run their same 5-2 defense they have run for a long time. The two attributes that stand out about this defense is they have good team speed and pursue well, and they will hit you. The Pirates are very young on this side of the ball, but when you make it this far in the playoffs, even your younger guys have quite a bit of experience under their belts.

 

In the past, defensively, Belfry has tried to limit what the opponent can do by trying to take away something. They know they can’t take away everything, so they will focus on taking away what the other team likes to do and force them into more of a one dimensional game. My guess is they will try and take away the run as much as possible and force Somerset to go to the pass. If they can do this effectively enough they can put them in 3^rd and long situations, then they feel like they can better defend the pass because it will be more on their terms. Against very good passing teams, they have had success by playing deep zone and trying to rush 3 and cover with 8. If they can do this and still get some pressure on the QB, then they will be happy. They may be content to give up short yardage completions if they can eliminate the big play by sitting back there in that zone.

 

Up front, they have a few different looks they can throw at you. Following their own footsteps over the last several years, they prefer to use a smaller, quicker defensive line primarily, especially in throwing situations. They also will bring in a jumbo package for short yardage and goal line plays where the focus is more on beef than agility. Anchoring the DL is Sr NG #65, Young. He is a brute and has been a disruptive force in the playoffs. The defensive tackles are Sr T #56 Mahon and Sr T #33 Gibbs. These are the leaner and quicker package you will likely see for the majority of this game. Mahon is the leading tackler with nearly 100 tackles on the year. You will also see Sr NG #77 Hardin and So T #75 May in the jumbo package.

 

The defensive ends and linebackers will be a key to this game, IMO. They will have to balance run support with pass coverage duties and it will be a tough assignment for those 4 guys to fulfill. The DE’s have traded spaces a lot during the year, but recently has been #5 Runyon and #23 Messer. Runyon has been a 3 year starter at LB, but has filled in at DE this season and is a leader on defense no matter where he lines up. Belfry starts a couple of sophomores at the linebacker spots. #17 Mullins and #44 Ghormley. Mullins is one of the leading tacklers and hardest hitters on the team, he pursues well and is fun to watch.

 

The secondary is young and bit undersized, but made up of 4 guys with a ton of heart. The safeties are Jr #4 Williams and Jr #10 Dixon. Keep an eye on #10, he is the hardest hitter on the team and is a good defender. If you catch a pass and he gets a clean shot at you, you will remember it. The cornerbacks are Sr #11 Francis and Fr #6 Warren. Francis has the heart of a lion and always gives 110% and Warren leads the team with 4 interceptions. No doubt this group will get a good workout this Friday night.

 

Other contributors are Sr DE/DT #16 Bentley, Jr CB #22 Dotson and So CB #14 Francisco.

 

Drop eight, rush three and get pressure is tough. The three must be really studs up there. If they are able to get pressure with three then it will be tough on the Jumpers. The Jumpers line has good quickness up front with very mobile lineman. It will be interesting to see the battle up front.

Well, they won't rush just 3 EVERY time

Well, they won't rush just 3 EVERY time

 

Please!:sssh::bunny:

If you want to listen to the game online or on the radio, then Somerset vs. Belfry can be heard on

www.wxccfm.com

or if you are local and want to listen you can tune it on 96.5 fm radio.

 

Bobby Norman and Coach Steve Mickey do a fantastic job of covering high school football for Belfry. If you are visiting from Somerset and want to listen, they will entertain you. Bobby is a pro and Coach Mickey was an assistant coach at Belfry for about 35 years and he is a great color comentator. He brings a unique perspective to the game.

What kind of defense does Somerset run?

3-4 but mix it up with different teams, a very versatile group

Hey Jumper_Dad. Coach Lucus stopped by my Restaurant today for breakfast. He is such a great guy I wish you guys the best of luck tomorrow night.:thumb:Have a safe trip...AA.:thumb:

thanks, for the well wishes. Mrs. Lucas rides with us to the away games and i think they are fantasic people. Coach is a 100% class guy and we love him.