Defense kept Gators alive

Land O'Lakes relied on a close-knit group of players to post a 7-3 record and make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year.

By JAMAL THALJI

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 8, 2001

LAND O'LAKES -- You can put 11 kids on the field, give them helmets, jerseys and fancy titles.

You can flash secretive hand signs and scream adjustments from the sideline.

You can spend weeks telling the linebacker to watch the guard and the end to seal that gap.

But it takes more than that to build a defense.

Ask Land O'Lakes defensive coordinator Allen Claggett just what it is that makes a defense and he will reveal the secret ingredient that brings it all together.

Chemistry.

"They just have good chemistry, and they run to the ball," he said. "They've just done what they've been coached to do."

"We all get along great," said defensive back Chip Whalen. "We pretty much know that each one of our defensive players are going to do their assignments.

"We concentrate on our assignments because we have the confidence that everyone else knows their assignments."

Except it's not just 11 kids.

At Land O'Lakes this season, the coaching staff uses 19 kids on defense, all of whom have developed that chemistry, that cohesion, so important to building a unit.

Yet many of them are new faces.

Is veteran cornerback Chris Clarke worried that these newcomers might not be able to carry out their assignments?

"No, not at all," he said. "I know everyone is going to do their job. I have confidence in everyone, my defensive backs, my safeties. I'm not scared at all next to them."

After graduation cost the Gators one of the program's best classes ever, rebuilding was the key word at the start of this season.

The new word is postseason, as a young Land O'Lakes squad continues the program's streak of five consecutive playoff appearances with tonight's Class 4A quarterfinal game at Ocala Forest.

The Gators went 7-3 this season, securing the runners-up spot in Class 4A, District 6. A new pass-oriented offense helped, but so did a surprising defense.

Land O'Lakes has allowed just 11.7 points per game this season, shut out Springstead and River Ridge and given up a touchdown or less to Gulf, Hudson and Mitchell. The secondary grabbed a school-record 13 interceptions.

Perhaps the unit's best performance came Friday against Sunshine Athletic Conference champion Wesley Chapel, holding a team that had averaged 48 points per game to just 18.

"If you don't play well defensively, then you don't win ballgames," head coach John Benedetto said.

"The reason teams win championships and get into the playoffs is they play good defense, and our defense has played well the entire season for us."

But this offseason, the defense's problem was apparent. Land O'Lakes' traditional dearth of linebackers was even worse entering the spring.

The team tried to move defensive tackle Matt Embry to middle linebacker in the preseason classic against Hernando.

"But during that game, we saw how glaring a hole that was at the defensive tackle position," defensive coordinator Al Claggett said.

"So I looked at Coach Benedetto and I said, "I know what I have to do, but it's going to take a little time."'

Embry went back to the line.

Dustin Collins, who hadn't played football since the eighth grade, was moved to outside linebacker.

Ryan Picou, another inexperienced starter, was also moved to outside linebacker.

Tommy Hoskins, Keith Elser and Matt Zambrana also play the position.

Inside linebacker is manned by Adam Denicourt, Kevan Bogaert, James Ignasiak and Mark Lang.

Embry, Bobby O'Dell and Chris Peterson are the defensive tackles. Joey Tuttle and Anthony Makowski are the ends.

Logan Payne, Giovanni Benedetto and Michael Garcia are the safeties. Clarke, Whalen, Chris Perez and Greg Rosenthal are the cornerbacks.

This deep group has mastered the team's 4-4, cover-3 scheme. Because of the number of young newcomers to the defense, Claggett rarely strays from his base defense.

There are a few blitzes, some different looks, yes, but the front four has played so well that the team doesn't feel the need to blitz that often.

Nor does the coaching staff like to pick one standout from the rest.

Denicourt leads the team with 32 tackles and 42 assists, Payne leads the team with five interceptions, and O'Dell has forced three fumbles and recovered two.

"These guys have overachieved," Claggett said. "They've played with their hearts, they really have."

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