Louisa’s defense locks down

Louisa County’s defense is nothing if not opportunistic. Case in point: Last week against Western Albemarle the Lions were able to make big plays on defense, creating 14 points off turnovers in the fourth quarter. It proved to be the difference, as Louisa secured its first Jefferson District win.
In fact, the Lions’ defense has scored 20 points this year — the other touchdown came in a convincing win over Powhatan last month.
Louisa, who is 4-1 and has already surpassed its win total from a year ago, hopes the trend continues against district foe Monticello tonight.
“I think they’re in the right place at the right time because [assistant coaches Jon] Meeks and [Princell] Brockenbrough are making the right calls,” said Louisa coach Mark Fischer of his team’s ability to make plays on defense. “But anytime you get a turnover, there’s always a certain element of luck. To score three touchdowns in five games, it says a lot about the intensity and the tenacity of our kids so far.”
Louisa has also posted two shutouts this year — against Powhatan and Spotsylvania — and is allowing 11.6 points per game. It is a far cry from last year, when the Lions went 3-7.
“Basically what I see as the difference between this year and last is that they just fly around — we run around to the ball,” said Louisa defensive coordinator Jon Meeks. “We make mistakes, but I think we make up for bad calls on my part and mistakes by just flying around and hustling. I love the hustle, and I love the heart. And in high school football, that can win you games.”
The Lions did just that this past week. They blocked a punt that resulted in a fumble recovery for a
touchdown and had an interception return for another score. The team came up with four fumble recoveries in the game.
“The guys just make plays when an opportunity presents itself,” Meeks said. “I just try to put them in the best spot I can. They’ve got to make the plays, and right now they’re doing that. I think its more them than me right now. I ran the same [plays] last year, I haven’t changed much and it’s working this year. So the credit goes to the guys.”
Louisa, which returns five players on defense from last year, has put together a cohesive unit, and has a good mix of seniors and underclassmen in its starting lineup. From the line to the secondary to the linebacking corps, the Lions have shined.
“[Kevin] Whitmer and Kerry [Wynn] stand out, being on the edge like that they get a lot of exposure,” Fischer said. “But those interior guys, Doug Grubbs has just done an outstanding job for us and Kyle Seay and Ryan Bullock up front are new faces that have really done a lot. Andre Hunter’s had a couple of interceptions also. We rotate so many guys in, so when they do get their plays they just want to make the most of it.”
And Whitmer, who was an all-district selection at defensive end last year, knows to give credit where credit is due.
“Really it’s all about our coaches,” said the senior, who leads the Lions in solo tackles. “They work day in and day out, watching film, giving us opportunities to make these plays. Our line play and DB play, everything combined, we work as a unit.”
Wynn, who has the ability to make big plays on both sides of the ball, said the defense’s strength has come with its preparation.
“Each guy has a job and everybody does their job. We’re coached to expect everything — to be in the best spot for the play,” said Wynn, who leads the team in sacks as well as receiving yards. “We’re just more focused [than last year] and we get after it. Everybody out there wants to be the one to make the play. Nobody wants to be the weakness and there really isn’t a weakness and that’s a good thing.”
The numbers are solid. The Lions defense has come up with 19 fumble recoveries, forced six fumbles, hauled in seven interceptions and blocked a punt and field goal. There’s no doubt Louisa is making the most of its opportunities.
“Opportunity comes from study, and we study and the kids study so much film,” Fischer said. “We meet as much as we practice to make sure we’ve got the grease board part down. Hopefully it’s going to pay off for us.”
The Louisa team is much like a courtroom — after the job has been done, the Lions finally let the defense rest.