Defense with a bite

Crystal Lake South linebacker Alex Macaulay (left) tackles Prairie Ridge's Todd Budy Sept. 19th at Crystal Lake South. (Travis Haughton photo)

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The sight of Crystal Lake South defenders swarming all over Boylan ball carriers, bottling them up one play after another, was a satisfying one for Gators’ fans Saturday. South’s defense, which has been solid all season, put together its finest performance against a team that had not lost and racked up 411 points. The sixth-seeded Gators (9-2) held third-seeded Boylan to 165 total yards on their way to a 28-0 victory in the second round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs, their fourth shutout of the season, an indication that the switch to a 3-3-5 alignment in the offseason was the right decision. “It was a big performance by our defense, and it was real exciting to shut down a team like that,” Gators free safety Michael Frericks said. “We knew the biggest thing was to shut down their run and force them to pass.” South will try to ride some of that momentum into Saturday when it hosts second-seeded Cary-Grove (11-0) at 1 p.m. at Ken Bruhn Field. “Our scout team prepared us real well running [Boylan’s] offense,” South middle linebacker J.D. Barchard said. “We knew exactly what we were going to see. They got us prepared, and we were all pumped up, fired up and ready to go.” South’s defense has allowed 12.4 points a game as the Gators have reached the quarterfinals for the third time in five years. “We were very excited about how well we played,” South coach Jim Stuglis said. “I was very proud of the effort the kids gave and how physical they played. That’s the key right there.” Stuglis and defensive coordinator Chuck Ahsmann thought the change might allow the Gators to do some different things defensively. It’s an alignment that has served teams such as Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge well. “It’s a lot faster-paced defense, it’s a lot better,” Barchard said. “The linemen don’t know who’s coming at them and don't know who they’re going to have to block on certain plays. It always changes who’s coming at you.” Stuglis knows the Gators will get an even tougher test from C-G’s option attack Saturday. One reason South made the switch was Stuglis and Ahsmann thought they could better attack option teams. Stuglis thinks the Gators have become more adept with the 3-3-5 as the season progressed. “The biggest thing you hope for is to see the kids just going out there and playing football,” Stuglis said. “They’re just going after it. At the snap of the ball, they just play football. That’s the key to the defense, they’re able to adapt to it now.”