Trojans pit speed against Celtics’ power

Cary-Grove defensive players take down a player from Highland Park during the IHSA Class 6A second-round playoff game. (Northwest Herald file photo)

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CARY – Six seasons ago, Cary-Grove unveiled a defensive system that set the rest of the area on its collective ear.

While Trojans coach Bruce Kay was committing to the triple-option offense, defensive coordinator Don Sutherland began utilizing a 3-3-5 look on defense. C-G found the 3-3-5 was a sound, attacking defense that allowed its players to cover the field well.

Defensive players needed to be fast, but not necessarily large. The 3-3-5 had become a popular defense with college coaches at that time, and locally, several teams followed suit after C-G started using it.

On Saturday, C-G (13-0) meets Providence Catholic (12-1) in the IHSA Class 6A state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The Trojans’ defense should get its toughest challenge from a power running team.

“We like the 3-3 because it’s adaptable and it allows us to play fast,” Sutherland said. “Against Providence, we hope their big guys [on the line] can’t get their hands on us right away. We let them take their first step, and then we react to it with a lot of speed. It’s worked out well for us.”

Since 2004, C-G usually ranks first or second in area defense. This season, Crystal Lake South (130.2 yards a game) led the area, while C-G (166.4) was next.

The Trojans are allowing 9.1 points a game.

“We always have people who can fill the positions,” said linebacker Nick Underwood, who has two fumble recovery returns for touchdowns. “Our linemen are good at taking on blocks, and that allows our linebackers to scrape and flow freely.”

Providence will provide a different kind of test. The Celtics’ offensive line averages 252 pounds a player and running back Tim Hanrahan has carried 321 times for 1,733 yards and also leads the team in receptions.

“We don’t have any size really,” said linebacker Kyle Leibforth, who leads the Trojans with 49 tackles. “Overall our team speed is really good. We need to get below and slip past them, and use our speed. They’re big and strong and a really good football team. We need to get more people at the point of attack then they have. Get a lot of people scraping to the ball.”

Only noseguard Jack McMullin (250 pounds), defensive end Matt Leibforth (225) and Underwood (216) weigh more than 200 pounds. But like Sutherland says, everything with the defense is predicated on speed.

“All our [practice] drills are fast,” Sutherland said, “and the competition is good. You either play fast or you don’t get to play. We go 10 live plays on Wednesdays against our offense and if you don’t go fast and get your pads down, you’ll get your lunch.

“We don’t condition at the end of practice because our drills are high speed with not much rest. It makes us play fast.”

Sutherland says the 3-3-5 has changed slightly from the 2004 season.

“We went to this with the idea that that you have to put your best player at free safety,” Sutherland said. “And he had to be as close to you has as a Division I player. Of course, that was [Northern Illinois linebacker] Al Kube. Year in, year out, you don’t exactly have an Al Kube. So it’s evolved. The better players have gone to different positions.”

Sutherland says anticipation, which goes hand-in-hand with the speed, is the 3-3-5’s other key.

“We do a lot of film work,” Sutherland said. “You see their first couple steps and it might appear fast, and it is fast, but it’s anticipation too. If you anticipate, you look fast. That allows us to appear fast because we anticipate what this guy’s doing.”

Kyle Leibforth said the film sessions start before school for 35 to 45 minutes each day during the season.

“We know what’s coming,” Leibforth said. “You read the play and go and it looks like a blitz from the stands. The speed we practice at and play is great.”