Let’s talk about two excellent units: Highland Park’s Linebackers and Temple’s Defensive Line.
We’ve talked a lot about individuals that have had great games, now it’s time to talk about two units that had great years and a great finals game.
Let’s begin with Highland Park’s Linebackers. They had the drop on the edge of Temple’s offense all night, forcing everything into the middle of their excellent 3-4 defense. In terms of how you want a 3-4 to work, they preformed perfectly. It was a stellar performance from a group that’s been stellar all year.
Temple may have lost this one, but it wasn’t because of their defensive line. They got great pressure on John Stephen Jones all night, and controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game. These two units were great all year, and it was amazing to watch them do what they did best. Taquon Graham and company are not to be taken lightly.
John Stephen Jones just does the dang thing.
He isn’t the biggest. He isn’t the fastest. He isn’t the strongest. He will run hard, and he will do exactly what it takes to win a football game. He won’t impress anyone stepping off the bus, but he will leave an impact after the game is over.
He has that moxie, that other stuff we talk about when talking about good quarterbacks. He’s just a junior as well, he’ll lead Highland Park’s title defense campaign in 2016.
The theme of the week has been simple: who can wear on the other team enough to win in the 4th quarter.
Highland Park didn’t stop, they just ran straight at Temple from the beginning. Paxton Alexander plowed into a huge defensive front again and again and again until the Wildcats made a mistake.
Turner Coxe will get the MVP, but Alex Walzel deserves some recognition as well.
The senior defensive back was instrumental in coverage today, and he was consistent across the board with a very good Temple receiving corps. He had a heck of a game. He won’t win the MVP, but he sure played like one.
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