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Michael Pineda

November 27, 2009

Defense came on strong for Duncan

Michael Pineda The Duncan Banner Fri Nov 27, 2009, 08:21 AM CST

While the Duncan defense was a work in progress this season with its evolving formations, the results were not.

When all was said and done, Duncan finished with one of the best defenses in Class 5A this season. In terms of statistics, the Demons may have given up more points than some other highly touted outfits, but a lot of those points came with a short field.

In all but one game, the defense kept the team in the game and put it in position to win.

“Our improvement defensively as the season progressed was a real positive,” Duncan coach Jim Holloway said. “Coach (Kim) Longest did a good job with talent that he had. We used four different fronts this year and the preparation and planning was improved.

“One of the reasons was that we could run better. Our front was quicker and we were more athletic at defensive end. The linebackers also had more experience and the secondary had some experience back.”

The defensive line took a hit early in the season when Jordan Broom was lost with a leg injury. The end result was some shifting around and a different approach in schemes.

“Jordan’s injury affected what we did a lot,” Holloway said. “We started with a multiple four-man front and changed our strategy a little bit. Tyler Wickard became a two-way player and improved a lot.”

Dylan Dismuke also came on and played a significant role. The junior entered the season primarily as an offensive lineman but his development on defense played a key role in what the Demons were able to do in 2009.

“He was a big surprise to me,” Holloway said. “He doesn’t have a real aggressive nature but getting the opportunity to play gave him confidence. He improved defensively more than any other player.”

Injuries also took a toll at defensive end, where Tanner Hughes was lost for the season and James Paten had to play injured throughout the second half of the season.

Austin Perry came on and had a solid year and Deviant Harris developed into an anchor that was able to force the issue in the pass rush. The senior finished with seven sacks and 53 tackles.

“He was capable of making the game too fast for those blocking him,” Holloway said. “He had never played out there and to be able to have a guy that can rush the passer from the outside and contain him is something that we had been missing and he gave us.”

The linebacking corps was anchored by senior Dane Steil who was joined by Payton Atchley to provide a solid one-two punch for the defense. Atchley led the team in tackles with 106, followed by Steil with 104.

“They had outstanding years,” Holloway said. “They practice so hard and pay attention to details. They turn it loose in practice.”

Bolstering the defense was the addition of sophomore linebacker Bradley Wilson into the starting lineup. Wilson finished with 62 tackles and two sacks.

“He is a natural athlete,” Holloway said. “He needed to improve his work ethic early and his practice skills. He became an important part of the scheme.”

Defensively, the Demons had a lot of flexibility thanks to the athleticism of its defensive backs. Tyler Gay was moved from cornerback to safety and lined up alongside returning starter Tyler Wilkins and newcomer Domonique Petties.

“We were able to play a lot of different combinations and we were able to do more with our athletes,” Holloway said. “Tyler Wilkins gave us a lot of flexibility because he is not limited to where he plays. We had two guys that could support the run in Tyler and Domonique, who has a lot of speed. We stressed improved play and keeping the ball in front of them.”

Tyler Wilkins finished the season with 77 tackles and led the team in interceptions with four while Petties finished with 73 tackles and five sacks.

In looking at the season as a whole, Holloway felt that the contributions from the cornerback position set a new bar for other teams to follow.

“The cornerback play was the best since I have been here,” Holloway said. “They were out-jumped a couple of times and gave us plays early, but it says a lot for them and coach (Jacob) Offolter how they came along.”

Much like the kicking situation, the punting position also had a change with Bradley Wilson taking over when Micah Frye was lost for the season.

Wilson averaged 33.6 yards per punt on 31 attempts and Frye averaged 30 yard on 15 attempts.

Michael Pineda is the sports editor for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 143, or via e-mail at m.pineda@duncanbanner.com.

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