Getting defensive exactly what Larkin wants to do

We see some crazy games in this business, but only once have I returned to the Daily Herald newsroom after a Friday night football game shaking my head in disbelief.

In Week 2 of last season, Larkin scored 58 points yet lost by 17.

The Royals gave up 75 points to Jacobs that night in what went down as the second-highest, single-game combined points total in state history.

The most head-shaking moment? When a Larkin defensive back in position to make an open-field tackle at the 5-yard line pulled up and let a Jacobs running back score without a hit rather than try to stop what he clearly deemed inevitable.

The Larkin defender in question was a two-way player exhausted from playing in that back-and-forth track meet, however, his non-tackle personified the Royals' bend-and-break defense against Jacobs specifically and in 2007 overall, when they surrendered 344 points (38.2 avg.) in 9 games.

"Giving up that many points (stinks)," senior middle linebacker Zach Fluhler said this week. "When you score 60 points a game you should win, so letting up 70 (stinks). I'm sorry, but it does."

New Larkin head coach Matt Gehrig and his staff feel the same way. That's why they set out to put teeth back into the Larkin defense when practice opened in August. Though Gehrig is the Larkin offensive coordinator, he knows his teams won't win without a strong defense.

"To me one of the greatest aspects of football is tackling somebody," Gehrig said. "It's one of the most fundamental aspects of the game and the most fun you can have as an individual player and as a defensive squad. We did a lot of tackling drills early in the season to get them coached up on technique and on intensity, really."

New defensive coordinator Adrian Barbera and linebackers coach Patrick Murphy are teaching a 4-4 defense, similar to the one used by Larkin's opponent this week, Bartlett.

It's also the defense Larkin's seniors and juniors played on the sophomore level and the one Gehrig felt best fit his personnel. The balanced alignment allows a team's defensive line and linebackers to maximize their respective abilities while protecting equally against the run and the pass.

It is the responsibility of ends Cody Schue and Dom Welch and tackles Cam LaFerle, Rocky Camacho and Ed Nevarez to shoot out and aggressively fill their assigned gaps and look for the ball, thereby occupying the offensive line.

That allows a talented group of four linebackers - outsides Anthony Barracks and John Hosey and middles Brandon Cooks and Fluhler - to pursue freely and make plays.

A speedy secondary rotation of Jeff Saurbaugh, Reid Ellis, Jovan Bills and Jalen Williams plugs any leaky holes and breaks up passes.

There have been quantitative improvements: through 2 games the Royals are 1-1 after allowing 37 points combined to McHenry and Jacobs. Larkin was 0-2 this time last year after surrendering 141 points to the same two opponents.

"Just for our defense not to let up as many points in both games is an accomplishment," said Saurbaugh, who is also Larkin's quarterback. "That was our emphasis this year, our defense. Last year it was our offense, trying to outscore teams. This year we have a solid defense. We work every day on it and it's showing now."

A key to the Larkin defense's early success, according to Gehrig, has been the play of Schue and the defensive line. The junior had 2 sacks against Jacobs and was close to snagging a couple more. Larkin didn't benefit from many big plays out of its defensive linemen last season.

"Last year we had no push," said Schue, who was on the sophomore team a year ago. "I would be in the stands watching the game and no one would push through the line. This year everyone on the line is getting penetration and our linebackers are plugging the gaps."

Gehrig also commended the play of Cooks, an active tackler, and Fluhler, the team's defensive quarterback.

Williams is developing into a good varsity player on both sides of the ball. Not only did he score the winning touchdown against Jacobs with a 5-yard reception on fourth-and-goal, he also intercepted a pass in Larkin territory, 1 of 3 turnovers the defense came up with in a 20-19 victory.

"That was a huge play," Gehrig said of Williams' interception. "They were threatening to score. He turned his head at just the right time as we was going through his zone, picked up the ball, planted, stepped in front of the receiver, stuck his hands out and made a great catch. He almost took it back all the way. He did a nice job making a football play."

And that's the difference for these Royals, really, defensive players making football plays.

Sure, the new scheme is working better, but playing tough defense comes down to heart, to wanting to, to players sticking their helmets in the pile and making tackles. From what they've shown so far, these aren't the same Royals who gave up 38.2 points per game.

"Last year we didn't hit a lot. It was all arm tackles," Saurbaugh said. "This year it's wrap 'em up and pull 'em down. We have more of a killer instinct, more aggressive, more hitting."

More pride, too, perhaps.

And that's nothing to shake your head at.

jfitzpatrick@dailyherald.com