Key Play(s)
On a night when Caledonia scored 24 points in the second half, the defense delivered two of the biggest plays early in the second half. Trailing 7-0 to start the second half, Mooreville started at its 30-yard line. After gaining only 1 yard on the first two plays, senior free safety Kristian Mott intercepted quarterback Mitchell Tharp and returned the ball into the Troopers’ territory. Unfortunately, a block in the back penalty on the return pushed the Confederates back. Eight plays later, Caledonia had a 14-0 lead. On Mooreville’s next possession, Henry Lewis recovered the first of two fumbles to give the ball right back to Caledonia. Caleb Comer kicked a 41-yard field goal to help the Confederates capitalize.
“The defense played fantastic all night long,” Caledonia coach Andy Crotwell said.
Key Drive
After struggling to find its footing on offense in the first half, Caledonia found its stride on its first possession of the second half. Following an interception, Zion Ford rushed twice, including one in which he lowered his shoulder to get a first down. From there, quarterback Spencer Unruh completed five passes in a row. Jacob Holtman, Will Burton, and Mike Taylor were on the receiving end. None of the passes went for more than 6 yards, but the completions helped the Confederates click. Unruh capped the drive with a 7-yard up the middle that helped extend the lead to 14-0.
“We had our rhythm that drive,” Unruh said. “I don’t think we had a negative play that drive. The blocking was great and the receivers were running their routes. We were all on the same page.”
Said Crotwell, “I felt like he got in a rhythm and felt comfortable with what they were doing. They were playing a lot of soft man and he was taking the throws that they gave him. Whenever the run was there, he took that as well.
“I think that drive sort of settled the whole offense down.”
Difference-Maker
Some quarterbacks might have gotten frustrated by the number of dropped passes, but Unruh hung in. In his second year as the starter, Unruh was 4 of 15 in the first half, but he completed 8 of 11 passes in the second half and showcased fine footwork and good accuracy. At least eight of the passes the Confederates dropped were catchable balls. Crotwell said he has seen Unruh mature as a quarterback and as a leader.
“That is what we coach him to do,” Crotwell said. “We don’t take a drop in the quick game. He sets his feet and he makes his read as he sets his feet and the ball needs to be out. But he is very good at it. He gets that thing out of his hand in a hurry. He is very coachable. He gets his feet squared around like he needs to and the ball is out. He has a fantastic release. I wish I could bottle it and keep it with me the rest of my career.”
Unsung Hero
If you have heard of a three-headed monster, imagine an eight-headed monster wearing Caledonia colors. That is something like what the Confederates will roll out on the defensive line every week. Caledonia line coach Jason Forrester said this is the first season in recent memory that the Confederates have as many as eight players he can rotate in and out of the game to keep players fresh. Seniors Triston Gardner and Jantsen Glasgow are two of the leaders in a group that both said has grown thanks to the contributions and growth of younger players. The Confederates used that depth to record seven sacks and hold the Troopers to -7 yards rushing.
“We’re all equally good and we can rotate in and out all day to stay fresh,” Gardner said. “It has made a huge difference. I have been 100 percent every drive. We will rotate somebody like Tyler Harrell in and I will come back in and I will be 100 percent. We’re one big family and we try to push each other to make each other better.”
Said Crotwell, “We had a little bit of depth last year. When I took this job, I felt like for us to be successful we would have to build and put an emphasis on the offensive and defensive lines. From a young age on up, we spend a lot of time with those guys developing them. Coach (Brian) White is second to none in the weight room. He does a fantastic job. We have a collection of guys who I feel are strong and physical and can get off the ball on both sides of the ball and make plays. In order for us to have success on down the line, we’re going to have to dominate lines of scrimmage so we can contribute more to the secondary and so we can dictate coverages on offense.”
Turning Point
Caledonia was much crisper in the second half on both sides of the ball. While the offense found its rhythm, the defense pinned its ears back and attacked. The Confederates’ depth on defense shut down the running game, which forced the Troopers to rely on the passing game. As a result, the sacks came early and often. The effort was a testament to the Confederates’ growth under Crotwell, who has preached not to get too high and not to get too low throughout his tenure.
“I try to look at it pragmatically and execute the next time, and I feel like our guys did,” Crotwell said when asked about the missed opportunities. “We missed a lot of plays. Credit Mooreville. Their defensive ends and their inside linebacker did a fantastic job stopping the power play, and their coaches did a good job putting their players in a position to make plays in the run game, and we kind of needed to throw them out of it. In the first half we weren’t able to do that for various reasons. But the kids did settle down, and we still missed a couple of opportunities in the second half that I would like to have back, but you try to eliminate as many of them if you can.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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