By Jackson Teal
In the heat of war, both groups know only one side can come out victorious.
Football is similar to war.
Instead of being on a destructive battlefield you’re on the hot turf fighting to come out on top.
In both war and football, you need a reliable defense that can fix the offense’s mistakes as well as being able to wreak its own havoc on the opposing side.
Out of the nine Delta teams head coach Chris Overholt has coached, there is one defense that stands out for completing that very job in a first-rate fashion.
Overholt’s 2019 squad held teams to an average of 11.7 points per game in a 10-game season.
What makes that defense so special was their “shutouts,” holding teams to zero points in 48 minutes of regulation.
The 2019 team recorded four shutouts, including three against conference opponents.
Overholt believes this year’s team could rival that dominance on the field.
“2019 was full of studs, but yes I believe they can compete with their success. In a conference like ours it’s a big deal to be anywhere near those stats,” Overholt said. “I know they have the makings to be one of the better defenses to come through Delta so I believe it just comes down to the week-to-week preparations and how it plays out.”
Varsity starting quarterback Bronson Edwards has faith in his defense to prepare and execute week in and week out.
”Having a defense like ours lets me play a lot more freely,” Edwards said. “I know that if we turn over the ball or we have to punt it, our defense is very likely to fix any mistake me or someone else may make.”
Last season’s success set high expectations for this year. Although there are 9 starters returning to the defense from last year, it does not guarantee the same results.
The team graduated two starters on the defense. Those graduates were big time playmakers on the defensive line in Braxton Russell and Corbin King.
Russell and King’s final season ended in the regional championship game with a 35-6 loss to the returning state champs Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
The team finished with an 8-5 regular season record and held teams to an average of 20.6 points per game.
With leaders like Russell and King graduating, new players had to fill those shoes.
Returning outside linebacker Landon Brooks (6-foot-6, 210) has become one of those leaders.
Brooks has amassed nine NCAA Division 1 offers in his time as an Eagle and has made a commitment to Purdue University to continue his football career.
As a captain of the team he is making sure no one is satisfied with last year’s results.
He believes they can be even more successful as a defense and as a team.
Brooks believes what separates this year’s team is their grittiness and their passion for hitting.
“Our coaches gave us a certain amount of hitting practices this year that we had to have, but as a group we just scratched it,” Brooks said. “When they saw how aggressive our hitting was, our coaches decided to shut it down so no one got hurt. I think that style of play translates on the field.”
With the high expectations they have set for themselves comes ample amounts of pressure.
Brooks believes their team handles it well.
”It’s not even so much pressure for us as it is a privilege,” Brooks said. “Since we had so much success last year it’s a privilege to go out there, put in the extra hours and hopefully follow a season like that up.”
Another playmaker on the defense is senior linebacker Nash Keesling (6-foot, 180).
Keesling has been a two-year varsity player and now in his senior year is playing with a certain confidence and knowledge of the game.
In his final season he believes what will make him stand apart from other linebackers is his speed and aggressiveness.
“When I’m going against bigger guys I know I can beat them around the edge which makes me able to get to the quarterback better than most,” Keesling said.
A comfort for Keesling on the field is that he knows that not all the weight is on his shoulders.
They have a close-knit linebacker corps that rely on one another
“Most of us have been playing our whole life together from Metro all the way to high school, so I feel that if one of us makes a mistake we’re not afraid to tell each other about it and go fix it so I think that’s what makes us stronger as a team,” Keesling said.
Another strong relationship on the team is between senior safety Marcus Bright (6-foot-2, 175) and God.
“The Lord has made me the person I am today, I try to act in a Christ like way in my actions on and off the field and that’s not only me,” Bright said. “Me and many other players pray before games no matter if it’s in small groups on the field or as a whole team. I think it has made our team live our lives and play the game we all love in a way that reflects Christ.”
Bright’s role as a safety is a split between run stopping and pass defense. His mindset regarding the position is constant improvement.
Last season he recorded 83 tackles and zero interceptions.
His season goal is to enhance those numbers as well as make it as far as he can in the tournament run with his buddies.
Wide receivers Cooper Bratton and Zane Cline and quarterback Bronson Edwards are three of Bright’s closest friends. He believes their relationship has pushed him to be the player he is today.
“The friendly competition that goes on in practice with three of my best friends being on offense and having the skill set they do and me getting to go against them every day has bettered me in many ways,” Bright said.
Not only Bright’s teammates have influenced him, his coaches have as well.
A coach that has had a great influence on him is Steve Wuthrich, a 25-year defensive back specialist.
“He’s an excellent coach who’s been at it for a very long time,” Bright said. “He knows the game like no other, and I think he tries to pass some of that knowledge on to us.”
Wuthrich believes a strong suit of this year’s team is something as simple as them having been close friends since young kids.
“When you look at your team and you see the players on it in the hallways and they’ve grown up with each other I think that aspect, the closeness of this team will speak for the success of it,” Wuthrich said. “Not to say talent isn’t a big factor, but I think we have both of those qualities and that’s what will bring us success.”
In their first three games they achieved this success, beginning undefeated with a 28-7 victory versus Muncie Central, a 35-0 shutout victory against Norwell, and a blowout versus a conference opponent Shelbyville ending in a 37-7 score.
In the three games the defense has recorded 103 tackles, three quarterback sacks, along with a forced fumble and Interception.
So far the Eagle defense has allowed 14 points, an average of 4.7 points per game.
The first big test for the defense will be Friday night (Sept. 13) when the team travels to rival Yorktown, who has a 2-1 record and is averaging 28 points per game so far.
Junior linebacker Cole Mynett (6-foot-1, 215) contributed to those numbers with 19 tackles and two tackles for loss.
What stands out about Mynett’s game on the field is not only his prowess on the defense but his leadership on and off the field.
Mynett has been a leader with the example he sets in the weight room.
He is a top lifter with numbers like 260 bench, 365 squat, and 235 clean.
He believes that the work in the weight room and on the field has enabled the Eagles to be a great team that can reach the high goals they have set for themselves.
“We’re confident enough in our abilities but not cocky in any way,” Mynett said. “We all do our jobs and it creates a good blend that makes us very good at what we do.”
