Falcons to change base defense
Brownsville football coach Andy Assad has noticed a positive attitude this preseason due to the hard work and dedication the players showed in the weight room during the off-season. It’s hard for fans to notice intangibles such as hard work and dedication though, but they will notice a change the first time Brownsville takes the field on defense this year. “We tried out some changes in our defense late last season and had some success,” Assad said, “so this year we’ve decided to switch to a ’40’ as our basic defensive set.”
Brownsville based its defense on a “50” formation last year where five players lined up in a down position on the defensive line, but one or two may have had to drop back in coverage. Assad felt the time it took for the players to adjust seemed to hinder the overall defensive effort.
“Brownsville has always been known in the past as a good defensive team and we wanted to bring some of that back this year,” Assad said. “That’s how you win ball games, playing solid defense.”
In the “50,” the defensive line was backed up by three linebackers and three defensive backs. The secondary players and sometimes the outside linebacker would also have to adjust on the fly. Now the players have more-defined roles.
“I think because of the personnel we have this year, we are better suited for a ’40’ defense,” Assad said. “Instead of players having to think as much, this defense gives them the opportunity to react quicker and gives them a better chance of making plays.”
The new defensive set will feature four defensive linemen that are more stationary along the line of scrimmage. Four linebackers and three defensive backs will take over the drop-back coverage responsibilities.
The “40” will resemble a 4-3 NFL defense and outside linebacker Floyd Armel and defensive tackle Ben Swaney, both seniors, are expected to be anchors this year.
“Floyd (Armel) and Ben (Swaney) are probably our two hardest workers, whether on the field, at camp, or in the weight room and they are a lot stronger this year after working hard this summer,” Assad said. “They’re two of our most-dedicated guys so our younger guys really look to them for motivation.”
Senior inside linebacker Ryan Bohna is also expected to be key in the defensive shift.
“Ryan is a very smart kid,” Assad said. “He reads the ball really well.”
Assad feels his defense should have no trouble making the adjustment full time this year.
“We started playing it (new defense) at the end of last year by showing a ’50’ and lining up in a ’40’ before the snap and the kids really liked it,” Assad said. “I thought they picked it up very easily, which served as even more motivation in workouts this off season.”
Junior linebacker Demetrius Williams is another key player expected to be a major contributor in this year’s new defense.
“We’re not real big, but we run pretty well, and everybody likes to go to the ball,” Assad said. “Athletically, I’d say Demetrius is real fast with real good coverage skills and overall, this is probably the best group we’ve had on defense in a while.”
Even though it may seem Brownsville’s new defense would be easier for opponents to figure out due to the simpler scheme, Assad thinks just the opposite will be true.
“We can do a lot more blitzing now and actually be a little more confusing to the other team than you might think,” Assad said. “We not only have the personnel to run a ’40’ this year, we have the personnel to be a better team overall.”