Perkins defense has some stars of its own

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins' defense doesn't mind being less heralded than the Pirates' offense. If anything, it's a motivator. They know no one doubts that Perkins can score. But don't sleep on the Pirates stopping the other team from scoring, either. "I'd say we play with a chip on our shoulder at all times," junior linebacker Dylan Crabtree said. "People are always doubting us. That's the reason people don't think we can make it all the way. People think that offenses later on will just have their way with us. We take that to a personal standpoint." It's the natural reality of football that a touchdown-happy offense will steal the headlines. Perkins is 11-0 and preparing for a regional semifinal, though, which comes with more than just points. "Obviously the offense is a hot topic because the fun thing to watch is the points being scored," Perkins coach Jalen Santoro said. "That gets a lot of talk and the press in everybody else's eyes. But we have a really good defense. We have guys that are tackling really well, getting off blocks, playing physical up front." The Pirates, who play West Holmes at Marion Harding on Friday night, have done everything asked of them defensively. All 11 Perkins opponents have finished below their season scoring average against the Pirates. On average, Perkins' opponents scored about 12.3 fewer points per game against the Pirates than they did as a whole. "It starts every day in practice," junior multi-purpose defender Mikey Young said. "We do a lot of 1s on 1s, where we have our best on each other. We're challenging each other. We're trash talking each other. Not even just on a player level, but on a coach level. Our coaches push each other offensively and defensively each day. Sometimes our defense is overlooked by how good our offense is, but that doesn't bother us at all." Braxden Martin, a 5-foot-8 sophomore, leads Perkins in tackles with 99 and has two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He's the latest undersized linebacker to shine for the Pirates after Sam Oddo two seasons ago and Zach Oprzadek last fall. "Between (Oprzadek) and (Oddo), we've had that guy," Santoro said. "To me, it's more of a modern-day linebacker. You don't need to be 230 pounds. You're required to fill the run game, but you've got to cover backs out of the backfield, run with crossers, get the quarterback. Speed and size are big words in football, but with the way football is played nowadays, I'd take a guy with speed over a guy with size any day of the week." Crabtree (88 tackles) and Martin were both new starters at the season's onset. They haven't missed a beat. "Not once throughout the year did I doubt these guys," Young said. "They both stepped up and played huge roles for our team. It's just greatness. I can't ask anything more from them." Young, a Division I recruit, gives Perkins' coaches the ability to perform defensive makeovers week-to-week and even during a game. He plays what the Pirates call the Star position, a hybrid linebacker/defensive back in their 4-2-5 defense. If they need Young in the box, he can go there. If they need him in pass coverage, he can go there, too. "Without Mikey, our defense would look a lot different," Santoro said. "... We can adjust and get to an under front because we have Mikey. We can get to three-high safety looks because we have Mikey. We can get to a 4-3 look because we have Mikey." These defenders are capable of making game-changing plays, even if they aren't touchdowns. In Tiffin in Week 10, Columbian had third-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Quarterback Brayden Roggow kept the ball and sprinted toward the right pylon. Young, who started in the center of the field, beat Roggow there and brought him down at the 1. On the next play, Roggow ran QB power behind his right guard and Crabtree fired into a gap to stuff it. A score there would've tied the game 14-14. Instead, Perkins ran away with a 55-28 victory. "Being the athlete and players those guys are, when you add the mental part of the game that they're learning to master, it just helps them that much more on Friday nights," Santoro said. "Those three guys, I can't say enough about how smart they are and the preparation they put in." Crabtree, Martin, Young and the rest of Perkins' defense were called into question in a major way in a regional quarterfinal last Friday. St. Marys Memorial gashed the Pirates on the ground to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. Without adjustments, Perkins' season might have been over. But the Pirates pitched a second-half shutout to move on, 28-21. "We focused on our assignments and just came out with a killer mentality," Martin said. "Everyone was playing for each other. No one was being selfish. We were all playing as a team. It's really fun when we can do that." The task for Week 13 takes a 180-degree turn. West Holmes is a pass-happy offense. That won't change the way these defenders think, though. "We play really gap sound," Young said. "We trust each other. We don't try to be the hero. We let each other make plays. We let our D-line make plays. We just do our job." That's all Perkins needs from its defense. They might not seize the headlines. They might not make the highlight reels. But at the end of each Friday night this season, the Pirates defenders have walked off the field having done their jobs and done them well. If they keep doing that, good things should keep happening for Perkins. "If we make a mistake, we know we can rely on our offense," Young said. "Even if our offense has a shaky game, they know they can rely on us. We work together as one unit. We don't look it as offense or defense. It's just 22 guys playing for each other."