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Dawgs defense bows up vs Heights

By TJ MAXWELL
 
The Dawgs defense put up one of their best performances of the year when they need it most.
 
A loss to Harker Heights on Friday would have, at the least, made it a scenario where the Bulldawgs had to rely on some help to make their 12th-consecutive appearance in the post season.
 
After the first 24 minutes of action Friday, it looked as if that scenario could become a reality.
 
Junior linebacker Tyson Curry and the Bulldawgs defense had other ideas. They shut down the Harker Heights offense in the second half, taking control of their playoff destiny with a 27-15 win to move to 3-2 in District 12-6A action and alone in third place.
 
Curry again led the Dawgs defense in tackles with 9.5 to bring his team-high total to 53, 29 of which have come in District 12-6A action.
 
“I started off slow but I got better and better throughout (the game),” said Curry. “I let everything go and left everything on the field.”
 
Two more familiar names, Shamad Lomax and D’Mani Paepaelalo, are next on that list with 41 and 35.5 tackles, respectively.
 
The defense has undergone some changes since the season opener against A&M Consolidated. Lomax’s returning role as cornerback has expanded and the senior now spends the majority of his time at safety. Paepaelalo’s role has changed as well, from primarily a linebacker to a flex guy that also sees action at defensive back.
 
Senior wideout Bradley Lawson has even got in the defensive mix, spending time in the secondary. He had a big pass break up in the early goings of Friday’s 27-15 win over the Knights on Friday. After initially, getting beat on the play, Lawson made up just enough ground to get his arm in between the receivers’ arms to break up the play.
 
The defense surrendered a staggering 51.8 points and 591.8 yards per game through the first four games of non-district action – granted against some fierce competition.
 
Those numbers have dropped significantly over the past five games, despite a huge statistical game by Midway to weeks back.
 
The defense now averages 41.3 points and 491.2 yards per contest for the season and just 33 points and 410.8 yards since district play began.
 
The 265 yards surrendered to the Knights was the lowest total of the year.
 
“That is the character of this group,” said Cove head football coach Jack Welch after the win against Heights. “We’ve battled this year. The record doesn’t indicate how battle-tested these guys are.”
 
The defense also averages one sack per contest.
 
One place they defense still needs to improve is takeaways. The Dawgs opponents have 18 takeaways while Cove has just 7
 
The Dawgs were giving up 8.5 plays over 20 yards per contest through the first for games but have cut that number down as well. They’ve averaged 6.8 per game over the last five games, including the nine big plays surrendered to Midway.
 
The Dawgs’ defense has also improved dramatically in third- and fourthdown conversions.
 
Cove surrendered 36 of 52 (69.2 percent) on third down and 3 for 5 (60%) on fourth down in non-district action. They’ve cut those numbers to 54.9 percent on third and 30 percent on fourth for the season and just 44.3 percent and 30 percent, respectively, in district 12-6A action.
 
All those numbers really don’t matter now as the only number that really counts now is one – the number of wins needed to clinch a postseason spot.
 
Rather than having to contemplate all the what ifs, the Dawgs know exactly what they need to do to secure a postseason berth – beat Shoemaker.
 
A win at home over Shoemaker on Friday would lock down at least a fourth-place spot and possibly as high as second as the Killeen ISD schools and Belton battle to see who’s left out in the cold.
 

 

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