 |
| Clay County head coach Danny Horn drills his players during a practice Tuesday. The Panthers will meet Autaugaville at Birminghams Legion Field today to determine the state Class 1A champion. Photo: Trent Penny. |
ASHLAND
If there are any visors worn on the sidelines of todays Class 1A championship game, the coaches will be mimicking Steve Spurrier in style only.
And thats the fashion style. It will by no means be the coaching style.
In a brief offensive overview of the two teams, Clay County and Autaugaville, the two look like mirror images of each other. Neither uses the run to step up the pass; They use the run to set up more run.
Its likely that whichever stops the other will likely come away with the 2002 state championship.
And that advantage looks to be heavily in favor of Clay County.
All season Clay County has made it difficult on teams which attempt to run between the tackles. During the regular season, the Panthers limited opponents to only 537 yards for the entire season. It worked out to 2.1 yards per carry.
In the postseason, Clay County has only gotten better. After registering five shutouts during the regular season, the Panthers have racked up three more shutouts in their four playoff games.
The only team that has even scored on Clay County in the postseason is Cedar Bluff, a team with Division I-prospects Cole Peace at quarterback and Josh Moten at wide receiver.
If Autaugaville does have an X-factor, it lies in quarterback Xavier Carroll. Despite being only a freshman, he does not play like it.
He hasnt rolled up the big numbers that his older brother, tailback Rhod Carroll, has, but he has the big-play ability that concerns veteran Clay County head coach Danny Horn. The younger Carroll can take a busted play and turn it into a Super 6 highlight.
Weve got to rely on our technique and being in the right place at the right time, Horn said. Weve got to know where he is at all times, linebackers especially.
The linebackers with those duties will be J.R. Hess and Alfred Simmons. Horn and his group of talented defensive ends Michael Bass and Travis Zackery will also defend against his elusiveness by playing less aggressively. Their intent, as with the linebackers, isnt so much pressuring the young quarterback as it is keeping him hemmed up.
Although Clay Countys performance in the past rounds of the playoffs should bode well against Autaugavilles run-oriented offense, Horn doesnt lend much weight to that theory.
You cant always look at past scores, who beat who and how bad, Horn said. Sometimes teams match up better against other teams.
And this might just be the case.
Clay Countys advantage defensively over other teams has been its ability to overpower other teams through its strength. The Panthers may not have as strong an advantage with this group.
Autaugaville takes pride in its weight program, competing in weightlifting meets during footballs offseason. The Eagles have been able to bully teams from the base 4-3 defense.
Though theyve had success, its not been overwhelming. Autaugaville has yet to hold an opponent in the playoffs to fewer than 14 points. And certainly not a team which favors a power running game.
If they are to stop Clay Countys rushing attack, the Eagles will probably begin to walk linebackers and safeties up to fill the gaps and /or stunt.
Clay County and its stable of running backs can quickly switch to speed or power with the shift of just a few players. The four primary ball carriers for the Panthers will be Hess, Zackery, Dewayne Duncan and Brian Glenn.
Those prolonged drives, running between the tackles, could bring more and more players inside the box, lulling the Eagles into a trance and allow Clay County to break a long run from the corner.
Brantley exposed one weakness of the Eagles using short routes, getting underneath coverages to move the ball. Brantley lost that second-round matchup in overtime.
Throwing the ball repeatedly isnt a likely option for the Panthers, whove thrown the ball just 52 times in its first 10 regular-season games.
What they can do is expose the secondary, and likely the most visible weakness for Autaugaville kick coverage. Technique is key in kickoff returns, but it doesnt hurt to have an open-field threat.
Clay County should take care of both nicely.
Horn and his staff are sticklers for technique and with a return man like Glenn, the combination could provide the Panthers with an early score.
Three keys
1. Contain Eagle QB Xavier Carroll. The freshman has big-play potential, the type plays that could not only effect the scoreboard, but momentum, too.
2. Take advantage of Autaugavilles 4-3 defense. The Panthers must get time-consuming drives out of its wishbone offense and force the Eagles to make adjustments early, taking them out of the element.
3. Win special teams. An obvious weakness this season for the Eagles has been their kick coverages. Big plays via returns could not only put you ahead early, but keep the field position in the Panthers advantage in case of a close game. | 