Sunday, September 14, 2014

LJ FB: Gutierrez the bomb on defense

Safety Isaac Gutierrez enjoying the start
of his senior year. (Photo by Ed Piper)


"Invincibility lies in the defense." - Sun Tzu, Chinese general

If Sun Tzu was correct, safety Isaac Gutierrez, a new name popping up on a lot of defensive stops for La Jolla High this season, holds a key role.

Gutierrez seemingly has exploded onto the scene for Defensive Coordinator Mike Dutra's squad this year, as he piled up eight tackles against Fallbrook Sept. 12, after registering six against Bishop's and four against Country Day in the opening game.

Isaac, a senior, is paired with Da'Jour Tims, the other safety, in the Vikings' defense.

An observable trend is that Gutierrez's numbers go up each game. He warmed up Aug. 29 with three assists and one solo tackle against the Torreys. Then, a week later, "Guti" popped the Knights for four solos, with two assisted tackles.

If increasing numbers indicate continuing improvement, the safety is still maturing and bettering his skills, as the Warriors saw him make four stops alone and four additional stops with teammates in week 3.

Stops per number of plays would be an interesting statistic to see if Gutierrez's tackles are increasing with growing confidence and skill.


Copyright 2014 Ed Piper

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