It is the opinion of this amateur armchair quarterback that the La Jolla High defense showed a measureable increase in effectiveness this year once the coaches--Mike Dutra, to his credit, is the Vikings' defensive coordinator--not only placed players in the right positions, but used their best athletes on defense as two-way players.
This follows on an earlier report on Dutra's comments that a different blocking scheme, right placement, and two-way players have made the difference in the LJHS defense. Everything began to come together in the second half of the game against Point Loma, then carried through the Mission Bay, Madison, Kearny, and Santa Fe Christian games.
When you have your best athletes out there, things happen for the best. The mental side is so important. Christian High offensive coordinator, prior to La Jolla's Nov. 21 playoff against the Patriots, talked about the "intelligence" involved in playing on the offensive unit that people often ignore. The same could be said about the defense.
Carlton O'Neal, the Vikings' pass catcher, and Jonathan Levenson, among others, have doubled up this season on defense while maintaining their roles on the offensive side. Having played sports, I know that this has to require an extra level of determination and stamina.
Copyright 2014 Ed Piper
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