Scroggin's blog: Can Tigers keep up strong defense?
With the San Marcos High football team flopping fumbles all over the field against San Luis Obispo on Friday, it was hard to tell if the Tigers' defense was forcing the fumbles or if the Royals were giving them away.
But this can't be disputed: In three games, San Luis Obispo (2-1) has held each of its opponents to an average of two scores per game.
Ambiguity of the fumbles aside, the Tigers' defense was smothering in a 43-10 win over San Marcos ' giving up just 170 yards of total offense, picking off a pass and limiting several Royals ballcarriers to zero or negative yards rushing.
Including a 14-13 loss to Oxnard and a 34-14 win over Dos Pueblos, the San Luis Obispo defense is giving up just 12.7 points per game. In PAC 5 play last year, the Tigers gave up 31.7 points per game.
Although standout quarterback Conner Reese and the offense are the ones getting the recognition, it'll be the performance of the defense that will determine whether the Tigers can continue a positive turnaround from a 2-7-1 2005 season, their worst in more than 10 years.
San Luis Obispo coach Craig Winninghoff declined to predict whether the defense can remain this stout all season, but he said that's the goal.
To those of you that have seen the games, what do you think? Is the Tigers' defense for real or a byproduct of slumping offenses? Can it keep San Luis Obispo in PAC 7 contention?
Joshua D. Scroggin
Monday, September 25, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I am glad you are recognizing the Tigers as being a good team. After last years performance, this year's team was almost written off by the press. This team may not have the size, but they certainly have the heart. The defense has been playing great, and as long as the offensive play calling utilizes their strengths, the Tigers should have a good season.
Edith Martin
9/23/2006 9:51 PM
The Tiger party begins...
Crouching Tiger
9/25/2006 2:04 PM
I appreciate your comments and Questions. It will be interesting to see how SLO mantains their stiff D. I think they have the ingredients in coaches, players and teamwork. In my observations from the first three games and hearing the comments from the players their key to success is their togetherness (teamwork). They have got each others back. No excuses, no finger pointing. This group is willing to prepare!
They remind me of the boys who won in 1980.
81Alum
9/26/2006 1:07 AM
San Marcos and Dos Pueblos aren't really good. There loss to Oxnard (who will be the 4th place team in the pacific view) isn't that impressive. Teams like Atascadero, Arroyo Grande and Paso Robles may not have as good a record as SLO but their competition has been far more superior. Basically, the Tigers haven't faced a good defense this year at all and their defense hasn't faced a good offense.
OCStatman
9/26/2006 3:47 PM
The five posts above are not written by Brian Milne but were added by the Web master from comments originally posted on the previous format for this blog.
Jeff Ballinger, The Tribune
I think the Tigers have big, smart, and very coachable offensive players moving up in the High School evoluntionary process.
Cody Walters, # 72, is an outstanding case in point.
The tigers are always think they are the one to beat. But as a former AG high student i would always like it when AG and SLO play because it is a close game and the Eagles always come out the top dog. The Tigers dont seem like their defense is strong enough, their offense is too shaky, and they are bullies when it comes to High School football.
Post a Comment