Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008

Columbia Eagles' defense small but mighty

Columbia relies on speed, strength

COLUMBIA -- There are no obvious Division I prospects on the Columbia Eagles defense.

Recruiters for Illinois coach Ron Zook and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel aren't breaking down game tape on Columbia coach Scott Horner's best players.

But when it comes to getting the job done in the Class 3A state playoffs, smaller just might be better. The top-ranked Eagles (12-0) play host to Du Quoin (11-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals, and three of their best defensive players weigh 170 pounds or less.

"They play a lot bigger than what they are," Horner said. "They are fearless -- and that's probably the key word. They're relentless. Good speed generates power and some of your hardest hitters are always kids that are fast."

Utilizing speed, strength and an all-out assault on the football, Columbia has piled up 14 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries and 33 quarterback sacks.

"It would be nice to have some guys like (Illinois recruit Terry) Hawthorne and those guys over there at East St. Louis, but we make it with what we've got," said linebacker Tyler Dillon, who has 81 tackles and three sacks while returning two of his four interceptions for touchdowns. "Size isn't much for us, but we've got technique on our side. We've got a lot of good players with speed and kids that hit the weights."

The Eagle defense has posted two shutouts while holding six teams to one touchdown or less. They haven't allowed more than 15 points since Sept. 5, throttling New Berlin (47-14), Pittsfield (28-0) and Greenville (40-14) in the playoffs despite the absence of injured senior middle linebacker Tyler Reifschneider.

Players like linebackers Dillon (6-foot, 170 pounds) and Kyle Breitenstein (5-8, 155) and safety Alex Quinn (5-9, 170) may be small --but will hit you like a freight train coming down the side of a mountain.

"These kids are just downright ornery," said Scott Germain, Columbia's defensive coordinator. "They pay attention during film session and they execute the game plan accordingly. We give weekly scout sheets and make sure they study them.

"By Wednesday or Thursday, they know the defense better than I do."

Quinn (29 tackles, one sack, one interception) is the only one of the three that started last season during Columbia's run to a second-place finish at state. Breitenstein (78 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions) and Dillon were backups and special team players.

"We know we're not the biggest, but we think we're certainly one of the better defenses around," Breitenstein said. "Even though we're small, we try to play with a big impact."

Sometimes that's tough to do when you share a field with a phenomenal offense that has reached the 40-point mark in nine of 12 games.

"Even though our offense gets most of the recognition, our defense takes great pride in getting a goose-egg or holding a team to very little points," Breitenstein said. "We know our offense can score in a hurry so if we get defensive stops, we know they're going to put points up and we'll be just fine."

Putting the 'D' in defense

One of Dillon's signature plays this season was an interception return for a touchdown against Freeburg that ended with him high-stepping into the end zone.

He drew a flag on the play, but it's that type of feistiness and aggressiveness that makes him such a good player.

"In the eight years I've been here, he's probably the best linebacker we've had," Germain said. "He's one of those kids that off the field, you wouldn't think he's a football player. But once he gets a uniform on, you can tell by the look in his eyes he's ready to go."

Dillon tried to describe his perfect hit on a football field.

"I love putting my helmet down and running through some kid's chest, watching him sit on the ground.," he said. "I just love the excitement and the adrenaline."

Quinn came up with his own version.

"Get low, pick them up and just put them on the ground on their back," he said. "That's the perfect hit."

All three of the smallish defensive stars have aggressiveness. But they also have great football instincts that allow them to stay a step ahead as things develop quickly.

"The Breitenstein kid's got incredible instincts," Horner said. "He's been playing football forever and just has incredible instincts. They all think the game so well and as a play develops, they're a step ahead of many other players."

Following their coach's example

In some ways, the Columbia defense is an extension of its coordinator. Scott Germain was an all-area running back and linebacker at Columbia who topped out at 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds as a senior, eventually starting for three years as a fullback at Illinois College.

Does he see a little bit of himself in the defense?

"A little bit," Germain said. "They're probably tougher than I was."

Not according to the players.

"I think he was a little bigger than us and could hit a little harder, but yeah, I definitely see (him) in us," Quinn said. "He's a great coach; he puts us in situations that are going to be the best for us. He invests a lot of time and I appreciate that."

Contact reporter Norm Sanders at nsanders@bnd.com or 239-2454.