Trending
SHADYSIDE -- It's been a tough start to the campaign for firstr-year head coach Hayden Daley and the Buckeye Local Panthers. Back-to-back lopsided losses to Bellaire and River find the Panthers 0-2 facing another difficult task.
Daley and company head south on Route 7 to face the undefeated and surging Shadyside Tigers, who are coming off back-to-back drubbings of East Palestine and Southern Local.
The Tigers' program suffered a 2-8 campaign last season. One of those losses was to Buckeye Local, its second-straight season losing to the Panthers.
No doubt that fact is on the minds of the juniors and seniors in Orange and Black. Shadyside plays full go from kickoff to final horn, but that added incentive of avenging losses certainly won't hurt the Tigers' players motivation.
"They play really hard, no matter the score," Daley said. "I remember back when my dad was head coach at St. John, it was always a hostile environment and we expect the same things. There is excitement around the program."
One factor that gives Daley and his staff pause is the Tigers' slightly unconventional philosophies on defense. While Shadyside will play a base 4-2-5 or 4-3, they routinely will stunt, run blitz, blitz from multiple angles.
It's going to be a challenge for a Panthers' team still searching to find its offensive footing.
"They twist up front, they blitz those guys, blitz a linebacker and a DB at the same time," Daley admitted. "It's the most exotic defense we will have see nup to this point."
Daley admitted one of his team's opponents utilized a variation of the philosophy. But it's not the same.
"They play really hard no matter the score. They fly around and you'll see it on defense, trying to get as many hats to the ball as possible.
"We have to be able to compete with that, to match that same energy and play just as hard."
Line play, as always, will be critical this week.
Buckeye's line was no match for River's last weekend, which allowed the Pilots to match up and down the hill.
Daley feels this week his team has a slightly better matchup, up front, but it's still going to be an important factor in determining the outcome of the game.
"Compared to last week we have a better matchup, but I told them it'll be a chellenge," Daley said. "We are capable of winning that matchup, but we have to perform."
Shadyside will run some formation out of the shotgun, but also some "I" backfields. But unlike the Tigers' teams of the past, the running game is the team's foremost focus.
Senior quarterback Jayden Johnson is the triggerman, both with his arm and his legs.
"He is a great athlete," Daley admitted. "He even returns kicks and plays corner. He is a very dynamic player capable of hurting you in a lot of ways.
"They will spread it out, but a lot of time, they are doing that to let (Johnson) run out of those sets, spreading out to create running lanes. They are more run heavy but they can throw when they ahve to and have good athletes around them."