MAC football: Year of the Defense in WNC? Asheville High, Reynolds return two of top groups
ASHEVILLE — Calling the offense during practices, coach Cort Radford gets a taste of what opposing coaches feel when facing the Asheville High defense.
"It just feels like there's 15 guys on the field," Radford said.
Last season, the swarming Cougars defense powered the program's first conference championship since 2014, allowing 14 points or fewer in 10 of the final 12 games. The most significant win of the bunch was a 6-5 defensive slugfest over Reynolds, edging out one of WNC's only teams with a defense that could stand toe-to-toe with Asheville's.
With eight returning starters apiece on the Cougars and Rockets defenses in 2022, both teams stand to once again have the top defenses in the area, meaning the MAC championship could hinge on which group proves more overwhelming for the offenses.
"It's how we can win football games … is by playing that type of defense," Radford said. "You're always in the game, if you have a defense like that, and that's the challenge for this group, because there are some new pieces and the expectation is still the same."
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For as much as Asheville has back from 2021, replacing linebackers Micah Ward (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Otis Walton-Thach (Presbyterian) will be a tall task. The duo combined for more than 200 total tackles last season.
"You have to be you, and don't try to be what Micah and Otis were," outside linebacker Noah Shaw said. "You have to be yourself, and you have to study and work harder to try to replace them."
Shaw is among the reasons the Cougars can be confident they will remain stingy.
As a sophomore, Shaw was third on the team with 72 total tackles, including four sacks and five tackles for loss. The names around him have similar accomplishments; defensive lineman Martavis Davis had 63 tackles and five sacks as a junior, while Deshaun Whitmire had 61 tackles and seven interceptions at safety.
Moreso than the stats, though, Radford says his defense's mentality is why he believes in them.
"The only thing that we're battling with our defenses is when adversity hits, not turning on each other," Radford said. "If we do give up a score, everyone not freaking out and losing their mind. ... It's how they lift, it's how they watch film, how they prepare. They have the same defensive mentality, and it's fun to watch."
Radford acknowledges the defense may again be viewed as a bit undersized this season, but their athleticism allows the 3-4 system to thrive, with disguised blitzes and a variety of alignments that cause confusion for opponents.
It was a recipe for success last season, when points didn't always come easily for the Cougars. And with a new backfield in 2022, the defense may again be asked to keep teams within reach as the offense works out the kinks.
"They always say defense wins championships," Davis said. "We went in every week knowing we had to step up big."
No game will be more important — or perhaps lower-scoring — for the Cougars than the Week 7 trip to Reynolds.
The Rockets are similarly stacked on defense, with future college players all over the field, from Russell Barnett (defensive line) to Asher Cunningham (linebacker) to DaShawn Stone (safety).
They've spent the past two seasons trying to make up for an inconsistent offense, giving them valuable experience and an impressive resume to call upon.
"It's a group that's kind of grown up together, starting back in that spring season," coach Shane Laws said. "But more than anything is the experience and just the fact that physically, this is a group of kids that are really good football players."
Last season, the Rockets had 13 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries and 14 sacks as one of the area's most disruptive teams. This year, they expect to be even better.
"We scare (opponents)," Cunningham said. "We have a bunch of playmakers who can make that happen. ... We're all dogs, we're fast, strong, vigilant."
Given that, Laws said the challenge is in finding the balance between aggressiveness and discipline, not freelancing too much in search of the big play.
"We have guys that can change a game really quick," Laws said. "But at the same time, we have to be a mature football team and we have to do our jobs."
During their meeting last season, the Rockets and Cougars were scoreless entering halftime, and neither team scored a touchdown all night. Appropriately, there was a fourth-quarter safety, and an interception to seal the Asheville win.
The result of their 2022 matchup is up for debate, but all signs point to the rhythm of the game remaining similar.
"I know we'll be challenged. We go against some really good football teams with some really good coaches," Radford said. "They'll do stuff schematically to put us in some bad situations. It's all about making adjustments."
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville High, Reynolds football return two of WNC's top defenses
