At first glance, one might assume 5-foot-11, 180-pound Dominique Henderson is a speedy tailback or kick returner. Or maybe even a cornerback who excels on passing downs.
Instead, the unsuspecting Henderson teams up with 6-0, 185-pound Zerrance Brickhouse to give the Wichita Heights Falcons one of the most dominant defensive end tandems in the state.
The undersized duo has played a big part in the team’s success this season, helping the Falcons to a 7-0 record and the top ranking in Class 6A. Wichita Heights has limited opponents to 49 points over the first seven games, and the explosive defensive ends of Henderson and Brickhouse have recorded seven sacks each.
“Our defense has been the cornerstone of our success so far this year,” Wichita Heights head coach Rick Wheeler said. “Steve Martin, our defensive coordinator, has done a wonderful job getting those kids prepared to play each week.”
The Falcons have pitched four shutouts this season, including a 21-0 win over Bishop Carroll in Week 1. The speed of Heights’ pass rush is a big reason why. Carroll was sacked four times in the opener.
“We’d love them to be a little bigger, but they have very good motors,” Wheeler said. “And they’re not just running around out there. They have good technique. They’re giving up some size, but they use their speed to their advantage.”
To put the size into perspective, remember that Wichita Heights quarterback Matt Reed is listed at 185 pounds and running back Dreamius Smith weighs in at 205. In fact as wrestlers last season, Reed competed at 171 pounds and Henderson grappled in the 152-pound division.
However, Henderson looks at it logically.
“I don’t really think about it much,” he said. “I just go hard all the time. The guy lining up across from me may be bigger, but I think I’m a little faster than him.”
Henderson plays a rush-heavy outside linebacker when the Falcons are playing a 3-4 defense and defensive end when they line up in the 4-3.
Either way, Henderson has been effective with 24 solo tackles, 12 assists and seven sacks through seven games.
“Dominique plays to his strengths,” Wheeler said. “He has really good leverage.”
Brickhouse, a forward on the basketball team, is more likely to line up over an offensive tackle. With 10 sacks last season and seven so far this year, Brickhouse already owns the school record. He also leads the team with 40 solo tackles, in addition to 13 assists, two fumble recoveries and one fumble caused this season.
“Zerrance is a little more compact than Dominique,” Wheeler said. “He power cleans over 300 pounds.
“They are certainly both great players and great pass rushers,” he said. “With so many teams running spread formations, it opens up opportunities for guys who are good speed rushers.”
The Falcons have definitely taken advantage with 19 sacks as a team. The pass rush also has benefited Heights’ secondary, which has tallied 13 interceptions.
Heights hopes to keep that success going Friday when it faces city rival Wichita Southeast. The Golden Buffaloes enter with a 2-5 record, but Wheeler said he expects a tough district battle.
“This is a really important game to both programs,” he said. “Regardless of records, this is a rivalry game. All the kids know each other. It was a really close game last year. I expect our kids will be focused and ready to go.”
The Falcons will need to maintain that focus as they try to return to the 6A state championship after falling 37-3 to Olathe North a year ago.
“I think it motivates us to get back to that game,” Henderson said. “We want to win state and just take one game at a time. We just have to keep believing in each other.”
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