Eighth-year Hoxie coach Lance Baar listed multiple reasons for the Indians’ defense that has permitted zero points and collectively allowed under 100 yards of total offense in the first three weeks. The Indians had no seniors in 2016, returned virtually everyone and added senior Chris Cox, a standout transfer from Oakley.
The Indians, with seven seniors, have played with discipline and confidence and are bigger across the line. Hoxie permitted 19.3 points a contest in a 6-3 season last fall. The Indians forced 21 turnovers (11 interceptions) and finished even in turnover margin with four defensive touchdowns.
This year, Hoxie has already forced 11 turnovers with plus-8 in turnover margin. Senior defensive back Troyal Burris, limited by a back injury throughout the offseason, has four of the team’s seven interceptions. He has two of the Indians’ three defensive touchdowns.
“Some of the things we were struggling with early season and even throughout the season last year was some pass coverages,” Baar said. “We would give up a big play here and there - seems like quite often, once a game or so at least. And now people have taken their shots and we’ve ended up getting interceptions off of those shots, so I think that shows some great improvement.”
Hoxie faces another dominant, senior-heavy program in a home game Friday versus rival Atwood-Rawlins County (3-0). The game marks the opening salvo of a likely three-team race in Eight-Man, Division I, District 8.
Atwood, with a much smaller line than the Indians, has outscored teams, 168-16. The Buffs have forced 13 turnovers and have four non-offensive scores, three defensively.
The district includes top-ranked and defending state runner-up St. Francis with a total margin of 154-4. Only two teams reach the playoffs from the district. The Indians play host to Hoxie and Atwood in the next two weeks.
The teams rank first, second and ninth in the classification in scoring defense, the only district with three teams in the top-10.
“We want to control the things that we can control, the little things that we can have a direct impact on, and let the bigger things take care of themselves,” second-year Atwood coach Matt Smith said. “We talk a lot in practice about those types of things every day. We want to continue to get better. We have several good teams in the district from top to bottom.”
The teams, separated by just over one hour, have long played in the same conference. The teams are 3-3 since ’07, though Atwood won 42-12 last season.
The game was scoreless in the first quarter, and Hoxie took a 6-0 lead in the second. Then, the Indians struggled with center/quarterback and quarterback/running back exchanges. Hoxie finished with seven turnovers and gave the Buffs multiple short fields. Atwood eventually went 7-2 and earned district runner-up to St. Francis.
“I think this Northwest Kansas League is pretty strong,” Smith said. “It’s a rival game, and when you have a rival game, all bets are off, and you just go out there, and kids are going to perform the best that they can, and that’s what we have to do each and every week.”
In last season’s game, Atwood quarterback Maverick Green totaled 189 yards and accounted for four scores. Last year, he formed a backfield combination with Cole Sramek (958 yards). Green recorded 1,028 rushing, 701 passing and 22 scores.
This season, with Sramek graduated, Green, one of 10 seniors, has 354 passing yards, 312 rushing and 14 scores accounted for. Baar has been impressed with Green’s ability to run tough, follow lead blocks and make a big play with his speed. Atwood often uses the pistol and Green has a 27/11 TD/INT ratio in his career.
“The intensity that they play with across the board, doesn’t matter what position they are playing, they are all playing 100 miles an hour, and really getting after it,” Baar said. “So anytime you play a team that plays as hard as they do, they will cause some fits for you.”
The Buffs returned five starters on both sides. Atwood’s line features a rotation at tight end that usually has seniors Nick Withington and Lane Hemel. Seniors Cauy Hayes and Jalen Kruep play guard, and senior Sohn Domsch returns at center. Outside of the 220-pound Hemel, none are close to 200 pounds.
“We really harp each day on our line play because our skill positions are having some success, but that starts on the line,” Smith said. “They give the backfield a chance to be successful.”
The defense features senior Will Crouse at nose guard and an end rotation with Hayes, Withington and Hemel. Kruep starts at middle linebacker and leads the team with 39 tackles, nine for loss.
“Like I told them today at practice, if they have no tackles, but if they turn everything into our linebackers, then they have had success, and we’ve had success,” Smith said of his defensive line.
Crouse has forced five fumbles, Kruep four. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Crouse, known for his aggressive play, has delivered an excellent career with 29 tackles for loss, 23 sacks and 20 forced fumbles.
“It’s Will,” Smith said. “We just kind of turn him loose and say ‘Go.’ … His ultimate responsibility is to control those gaps and cause some chaos.”
Hoxie counters with Cox (5-10, 233) along with juniors Taye Washington (6-foot-5, 335), Jarrod Dible (5-11, 210) and Colton Heskett (6-2, 190) and senior end Luke Schippers (6-2, 190).
Cox serves as the nose guard and fullback and carried 13 times for 65 yards and three scores, mainly in short yardage. Senior Latham Schwarz has 40 carries for 292 yards and nine scores. Junior quarterback Jared Kennedy has tallied 279 yards and five TDs.
“Their size, their power, their mentality for the game has really opened up a lot of things for us in the run game especially,” Baar said.
“It might be the biggest eight-man line in the state,” Smith added.
Cox and Heskett lead with three tackles for loss. Baar said Heskett, a three-year starter at guard/defensive end, is one of the Indians who has “shown a lot of improvement.” In Baar’s eyes, Heskett had always worked hard and been in the right spot; now he is able to finish plays.
“Across our line, we are bigger,” Baar said. “We are a little bit more mature than we were a year ago, so I think all of those things contribute to the success that we’ve been having.”
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