Michael Kinney
When coach Mike Whaley talks about defense, he knows what he speaks of. For almost a decade Westmoore football has been about two things: playing hard-nosed defense and running the ball.
With the addition of Jordan Meers as the Jags’ starting quarterback, the Jaguars look to open up their offense more this year. However, it will be their defense that will be the team’s foundation.
While the Jags’ defense returns two starters in Mason Myers and Adam Haftman, it will be middle linebacker Corneilus Russell who will set the tone for the squad.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior attacks the run and has the speed to get back into coverage. Russell also has no problem bringing heat on opposing quarterbacks with blitzes.
“I think he has to take control of the inside,” Whaley said. “We have always had a linebacker that could control that area. He can do that.”
Russell and the front seven of the Jags will be the strength of the defense. With Self, Schiffman, Nick Roberts, Kenny Miller and Johnson providing pressure, Westmoore hopes to be dangerous.
The unit that enters the season with questions in the secondary. Jordan Thompson, Stanley West, Ethan Baker and Ronald Dunbar will all be first-time starters. And teams like Moore, Southmoore and Norman North will not hesitate to test them out.
“We need for our older players, who have been in back-up roles to step into the starter spots as soon as possible,” Whaley said.
Westmoore will primarily run a 4-3 alignment. But they have shown the ability to switch into a 3-4 or a 3-3-5.
With the likes of Tracy Norwood and Ryan Fightmaster calling the signals the last three years, the passing game was seen as a necessary evil. The record at Westmoore for most passing yards in a season is 1,642 and it belongs to Brian Newberry in 1991. The most by any Jag quarterback this decade is 1,228 by Jonathan Jordan in 2001.
However, lately, the numbers have had a hard time finding their way out of triple digits. Norwood amassed 334 yards last year.
Meers is looking to reverse the course. At a position that was seen as a third running back in the backfield, Meers wants to use his arm, as well as his legs to propel the Jags.
That may sound like a lot to ask for someone who has yet to start his first game. But Meers has been waiting to be in this position for quite some time.
“I have been looking forward to this since I was a little kid,” Meers said. “You always dream about playing for your high school team and starting and being the star. I kind of get a chance to do it.”
Meers will sit out a couple of weeks before he can get his chance. In the first scrimmage of the season against Edmond Santa Fe, Meers injured his pelvic bone.
Westmoore returns three offensive linemen from 2007. They include Beau Gastineau, Grant Johnson and Cameron Pound.
“We have come together pretty good,” Gastineau said. “We have a couple of new guys that only played defense last year. They are learning the plays good and blocking real good. They are stepping up big-time.”
The big plays in the passing game should come from wide-outs Jarid Atkinson and Jamall Surrell.
The backfield will be running back by committee this year. Devon Schiffman, Jordan Williams and Brian Self all will see considerable action toting the rock.
“It’s like the Cubs’ bullpen,” Whaley said. “Whoever is hot is who will be out there.”
Last year the Jaguars went 8-4 and 4-2 in District 6A-2. They made it to the second round of the playoffs before being knocked out by Jenks on the road.
Westmoore has not made it past the second round this decade. The players believe they have a chance this time around, if they make it that far.
“I think every year when we get to round two of the playoffs defenses kind of read our offense and they know our plays,” Meers said. “If we can come to the table and open up an offensive passing game, there is no reason we can’t go all the way. If we open up hopefully we can get carried past that second round curse.”
