For a lot of the local teams around our area, defense was the name of the game.
Benjamin Russell’s 10-2, region-championship winning campaign was predicated on suffocating defensive play that made scoring difficult to come by.
kAm%96 (:=542ED 96=5 6:89E @7 E96:C @AA@?6?ED E@ D6G6? A@:?ED @C =6DD 2?5 5:5 ?@E 2==@H 2?J @AA@?6?E E@ D4@C6 >@C6 E92? a` A@:?ED 282:?DE E96>]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ E96 >2C@@? 2?5 H9:E6 H6C6 9:89=J 256AE 2E 2:C\EC277:4 4@?EC@=[ 2D E96J A:4<65 @77 `g A2DD6D @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 E96 D62D@? 2?5 C64@C565 2E =62DE @?6 A:4< :? `_ @7 E96 `a 82>6D E96J A=2J65]k^Am
kAms256G:==6’D 5676?D6 H2D ?@E9:?8 E@ D?66K6 2E 6:E96C[ 2D E96:C DA665 2?5 288C6DD:@? 7F6=65 E96 %:86CD’ CF? E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 =@DD E@ %2==2DD66[ E96 %:86CD DA6?E E96 7@==@H:?8 H66<D A=2J:?8 2C8F23=J E96 36DE 5676?D6 :? 2== @7 r=2DD cp]k^Am
kAmpE @?6 A@:?E :? E96 D62D@?[ E96 E62> 925 8@?6 7@FC DEC2:89E 82>6D H:E9@FE 2==@H:?8 2 A@:?E]k^Am
kAm{:<6 q6?;2>:? #FDD6==[ s256G:==6 4=@8865 FA A2DD:?8 =2?6D 7@C BF2CE6C324<D[ 4@==64E:?8 `b A:4<D 2D 2 E62>]k^Am
kAmqFE H96C6 E96 %:86CD C62==J >256 E96:C 92J H2D 3C:?8:?8 5@H? E96 BF2CE6C324<[ 2D E96 %:86CD C24<65 FA bb D24<D 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?] $6G6? sw$ 5676?56CD 4@==64E65 >F=E:A=6 D24<D @? E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAm#66=E@H? EJA:42==J 7:6=5D 2 D>2D9\>@FE9 5676?D6[ 2?5 2E E:>6D E9:D D62D@?[ E96 #636=D H6C6 FA E@ E96:C @=5 5676?D:G6 EC:4<D]k^Am
kAmr@249 y24<:6 ~’}62=’D E62> 96=5 D:I @AA@?6?ED E@ `c A@:?ED @C 76H6C 5FC:?8 E96 D62D@?[ 56DA:E6 92G:?8 E@ 76?5 @77 E96 :?;FCJ 3F8 E@ <6J A=2J6CD @? E92E D:56 @7 E96 32==]k^Am
kAmw@CD6D9@6 q6?5 2?5 r@@D2 r@F?EJ 2=D@ 76== G:4E:> E@ E96 :?;FCJ 3F8[ 3FE E96:C D62D@?D D2H J@F?8 A=2J>2<6CD DE6A E@ E96 7@C67C@?E 2D H6== 2D 6IA64E65 5:776C6?46 >2<6CD HC62<:?8 92G@4 FA@? @776?D6D]k^Am
kAmu@C w@CD6D9@6 q6?5[ E96 J@FE9 >@G6>6?E H2D G6CJ 2AA2C6?E[ 2D 2 D@A9@>@C6 =65 E96 E62> :? :?E6C46AE:@?D 2?5 2 ;F?:@C =65 E96 E62> :? E24<=6D[ 56DA:E6 A=2J:?8 H:E9 2? :?;FC65 2C> 5FC:?8 E96 =2E6C A@CE:@?D @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 244@>A=:D9>6?ED @7 6249 E62>’D E@A @776?D:G6 A=2J6CD[ A@DE65 :D E96 a_`b p==\~FE=@@< 7@@E32== E62>i s676?D6]k^Am
kAmk6>mkDEC@?8ma_`b p==\~FE=@@< s676?D6k^DEC@?8mk^6>mk^Am
kAms{ p?76C?66 y6??:?8D WyC]X[ sw$ W`f` E24<=6D[ 6:89E D24<DXk^Am
kAms{ %C6 #@J2= WyC]X[ rw$ Wgb E24<=6D[ 7:G6 D24<DXk^Am
kAms{ %26 #@3:?D@? W$@]X[ q#w$ Wbh E24<=6D[ @?6 D24<[ D6G6? %u{Xk^Am
kAms{ s2BF@? $966=6J W$C]X[ sw$ W``d E24<=6D[ 7@FC D24<DXk^Am
kAm{q }:4< w2CC:D@? W$C]X[ rw$Â W``d E24<=6D[ @?6 D24<Xk^Am
kAm{q %2>2C4FD #FDD6== W$C]X[ sw$ Wa_h E24<=6D[ E9C66 D24<D[ @?6 :?E6C46AE:@?Xk^Am
kAm{q s]y] |@C82? W$C]X[ sw$ W`f` E24<=6D[ @?6 D24<[ EH@ :?E6C46AE:@?DXk^Am
kAm{q %23:2D #FDD6== W$C]X[ q#w$ Wfb E24<=6D[ D6G6? %u{Xk^Am
kAmsq s6G@?E6 u6CC6== WyC]X[ #w$k^Am
kAmsq %JC:< }@CC:D WyC]X[ q#w$ Wc_ E24<=6D[ @?6 D24<[ 7:G6 :?E6C46AE:@?DXk^Am
kAmsq tC:4 '2C?6C W$C]X[ q#w$ Wca E24<=6D[ E9C66 :?E6C46AE:@?D[ D6G6? !q&Xk^Am
kAmsq y2J u@DE6C W$C]X[ sw$ Wbe E24<=6D[ E9C66 :?E6C46AE:@DXk^Am
kAmsq p?EH2? w2C5?6EE W$@]X[ wqw$ Wca E24<=6D[ 7:G6 :?E6C46AE:@?DXk^Am
kAm#t% q@@<:6 u@C5 W$C]X[ q#w$k^Am
kAmp%w qCJ2?E w@C? W$C]X[ q#w$ WE9C66 :?E6C46AE:@?D 2E D276EJXk^Am
kAmp%w pC:<@ $E6H2CE WyC]X[ #w$k^Am
kAmk6>ma_`b p==\~FE=@@< s676?D6k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>mWw@?@C23=6 |6?E:@?DXk^6>mk^Am
kAms{ %9C:DE:2? |:==:6? WyC]X[ wqw$ We_ E24<=6D[ EH@ D24<DXk^Am
kAm{q #J2? y@?6D W$C]X[ q#w$ Wfd E24<=6DXk^Am
kAm{q y2BF@? p=G:6D WyC]X[ sw$ Whg E24<=6D[ E9C66 D24<DXk^Am
kAm{q y24<D@? $6IE@? WyC]X[ wqw$ Wfh E24<=6DXk^Am
kAm{q sC2 vC292> W$C]X[ q#w$ Wd_ E24<=6D[ D:I %u{Xk^Am
kAmsq s:@CE6 #FDD6== W$C]X[ q#w$Â Wbc E24<=6D[ E9C66 :?E6C46AE:@?DXk^Am