Jay Warrick and Tommy Bludau have left their respective schools, but tonight’s season opener between the Tigers and the Greyhounds - which kicks off at 7:30 at Tiger Field - still features a matchup of coaches with a history.
When Rodney Southern led Marshall to the Class 4A Division I state championship game in 2004, Boerne stood in his way in a semifinal. The Mavericks won 21-3, but the Greyhound defense - with former Bruceville-Eddy coach Danny Threadgill as coordinator - allowed just one touchdown.
Now, Southern has taken over at 5A Belton, while Threadgill is in his first year as head coach after six as Bludau’s defensive coordinator. The stakes are decidedly smaller - a 1-0 start is all that’s up for grabs, not a berth in a state title game.
Still, Southern said a win is important for the Tigers, who went 0-10 last season. He said it would not only build momentum and get his team ready for its District 13-5A opener Sept. 27 at Harker Heights, but also get the players in a winning mindset.
“We’ve got four games to get ready for district,” Southern said. “In a perfect world, yeah, I’d love to win all four of them and they not be close. But I’m realistic. We have to get better every week, and when you have kids who haven’t experienced a lot of success, they need to win, regardless.”
Both coaches are in the process of installing new systems - Southern is overhauling Belton’s offense and defense, while Threadgill is keeping his defense and opening up the offense.
Greyhounds quarterback Chuck Thornally likes to roll out of the pocket, both to scramble and to pass, and Southern said keeping pressure on him will be important. Those duties will fall not only to linebacker and 2006 13-5A Newcomer of the Year Kyle Voss but also “stinger” Garrett Vail - a safety/linebacker hybrid - and safety Luke Wardell.
“Obviously we’re going to use our linebackers and our stinger and our strong safety,” Southern said. “I can’t ask those three D-linemen to do it by themselves. We’re going to have to do it with pressure and do it with different types of pressure.”
Southern said his offense will have to limit its turnovers. Quarterback Jacob Phillipe will make his Belton debut and get help from the team’s top two offensive weapons from last year - running backs Keith Daniels and Khiry Robinson.
If last Friday’s scrimmage at Waco Midway was any indication, Daniels will get most of his snaps as a wide receiver.
However, Daniels still gets carries more than receptions, as Southern’s offense generally puts a receiver in motion behind the quarterback. He was the team’s leading rusher last year with 1,014 yards, and he and Robinson combined for nearly three-quarters of Belton’s offense in 2006.
“When you look at our live quarter against Midway, the thing that hurt us is that we didn’t protect the football,” Southern said. “I think defensively we have to do a good job tackling and take away a couple things this quarterback looks for.”
Last year in Boerne, the Tigers mounted a second-half comeback, only to fall short in double overtime, 27-24.
It also started what would turn into a trend of Belton players suffering injuries - receiver Teo Cerna injured his knee and was lost for the year. Cerna had 73 receiving yards in that game, a mark that stood as a season-leading total until Week 6.
The Tigers stormed back from 21-0 down at halftime to force overtime against a Boerne team that went 4-6.
“I think we can do some things against them, and I think they can do some great things against us,” Threadgill said. “It was a battle last year, but I think we’re a better team than we were last year. I think they’re better than they were last year, too.”
Southern paid the same compliment to Threadgill, saying he vividly remembers how well-coached the 2004 Greyhound squad was.
“It’s probably as sound you’ll ever see a defensive team be. I’m sure Coach Threadgill is actively involved in what they do defensively,” said Southern, whose team lost to Ennis in the title game. “Of the five teams we played that year in the playoffs, I think they were the best-coached team we saw. They’re very sound in what they did and very disciplined in how they play they game.
“As far as the intensity and how they’re coached, it hasn’t changed a whole lot.”
ecarifio@temple-telegram.com
