MONARCHS FIND TITLE DEFENSE A TOUGH
TASK
Publication:
Published: 10/16/1997
Page: P1B
Headline: MONARCHS FIND TITLE DEFENSE A TOUGH TASK
Byline: TOM ALUISE
If you plan on checking out Nitro High quarterback J.R. House's
efforts against the defending Class AAA state champions Friday, keep
this is mind.
John Marshall is not the
same team that went 13-1 in 1996 and roughed
up Capital, 29-22, in the title game in
Only three starters
returned off offense and two off defense from the
powerful Monarch club of a season ago.
"That wasn't your
normal loss,' said John Marshall Coach Mike Linsky,
who'll bring a 3-3 club to the
Wildcats (5-1) at 7:30 p.m. at Underwood Field. "We lost a bunch of
kids who'd been successful for a number of years.'
The Monarchs' inexperience
has emerged in an ugly fashion several
times this season.
John Marshall's setbacks
include a 48-27 loss to eighth-rated Brooke
and a 55-21 loss to
in the Secondary School Activities Commission ratings.
Two weeks ago, though, the
Monarchs lost to No. 2 Parkersburg, 34-33,
in overtime and came back with a 26-8 victory over No. 11 University
last week.
"That was the best
game we'd played all year and we came up on the
short end of the stick,' Linsky said of the setback
at home to
"The kids responded
last Friday. You'd never know we had just come off
a heartbreaker.'
Lending a hand are seniors
Chris Butler, Josh Rine and Lance Phillips,
John Marshall's only returning starters on offense.
flanker, Rine the quarterback and Phillips a lineman.
the only returners off defense.
The 6-foot, 185-pound
year but is catching more from his own QB this season.
Rine, who's already thrown for over 900
yards and 10 touchdowns, has
hooked up with
is averaging close to 30 yards per catch.
"He makes plays when
he gets the ball in his hands,' Linsky said.
"He's exciting.
"He's been a real
blessing him and Josh. Their experience is about
the only thing we had to lean on in the beginning.'
Senior tailback Eric Inclan is the Monarchs' top rusher with close to
500 yards on the season.
"We're disappointed
right now,' said Linsky, a Sherman High graduate
and former Duval head coach. "We're 3-3 and we
legitimately thought at
this point in the year we'd be no worse than 4-2.'
But Linsky
is noticing some improvement, which is a good thing. After
Nitro Friday, John Marshall has
left to conquer.
Making the playoffs won't
be easy.
"We're getting a
little better week to week,' Linsky said. "We had
some growing pains and didn't play real well early on. We weren't a
very good tackling team.
"Offensively we've
been consistent. We've moved the ball against just
about everybody. Unfortunately we were giving up too many points early
on. Now we're starting to play a little better as a unit. People are
appreciating what their role is in our scheme and doing a little bit
better job.'
Linsky isn't pulling his hair out this
week trying to prepare his
defense for House's expected aerial bombardment.
"It's just a matter of
being patient on defense,' Linsky said. "You
give them what you want to give them, take away what you're trying to
take away and roll the dice a little bit.'
Nitro, gunning for its
second consecutive playoff berth, is tied with
Cabell Midland at No. 6 in the latest ratings.