High school football: Juan Diego defense shuts down opponents

DRAPER — If there is one constant in Juan Diego's success this season, it has to be the Soaring Eagle's ability to shut opposing offenses down cold from start to finish.

No defense in 3A rivals Juan Diego when it comes to allowing points. The Soaring Eagle are yielding a meager 5.3 points per game. In 13 games, only Logan managed to break through the single digit threshold against Juan Diego.

There's no question such numbers are eye-catching. But its not like good defense was a foreign concept to the Soaring Eagle in prior seasons.

In 2006 and 2007, Juan Diego owned the second best scoring defense in 3A— both times trailing only fellow Region 8 school Delta. What the team has accomplished so far this season is right in line with recent tradition.

"Our defense has been strong ever since I've been here," senior nose guard Jaime Markosian said.

What makes the defensive unit so effective in curtailing opposing offenses is preparation. Defensive coaches made it a regular habit to gather players into the film room after practices and break down every last tendency they could find for the week's opponent.

When the players hit the field, they feel a sense of confidence that they know any given opponent almost better than that particular team knows itself.

"We have really good defensive coaches that know what to look for and know how to teach you to read it," said senior running back Tyler Morales.

A point of pride for the Soaring Eagle is its ability to stop the run. Indeed, Logan was the only team to really test the Juan Diego defense this season because of Jeff Manning's effectiveness through the air.

After a rough first-half, Manning kept the Grizzlies in the game late by successfully completing passes here, there and everywhere. He threw for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the final two quarters, while completing 56 percent of his passes for the game.

Hurricane poses some danger through the air. Tigers quarterback Joran Langston has thrown for 1,075 yards and 10 touchdowns while connecting on 57 percent of his passes.

Still, containing things on the ground may be the toughest challenge— even for a run defense as good as the one Juan Diego owns. Gordie Dotson, the Tigers' lead back, has accumulated a state leading 1,783 yards and 25 touchdowns on 253 carries to help Hurricane reach the 3A title game.