Alter takes mix-and-match, versatile defense into regional final

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer Updated 1:45 AM Saturday, November 21, 2009

KETTERING — As the Alter High School football team practiced in the grass in front of the David Road school this week, defensive coordinator Tom Alig pointed out the similarities.

“Look at them,” Alig said. “Almost everyone is within 2 or 3 inches and within 20 or 30 pounds of each other.”

Checking out the muddied Knights defense, Cody Byers is the tallest, at 6 foot 3, and everyone else is between 5-10 and 6-2. Defensive end John Doncaster is the heaviest, at 214 pounds. Everyone else is between 170 and 210.

“It’s almost like having nine linebackers and two corners,” Alig said. “They just get after it.”

In advancing to the Division IV, Region 16 championship game against Clinton-Massie at 7 p.m. today, Nov. 21, the Knights defense has shut out its first two playoff opponents, Jonathan Alder and Carlisle. With that, Alter ran its streak to three straight shutouts (including Chaminade Julienne in Week 10) and made it four blankings in the past five games.

As the defending state champion Knights (12-0) have remained the top-ranked D-IV team in the state all season, their defense has continued to impress. After allowing 21 points to Fairmont in the opener, Alter has since given up 60 points in the ensuing 11 games, a 5.5-point per-game average.

They’ve been doing it, in part, with the unique ability to move similarly sized players to different positions, making opposing teams guess at times who, exactly, is a linebacker and who is a defensive back.

“Our nose guard, he can drop back to linebacker,” said Byers, the senior co-captain headed to the University of Wisconsin as a safety. “The defensive tackles can play anywhere. Our corners can play linebacker. Anyone on defense can play anywhere.”

That flexibility brings plenty of tacklers.

“The major thing physically is everyone gets to the ball,” said senior John Doncaster. “It’s not just one or two guys making the tackle, there are plays where we see five, six or the whole defensive line and linebackers getting to the ball.”

As the season has progressed, the defense has improved, Alig said. In the past six games, Alter has allowed 21 total points, sometimes in games during which the reserves see plenty of action.

The unit’s camaraderie is key, said Nolan Plate.

“After practices, after games, we go out, get something to eat. We know what each other is thinking,” Plate said. “Before games we go to certain people’s houses to watch more film, just to get the extra edge that night.”

Clinton-Massie provides a rushing challenge. The Falcons, like Alter, keep their offense mainly on the ground. But the Knights have defensive backs used to playing physical. They’re just as often in the high-tackle linebacker position.

The movement has helped Alter to 27 consecutive victories as the Knights attempt to defend their state championship with one of the better defenses in recent memory.

“They’re playing as well as any defense I’ve ever been around,” said Alig, a 1988 Alter graduate who is coaching the Knights for the 20th season and second as defensive coordinator.

The different placement provides different opportunities. Doncaster joked that he sometimes prefers dropping into coverage in hopes of an interception.

“I don’t really have the hands for that,” he said. “But we all like getting to the quarterback just as much.”