Dayton’s win over Panthers means 9th district championship for Stewart’s Broncos

[bronco1]

Dayton’s win over Panthers means 9th district championship for Jerry Stewart’s Broncos

By MIKE GEORGE

Updated: 11.05.08

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Bronco head football coach Jerry Stewart saw his team win their ninth district championship out of the 13 years he has been at Dayton, with a more than convincing 46-7 massacre of C.E. King.

“To say that I was pleased with our kids on both sides of the ball is an understatement,†said Stewart. “I’m also extremely proud of these coaches for the preparations they went into for this big ball game.â€

The coach then described a philosophy he picked up early in his coaching career from a friend right here in Texas.

“My coaching philosophy is that you go long, you go hard and you go rough,†began Stewart, “and then you’re going to have a little pain and it just makes everything a little bit better, and that’s what we live by. That’s my creed and it’s a pretty good one, because you’ve got to learn to like a little pain. You know it’s going to happen, so you might as well like it.â€

Stewart then explained the second part of his philosophy.

“The second part of the philosophy is that it is what it is and there’s no use in trying to change some things,†added Stewart.

The coach then explained that there was a lot of hype and anticipation going into this football game with C.E. King. After all, King had the district’s leading rusher, had been averaging over 400 yards offense in every game and coming into the game, like the Broncos, they were undefeated in district play.

“We knew our offense could score,†explained Stewart. “Our offensive staff does a wonderful job and we know it’s going to be very difficult to stop Cody (Green) and A.J. (Dugat). What people don’t realize is that the supporting cast is very good, too. Those two overshadow because they’re going to overshadow anybody that plays football on Friday nights. People better enjoy watching them, because a pair like them doesn’t come along that many times. You might see one, but it’s hard to get a set, and we’re fortunate here at Dayton to have a pair like them.â€

The coach bemoaned the fact that he hates always pointing out those two, but they are what makes this offense go, but the supporting cast, at least according to their coach, like the pair, is special, too.

“Our offensive line is just a dominant force,†stated Stewart. “We’re talking about Ray Samuels, Anthony St. Julian, Caleb Lang, Aaron Ripkowski and Chance McCormack. They can just play – flat out play. We’ve also got some guys behind them that grade out well each and every week, too.â€

The coach went on to talk about other offensive players.

“Then Cameron LaCour is coming on at running back and Terry Asson, Payton Ploch and Damian Berotte are receivers who are just stepping up and doing the things they’re supposed to do. Terry Asson surprised me because he’s always on the field, playing both ways, and Ploch gets in there also at times on both sides of the ball.â€

According to coaches’ stats, Cody Green led in rushing with 18 carries for 127 yards, with Jakari Delasbour getting 63 on two carries and Cameron LaCour adding 35 yards on four carries. Dugat ran the ball three times for 24 yards, but led the team in receptions with 182 yards on eight receptions (23.625 yards per catch) and two TD’s. Damien Berotte caught two passes for 25 yards, Terry Asson had one for 21 and Payton Ploch caught a pass for 13 yards. Added all up, the Broncos rushed for 260 yards, passed for 248 for a total of 508 yards of offense at a clip of 12.39 yards per play.

But one big reason the Bronco win was so convincing was because the normally potent King offense who had averaged 38 points and 343.57 yards rushing per game could only must a single touchdown and 223 yards rushing against Dayton’s defense.

“The big story of this game was that our defense just got after them,†stated Stewart. “They just flat out got after them and I was really proud of those kids – several of them who had good ball games. That front of Aaron Jenkins, Tony Hill and Xavier Edwards kept popping them, like on that fullback dive. Then you’ve got Chad Stapleton and Jordan Baxter at linebacker with N.L. Hines backing them in there and they played so well. We also got Evan Brown at outside linebacker back for the first time since the Crosby game and he was a big factor. On the other side we had Casey Young and this was his first rattle out of the box and he was pretty good. Then with our safeties, we sit in there with Xavier Baldwin and Dylan Bethea who is our ramrod back there who just makes a lot of plays. We get on him a lot because he has so much responsibility. Then our lock-down corners are Cameron LaCour and Terry Asson. I’m so very proud of all those kids on the defensive side of the ball because they knew there was some heat on them going to play a team that was averaging almost 400 yards a game and they held them to something like 220.â€

To say it was a defensive team effort is also an understatement. Five defenders led the team with at least seven solo tackles. Xavier Baldwin led with eight, while Xavier Edwards, Evan Brown, Dylan Bethea, and Chad Stapleton all had seven. Jordan Baxter was in the mix with five solo tackles to go along with six assists. Evan Brown, Tony Hill and Dylan Bethea also had six assisted tackles each. Xavier Edwards and Chad Stapleton also picked up a quarterback sack apiece, while Edwards (2), Brown (1), Aaron Jenkins (2), Terry Asson (1) and Stapleton (3) all had tackles for loss.

The key to the Broncos’ win was answering the bell, because as much as the game turned into a “gun-down†at first it looked like it might have been destined to be the shootout it was proclaimed to be, especially when King took the lead, 7-6, early in the contest.

“You have to answer in football,†explained Stewart. “We drove and scored, they come right back, drive down and score, and it could have been a shootout, but the defensive kids decided it was not. Cameron LaCour set the tone when he returned that kickoff and nearly broke it. Then our offense knocks it in and scores and we come out defensively and start taking care of business. To say I’m proud of them – that’s a gross understatement.â€

The coach also, once again, praised his staff of coaches.

“All the credit in the world goes to our players and this coaching staff,†Stewart said. “These other coaches work hard, work long, and rough.â€

[knightrider]

Dayton’s win over Panthers means 9th district championship for Jerry Stewart’s Broncos

By MIKE GEORGE

Updated: 11.05.08

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Bronco head football coach Jerry Stewart saw his team win their ninth district championship out of the 13 years he has been at Dayton, with a more than convincing 46-7 massacre of C.E. King.

“To say that I was pleased with our kids on both sides of the ball is an understatement,†said Stewart. “I’m also extremely proud of these coaches for the preparations they went into for this big ball game.â€

The coach then described a philosophy he picked up early in his coaching career from a friend right here in Texas.

“My coaching philosophy is that you go long, you go hard and you go rough,†began Stewart, “and then you’re going to have a little pain and it just makes everything a little bit better, and that’s what we live by. That’s my creed and it’s a pretty good one, because you’ve got to learn to like a little pain. You know it’s going to happen, so you might as well like it.â€

Stewart then explained the second part of his philosophy.

“The second part of the philosophy is that it is what it is and there’s no use in trying to change some things,†added Stewart.

The coach then explained that there was a lot of hype and anticipation going into this football game with C.E. King. After all, King had the district’s leading rusher, had been averaging over 400 yards offense in every game and coming into the game, like the Broncos, they were undefeated in district play.

“We knew our offense could score,†explained Stewart. “Our offensive staff does a wonderful job and we know it’s going to be very difficult to stop Cody (Green) and A.J. (Dugat). What people don’t realize is that the supporting cast is very good, too. Those two overshadow because they’re going to overshadow anybody that plays football on Friday nights. People better enjoy watching them, because a pair like them doesn’t come along that many times. You might see one, but it’s hard to get a set, and we’re fortunate here at Dayton to have a pair like them.â€

The coach bemoaned the fact that he hates always pointing out those two, but they are what makes this offense go, but the supporting cast, at least according to their coach, like the pair, is special, too.

“Our offensive line is just a dominant force,†stated Stewart. “We’re talking about Ray Samuels, Anthony St. Julian, Caleb Lang, Aaron Ripkowski and Chance McCormack. They can just play – flat out play. We’ve also got some guys behind them that grade out well each and every week, too.â€

The coach went on to talk about other offensive players.

“Then Cameron LaCour is coming on at running back and Terry Asson, Payton Ploch and Damian Berotte are receivers who are just stepping up and doing the things they’re supposed to do. Terry Asson surprised me because he’s always on the field, playing both ways, and Ploch gets in there also at times on both sides of the ball.â€

According to coaches’ stats, Cody Green led in rushing with 18 carries for 127 yards, with Jakari Delasbour getting 63 on two carries and Cameron LaCour adding 35 yards on four carries. Dugat ran the ball three times for 24 yards, but led the team in receptions with 182 yards on eight receptions (23.625 yards per catch) and two TD’s. Damien Berotte caught two passes for 25 yards, Terry Asson had one for 21 and Payton Ploch caught a pass for 13 yards. Added all up, the Broncos rushed for 260 yards, passed for 248 for a total of 508 yards of offense at a clip of 12.39 yards per play.

But one big reason the Bronco win was so convincing was because the normally potent King offense who had averaged 38 points and 343.57 yards rushing per game could only must a single touchdown and 223 yards rushing against Dayton’s defense.

“The big story of this game was that our defense just got after them,†stated Stewart. “They just flat out got after them and I was really proud of those kids – several of them who had good ball games. That front of Aaron Jenkins, Tony Hill and Xavier Edwards kept popping them, like on that fullback dive. Then you’ve got Chad Stapleton and Jordan Baxter at linebacker with N.L. Hines backing them in there and they played so well. We also got Evan Brown at outside linebacker back for the first time since the Crosby game and he was a big factor. On the other side we had Casey Young and this was his first rattle out of the box and he was pretty good. Then with our safeties, we sit in there with Xavier Baldwin and Dylan Bethea who is our ramrod back there who just makes a lot of plays. We get on him a lot because he has so much responsibility. Then our lock-down corners are Cameron LaCour and Terry Asson. I’m so very proud of all those kids on the defensive side of the ball because they knew there was some heat on them going to play a team that was averaging almost 400 yards a game and they held them to something like 220.â€

To say it was a defensive team effort is also an understatement. Five defenders led the team with at least seven solo tackles. Xavier Baldwin led with eight, while Xavier Edwards, Evan Brown, Dylan Bethea, and Chad Stapleton all had seven. Jordan Baxter was in the mix with five solo tackles to go along with six assists. Evan Brown, Tony Hill and Dylan Bethea also had six assisted tackles each. Xavier Edwards and Chad Stapleton also picked up a quarterback sack apiece, while Edwards (2), Brown (1), Aaron Jenkins (2), Terry Asson (1) and Stapleton (3) all had tackles for loss.

The key to the Broncos’ win was answering the bell, because as much as the game turned into a “gun-down†at first it looked like it might have been destined to be the shootout it was proclaimed to be, especially when King took the lead, 7-6, early in the contest.

“You have to answer in football,†explained Stewart. “We drove and scored, they come right back, drive down and score, and it could have been a shootout, but the defensive kids decided it was not. Cameron LaCour set the tone when he returned that kickoff and nearly broke it. Then our offense knocks it in and scores and we come out defensively and start taking care of business. To say I’m proud of them – that’s a gross understatement.â€

The coach also, once again, praised his staff of coaches.

“All the credit in the world goes to our players and this coaching staff,†Stewart said. “These other coaches work hard, work long, and rough.â€

they looked very good and determined to win the game. was a great game for the broncs