Day one mentality on defense

Kingston’s defense is known as an odd stack or a 3-4 odd stack. However, with nine defensive starters returning from an 11-win team, it may be more imposing than odd for opponents.

Head coach Tommy Bare said his team looks forward to some success on defense.

“We’re real comfortable in that aspect,” he said. “Our leading tackler, Bryant Watts, a two-year starter who’ll be a junior. Matt Flesher is a linebacker who’s a hard hitter. Matt Hawkins will be there. Colton Robinson is one of our better defensive backs.”

Final decisions on the final two defensive starting spots haven’t been made yet, Bare said.

“There’s frontrunners at different positions, but we’re still hashing some things out being this early in campm,” he said.

Bare said competition and a younger team has made that process longer.

“We’ve got 53 kids out for football,” he said. “There’s a lot of youngsters. So depth wise, we’ll challenge some of them to step up and be ready to play. My motto for our kids is they’re one play away from being a superstar. So, we try to get them ready in that aspect.”

Bare said this season the team’s senior class is its smallest.

“It’s something like six seniors,” he said. “We have a great junior class. Our sophomore class and freshman are in the 12 person range. That’s good numbers for a Class 2A school. If we can keep everybody out there and healthy that’s gonna be a big key in us being successful. “

Playing fundatmental football

Watts said it’s a matter of each defender doing their job.

“Doing the little things right,” he said. “Being on point and being fundamental. Making the plays when we need to. Always wrapping up. Being physical and violent.”

Over the summer, the team has focused on improving its pass coverage, Watts said.

“Getting back faster and getting our heads on a swivel,” he said. “Picking up the wide receivers underneath. We had to fill some spots after seniors graduated. That’s one of our safeties and one of our corners. I think we’re gonna be better and quicker in the secobndary. The guys are very hungry. We’re ready for the season.”

Watts said the Redskins have a goal in their mind and want to achieve it.

“ The mindset of this year from last year from day one of practice was completely different from day one of last year,” he said. “Our day one mentality this year was we know what we want and we want to go get it. Our goal is always the state championship. We want to win our district and go for a gold ball. That’s it. That’s always the goal.”

Offensive opponents

Watts went over some of the different offenses Kingston will face in 2019.

“In our district we see a lot of [variety,]” he said. “We see Davis running the wishbone. We face Marietta and they run the wing-T. We face multiple where the run [a combination of] power I and the spread. And then we face spread.”

Watts credits the coaching staff with preparing the team for what they face.

“It’s a lot of work that our coaches put in on the weekends and through the week to get us prepared,” he said. “We’re very blessed to have a coaching staff that takes the time to get us prepared for games.”

For each situation, the defense practices multiple situations, he said.

“It’s a lot of walking through stuff and getting lined up,” he said. “Make sure we have our [assignments] and know our jobs and do it perfectly when Friday night comes around.”

Watts said they are ready for every team on the schedule.

“We want to go out undefeated and make this year special,” she said. “We know there is a target on our backs cause we won district last year. Everyone wants to knock off the district champion.”

The defensive play caller

Watts knows full well about his role of playcaller on the defense.

“Calling plays, you gotta know everybody’s position,” he said. “And what everybody’s doing on every play. On every snap you have to know what every linebacker is doing.

“In tight games and loud games, you have to look over to the sideline to make sure you have the right call from your defensive coordinator. You never know when there’s gonna be a check or a different play call.

“Then, we’ll have automatics. We’ll have a play called but they’ll line up in a formation [we weren’t ready for] so you’ll call an automatic and change the play. So, you have to know all that. You gotta be loud and be a leader. You gotta be able to take control of the huddle. In tight games, you gotta settle [your teammates] down. You have to talk them down or talk them up.”

“We try to cut it up with everybody on the team, but once we are out on the field on Friday it is serious.”