HOUSTON – Every week, Keith Page heads to his office at Second Baptist School to start his process of planning his defensive attack.
The sixth-year defensive coordinator has orchestrated his defense like a masterful conductor does with an orchestra.
“Our defensive staff does a great job collaborating,” Page said. “We bounce a lot of ideas off each other and then cull through them to figure out what makes the most sense for our team.”
When comparing film from week one to week four, it looks completely different, making Page’s defense hard to plan against.
Each week, according to Page, they roll out defensive packages that are customized to their opponent. But to do that effectively, it takes powerhouse players like Hank Huthnance ‘22, who has played corner, outside linebacker and safety all season.
“It’s really a testament to our players and having different athletes that we can roll out and play in different situations,” Page said.
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Against Fort Bend Christian Academy in the semi-finals, two of the biggest plays came from the defensive unit.
In the fourth quarter, with just over four minutes left, Karsten Chambers ‘23 intercepted a Brady Dever pass in the end zone, which helped the Eagles maintain their one-point lead. Then, with just one minute remaining, the defensive line forced Dever out of the pocket and he fumbled, which was recovered by Colin Hedges ‘22, ending the game.
The defensive line, led by Coach Stephen Burress, “has done a great job,” which is on the front end of causing these turnovers on the backend, explained Page.
“We haven’t had a defensive line that can put pressure on people like this since I’ve been here,” Page said.
With the defensive unit preparing this week for Dallas Christian in the TAPPS 5A State Championship game on Saturday, Page will once again try and conduct them into the right positions.