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Sports
M O N D A Y , O C T O B E R 31 , 2011
ALABAMA vs.
LSU
DAYS TO KICKOFF SECTION C
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
TOP OF THE CLASS
Road to the Super Six starts this week By Alex Scarborough Sports Writer
Crimson Tide’s defense receives high marks The University of Alabama was idle this past weekend with twothirds of the regular season in the books. But with the stretch run of the Southeastern Conference season still ahead, including No. 1 LSU on Saturday, there is still much work to be done — perhaps even championship work. The Tuscaloosa News hands out some grades for the Crimson Tide, position by position, for an idle-week report card. Today’s grades focus on the defense. Dont’a Hightower
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ale County’s Kerry Lewis made his final regular season game meaningful Friday night. He squeezed four touchdowns into one half of play, leading the Wildcats to a 41-0 win over Akron. Lewis ran in a touchdown in the first quarter. He then made a few minutes in the second quarter very interesting — catching a 48-yard touchdown, getting a breather on a three-and-out by Akron, returning the ensuing punt 70 yards for a score and then picking off a pass eight seconds later and taking it 24 yards for another touchdown. For that, Lewis earned High School Football Player of the Week honors from The Tuscaloosa News. Several other players ha d s t an d o u t p e r f o rmances to garner honorable mention: ■ Berry’s Jacob Kennedy threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, breaking a school record for career yards passing, in a 60-8 win over Gaylesville. ■ Berry’s Jake Smith caught six passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns in the win. ■ Hillcrest’s Deddric Williams forced two fumbles and blocked a field goal attempt in a 52-13 win over Demopolis. ■ Sumter Central’s Terrance Henson ran for three touchdowns in a 28-0 win over Aliceville. ■ Sumter Academy’s Paul Reed rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns and also threw for a score in a 56-20 win over South Choctaw Academy. ■ Pickens Academy’s Josh Lewis scored five times in a 48-12 win over Marengo Academy. He ran for two scores, returned a punt for a score, had an interception return for a touchdown and threw for a 50-yard touchdown. ■ Northridge’s Brooks Burns was a perfect 8-for-8 passing with 213 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-0 win over Paul W. Bryant. ■ Three of those passes fell into the waiting arms of wide receiver James Cox. Cox had three catches for 169 yards and three scores. ■ Fayette County’s Marcellus Redmond threw for a touchdown, ran for another, made nine tackles and recovered a fumble in a 21-17 win over Hamilton. ■ Sulligent’s Peter Swanigan ran for 241 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries, in addition to an 80-yard kickoff return for a score in a 45-35 win over South Lamar. ■ Bibb County’s C.J. Cutts rushed for 297 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries in a 52-20 win over Pleasant Grove. ■ North River Christian’s JaMarcus Gray scored four touchdowns in a 28-16 win over Victory Christian. He ran for three scores and caught another.
Hale County’s Kerry Lewis scored four touchdowns in a variety of ways against Akron. He rushed for a score, caught a pass for another and returned an interception for and a punt for touchdowns.
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PROGRESS REPORT
PRIZE PUPIL
SKIPPED A GRADE
DO THE MATH
CLASS PROJECT
POP QUIZ
The simplest way to judge how this group has played is to look at the team’s performance against the run, which has been nothing short of stellar. Gap control is priority number one for defensive linemen in a 3-4 defense, and in that aspect, pect, opposing offensive lines ines have found tough slededding against UA. There ere also seems to be little tle drop-off when substitutes rotate in.
Josh Chapman has been a stalwart at nose guard. Though he’s made just 13 tackles, UA linebackers swear by his value as a guy who can hold his own against double teams, tea occupying the mi middle of the line with control con of his man man.
Jesse Williams, in his first year playing at the SEC level, has steadily improved. He’s made 3.5 tackles for loss and, more importantly, has become a more effective player over time.
Defensive end Ed Stinson has more tackles (14) and tackles for loss (five) than any other UA defensive lineman.
Alabama’s linebackers tend to get more sacks than the linemen, but the linemen still have to shrink the pass pocket, which helps the linebackers finish the play. Nick Gentry has been excellent in that regard in pass situations.
1. Who are the two fi fth-year seniors on the Alabama defensive line?
Arguably the best group of linebackers in the nation, the Crimson Tide has just what it needs at each position. Dont’a Hightower provides leadership and knowledge in the middle, and is a run-stopping force. Courtney Upshaw’s ability as a pass rusher gives Alabama a threat on the edge against the pass, and the weakside position gets contributions from both Nico Johnson and C.J. Mosley.
Hightower is the easy choice. From making calls and checks for the front seven before the snap, to playing the middle of the field against the run, to rushing off the edge on third down, he is invaluable.
Jerrell Harris is playing more than ever this season, not only because he is a first-year starter, but also because UA is using its regular 3-4 defense a bit more than it has in the past.
Upshaw leads the team in tackles for loss with 11.5, for minus-54 yards.
With Alex Watkins out with an arm injury for three weeks, two to thre have more of UA will hav a chance to develop a younger pla player at Upshaw’s Jack position. tion Adrian Hubbard Hub could be that t guy.
2. Which two linebackers are semifinalists for the Butkus Award?
Josh Chapman
Jerrell Harris
Cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick, DeQuan Menzie and Dee Milliner have played significantly better than they did a year ago. Alabama iss the only team in the SEC allowing completions on fewer than half of opponents’ onents’ passes (48.1 percent). Meanwhile, while, the ns Mark safety play of veterans Barron and Robert Lester has been rock solid.. Alabama is allowing 135 ugh yards per game through the air, second-best in the league behind South Carolina.
Barron is the most experienced member of the secondary, now a third-year starter, an and gives UA its most mos physical secon secondary presen ence. His 40 tackles rranks secoond on the tteam, and h he has broken up five passes.
Although Milliner picked up valuable game action in 2010, he is still the youngest player in the group. Nevertheless, he has played like a veteran this season with a team-high two interceptions and seven pass breakups.
A labama’s f ive regulars in the secondary have combined for 31 pass breakups.
The UA secondary has given up some of its longest completions of the season on the opposing team’s opening drive. Getting off to a better start on a consistent basis is important.
3. Which Alabama defensive back came to UA as a transfer from LSU?
Freshmen Vinnie Sunseri and Trey DePriest have made a major impact on kickoff coverage. covverage.
At 11 of 13, Shelley is converting 84.6 percent of his field goals.
Punter Cody Mandell’s punting average of 39 yards ranks 12th in the SEC. More consistency there, as well as improved kickoff distance, will help significantly.
4. What is the longest field goal converted by a UA kicker this season and who kicked it?
Mark Barron B
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A PHOTO | SKYLAR KYNARD
By Chase Goodbread | Sports Writer
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TUSCALOOSA | The playoffs are fi nally here. The road to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the Super Six begins in earnest Friday when postseason play commences and a group of 192 schools begin the process of cutting down to 12. The last time the Super Six came to Tuscaloosa, it was Demopolis raising the trophy. This go-round, several area teams will vie for a shot at a state championship. Linden leads the charge in Class 1A, putting its “road warrior” mentality to the test yet again. Coach Andro INSIDE Williams said playing on the BREAKDOWN: road all season won’t be a probA look at each lem, so long as it ends with a classification game an hour and a half north for the AHSAA of Linden at the University of playoffs | 4C A laba ma ca mpus. P ickens County, Berry and Akron will enter the fray as well. American Christian Academy is as talented as any team in the state in Class 2A. The Patriots feature a Dvision-I college-bound quarterback in Austin Grammer, who took his team to the playoffs last year, as well as a stable of talented wide receivers and a running back in John Major Davis, who causes matchup problems galore. It’s coach John Causey’s fi rst trip to the playoffs as head coach, and he’s ready for the challenge. Lamar County travels to Lineville in other Class 2A action. SEE P LAYOFFS | 4C
The good news first — Marquis Maze has been outstanding as a return man on both kickoffs and punts, and with the exception of a rough game against Ole Miss, kickoff coverage has been solid as well. The bad news — punting needs improvement, and kickoffs haven’t been especially deep. The field goal tandem of Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley has been solid once again (12 of 16).
Maze has 576 total return yards this season, most of which has come on punts. He leads the SEC in kickn average at 29.8 off return hird in punt reand is third turns at 13.0.
Trey DePriestt
MID-TERM PROGRESS REPORT Two months into the season, Alabama is not only 8-0 but it hasn’t played a close game yet. That speaks more than anything to the dominance the Crimson Tide has displayed in 2011. The defense has been stellar in virtually every respect, while the offense has been both balanced and effective despite a new quarterback and a new left tackle. Alabama’s special teams, overall, have been solid if not spectacular.
POP QUIZ ANSWERS
Vinnie Sunseri
NO. 1 LSU AT NO. 2 ALABAMA ■ When: 7 p.m., Saturday ■ Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium ■ Records: Alabama 8-0, 5-0 in SEC LSU 8-0, 5-0 in SEC ■ TV: CBS ■ Radio: 95.3 FM, 790 AM
1. Josh Chapman and Nick Gentry 2. Courtney Upshaw and Dont’a Hightower 3. Phelon Jones 4. 45 yards, Cade Foster
ALABAMA: The Crimson Tide was ranked No. 5 in the nation entering last year’s loss to LSU. LSU: The Tigers ripped of f 5 straight wins in the series from 2003 thr ough 2007.