The football team over at Burr Oak is doing some impressive things in a season that might end up requiring its own chapter in the Bobcats’ history book. After a 72-0 trouncing over Southern Michigan 8-Man Football League opponent Litchfield on the road, Burr Oak is 3-0 leading up to Friday’s home game against fellow league power Battle Creek St. Philip.
Burr Oak, St. Philip and Portland St. Patrick are the only undefeated programs in the conference.
Cole Summey
Injury Report
After having played his first game last week against Litchfield, senior wide receiver/defensive lineman Cole Summey banged up his knee in his debut. Summey caught a touchdown pass versus Litchfield and is also a rushing threat (50 yards last week on a handful of carries).
“With Cole’s speed and strength, he is also an asset on the defensive line as defensive end/outside linebacker,” Bobcats coach Ryan Stephens said. “If not able to play in Friday’s night game, Arturo Hernandez-Gonzalez will take his place.”
Scouting St. Philip
Battle Creek St. Phil has a highly explosive offense with many speedy slots and receivers,” Stephens explained. “On defense they are quick to the ball and defend the pass very well. The key to beating the tigers is shutting down their defense and containing the outside on the run and playing man-to-man coverage with their receivers with our best athletes in the secondary.”
Brent Everitt
Defensive Spotlight
Senior defensive end Brent Everitt and junior Alex Munoz (middle linebacker) are “the leaders of the Bobcats defense both with their number of tackles per game and leadership,” Stephens said. “Both players are extremely vocal in a encouraging way and do an excellent job stepping up when facing adversity. Both Everitt and Munoz will be key on defense in stopping a fast and athletic St. Phil offense.”
Depth Chart Ascent
Arturo Hernandez-Gonzalez, a first-year player at Burr Oak, has done an excellent job bringing intensity to the team,” Stephens noted.
“[He’s] not a big player by any means, but hits hard in practice giving both our starting defense and offense a look,” Stephens added. “In fact, he has earned himself a starting spot on the defense in the secondary for Friday night’s game. As a coaching staff, we are hoping his intensity and speed on defense will lead to some crucial turnovers.”
Arturo Hernandez-Gonzalez
Alex Campbell (sophomore) went from a second string defensive back last year to starting safety. Stephens said he is one of the team’s leading tacklers and “does an excellent job flowing to the ball and making bit hits in the secondary when needed.”
By the numbers
Everitt has forced six fumbles through three games between defense and special teams for the Bobcats, which have had two special teams touchdowns in the last two outings — one off of a strip on a kickoff by Alex Munoz and a kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore Chantz Owens.
Surveying the League
“Going 3-0 in the first third of the season was expected, but the next two weeks against St. Phil (3-0) and St. Pat (3-0) will be the true test to see where we stand among the best teams in the league,” Stephens said.