Rockies face a re-match at Mishawaka

Courtesy of the Pilot News. Photo Sue Garrity

PLYMOUTH — For the first time since 2020 Plymouth finds themselves in a second-round sectional game after a win Friday over Wawasee.
While the win was convincing it did have its moments.
“We were pretty short at the receiver position halfway through the game,” said Plymouth head coach Adam Handley. “We had Grady (Metsker) with pneumonia going into the game, and then we lost (Jose) Fernando halfway through. We’ve hung our hat on running the football all season, so it hasn’t necessarily been that we need to throw the ball all over the place and find a receiver to do it, but it’s still nice to have receivers who are blocking, lining up in the right position and no what they are doing and not having to yell from the sideline. It’s something that we’ve worked on all week. We don’t necessarily know what this looks like this Friday.”
Plymouth was short at the position before the season even began losing two senior three-year starters in Aiden VanDusen and Aiden Blalock. It appears that Metzger will be able to return Friday, but Fernando is a question mark.
Even at that, the Rockies were able to have some success in the passing game when they needed it.
“They gave us some loaded boxes,” said Handley. “We completed a couple of bubble passes, we completed a screen, a couple of out routes, and that was good to see. We only threw the ball five or six times but we need to be able to have the right call when we need it.”
Along with the running game, the defense has been a constant for Plymouth all season.
“I think they have the mindset that they aren’t going to allow you to score,” said Handley. “They are going to make you earn every single yard. We know in this conference, and especially this sectional, we have to be able to control the ground and not give up the big plays. That’s the mantra we have to have.”
Friday’s opponent, Mishawaka, would recognize that defensive mantra after a win over Northridge on Friday.
“Northridge had the ball at the 15 on their first possession and only came away with a field goal,” said Handley. “They are not going to allow you to score, especially if they have a turnover or short field. That happened to us the last time we played them.”
“Any coach is happy to put points on the board, but you aren’t going to win games against them with field goals,” he said. “You have to score touchdowns to have a chance in the end.”
While both teams have a different approach to just how to do it, they both want to do the same thing — run the football.
“Our MO this year has been to run the football. We have to do that,” said Handley. “Last time we played them, we had some success running the football, and if I’m on Mishwaka’s staff, I’m going to find a way to stop that. We have to make sure we are sustaining our drives and ending in the endzone.”
Defensively, defending the option is always discipline and assignment football.
“We have to make sure we stay true to our keys,” said Handley. “They do some funky stuff with their motion and things like that, but ultimately, they are running at that ‘A’ and ‘B’ gap, and based on our defense, the spot to run the ball is there.”
“We have to be sure we are getting 10-11 guys to the football every time and making them earn everything they get.”