Johnnies set to play Bulldogs
HOWARD — If there was ever a time for the East Knox Bulldogs to turn their season around, the time is Friday night. East Knox started the season 1-5 and is still looking for its first win in the Mid-Buckeye Conference.
No one is as shocked and disappointed as the Bulldogs.
After two weeks of playing football on the road, it’s time for homecoming. The Bulldogs are eager to play in front of their fans, and more eager to get their first home win. Getting a “W” in the conference would be nice, too.
“It’s always great to be at home. There’s no place better to play than at home. We are really looking forward to it,” said East Knox head coach Tom Holton. “Hopefullly, with homecoming, we’ll have a good crowd that will come out and support the team. Our guys are ready to come out and play a great game.”
In this week’s Mount Vernon News Game of the Week, East Knox will definitely have its hands full as the Bulldogs host the conference-leading Johnstown Johnnies. Johnstown (4-2, 3-0 MBC) doesn’t score a lot, averaging just 21 points per game, but what it lacks on the scoreboard it makes up for on defense and in a clock-consuming, three-headed rushing monster.
With an offense almost entirely centered around their rushing attack, the Johnnies have racked up 1,746 rushing yards in their first six games, including 993 yards in three MBC contests. They average 291 yards on the ground per game and rush for an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
When it comes to passing, the Johnnies don’t even bother. Johnstown has only attempted 44 passes this season compared to the 324 rushing plays they’ve run. Through three MBC games, the difference is even more drastic, with only 12 passes to 166 rushing plays. And they know how to take care of the ball, with just two interceptions and four fumbles.
“Johnstown is a physical team,” said Holton. “They’ve got some good running backs. They run off tackle, and they’ll run the quarterback keeper. They’re not doing anything different than what they’ve done the last several years. And they play an aggressive attacking defense. We’ve prepared for that this week. We’ve stressed the importance of having time to make plays. Our kids have made a lot of progress and they have really stepped it up.”
On defense, the Johnnies allow an average of only 13 points per game and have limited conference opponents to just under 240 yards of offense per game. But perhaps the most impressive defensive stats are the number of turnovers the Johnnies have forced. Through six games, they’ve picked off 15 passes and recovered seven fumbles.
“We have always believed that defense is a top priority,” said Johnstown head coach Mike Carter. “Our kids truly buy into the team defensive philosophy. They are doing a great job of reading their keys and execute well. Ball security is also important. We talk about that every day and we work hard on it every day. Taking care of the football and controlling the line of scrimmage are essential to winning football games.”
Compared to the heavy rushing offense of the Johnnies, East Knox has a more balanced attack. In the MBC so far, the Bulldogs have run 74 rushing plays and attempted 58 passes. And while their rushing game gets slightly more work, production on the ground has been scarce for the Bulldogs in comparison to their aerial assault.
With only 145 yards rushing in three MBC games, East Knox has averaged 1.96 yards per carry and just over 48 yards per game. In the same time, they have racked up 472 yards through the air and have scored touchdowns on four of 18 completions. The Bulldogs have yet to score a rushing touchdown in the MBC.
For East Knox to win, the Bulldogs will have to limit the amount of time the Johnnies have the ball and avoid giving up big plays on defense — of Johnstown’s 14 rushing touchdowns, seven have come on plays of more than 20 yards. They will also need to increase offensive production, as a key stat for the Bulldogs is first downs. So far in the MBC, they have only moved the chains 18 times while opponents have accumulated 52 first downs.
The Johnnies are coming off a 20-13 victory over Fredericktown, a game in which Johnstown defenders picked off Freddies’ quarterback Merritt Zollars twice and forced one fumble. The Northridge Vikings put up 416 yards of total offense, including 297 rushing yards, against the Bulldogs last week to claim a 31-14 win and their first MBC victory.
“Any time you get a victory it definitely helps the kids’ confidence and morale. They work hard so it’s nice for them to see that the hard work pays dividends,” said Carter. “We make sure that we don’t overlook anybody. We respect every team in the MBC. They are all tough kids. We know [East Knox] will play tough and that they are well-coached. We know we have to get ready for four quarters of hard-nosed football.”