Coach Jeff Weachter before the CD East Game 9.4.26

Marty Bowman talks with Bishop McDevitt Head Coach Jeff Weachter before the CD East game.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Marty Bowman with Coach Jeff Fletcher, Bishop McDevitt High School. Coach,
first game of the year last Friday, Our Lady of
Good Counsel from suburban Maryland, the D.C. area, big schedule
that they plan everything. Didn't know a lot about them
coming in, but I certainly thought the Crusaders stood up
strong on Friday night.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah, I was thrilled with our effort. You know, we
made some mistakes, which you're going to have in the
first game. You know, I was disappointed in all the
cramping we had because we told the kids to hydrate
all week.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
We really worked on this week.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
So we had a lot of kids in and out.
But the kids that went in, stepped up, that was
as good a football team as you're going to face.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
They're very good.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Two years ago, they were ranked in the top 50
in the country. They had seven Division I kids on defense,
a bunch of Division I kids on offense. And, you know,
I was concerned because we're a young football team. And
not just young, we're inexperienced. But we had a lot

(01:09):
of guys step up and play really well. And to
walk off and, you know, if it wasn't for two mistakes,
that game probably could have been a mercy rule game.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
So I was thrilled with how well we played.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Air Wechter, back, we talked about this a little before
the season, but were you.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Actually having fun? I mean, you were, you know, we're
seeing some things, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Out of the backfield, screens and things that we didn't
see a lot of, and there's a variety of plays,
and it looks like you were having fun.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, you know, it, you know, you, I learned a
long time ago in coaching, you run the offense or
defense that fits your system. You don't try to make
you know, a round peg fit in a square. And
so that's why our offense is so multiple on changes

(02:05):
from year to year. You know, first of all, we
have seven very good either that can play varsity and
maybe eight, including two freshmen, that can play varsity receiver
for us. And, you know, the top four of them,
now Thatcher Hansley is– He played receiver last year at
his old school, and he's playing more tight end here,

(02:28):
but we do split him out. And what that allows
us to do is use the same personnel that the
defense can't call. What we see is when we go
what we call 10 personnel, which is four wide receivers,
everybody the last probably seven, eight years is bringing in
a nickel or a dime, extra defensive backs. Now you

(02:49):
don't know what we're in because I can go 10
personnel with this group or with the same personnel, I
can go 11 personnel, 12 personnel with double tight ends.
I can go 20 personnel with H-back and three receivers.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
So you don't know what we're going to do.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
So I'm having a lot of fun with that. But
one of the things is we've always been good at
wide receiver screens and tailback screens. But we haven't had
the size really since, you know, 23 when we had
Rico Scott, who was probably the best wide receiver blocker
I've ever coached. You know, but you had Nevin Hopkins

(03:29):
and Chase Regan, who were very physical kids. I mean,
they were two safeties playing receiver, and they were physical
and blocked. We've been smaller the last two years, and now,
you know, I've got a 6'6, 220-pound kid that I
can flank out there to block, and I got– Zayden Smith,
who's 6'5, 215, is going to college to be a
tight end. And I've got them playing receiver. And now

(03:53):
Jontae Quick is a great blocker, but after he hurt
his ankle last year, he couldn't block. So we have
blockers now, so you're going to see all kinds of
different wide receivers and running back screens and a.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Couple other screens.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
But in the passing game, Jontae and– We've got Zayden,
who's a big 6'5 kid target, who is fast.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
He runs a sub-4, 5'40.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Thatcher, even though he's 6'6 and more of a tight end,
when we split him out, he has great body control.
He's a basketball player also. But then you look at,
Jontae's a four-year starter, and Jontae is as good as
receiver route running. And then Howard, Howard got taller, he
got a little bit bigger, he got stronger, he got
a lot faster, and Howard runs great routes. So, Yeah,

(04:41):
we're going to use those kids. So, you know, I
told you coming in, you know, we're going to go
back to throwing the ball a little bit more, you know,
as you call it, Eric Wachter. But it makes sense
to do. And we have three good young running backs,
and it allows them to grow a little bit. We
don't have to put too much on their shoulders. And
we have a quarterback who improved as the year went on.

(05:03):
Last year I thought he had a good playoff in
Sebastian Williams. But other than two mistakes, I thought Sebastian
played very, very well.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
I wanted to ask you about one of the things
that you always have talked to me over the years
with your quarterback is don't look at the rush. And
I thought Friday, I remarked about a couple times up
in the booth, I thought Friday he did a great
job of just looking like the rush wasn't even there
and the rush was coming at him more than once.

Speaker 4 (05:30):
But he just, you know, got the right read and
found the receivers.

Speaker 3 (05:34):
It was, and he did.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
You know, as I stayed downfield and, you know, I mean–
They had four Division I defensive linemen. Number eight's going
to be playing in the NFL someday if he gets healthy,
the linebacker. But they were blitzing us a lot, and
he had a lot of pressure on him, and he did.
He kept his eyes downfield. And Smash is a tough
kid to begin with. Plus, he's worked hard in the

(05:55):
weight room. He's got a lot stronger. His body's a
lot stronger. He's 210 pounds, and he did a great job.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
And I know he's dying to run more, but we
all know he can't just because of the personnel situation.

Speaker 4 (06:09):
You kind of have to take that out right now.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah, I mean, that might come back in the playoffs. But,
you know, as of right now, you know, Jontae Quick's
our backup quarterback. So we don't want that.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
So you talked about the running back, McFarlane and Black.

Speaker 1 (06:23):
And.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
Caden Walker.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
Caden Walker. All three of those guys contributed. A lot
of youth there and everything. Got to be excited about
the running backs.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
We are. We're excited coming back in.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
They're three different type style runners from each other, which
is great for us.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
We can kind of mix and match a little bit.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Xavier is a converted wide receiver, so we know he
has good hands and can help us in the pass game.
He made a nice third down catch and got the
first down. They're running a little bit high. You know,
we've got to work on that. And, you know, maybe
some of their reads a little bit. But that comes

(07:05):
with time. That comes with experience. I feel real good
about them, especially towards the back end of the year
when we get into the playoffs, is how well, you know,
they're going to.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Be so much better running.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
You know, they also pass protect really well. You know,
especially Leighton Black did a great job. I mean, he
saved us a couple times because we had a throw,
even on some touchdowns. where we got an offensive lineman beat.
And really, that's not their job. They're picking up linebackers.
But Layton stepped up against a 300-pound defensive tackle and blocked.

(07:39):
And he ran hard.

Speaker 3 (07:41):
All of them ran hard.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
And then Caden Walker, we knew this coming in, and
especially over the summer. He has some special qualities about him.
He understands to run the ball for a kid his
age a little bit better than most. He has good hands.
He has good speed. And even though he's not tall,
he's tough to bring down.

Speaker 4 (08:01):
Talk a little bit about defense.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
And as you do that, just tell folks out there
listening in a game like last Friday with a lot
of cramping up and everything, how difficult it is on
the defensive side of the ball, you know, to who
can I put in, who.

Speaker 4 (08:15):
Can I put in, who's available, those kinds of things.

Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
And unfortunately, you know, it hit us a couple of
spots where we just don't have a lot of great depth. Uh,
It happened to us at defensive tackle and defensive end.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
And we had some good depth.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
I thought the three defensive ends in Creighton Milch, Chance Holmes,
and Brian Stork played very well. But we had a
run of defensive tackles go down, and we had a
run of linebackers go down. Ethan Miller and Princeton....

Speaker 3 (08:47):
Did a great job, but they're more inside linebackers.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
We have a lot of outside linebackers, but we don't
have a lot of inside linebackers. The defensive staff did
a great job of filling in there. It is hard.
On offense, Jontae Quick and Howard Holton were out at
the same time. Then all three of our fullbacks were
out at one time. It was one of those games,
and hopefully we won't see a repeat tonight of all

(09:12):
the cramps.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
Unfair to single out, but I personally Every time I
looked up, Elijah Sherman was involved in the play.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Yeah, Elijah, he's a great safety. He has great speed.
He's a physical kid. He's strong, ran the alleys really well,
and played the pass really well.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
He had one pick, and I thought he was going
to get one or two other ones.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
He knows how. He can play man. He's a good man,
coverage guy. But when he can play that deep hole
as a free safety and see everything unfolding, he anticipates
very well, and then his speed helps him.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
But, yeah, I agree with you. He had a great game.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
One of the things I think I've learned here, you know,
you always talk about the quarterback.

Speaker 4 (09:56):
We always do up there.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
You know, the key to the offense here at McDevitt
to me, the key to the defense has been.

Speaker 4 (10:02):
The free safety and the strong safety for years.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, it's more the free safety makes checks and calls
back there. And then, you know, usually our inside linebacker,
which Ethan Miller did, you know, he makes all the
calls and adjustments for the fronts. And Ethan's doing a
great job also with that.

Speaker 3 (10:17):
So, yeah, you're right. The two of them are kind
of like co-quarterbacks of the defense.

Speaker 1 (10:21):
So, good win, like you said, and we thought about
it up there. You take away the two picks, and
that could have been a mercy rule game. Central Dolphins tonight,
what are we going to see from them?

Speaker 4 (10:33):
And what do you– I mean, no, nothing special, Glenn.
Because you always say you're going to wait and see
what they show you, right?

Speaker 3 (10:42):
Exactly. You know, and I did that.

Speaker 2 (10:45):
You know, last week, I kind of anticipated they were
going to check and change their coverages, and they did
the second half. So going into C.D. East is, you know,
I've told the team on Monday, you come off a
big game like that, there's a letdown, you know, East lost.
You know, we can't do that because they have athletes.
You know, they don't have a lot of size, but

(11:06):
they have athletes. And sometimes if you make a mistake
and a guy gets behind you, their quarterback throws the ball,
has a strong enough arm, and they have enough speed.
And they have some good receivers. Amir Lamel has been
a three-year starter. And they have some good athletes. So

(11:26):
we have to come out and play and do our thing.
And our goal is, they always say, and I told
the team, they always say in the coaching ad is,
You improve the most, we've won the two, so East
is going to improve, but we've got to improve because
we have a big one next week against State College,
but we're taking it one game at a time. I
told them I want to see improvement, and we've got

(11:49):
to get better. Good counsel with all their blitzing was
not an easy team. Between their talent and all the
blitzing they did, It was not an easy team to
run against, so I'd like to get the run game
a little bit. Not that we did bad. I thought
we were efficient. I'd like to be a little more
efficient in our run game tonight.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
Okay, Coach. Go out to land this field and bring
home a W tonight.

Speaker 3 (12:11):
All right. Thanks a lot.