The Havre High defense has been dominant all season long; Now it has to do it when it matters most
Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
Remember the old adage that defense wins championships? Well if the fourth-ranked Havre High football team is going to win a Class A state championship this season, it will be in large part because of the success or the Ponies’ vaunted defense. Statistically, the 2006 version of the Blue Pony defense stacks up favorably against any defense in the recent history of HHS football. But defenses aren’t remembered for regular season accomplishments, they are remembered for what is done in the postseason. And as Havre prepares to host Frenchtown in a Class A quarterfinal Saturday afternoon, the HHS defense knows their time to shine is now. “It’s important that we get it done in the playoffs,” HHS linebacker Kyle Rummel said. “Stats don’t really mean that much. We need to prove ourselves in the playoffs.” However, the numbers that the Ponies have been able to put up defensively this season are staggering. Over the course of an eight-game season, the Ponies allowed an average of just 6.5 points per game. Opponents managed just 52 total points against Havre, scoring only eight times and managing seven touchdowns and one field goal. Only twice during the season did a Havre opponent score in double figures and on top of all that, the Ponies pitched three shutouts. “The defense has played great all season long,” HHS head coach Kevin Sukut said. “They have stepped up and made big stops all year and they have come to play in the big games. “At the start of the season we looked at our defense and we actually thought that it might be behind the offense a little bit,” he added. “We didn’t have very many kids back from last year that played a whole lot and we only returned three starters. But we had a lot of kids step up big and they have really come through.” Some defenses have what is called a bend but don’t break philosophy, which gives up yardage to the opponent, but doesn’t allow them to score. That term does not apply to the Blue Pony defense. Trying to rack up yardage against them is like attempting to ride a bike through a brick wall. It just doesn’t work. The Ponies held their opponents to a measly 195.7 total yards per game, with teams getting just 124.5 yards on the ground and only 70.8 through the air on the way to the 2006 Central A championship. The Ponies have been extremely stingy in terms of allowing points. But they have also been extremely opportunistic as well, forcing an astonishing 33 turnovers which comes out to an average of over four per game. “The fact that we were able to force that many turnovers is a big reason why we have been so successful,” Sukut said. “It just shows that we are usually in the right place and that we have the ability to make big plays when we need to.” One of the reasons, the defense has been so good is the play of ball-hawking middle linebacker Evan Hinebauch. Hinebauch had a spectacular 2006 season, leading the Central A conference in tackles with 81, to go along with a team-high six sacks as well as two interceptions. The Ponies also had the best pass defense in the conference in large part because of the great play by a defensive line that was able to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks all season long. The Ponies ended up with 26 sacks on the season and 13 of them came from their front four, led by Michael Sharp, who racked up five sacks on the year. Senior Michael Erickson also had three sacks. The secondary, which is arguably among the best in the state, notched 10 interceptions in the regular season. The Ponies are led in the defensive backfield by safety Beau LaSalle, who came away with five interceptions on the season and also scored two defensive touchdowns. The team also got a boost from Rummel, who is a big-play linebacker that not only notched two sacks, but set a state record with seven blocked punts on the season. “Kyle has definitely got a good nose for the football,” Sukut said. “In all my years of coaching I have never heard of or seen anything like that. It’s unique because you just don’t see that many blocked punts, and for him to get that many just shows the speed and quickness he has.” There is little doubt that the Havre High defense is as good as they come. But the Ponies legacy won’t be truly defined until their playoff run is over. However if they are able to bring home a state championship, they will no doubt be mentioned as one the best defenses Havre High school has ever seen. “All year long everyone has been able to work together,” Erickson said. “We have made big plays when we needed to and we feel we are a championship defense. Now we just have to go out and prove it to everyone.”
