2008 Woodie Awards
Defense continues to be among best in nation
Sara Morehouse
Issue date: 11/14/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
Whitworth's defense has put in years of work on their skills and are now seeing the fruits of their labor.
The Pirates have won every game this season, the longest winning streak in the history of Whitworth football, an accomplishment they owe to their strong defensive line.
Three years ago, when the core of the current defense came to Whitworth, the offense carried the team during that first year when the defense was still young, says defensive line coach Kirk Westre. But now, he says the defense is "holding up our end of the bargain."
"They don't need a lot of coaching anymore," Westre said. "They get it. They believe it."
The Pirates play by an aggressive style of defense, meaning they blitz about 85 percent of the time, Westre said.
"We create the action, not dictate the action," he said.
Westre has coached football for 21 years, 12 of those at Whitworth and three of those for defense. He uses his past of coaching in offense to fuel the defense.
"I knew what gave me problems for offense and we try to frame our defensive strategy around that," Westre said.
The strategy appears to be working. Whitworth stands at 6-0 in the conference after their win against University of Puget Sound last Saturday and are headed for the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Junior defensive back Ryan Marshall attests to the defense's commitment to each other and their focus on the group rather than each player.
"We are not concerned with individual stats; we are concerned with winning as a team," Marshall said.
As a result of their unified play, their individual stats are impressive. Junior linebacker Casey Clifton was named the Northwest Conference's Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago. He was also selected for the D3football.com Team of the Week for his performance against Linfield on Nov. 4.
Clifton currently leads the team with 86 tackles, with a high of 17 in the game against Linfield College. Junior linebacker Greg Caster came in second for the team with 63. Marshall and junior defensive back Jay Tully, who Westre calls "the play guys," are both tied at six interceptions, each with a total 76-yard returns. Junior defensive back Phil Entel follows closely with five interceptions and a total 74-yard return, two of which came against Puget Sound this past weekend.
In the conference, Clifton is second in total tackles only to Kevin Takeno from Lewis & Clark College. Clifton is also tied with junior defensive lineman Peter Clark at the top of the conference with three forced fumbles.
Tully leads the conference with seven total passes defended. Though these numbers are impressive, the defense stays focused on their effectiveness as a team.
"The job gets done," Clark said. "It's not just individuals getting the credit for it."
While being interviewed, Westre refused to comment on any one defensive player but insisted on praising each one for their individual strengths. He values the entire defensive line not just for their "intellect and experience," but also for their character, he said
"Most importantly, they are all great human beings," Westre said. "It is a pleasure to come to work each day."
The Pirates have won every game this season, the longest winning streak in the history of Whitworth football, an accomplishment they owe to their strong defensive line.
Three years ago, when the core of the current defense came to Whitworth, the offense carried the team during that first year when the defense was still young, says defensive line coach Kirk Westre. But now, he says the defense is "holding up our end of the bargain."
"They don't need a lot of coaching anymore," Westre said. "They get it. They believe it."
The Pirates play by an aggressive style of defense, meaning they blitz about 85 percent of the time, Westre said.
"We create the action, not dictate the action," he said.
Westre has coached football for 21 years, 12 of those at Whitworth and three of those for defense. He uses his past of coaching in offense to fuel the defense.
"I knew what gave me problems for offense and we try to frame our defensive strategy around that," Westre said.
The strategy appears to be working. Whitworth stands at 6-0 in the conference after their win against University of Puget Sound last Saturday and are headed for the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Junior defensive back Ryan Marshall attests to the defense's commitment to each other and their focus on the group rather than each player.
"We are not concerned with individual stats; we are concerned with winning as a team," Marshall said.
As a result of their unified play, their individual stats are impressive. Junior linebacker Casey Clifton was named the Northwest Conference's Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago. He was also selected for the D3football.com Team of the Week for his performance against Linfield on Nov. 4.
Clifton currently leads the team with 86 tackles, with a high of 17 in the game against Linfield College. Junior linebacker Greg Caster came in second for the team with 63. Marshall and junior defensive back Jay Tully, who Westre calls "the play guys," are both tied at six interceptions, each with a total 76-yard returns. Junior defensive back Phil Entel follows closely with five interceptions and a total 74-yard return, two of which came against Puget Sound this past weekend.
In the conference, Clifton is second in total tackles only to Kevin Takeno from Lewis & Clark College. Clifton is also tied with junior defensive lineman Peter Clark at the top of the conference with three forced fumbles.
Tully leads the conference with seven total passes defended. Though these numbers are impressive, the defense stays focused on their effectiveness as a team.
"The job gets done," Clark said. "It's not just individuals getting the credit for it."
While being interviewed, Westre refused to comment on any one defensive player but insisted on praising each one for their individual strengths. He values the entire defensive line not just for their "intellect and experience," but also for their character, he said
"Most importantly, they are all great human beings," Westre said. "It is a pleasure to come to work each day."
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