They came from all over to witness history. Or at least a shot at it.
The Indianapolis Star sent a reporter. In the cramped confines of the Bishop Luers press box, there was a spot reserved for The Washington Post.
Thousands poured in to Luersfield on Friday to see Bishop Luers battle undefeated Knox in the Class 3A north semistate game. But to many, it was merely a sideshow to the main event.
Myles McLaughlin’s quest to set the nation’s all-time rushing record for yards in a high school career stole all the headlines. He needed just 364 yards against the Knights to set the new mark. “Just” 364 yards sounds like a ton, but the Knox senior ran for 374 yards the week before against Angola, and came into the game with Bishop Luers averaging 367 yards per game on the ground.
Rumors were abound that the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry, current record holder with 12,124 rushing yards while playing prep football in Florida, would be in attendance. That gossip spread like wildfire from a single post on Facebook that proved to be fake news, but lent credence to how big Friday had become.
In a way, it was sad how one player’s run at history completely usurped the quest of an entire team seeking its first-ever trip to the state finals, with all of tiny Knox, all 3,630 citizens of the town in Starke County, behind the Redskins and their star.
With so many in attendance and many more from coast to coast following McLaughlin and his run at history, no one could have predicted what we saw on Friday.
Instead of a run at history, Bishop Luers made history in completely shutting down McClaughlin and the Knox offense. Officially, the senior finished with 78 yards rushing in the Knights’ 35-0 shutout to clinch a return trip to the 3A title game. Other reporters at the game had McLaughlin for barely half that yardage.
How did Bishop Luers contain McLaughlin when so many other teams couldn’t? Was it a maniacal game plan? Something unique and never seen before?
The answer is far less dramatic.
Bishop Luers just…executed at a high level.
“Schematically, we knew we couldn’t do anything different than what we have done all year,” said Bishop Luers defensive coordinator Carson Bradley. “We feel like we have enough ‘tools’ in our toolbox to adjust our defense to match the opponent’s offense.”
While the Knights did not change too much, they did adjust their front line. Instead of their traditional 4-2-5 scheme, Bradley moved to a 3-4, with the idea to get advantages on the edges.
Knox’s offensive line was very solid, and did not get the recognition it deserved for springing McLaughlin so much over the last four years. The Redskins loved to get their offensive line into the second level and further block downfield as McLaughlin broke through. It worked against a lot of opponents, but it didn’t against Bishop Luers.
Knox received the ball first and immediately went to McLaughlin. Four downs. Four runs. Turnover.
Even after one possession, it immediately became a concern that this may not be McLaughlin’s night, or Knox’s, for that matter.
“It was huge for us,” said senior linebacker Brayden Mygrant about the initial defensive stop. “It set the tone for the first half.”
One possession later, after Bishop Luers had scored to take a 7-0 lead, McLaughlin put the ball on the ground for a fumble recovery for the Knights.
At that point, it became pretty clear to Blitz how the night was going to go.
The problem with having a one-man show in McLaughlin is that he was Knox’s entire offense. He was quarterback and running back. In the Redskins’ single-wing offensive scheme, Knox is it. When he has room to operate, he is absolutely deadly. But when he doesn’t, and you don’t have anyone else used to helping carry the load, you’re done.
“We said it all along, they want to play in a phone booth and we wanted to rip the door off and give ourselves room to wiggle,” Bradley said. “We did not spy him at all. We preached to the kids all week, looking at the quarterback (McLaughlin) will get you beat. You have to read your key and they will tell you which block you want to defeat.
“Hats off to our kids for being disciplined.”
Bishop Luers had the significant advantage of speed, and made Knox play the direction it wanted, even with its defense.
Brothers Jarron and Ayle Taylor have been absolute menaces all year long. Bradley put them both in the boundary – the short side of the field – forcing Knox to run McLaughlin to the other side. That allowed the Knights to utilize its speed and personnel to go after him.
Bishop Luers made it look easy.
“Once we saw they committed to staying away from the Taylors, we slanted them to the field,” Bradley said. “It was a simple game to be honest, line up and play football. We had our ends play the inside and set the edges with the corners.”
With Knox’s offensive line unable to win at the point of attack and get to the second level, it allowed the linebackers to roam free, react and finish tackles. That included Mygrant, a veteran senior, and the emerging Dallas Mata, a sophomore who spent the majority of the season in junior varsity before impressing coaches with his work ethic and progression and earning more playing time on Friday nights.
“(The inside linebackers) were able to roam because of the front five,” Bradley said. “At that point, once they read their block, they knew what direction to run and we told them to run to daylight and close the open gaps.
“Dallas is a maniac. Mygrant is doing a great job passing the torch to him. They both play with such high motors and passion.”
As the running clock sped up the final two quarters, many left stunned at what they had seen. Others who had come to witness or document history left without much to write.
It was a complete and dominating effort by the Knights. And it was one that didn’t take much out-of-the-box thinking, but simple execution and utilizing the strengths of your personnel.
“Looking back at the stats as a defense, it was a dominant performance,” Mygrant said. “But not only from the defense, but our play brought our offense out on the field with an intensity that they just couldn’t stop.”
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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