Reese Phillips has been Signal Mountain’s utility man most of the football season, and nothing has changed for him or the Eagles in the postseason.
“We started him at cornerback last week,” coach Bill Price said of his prized sophomore. “He’s the only player we have right now that’s going both ways.”
It is a unique scenario for Signal Mountain and other Class 2A and Class 1A schools, where veterans often find themselves picking up additional chores once the postseason arrives.
“We made the change last week at practice,” said South Pittsburg coach Vic Grider. “We took every freshman who was playing for us out of the lineup. A bunch of those kids had an opportunity to get some reps, but now’s not the time for those guys to be starting.
“Nothing against younger kids, but you have to win playoff games with older kids. If it means them sucking it up and playing more snaps, they know they have to.”
Over the course of the season Signal’s Phillips has played tight end, wide receiver, safety, defensive end and linebacker. He also returns punts and is the backup to quarterback Hogan Whitmire.
Price has what he calls a one-and-a-half rotation.
“Donnie Garner and Zach Bowman and Mitchell Hall start on defense and play part-time on offense. The playoffs haven’t changed the rotation,” Price said.
Conversely, Dade County has a 43-man roster and almost everybody plays.
“We’re so thin we play the bodies that are available,” said Dade coach Bradley Warren, whose team is at home tonight to play Lovett. “We have six guys who go both ways.”
John Hampton is the Wolverines’ fullback and a key linebacker, but he’s on the field elsewhere.
“He’s on all of the special teams. I don’t even count those anymore,” Warren said.
It’s the time of year, though, when most teams pull in their horns and begin doubling up with veterans and star players assume new roles.
Running back Raquis Hale, the Pirates’ major yardage producer, is getting a lot of postseason time in the South Pittsburg’s secondary. Baylor quarterback Jacob Huesman, a Mr. Football finalist, is playing in the Red Raiders’ secondary.
“The fact of the matter is that the season is over if you lose, so you have to take the chance with injuries. Once we get comfortably ahead we can make adjustments and sub guys in,” said Grider, whose team has missed the playoffs just once this decade.
“Every coach when you get to this point wants to put people out there that are going to give you the best chance to succeed,” Baylor coach Phil Massey said of his staff’s decision to use Huesman and receiver and backup quarterback Matthew Oellerich in certain passing defenses.
“They give us two guys that have really good ball skills,” Massey said. “Size-wise, Jacob can match up with some of the guys we need to match up with defensively. Matthew has always been a guy we would use once in a while, but both have good ball skills and if the ball’s in the air they’re generally somewhere around it.”
Those weren’t the only changes the Red Raiders have made in the last few weeks. Although it is unusual given the time of year, Baylor has had two newcomers work their way into the offensive line, which actually alleviated the need for some teammates to go both ways. Mitch Payne (6-4, 275) and Derek Green (6-0, 315) moved into roles as starting guards in Week 9. As a scout-team offense player, Payne just kept getting coaches’ attention. Green (6-0, 315) didn’t play as a freshman and then got hurt at the start of preseason camp.
“Mitch transferred in from Riverside Military Academy, and Derek has come back from the injuries to get his feet under him, and they both have done a good job,” Massey said.
Most of the Boyd-Buchanan receivers were playing both ways before the playoffs.
“We sub a lot of linemen to keep them fresh, and we try to keep those guys playing one way,” Buccaneers coach Grant Reynolds said.
Linebacker Ross Keasler, the team’s defensive anchor, plays just one way along with cornerback Kyle Thomas, but offensive line starters Malek Brewer and Vinny Jordan are playing a little more on defense and will continue those roles tonight at Wartburg Central.
“The regular season is all about finding who can play in certain situations and who can handle the adversity,” Reynolds said.
In the Bucs’ first playoff game against Unaka’s pass-oriented offense, Reynolds used 18 players from the defensive line to the secondary to keep all the players rested.
Running back Chase Reed is one of the few Bucs starters who don’t play at least some on both sides, but there is good reason, and it’s still possible he could be slipped into the secondary before the playoffs are over.
“We ask him to do so much on offense at running back. He lines up at slot receiver for some formations, he returns kicks and punts, and he’s also our kicker,” Reynolds said. “In the postseason we know who’s best in every situation, and we’ll have the best 11 on the field when they need them.”