TUNNEL HILL, Ga. — There are some high school football coaches who are perfectly OK with having to win offensive shootouts each week.
Josh Robinson is not one of those, but in recent seasons his Northwest Whitfield teams often had to go that route — and he had the offensive playmakers to get it done on most occasions.
However, while fast-paced, pass-first attacks can get points in a hurry, they often put more pressure on their own team’s defense. And when Robinson, who calls the defense for the Bruins, looked at the numbers from recent seasons, he didn’t like what he saw.
While the Bruins regularly had one of the top 10 scoring offenses in GHSA Class AAAA, totaling 300-plus points in eight of the past 10 seasons, his defenses often suffered late in the schedule. Last fall, for example, the Bruins allowed 139 points while losing their final three games (including a playoff blowout) to finish 6-5, so Robinson knew a philosophy change had to be made.
And he’s glad he did it.
Northwest is enjoying a bye week after beginning 3-0, a start that includes shutouts of Coahulla Creek and Dalton sandwiched around a 29-12 win over North Murray, which put up 35 points on the Bruins last year. They’ve done all this without star defensive lineman Myles Mays, who transferred to Marion County.
“We’re more physical this year,” Robinson said, “and we’re so talented in our front seven, and our secondary has gotten a lot better. Part of it now, too, is we are running the ball, and when we can run it, we’re not on defense.
“In recent years, when we would go three-and-out, we would be back on the field in 30 seconds. That wears on a defense. We ran for 253 yards against Dalton, the most we’ve had in at least three seasons, and our defense was on the field for just 14 plays in the second half.”
When the Northwest defense is on the field, it’s a group of linebackers in the 3-4 scheme that often dictates play. Senior Caden Ramsey, a team captain, is the defense’s leader after starting for most of his four seasons. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound outside linebacker, with Mays no longer around to disrupt offenses, is the team’s best pass rusher and is often used to blitz on passing downs.
Robinson said Ramsey is also adept at diagnosing plays.
“Caden sees what’s coming, and he makes plays all over the field,” Robinson said. “He’s physical and can run well. He’s pretty good in pass coverage, and being able to be a three-level guy is huge for us. Linebackers in high school who can make three-level plays are rare.”
The numbers back Robinson up. Ramsey has racked up 28 tackles this season, including 10 against Dalton last week when the Catamounts rarely ran to his side. He has four tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble and an interception.
Ramsey is quick to deflect any personal accomplishments, preferring to spread the praise around. When it comes to fellow linebackers Lucas Amos, Sam Crossen and Dominick Johnson, Ramsey’s excitement is obvious in his tone.
“Sam is one of the best downhill linebackers I’ve seen,” he said. “Lucas is so fast on the outside, and Dom is just a beast. We call him Mike Tyson because he just blows everything up.”
Crossen leads the team in tackles with 33, with Johnson adding 27 and Amos, who has a team-leading six tackles for loss and four sacks, next at 26.
When he’s not chasing quarterbacks or ball carriers, Ramsey is part of the Northwest offense’s revived running game, where he normally gets 15 or so plays and a handful of carries per game, which he has used to generate more than 100 yards on 10 rushes. Like his coach, Ramsey understands the value of what the Bruins are doing on that side of the ball this year.
“Last year we were constantly going back out on defense, and now we’re the ones tiring defenses out,” he said. “It’s a big factor, and being able to run the ball should keep us in every game and help us stay healthy.”
The impressive start is tempered a bit by what lies ahead once play kicks off in Region 7-AAA. In a five-week span beginning Sept. 20, the Bruins face Gilmer, Heritage, Calhoun and Adairsville, the preseason top four teams in the league.
Ramsey believes his team is ready for the challenge.
“I really think this is our year,” he said. “We hadn’t beaten Dalton in 20 years, and now we have. We haven’t won a region championship since 2000, but we honestly believe we can.
“We have the players and the mentality to get it done.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.