Saints defensive unit a big factor

What's the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the St. Charles East football team? For most opponents it's usually nightmares of Wes Allen and his area-leading 1,713 rushing yards, accompanied by his 26 touchdowns.

While those type of numbers are cause for concern for any coach, it's not the only thing that has the seventh-seeded Saints at 7-2 heading into Saturday night's first-round state playoff game against defending Class 7A champion and No. 10-seed Lake Zurich (6-3).

The Saints' defense admittedly had a bad game during a 49-42 quadruple-overtime loss to Neuqua Valley in Week 6. But since then, the unit has given up a combined three points over the final three games of the season, which included a 21-0 shutout of rival and playoff qualifier St. Charles North.

"We talked about it and said 'Enough is enough, we need to start making some plays,' " said Saints senior middle linebacker Pat Friel, referring to the sentiments expressed after the loss to Neuqua. "Luckily, that's what we did. At the beginning of the season we weren't bad. We are just getting back on track and hopefully we can continue it."

Friel credits a strong defensive front that has been able to provide pressure, as well as the defensive unit's ability as a whole to get to the ball.

"We don't have any real superstars. We don't worry about stats and just come out to play every weekend," Friel said. "We practice the strip drill every day in our tackling circuit. If we're not getting the ball, we're trying to put a lick on the ball carrier. We don't like to have broken tackles and that's how we show it."

Also, a key midseason change on the defensive side of the ball may have been the boost the Saints needed for a prolonged playoff run.

Junior Bryce Barry, who had seen limited action as a wide receiver because of the Saints potent ground attack, got moved to cornerback because of his size, athleticism and overall willingness to adapt to a new position. The move allowed senior Eian O'Brien to move from corner to free safety where he's allowed to roam freely and use his speed.

"(Barry) does a nice job of identifying and getting to the point of catch," coach Ted Monken said. "That has really helped our defense and hopefully it'll continue."

Added Barry: "I played receiver for so long that I can recognize routes that teams will run. I just sit back in coverage, read what the quarterback is doing and react. Eian has a lot of speed and is great out there at safety. It's all worked out."