EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Tigers’ defense is helping turn their season around, forcing three interceptions and regularly winning the turnover battle as players settle into their assignments.
Edwardsville’s defense was as strong as it could be the entire game, shutting out Lincoln Park in the Saturday playoff matchup at Edwardsville 42-0.
Edwardsville head coach Kelsey Pickering pointed to accountability and improved execution over the past two or three weeks as key reasons for the defense’s success.
“Again, our guys are playing hard,” Pickering said. “They’re taking it to heart, making sure that we all fit where we’re supposed to.”
Despite those strides, tackling remains an area Pickering wants to evaluate.
“We’ve got to make tackles,” Pickering said. “Last week, we weren’t real happy with how we tackled. I’ll go in and watch the film, and see if we got any better.”
Continued improvement will be important as the Tigers face what Pickering described as increasingly difficult opponents.
“Everybody knows that, and so, we’ve got to continue to get better each week, knowing that we’re going to see better opponents every week,” Pickering said.
Knowing individual responsibilities has helped the defense put players in position to make plays. Pickering said understanding opponents still matters, but executing assignments is central to the Tigers’ performance.
“We have to know what they’re running, how they like to do things, but when you play assignment football, and everybody does their assignment, that’s what makes us look a lot better,” Pickering said.
The Tigers’ turnaround also has involved finding an identity. Pickering said the team began the season with limited game experience, even though it was not necessarily young by age.
“And so, did it take us a long time to find who we are, and our identity a little bit? I think it did,” Pickering said. “I think our identity’s changed a couple of times throughout the year, as well.”
Now, Pickering sees progress across all fronts:
“We are just finding a groove where we’re at right now, where all three phases are really just doing their job, and doing the things they’re supposed to do,” Pickering said. “I think we can see the success there.”
