Looking back at the three losses for the 2008 season, Douglas football coach Mike Rippee saw a glaring problem stemming from his defense.
In each loss, the Tigers' opponent piled up gobs of rushing yardage - somewhere to the tune of 356 yards per loss ... just on the ground.
"The key to being successful is stopping the run, but when you look at our losses last year, that's exactly where we lost those games," Rippee said. "We were very unsuccessful in stopping the run."
So he took a logical approach - he fired the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and scrapped the base defensive scheme (the 53).
Of course, he was the defensive coordinator. And, he was the linebackers coach. Not that it'll cause any strife at home.
"It's pretty simple," he said with a laugh. "There was a problem defensively and it had to be addressed. I fired the coach last year and and recruited another. I think it will work out pretty well."
Brent Eddy, who joined the varsity staff last season as the running backs coach after a number of successful seasons at the helm of the junior varsity program, will take the reins of the defense this year.
"Brent has done a great job," Rippee said. "He put a lot of time and effort into it and I feel very comfortable with him calling the defense."
Douglas will also be ditching its traditional 5-3 defensive set, something that arrived at the school with then-defensive coordinator Bob Bateman in 2002, in favor of a 4-3.
The problem last year wasn't so much simply in stopping the run. Douglas has done a fine job of that with the 53 on its own over the past five years. But the teams that exposed the Tigers run defense last year were able to do it with the ever-more-prevalent spread sets that commit the defense to the pass and open up the run.
"We're giving it a different look out there simply for the fact that it gives us more leeway to adjust to the spread look we're seeing a whole lot more of," Rippee said. "It's very difficult to adjust to the spread in the 5-3. With the 4-3, you add one more defensive back and remove a defensive lineman."
Rippee also hired a new linebackers coach, Rod Smalley, who played for UCLA from 1991-94 and later for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Rod is the new guy on the staff," Rippee said. "He got a job here teaching special education. He played in a Rose Bowl at UCLA and he brings a tremendous amount of game experience to the table.
"His strength is his passion for the game and how he teaches the kids. He's a great addition for us."
Mike Blackledge returns to the staff after a five-year hiatus to coach quarterbacks and help with the linebackers.
"Mike played here in the late '70s," Rippee said. "He was on staff here for a long time, but his job kind of pulled him away for a period of time. He's in a position to where he can be back with us this year and we are glad to have him."
Ernie Monfiletto returns as the offensive coordinator and Joe Andrews returns to coach the special teams.
"They are great guys to have around and we're excited about them as coaches," Rippee said. "They are hard workers, they volunteer their time during the summer and we're looking forward to it."
Rippee said Monday that South Tahoe may drop its week 3 game with McQueen and that Douglas may slide in to that spot, taking up what would have been a bye week on Sept. 11.
He said he spoke on Monday afternoon with new McQueen coach Jim Snelling, who was up for the game.
The terms of the game, like where it will be and final arrangements, haven't been finalized yet, but Rippee said he expects a "yes" or "no" on it in the next few days.
Assuming the game is a go, that would give Douglas an opening slate of Las Vegas, Reno and McQueen. You'd be hard-pressed to find a tougher front end of the schedule anywhere else in the Northern 4A (except, of course, McQueen).
McQueen opens its season Friday at Mackay Stadium against defending Arizona 5A Division II champ Peoria Centennial. The Lancers are the defending state champions in the 4A.
- This will be the first time in at least six seasons that the Tigers don't have Reed on their regular-season schedule.
- "I'm fascinated by the way you are dressed ... kind of like a young Peter Potter," Regis Philbin on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
- The Slap Chop food chopper, "Getting America thinner one slap at a time." ... So you lose weight by chopping up garlic, tomatoes, nuts, celery and onions. Nice.
- ""I'm full speed, all the time. [Expletive]." - Cincinnati running back Cedric Benson on how he avoids being hit during practice.
Later, on why he is more "humble" since when he first entered the league, he said, "I lost all my [expletive], and I wanted to get it back. I was out of the league, forgotten. My Nike deal was gone. I don't give a [expletive] what anybody says - if you say you're not in this business to make money, you're a liar."
- "Pain" - The steep-rising 2,500-ton dirt and grass hill coach Mike Singletary had constructed at the Niners' training complex strictly for the purposes of conditioning and punishment. It's also been called "Mt. Singletary."
Celebrating Edd Roush, the only player ever ejected from a Major League Baseball game for sleeping in the outfield.
- Met's third baseman David Wright was quoted late last week saying he was in favor of the added protection provided by the new Rawlings batting helmet designed to withstand the impact of speeds of up to 100 mph.
Other major leaguers have ridiculed the helmet's bulky design, saying they would never wear such a thing.
The next day, Wright took a Matt Cain four-seam fastball off the left ear. He suffered a concussion and spent the night in the hospital.
- Team Canada's hockey team had to redesign its jerseys for the upcoming 2010 Olympics because the International Olympic Committee does not want national sports federations to be able to display their corporate logo on uniforms worn during the Olympics.
