Even in early September, when some Center Grove players might have been suffering from a crisis of confidence after an 0-3 start, the team’s defensive linemen had the same swagger that they would have had after three blowout victories.
“I think we knew the entire time that we had what it takes,” sophomore Owen Green said.
There’s little denying that they did. Led by a pair of dynamic stars on the ends, the Trojans’ defensive front has been one of the most dominant units in the state all season long — and it’s only gotten better with each week.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
Last Friday, the Center Grove line accounted for eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage — including five from sophomore end Caden Curry.
The group has accounted for 60.5 tackles for loss this season, including 20.5 in four tournament games.
“That’s the number on thing we’ve got to do,” senior Gage Gosnell said. “We’ve always got to put pressure in the backfield.”
That starts with Curry, who earned Class 6A Junior All-State recognition as a freshman and has been a complete menace this fall. Despite constant double-teams, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has registered a team-high 90 tackles, including 25.5 for loss and 10.5 quarterback sacks.
Junior Austin Booker, a 6-5, 230-pounder with massive hands reminiscent of Kawhi Leonard’s, has been nearly as destructive coming off the other edge. He’s registered 61 tackles, 13 of those behind the line, with seven sacks.
Center Grove coach Eric Moore has had his fair share of great defensive linemen; four years ago, he had the dynamic duo of Jovan Swann and Cameron Tidd, who now play at Stanford and Vanderbilt, respectively.
Curry and Booker, he says, are something different.
“We’ve had some dudes here on the defensive line, but I don’t think we’ve ever had two play like these two play,” Moore said, “with the swagger they play with and the speed that they possess.”
Those two have gotten plenty of help from the guys on the interior. Senior LJ Weems (8.5 TFL, 5 sacks) emerged as a standout this season from out of nowhere, and Gosnell (5 TFL, 2 sacks) has also been a solid contributor. As the season has progressed, Green and fellow soph James Schott have also taken on bigger roles, with Green jumping into the starting lineup. He had two tackles for loss and a sack against Ben Davis.
The depth that the Trojans have developed makes it even easier for guys on the line to go all out on every play, because they know that if they’re gassed, someone else is ready to go.
“Now that everyone’s healthy, we’ve got so many people that we can put in,” Green said. “If someone else comes in, they can do just as good as whoever just came out.”
There’s also, of course, the comfort of knowing there are seven other capable players behind you.
“We’re pretty confident, because we know what we have in our secondary,” Booker said. “If we don’t get there, we know we still have coverage, so we just go all out every play.”
Center Grove’s journey to Lucas Oil Stadium has come as a surprise to some, but perhaps it shouldn’t have, given how much importance that Moore and defensive coordinator Chad Daniels place on that front four.
“It’s everything,” Moore said of the line play. “I’ve always told people that — you give me a good defensive line, we’ll get a long way in the tournament.
“These guys have gotten better and better and better and more confident, and now they’ve got a little bit of swagger with them, they understand how to play the game, and it’s really been cool to watch.”
Unless, of course, you’re with the opposing team.
