Stritch’s Rucker committed focus on team defense

In Alan Miller Jewelers All-Press Football voting, Cardinal Stritch did not get a single player first or second team, but some came close.

The Cardinals, 3-5, did get first and second team All-Toledo Area Athletic Conference selections, but first-year coach Gene Rucker’s nominations did not have to go up against the bigger schools like Eastwood, Oak Harbor, and Lake.

However, the Cardinals turned a corner, even though they went from a 5-5 season under Bryan Dudash the prior year to a three-win season this year. 

Two players have already made college football commitments, and Rucker believes by the end of next year he may have five or six college commits. Most of his top skilled players are underclassmen.

The one dynamic Rucker wanted to change was the score — no more scores like the Toledo-Brigham Young that the Cougars won 55-53 on national television in 2016. In 2019, Stritch defeated Montpelier 60-49 and on the season the Cardinals scored 223 points but gave up 334, and that includes a 1-0 forfeit win over Stryker.

“I think coming in the coaching staff talked about wanting to shore up some things defensively. In the past, a lot of the Cardinal Stritch football games were all shootouts. We thought if we can get inside a little bit and tighten it up that we would be good to go. I think all-in-all, it started to show itself,” Rucker said.

 “Our biggest win for us this year was against Montpelier. Last year was a shootout and then this year we had them in a shutout, 28-0, and then they scored near the end. That game and then we shut out Hilltop, which was the first shutout Cardinal Stritch has had in years.

“We had a (21-0) shutout against Hilltop, and we had a shutout for three quarters against Montpelier (28-14 Stritch win) and then we kind of gave up a touchdown when we had some of our other guys (second string) in. In the first game (21-13 win over Fremont St. Joseph), they scored on the first play and then after that they really did not get much else. It is there.”

To make that happen, Rucker and his defensive coaching staff had to instill some new philosophies. 

“We just made sure that we were sound defensively. We just stayed aggressive at times coming after people and we instilled that when you are running the ball, good things will happen,” Rucker said.

“Ultimately, we had to tackle better. I think in the past, tackling has been a little bit lacking. A lot of guys will bounce off four or five guys and then they will take it 60, so we wanted to make sure the first time we are there we want to wrap up and get them on the ground. That carried over and they did a decent job of it.”

Bolstering that defensive effort was 5-10, 190-pound senior linebacker Travis Mattox, a first team All-TAAC choice who had 65 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, two sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. Mattox will play NCAA Division III football at Baldwin-Wallace next year. Rucker says Stritch played him wherever they needed to, including running back and wide receiver.

Plus, Stritch had two transfers — 5-10, 150-pound wide receiver and cornerback Jaden Moss from Start and 5-10, 170-pound WR and defensive back Clarence Brown from Woodward.

“They were both juniors, so they are both looking to have big senior years,” Rucker said. “(Brown) really shored up the defense and got us all set up.”

Moss had 50 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, two interceptions and was first team All-TAAC. Brown had 32 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one interception and was second team All-TAAC. Bolstering the defensive backfield was 6-0, 170-pound senior Michael McGee.

However, the big man on defense was 5-10, 185-pound junior linebacker Gage Power, who had 72 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one fumble recovery.

“Gage stepped up this year and led the team in tackles. He was someone I was really proud of,” Rucker said.

Plus, Leo Hayden, a 5-10, 175-pound junior linebacker, contributed with 52 tackles, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery.

Jaden Beckwith, a 6-2, 190-pound junior defensive lineman and defensive end, had 43 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, two sacks, and caused a fumble. Rucker says he is a “very quick, long and disruptive player.”

You may have noticed there are no 200-pound-plus players included, but all but two are juniors. Rucker’s line, on the other hand, did have some size.

“We actually had one of the bigger lines than we have had for a while,” Rucker said. “We were young, so at one point we had a freshman center, a freshman guard, a junior guard that didn’t play much offense the year before, and we had a first-year starting tackle and then a sophomore at the other tackle. Both of our tackles are 6-2, 6-3 and about 250 each. I really think the one tackle we have — we’ll have to call people (recruiters) to get them come visit because he’s also a basketball player who is extremely athletic for his size. In his first year, he got second team on the line, so we’ll see if he can grow. Another one we have is Marquan Valentine — he’ll be a senior next year. He ended up getting second team on both sides of the ball.”

In name, the freshman center Rucker refers to is 5-10, 235-pound Wyatt Hayden, the left guard is 5-11, 185-pound senior Javen Vascik, the right guard is the 5-11, 200-pound Valentine, the “really athletic” left tackle is 6-4, 280-pound John Parks and there were other freshmen and sophomores filling in.