Western’s focus: Valley QB Jackson

Steve Cunningham

Thursday, Oct. 30, 1997 | 11:54 a.m.

Rich Stevens might have been funnin' a bit when asked how his Western Warriors figure to stop Valley quarterback Dion Jackson and his talented mates.

"I don't know what the key is," he said. "If you try and rush him, then he's gone. If you try and contain him, he runs around and his receivers get open. I've never seen and never faced anything like this before."

All jokes aside, Western better have a plan tonight in the first round of the southern 4A football playoffs or its tenure as state champs will be over. Valley averaged 28 points a game during the regular season and Jackson accounted for over 300 yards a contest himself.

But before you decide Stevens holds out little hope, think again. Western has been awfully tough on the defensive side of the ball, allowing just 14.5 points a game. What's more impressive is since the season opener against Green Valley, where they allowed 37 points, the average drops to just under 12.

"Our defense has really done a very good job," Stevens said. "The defense has been the mainstay of our team."

Valley coach Greg Murphy knows his fun-and-gun offense will face a stiff test from the Warriors. Jackson rushed for 1,032 yards and 19 touchdowns and completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,719 yards and 15 TDs.

Rayshone McClendon and Artis Carhee are capable runners and pass receivers, and Brian Beaver leads the team in receptions with 37. Yet, Murphy is impressed with Western's ability to stop its foe.

"They play real good defense," he said. "They fly around and make the plays. We've got to try and slow them down."

The real battle in this game might not be between Valley's offense and Western's defense, but Valley's defense against Western's offense. The Vikings, suspect at times this season as defenders, put the clamps on potent Green Valley last week, drawing big praise from their coach.

"That's the defense we've been waiting for eight weeks to show up," Murphy said. "Our kids finally stepped it up. It was a championship game and our kids were ready for it."

Stevens has been dumbfounded this year at the lack of potency in his offensive unit. Western scored 35 points in its season opener, but has cracked the 20-point mark just once since. The Warriors always seem to control time of possession and gain big yards with their rushing attack, then, a turnover or missed assignment blows the scoring chance.

"It's been the same scenario all year long," Stevens said. "Nobody goes 100 percent each play. Somebody takes the play off and it kills us. It's been killing us all year long."

Rosco Denson and De'Angelo Floyd will pound the ball at Valley time and time again. The more yards they gain and the more time they milk from the clock, the odds of Jackson working his magic decrease, Stevens reasons. But Western has to change its ways of late and convert offensively or it could be a long night.

Maybe Stevens isn't funnin' after all.