Defensive line answering call for Tattnall Square

Heading into this season, there was some question as to what the front seven of the Tattnall Square defense would look like.

Tattnall returned five starters on defense, but three of the top five tacklers, including tackles leader Jonathan Ward, graduated. With the graduation losses heaviest at linebacker, there was some expectation that the defensive line would have to take up a leadership role.

So far, it has.

Led by returning starter Christian Rodgers, Tattnall’s defensive line has picked up much of the production amongst the front seven. Rodgers and defensive line teammate Vasco Sanders are leading the team in several defensive categories, including solo tackles, total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks.

Tattnall is 3-0 heading into its final non-region game Friday, a home contest against Hancock Central.

“We have a pretty stellar defense at the moment,” Tattnall head coach Clint Morgan said. “We’re relying an awful lot on our defensive front this year. We’re real young at the linebacker positions. Our veterans are really up front for us.”

By the numbers, the Tattnall defense is outperforming last year’s unit through three games. The Trojans gave up 29 points in its first three games this season, allowing just a touchdown against GMC and shutting out Warren County before giving up 22 on Friday at Strong Rock.

Last year’s team gave up 46 points through three games. But that unit also helped Tattnall go 10-2, as the Trojans swept the sub-region before falling to Aquinas in the GHSA Region 7-A championship game and again in the Class A private school quarterfinals.

Rodgers, a junior defensive tackle who also had a fourth-place finish at last year’s GHSA Class A private school individual wrestling finals, has a team-high nine tackles for loss, as well as three sacks and 28 total tackles. Against Strong Rock, Rodgers had 12 tackles, five for loss, and 1½ sacks.

“Our front line, we’re holding our gaps like we’re supposed to do,” Rodgers said. “We’re getting decent at taking on double teams. Our DBs and safeties are doing well and are good at what they do, and our linebackers, we’re trying to find the ones we need, but I think we’ve got them in Dayton Steinmeyer and Tyler Warnock.”

Sanders, a junior defensive end who was part of the Jones County program before enrolling at Tattnall, is tied with Rodgers for the team lead in solo tackles with 18. He also has 28 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. His biggest performance so far came in the Trojans’ 14-0 win over Warren County on Sept. 4, when he had 13 tackles (eight solo) and three tackles for loss.

Also making strong contributions are junior defensive end Sean Brown, who has 28 total tackles, and sophomore defensive tackle William Morgan, who has 17 tackles and a tackle for loss.

“From day one in camp, we just decided that this year was the year that we had to prove ourselves, to show that we’re the real deal,” Sanders said. “We made a bond, and we’re playing our game.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 8:44 PM with the headline "Defensive line answering call for Tattnall Square ."