Days prior to the start of the 2020 season (in its current setup), Pickerington North senior and Ohio State verbal commit [player_tooltip player_id="34177" first="Jack" last="Sawyer"] opted out of the season to focus on preparation for the college level. With one of the state’s top athletes out of their lineups, the Panthers struggled out of the gate against defending Division I state champion and crosstown rival Pickerington Central. Depending on how long Sawyer’s teammates were aware of the decision prior to it becoming public, it might be fair to start Pickerington North’s evaluation a week later, then state its home tilt with Ohio Capital Conference divisional foe Galloway Westland would be a Week Two matchup, where traditionally coaches believe a team’s biggest jump in improvement occurs.
As for the Cougars, they came into the Sept. 11 contest looking to show considerable improvement after tallying a combined seven points in their previous two contests. Unfortunately for Westland, the Panthers were too much to handle in a 59-6 decision.
Some games, it takes a second glance from a different perspective of the field to fully grasp who stood out in the contest. Here is how things were more digestible Upon Further Review:
<strong>Westland (0-3):</strong>
Girth was the first thought when seeing the Cougars’ front three defensive linemen of junior Noah Reynolds (6’2, 221, Jr.), Terrence Whiteside (6’1, 287, Jr.), and Evan Lomangino (6’1, 335, Sr.) in the middle. Whiteside stood out in the opening series of the game as he anticipated the snap count well and was able to retrace for a tackle. With his size, the right system (schematically, rotation-based, and culture) might benefit from some of Whiteside’s raw abilities. Reynolds appeared to be more consistent when it came to stalemating the line of scrimmage.
<strong>Pickerington North (2-1):</strong>
While he handled responsibilities under center, Sawyer made his name known as a defensive end. Fortunately, senior defensive end/linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="34240" first="Elijah" last="Hawk"] (6’5, 245) is still on the roster and forces a lot of the line of scrimmage schemes to be centered around him, which frees up the path for the back two-thirds of the defense to have their way. With offers from lower-tiered FBS as well as some FCS-level schools, Hawk's reputation is well-warranted.
Statistically through three games, six defenders are in double digits when it comes to tackles. Seniors Cole Johnson (6’0, 215) at linebacker and cornerback Devin McShan (5’9, 165) are tied for the team lead in total tackles with 15 while the other four with 10 or more tackles are in the latter two-thirds of the defense. They include sophomore middle linebacker/strong safety Malik Ray (5’10, 196), junior safety Eli Coppess (6’1, 200), senior linebacker Kyle Coffey (5’7, 167), and junior defensive back Jonathan Lipscomb (5’11, 181). Coppess showcased his versatility with a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown.
However, the team leader in sacks is sophomore David Alabi (6’2, 215), with three. Alabi recorded two of Pick North’s four sacks Friday in the second quarter.
With 226 of the Panthers’ 290 yards coming on the ground, senior Idris Lawrence (5’10, 180) led the way with 74 yards on just 8 totes and a touchdown. Whether in the pistol or motioning for a modified shovel pass/jet sweep, Lawrence can shrink his center of gravity when approaching the line of scrimmage, burst through holes, and make the appropriate cuts for big gains. Jaylen Gilbert was a quiet 4-of-5 passing for 34 yards, but didn't appear to feel forced during passing situations. He was more dangerous with his feet (3 rushes, 51 yards, 1 touchdown).
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