Back story

By Clay Horning
The Norman Transcript

May 09, 2008 12:56 am

— You have to talk to each other.
How many times has a coach said that?
Drills are designed just to get players in the habit. A post might start high, pass to the wing, then cut to the basket calling the name of the wing. Or working on transition, it’s not enough the point guard be in place to receive the outlet, he or she must call for the ball, too. In practice, without defenders.
It’s important.
It might not be so apparent on the pitch. The defenders, the last line of defense before the keeper, are so far away from the bleachers. As a fan, you never hear the chatter.
But they’re talking.
They better be.
If the defenders on Norman North’s back line hadn’t made communication, cohesion and chemistry strengths, they wouldn’t be playing Edmond Memorial for the Class 6A state title tonight at the Yukon Soccer Complex.
Even if it wasn’t always so.
North coach Don Rother began the season, from keeper Royal Mulinix’s perspective, with a left-to-right line of defenders that included Chris Levere, Will Dakil, Huston Hoelscher and Kalen Ryden.
Yet, after a few games, particularly back-to-back losses at the Palmetto Classic in Columbia, S.C. — 6-3 to Spring Valley and 3-2 to Cardinal-Newman — Rother figured he could do better.
So he moved Trevor Laffoon next to Dakil, moved Hoelscher to Levere’s spot and moved Levere to the midfield.
That worked well enough — the Timberwolves won their last two games in South Carolina — but Rother wasn’t done.
“You’ve always got to try stuff,” he said. “You’re always going to try to find a way to play just a little bit better.”
And he missed Laffoon in the midfield. So Laffoon moved forward, Ryden moved inside, taking his spot, Hoelscher moved from one edge to the other and Johnny Ling moved into Hoelscher’s old spot.
That’s the way they’ll line up tonight.

Things clicked
“The way we were previously, only Will was the one (calling the shots),” Rother said. “And I don’t think Huston was really comfortable on the inside. Plus, Huston’s freaking great on the outside.”
So the move, borne of necessity, had fringe benefits, too. However, more directly, it got Ryden and Dakil, the two middle backliners, talking to each other. And from that, they began speaking more clearly to their teammates on the edge.
“Kalen had never really played back there before, but as soon as he got back there, I knew he was a good fit,” Dakil said. “We knew that it was going to take a little bit of time for everybody to get used to each other, to recognize how everybody played, but we’ve come together really well and now we’re really solid back there.”
Unless something crazy happens between now and the end of next season, Ryden may be stuck being remembered as the guy who’s header beat Tulsa Union in Tuesday night’s semifinal. Nonetheless, it’s his emergence along the back line and his natural chemistry playing alongside Dakil that’s left a bigger imprint on the season.
Ryden’s thankful his first two games at the position were against Del City and Midwest City, two games North won by the combined score of 20-1.
“Those two games were good to begin at that position,” he said. “They really got things locked in for me.”
And coming out of those games, North went on a tear against quality opponents. The T-Wolves beat Yukon 5-0, Edmond Santa Fe 3-1, Moore 4-0 and Lawton Eisenhower 7-0. The only team to give them any real trouble since was Union, but North won that one, too.

Even better
Looking at the schedule really is a revelation.
Though the campaign is short, opening night was only two months and a few days ago, North’s growth is as clear as the scores logged next to each opponent. Against district competition, the T-Wolves outscored their foes 42-1.
The single goal allowed tells plenty about North’s defense. The 42 tells plenty about the offense and more than one might think about the defenders who regularly originate the T-Wolves’ movement up the field.
Ryden has collected four goals and two assists, Dakil two goals and two assists. Ling has a goal and an assist and Hoelscher has assisted three times. And anybody who’s spent much time watching the T-Wolves has observed Hoelscher or Ling begin countless rushes along each edge.
“Defense is like the start of our offense,” Ryden said. “It starts with us playing it out to our players.”
While Ryden and Dakil play 80 minutes in the middle, it’s Cole Adkins who spells Ling and Hoelscher on the outside. According to Rother, Adkins is North’s best defensive defender. So when North subs along the back line, it actually gets better at shutting the other team down.
There’s no telling how it will go tonight, though it’s interesting Rother views the Bulldogs a little like he views looking in a mirror. Both teams want to control the ball. Both teams want to move it around. Memorial hasn’t lost. North hasn’t lost in the state, nor at all in a very long time, ever since it got its back line squared away.
“No matter how you slice it, you always have to defend,” Rother said.
Do that, and you’re bound to have a chance.
Clay Horning
366-3526
cfhorning@normantranscript.com