Call it a lack of execution, or an inability to make the big play. Call it just plain bad luck.
Call it anything you want, but for whatever reason, the Hidden Valley Titans couldn’t win close games last season. They certainly had their chances – four of their six losses were by 7 points or fewer – and their largest margin of defeat was a mere 12 points.
“It certainly wasn’t the season we were hoping for,” Scott Weaver, the Titan’s new head coach, said. “We just couldn’t finish games.” He takes over for J.R. Edwards this fall.
Perhaps the best remedy for Hidden Valley’s late-game struggles, then, is a clean slate. And the Titans have that, in more ways than one.
Gone is Edwards, who resigned in order to spend more time with his family. His replacement, Weaver, spent five seasons as an assistant under Edwards (now an assistant in Salem), including serving as the defensive coordinator in 2008. By hiring from within, Hidden Valley hopes to ensure a smooth transition.
“Every time you change staffs, there are always going to be differences,” Weaver said. “I do things a little different…approach things a little different, maybe, but I spent a lot of time with Coach Edwards, and we agreed on a lot of stuff, so the transition shouldn’t be too difficult for the players.”
In addition to their coach, the Titans also lost a wealth of talent on offense, including quarterback Alan Castro (now playing for Louisville), running back David Turner (VMI), and wide receiver Matt Aiken (Navy).
However, Hidden Valley returns a solid nucleus of players, including 11 of 22 starters from last year. Offensively, the Titans return their entire offensive line, which should make life easier on the new skill position players.
One of those players, sophomore Michael Simonic, beat out senior Beau Bredberg to win the quarterback job for the team’s opening game against Patrick Henry on August 28. And unlike his predecessor (Castro), Simonic will make plays in and out of the pocket.
“He’s a really good athlete, and very smart,” Weaver said of Simonic. “He’s not like Castro in some ways – Alan was a drop back passer with a great arm – but Michael can scramble and make plays with his feet.”
At tailback, senior David Williams will finally get his chance to shine after being stuck behind Turner on the depth chart for the past three seasons. “The only reason David hasn’t played the last few years is because we had a really good back ahead of him,” Weaver said. “It wasn’t because he isn’t capable. We’re going to run the ball a lot this year, and he’ll be a big part of that.”
Defensively, the Titans hope to build on a unit that allowed only 19.4 points per game in 2008, and a respectable 17.8 per game in district contests. Weaver, who will still be making the calls on defense, brings back five starters from last season, including three along the defensive line. “Nothing’s changed scheme-wise,” Weaver said. “We’ll still be doing the same things we always do.”
With all of the changeover at the skill positions on offense and the secondary on defense, the key to Hidden Valley’s season will be their ability to control both lines of scrimmage. It will be imperative for the offensive line to create running room for Williams, as well as to give Simonic plenty of time to throw. The defensive line must be able to effectively shut down their opponent’s running game and pressure the quarterback in order to prevent their young defensive backs from being overexposed.
But most importantly, the Titans need to do what they couldn’t accomplish in 2008 – finish games. Their coach, for one, feels confident they can do just that.
“We have some good experience coming back, and all those guys went through those struggles last season, and know what we did wrong, what things didn’t work, and what it will take,” Weaver said. “You learn from those situations, and hopefully the next time we’re in that position, we’ll come out on top.”
Matt Reeve [email protected]