The Muskegon Catholic Central defense isn't exactly intimidating to look at.
"We get smirks and comments all the time the first play of the game," senior nose guard Gunner Stout said about the defense's small stature. "It is just something funny that I like to take to heart and just show them different."
And show them they have. The Crusaders defense has allowed six total points in eights games, one touchdown and that was in the first game of the season.
"Defensively we have been getting better every single game," head coach Steve Czerwon said. "We are not very big which is no secret but we run to the ball very well and we got off the field and let the offense play so I think defensively we have made a lot of improvements and the defense is maybe a little better than I thought it was going to be."
"We are really fast and you can go around here I don't think there is a team that is faster than us," senior safety Tommy Kartes said. "We just swarm to the ball and everyone is there and they don't break tackles from us, that is the biggest thing as many people that are at the ball, that makes a big difference, they break one tackle and four more people are there."
MCC has shutout its last five opponents.
"It's a goal," Stout said. "If we don't get a shutout we feel like we played terrible so a shutout is expectations."
This week's game against Montague poses the biggest challenge yet for the Muskegon Catholic Central defense. The Wildcats aren't just good, they are big.
"We've got to make the tackles and we've got to stop their pass and run option," Kartes said. "That's the biggest thing and if we do that then we have a good chance to win."
Montague averages 51 points per game this season and has scored at least 34 points in every game it has played.
"We talked this week about playing a team like Montague who is very good, we might give up some points," Czerwon said. "It's the team that plays for all 48 that I think is going to have the advantage in this game."
Muskegon Catholic Central is scheduled to host Montague at 7 p.m. on Friday in a division six district championship game.
