If the Druid Hills vs. Southwest DeKalb football game this Friday at Panthersville Stadium goes according to recent interviews with the head coaches, the season opener for both schools will be a mismatch.
While Druid Hills coach Jim Rakestraw said he was “real happy with the scrimmage” his Red Devils had Saturday morning, coach Dewey Alverson of Southwest DeKalb called the Panthers’ latest scrimmage “the worst” he had ever seen.
“I feel we got better people than last year, but we just don’t seem to want to get mean enough,” said Alverson. “If we get tougher I think we got a pretty fair chance against them. But so far I haven’t seen any real desire to play the game like I want them to.”
Last year, to refresh the memories of those who may have forgotten, the toe of EO Whealler provided the winning 12-7 margin of victory for the Red Devils, as he kicked field goals of 46 and 42 yards.
Druid Hills went on to claim three other wins, while SWD met defeat nine straight times before upsetting eventual region champion Westminster in the season finale.
Rakestraw has tremendous respect for the Panthers despite their overall youth and feels that they will be improved from last year.
He said, “This game is a big test for us. If we are to have the kind of year we hope to have we have to have this one.”
Alverson feels his boys can match strength with the Red Devils, but says the key to victory for his team will depend on playing smart football.
“We’ve got to be smart and show a little poise and finesse,” Alverson commented. “We just can’t play stupid football.”
He believes for his team to win “we’ve got to contain their outside game,” although he said, “That kicker of theirs is good anywhere this side of Decatur,” probably remembering those shots that beat him last year.
In Whealler, Druid Hills has undoubtedly the finest kicking prospect in DeKalb County, especially if we were able to do just that.
But this year, he will start in the offensive backfield (either flanker or halfback), return punts and kickoffs and start at safety, where he picked off six passes last season.
As Alverson knows, however, he can shut out Whealer and still be beaten.
In veteran quarterback Chuck Nichols, his team faces a young man who has worked extremely hard to improve the distance of his aerials to go along with his already accurate short range game.
Fullback Andy Hall, also a starting linebacker expected to make about 70 individual tackles this year, is a hard runner to bring down.
In fact, Rakestraw said, “It will take more than one to get him on the ground.”
But the real sleeper, according to his coach, is halfback Peter Zubay.
“He’ll be in your Top 25 list before the season’s over,” Rakestraw told News Sports Editor Tom McIntyre.
“He looked exceptional in our scrimmage,” he added. “He must have rushed for over 100 yards in about three quarters and he scored three touchdowns.”
Even before injuries hit his team, Alverson already had the youngest starting backfield (three sophs and a junior) in these parts, if not the universe.
But the situation is now so acute that the SWD helmsman said he may have to hold tryouts at the running back spots.
But the three sophs – quarterback Marty Snider, flanker Jucky Burns and fullback Craig Graves – are well and will be counted on to provide some offense despite their youth.
All three, although not drawing raves in the recent scrimmage, “looked OK” according to their coach.
While Alverson has been less than elated with the overall effort, he praised ends’ Donnie Mobley and Leon Claiborn.
“He also said those folks are beautiful. They’re nasty. They’ll go after you.”
He also said the same for senior linebackers Alan Schaberg, Dale Nielsen, Tim Kaigler and junior headhunter Robert Downing, who may see a lot of action in the secondary to put some experience back there.
