Week 5 preview: Caston seeks improved defense against 2A, No. 4 LaVille

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Caston (0-4, 0-3 Hoosier North) at LaVille (4-0, 3-0), 7 p.m.

Alignment issues plagued the Caston defense in a 50-14 loss to Pioneer last week, according to coach Chris Ulerick.

“A lot of it is we have to be in the right position before the snap of the ball,” Ulerick said. “A lot of their big runs, our kids did not recognize the formation or did not align correctly, and we were outgapped. When that happens, they’re already put behind, and … we did not tackle real well. … The Pioneer backs hit the holes hard and hit the holes low. We didn’t tackle.

“We’ve talked about it. We addressed it right after the game, and we addressed it this week in practice, and hopefully it carries over because that’s certainly not how it’s coached. The kids know better. For whatever reason, they fell into some bad habits.”

Caston would figure to have to be at their sharpest against a LaVille team that has outscored their four opponents 186-22 so far.

“They’re big,” Ulerick said. “They’re an odd (man) front defense, but they are big, and they are aggressive. They’ll come downhill, and all the jerseys on their team, they manage to get them all there. It’s more of an attitude for them. They’re well-coached and well-taught as to what they’re going to see. Hopefully, we can come out and find some success against them.”

Ulerick said that Oliver Trigg, who caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Landon Shafer against Pioneer, is “banged up,” but he said he did not know what Trigg’s status is for the LaVille game.