Tales from the ‘Darkside’: How Harrisburg’s defense worked to live up to lofty expectations set by units of the past

Anthony Day Jr. stated you possibly can see the concern within the opposition’s eyes typically.

And he would know greatest as a result of he’s proper in the course of the mayhem surrounded by a gaggle that Justin Cook dinner says is only a bunch of “dangerous boys.” Terrell Reynolds referred to as them “monsters,” and perhaps they’re between the white traces as a result of, in spite of everything, they’ve adopted Chucky, the doll of horror-film fame, as their mascot. And Tyshawn Black stated, some madness — the “miracle mile” — made this all a actuality.

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These are tales from the “Darkside.” Half two.

Actually, it might be half 4, as a result of the Harrisburg Cougars’ quartet was speaking protection — particularly their “Darkside Protection.” And whereas most elite defensive models final a season or two, particularly in highschool, the “Darkside” took a lifetime of its personal 4 seasons in the past –picking up its first few headlines on PennLive in 2018 — and every unit since has lived as much as one heck of a lofty customary heading into the staff’s 1 p.m. Saturday 6A playoff recreation in opposition to State School (7-5).

“The ‘Darkside’ was one thing that was created prior to now with these different canines we had,” Reynolds stated. “We’re simply carrying on that legacy.”

That first “Darkside” unit definitely did have its share of “canines,” together with present Texas A&M linebacker Andre White Jr. and Central Michigan nook Donte Kent. This model of the “Darkside” doesn’t have guys with the identical type of recruiting rankings or measurables that first group had, nevertheless it has definitely put up some spectacular numbers.

Cook dinner, a senior who had by no means performed nook earlier than this season, is an interception away from tying a close to, 50-year-old faculty report with 11. Reynolds, a junior, has shattered the college’s sack report — beforehand 16.5 — and has 21.5 with 104 tackles, 36 for loss, heading into Saturday. Day, a senior linebacker, is closing in on a faculty deal with report with 116 together with two interceptions. Sophomore defensive lineman Micah Chambers has 79 tackles and 9.5 sacks. Black, a senior lineman, has 75 tackles and a couple of.5 sacks, and freshman linebacker Kymir Williams has six sacks.

Harrisburg (12-1) hasn’t given up greater than 13 factors since an Oct. 9, 25-20, win over CD East. It’s permitting simply 9 factors per recreation within the postseason. And this group isn’t simply hitting its stride in slowing offenses, it has been offensive in its personal proper, too. Reynolds has three touchdowns from his defensive finish place. Cook dinner has returned an interception 102 yards for a rating. Day has scored. Black has, too. Kyle Williams Jr. has an interception return for a landing. It feels just like the listing rolls on-and-on, and it’s onerous to beat a staff when the protection doesn’t surrender a lot, and even places up just a few of its personal, too.

“They’re scoring, they’re getting turnovers on a constant foundation,” Harrisburg coach Calvin Everett stated. “It’s only a recipe for achievement.”

However to actually perceive how this group stored the “Darkside” flame burning shiny, you first have to grasp there’s a sure mindset to this. There’s a little bit of swagger about it — Cook dinner says they’ve “Darkside” shirts, sleeves, headbands and different gear — however nice defenses are likely to have guys with large personalities or a sure psychological toughness, too.

And people components exist inside the “Darkside.”

Cook dinner is the man who introduced the Chucky doll — they name him “Fortunate Chucky” — into the combination, and it has been totally accessorized with “Darkside” gear. He defined the doll had a ferociousness about it within the films that he felt match this staff. Black is the man all of them level to as a fiery chief — a four-year starter, he desires to exit on prime perhaps as a lot as any of them — and Day is the scrappy, undersized ‘backer decided to show this group is simply nearly as good as any that got here earlier than it.

“(In 2018) there have been a bunch of D1 gamers and superstars,” Day stated. “I used to be there watching when it first turned a factor. We had Jai Burney, Andre, Donte and Pete (Gantt). It was a powerful protection, and that’s the place I received a few of my mindset and physicality from.

“And it made me need to have the identical factor with this staff this 12 months.”

Black in all probability is aware of the defensive legacy in addition to anybody placing on pads on Severance Saturday. He’s a four-year starter for the Cougars and previous to that, again when Micah Parsons and Damion Barber have been roaming the sector, he was the ball boy.

“I really feel like we evaluate to these nice defenses,” he stated. “And it’s as a result of we put within the onerous work. We put in that ‘Darkside’ work. And it simply interprets.”

And that, this group stated, is the actual story of this “Darkside Protection.”

It started again in the summertime when the Cougars have been lastly capable of examine into the burden room and go to work underneath the eyes of Everett and defensive coordinator Jesse Harr. Possibly they couldn’t have the recruiting rankings of a few of their predecessors, Black stated, however they knew they may work simply as onerous or more durable.

So, they lifted like loopy, and so they went out and received after it within the “miracle mile,” operating the bleachers at Severance till he stated it felt like their legs have been hardly hooked up to their our bodies anymore.

“The exercises have been excessive,” Black stated. “And lots of people wished to give up. However they didn’t. They stored coming again.

“Your legs could be lifeless for your entire week.”

However, when the autumn rolled round, these legs have been robust. Harrisburg hit onerous, and regardless of having a roster of simply greater than 30 gamers, many taking part in each side of the ball, they stored coming. And, Cook dinner stated, they may see opponents wilt in opposition to that strain.

“Groups would really feel our aggressiveness,” he stated. “However all people is like that within the first quarter. They’d be considering it could die down within the second quarter. Then they’d be considering it could die down within the third, and by the point they realized it wasn’t … then you can see it.”

It was written throughout a few of their faces, even.

“I believe that anyone that traces up in opposition to us had had some kind of concern,” Day stated. “They should have some worries.

“I do know they nonetheless do.”

It may not have been that method had they not stored coming again. However they stated the drive — the concept that some individuals believed they couldn’t be nearly as good as groups of the previous — pushed them to place within the work that earned them a District 3 title and has them hoping for a state championship look.

It was, Reynolds stated, a shared mentality to be nice when the protection hits the sector and to dwell as much as a normal set by earlier Cougar models.

“You’ve received to be a canine,” he stated stated. “Our guys know that, and that’s what we do.

“To be a member of the ‘Darkside’ you’ve simply received to let that monster out.”

— Follow Brian Linder on Twitter @SportsByBLinder