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By DEDE BILES Sports EditorWhat nice guys. They smile, joke and pat each other on the back.That Michael Perry, he’s a card. Always saying something funny. And Craig Dawsey. A quiet, serious fellow. Says yes ma’am and yes sir. Thomas Martin, Freddy Trowell and Aaron Counts, too. Couldn’t ask for a group of politer teen-agers.Obviously, you haven’t met these fellows on a dark Friday night during football season. They’re the members of the South Aiken High football team’s defensive line.The Crunch Bunch.They specialize in slamming quarterbacks to the ground and grinding running backs into the dirt.Few do it better.And because South Aiken’s defensive linemen do it so well, the Thoroughbreds could capture the Conference 4-AAA championship with a victory at Batesburg-Leesville Friday night. Both teams are tied for the league lead at 5-0.South Aiken, 7-1 overall, has already clinched a berth in the Class AAAstate playoffs.Thank Perry, Dawsey, Trowell, Counts and Martin for that, too.According to Thoroughbred coach Gary Smallen, the five have been among the team’s most consistent performers “since August 3rd.” They are the strongholds of a defense which has given up an average of only 9.1points per game. Let’s meet themup close and personal.Trowell, a 5-10, 190-pound nose guard, and Counts, a 5-10 170-pound tackle, are the team’s strongest players.“Freddy is very, very quick and agile,” Smallen said. “He’s had very little problem defeating every center he’s faced this year.“Aaron hadn’t played (high school) football before this year. He was an outstanding Sunday-aftemoon street-ball player. He’s learned to play within the bounds of high school rules. He plays with reckless abandon.”The end posts are manned by the 225-pound Perry — the squad’s largest player — and Dawsey, a 165-pound junior. Smallen described Dawsey as a “hard-nosed, coachable player, who will do anything you ask him to do.” Perry, whom the Thoroughbred boss considers a college prospect, isgood at stopping power plays.Martin, a 6-0,210-pound defensive tackle, excels at “taking on the double team.”All are quick. And that is the key to their success.“They can make up for each other’s mistakes with their quickness,” Smallen said. “None of them are 4.7 or 4.8 sprinters. But none of them run over 5.0.”In the Thoroughbreds’ defensive scheme, the linemen’s main job is to open up holes for the linebackers, who are responsible for making most of the tackles. And to perform that task, the Thoroughbred front five function as a unit, not as individuals.“We get along pretty good because of what we went through last year — going 2-7 ,” Dawsey said. “This year everybody wants to be a winner.They’re trying extra hard to play together and do the job.”That will be especially important against unbeaten B-L, which has notched nine victories this year.“We’re going to have to control the line of scrimmage,” Dawsey said. “Their line is experienced and has good technique.“We’re going to have to get a good pass rush, too. Their quarterback is a college prospect and he likes to pass. We’re going to have to contain him.”If the Thoroughbreds fail, it won’t be because of a lack of desire.“It’s the biggest game any of us have ever been in,” Dawsey said. “Winning the conference means a lot to us.”These nice guys won’t finish last.Aikrtt §tanbardTomorrow Night's GamesSportsThursday, November 5,1981 Page IBNorth Augusta at Aiken South Aiken at Batesburg-Leesville Gilbert at Silver Bluff RS-Monetta at Williston-ElkoCardinal Newman at St. Angela O.-Wilkinson at Midland Valley Edisto at Wagener-Salley Note — All games begin at 8 p.m.THE CRUNCH BUNCHThis is the way most opposing football players get to know the South Aiken High defensive line — looking up from the ground. Pictured from left to right are Michael Perry,Aaron Counts, Freddy Trowell, Thomas Martin and Craig Dawsey. (Staff Photo By Ginny Southworth)
Newspaper Details
Aiken Standard
Aiken, South Carolina, US
Thu, Nov 05, 1981
Page 15
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael S.
NY, USA 26 Dec 2020
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