Grimsley Football vs. Sun Valley, Three Things to Watch

Here are “three things to watch” as Grimsley prepares to host the Sun Valley Spartans in the second round of the 4A West Playoffs.   

1. Grimsley’s pass rush.  While the Whirlie defense did not come up with a sack in last week’s 54-0 win over North Meck, the pass rush forced Viking quarterback Zion Hailey into poor decisions.  Hailey only completed 8 passes for 30 yards and was intercepted twice as he never had time to survey the field and deliver accurate balls.  Tonight, the Spartans will be starting senior quarterback Brady Turriff.  The Sun Valley offense leans heavily on the passing game.  Turriff is a smart player (4.0 GPA) and has a great arm.  Grimsley needs to make sure he doesn’t have time to sit back and get comfortable in the pocket.   
2. Speaking of Grimsley’s defense, the secondary coverage needs to stay disciplined.  Unlike most teams the Whirlies have played this year, the Spartans have pass catchers on all three levels.  Not only can they throw it deep to wide receiver Braylon Martin, or out of the backfield to running back DeBrian Coffey, they have a talented tight end for intermediate receptions. Sun Valley tight end Andrew Doody caught a game winning touchdown with 11.9 seconds left to beat Myers Park earlier on the season.  On the play, he leaked off the line of scrimmage and was not picked up by a linebacker or safety.  The Whirlies have not faced many pass catching tight ends this year and communicating coverage on him will be important.  
3. Grimsley’s ground game.  This year, Sun Valley played 6 playoff teams during the regular season.  That’s a lot!  In those games they were outscored 72-133.  The Spartans struggled against teams with winning records.  They really struggled against teams that throw the football.  The Spartans know they have to slow down the passing game by either playing extra guys in protection or bringing more guys than the Whirlies can block.  Enter the Grimsley run game.  It has been outstanding all year as Mitchell Summers has rushed for over 1,400 yards and 29 touchdowns.  Look for Summers or quarterback Brandon to recognize extra Spartans in coverage and decide to run the ball.