Fast and Physical. Those are two words that Lawrence North Head Coach Pat Mallory emphasized before tonight’s game and during every practice this season. Come out with the tenacity, and the grand results will follow. From the start of the game, LN used that motto as the defensive pressure started to come, and the plays started going in the Wildcat defense’s favor.

“I think our tenacity on the field especially on that first session of fifteen plays, our defense got at it,” Mallory said. “Fifteen straight plays we kept them out of the endzone, I think they only picked up a couple first downs. “

After Aaron Williams got LN on the board offensively, the defense quickly got to work. On a run by Fishers quarterback Matt Wolff, LN linebacker Maliq Carr and cornerback Terrance Mallory hit Wolff, jarring the ball loose to the ground where it was picked up by safety Tyrus Banks who took it to the endzone to put LN on the board again. Those defensive scores are something that Mallory acknowledges as a key bonus when attained.

“When you have two defensive scores, a pick six and a scoop and score, when you have two scores you’re a very good football team,” Mallory said. “Typically no one thinks about the defense scoring, but when the defense scores twice, holy cow, that’s twelve free points for your offense right there.”

Senior defensive tackle Tyler Majors admits the early pressure in the backfield for the Wildcat defense set intensity and a fire early in the game, proving formidable for the entirety of the game.

It’s pretty important because it sets the tone early in the game and lets them know we’re coming, Majors said. “It also takes pressure off our defensive backs and lets them have an easier job.”

While the Wildcat defense got two scores of their own, the offense, led by junior quarterback Derin McCulley, did their own job to make sure the intensity was matched on both sides of the football.

“Offensively in that first fifteen plays our tenacity was great, we just pushed the ball down the field, sprinkling in pass and runs,” Mallory said. “We showed that we have a few more weapons in our arsenal this year with that tenacity.”

McCulley admits the passing game has developed over the off season, providing a second choice for Mallory’s offense.

“The pass game is something different for sure,” McCulley said. “We’ve got a lot more receivers and potential at that position, it should be exciting.

As both the offense and defense learn to push the intensity tonight and heading into next week’s season opener at Noblesville, Mallory continues to emphasize the program’s motto and culture.

“It all comes back to fast and physical,” Mallory said. “You have to be fast and physical and play through the whistle. You’ve got to come and play though that whistle and keep the intensity the whole time to get those big time plays and momentum builders.