Defense, ‘swagger’ keys in Blue Valley North’s 6-game win streak

Before it could rip off a six-game winning streak, Blue Valley North’s football team had to learn one thing: Trust each other.

After starting the season 1-3, the Mustangs have not lost since and are heading into a matchup with undefeated Blue Valley Friday in the Class 6A state quarterfinals.

“We were trying to find ourselves,” senior defensive lineman Peter Klug said. “A lot of guys wanted to do their own things, but we had to decide to come together. … When we really succeed is when we trust each other and buy into that trust as a team.”

In the undefeated six-game stretch, the Mustangs are scoring 35 points a game. But perhaps more important — and a product of that trust factor — Blue Valley North’s defense is allowing only 14 points a game.

Instrumental in that has been the Mustangs’ defensive line, led by the tandem of senior Peter Klug and junior Miles Emery.

“I don’t care what sport it is, anyone can play offense in their sport,” head coach Andy Sims said. “You’re really tough if you can play great defense. It’s a mindset. And our front has set that tone for us.”

Klug, a natural defensive end who’s committed to play at South Dakota in college, has played more interior line this year, limiting his stat-stuffing ability. But he and Emery have still combined for 98 tackles and 14 sacks this year and have been the spark of the whole unit.

“We know how to fill each other’s gaps,” Klug said. “On the outside on a pass rush, I would fill right behind Miles, and we really feed off each other. When you’re going to double-team one of us, the other one’s going to be wide open. Then eventually teams will start double-teaming both of us, and our linebackers are free. You can’t shut us all down.”

The Mustangs will face one of their biggest tests as a defense in Friday’s game. They’ll take on Blue Valley for the second time this season; the Tigers took the Week 3 contest 25-7.

Limiting Blue Valley to 25 points was an accomplishment, even in a loss. The Tigers are averaging 43.4 points a game, and those 25 against Blue Valley North were a season-low.

To keep its win streak (and season) alive, the Mustangs will have to duplicate that effort.

The other ingredient? Swagger — something the team found in these last six games.

“I want them playing with a lot of confidence, a lot of swagger,” Sims said. “Once we got things rolling, they realized what they were capable of. And with that, they’ve got to have fun through this. We don’t work ball, we play ball here.”

Riding a win streak many would have found improbable after the first month of the season, the team trusts itself to keep that fun going.

“Once the wins started rolling, we felt like we were on top of the world,” running back Grant Hamel said. “We wanted to keep winning. It was like we were addicted to it.”

“At this point, we just really want to keep going,” Klug said. “I feel like we have yet to play our best football game.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2016 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Defense, ‘swagger’ keys in Blue Valley North’s 6-game win streak."