FIRING BLANKS: Gretna’s defense rolling after consecutive shutouts

GRETNA — With an offense that averages more than 40 points a game, the Gretna High football team usually doesn’t need to rely on its defense.

But that doesn’t mean the Hawks have suffered any dropoff on that side of the ball.

Gretna has four shutouts to its credit in 2008, including two in a row. The Hawks closed out the regular season with a 35-0 romp over Altavista and opened the Group A Region B Division 2 playoffs last week by whitewashing Goochland 36-0. They have also blanked Magna Vista (41-0) and Chatham (69-0).

In its march to the 2007 state title, Gretna allowed just 100 points while winning all 14 games it played. This season, the Hawks are 10-1 and have surrendered 133 points, or about 12 per game.

“We’ve always pretty much made a living on defense and playing solid offense,” head coach Chris Thurman said Wednesday, as his top-seeded team prepared for Friday’s regional championship game against No. 2 Clarke County (9-2). “Move the ball, get down and try to score. If you get a lot of points, the defense is getting them off the field.”

That was the case last week, when Gretna led 7-0 at halftime despite running just 13 plays from scrimmage. The defense kept Goochland from penetrating deeper than the Hawks’ 31-yard line during the opening half and limited the Bulldogs to just 32 yards of total offense in the second half.

“They kept the ball, but they didn’t score,” Thurman said. “That’s the name of the game, if you keep them from scoring.”

The Hawks are led by their linebacking corps, which includes senior Christian DeJarnette, junior Steven Payne and sophomore Darien Jefferson.

“Those guys are fast,” Thurman said, “and they get to the ball. And I think — it’ll show up this Friday, too — a lot of it is we’re undersized in the secondary, but there’s not anywhere to pass the ball. They didn’t try. They didn’t even attempt to go at them. The people that have thrown at our secondary, it’s been intercepted.”

DeJarnette has started in all four of his seasons with the Hawks, while Payne is a two-year starter and Jefferson cracked the lineup this season.

“Everybody knows what they have to do,” Jefferson said, “so (we’ve got to) go out there and do it; work together and don’t get mad at each other — just do what you have to do and have fun.”

Jefferson leads the team with 126 tackles, followed by Payne with 113 and DeJarnette with 105 — including 71 solo. DeJarnette also has nine sacks, while Payne has 6.5 to go along with three fumble recoveries, an interception and a blocked field goal. Sophomore Kevin Dale has a team-high five interceptions.

Collectively, the Hawks have recorded 32 sacks, 10 interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries.

Last week, Payne scooped up a fumble in the backfield and raced 62 yards for the game-clinching score midway through the fourth quarter.

“Steven has great technique,” Thurman said. “He’s fast. He gets to the ball really quickly. (Darien) is the same way. He’s just fast. … Christian has started since he was a freshman. He was a player when he first got here. He just has a knack to get to the ball. That was apparent as a freshman.”

That knack, according to Payne, has come with experience. “You just have to work on it,” he said. “Wherever the ball is, I just try to be there at the right time.”

The Gretna offense is led by senior quarterback Jayme Barksdale, who has thrown for 1,448 yards and rushed for 1,368 more while filling in for sophomore Nick Miller, who was injured in the preseason.

“We’re just backing up the offense,” DeJarnette said. “Jayme Barksdale is a new quarterback, so we’re just trying to relieve some pressure off his shoulders.”

Clarke County won the Bull Run District with a 4-0 record and is currently riding a seven-game winning streak. They are scoring an average of 26.2 points per game while allowing just under 13.

Gretna and Clarke County have one common opponent, Appomattox. The Hawks routed the Raiders 43-9 on Oct. 24, while the Eagles defeated them 27-19 just last week. But Thurman doesn’t put much stock in comparing performances. 

“Anybody can have an off night, or a good night,” he said. “I don’t think it really means much. They are an up-and-coming program. They were in the playoffs last year. They’re back again. So you know you’re playing a solid opponent.”

Clarke County, which is 5-0 on the road this season, features a run-oriented attack. 

“They’re going to play a similar-type game, but out of a different offense, as Goochland played,” Thurman said. “I think they’re going to come in here and run their single wing and try to keep the ball from us. I think that seems to be the way to try and attack Gretna, is to try to keep the ball from us. We’ve made some adjustments to how we play and I think we’ll be able to get after them a little bit and get them off the field.”