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Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Free spirit wreaking havoc for Merced College

With the bulk of the team and coaches immersed in 7-on-7 drills at an early September practice, Merced College linemen squared off on the side in some one-on-one grudge matches.

The premise of the drill was simple: each defensive lineman used their best move to get past the offensive lineman in front of them, and hit the tackling dummy which represented the quarterback.

About midway through, a sudden eruption of noise brought the entire practice to a standstill.

Freshman defensive end Jericho Leota had reached the dummy without any contact being made and the group voiced its appreciation for the feat of athleticism.

It was a preview of things to come, as Leota has spent the bulk of his freshman campaign making offensive linemen look foolish.

His team-high six sacks have been a vital addition to a Blue Devil defense that only recorded a total of 10 a season ago.

Scarier yet, it's Leota's first real season at the position.

"Jericho is just a pure pass rusher," MC head coach Mark Kaanapu said. "Guys see him at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds and think they're going to have an easy time with him, but his strength and his quickness make him very difficult to handle.

"Plus, he plays the game with a kind of passion that overcomes any size limitations."

Leota spent the bulk of his high school career as an outside linebacker. It wasn't until his senior year that his coach decided to try him at defensive end.

Unfortunately, the experiment fizzled before it every got going because of eligibility issues.

With Kaanapu keeping Leota on point academically, he's excelled in his transition to defensive end thanks to the tutelage of defensive coordinator Keith Millard.

"Coach Millard expects a lot out of his linemen and works us pretty hard," Leota said, "but I've been able to learn a lot of technique from him."

Leota made an impact right from the start, sacking Daniel Connors for a safety in the Blue Devils' season-opening victory over Monterey Peninsula.

He's only gotten better.

Leota was a force in last week's 29-27 loss to Cabrillo, leading MC (1-1 Golden Gate Conference, 3-4) with seven tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles.

"I'm just free-minded on the field," Leota said. "It doesn't matter if the other team is talking, my job is to get the quarterback.

"My best move is probably the up-and-under.

"Because I'm quick, the tackles always expect me to try and beat them to the outside, so they step out.

"The up-and-under catches them by surprise."

MC is going to need all the pressure Leota can muster as it takes on GGC leader and state ranked No. 20 Laney on the road tonight.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Eagles (2-0 GGC, 5-2) have averaged more than 380 yards per game this season.

"If you look at almost all their big plays, they've come when they have lots of time," Kaanapu said. "We're going to have to put consistent pressure on them to slow that down.

"It's a big game for us and the guys understand what's at stake. Hopefully, we'll respond to that."