CHERRY TWP— Defense is important to Moniteau football. The 35 defense has been downright vital to it.

The Warriors have allowed an average of six points per game in their six victories. They've permitted an average of 23 per game in their four defeats.

"We've sort of migrated to the 35,"fifth-year coach Steve Wilson said. "We used to run a 52, then a 53, but we were susceptible to the pass, and a lot of the teams we were playing were going to the pass."

The idea of using the 35 — three down linemen, five linebackers — came after the coaching staff attended a clinic before the 2004 season that featured West Virginia University.

The Mountaineers use a 3-3-5 formation.

"That's where the concept came from,"defensive coordinator Jeff Campbell said. "We didn't have enough linemen to play a 53.

"We have a bunch of kids who weigh between 150 and 180 pounds, who have a lot of quickness and play physical football. This defense is made for them."

Moniteau, which blitzes on nearly every play, uses 33 different blitz combinations and shuttles 17 players in and out of the lineup.

Thirteen players have combined for 41 sacks, and 10 players have combined for 13 fumble recoveries.

"About the only time we don't blitz is on the coin toss," Wilson said.

Middle linebacker Aaron Randall has seven sacks, nose guard Justin Sanderson has 7Z\x, and Justin Castello, who has played end, tackle and linebacker, has 5Z\x sacks.

"When they double team our linemen, I have a clear path straight up the middle,"Randall said. "My sacks have come from right up the gut.

"I like this defense because if a receiver or runner gets past you, there's three or four other defenders right there to help. In a 52, there's nobody there."

Castello rotates his position depending on how the Warriors adapt to that week's opponent.

"If we're playing a team that likes to pound it, we can load up the box,"Campbell said. "If we're playing a passing team, we can drop eight people back in coverage."

"Justin is our utility infielder,"Wilson said, laughing.

And Castello loves it.

"Wherever I can help the team, that's where I'll go,"Castello said. "It gets a little confusing jumping around to different positions during a game, but it's all part of the game plan."

Castello, Donnie Keene, Clay Drnek, and Joe Stiner see action at inside linebacker. Travis Shaffer, Tyler Armagost, Adam Cousins and Dakota Campbell see action on the outside.

Sanderson, Brice Schwab and Justin Ellenberger are the down linemen while Josh Loos, Adam Pry and Jeremiah Barnhart man the secondary.

Moniteau blitzes as many as four or five players on a given play. Linebackers come, safeties come, some will decoy coming.

"It's an active defense and the kids love it,"Wilson said. "They're not playing in cement shoes, that's for sure."

Last year, Moniteau didn't have its entire defensive scheme in place until Week 7. This year, the entire package was in by Week 2.

Keystone is the only other Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference team that uses a 35. St. Marys — the Warriors' opponent in Week 2 — employs it as well.

"We have a lot of underclassmen back from last year, so the kids grasped the schemes a lot quicker,"Campbell said.