Dragons Look To Stay Hot In Week 5

An 0-2 start to the season…something different for York Institute Football Coach Derwin Wright.

So was the defensive performance. After holding opponents to 5.9 points a game and only allowing 59 points in the entire 2023 regular season, the Dragons allowed 82 points in their first two games. Wright said the defensive performances were so frustrating the staff changed their practices.

“So, coaches we went back to just like you do in two-a-days,” Wright said. “We want back to tackling stations, blocking stations and the fundamentals of the game. And just drilling it, drilling it, drilling it, drilling it. And I think you’ve always got to do that a couple days a week. So we just went back to the basics of blocking and tackling.”

In a 20-7 win over Bledsoe County, Wright said his players bought into the game-plan and executed like they should have been doing all year long. This much needed regional win comes on the heels of another district opponent in the 3-1 Tellico Plain Bears.

“This is a highly motivated team,” Wright said. “This is, I think, their home opener, so we’ve got to come ready to play. And we’ve got to understand that this is not the Tellico Plains team that we played last year. They are a much improved football team.”

Wright said Tellico Plains senior tailback Ryan Shaffer stood out as a potential problem for his defensive unit Friday night. The senior tailback already has over 700 yards rushing on the season and in week 3, Shaffer rushed for over 300 yards and averaged 14.8 yards per carry.

Through three games the Dragons are averaging 23 points, almost ten points fewer than their average last season. Wright said he knows this offense has not reached its full potential yet this season.

“I’m proud of what they’ve done so far, but we’ve also turned the ball over too many times,” Wright said. “And if you take those out, along with what we’re doing, the offensive production would go up. So, I think we are getting there, but we’re not there.”

Kickoff Friday night at 7pm.