Eder Mora's return bolsters already strong Dalton defense

photo Dalton's Eder Mora, out with a broken foot for the last few weeks, returns to the defensive lineup this week as the Catamounts play fifth-ranked Northside-Warner Robins.

DALTON, Ga. -- Offenses may rule the world of high school football, but Matt Land believes championships are still won with defense.

The Dalton High School coach is hoping that old adage still rings true. The Catamounts (9-2) face their stiffest test of the season Friday with a trip to fifth-ranked Northside-Warner Robins (9-2) in the second round of the GHSA Class AAAAA playoffs. The Eagles, with a huge offensive line and a running back who has run for more than 1,500 yards, will find out if Dalton has what it takes to handle a grind-it-out physical game.

Land believes his recently bolstered defense won't back down.

"The challenge to stop Northside is handling their size," he said. "They are a very traditional program with a great history, and they understand hard work and what it takes to win annually. They are similar to us, but they average 280-290 pounds on the offensive line. I see a team that we cannot make any mistakes to have a chance to beat them.

"I also see guys on that practice field every day that won't back down from anything."

Dalton's postseason defense has gotten a boost with the return of senior safety/linebacker Eder Mora, a three-time Best of Preps honoree who missed the last five games of the regular season with a broken foot. What does Mora's presence mean? With him the Cats average giving up six points a game, and in Mora's six starts he averaged right at 10 tackles per game.

In Mora's last regular-season start the Catamounts routed Sequoyah, 45-0. The Chiefs, still alive in the Class AAAAA playoffs, have scored at least 30 points eight times this season.

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"Eder brings experience and a great knowledge of how to play defense," Land said. "As great an athlete as he is, the reality is one person doesn't make that big a difference. It's the combination of players that makes a difference. Eder makes everyone better on defense."

The Dalton defense isn't blitz-heavy. Instead, it relies on the individuals working as a group and sophisticated game plans that target weak spots. Land knows such a scheme won't work if the players are out for individual glory.

"We do a lot more now with our game planning than we've ever done, and we seem to be able to get in the right place at the right time," he said. "These seniors have been together a long time and they have been a great example of how this defense goes about its business. It's not about who is getting the tackles. It's about how we're getting better each week and what it takes to win a game."

As for Friday, Mora is well aware of Northside's reputation of physically manhandling most opponents, but he, like his coach, believes it won't be as easy as usual.

"They're big and physical and they use that to their advantage and hope they can run the ball down our throat," Mora said. "Obviously, we're not going to allow that to happen."

Fellow senior Chipper Elrod, one of a group of talented linebackers that also includes leading tackler Nate Mays and Jace Chastain, also believes the matchup is a good one.

"They have good size and some good weapons on offense, but they're very straightforward," Elrod said. "We like that kind of matchup because our coaches prepare us for that every day. We don't mind getting tested, and I know we'll be up for it."

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.

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