Plant players produce for Minahan

Posted Dec 4, 2009 by Katherine Smith

Updated Dec 4, 2009 at 12:34 PM

Plant defensive line coach Billy Minahan is the Rod Marinelli of high school coaching. Marinelli, the former Bucs defensive line coach, had a knack for spotting talent and turning mostly undersized linemen into starters.

So does Minahan, especially this season when he had to start from scratch after losing all four starters from last season’s state championship team. He converted a couple of offensive linemen, developed others who got some playing time last year and also inherited a natural in James Wilder, Jr.

Along with Wilder, when the Panthers are lined up in a 4-3 scheme, former offensive linemen Rip Chambers, two-way starting lineman Jon Vega and David McCarthy, a reserve last season, apply the pressure that has resulted in 43 sacks this season.

That group will face its toughest challenge tonight against Countryside, a team with an offensive line that averages nearly 300 pounds and Nebraska commit Tyler Moore. Minahan knew he had the right mix of guys in Plant’s 17-7 victory against Armwood, where the starting line picked up four sacks.

“They’ve really materialized each week,” Minahan said. “They make a lot of plays. Everything’s about making plays with our defense and every one of them makes plays.”

Players credit Minahan, who has been a student of the game all his life. He’s been standing on a sideline since the age of 6 when his father, “Wild Bill” Minahan was the coach at Jesuit. He later joined his father as an assistant with the Tigers.

Minahan brings a passion to the game just like his father did. It’s a spirit his players appreciate and respond to.

“He’s crazy,” Wilder said of Minahan. “He keeps everybody pumping. When you’ve got somebody like that who can keep everybody high, keep everybody pumped and crunk, you can’t lose.”