Football: Defense is coming up big for Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — There’s no way of knowing for sure if the effort put forth by Springfield’s defensive corps in the first two weeks of the season is a harbinger of things to come.

There could be hiccups along the way, but the Cougars aren’t too worried about future projections.

“That’s why we only look at our next game,’ All-Delco senior linebacker Adam Krauter said. “There’s always mistakes to correct, always a reason to get better.’

The Cougars defensive unit, buoyed in part by the outstanding play of Krauter, senior nose guard Brian Layden and senior linebacker Dylan Power, doesn’t take anything for granted. The one-game-at-time mentality is a living, breathing sports cliche, but apropos for a team that believes it has a lot to prove.

“They’re just coming together, which is great to see,’ said first-year head coach Chris Britton, a longtime Springfield staff member and the program’s former D-coordinator. “Joe (DiTullio) took over the defense and he’s doing a great job. That’s been a big part of (the defense’s success). A lot of it has to do with the success we had last year. I think he’s the better fit for the defense moving forward and the players are doing a great job for him.’

The coaching staff shuffle, including the promotion of Britton at the helm, is paying dividends in the short term. The Cougars came into the season built to win and the defense was prepared to take the next step in 2014. So far, so good.

“We have so many returning starters from last year that I knew we would be good, but it’s how well you play together,’ Britton said. “That’s what they’re doing now. It’s just a matter of keeping it up for the entire year.’

The results have been overwhelmingly positive. Through two games, the Cougars have allowed the second-fewest points (14) in Delaware County. No. 1 Chichester has given up 13 points in two weeks.

“A lot of us played together for a long time, going back to St. Francis (CYO) days,’ Krauter said. “We were always able to work together. Coming into our senior year, we wanted to be as good as we can be.’

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