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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 8, 2004 South Medford linebacker Justin Meyer spearheads the Panthers� top-ranked defense heading into tonight�s showdown with cross-town rival North Medford at Spiegelberg Stadium. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Taking pride in defense South Medford linebacker Justin Meyer relishes role in helping Panthers become more balanced on both sides of the ball By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune It takes a certain mentality to make an impact on the defensive side of the football. There’s just no glamour to it. That’s more of an offensive trait, be it through headline-grabbing touchdowns or gaudy statistics that flaunt your exploits. Those on defense tend to be the forgotten soldiers, the ones doing the dirty work so that others can shine. Advertisement The ones you think of collectively and not individually. The ones who leave each game beat up and bruised and wouldn’t have it any other way. "You have to have a passion for defense to play it," says South Medford linebacker Justin Meyer. "It’s not something you can do halfway. That’s why we’re having more success this year on defense, we have more guys with a passion to play defense." No one exemplifies that more than Meyer, who is a collision waiting to happen on the football field. "He’s our team leader on defense," South head coach Bill Singler says of Meyer, who was a second-team all-SOC linebacker last year. "He’s just building on where he left off last year, as is our entire defense." The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior has compiled 32 assisted tackles, 15 solo tackles and forced two fumbles through four games as the seventh-ranked Panthers head into tonight’s Black and Blue Game against top-ranked North Medford. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Spiegelberg Stadium. "Justin Meyer has played really exceptional football for us," says Singler. "He’s an aggressive player and has been an inspiration for us. He’s the heart and soul of our defense." South’s defense has been overlooked the past few years as the Panther offense has become one of the best in the SOC, but Meyer and crew have turned that around this season. The Panthers (3- 1, 1-0 SOC) lead the conference in total defense, allowing an average of only 89.5 yards rushing and 259.3 overall this season. "We take a lot of pride in what we’re doing on defense this year," says Meyer, 17. "We’ve shut down teams like (defending state champion) Tigard and West Linn, and really just hurt ourselves with some missed tackles (in a 35-9 loss to) Lake Oswego." Meyer was sort of a late bloomer when it came to football. He began playing as a seventh-grader at McLoughlin Middle School, where he was used exclusively at wide receiver. A physical kid who gravitated toward catcher in baseball because that was the only position with any chance for contact, Meyer never quite felt comfortable on offense. "I’m more of a guy who likes to go after the ball and not really think about too much," he says. It wasn’t until he was a sophomore in high school that Meyer’s true talents were discovered and he was moved to linebacker. "It all just clicked from there," says Meyer, who wants to major in mechanical engineering in college. "Everything just felt so normal and natural for me; it felt like I was meant to be there the whole time. The reads were a lot easier and everything else just fit with who I am." Ever since, Meyer has been the kind of sideline-to-sideline linebacker every team needs. Relying on his agility and toughness, Meyer has made a habit of playing spoiler to opposing offenses. And, in the process, he has gotten to do what he enjoys most. "I love hitting people," he says unabashedly. "You don’t really get to do that on offense unless you’re a fullback. As a linebacker, you get to hit somebody on every single play. I like that." Senior Jon Lang (5-9, 175), junior Ryan Odell (6-0, 180), senior Jacob DeBoer (6-1, 190) and sophomore Kyle Singler (6-7, 200) join Meyer to form a formidable linebacker corps of playmakers. The group also boasted junior Ben Koziol (6-1, 250) before he was recently moved down to the defensive line. "We’re not the biggest linebackers in the SOC," notes Meyer, "but we probably are some of the quickest and have the skill to get off blocks and fill holes. "And all of us love contact. We’re not shy about coming up and popping someone in the face. We may be small, but we’re not afraid to lay our body on the line for our teammates." Be it finishing off a tackle or taking on a blocker to funnel the play toward a teammate, Meyer says he relishes the notion of team defense. "I depend on my other linebackers, and they know they can depend on me," he says. And Panther fans can depend on South’s defense being amped up for tonight’s game against North’s top-ranked offense, which averages 454.4 yards and 39.2 points per game. "We know we’re all going to have to step up," says Meyer. "Last year was 60-17 (in favor of North) and we’ve got to come back and prove that we can’t have 60 points scored on us. "It felt miserable to walk off the field after that last year, and I don’t want to feel that way again." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities