Schutt Sports High School Coaches of the Year

EAST Jim Morgans, Parkland HS (Allentown, Pa.) After losing to the Parkland Trojans, opposing coaches invariably remarked on their relentless defense. Parkland’s defensive pursuit was no accident. The Trojans, who recorded seven straight shutouts en route to a 14-1 season, practice a different pursuit drill every day. One is the rabbit drill. “We toss the ball to a rabbit – he’s a kid who will run down the sideline,” coach Jim Morgans explained. “Everybody has to hit the ground, pop up, react to the ball, sprint and stay in their lane. If there’s another defender directly in front of them that’s not the proper pursuit lane, we’ll stop the drill and do it over. “If you’re on the backside of the pursuit, it could be up to 60 yards,” added Morgans, who credited coordinator John Quinn with developing the defense into a great unit. “They simulate a tackle at the end