DeKalb defensive line looks for more after 8-sack performance

DeKALB – After giving up more than 300 rushing yards in a five-touchdown loss to Sycamore to open the season, the DeKalb defensive line was looking to bounce back against Plainfield South.

A week later the Barbs are looking to keep up the momentum of a dominant Week 2 performance when they face Sandburg on Friday.

DeKalb sacked Plainfield South quarterback Connor Folliard eight times and held the Cougars to minus-17 yards on the ground in a 20-6 win.

“We did really good, but I don’t want to pat ourselves on the back too much,” said junior Pierre Cathina, who had three sacks against Plainfield South. “Having a reality check like we did against Sycamore, it wasn’t the way we wanted it to go. Coming back from that to how we played last Friday, it was much better. It was a wake-up call to us and our defense. We just had to pick it up a notch. We had to wake up and figure out what the job was.”

DeKalb head coach Derek Schneeman said he was happy to see the line perform the way it did. He said the athleticism of the line overwhelmed Plainfield South. At the start of the year, he felt it was the deepest group.

Aside from Cathina, Travis Moore had two sacks, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble against the Cougars. And Justin O’Neal added two sacks against Plainfield South. Nathaniel O’Neal Jr. had a sack against Sycamore, and Jeremiah Pineira had a pair of big plays against the Cougars.

The Barbs have only one returning defensive starter from last year, and that’s linebacker Daniel-Roman Johnson. Like the secondary, the front line is made up of players in their first varsity season.

“Expectations are always high because we’re the DeKalb Barbs,” said Moore, son of NIU defensive line coach Travis Moore. “I felt like they were a little lower because of how young we are. We are a young team, whole young D-line. Nobody ever played a varsity snap before. But I feel like we’re jumping up to that expectation for sure.”

Schneeman said Moore is very obviously the son of a coach, and that goes a long way toward his success.

“He’s got a very high football IQ,” Schneeman said. “You can tell it’s within him. He’s got great get-off, he’s physical, he’s very athletic for his size. And he’s disruptive. He really does his homework, studies opposing offenses and comes into games prepared.”

Moore called the loss against the Spartans at Huskie Stadium a wake-up call the Barbs most definitely received.

“I feel like the whole D-line, though, we were prepared coming into the Sycamore game,” Moore said. “We got a reality check, and it made us come even harder for the next week. I felt like we were already at a really high level, and we just picked it up a notch.”

Schneeman said Cathina has matured a lot heading into this year and is becoming a top-flight player.

“He’s really grown up this year,” Schneeman said. “He’s been doing what we’ve asked him to do. ... We always felt like he was capable of doing what he did last Friday, he just needed to put it all together. And he’s on the path of doing that. I’m very proud and very excited to see what he can do. He’s got a bright future and a high ceiling.”

Cathina said given everything stacked against the line this year, he was glad for a performance like Friday as it helps fuel the group’s motivation.

“People are doubting us because we’re a younger group from everybody else,” Cathina said. “We’re not as big as the others, not as athletic as the others. But that’s what drives us. That’s what drives my D-line. That’s what makes us do what we do on Friday nights.”