Moore, Spaeth, and Lee A Big Part Of NDC Football Turn Around.
As the Notre Dame College Falcons won their fourth consecutive Mountain East Conference Championship on Saturday, this trio of linebackers:
Guam Lee, Dylan Spaeth, and Nathan Moore
once again played a major role in the team's success. They thrive in big moments.
This linebacking corp is a very tight position group and very highly regarded in the conference. Guam Lee is the co-defensive player of the year in the MEC. Nate Moore is first team all conference. Dylan Spaeth has been voted second team All-MEC.
Spaeth told me that as a group they all have a great relationship and are a bunch of hard workers. They love what they do and do it at a very high level. In particular he said the following to me: "Playing alongside Guam and Nate is unlike anything else. Outside of football we are very close and our relationship is comparable to the one with my brother. Not only do we have each other's backs off the field, but when we are on the field we make sure we are all solid. Throughout the play calls pre snap to post snap reads, we make sure we communicate with each other on what we are seeing to help each other out. This allows us to play at a very physical and fast level. We are comfortable knowing that we each are capable of making plays at any moment and know we can trust each other."
Lee told me what makes it so much fun is they are all such good friends off the field so when they see each other make plays it feels like they did it together, even though they are individual stats. "How good of a friends we are off the field really helps us. If any of us are in a pickle we go to each other for help, and it helps on the field the way we communicate with one another if something is new to us or if we are not executing something properly. The best part though is competing with these guys in games, celebrating plays, and looking at stats after."
Moore also talked with great admiration about his teammates:
"The best part about having those two guys as teammates on and off the field is the amount of trust we have in each other. On the field I know that they will be in the right spot every play. On and off the field if I ever need anything they'd be the first one to help out. Dylan and Guam are like brothers to me and no matter what the situation we have each other's backs.
A lot of the time words are not even needed with this group. Being together for a while now we have instilled trust in each other that is carried over to the field. I think it pays off the most when we are in a big moment during the game. I can count on Dylan and Guam to step up and make big plays on the field when we need it. At this point now, when there is something like an adjustment, we can just look at each other and know exactly what to do with minimal communication."
Lee told me that he was a big fan of Former Panthers linebacker Luke Keuchly because of the way that he studied film so he knew what was coming before the offense ran it. "Lately Fred Warner is my favorite to watch because we are similar in play style of using our speed to make plays while not getting blocked," Lee said.
As for Moore, he pointed out the irony of the previous question:
"It is funny that you ask who I model my game after because some of my old and current teammates call me (Brian) Urlacher. But if I had to pick someone, I'd have to say Luke Keuchly because he always flied around the field trying to make plays but also studied a lot of film and knew what play was coming next."
Spaeth told me that he has not always been a linebacker. He started out as a defensive end in pee wee football and running back and played those all the way up until high school. During high school he played free safety and wide receiver. He actually did not play linebacker until his senior year of high school when someone needed to fill that position. He gained some weight to make the transition from free safety to linebacker and he said he is comfortable with that decision.
Moore told me that he changed positions as well. "When I was very young I was a lineman but I switched to linebacker when I was in middle school. I haven't looked back since. When I got to high school I played tight end in addition to linebacker. I love playing on the defensive side of the ball."
Lee told me that he was wearing Michigan football gear right out of the womb. "I started watching college and NFL games with my dad and we tested each other where guys played college ball, "he said.
Spaeth started playing flag football when he was five. His love for the sport came from his brother when he was younger.
Spaeth told me what he thinks has made the linebacking corps so successful:
"The reason for our success is because we are all coachable. No matter our experience on the field and what we think we know, we are great at taking coaching and advice from our coaches to better our games and increase our football IQ's. We also have a very high work ethic and are always trying to better ourselves through the playbook, workouts, practices, and games. We are also very successful in the room because we have three captains in this position group.
Because of this, we hold everyone in our room, including ourselves to a very high level. "
Spaeth explained to me why Defensive Coordinator Jake Chestnut is so relatable:
"What makes Coach Chestnut so relatable is that he has been in our shoes both with playing football and being part of the NDC football team. He was a four year starter and has had a great deal of experience at the collegiate level to know what it takes to be successful. Due to this, he is able to teach and relate to situations in a way that correlates to all of us. He is not only knowledgable about football, but understands the culture and standards it takes to be a Falcons football player."
Moore had high praise for Coach Chestnut as well:
" Coach Chestnut is actually the one who recruited me to come here. When I got here he ended up leaving to take a coordinator job at a school in Montana. When he came back last fall, I was very happy because I knew that I would be able to learn a lot from a former all-conference linebacker here at NDC. This past year and a half Coach Chestnut has helped me elevate my game to a level I never knew I had. Also, the knowledge he has taught me about football overall and the ability to understand certain schemes is a true testament to how he relates to his players. He is very passionate because he was just in our shoes not too long ago."
Lee talked about the first time he met Chestnut:
"The first time I met Coach Chestnut was when I was on a visit and he was still a player on the team finishing up his senior year, and he was showing me around the school as well as showing me the city of South Euclid. He was actually one of the first members of the team that I knew to be a nice guy. You could tell the way that he carried himself that he really wanted that he really wanted to coach. Head Coach Mickey Mental was texting, calling, and even sending me letters throughout my senior year of high school and I thought that it was pretty neat that they wanted me to be a part of their program. When I got here he was definitely one of the goofiest coaches I've ever met and made me feel at home. What makes the coaches so relatable is that they are young and fresh out of playing. It makes them seem as one of us on the team and we are all held to the same standard. It's easy for both sides to be transparent with one another and that solves a lot of our in house problems.
Moore told me that preparation during the week is a big part of what he does:
" During the week there is a lot of preparation that helps us excel at a high level on Game Days. Every day we start by having position meetings to watch film and go over the scouting report. Then we immediately go to practice. After practice is done we get treatment, and watch the practice film from earlier. Later in the afternoon we will meet again as a position to watch practice and talk about any other adjustments we have to make. Then for me I usually watch 30-45 minutes of film before bed. That repeats every day leading up to Game Day. Obviously, we have to prepare our bodies right so getting treatment almost three times a day is very important too, as we are at the back end of the schedule."
Lee gave his thoughts on preparation:
"For me, besides school, I like to rest a lot throughout the week. Practice is where all the hard work and thought comes from. When I prepare for games I need to be attentive then, this is most important to me. Watching a ton of film is definitely a big part of my preparation from week to week, trying to fix minor mistakes, and perfect my strengths and weaknesses to perform at my highest level, and lastly my nutrition so I can have a great amount of energy for my team and staff on Game Day."
Spaeth talked about his preparation:
" A given week of preparation for me begins as soon as the fourth quarter ends in the previous game. I take time to enjoy our win or to reflect on what needs to be reflected on, what needs to be improved, and begin getting my mind ready for the next opponent. Through daily treatment, I get my body back into shape and take care of anything that is bothering me. I also try to watch up to two hours of film a day so I can have a great understanding of how the other team operates. I learn from my mistakes during practice through film so that by the time perfect Thursday comes (the last practice of the week) before games where we expect to have no mistakes during practice) I am game ready."
Spaeth also talked about how challenging it is to face the NDC offense in practice:
"There is no doubt the offense is great at what they do. During camp and practices it can get very competitive between both sides and is something that we use as motivation to get better. I wouldn't say it creates a chip on our shoulder because at the end of the day we respect what they do on their side of the ball to win games, just like they respect us in the same manner. We are a team. Of course, it is always great to make headlines, but as a defense we are willing to do whatever it takes to win games no matter the publicity that comes from it. Watching the games, people know what this defense is capable of and understand that we are going to make plays to give our offense as many possessions as possible to make big time plays."
Lee agreed:
"Our offense has so many weapons as well as speed and power, so facing them in practice is a great test for us every week to see how we are improving or they are improving. Chris (Brimm) is my roommate and he'll tease me about new plays and how they're unstoppable, we have to just come out and respond to them."
Moore concurred:
"Regardless if we do not get as much credit as the offense, our defensive style as a position and unit is to always play with a chip on our shoulder. We always have the mindset that every time we step onto the field the opposing team will know. I think the defensive side of the ball you always have to have a chip on your shoulder in order to operate at a high level."
Lee also said he thinks the defense has a chip on their shoulder:
" I think we have a chip on our shoulder not because the offense overshadows us but because we like to think that we are the best in the nation and we have to go out and prove that every week by how we lead one another, trust one another, and have each others backs if something doesn't go our way. At the end of the day between the offense and defense we are are a team and we all have to do our jobs to the best of our ability every week and that's what we pride ourselves on, execution."
Spaeth told me that he loves playing on this team, and it is an absolute blast:
"We emphasize having a great connection with everyone and creating a brotherhood bond. Not only is this bond between the players, but it is also present with the coaches. The player/coach relationship is unlike any other that I have experienced playing football. They are just like one of us and are people that we trust to talk to. They are always willing to lend a helping hand and look out for each and every one of us no matter what. Winning is another thing that makes playing for this team fun. Everyone on the team is highly competitive and wants to win no matter the circumstances. During my time here, I have only lost seven games over five years and have been to both an elite eight and final four. We also have won four conference championships. When you are able to play for a team with that kind of background and it is continuing to grow in a successful direction, it makes it worthwhile."
Moore told me why little things like tackling are so important:
"There always is an emphasis on the little things like tackling. If we as a team can't do the little things right, then it is harder to win games. That is one of the best things about this team, we always focus on the little things like tackling and pressuring the quarterback, but we also go more in depth than that. Our team emphasizes things like always running on and off the field, keeping teammates safe, wearing the proper colors, and focusing off the field with our academics."
Lee agreed:
"I think those things are emphasized more on a game plan basis when we need it, but it is the smaller things that get emphasized all the time.Especially being a team captain, discipline is very important to me. "
Spaeth told me that tackling is hard to get game like reps in because they want to keep everyone healthy. He explained it this way: "However we still put a huge emphasis on this during practice. We do this by tagging off on the ball carriers hips with both hands in a swinging motion to simulate a follow through and "thud up the ball carrier" (this means that you wrap the ball carrier up without bringing them to the ground) when they are between the offensive lineman or within a 10-2 relationship (like you are looking at a clock) with us heads up. Pressuring the quarterback is also something that we emphasize because we know that if we can wreck the decision maker that we have a great chance of success."
The Division II playoffs begins on Saturday with a super region one matchup when the third seeded Notre Dame College Falcons host the sixth seed "The Rock" from Slippery Rock. Kickoff is slated for 12 PM from Mueller Field. Lee, Spaeth, Moore, and the rest of the defense have a propensity to get to the quarterback and force turnovers. They are hoping this is the beginning of of a deep playoff run.
Here are your other super region one matchups:
#1 Kutztown-Bye
Dylan Spaeth with the pick in the AB game.
Nate Moore in the West Virginia Wesleyan game.
Guam Lee makes the tackle against West Virginia Wesleyan.
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