Brendan McCartney has played defense for Seymour the past three years, and says he is perfectly fine with playing on that side of the football.
The senior is in his third season starting at defensive end after playing his freshman year of high school in Arizona.
“I’m usually playing the strength, so I’ll flip to the strong side,” McCartney said. “I keep the edge. I key on whoever is lined up in front of me. If I’ve got a tackle or a tight end I’ll key off them.
“I like to hit people. My freshman year I played offense, and from my sophomore year on I’ve played defense.”
Through four games this season, McCartney ranks second on the team in tackles with 15 solos and 16 assists, and has one sack.
He said watching the offensive player’s first step is an indicator as to whether it is going to be a run play or a pass.
“You’ve got to communicate because if you don’t you’ll have people lined up in the wrong spot,” McCartney said. “We’ll be out there and we’ll hear someone called out and we’ll be able to shift our stance or get into a new set that will put us in a better position to make a play.
“We don’t listen to the quarterback. We’re watching the ball. That’s what we go off of.”
The Owls will play Bedford North Lawrence Friday night.
McCartney comes from a football family.
His grandfather, Lloyd Carr, formerly was head coach at University of Michigan. Brendan’s father, Ryan, is an assistant coach at Salem, and his brother, Colin, is a member of the Salem team.
“I’ve had two seasons with (Dad) and two without him, so it doesn’t really change much,” McCartney said. “He was a little harder on me, personally, when he was my coach, but a coach is a coach at the end of the day and whoever is there will get the job done”
On defense, the Owls look to work as a singular unit.
“You’ve got to have trust in your teammates,” McCartney said. “If you don’t trust the other guys, then you’re going to try to do their job, then you won’t do your own job, and then you’ll end up costing the team by not doing your job.”
He has enjoyed playing home games on the turf the past two years at Bulleit Stadium.
“I enjoy the games the most,” McCartney said. “I just love the feeling you get when you step out on the field, knowing you’re a part of it. Everyone’s watching you. We play a lot of good teams. We don’t have a break in our schedule. We’re always playing a good team.
McCartney said he is looking forward to the remaining home games.
After homecoming against Bedford North Lawrence, the Owls will face Brownstown Central in the Jackson Bowl, and New Albany for senior night.
“I’m looking forward to them,” he said. “Every game is important but when you get these games that have special meanings to them: Jackson Bowl, homecoming and senior night. It’s a little more special.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”McCartney file” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Brendan McCartney
School: Seymour High School
Parents: Ryan and Stacey McCartney
Sibling: Colin
Sports: football 4 years
Organizations: SAYFL
Plans after high school: attend college
Favorite food: pizza
Favorite TV show: Impractical Jokers
Favorite musician: Drake
Favorite movie: Split
Favorite athlete/ team: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
[sc:pullout-text-end]