Defense Is the Name of Etiwanda’s Game

In the final minutes of a recent game that Etiwanda led by 20 points, an opposing player stole the ball and broke away for what appeared would be an easy basket.

But then, sprinting from behind, Jeff Pendergraph suddenly crashed into the picture, quashing what would have been a layup with a hard foul.

The message was clear: No matter what the situation, there’s no such thing as an easy bucket when you’re playing Etiwanda.

“We never give up on defense,” said Pendergraph, the Eagles’ 6-foot-9 center. “It doesn’t matter if they’re down by two or 20, you play hard until you go to the bench.”

In its 10-1 start, Etiwanda is giving up an average of only 42.5 points a game. Included are low-scoring victories against traditionally strong teams from Los Angeles Loyola (61-54), San Bernardino Cajon (67-46), West Hills Chaminade (59-47) and Riverside King (43-38).

And even in the Eagles’ only loss, a 54-48 decision to Santa Ana Mater Dei, Etiwanda held the Monarchs to 31 points below their season average.

In the first six minutes of an 85-35 victory over Brea on Monday, the Eagles forced 10 turnovers. Up 22-7 after one quarter, Etiwanda gave up only six points in the second period, opening up a 25-point lead.

“They’re tough, they’re all over you,” Brea guard Ryan McHenry said. “They’re always there, always getting in the way to block the ball.

“Too much pressure.”

Etiwanda Coach Dave Kleckner said the low-scoring outcomes are the result of determined man-to-man defense. The goal is to cause opponents to spend much of the shot clock looking for an open shot, then either force a turnover or a low-percentage attempt.

“We pride ourselves in that,” said Kleckner, in his eighth season at Etiwanda.

“We make teams work for their shots, we’re not going to give up easy ones.”

His challenge as coach, Kleckner said, is getting players to buy into that style of play. Too many teams fail to pressure the ball or close off passing lanes when playing a zone defense, or simply switch on screens in a man defense, he said. Etiwanda rarely employs either tactic, partly because Kleckner wants his players to be prepared for what’s expected at the college level and mainly because it’s the only way for the Eagles to stay close to bigger, better-shooting teams.

“If we’re going to beat the best teams on our schedule, we aren’t going to play a zone,” Kleckner said. “We’re not going to beat the best teams with a full-court press, either. They’re going to beat us on the other end of the floor.”

That strategy has been well accepted by the Etiwanda players, who seem to get as excited from forcing a shot clock violation as converting a breakaway slam dunk.

“After four years of playing the same defense, we know it works,” senior guard Joey Smits said. “It’s just a matter of playing with intensity.”