AURORA — It doesn’t necessarily take a thief.
But it doesn’t hurt.
Apparently, Grandview’s football team has a bunch of pickpockets on defense.
Opposing teams have the ball, then Grandview takes it away.
Good Grandview greed.
Hungry Wolves are recovering fumbles and making interceptions at an alarming rate.
Through nine regular-season games, Grandview recorded 19 turnovers.
Into the playoffs, the Wolves behaved themselves in the opener against Fruita Monument, then generated 18 turnovers the past three postseason games.
Just like that, they went from petty larceny to grand theft.
As Harvey Keitel said of Derek Jeter in the baseball late-season commercial, “Ah, stealing it’s a beautiful thing.”
Beware! The Wolves are headed to Invesco Field at Mile High for Saturday’s Class 5A title game against Douglas County, and their defense plans to steal everything it can against the Huskies, even if it’s locked.
Grandview’s recent results aren’t due to a lack of upbringing.
“We’re doing what we’ve always done,” said Dean Adams, the Wolves’ defensive coordinator. “We’re real aggressive and have good athletes. The kids are doing it. We’ve really preached it the last three or four weeks, but we’ve been preaching all year. They have taken it to heart and know their assignments, and they take care of the rest.”
Said senior safety-linebacker Kyle McCall: “Actually, we have a session in our Tuesday practice that just works on stripping the ball. We have a tip drill and devote one portion to that. I think it has really helped us.”
The Wolves intercepted seven passes against Cherry Creek in Round 2, three by senior Shawn Tucker. Apparently, it was so much fun, they followed with two picks and two fumble recoveries in downing Heritage.
And against Bear Creek in the semifinals, the Wolves came up with five interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
What’s next? Taking the opposition’s lunch money?
“It’s a big part of our game plan, and it’s huge,” said T.J. Loken, a senior linebacker. “It gives us a spark and the feeling that we’re in control.”
Go ahead. Throw something in the air or on the ground — the Wolves will pounce as if it’s a free iPhone.
“When we see the ball on the ground, we’re fighting for it,” McCall said. “If it’s in the air or tipped, our DBs are licking their chops to go and get it.”
It took awhile. After a 1-2 start to the 2007 season, coach John Schultz’s staff called out the entire team, notably certain players. He might as well have handed out mirrors. Assignment football was necessary or the team would squander another season; another talented roster would underachieve.
It worked. Grandview has won 10 consecutive games. Indeed, senior star Bo Bolen heads a convincing rushing attack, but the Wolves’ defense has been the difference.
It begins up front with Cody Gilmore, a defensive tackle, who said, “I believe if the whole defensive line gets pressure, it leads to more turnovers and, basically, we control it on defense.”
Schultz, a former safety at Michigan Tech, played in the days of lower scholarship numbers and watched as programs mostly spent them on offense.
“I was playing against the best athletes,” Schultz said.
But the thinking soon changed, including when he and Huskies coach Jeff Ketron were on Tony Manfredi’s staff at Overland in the 1990s.
It turned out that playing your best athletes on defense wasn’t a waste or a crime. And defenders can have just as much fun.
Stealing in football is OK.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
