So maybe it’s fitting that’s the color reserved for the Salado Eagles’ hardest hitters.
And after all, striking fear into the hearts of opposing offenses is something these Eagles have learned to do quite well.
Entering Friday night’s game at Academy, District 25-2A co-leader Salado (6-2, 4-0 25-2A) boasts the area’s top defense, allowing 10 points and 183 yards per game.
They take this black jersey tradition, along with the matching helmet sticker that goes with it, seriously here at a school that’s come to be known for its hard-hitting play.
But more than being a coveted award, those black practice jerseys have come to be a daily reminder of the style the team-focused Eagles have learned to embrace.
“We just want to go out there and play physical, smash-mouth defense,” defensive end Tyler Coker said.
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What’s made the Eagles’ defense so tough to crack is their unwavering confidence - in themselves and each other.
“It’s 11 all the time,” lineman Heath Bracken said. “It’s every guy giving it their all for the guy next to him. That comes back to the trust factor - you have to trust that the guy next to you is going to give their all.”
That “11 all the time” theme has been more appropriate this year than in the past.
Early-season injuries and an uncharacteristic two-game losing streak to close out non-district play made trust a priority.
“The kids have really done a good job of that as the year has progressed,” Salado coach Jeff Cheatham said. “We’ve had some things that have come up and they’ve had to trust each other and trust some other kids.”
With seven defensive starters back from last year’s team that finished 13-1 and advanced to the Class 2A Division I semifinals, it’s not like trust was ever an issue.
But knowing that success in this system only comes from working together has brought this group even closer.
“We’ve been working hard, being together over the summer, lifting weights and everything,” said senior linebacker Patrick Prince, who has a team-high 121 tackles. “We’ve just tried to focus on trusting each other and making sure that the other person on your team has your back.”
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For a team that’s won nearly 80 percent of its games in the last three seasons, being able to shut down opponents is just expected.
Salado doesn’t have the reputation of having the district’s best defense for nothing.
It’s not something this group openly brags about, but having that title is more of a privilege than a burden.
“We always take pride in that,” Prince said. “It’s just been part of Salado defense for quite a while now.”
The Eagles have certainly earned that title this season, holding their first four district opponents to a combined 19 points.
And as usual, it’s all started with stopping the run.
Salado provided a prime example of that last week. Lago Vista entered as the district’s top scoring team, but the Vikings’ Slot-T offense - which gained only 78 yards - was quickly shut down and eventually shut out.
That was the third time in eight games that a Salado opponent had been held to double-digit yardage.
Led by senior linemen Coker, Bracken and Garret Ward, the Eagles have held opponents to 120 rushing yards per game.
“We want to make sure we do everything we can to stop the run and make sure that we continue to do that,” Cheatham said. “In the last two years, (defensive coordinator) Glenn Talbott has had one of the best defenses in Central Texas. The kids are doing a great job of playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
A three-year starter at linebacker, Prince is averaging just over 15 tackles per game. But more important than his numbers, Prince has developed into one of the unit’s most vocal leaders.
“Patrick has been in some big wars,” Cheatham said. “He knows the ebb and flow of the game. He’s been able to get the kids around him to understand the game.”
Also, first-year varsity linebacker Josh Rodriguez ranks third in tackles.
Salado hasn’t given up much in the passing game with solid secondary play from three-year starter Tyler Wright and Jerod Lutz at cornerback and John Cruz and Trae Liller at safety.
Opposing quarterbacks have been picked off nine times, including a team-high three times by Lutz, and completed just over 40 percent of their passes.
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The realization of just how close the Eagles came to a state championship last season is something they haven’t forgotten.
A suffocating defense that most of these guys were a part of was big part of Salado’s success.
Going deep in the playoffs again won’t be easy, but the Eagles know what it takes - especially on defense - to get there.
“I think we all want to get back to that point,” Prince said. “We’ll do whatever we can and play as we can to get back to that point and further.”
But before another all-but-certain playoff appearance, the Eagles have some business left to finish.
Most of Salado’s roster doesn’t know the feeling that comes with losing a district game, thanks to a 15-game winning streak.
And if things go the Eagles’ way, they won’t have the displeasure.
A third straight 25-2A title is within reach and the Eagles are just two more smothering defensive efforts from capturing it.
“Our main goal is to win a district championship and to do that we have to play good defense,” Coker said. “So it just comes along with it, really."
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
