Northgate Uses Single-Wing to Win

Northgate uses defense to win

By Steve Dulas
CORRESPONDENT
Article Launched: 10/06/2007 03:24:34 AM PDT



Northgate High School's football team showed Friday there are two ways to play defense. One is for the defense to come up with big plays at key moments. The other is simply to not let the other team get the ball.

The Broncos did both. Blaine Johnson ran for 128 yards and a touchdown and the visiting Broncos came up with two crucial second-half turnovers to preserve a 14-11 victory over Miramonte.

The Broncos (3-2, 3-1 Diablo Foothill Athletic League) set the tempo on their first possession, after John Lloyd's 27-yard field goal put Miramonte (2-3, 1-3) ahead 3-0 four minutes into the game.

Starting from its own 23-yard line with 7:54 left in the first quarter, Northgate chewed up time and yards with its single-wing offense.

With Johnson and Chris Pelayo running sweeps and misdirections on nearly every play, the Broncos put together a 77-yard, 17-play drive that ended on Pelayo's 4-yard run on the second play of the second quarter.

The Broncos converted three third downs and one fourth down along the way, that coming when Pelayo punched out a 2-yard gain to the Miramonte 42 on fourth-and-two.

Northgate rushed for 245 yards and held the ball for nearly 30 minutes in the game en route to its first victory over Miramonte since 1994.

"Ball control has really been a key for us," Northgate coach Darin Owens said.
With injured quarterback Trevor Boswell watching from the sideline, the brunt of the Matadors' offense was loaded on the shoulders of Kevin Paulsen, who responded with 107 yards on 17 carries. John Lloyd, filling in at quarterback, was held to 20 yards passing.

After recovering a Northgate fumble at midfield with 6:20 left in the third quarter, runs of 17 and 5 yards by Paulsen and runs of 19 and 1 yard by Grant Hyjer put the Matadors at Northgate's 8-yard line, but Chris Inman of the Broncos intercepted Lloyd's fourth-down pass.

The Broncos proceeded to drive 76 yards, with Johnson scoring on a 20-yard run and, after Scott Reddy's kick, a 14-3 lead.

Lloyd scored on a 1-yard plunge and Mike Trumbo ran for the 2-point conversion with 8:19 left in the game, and the Matadors got the ball back three minutes later when Jake Kaplan recovered a Northgate fumble.

But three plays later, John Luehs forced the ball loose when he sacked Lloyd. The Broncos recovered at the Miramonte 30 with 3:15 remaining and ran out the clock.

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The Contra Costa Times, 2640 Shadelands Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598

Northgate HS -- 425 Castle Rock Rd Walnut Creek, CA
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Colony comes back to Juneau for playoff battle

Colony comes back to Juneau for playoff battle

The Crimson Bears beat the Knights on Sept. 14

The Railbelt Conference title and a school-record 8-0 start will mean nothing for the Juneau-Douglas High School football team come Saturday.
The Crimson Bears (8-0) will host Colony (4-4) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Field in a state quarterfinal playoff game.

These two teams met in Juneau on Sept. 14, and the Crimson Bears toppled the Knights 20-6 for the Railbelt Conference championship.

But the Knights beat Lathrop 40-8 in a must-win game last Saturday to reach the playoffs. The win also snapped a four-game losing skid.

Quarterback Collin Murphy has taken the reins in place of the injured Bradley Truax for Colony. Although Murphy struggled in his first significant playing time - he was 2-for-8 for 7 yards in a 14-13 Week 5 loss to Palmer - he's improved steadily throughout the season.

In his last two games, however, he's thrown for 259 yards and four touchdowns.

On the ground, Jaron Murphy has been Colony's workhorse. However, the Bears should keep an extra eye on Geno Paoletti. The burly fullback rushed for 96 yards on five carries when JDHS and Colony last met.

Colony found some success late in that game by switching to a spread formation, splitting Murphy as a wide receiver and allowing Paoletti to be the lone running back. The Bears will have to be aware of the draw play when Colony employs this formation.

Colony's backfield, however, will be facing perhaps Alaska's most dominant run defense. Juneau has allowed just 45.9 rushing yards per game this season, with defensive tackles Faifo Levale, Phil Moser and Chance Galletes harassing opposing backfield's all season long. Also, the Crimson Bears' Donovan Wilson, Zach Heppner and Buzzy Hotch take care of the outside rushing lanes.

Defensively, Colony has struggled to stop the run recently. In its last five games, the Knights have given up 201 yards on the ground per outing. Colony won just one of those five games.

This could mean a big night for sophomore running back Silver Maake. The Bears' leading rusher has run for more than 1,000 yards this season and toted the ball a game-high 31 times in Juneau's previous win over Colony.

Another JDHS running back to watch for is Lincoln Maka. In his last two games, Maka rushed for two TDs and 83 yards on two carries. Both scores came off the same play in the single-wing formation.

A strong running game should open up wide receivers Jesse West and Alex Fagerstrom for big gains. Fagerstrom leads the team in receptions and yards, while West has TD catches in each of the last two games.

When they do get open, senior quarterback Ryan "Bubba" Larson has frequently found his receivers for big gains. While Larson is completing about 41 percent of his passes, he averages more than 20 yards per completion.

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http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/100507/spo_20071005030.shtml

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Juneau-Douglas High School
10014 Crazy Horse Drive
Juneau, AK 99801

White Salmon crushes Fishermen

White Salmon cruises to 46-15 win over Fishermen

By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer

ILWACO - Eddie Knick ran for 170 yards and two long touchdowns, but White Salmon wriggled past the Fishermen 46-15 in the homecoming game at Pederson Field Friday. Knick scored on a 52 yard jaunt to begin the second period and then scooted for a 57 yard score with just over three minutes to play in the game.

White Salmon took a 33-7 lead into the locker room at halftime as Taylor Champion scored five touchdowns before intermission. He scored early in the fourth period to put the Bruins up 40-7 and then scored with 44 seconds remaining to post the final tally. It was that final score that drew the ire of local fans, coaches, and players as White Salmon coach Matt Whitmire reinserted his starting lineup the final three minutes in an effort to run up the score and his try for a two-point conversion confirmed his intent, but the pass went awry.

Coach Kevin McNulty had praise for his offensive line, saying, "Tyler Starks, Scott Simons, and Hayden Blake did a good job on their blocking assignments and Ikaika Thomas and Dylan Short were outstanding at center in orchestrating our single-wing offense."

Unfortunately Knick was about the only offense the Fishermen were able to generate as the passing attack managed only one completion for a six-yard loss and yielded one interception. Michael Sanchez was the only other back to gain positive yardage on the ground, as he had eight yards in two carries. Knick now has 846 yards in 148 carries for the year on the senior running back's quest for a fourth consecutive 1,000 yard season.

"Every time we seemed to get things going on offense, we'd shoot ourselves in the foot with a penalty," McNulty lamented. Ilwaco had 65 yards marched off against them on 10 yellow flags, while the visitors were penalized once for five yards.

The Bruins gained 441 yards on the ground on 42 carries for an average of 10.5 yards per try and they completed their only pass for another 17 yard pickup. The Fishermen garnered 173 yards on the ground and were one of seven in the air for minus six yards. Devin Deans gained 107 yards in 15 carries and Champion rushed for 300 yards in 22 carries for the visitors, including both getting substantial gains against Ilwaco's reserves during the final three minutes of the game.

Ilwaco punted five times for an average of 26 yards and White Salmon punted once for 27 yards. The first down total was a resounding 17 to three in favor of the Bruins. Turnovers were even at two apiece as Adam Bundy and Zach DeSimone each recovered a fumble for the Fishermen. Ilwaco starters Nick Morrison, Steven Hilton, and Dan Beierle sat out the game and only Morrison, with an Achilles injury is likely to return this season.

White Salmon is now 2-2 in the Trico and 3-3 overall with two league leaders still on their schedule. Ilwaco is now 1-5 for the season and they face the daunting task of playing Castle Rock and Kalama, both state ranked teams, in their next two contests.

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The Chinook Observer
P.O. Box 427
Long Beach, WA 98631

Mountaineers suffer first loss

10/06/2007
Mountaineers suffer first loss


By PETER WALLACE
Register Citizen Staff



TOLLAND - "Our goal at the beginning of the season was to make teams work hard to beat us," said Housatonic High School football coach Deron Bayer.

Opening the season with two straight wins for the first time since 1993, the string ended with a 34-6 loss at Tolland Friday night.

But the 3-1 Eagles, with wins over Hyde-New Haven and North Branford under their belts, had to work hard enough for their third win to prompt a trip by their coach to the Housy locker room to complement the Mountaineers after the game.

"We're real proud of the way they played," said Bayer. "(Tolland) comes at you in so many ways."

The Eagles scored a begrudged touchdown and two-point conversion late in the first quarter, all on the ground. Bayer singled out defensive ends Jesse Becker and Nick Cook as particularly stubborn against the Eagles' single wing.

Still, Tolland's ground game was good for two more touchdowns in the second quarter before Housatonic mounted its first significant drive, with two minutes left in the half.

The Mountaineers ran out of time before they ran out of downs. Bayer had a half-time challenge for them. "Twenty-nothing is what we've been doing to other teams (in the first quarter)," he told them. "What are we going to do about it on the other end?"
The Mountaineer answer was a 6-0 Housatonic third quarter.

Jameson Martin (5 rushes, 55 yards) made a nice move to the outside on a Mountaineer counter play, and found the way clear all the way to the end zone.

Jon Habacker (2 rushes, 5 yards), Sam Schwartz (3 rushes, 17 yards), Will Kennedy (12 rushes, 49 yards) and Tom Kennedy (12 rushes, 32 yards) also had their moments on the ground, while Tom Kennedy and Charlie Horowitz each had a 29-yard pass.
But the Eagles, who've lost only to Cromwell, didn't stay down long. They scored two more times in the final period for the final score.

The Mountaineers are 2-1.


===========================
The Register Citizen
190 Water Street,
P.O. Box 58
Torrington, CT 06790


Housatonic Valley Regional High School~Warren Turnpike Road Falls Village, CT 06031
Tolland High School One Eagle Hill Tolland, CT 06084





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Waynesboro siblings share success in different sports

Waynesboro siblings Devon Brown and Steven Brown share success in different sports

WAYNESBORO

He has a name. And it's not Devon's little brother. It's Steven Brown. The Waynesboro Little Giants' 223-pound bruising junior tailback is indeed the younger brother of senior Devon Brown, a three-time all-state basketball star. She's also the all-time leading scorer in Lady Giants' history.



"They still call me Devon's little brother," said Steven, a junior who excels at wrestling and baseball for the Little Giants. "I'm like, 'I have a name.'"

Steven and Devon are extremely close, so he doesn't mind the constant references to his sister. However, he's using his play on the football field to make a name for himself.

His rugged north-south running style fits perfectly into first-year Little Giants' coach Steve Isaacs' single wing offense.

"He runs downhill, not laterally," Isaacs said. "His shoulders are pointed towards the goal."

It didn't take Brown long to make an impression on his new coach. On the first offensive play of the Little Giants' first scrimmage, the junior tailback took off 70 yards for a touchdown.

"That was the first time I saw him against other competition," Isaacs said. "As big as he is, he's running away from defensive backs. You just shake your head and say, 'Gee!'"

Steven's size gives him an added dimension. At 5-foot-10, he weighs more than 200 pounds. And he knows how to use it. The big tailback would rather run through a defender than past a defender.

"I want to make 'em pay," Steven said. "My dad always told me, 'Don't do that juke and jive.' Just run through 'em."

On one memorable play against Turner Ashby, Brown seemed to be dragging three-fourths of the Knights' defense while running the ball.

"If you wanted a videotape to show a running back how to run, you would probably use that tape," Isaacs said. "He had his shoulders down, good balance and his feet moving."

More than just a running threat, Brown is a dangerous passer as well. Against Rockbridge last Friday, Brown connected with Clyde Brown for a 49-yard touchdown pass.

Although he's built more like former Steelers great Jerome Bettis, Brown patterns himself after current San Diego Charger LaDanian Tomlinson.

"That was like LT.," Brown said, flashing a smile as he talked about his pass. "That felt good. I love LT. He's a beast."

No one's happier with Brown's success than Devon. There's obviously more sibling support than sibling rivalry in their relationship.

"We get along well," said Devon, who plans to make a shirt showing her support for her brother for Waynesboro's homecoming next week. "I'll throw football with him in the yard, and he'll play basketball with me."

Devon usually ekes out wins in the basketball games, but she rarely beats her brother in video games.

With her sibling being a muscular 223 pounds, Devon finds the fact that people call Steven her "little brother" amusing.

"I laugh when people say he's my little brother," Brown said. "He's a lot bigger."

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The News Leader

11 N. Central Avenue

Staunton, VA 24402

Eldorado frosh fall to Vienna, 52-6

Eldorado frosh fall to Vienna, 52-6
By Cory Grathler, Sports Writer
Published: Friday, October 5, 2007 4:28 PM CDT


ELDORADO - Many fans expected to see a good game between a struggling Eldorado team and a first year football program coming out of Vienna.

What the fans saw was many quarterback keepers, sweeps, and stout defense, as Vienna defeated the Eagles 52-6

"They threw some different stuff our freshmen have never seen before and didn't know how to respond," Eldorado coach Damian Morris said. "It was just tough to defend for our kids."


The formation was single-wing, which benefited for big rushing gains on the outside with the lack of defense end containment by the Eagles.

The first quarter was all Vienna, all Dillon Hall, as he rushed for three touchdowns.

For good measure, Hall rushed for another one at the start of the second quarter as well.



Down 30-0 in just 12 minutes and 56 seconds of play, Eldorado resorted to one of their up and coming backs, Keith Morrison.

In one drive, Morrison rushed for two first downs in a row.

Caid Griffin would follow with a first down of his own, and then the ball was back in Morrison's hands, rushing another 3 plays for 33 yards, with the biggest play being a 15-yard touchdown run.



Eldorado in later drives would throw two interceptions, and allow Vienna to score two touchdowns in 26 seconds, with Vienna leading 44-6.

A bright side in the non-stopping clock in the second half was Eagles'quarterback Derek Miller.

After a hard hit by the Eagles' defense, Vienna coughed up the ball and the defensive line of the Eagles jumped on the ball.



Miller showed poise in the pocket, completing his longest pass of the night, a 15 yard gain by Ben Goben.

Miller also ran a few keepers and picked up one first down.

"Derek (Miller) showed improvement tonight," Morris said. "We might use him a litte bit more in a spread offense. We think he could be more effective that way when he learns the formation."



"We just need to focus on the basics and come back out here next week and play better. If we see our kids play their heart out we won't be dissapointed in a loss," Morris said.

The JV Eagles play at home next, hosting Sesser-Valier next Thursday, at 6:15 p.m.

Vienna 22 22 8 0 - 52



Eldorado 0 6 0 0 - 6

How They Scored

1st Quarter



VIE - Hall 13-yard run, (run good); 7:53

VIE - Hall 19-yard run, (run failed); 4:27

VIE - Hall 27-yard run, (run good)1:12



2nd Quarter

VIE - Hall 35-yard run, (pass good); 7:04

ELD - Morrison 15-yard run, (run fail); 2:57



VIE - Foster 42-yard run, (run fail); :26

VIE - Goings 4-yard run, (run good); :00

3rd Quarter

VIE - Foster 25-yard run, (run good); 6:56


=================================================
The Daily Register DAILY :: 35 South Vine Street, Harrisburg, IL 62946
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Vienna High School
601 North First Street
Vienna, Illinois 62995





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Londonderry - A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words

Londonderry - a Picture is Worth a 1000 Words
Londonderry 41, Nashua North 6
Oct 5, 2007


Dan Spain
Single-Wing Sentinel

On Friday October 5th, 2007, I had the pleasure of watching coach Tom Sawyer's Lancers. Londonderry scored on their first four offensive series, and all of the scoring was done before halftime. Lancer seniors Alex Theodhosi and Ryan Griffin both scored two touchdowns.

Here is a series of photo's from the game:

In the win, the Lancers ended up running for more than 360 yards. With this division win, the Lancers are 4-2, and looking strong.

It's great to see the Single-Wing roll!

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Great Dr. Ward Quotes

Teams see conference play on the gridiron
Football Forecast
The Sampson Independent (Clinton, NC)
October 4, 2007
Author: BILLY TODD;

Sports Writer Midway @ Union


As both teams begin conference play it should be a good match-up. According to Union head football coach, Dr. John Ward, the teams are fairly evenly matched.

Ward states, "In any given game there are six or seven critical moments that occur on both sides of the ball. Critical adversities, penalties, turnovers, missed assignments, bad play, etc. It is what the team does on the next series of plays that will determine the outcome of the game. How well the team adjusts to the adversities. This game will be a typical Super Six Conference match-up. The eventual outcome will be determined by which team better copes with the critical adversities of the game."

Coach Paul Hall, head football coach for the Midway Raiders, states, "This is our first conference game and we haven't won one in a long time. I think we will be prepared. Coach Ward's single wing offense is tough to learn in four days of practice. He does a good job with his kids in running that offense. We have worked hard this week trying to prepare our defense for the many looks and ball handlers seen in the single wing. We are hoping to slow Union's offense down."

These two teams have a history and the battle should prove to produce at great game. Currently Midway is 4-2 over-all while Union's record stands at 3-2.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Union Stadium. Wallace @ Hobbton

Hobbton is coming off a loss to North Duplin and will be looking to redeem themselves. Wallace does not appear to be as strong as they have been in recent years but will still demand a strong showing from the Wildcats to accomplish a win. Both Hobbton and Wallace records stand at 4- 2.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Wildcat Stadium.

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Overwhelmed by Bulldogs

McLean Football Overwhelmed by Bulldogs
Stone Bridge gains second shutout in three weeks.
Rich Sanders
October 5, 2007




The Stone Bridge High football team continued its three-week streak of dominance last Friday night when it overpowered host McLean, 38-0, in a Liberty District game.

The win was the third in row for the Bulldogs (4-1 overall, 2-0 in the district), who in their prior two games had soundly beaten both Marshall, 35-0, and Loudoun Valley, 42-14.

Stone Bridge coach Mickey Thompson has been pleased with the play of quarterback and son Patrick Thompson, who completed 10-of-15 passes for 182 yards. Receiver Ryan Moody (90 yards, 1 TD) caught six of those passes. Jeron Gouveia caught two touchdown passes and ran for another score.

"The main thing now is he doesn’t see the rush," said coach Thompson, of his signal callers’ poise in the pocket. "He doesn’t seem to panic with all of that stuff in front of him and he sees the receivers."

With the recent lopsided games, coach Thompson said he has tested some other offensive formations. Known as a single wing offense, the Bulldogs ran out of the spread offense and also threw more than usual against the Highlanders. Thompson said his team might need such diversity later in the season.

"We wanted to work on the passing game a little, so we came out throwing," he said.
Thompson is pleased with the way his team has played throughout the season. Even in the Bulldogs’ 41-14 loss to Robinson several weeks ago, the coach said his squad did not play poorly with the exception of a bad third quarter.

"I was impressed with the way we played against Robinson too," said Thompson. "The third quarter got away from us. We had a bad quarter and you’re going to have that now and then, especially with a young team."

Defensively, Stone Bridge used a five-man front against Robinson, getting away from its usual 3-5 set.

"We went back to the 3-5 after [the Robinson game]," said Thompson, whose defense has recorded two shutouts over the past three weeks. "We’ve kind of gotten into a comfortable zone on defense. Guys are getting comfortable in their positions."

Next up for the Bulldogs is a district home game against South Lakes (1-4), which lost big to Woodson last week, 60-32.

Many will be expecting Stone Bridge to win easily. Thompson, with the success the Bulldogs have had in recent seasons, said his players are used to high expectations.

"For five years, everyone has expected us to win [on a weekly basis]," said Thompson. "That’s not something that’s real different. Our goal is [always] to win the championship, so we have to get focused on that. If they start looking [beyond South Lakes] and not concentrating on that game, I’m not a very good coach. I think South Lakes is dangerous. They have athletes and are going to score points."

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Loudoun Connection, VA

Housy looking for strong game

Housy looking for strong game after week off
10/05/2007

By TIMOTHY W. GAFFNEY
Register Citizen Correspondent


All three local football teams are in action this week, with Torrington and Houastonic playing on the road tonight, while Gilbert plays Saturday in Winsted.

The upstart Mountaineers will kick things off at 6:30 p.m. as they take on one of the Pequot League's best in Tolland. The Eagles are coming off a tough 38-6 road loss to unbeaten Cromwell after winning their first two games at home over Hyde (28-21) and North Branford (35-32 in overtime).

Housatonic has been riding high off its first 2-0 start since 1993, but head coach Deron Bayer is keeping it all in perspective.

"Yes, it's great to be 2-0." Bayer said. "But we need to keep the mindset that we want teams to have to work real hard against us."

The Mountaineers have scored 60 points in the first two games, taking big leads in each game by grinding time off the clock with sustained drives. They may need to score a boatload of points to slow down Tolland, a team that just keeps attacking with a double-wing formation.

"They have six or seven looks they can give you." Bayer said. "We have seen tape and spent most of the extra week off trying to get a handle on all of them."

The no-quarterback look Housatonic unveiled in week one is no longer a secret, and Bayer expects teams to adjust by throwing six or seven man fronts at them.

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Torrington hopes to build on a positive performance in their 34-27 week-three loss at home to Wilby when they travel to take on a scoring juggernaut in Woodland.

Woodland torched Watertown 55-20 in their opener before beating up on Sacred Heart, 54-13, in week two.

The Hawks run a wing-T offense, and have numerous weapons the Raiders will have to focus on.

On the offensive side of the ball last Friday night, Torrington did a lot of nice things. Sophomore quarterback Chris DeBerry seemed more comfortable in his second start, while four different Raiders found the end zone.

Junior Dwayne White got his team a fast 6-0 lead with a 45-yard run on the game's fourth play.

After Wilby had tie scored on their next drive, sophomore Darrick Williams electrified the Homecoming night crowd with an 80-yard score on the kickoff.

Torrington went up 20-6 at the end of one quarter on the strength of a 2 yard run by senior Perry Smith.

Wilby mounted a comeback to tie things at 20, and the Raiders needed to answer before the half. They did did on a drive set up by another strong Williams kick return of 44 yards.

DeBerry connected for his first touchdown pass of the season when he found junior Andre Martin from 14 yards out to give Torrington a 27-20 lead at the half.

On the defensive side of the ball, both Steve Denza and Sam Antwi were forces to be dealt with all game long.

They will need a sustained pass rush and a similar effort to pull out a win over the Hawks.

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Gilbert continues through the toughest schedule they have had in years when they host 3-0 Coventry Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Van Why Field.

Coventry has beaten some of the stronger Pequot League teams with wins over North Branford (41-19), Avon (34-14) and Hyde (41-10).

The Yellowjackets put up 20 points on the road in their loss to Ellington and showed more spark as they adjust to a new offense inserted this season.



©The Register Citizen 2007

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The Register Citizen
190 Water Street,
P.O. Box 58
Torrington, CT 06790

Rudimentary Coaching

Rudimentary Coaching

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern


Mike Rude is running the gauntlet at practice today.

Looking as nimble as he was in his Christopher days, the 6-foot-3 Johnston City leader takes a snap and fades back to push the offense through a drill.

A few minutes later the 58-year-old is down on the ground helping out a prospective lineman with his down blocking.

Toward the end of practice, battling the 96-degree heat alongside his players, Rude shows a few linebackers what to look for.

A champion chameleon, Rude has seen it all and shown it all, compiling a 180-124 record in 32 seasons as a head coach. Only Du Quoin's Al Martin (188-35) has more wins among active coaches in the region, but the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer is the only area coach to lead his team to three different conference titles (Southwest Egyptian, Black Diamond and South Seven).

Once a proponent of the wishbone option, Rude changed offensive gears for the third time in his 37-year coaching career four years ago with a shift to the single-wing. His one-back passing attack at Johnston City yielded over 3,000 yards for Nick Francescon, while his ground attack broke 2,000 yards in a single season for tailback Kyle Baker in 2003. Baker and Keith Stefan (1993) won The Southern's Player of the Year Award under Rude's tutelage.

"Since I've known him, Mike has gone from an option coach, to a passing coach, I-formation guy to the single wing," Marion coach Kerry Martin said. "When Mike buys into a system and decides that's what he's going to do, he runs it extremely well. He puts everything into it. He has adapted his offensive philosophy to his talent level, and comes out successful every time."

The strangest offensive system he's ever installed, Rude's single-wing attack begins its fifth season this fall with seven returning starters. Last year Johnston City had three of the area's top 15 rushers and led the area in yardage, but Rude said the talent he's had has been only one of the scheme's successful attributes.

"Most of the people that can tell you how to defend it are dead," said Rude, who has over 60 game tapes of teams using the offense in the 1940s and 50s. "I mean, there just aren't people around that old that know how to defend it. I think it fits our kids very well. I think it gives us a little bit of an edge. I think our blocking in the single wing is what makes it so unique. There's not a play we run in our offense that we ask a guy to physically whip another guy."

Just getting a blocker between the ballcarrier and the defense has been enough, as the Indians have reached the postseason six straight years and look poised for a seventh consecutive appearance. Three offensive linemen, two tight ends and three running backs return from an offense that racked up over 3,500 yards on the ground last fall.

After this fall, Rude will make another shift - this time a geographic one. His 16th season at Johnston City will be his last, he said, as the face of Southern Illinois football will retire as principal at Washington Elementary School and as the head football coach of the Indians. He's made no secret about the move, nor about his preferred successor, assistant coach Brian Beery, who's been with him since 2002.

"Brian Beery as an assistant has done all the things, he's taken all the load of things I'd normally do as a head coach, and allowed me to be the principal and still coach football," Rude said. "When I retire as a principal, and I've already turned in all my retirement stuff, if I turned around and said 'Hey Brian, thanks a lot for doing all that stuff for me because it was very difficult to do as a principal and football coach, and I think what I'll do right now, now that I'm retired as principal, I'll just stay here as football coach.' That wouldn't have been right."

Beery, Johnston City's offensive coordinator, said one of the reasons he came to the Indians was to learn under Rude, one of the best minds in the game. He also said he wants to be a head coach someday, but put his plans on hold once summer workouts began.

"I thought about it, but at the same time I never want to shortchange what we're doing currently," he said. "I might think about that in the offseason, but now that the season is under way, that's not even a focus in my mind. I'm focused on getting these kids ready and serving coach Rude the best that I can."

Although Rude will step away from Johnston City's head coaching slot, he said he won't step far. He has no intentions of retiring from coaching, even saying he'd be willing to move away from the area if the right opportunity came along.

The former Christopher quarterback coached against two of his former teams already, he said, so taking on Johnston City as the leader of another Black Diamond school is not out of the question.

How could it be, considering how long he's stayed with the game?

"You quit 1,000 times," said Massac County coach Kelly Glass, who began his 26th season of high school football this fall. "You don't ever mean it. And it's hard to duplicate the thrill of being with a bunch of kids, and getting better, and getting a victory on Friday nights. It's the only sport, that I think is the ultimate team sport. You depend on each other so much, and I don't know if it's habit forming, but it gets in your blood.

"He probably loved playing, just like I did, and that's not something you can do downtown."

Said Kerry Martin, "In a non-football, off-the-field kind of thing, Mike has seen what kind of impact the game has on young men. In their development into young men, I think he understands the impact the game has."

In addition to keeping up with an offense almost 60 years old, Mr. Always At Your Goalpost has done more than any other to promote the game in Southern Illinois. One of the last coaches of the Coal Bowl, Rude helped bring back a regional all-star game more than a decade after the last Coal Bowl and put the wheels in motion for the Southern Illinois-Western Kentucky All-Star Game which will be played for the third time next year.

Rude says he likes breaking down film as much as he ever has, and now finds himself on the phone talking about the single wing to coaches from Austria to Manhattan to Australia. Somewhere, somehow, he will do more of it next year, and let someone else run the gauntlet at Johnston City.

"I'm going to continue to be a football coach, and I'll work at it harder, because I won't be a principal," Rude said. "People that know me, know that that much of my life is football. That's all I do."


todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com
(618) 351-5087

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The Southern Illinoisan

710 North Illinois Ave.

P.O. Box 2108

Carbondale, IL 62902

Dogs fall to 'desperation'

Dogs fall to 'desperation'
Cherokee moves star tailback to quarterback;
move pays off with three late scores, 27-21 win


By MARK TOWNSENDmtownsend@cherokeescout.com
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 8:02 PM CDT


Cherokee – A 21-7 lead with 15 minutes to play and an opposing quarterback forced to play the position for the first time in his life. Sounded like a recipe for a night of celebration for the Bulldogs.

However, that desperate move by the Braves coaching staff Friday night paid off as tailback Langston Wood took over behind center, working exclusively out of the shotgun. Wood was able to successfully handle the duty, rushing for 151 of his game-high 217 yards in the final 15 minutes, leading Cherokee to a huge 27-21 come-from-behind Smoky Mountain Conference victory.

Despite all of the comeback efforts, Murphy had a pair of chances in the fourth quarter to take the lead, but a pair of turnovers ended the drives and ultimately the chance of

winning.

“The next time we have a big game, you just have to play better than that,” Murphy coach David Gentry told his team after the game. “They’re a good football team, but I think you’re a better football team. You just didn’t show it tonight.”

The Bulldogs (4-2, 1-1) will be kicking themselves figuratively this week because for three quarters, they did everything except build a bigger lead, squandering several scoring chances. Thomas Nelson’s defense shut down the vaunted Cherokee ground game, never allowing Wood, Carr Crowe or Mike Stamper to break free for the type of big plays that decided last year’s game.

“The Cherokee loss hurt for several reasons,” assistant head coach Caesar Campana said. “First, because it had such huge conference implications; secondly, because we lost a two touchdown lead late in the game; thirdly, and most disappointingly, was that our overall effort and execution was not nearly where it needed to be for such a big game, especially on offense.”

Campana said the Dogs should have gone into the halftime break with at least 28 points on the board.

“If that had been the case, unless they lined up Langston at scorekeeper, it wouldn’t have made a difference,” he said. “Our defense had been playing so well, but our offense failed to convert those opportunities. That put us into position to have to fight and scratch at the end, when, again, we had a breakdown in execution.”

Campana said the coaching staff had never seen any film of Wood taking the ball behind center because Cherokee had never done it in a game before.

“Give credit to them for having it in their package,” he said. “At that point in the game, they were scrambling for something to do offensively, and they must have felt like they had nothing to lose by giving it a shot.”

The formation – Wood flanked by running backs Don Craig and Carr Crowe – is a version of the single-wing offense, which has been around for more than 80 years and is similar to the one used by the Florida Gators.

“What that formation does is two things,” Campana said. “It’s like adding a player on offense, since the quarterback is now a real run threat. No. 2, it put Wood in a position to run downhill, whereas in the split-backs formation, you can make him stretch runs left and right if your ‘spill’ technique is good.”

The Dogs made several adjustments to the formation, but a defense loaded with young players never was able to fully shut it down.

“With as many young kids as we have on the field on defense, it’s a lot to expect them to be able to adjust on the fly to something they’ve never seen,” Campana said. “We’re not displeased with our defense. We should have answered their scores when we got the ball back.”

The initial stages of the game looked bright for the Dogs as they marched 87 yards on their first drive, Luke Charles capping the nine-play drive with a 1-yard plunge to open the scoring.

Murphy’s defense rose to the occasion, quieting a huge Homecoming crowd by stopping the first four Cherokee drives, three of which started inside the Dogs 35-yard line.

The defense limited Cherokee to just 40 yards of offense during this stretch, forcing a pair of turnovers on downs, a fumble and an interception. Cherokee finally got on the board with 3:53 to go in the half, Mike Stamper finishing off a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a seven yard run up the middle.

One thing the Dogs have done well so far this year is run the 2-minute offense, and it was on display again Friday night as Charles calmly led Murphy on an 83-yard drive that took 2:39 off the clock. Charles converted one third down – hitting Ian Reese at the first down marker after scrambling to his right – and Patrick Canizio put the team in scoring position with a 20-yard sprint over the right side that ended at the two-yard line.

Rickey Edwards finished the drive with a two-yard walk blast into the end zone. Charles hit Georgie Kerber in the front the end zone for the two-point conversion to make the score 14-7.

The Dogs sent a message to the home fans again to open the second half, halting a Cherokee drive inside Murphy’s 15-yard line, as Zack Robertson, Ben Ledford and Jose Alvarez combined to sack Stamper for an eight-yard loss on fourth down.

After the defense stuffed a second Cherokee drive for an 11-yard loss, the Murphy offense exploded with Canizio, who shot through a huge hole in the middle of the line, cut right and scampered 52 yards for the score.

With less than three minutes to play in the quarter, the Dogs looked to be in complete control of the game on both sides of the ball, until Cherokee found that desperation truly is the mother of all invention.

With the game tied 21-21 and just 3:35 left in the fourth quarter, Murphy had a chance to put all the pressure back on the home team, who were out of timeouts. However, a drive that began at the Dogs’ 25-yard line first suffered a holding call that negated a 20-yard Canizio run down to the Cherokee 15-yard line. Then it ended with a failed fourth and one attempt at Cherokee’s 36-yard line.

On the first play from scrimmage, Wood got to the outside for the first time all night and sprinted 61 yards down to the Murphy 3-yard line. One play later, Cherokee had its first lead of the night, despite failing on a two-point conversion – a move by coach Scooter McCoy that brought back memories of the 2005 game that saw Cherokee lose because they missed a similar conversion late in the game.

The Dogs had one final shot to tie or win the game, needing to go 70 yards in 2:30. The drive made it all the way to the Cherokee 21-yard line before an interception by Stamper on a third and eight play ended the threat.

Canizio had his third straight 100-yard game, leading the Dogs with 181 yards on 23 carries. Charles struggled uncharacteristically, never really finding a groove with his receivers, finishing a 9 for 25 night for 166 yards.

Individual

Rushing – attempts-yards

Murphy – Canizio 23-181 1 TD; Reese 5-5-25; Charles 5-10; Killian 1-6; Edwards 1-2 1 TD; Brown 1- minus 5. Cherokee – Wood 27-217, Crowe 19-85.

Passing – comp-att-yards-TD

Murphy – Charles - 9-25-166, Int. Cherokee – Stamper 1-4-31, Int. Receiving – number-yards-TD. Murphy - 3-75, Canizio 2-21, Williams 2-40, Kerber 1-15, Killian 1-0. Cherokee - Swayney 1-31.

Returns – Kickoffs - Brown 4-73. Punts – Brown 1-5.

Defense - ta - tackles; tfl - tackles for loss; sa - sacks; ff - forced fumbles; rf - recovered fumbles; int - interceptions; pb - passes broken up.

Stiles 15 ta, ff; Kerber 14 ta, 3 tfl, int; Curtis 14 ta, 4 tfl, rf; Ledford 14 ta, tfl; Lovingood 14 ta, 2 tfl, sa; Alvarez 11 ta, tfl; Robertson 7 ta, tfl; Rose 7 ta; Lockett 7 ta; Reese 6 ta; Kernea 4 ta; Brown 1 ta; Killian 1 ta; Edwards 1 ta; Devine 1 ta; Johnson 1 ta, tfl. Team totals 119 ta, 9 ta, sa, ff, rf, int.

Game log

First quarter

9:06 – Murphy – Luke Charles runs middle for 1 yards and touchdown. Rhett Kephart kick no good. 6-0.

Second quarter

3:53 – Cherokee - Mike Stamper runs middle for seven yards and touchdown. Cory Walkingstick kick good. 6-7.

1:14 – Murphy - Rickey Edwards runs middle for two yards and touchdown. Charles to Georgie Kerber for two-point conversion. 14-7.

Third quarter

2:54 - Murphy - Patrick Canizio runs middle for 52 yards and touchdown. Kephart kick good. 21-7

0:00 – Cherokee – Langston Wood runs middle for nine yards and touchdown. Walkingstick kick good. 21-14.

Fourth quarter

5:48 – Cherokee – Stamper runs middle for one yard and touchdown. Walkingstick kick good. 21-21.

2:35 – Cherokee – Carr Crowe runs left for three yards and touchdown. Two-point conversion no good. 21-27.




Photos by MARK TOWNSEND/Cherokee Scout
--------------------------------------------------------
The Cherokee Scout, your local newspaper since 1889
Mailing address: P.O. Box 190, Murphy, NC 28906
Street address: 110 S. Church St., Murphy, NC 28906








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Lynx prove too much for Cubs

10/04/2007
Lynx prove too much for Cubs
By Joe Randleman , Nevada Journal



NEVADA - The Nevada football team was unable to slow down Webster City's single wing attack Friday at Nevada as the Lynx spoiled the Cubs' homecoming by handing them a 48-8 defeat.

Implementing the single wing this season under new head coach Bob Howard, Webster City piled up 331 rushing yards on Nevada. Big plays hurt the Cubs during the game as the Lynx had two touchdown runs over 45 yards as well as a 48-yard score through the air.

"It's a difficult offense to prepare for because you're not used to seeing it," Nevada head coach Jon Pilcher said. "We practiced it all week long, but it's a little different when you get a team that's normally running that compared to our guys. They executed well, hats off to them." Tanner Moen scored on runs of 46, eight and 53 yards in the first half and Jesse Anderson added a 46-yard scoring tote. Zach Perkovich also completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Karl Peterson and Jake Loffredo returned an interception for a touchdown as Webster City took a 41-0 lead into the break.

Kevin Kannuan capped the scoring for the Lynx with a 69-yard touchdown scamper early in the third quarter.

Webster City's defense also gave Nevada fits as the Cubs were held to 83 total yards. The Lynx were able to fluster the Cub attack with several successful blitzes out of a 3-3-5 alignment.

"They were really twisting up our backers and we've got a couple guys starting on the line for the first time," Pilcher said. "They're normally a 5-2 defense and this is the first week we've seen them with the 3-3-5. We were making adjustments throughout the game."

Nevada did have a bright spot in the fourth quarter as Scott Henry hooked up with Jordan Nady for a 15-yard touchdown pass with a nice strike over the middle.

"They did a good job," Pilcher said. "We picked up the blitz and they had a miscue on defense. (Henry) threw a nice ball and we got in the end zone, which always makes you feel good."
Henry completed 7 of 16 passes for 56 yards during the game. Nady had two catches for 21 yards, Trevor Brown totaled two for 17 and Greg Neal also made two grabs totaling 13 yards.
Trevor Overton was the leading rusher for the Cubs as he had 28 yards on 12 carries. Moen ended up with 125 yards on eight rushes, Anderson added 96 on 10 attempts and Kannuan ended up with 87 on three totes for Webster City.

Defensively Brown made 7 ½ tackles and Neal had five stops for Nevada. Tyler Stahl recovered a fumble and picked off a pass for the Cubs.

Webster City improved to 1-4 on the season and 1-2 in Class 3A District 7 with the victory while Nevada fell to 0-5 and 0-3 respectively. The Cubs will attempt to earn their first win against a winless Saydel squad next Friday at Saydel.

"We've got to go down there, play our game and continue to work," Pilcher said. "We've got to go down and continue to work and keep fighting. I'm really proud of the kids and what they've done - they don't quit."

The Cub-Eagle game is set to start at 7:30 p.m.



Webster City 48, Nevada 8
WC 28 13 7 0 - 48
N 0 0 0 8 - 8

Scoring
First Quarter
WC - Jake Loffredo 25 interception return (Reggie Steig kick), 10:43
WC - Tanner Moen 46 run (Steig kick), 7:27
WC - Moen 8 run (Steig kick), 5:07
WC - Karl Peterson 48 pass from Zach Perkovich (Steig kick), 2:17
Second Quarter
WC - Moen 53 run (Steig kick), 8:33
WC - Jesse Anderson 46 run (kick blocked), 6:46
Third Quarter
WC - Kevin Kannuan 69 run (Steig kick), 8:44
Fourth Quarter
N - Jordan Nady 15 pass from Scott Henry (Tyler Stahl pass from Henry)

Team statistics WC N
First downs 14 4
Rushing yards 36-331 23-18
Passing 2-4-1 8-20-2
Passing yards 62 65
Total yards 393 83
Punts-average 1-18.0 8-28.0
Fumbles lost 1-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 7-40 5-25

Individual statistics - Nevada
Rushing: Joel Overton 12-28, Trevor Brown 6-13, Greg Neal 3-(-8), Scott Henry 2-(-15) Passing: Henry 7-16-2-56, Austin Vier 1-4-0-9
Receiving: Jordan Nady 2-21, Brown 2-17, Neal 2-13, Zach Davis 1-7, Mason Wells 1-7
Tackles: Brown 7.5, Neal 5, Wells 4, Davis 4, Joe Nehring 4
Fumble recoveries: Tyler Stahl
Interceptions: Stahl



Journal photo by Joe Randleman Nevada’s Logan Farrington brings down a Webster City ball carrier during the Cubs’ homecoming battle with the Lynx Friday at Nevada.

==============================================

Journal photos by Joe Randleman

===================================================

Nevada Journal

P.O. Box 891210

6th Street

Nevada, Iowa 50201

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Preparation difficult for Redmen, Dragons

THE HUDDLE
Preparation difficult for Redmen, Dragons

By Jim Walker/Tribune Sports Editor




The Boy Scout motto is “Always Be Prepared.”


Where are the Boy Scouts when you need them?


Preparation has been difficult this week for the Fairland Dragons and Rock Hill Redmen as they brace for a first place battle in the Ohio Valley Conference.


“They give you a whole bunch of sets which makes it difficult to prepare for. They have some pretty decent athletes, so they’ll definitely be a challenge for us,” said Fairland coach Brent Wilcoxon.


On the other side, Redmen head coach Todd Knipp has his own headaches trying to prepare for the Dragons wide-open spread passing game and their single-wing running game.


“They’re the hardest team by far we’ve had to prepare for because he’s blended two widely contrasting styles and they’re executing them pretty well. The single-wing was popular when FDR was president,” said Knipp with a laugh.


Fairland opened conference play last week with a key win over Coal Grove while the Redmen scored twice late to beat River Valley.



“That game was a big stepping stone for them. They’ve had Coal Grove on the ropes the last three years. Right now they’re playing pretty good football,” said Knipp.


Rock Hill (5-1) relies heavily on the running of Wes Pierson, but the passing of quarterback Drew Kuehne gives the Redmen balance.


“Any time you’re one dimensional, it makes it easier to prepare. But with more than one dimension, it makes it more difficult and they have those dimensions this year,” said Wilcoxon.


Fairland (3-3) switches its offensive sets at any given moment which is causing Knipp more concerns.


“I worry that our kids have got to make proper adjustments with them going no huddle. We have to get in proper positions. We have to try and keep them off the field,” said Knipp.


Fairland quarterback Cole Hatfield has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and he has two key receivers in Michael Lamb and Chad Fisher. But running backs Jordan Kersey and Matt Bloomfield had helped bolster the ground game.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ironton Tribune - Ironton,OH,USA
http://www.irontontribune.com/articles/2007/10/04/sports/sports393.txt




.

SW Douses Homecoming Spirit

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Homecoming Spirit Doused

By Harold Smith
Mountain View Telegraph

Defeat, as experienced by the Estancia High football team Friday night, can definitely put a damper on the homecoming festivities.




Santa Rosa (5-0)— using camouflaged handoffs, low-trajectory hikes and its patented single-wing offense— beat the Bears (1-4) by a score of 40-0 at Bob Bell Field.



"We played hard," said Marcus Garcia, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound, off-the-bench senior lineman who was presented as the EHS homecoming king in a pregame ceremony. "We've just got to keep going. We have another one Friday (at Class 1A's No. 5 Clayton, 4-2) at 7 p.m. There's one every Friday at 7 p.m. We have to keep going."


The Lions scored on their first three offensive possessions and had a 27-0 lead at halftime. Jesus Roybal had three touchdowns for Santa Rosa.


Halftime fireworks failed to temper the blow.


"It's not the same as last year (when the Bears also struggled during the regular season but rebounded in the state playoffs)," said senior fullback and linebacker Steven Trujillo. "We need to show up every time."


Santa Rosa, ranked No. 2 in the Albuquerque Journal preseason poll, had beaten Estancia 62-0 in the 2A state semifinals in 2006. So Estancia knew beforehand the Lions would be a formidable foe.


Most teams try to avoid scheduling a tough team for homecoming. However, the Bears had little choice with all nine of their regular-season opponents ranked.


The closest Estancia got to the end zone was the Lions' 27 during a six-play, 9-yard drive that began in the first quarter and lapped over into the second. The Bears turned the ball over on downs at the Santa Rosa 34.


"We need to play together, not as individuals," said Estancia senior guard Robert Chavez.
The failure to capitalize followed a fumble recovery by Estancia sophomore Vincent Alvarado on the Lion 43.


After a 2-yard loss on a running play, EHS junior quarterback John Torres hit senior Alan Gonzalez with an 18-yard pass for a first down that brought the ball to the Santa Rosa 27. But the Bears lost yardage on four subsequent tries, and the drive died.


Sophomore running back Eddie Guardiola got Estancia's two other first downs with a 23-yard run in the second quarter and a 10-yard burst in the third. In addition, Bears junior Javier Castro intercepted a Roybal pass in the second quarter and advanced the ball to the Estancia 43.
"We can do it as a team," Torres said. "We can't do it by ourselves. We need to keep our heads high in the huddles."


Heather Granger, a senior cross country runner, was honored as the homecoming queen before the game.


The top-ranked Mustangs (5-0) handed No. 2 Gateway Christian (3-1) its first loss since the 2005 season with a 22-0 victory over the Warriors, the reigning state eight-man football champions, in Roswell on Friday.


Gateway was 12-0 last year. In 2005, when the Warriors won the six-man crown, they were 10-1.


"I credit a lot of it to the work of our offensive line," Mountainair coach Robert Zamora said. "They gave Mathew (Chavez) a lot of time to throw the ball. The line doesn't always get a lot of credit. They really deserve it this time for how they played."
'Stangs senior Victor Romero scored twice, on 55- and 82-yard runs.
"And Mathew (a senior quarterback) broke out on a 62-yard run," Zamora said.
Mountainair will meet fourth-ranked Valley Christian (5-0) in Roswell on Oct. 12.
"They (the Lions) are tough, and they are big and strong," Zamora said. "And they're undefeated. It's going to be a good game. But we have a bye this week so we have some time to prepare."


The Mustangs aren't hurting too much either.


"We're pretty healthy right now," Zamora said. "We've got some minor bruises and (sore) ankles, but we're pretty healthy (overall), thank God."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.mvtelegraph.com/mountain/sports/599659mtnspts10-04-07.htm

Mountain View TelegraphP.O. Box 2225, Moriarty, N.M. 87035-2225




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Fort Dale Using Practice Time Preparing for Single-Wing

October 2, 2007 8:29 PM CDT

Fort Dale has another top 10 showdown

By Michael Rodgers

Last week was homecoming for Fort Dale, and the Eagles didn't exactly have a tough time taking care of the Taylor Road Tigers.

This week will be different as Fort Dale faces Glenwood Academy.

The matchup will be a top-10 showdown — Fort Dale is ranked No. 6 in the latest poll and Glenwood is ranked No. 4.

"Glenwood has a good team," head coach James Sampley said. "They run the single wing and the Notre Dame box, and all these things that we don't see weekly."

Sampley said his team will be going through different preparations during practice to prepare for this new kind of offensive scheme.

"We're basically trying to make sure kids are playing their position," Sampley said. "They switch players around in the backfield, so if you go to chasing players instead of staying at home, you don't catch anyone."

Despite the prevalence of the ground game, Glenwood also throws the ball to keep the defense honest.

Although it's a big game for Fort Dale, it isn't a region game for the Eagles.

"Even though it isn't a region game, it's still important for us," Sampley said. "Glenwood is a potential playoff opponent for us."

Sampley said the game against Taylor Road was good for his team, not only because of the mark in the win column.

Last week Sampley said his team uses homecoming to focus on addressing their own issues.

"We had a good week of practice last week," Sampley said. "Everybody played in the game, and it was good from that aspect."

"We also got to rest some people and get better injury-wise," he added.

Kickoff for the game against Glenwood is set for 7 p.m.

--------------------------------------------------
The Greenville Advocate
PO Box 507
Greenville, AL 36037




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Bulldogs gain ground with single wing

Turn back the clock

Bulldogs gain ground with single wing

By Jimmy Gillispie - The Baldwin City Signal
October 3, 2007

Jimmy Gillispie/Baldwin City Signal Photo

Baldwin High’s offense doesn’t require a quarterback or wide receivers. Just four running backs are needed.

Welcome to the single wing.

“It’s been a fun offense,” BHS coach Mike Berg said. “What I like about it is we are physical. You have to be physical to run it, and that’s what we have been working on this year. Even though the other team might know where the ball is going to go, we still run it there.”

The offensive formation features four backs: wing back, blocking back, fullback and tailback. Berg said the blocking back sometimes is referred to as the quarterback in the offense.

Despite not having a true quarterback or any wide receivers on the field at times, the Bulldogs are averaging seven yards per rushing attempt this fall.

“We’ve had some great running backs come through here, but none of them have averaged seven yards per carry,” Berg said.

A change in offensive philosophy meant changes for many of the BHS players. Berg’s son, senior Drew Berg, was projected to be the starting quarterback after last season. Drew still acts as the quarterback but has learned to embrace the Bulldogs’ new look.

“When I first heard about it, I wondered how you can have an offense without a quarterback and how you pass out of it,” Drew Berg said. “Now I really like it, because we always have a lead blocker and it uses a lot of misdirection.”

Another drastic change has affected the running backs, who now are required to block. Mike Berg even made the backs practice with the linemen.

“That was the thing we’ve had to do with our backs is teach them how to block,” Mike Berg said. “If they are not carrying the ball, they have to be a blocker or carry out their fake. They have to know how to block.”

Although blocking may be the big concern for the coaches, the players said perfecting the single wing’s motion and misdirection has been the most difficult part.

“Timing has been the biggest challenge,” Drew Berg said. “It’s the most important and hardest thing to get used to. We are getting better at it every week.”

BHS tailback Sam Beecher agreed with his teammate.

“During the last couple of games, we’ve had more people playing consistently at spots on the field,” Beecher said. “The more reps we get in, the better we will be.”

The latest change to the BHS offense has been adding a passing attack to the single wing. The Bulldogs have thrown for more than 100 yards in two games this fall.

“The play-action pass has been good to us, too,” Mike Berg said. “If people are going to stack the box, you have to be able to throw it. I think our offensive linemen know that, but they still do a good job when there are nine or 10 people in the box.”

Although the single wing might be new to Baldwin High, it’s definitely not a new scheme in the football world. It’s been around since the early to mid 1900s. Glenn “Pop” Warner is credited with creating the single wing offense.

The single wing all but disappeared for many years, until recently.

Teams in the northern part of the country began using it again recently, and schools like BHS are helping to revive a vintage gridiron invention.

“It’s from way back in the 1940s,” Mike Berg said. “It’s old, but it’s coming back, especially up north. I actually got some tape from high schools up there that run it.”

When last year’s 4-5 season came to a disappointing end, Mike Berg already was planning for this fall.

“I always knew it was out there, but I seriously thought about it when the season was over a year ago,” Mike Berg said. “I was looking at game tapes and the personnel coming back. My nephew is using the same offense in Missouri, and he told me how successful they were. I just did some research on it and fell in love with it because it fits our team and personnel perfectly.”


The Baldwin High football team lines up in the single wing offensive formation during a recent game. Zach Dur (7) is the wing back, Drew Berg, center, is the blocking back and Sam Beecher and Jared Hall are the tailback and fullback. Baldwin is averaging seven yards per carry this fall.

Jimmy Gillispie/Baldwin City Signal Photo

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Originally published at: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/oct/03/turn_back_clock/
Lawrence, Kansas

COACH'S REPORT: KC Colts

COACH'S REPORT
Kanawha City Colts
Oct, 2, 2007
Coach J. Michael Ranson

The 9-10 year old Kanawha City Colts were able to dominate this weekend with a 44-0 win. In the win the Colts were able to use most of their formations alone with the Colton Shift to fashion their offensive attack.

In the game they ran Rhino, Yale, Eagle, Beast, Wishbone Right, Wishbone Left, Double wing (Coach Hyatt Wildcat), and Wal. The video below shows four of the plays that worked out fairly well. The 1st is the option series. KC runs a triple option attacking the DE. (It is more veer then wishbone but KC likes the name wishbone better). Then 2nd is great against 9 to 11 men lines. It is an inside handoff to the Wingback with the FB trapping the DE on the Quick side who we let come free. The back then cuts off of that block. The 3rd is the Yale formation that Coach Perry taught at the conclave. It is a great power formation. The 4th is out of KC’s Eagle Formation (Similar to the "wildhog" of Arkansas) This is great to run when they are playing tight on the off tackle hole. If the outside man commits to the man in motion you are off the races.

As with all film I can see a hundred things that we could correct and we will work on them this week. Hope this is helpful.





Wishbone Right, Triple Option TD
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Wingback Blast, TD
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Tailback Power, Yale
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QB Power, Eagle, TD

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5 of the most underrated high school football coaches in Mich

Editor Note: Single-Wing Great Ken Hofer Recognized
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom Markowski's Top 5
Five of the most underrated high school football coaches in Michigan:

Tom Markowski / The Detroit News


Dave Duram, Hudsonville: Ralph Munger at Rockford and Tony Annese at Muskegon get most of the publicity on the state's west side, but Duram finally is starting to receive some, as well. Hudsonville, no matter what type of talent it has or the size of its players, is always prepared and, as we've seen recently, can play with any team in the state. Hudsonville lost 14-7 to Birmingham Brother Rice in the 2005 Division 2 state championship game.

Mike Powell, Warren Cousino: In 1995 and '96, Cousino didn't win a game. In '01 the Patriots went 9-2 and this has to be considered the breakthrough year. That season Powell got his players to believe they could win. They won a playoff game in '05 and last season they reached the state semifinals for the first time. In a program that at one time struggled to get 35 on varsity, there are now more than 150 football players at Cousino.

Ken Hofer, Menominee: I'm not sure those in the Lower Peninsula realize just how good Hofer is and what type of program he's running north of the bridge. If you saw the Division 5 state final last season you got a glimpse of Hofer and his single wing offense. Execution is one of the hallmarks of a top-notch program and few do it as well as the Maroons.

Rob Zimmerman, DeWitt: Zimmerman's name is not too familiar to Metro Detroit football fans, and that's too bad. Maybe when DeWitt gets to Ford Field this season and wins a state championship (don't bet against it), Zimmerman's name will be more recognizable.

Kurt Richardson, Clarkston: Clarkston hasn't been to a state final, and Lake Orion is usually ranked ahead of the Wolves. But it was Clarkston that upset Lake Orion in the playoffs last season, and this program has shown consistency throughout the years. Since 1989 Clarkston has had just two losing seasons (2-7 in '01, 4-5 in '02). And in those 19 seasons Clarkston has won at least six games 17 times.










Find this article at:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/SPORTS05/710020304




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Dr Ward's Spartans' rolls past Spring Creek

Union rolls past Spring Creek

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Junior Howard Bynum accounted for three touchdowns on offense and defense combined, and Sampson Union rolled past Spring Creek 59-9 on Friday evening at "The Swamp."

Bynum threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Hall in the opening quarter. Hall returned the favor with a 10-yard strike to Bynum later in the same period.

Bynum concluded his stellar night with a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second half. He finished with 86 yards rushing as the Spartans, of the Class 1-A Super Six Conference, evened their non-conference ledger at 3-3.

Sophomore Ronald Gray added touchdown runs of 4 and 40 yards in a 96-yard rushing performance. Hall emerged Union's top rusher with 97 yards on just seven totes.

Travis Williams, Zach Alphin and Will Moore each contributed a touchdown. Overall, Union amassed nearly 300 yards of total offense.

"We're just out-matched and there's nothing we can do about it right now," said Spring Creek coach Roy Whitfield. "It's just one of those things."

Spring Creek averted the shutout on Alex Dunmire's 2-yard touchdown plunge in the third quarter. Raul Fuentes converted his only PAT of the evening.

The Gator defense earned a fourth-quarter safety. Jaelyn Lee emerged the top tackler with 10 stops, while John Mozingo and Dunmire posted seven tackles apiece. Lee and Mozingo also recovered fumbles.

Spring Creek (0-6 overall) opens its Carolina 1-A Conference schedule Friday at Princeton. The Gators have won all six meetings since becoming a varsity program in 2001.


Union 19 13 13 14 -- 59

Spring Creek 0 0 7 2 -- 9

Third quarter

SC -- Dunmire 2 run (Fuentes kick)

Fourth quarter

SC -- Safety

SC

First downs 4

Rushes-yds 81

Passing yds 64

Total yards 145

C-A-I 8-18-1

Fumbles-lost 3-3

Punts-avg. 4-30

Penalties-yds 3-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Spring Creek -- Alex Dunmire 10-80, TD; Montrell Carmichael 10-25; Nick Hatem 8-(-5); Trey Thornton 3-(-19); Adam Hinson 1-0. Union -- Caleb Hall 7-97; Ronald Gray 11-96; Howard Bynum 8-86.

PASSING -- Spring Creek -- Nick Hatem 8-18-1 64. Union -- Caleb Hall 1-1-0 10, TD; Howard Bynum 1-1-0 8, TD.

RECEIVING -- Spring Creek -- Alex Dunmire 3-33; Trey Thornton 2-8; Montrell Carmichael 1-13; Derek Stickland 2-10. Union -- Howard Bynum 1-10, TD; Caleb Hall 1-8, TD.

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on September 30, 2007 02:18 AM

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Unstoppable: Maroons rout Esky

Unstoppable: Maroons rout Esky

By Tom Kaeser - Marinette Eagle Herald



MENOMINEE — Menominee’s non-stop playoff express rumbled to its 20th straight win Friday night over a game Escanaba team.

The Maroons shook off a crisp Eskymo running game and second-quarter scare with a barrage of big plays in a 53-14 Parents Night romp at Walton Blesch Field.

“It was a good awakener for us,” Menominee coach Ken Hofer said. “It lets us know adverse things happen. The thing I’m most proud of is the way we were able to come back.”

After Trevor Powell stuffed a punt on Esky’s first possession, Ethan Shaver torched the Eskymos for scoring dashes of 13 and 34 yards. Matt Eisenzoph picked off a pass and raced 27 yards to the 1. Eisenzoph powered over from there to give the Maroons a 21-0 lead before Escanaba lashed back with 14 unaswered points.

Hammering the rugged Maroon defense up the middle and connecting on short passes, the Eskymos reached paydirt on a seven-play, 68-yard drive. Jordan LeMire completed 14-yard strikes to Mitch Van Effen and Mark Viau, and Paul Theoret tore the gut of the Maroon defense for a 27-yard touchdown with 8:58 left in the half.

Sparked by a 29-yard gallop by Shaver, the Maroons drove down to the 11, when Mitch Van Effen plucked a fumble in mid-air and raced 91 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. LeMire’s conversion pass to LeBeau suddenly cut the lead to 21-14 with 6:49 left in the half.

“They scared me,” Hofer said. “We started playing defense when it was 21-14. I don’t know what the problem was. Maybe it was Escanaba’s blocking.”

Van Effen’s dramatic TD jaunt was the last spark for the Eskymo offense. After gaining 131 yards on the ground in the first half, Esky clawed out just 11 yards after intermission.

“I thought we played pretty good the first half,” said Escanaba coach Dan Flynn. “It was two distinct and different halves. I thought we were more intense and focused in the first half.”

Escanaba’s comeback fire was doused when Shaver hit Joe Klitzke with a pass at the Esky 45 and the senior receiver outran the Eskymos for a 67-yard touchdown. Cody Woods’ kick pumped the Maroons to 28-14.

Menominee started its next drive at its own 48 and Shaver zig-zagged his way to a 34-yard run. Eisenzoph followed a convoy of blockers around the left corner for a 16-yard scoring run to hike the margin to 34-14.

With the Eskymos still reeling from the 14-point blitz, David Oczus picked off a LeMire pass on Esky’s next play and returned it to the 14. After a face mask penalty moved the ball to the 5, Austin Fernstrum sliced in from there to give Menominee a 40-14 halftime lead.

Shaver burned the Eskymos for 165 yards on just 10 carries, all in the first half. He also completed four of five passes for 123 yards.

“They block well for him and he’s a helluva running back,” said Flynn. “Their short drives got to us.”

The reserves took over for Menominee in the third period. Brian Boye closed out the Maroons’ first drive of the second half with an 8-yard run.

The Maroons put together a crisp 11-play, 71 drive on their second series of the half. Bryan Colvin connected with Justin Salzman for a 19-yard completion. Andrew Schewe snared a 9-yard pass from Colvin and Schewe cut through a huge hole for a 21-yard scoring scamper with 1:53 left in the third period.

“I’ m proud of the way our reserves came in and played very well,” said Hofer.

The Maroons had the ball at the Esky 1, but Hofer had his team take a knee as the game ended.

Theoret led Escanaba (1-5) with 76 yards on 16 carries. “He’s as tough as hell,” said Hofer.

Escanaba 0 14 0 0 — 14

Menominee 14 26 13 0 — 53

First Quarter

M — Shaver 13 run. Pass failed.

M — Shaver 34 run. McMahon pass from Shaver.

Second Quarter

M — Eisenzoph 1 run. Woods kick

E — Theoret 27 run. Run failed

E — Van Effen 91 fumble return. LeBeau pass from LeMire

M — Eisenzoph 16 run. Kick failed

M — Fernstrum 5 run. Kick failed.

Third Quarter

M — Boye 8 run. Woods kick

Rushing: Menominee 49-312 (Shaver 11-172) Escanaba: 29-139 (Theoret 11-76). Passing: Menominee 8-9-171 (Shaver 4-5 127; Colvin 4-4 45) Escanaba (LeMire 5-4-14-35. Receiving: (Klitzke 4-131). Escanaba (Van Effen 2-20). Fumbles/lost: Menominee: 4/2. Escanaba 0-0. Intercepted by Menominee 3. Intercepted by Escanaba 0. Penalties M - 1-5. Escanaba 5-34. First downs: M 17, Escanaba 7







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Wolves Switch To Single-Wing

Wolves adjust to 'D' to go 5-0

By BILL ZIMMERMAN
Correspondent

KISSIMMEE -- Apparently, Deltona's idea of changing a game plan merely changes the tone of its running game, not abandoning it.

"It's like, an author writes what he knows," Wolves coach Todd Sisco said.

Deltona's vaunted running attack may not have shown the consistency it has in other games this season, but it was still strong enough -- along with a couple of key defensive stops -- to yield a 30-14 win at Kissimmee Gateway on Friday night.

Senior Thomas Fleming put up impressive numbers in the first half, running for 100 yards and a touchdown, but he and others struggled for a while to protect the football and create the consistent gains the team has put up in other games.

Instead, senior Nick Rosamonda's power game carried Deltona (5-0) and enabled it to solve the defensive puzzle presented by Gateway (0-4). The 200-pounder scored three touchdowns and ran for 146 yards despite getting his first carry well into the second quarter.

"He's a horse, he's a leader," Sisco said of Rosamonda.

The first-year head coach attributed the offensive struggles to a defensive alignment Gateway used that wasn't what Deltona expected. It kept the Wolves out of their rhythm and put them in a single-wing alignment much of the night.

One of the game's most important plays was perhaps the weirdest play of the season. On fourth down, with about five minutes remaining and Deltona leading by eight points, Shane Lewis fumbled twice while gaining 19 yards for first down.

Lewis, playing quarterback because starter Thomas Connor was injured, fumbled as he tucked the ball away, scooped it up and eluded several Gateway defenders in the backfield. He then sped downfield, only to lose the ball again, and it rolled out of bounds at the 10-yard line.

Rosamonda safely took the next handoff and powered his way to the end zone, helping the Wolves set the final score with 4:19 remaining.

An interception by Dejohn Lyles, who caught the ball after two Gateway receivers collided, sealed the win for Deltona with just more than a minute remaining.

Sisco showed the typical coach's poker face after Deltona handed Gateway its largest margin of loss this year. Five fumbles, two of which were lost, and a scoring drive aided by three consecutive offsides penalties tend to put coaches in such a frame of mind.

"There were some positives," Sisco said. "As always, we've got to get back to the film room and look at what we did right. We've got to execute. And we've got to get ready for this run in district play."

Sisco said he did not know the nature of Connor's injury or whether he would be able to play next week in the Battle for the Bone vs. DeLand.


Deltona 30, Gateway 14

Deltona 0 15 7 8--30

Gateway 0 0 7 7--14

D -- Rosamonda 9 run (Connor run).

D -- Fleming 1 run (Noboa kick ).

D -- Rosamonda 8 run (Noboa kick).

G -- Watkins 67 pass from St. Louis (Carroll kick).

G -- Day 14 pass from St. Louis (Carroll kick) .

D -- Rosamonda 10 run (Rosamonda run).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Deltona: Rosamonda 18-146, Fleming 26-126, Sh.Lewis 8-21, Appleby 4-14, Connor 3-1. Team: 59-308. Gateway: Jean 7-27, St. Louis 7-28, Watkins 1-5 . Team: 15-60.

PASSING -- Gateway: St. Louis 9-17-132-2 .

RECEIVING -- Gateway: Grullon 4-36, Watkins 2-82, Herbert 1-15, Fisher 1-15, Day 1-14 .

PUNTING -- Deltona: Noboa 1-40 . Gateway: Carroll 3-100 .

GAME STATISTICS

Penalties -- Deltona 5-45. Gateway: 11-88.

First downs: Deltona 18, Gateway 8.

Fumbles/lost: Deltona 5-2, Gateway 2-1.



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© 2007 News-Journal Corporation. ® www.news-journalonline.com.


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