Rocky Bayou Christian Football

Spring football: Knights enter 2nd year much further along
May 4, 2009 - 11:01 PM
By WILL PARCHMAN

Northwest Florida Daily News


NICEVILLE - Last year at this time, the Rocky Bayou Christian football team was attempting to lay the groundwork for its own tradition as a first-year program and was dealing with all the accompanying growing pains.

The scene this year couldn't be more different.

As the Knights go through spring practice this year in preparation for their second season as a program, there will be a lot more in the way of intricate play installations and a lot less of the tedious football basics that the team had to slog through last year.

"We've got better size than last year, we've got better speed than last year, we're stronger - we've been in the weight room for a year - and a lot better prepared," Rocky Bayou coach John Reaves said. "We've got most of our guys coming back, so we're going to be a little more prepared this year for what we're getting into than we were last year."

Reaves can't help but be excited for what he sees as an improved squad in 2009. The Knights surprised some by winning three games and took huge strides toward building for the future, especially considering the fact that the team was still learning three-point stances at this point last year. Currently, the Knights are gearing up for their spring game at 7 p.m. on May 21 against Franklin County in Destin.

The Knights can now comfortably run 40 formations out of Reaves' single-wing offense, which is famous in coaching circles for eliminating the traditional quarterback position. Instead, Reaves relies heavily on his stable of four wing backs to run the offense, not unlike the "Wildcat" formation popularized by Arkansas and, more recently, the Miami Dolphins.

Instead of running it every once in a while, though, the Knights do it virtually every down.

"I like it, it's cool," wingback/kick returner Dion Wright said. "The first time I heard it though, I was like, ‘No quarterback?' It's old school, but it's cool, I like it."

Wright will anchor an offense that Reaves plans to base around misdirection and athleticism. Wright rushed for almost 600 yards as a junior last year, became a deadly threat on kick returns and even threw a touchdown pass. Meanwhile, the anchor for the team's rebuilt offensive line will be 6-foot-3, 305-pound offensive tackle Shawn Josey, a Crestview transfer who Reaves termed a "big asset."

"Where are we in comparison to last year?" Reaves asked "We're light years ahead."

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Dolphins draft White in second round, say QB will compete at QB

Associated Press

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins now have a quarterback to run their Wildcat offense: West Virginia's Pat White.

And the Dolphins won't limit White to one part of the playbook.

The most prolific running quarterback in major-college history, White was a surprise pick by Miami in the second round of the NFL draft Saturday.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said White likely will anchor the Wildcat and eventually could compete for the starting quarterback job. That means he'll challenge Chad Henne for the role of heir apparent to Chad Pennington.

"I don't think you can have too many good players at that position," Ireland said. "Pat White has an unusual set of skills that can help us. We're creative enough as a coaching staff that he'll be able to enhance our offense in a multitude of ways."

White could be an ideal triggerman for the Wildcat, a variation of the single wing that rejuvenated the Dolphins' offense last season to help them reach the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

"I guess I fit fairly well in the Wildcat," White said. "Hopefully that will be my quickest way on the field. I'm excited and happy to be a part of it."

Ireland denied that the selection of White meant running back Ronnie Brown is on the trading block. Brown took the snaps in the Wildcat last season.

"We're not looking to trade Ronnie Brown," Ireland said. "Pat is going to be the element of surprise. You can put him at receiver and use Ronnie in the Wildcat still. There are a lot of things you can do when you have great athletes."

The Dolphins devoted their other first-day picks to the secondary, choosing Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis with the 25th selection in the first round, then adding Utah defensive back Sean Smith with their second second-round choice.

The Dolphins made both picks while mindful of the potent passing attacks they'll face next season in the AFC East. Tom Brady is expected to return for the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills signed Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens and the New York Jets used their top draft pick to select USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.

White could help the Dolphins keep up with high-scoring opponents. He ran for 4,480 yards at West Virginia, where he had a 34-8 record as a starter and became the first quarterback to start in four bowl victories.

White directed a spread offense similar to the Wildcat and is well aware that the Dolphins made a big splash last season with their version of the single wing.

"I definitely watched the Dolphins," he said. "It kind of reminded me of West Virginia a little bit -- get the defense going one way and shoot somebody out the other way. It keeps the defense on their toes."

Last season, the Dolphins averaged 6.4 yards per play in the Wildcat with eight touchdowns in 91 plays, including scores covering 62, 53 and 51 yards.

Miami also might find room for White in the receiving corps, where depth is thin. White worked out as a wideout for NFL teams leading up to the draft.

While White is optimistic he can find a role in the NFL, Davis figures he can make a big difference as a rookie.

"My expectations will be to be the defensive player of the year in the National Football League," he said.

The Dolphins expect Davis and Smith to upgrade a secondary that ranked 25th in the league against the pass last season and lost starting cornerback Andre Goodman to the Denver Broncos in free agency.

Davis worked out for the Dolphins and said he received favorable feedback from the team's football czar, Bill Parcells.

"(He said) I fit the style of their defense with physical play and being aggressive," Davis said. "I consider myself a complete corner. My strength is coming up to tackle and being physical in run support."

Davis would have been drafted higher if not for concerns about his attitude and work ethic. Illinois coach Ron Zook briefly demoted Davis to second string last year but touts him as an excellent NFL prospect.

"People have their opinions," Davis said. "Everybody who knows Vontae knows I'm a great person and a great player. Bill Parcells speaks louder than words. For him to draft me, he knows the type of person I am."

Ireland said Zook reassured the Dolphins about Davis' attitude.

"He's a competitive kid," Ireland said. "He's a gym rat. He's a good kid. I don't think we have to worry about any integrity problems."

A three-year starter who turned pro after his junior season, Davis is durable, tackles well and has good bloodlines. His brother, tight end Vernon Davis, was taken with the sixth overall pick in 2006 by the San Francisco 49ers.

The 6-3, 214-pound Smith is a converted receiver who has been projected as a cornerback or safety in the NFL. He was a two-year starter at cornerback for Utah and had nine career interceptions.

The Dolphins drafted him after trading down. They swapped second-round picks with the Indianapolis Colts and acquired their fifth-round choice.





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Football: OSU set to meld a new offense

Overhaul will test Pryor's, players' ability to adjust
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 3:08 AM
By Tim May

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


Spring is in the air. So is change, it seems, for the Ohio State offense.

Terrelle Pryor said he can sense it. From his interaction with coach Jim Tressel and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman as well as the teammates who must fill seven vacant starting spots on the offense, the sophomore quarterback said the Buckeyes are eager for the start of spring drills Thursday.

"I can tell you the coaches are fired up," Pryor said. "Coach Tressel is really fired up; I meet with him every day in his office and I can tell. Coach Bollman is more fired up than I can ever remember seeing him.

"I think this spring is going to be very fun. Everyone seems to be looking forward to it."

Pryor knows change is in the works, and has been for a couple of months. A year ago, OSU's offense was designed to take advantage of the talents of returning senior quarterback Todd Boeckman and tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, with some components for Pryor, considered a passing and rushing threat. Now, it will largely feature Pryor's talents.

The offense will undergo changes that couldn't be made at midseason last year, when Tressel made Pryor the starter. But the Buckeyes apparently are looking at several options to upgrade this year's model.

That might include more use of the pistol formation, in which the quarterback lines up about 4 yards behind center with a tailback behind him. It also could include a version of the single-wing formation, in which the quarterback would line up about 7 yards behind center, but often would have a back crossing in front of him from a slot just before or just after the snap, creating options and confusion.

"From a team standpoint this spring we would like to get the communication down, because we're going to run the offense a little different," Pryor said. "We're going to run a lot of different plays with a whole bunch of different things we're putting in, like calling plays from the line of scrimmage.

"We want to leave camp as a passing team and a running team so we can just be unstoppable."

The offense is going to have a different feel no matter what, considering Pryor is the only returning starter who touched the ball last season. Gone are Wells, fullback Brandon Smith, receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline and tight end Rory Nicol.

Among those ready to step up are running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine; receivers DeVier Posey, Dane Sanzenbacher and Lamaar Thomas; and tight end Jake Ballard, who played as much as Nicol last year.

"I think the quarterback position is the one you give the most attention to, in regards to who you're going to become," Tressel said. "But you don't lose sight of the fact we're going to look different at running back and receiver. We're going to look different up front (with two new starters on the line).

"So it won't be all tailored to what Terrelle does well and to what (backup) Joe Bauserman does well. It will be some of what Boom Herron does well, what those wideouts do well, what Jake Ballard adds to the picture at tight end, and what Jake Stoneburner offers us now that we've moved him over to tight end."

Stoneburner, with a receiver's pedigree, could offer a stretch-the-field threat from tight end that hasn't been available for a number of seasons. So the options -- both from a personnel and a philosophical standpoint -- are there to overhaul an offense that ranked a lackluster 76{+t}{+h} nationally last year with a 342.69-yard average.

Tom Luginbill, who monitors college football and recruiting for Scouts Inc. of ESPN.com, said the OSU coaches did a "fantastic job" last year of not overloading their freshman quarterback, even as fans screamed for more.

Now, though, the offense will lean on Pryor now that he has experience.

"He is going to be expected to take that next step, taking on more of the responsibility of the scheme, allowing the coaches to implement more things (tailored to him) without him being overloaded," Luginbill said.

Pryor said he welcomes it, and that the key for the whole offense this spring is to waste no time.

"We want to get better every day, because these 15 practices, that's all we have until fall camp," Pryor said. "We want to use every single minute we've got."

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Wildcat has found its place in the NFL

By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 1, 2009


Tony Sparano turned around the Miami Dolphins in his first season as coach, but he might have gained more recognition for the offense he helped popularize around the NFL.

Sparano unleased the "Wildcat" formation last year, and it was so successful that others were quick to copy.

"I wish I had a dollar for every person who ran it," Sparano said, jokingly.

The "Wildcat" proved to be money for the Dolphins.

They caught the New England Patriots flat-footed with it last September. The 38-13 thumping of the defending AFC champions helped propel Miami to an eventual division title after it had won just one game in 2007.

The success Miami and other teams had with the "Wildcat" in 2008 has turned the back-to-the-future package into the wrinkle du jour in the NFL. And the intrigue created by the "Wildcat" could impact the NFL draft and enhance the value of players in it with local ties.

"Obviously, there's some people that have given it some thought and have used it in our league and, naturally, those things expand," Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "There's a few players in this draft that would make you think about that."

West Virginia quarterback Pat White and Penn State wide receiver/kick returner Derrick Williams are two of the more notable examples.

They have the blend of versatility and athletic ability to succeed in the "Wildcat," a progeny of the single-wing formation that predated the sophisticated passing attacks of the modern era.

White and Williams could add another dimension to the "Wildcat," which usually features a direct snap to a team's top runner, since each would also represent a passing threat.

White set a record for career rushing yards (4,480) by a quarterback at the Division I-A level, but he also threw well enough to become the first quarterback to win four bowl games in NCAA history.

And as NFL teams evaluate White in advance of April's draft, the possibilities with a pass-or-throw option in the "Wildcat" is, no doubt, a part of their thought process.

"I think the implementation of the 'Wildcat' and other spread systems will definitely help me out," White said, "because of the style of offense we ran at West Virginia."


'Wildcat' makes Williams a wild card

The "Wildcat" may help Williams, or at least his draft stock, even more.

Unlike White, who had an impressive showing at last week's NFL scouting combine and may convince teams to draft him strictly as a quarterback, Williams did not fare well in Indianapolis.

He ran a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash, raising questions — if not red flags — even though illness may have factored in to his pedestrian time. Teams that aren't convinced Williams has the speed to play wide receiver on a regular basis may covet him for what he can do in the "Wildcat."

Williams took his share of direct snaps at Penn State last season, and he rushed for 243 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. The former high school quarterback also completed a couple of passes out of the formation, forcing teams to respect his arm and his legs.

When asked about the prospect of Williams playing in the "Wildcat" in the NFL, Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler, who is also eligible for the draft, said, "He'll be good at it. He can throw passes, he can run, he's big enough to take some of those bigger hits."

The punishment players are exposed to in the "Wildcat" is primarily why teams don't use their starting quarterback in the formation.

While the package gained traction in the NFL last season, it has been used before.

Arizona Cardinals coach and former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said the Steelers employed a direct snap earlier in the decade when they had Antwaan Randle El — the shifty wide receiver who excelled as a running quarterback in college.

The idea then, as it is now, is to put the ball in the hands of a dynamic playmaker and allow him to exploit a team that isn't sure how to defend the "Wildcat."

"I think the 'Wildcat' situation is something that a lot of us are trying to figure out what's the best way to defend it as well as use it." Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said.

"Until somebody finds a way to make something unsuccessful," said Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, "they'll continue to do it."


Following the Dolphins' lead

Indeed, the NFL is nothing if not a copycat league. And the "Wildcat" became more prevalent after Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown executed it so adroitly that he rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another score against the Patriots.

It was enough of a concern for the Steelers prior to their regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns that they prepared for the "Wildcat" in practice.

Rookie quarterback Dennis Dixon so impressed his teammates with the way he emulated Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs, an explosive open-field threat who played quarterback in college, that several of them said the Steelers should consider adding the "Wildcat" to their offensive repertoire.

"I think we should get our offense to put Dixon in there," Steelers Pro Bowl linebacker James Farrior said in December. "I think we can make some plays with him on offense."

That "Wildcat" sentiment, while widespread, hardly has launched a revolution in the NFL. The formation has given defensive coordinators something else for which they have to prepare, even if it is only used for a handful of plays.

And to think the Dolphins had doubts on the "Wildcat's" effectiveness before they unleashed it — and Brown, who averaged well over five yards a carry last season and made his first Pro Bowl — on the Patriots.

Recalled Sparano: "We might go out there for two plays, and if it backfires or it doesn't give us the look that we wanted, maybe we don't see it anymore.

"It just so happened we started to get a couple of the pictures that we wanted to see, and we were able to go with it a little bit longer."

Now what had been old is new again, and the "Wildcat" looks like it is here to stay.



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