Why don't more high schools run pro-style offenses

[Vultor]

Thats one of my points bpope. You get 100 kids to come out for football including basketball players. We have a 1A school so we don't get that kind of turnout and the basketball players are playing travel ball or getting ready for their season. I would love to have about 3 or 4 soccer players come out for football. They would make great wide outs and maybe even a top notch kicker. As I see it teams that are successful in high school with a spread offense are mainly living off of the defenses mistakes because high schoolers aren't skilled enough to defend it.

Edited October 30, 2003 by Vultor

[McNine4MVP]

Guys, I think a lot of you thought that I'm frowning on running the football. I'm not. I advise you guys to look at teams like Utah (Urban Meyer will be a big-time coach soon), Bowling Green, Florida, Middle Tennessee, Missouri, and quite a few others. All these teams spread it out and throw the football, but the unique thing is, they run it just as good as they throw it out of the spread and the numbers bear this out. The spread offense just gives them the versitility to do both and get your kids noticed. You get in a 3 or 4 WR formation in high school and you make the Defense do what they don't want to do at this level, and that's to either take a LB off the field, make this LB play in the slot out of the box, or just run vanilla Cover 3 (in which you try to work the undernearth zones) or Cover 2, which you can go to town with your run game. My theory, I guess, is that most high schools will play strictly Cover 3, Cover 2, or some man-free zones, and they'll go man to man in the red zone. The spread can attack all of those schemes relatively easy. I, personally, am a fan of the one back, 2TE, 2WR offense that you see pro teams like the Titans, Colts, Ravens, etc run because it makes the defense show their cards and takes a lot of the disguise out of blitz packages and games up front. However, the fact is at the high school level, you're lucky to have one, much less two athletic TE's to make it work so unless you're at a big school, this Offense probably isn't for you. I realize, just like anybody that if you can run and control the football, play sound defense, and win the kicking game you'll win 85% of the time. But you can still do ALL those things and run the spread and let your kids have a little more fun in the process.

[McNine4MVP]

Vultor,

that is my point totally. The spread gives you the opportunity to capitalize on the other teams mistakes in alignment and scheme. Most of the defenses are really vanilla or are stunted to just stop the run (as they should). If you've got a quick 5'8 160 lb slot guy who is either uncovered off the line or trailed by a LB that's a lesser athlete that can just run 5 yard outs off the combination routes and throw slants and vertical routes with the outside receiver, the battle is already won. The only challenge is in protecting the passer, which can be a big challenge, but most of the routes you run are off the three step drop or your shotgun quick game so, very rarely should your QB be holding the ball long. Plus, a few days down at a coaching clinic will give you all you need to know in pass protection schemes at the high school level.

[Patriot97]

If you have several players going both ways, it's hard to expect a lineman who pass blocks the entire first half of practice to be a physical player in the defensive half of practice and thus carry that over into a game.

 

Plus spreading it out doesn't punish the opposition's defense.

 

And which is better for holding a lead? Running the football successfully.

 

Running also allows you to play "keep away" and trying to keep the game close by grinding out first downs, running the clock, and more importantly keeping the ball away from the opponent's offense. This can be effective if you're overmatched talent-wise.

 

None of this ALWAYS works - I know that. But you'd BETTER be able to run to win no matter what the set.

 

And Brentwood won the title last season by running the football. MBA won a few under Bowers by running the football.

[beethoven]

You guys make it sound so easy! The Ugly truth... It doesn't matter what offensive scheme you run! Your level of success will depend on your team's ability to execute the offense.

[McNine4MVP]

Beethoven, you hit the nail on the head.

[Gridiron32]

Do you know what I like about this thread? It hasn't digressed into some mindless banter about my team is better than your team or personal attacks or nonsense that seems to invade most of the threads!!!!

 

Thanks you guys that know football and enjoy discussing the x's and o's instead of rehashing the same who beat who and how obnoxious can I get mentality.

 

I love this site, but one thing that really makes it hard to read the site is that there are a number of people that don't view high school athletics for what it is. An extracurricular activity that can teach you how to grow into adulthood and a productive member of society. I love it a much as the next person, but I try to see it in the big picture of life.

 

Anyway, enough soapbox, to be successful with an open offensive scheme, you still have to run a balanced attack that incorporates the run as well as a sound passing game. How many times have you see a team pass it around, but when they need to milk the clock, they have no running game to sustain a drive?

 

Once again, thanks for a good thread.

[shane23p]

I think the best coaches in high school football got that way by adjusting to the talent they have.

[ELA]

If you have several players going both ways, it's hard to expect a lineman who pass blocks the entire first half of practice to be a physical player in the defensive half of practice and thus carry that over into a game.

 

Plus spreading it out doesn't punish the opposition's defense.

 

And which is better for holding a lead? Running the football successfully.

 

Running also allows you to play "keep away" and trying to keep the game close by grinding out first downs, running the clock, and more importantly keeping the ball away from the opponent's offense. This can be effective if you're overmatched talent-wise.

 

None of this ALWAYS works - I know that. But you'd BETTER be able to run to win no matter what the set.

 

And Brentwood won the title last season by running the football. MBA won a few under Bowers by running the football.

Two thoughts... We rushed for 1800 team yards out of the spread this season! The spread can wear on your defense IF you are running four vertical stretches on almost every play and you rotate your receivers. DB's don't like dropping into Cover 4 or MAN every single play to cover a vertical route! It's just like any other offense, by the 4th quarter, you've worn them down. Also, a good spread team will shift and force teams out of their comfort zone. I have shifted from a Pro-I into a five receiver set and watched teams do one of two things, they either don't adjust at all, or they go crazy trying to figure out how to lineup! A good spread team can create mis-matches all across the field. HOWEVER, it takes some time to put the system in and you must not become predictable.

[FenderSRVHendrix]

You use what works...I formation won't work in NFL. When's the last time you've seen a wishbone set in the NFL? You don't see these formations very often 'cuz they don't work...But they'll work in highschool.

 

AC

[djgiles]

maybe they don't run them b/c they are not pros like said before we have to keep it simple

[RowdyMCHS]

These formations don't work in the pros because they are simple and easy to defend. If the offensive lineman spreads his feet and creates a nice base these formations are successful in High school