Start with a backs-to-the-wall situation, stir in a little desperation and urgency, and then conjure up a decisive game plan that catches an opponent totally by surprise.
Next comes the most important, and unpredictable, ingredient - the execution of that game plan.
Last week while area football fans were previewing and discussing the upcoming AA playoff battle between Scott and Sissonville, the Skyhawk coaches and players were busy putting together an urgent offensive package for a desperate situation.
Scott sophomore QB Drew Runyan had been suffering from lingering headaches for several weeks, so coach Shane Griffith decided to give Runyan a week’s rest. Back-up QB Randy Bishop has battled a shoulder injury for most of this season and is unable to throw the football effectively.
How many high school football teams can go to the #3 slot on the depth chart at QB?
From watching Jordan Roberts throw the football for kick returns in practice, Griffith knew that his talented tailback had a strong arm.
Early last week while he was mentally toying with the idea of putting Roberts in the shotgun as a QB replacement, Griffith put Roberts through some passing drills to gauge his accuracy.
After watching Roberts display about 75% accuracy in the drills, Griffith hatched a game plan.
With game plan hatched, execution would determine if the ‘Hawks would lay an egg or unveil a new, dual-threat weapon against the Indians.
Roberts and the Skyhawks took care of the execution on Friday night, defeating Sissonville 42-7 as Roberts ran for 266 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 173 yards (11 completions in 15 attempts) and two scores.
Shane Griffith, an old-school football coach who has a passion for running the ball and relying on his Black Hammer Defense, had shown the bold, liberal side that occasionally surfaces from this former Skyhawk quarterback.
By putting Roberts in the shotgun, Griffith and his coaching staff had pulled the trigger on a new offensive package that now has countless possibilities as the ‘Hawks head into the second round of the AA playoffs.
Drew Runyan is expected to be back and ready for action this week. But which Scott offense should the Grafton Bearcats focus their preparation on?
This isn’t the first time that Griffith has had the grit to make a bold change during one week of a season.
When his inexperienced 2004 team was struggling offensively early in the season, Griffith plugged in an unbalanced line package that helped the ‘Hawks pick up several early wins. At season’s end, that 6-4 team, sporting just three seniors, had earned a playoff spot.
Last Sunday, Griffith commented on his gun package featuring Roberts, “As a coach, I have to be able to roll with the punches, to change and adjust. The first thing about making a big change is selling it to the players and making sure that they are excited about making it work.
“After that, it’s all about the players’ focus in picking it up and preparing for a game, and their work ethic. The players deserve most of the credit, they picked it up and executed it, our coaching staff just presented it to them.”
He added, “This package allowed us to use some of our same runs and same blocking schemes, just eliminating the handoff. It actually put Jordan at the line if scrimmage a little quicker than usual, and that may have been the biggest problem for Sissonville’s defense. We also knew that we would have to use the pass threat for this to work.”
Griffith’s willingness to make bold moves at crucial times shows the coach’s grit and conviction. It also shows his ability lead by example.
You see, Shane Griffith constantly reminds his players that they must trust each other on the field. Each player must do his job and trust his teammates to do their jobs.
The next time that Griffith unveils a bold, new package to his Skyhawks on short notice, they should understand that this old-school coach is actually putting his trust in their focus, their preparation, and their work ethic!
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