article Don't Let Belfry Establish the Fullback

In today's spread 'em out and toss it around football culture, sometimes even the idea of a fullback seems odd. To think that the key to stopping a team on offense could be to stop the fullback seems almost foreign. But when it comes to Belfry, that is where you had better start.

 

Belfry's success on offense often can be judged by watching the fullback and looking at his stats. Even if the FB isn't getting many yards, he is doing his job if he makes the defense collapse on him, and sometimes that can be an overlooked nuance of Belfry's game. Now, if the fullback is getting 12-15 carries a game for 100 yards or more, then more than likely the Pirates are doing just about whatever they want to do on offense. When those guys playing that throwback position average over 5 yards a carry, it sets up so many things for your offense, not the least of which is favorable down and distance on 2nd and 3rd down.

 

It is easy to watch Belfry play and think their offense is out-dated, boring or simple. I sometimes get a kick out of hearing fans question why they run the fullback so much. Looking back over the last 6 years, Belfry's fullbacks have been stirring the drink for the Pirates. That is a big reason for their success in this incredible run they have been on.

 

Some notable facts...

 

Championship Games

During the last 3 championship games, Belfry's fullbacks have combined for 83 carries for 563 yards. 6.78 YPC

Austin Hatfield (2012-2014) had 70 carries for 459 yards in 3 state championship games. 6.56 YPC

Andrew Fletcher and Derrick Wellman combined for 29 carries for 204 yards in 2015 championship game. 7.03 YPC

 

Season Totals

2010 - 153 carries for 900 yards 5.88 YPC (Trey Willis)

2011 - 180 carries for 1158 yards 6.43 YPC (Trey Willis and Austin Hatfield)

2012 - 100 carries for 840 yards 8.40 YPC (Austin Hatfield)

2013 - 167 carries for 1142 yards 6.84 YPC (Austin Hatfield and Andrew Fletcher)

2014 - 264 carries for 1890 yards 7.16 YPC (Austin Hatfield and Andrew Fletcher)

2015 - 238 carries for 1574 yards 6.61 YPC (Andrew Fletcher and Derrick Wellman)

 

Total - 1102 carries for 7504 yards 6.81 YPC over the past 6 years.

Your post just goes to show that a team doesn't necessarily have to spread it out and fling the ball all over the field to have a VERY productive offense. There are many ways to be effective.

 

In fact, I would argue that now may be the best time to do some of the "old school" things offensively because what was once the norm is now the outlier. Defenses don't see this type of offense much any more. Kind of like when the spread first became in vogue.

The last three 3A Finals MVP awards have went to Fullbacks.

 

Had Belfry won in Overtime against Central in 2012 it would be 4 straight years. Hatfield was the leading rusher that game as well.

Your post just goes to show that a team doesn't necessarily have to spread it out and fling the ball all over the field to have a VERY productive offense. There are many ways to be effective.

 

In fact, I would argue that now may be the best time to do some of the "old school" things offensively because what was once the norm is now the outlier. Defenses don't see this type of offense much any more. Kind of like when the spread first became in vogue.

 

I think you have a point here.

 

Christian Academy of Knoxville and Knoxville Catholic, who Belfry has beat the past three years, have essentially said as much. Teams in Tennessee simply do not run from under Center. When Belfry played Knoxville Catholic it was the first time all season that they had seen a team run their offense primarily from anything other than the spread.

 

My dad has even formed a theory with me. I am curious to see if anything comes from it. He has theorized that in the next ten years the way colleges recruit Offensive Linemen is about to change.

 

More and more College Programs are going to the spread, but striving to be more of a 60/40 run team. His theory is that a lot of these schools, including very specifically Kentucky, simply are recruiting the wrong type of linemen.

 

He believes that what is happening is anymore all your best High School Linemen simply don't know how to block in an option system like you see being used so prevalent. These are all linemen who have only learned to zone block or pass protect primarily. When they face a big and talented Dline and Linebacker the advantage in the run game swings drastically to the Defense as a result because they are simply not enough skilled linemen to understand how to properly block for the run and get hats to the second level.

 

I am curious to see if his theory plays out.

 

For years the rhetorical question in recruiting was "Yeah, but can he pass block?"

Suddenly we are seeing more and more guys who get applauded at the NFL Draft because "His stock is higher than _________________ because he is better at run blocking"

Your post just goes to show that a team doesn't necessarily have to spread it out and fling the ball all over the field to have a VERY productive offense. There are many ways to be effective.

 

In fact, I would argue that now may be the best time to do some of the "old school" things offensively because what was once the norm is now the outlier. Defenses don't see this type of offense much any more. Kind of like when the spread first became in vogue.

Belfry has benefitted from exactly this in games against teams that they don't face very often. Lexington Catholic is a great example from this year. As ATLCat said above, the two Knoxville teams are another prime example. This years Knoxville Catholic was a really good team, but they just had no answer for Belfry's style.

 

What comes around goes around.

Very good, I like it!

I would love to see a bowl game between belfry and mayfield!

A very good HS coach told me about 5 years ago that modern defenses do not defend the A gap very well. Belfry exploits that weakness better than anyone.

I'm confused about your theory on OL. I can see where that idea might come from HS OL passing blocking more. The fact that some HS run zone shouldn't have an affect (of course there are a number of different versions of zone). I would venture to say that gap run schemes (which isn't much different different then how option teams block) are the most used blocking schemes in HS football.

 

Good article btw

I would love to see a bowl game between belfry and mayfield!

Logistically it will never happen, but that would be a fun series.

Logistically it will never happen, but that would be a fun series.

 

Would take a 3rd party to get involved...maybe be part of a double header bowl game in the E-town area, something like that. Would love to see that game.

A very good HS coach told me about 5 years ago that modern defenses do not defend the A gap very well. Belfry exploits that weakness better than anyone.

Many of the "modern" offenses do not threaten the A gap due to no QB under center and no FB. There is no quick threat of a trap, midline dive, or QB sneak. To me, the threat of those A gap plays opens other parts of the running game. That is why I believe there will always be a place in football for an under center attack with a FB. An offense that does not have this in its arsenal is not a complete offense.

Love the way Belfry plays. Love that offense. Triple/Belly/option is the worst to defend IMO because it is the most reliant on players doing their job.

 

A lot of the spread stuff you can take things away defensively with schemes, disguises, etc.

 

You try to do those things against flexbone triple, but one player not playing their assignment is six.

 

It's not perfect. Things can be taken away by a good defense. But it's a tough man's offense and one of every DCs most hated to play. There's a reason most big NCAA teams don't schedule Navy or Air Force.

When I played for Elkhorn City we played Belfry a few times. The thing when it comes to Philip Haywood's Veer is that it is just too well executed. Games where it's not (I.E. Lawrence Co/CM) ran very well, you have a game as long as you can match up strength wise. You go in the game saying, "where are we going to try and stop them." Of course you want to stop all three backs, but then again how has that worked for everyone else over the course of 30 years? Philip is what, ~350 wins at Belfry running this system? The only time we beat a Haywood led Pirate team was taking away the fullback...Of course the QB and HB had a pretty good game, but still.

Logistically it will never happen, but that would be a fun series.

 

Maybe the Death Valley Bowl in Lincoln County in 2017?