More teams are trying to run spread and other such offenses because that is what is in vogue at higher levels, not because it is better. Football is really no different, the team that blocks and tackles best wins the game. It doesn't matter what offense you run, if you block it, it works. Some personnel are a little better suited to one type more than the other. That will always be the case. The problem would be changing offenses every year to try suit personnel. You get no continuity. Most offenses systems can be modified year to year to account for personnel without changing philosophy. Teams like Russell have kids that could run more wide open type of offenses but that doesn't mean they should. Wide open teams could run Russell-style conservative wing-t and be successful. You just have to block it and execute.

 

Another aspect is that more teams are playing athletic, faster kids on defense now and load up the box. It gets tough to keep pounding on that without throwing a little when you are outnumbered at the point of attack. Some coaches have decided to spream 'em and throw it. Others, like Russell, just keep picking at you and reduce the number of mistakes by staying conservative. I don't think there is an offense that is inherently better than another. You just have to execute. Power football will continue to be around and will not be outdated. Just block it and don't beat yourself.

Its alive and kicking on Log Mountain. Bell has added more 3 and 4 reciever sets than ive seen in the past, but its still predominantly a power running offense.

The spread has changed the game as far as gaining a numbers advantage and getting speed in space. I don't think the 3 backs are totally out but if you don't have a dominant Oline and a solid defense that will keep you from playing behind then you are going to be in trouble if that is the only package you have. I see people listing teams like Belfry etc up here. Let's be honest, how many programs have an oline that size with the quality of backs they have? Their line looks like a college line almost every year and they have had a stable of super backs! They also have an amazing defense that keeps them from playing from way behind a lot. The thing I admire about Russell and Belfry is that continuity they have all the way down through their youth leagues that is committed to their system. Kids aren't continuously learning a new offense each year.

Frankfort probably has three back there heads and shoulders better than anyone they will play as well...hahaha. That is my point; this offense has to have superior players in order to work properly.

 

AGREED.

 

 

Belfry had superior athletes the years they won titles as did Russell.

 

 

Their backs and linemen were so good they couldn't be stopped.

Dunbar still uses the power game.

 

 

To what success? If they opened up their offense, with the kind of athletes they have, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

When you review the KY State Champions....you will find very, very few teams that have won a championship running a "spread" offense. At the HS level....it's imperative that you run the ball successfully. Several teams....Russell and Belfry come to mind that have won championships without completing a pass....

 

 

4A- 98 Male, 00 Male, 01-03 Trinity, 05-06 Trinity

3A- 02-04 Boyle, 05-LexCath, 06-CovCath

2A- 01-02 Boyle

 

The power teams that won in many of those years opened their offense up a bit as well. St.X in 2004 passed quite a bit in their march to their title. 2006's title game also showed pretty plainly a Power Offense(Ryle) against a Spread Offense(Trinity), result? 41-7 Spread. Had Male or Henry Clay made it there instead of Trinity I feel certain it would have been similar and they also ran spread offenses.

 

Power football is well and good, but when a team is running the spread to near perfection as the above teams did, you have to be able to throw the football effectively.

Bellevue uses the 3 back offense 70% or more of the time

4A- 98 Male, 00 Male, 01-03 Trinity, 05-06 Trinity

3A- 02-04 Boyle, 05-LexCath, 06-CovCath

2A- 01-02 Boyle

 

The power teams that won in many of those years opened their offense up a bit as well. St.X in 2004 passed quite a bit in their march to their title. 2006's title game also showed pretty plainly a Power Offense(Ryle) against a Spread Offense(Trinity), result? 41-7 Spread. Had Male or Henry Clay made it there instead of Trinity I feel certain it would have been similar and they also ran spread offenses.

 

Power football is well and good, but when a team is running the spread to near perfection as the above teams did, you have to be able to throw the football effectively.

 

 

 

Those teams you mentioned.....most could have won the championship running 3 plays and a cloud of dust.

To what success? If they opened up their offense, with the kind of athletes they have, they would be a force to be reckoned with.

 

Their offense is opened up as wide as they can do it. Their QB is more of a runner, which is what they do best. They have an excellent QB Coach in Jim Franklin, who works diligently with the QB's, and they have improved. But, they have not improved to where they can throw it 30 times a game and be successful.

Those teams you mentioned.....most could have won the championship running 3 plays and a cloud of dust.

 

 

Could we have done so? In some years possibly, but it we wouldn't have controlled the game Ryle as well as we did. Against Male I doubt we would have won as many games because their defense dominates teams that do nothing but run. Our passing game is the best way of beating Male's man press defense. They would have beaten us in 02 and 06, maybe even in 01 were we running the offense you describe.

 

Henry Clay's speed would have given them an inordinate edge against our offense if we ran that kind of set in '05 and '06.

 

Just because the teams I mention have been dominant doesn't mean they would have been just as dominant no matter the system they were running. The personel worked for the spread offense, the coaches were smart enough to know it.

For what it's worth I don't think it is a thing of the past. I just think people need to understand they need to be able to pass the ball effectively as well. :thumb:

 

Watched Belfry's title teams in sheer amazement of their execution of the wishbone.

The key point has already been hit on, you rarely see a power football team win without having amazing talent in the backfield. Cincy Colerain is perennially one of the top teams in the nation using their wishbone offense, but you can rest assured that any offensive coordinator of a spread offense would give his left foot to have athletes like that in his system.

 

What really makes teams like Belfry, Russell, etc such a dominant force on a year in, year out basis is also the system itself. Players at these schools have ran the Wishbone or Wing-T for years and it becomes second nature to them. The OL's blocking schemes, the RB's blocking assignments, the QB's reads, and which hole the RB should eb going are all second nature by the time they are a Sophomore, this allows coaches to work on specialties and individual skills that turns an ordinary running back to a monster. It also makes the coache's job alot easierin terms of graduation, these programs are able to plug kids in every year.

 

WYMT-TV out of Hazard set it best earlier this year when they commented on Belfry, "It doesn't matter what number is on the front of the jersey, or which name is on the back, every year Belfry just replaces one great runner with another." Rarely will someone whow atches a Belfry team be blown away by how athletic the kids are, but they will be amazed with how fundamentally sound they are. This is a direct by-product of having a long period of consistent coaching, a strong feeder system, and excellent assistant coaches at the high school level.

Maybe the question should have been. Who does not utilize a three back offense at all?

Just ask Coach McGlone, Coach Haywood, and Coach Jaggers. They have led the past 3 State Champs to titles using the smashmouth approach. Not to mention Russell beat O Cath in the title game who uses the Tony Franklin offense. Last year you had 2 running teams playing for the title. Many other high profile schools around the country run a smashmouth style including Colerain in Cincy.

DeLaSalle out in Cali runs the veer as well.