RSS Electronic Edition | Newsletters Subscribe | Customer Service Contact Us | Community Buy Photos Modmomsclub

... - Football - Fall 2009 Preview - Harvest Christian League

Sunday, Sep. 06, 2009

2009 Football Preview: Stanislaus District's must-see schemes

E-Mail Print

There was a time when high school football was quite predictable, whether you were watching from the bleachers or playing on the field.

Most teams ran the same offensive scheme, the single-wing, and defenses stacked the line to stop an alignment that almost exclusively ran the ball.

In the years since, formations on both sides of the ball have been deconstructed and reassembled in hopes of exploiting a team’s skills. As one coach developed a new scheme, the others would adapt.

It remains a continuous game of cat and mouse, as coaches try to remain a step ahead of each other.

When Hilmar installed its spread offense a few years ago, defenses were bewildered — but only for a short time. They adapted by blitzing the quarterback, hoping to make each pass a painful event.

Hilmar countered by using its running backs to exploit the overanxious defense, then defenses began pulling out linemen and replacing them with linebackers and defensive backs. It goes on and on.

These are the most popular schemes you're going to see this season in the Stanislaus District:

1. 4-3 Defense — The most common set, with four down linemen — hands on the ground before the snap — three linebackers and four defensive backs. Having that hand on the ground lets a lineman drop his hips lower and power into the offensive line, but it limits sight and ability to react. The 'backers stand up, reading the play and reacting. If it's a pass, they rush the quarterback or drop back to defend short passes. Teams using this include Le Grand, Atwater and Denair.

2. 3-4 Defense — Utilizing three linemen and four ’backers, it's often used by teams with a large noseguard and athletic tackles on each side. The noseguard battles the center and a guard on each play, and the tackles are expected to prevent linemen from getting to the ’backers. It’s difficult to pressure the passer with three linemen, so teams will often blitz backers on likely pass plays. Teams using this include Patterson, Enochs and Modesto Christian.

3. 50 Defense — With five linemen, who can play in a gap or head-up with the offensive linemen, it provides good protection against the run. It maximizes the defense’s size on the line and is often used against teams that primarily run the ball. The linebackers make most of the tackles, since they should be free to attack the ballcarrier. Mariposa is among the teams that has been using this set.

4. 3-3-5 Defense — Sonora installed this formation six years ago to exploit its quickness and disguise its lack of size on the line. Three down linemen play over offensive linemen, with three linebackers behind them. Bandit and nickel defenders, a linebacker-safety hybrid, are outside the defensive ends and off the line to defend the run or against a short pass. A safety is the last line of defense.

5. Prevent Defense — Some folks say this defense "prevents you from winning" because it allows teams to get big gains in front of the defensive backs. Often used in the game's final minutes of the first half or the game, it floods the field with as many as six defensive backs to defend against long pass plays. It forces receivers to catch balls in the middle of the field, so the clock runs. It works best when linebackers blitz or drop deeper into coverage to bat down passes. Virtually every team uses this.

6. Wing-T Offense — The Delaware Wing-T often uses two running backs and the quarterback to move the ball, with about six to 10 passes a game. The Bay City — like the Delaware, named after the college that first used it — has three running backs and a quarterback, and just three or four throws a game. Linemen “pull” in an attempt to overload one side of the defense, as the quarterback carries out fakes to confuse defenders. There are many variations, including two tight ends or two wingbacks with a split end, and it’s a power-running offense. Teams using this include Escalon, Pitman and Oakdale.