The evolution of the athlete has resulted in the devolution of offense in high school football. No longer, do you see rocket arms pushing the ball down field; no longer do you see a balance of tough running and clean passing; now you see the “best athlete” being thrusted into the role of quarterback. He might not be a great or even a good passer but he sure can scramble and make plays. This is the new generation of high school football, instead of polishing raw talent into great players; teams are turning into a one-man show philosophy. For some this is fine but for other it is a waste of talent.
I am a big fan of the spread and high-octane offense but do not confuse it with the “option read spread” that seems to be the new rage. The idea that the quarterback is now another runner is nothing new and still does not work outside of video games. It is called the triple option and other than the armed forces and Georgia Tech, not many teams run it consistently. With the new influx of “read-option” offenses in high school, prepared quarterbacks are becoming a vanishing commodity. Do not get me wrong there are legit duel-threat players; see Brett Hundley, but most of the time it is just an athlete playing under center.
The problem? It works and is wildly entertaining! These teams create mismatches that inflate numbers and push the scoreboard higher. We all love seeing the best athlete with the ball in his hands as much as possible. We do not watch football to see an 80-yard, 15-play drive that takes up eight-plus minutes. We like that quick strike attacking offense. Take Liberty’s Andre Gattie for example. Is there another player that demands that much attention and yet is so under the radar? When he has the ball, all eyes are glued waiting for the next 40-yard run or broken play where he sends a frozen rope to a streaking receiver. The kid is tough as nails and fits exactly what you look for in an “option read” quarterback, but what are his prospects for the next level? He is not the next Brett Hundley, in my opinion, but he is something special. Imagine him in the slot for a spread offense (passing offense) like Boise St. or U of A runs. Gattie in the open field is a scary proposition for any defensive coordinator. Then if you want to put him in a more traditional pro-style offense, think Anquan Boldin or Golden Tate. He might not have the burst of a Boldin but Gattie has the shakes and toughness that fits the mold. As I have said before he is a very special player that people need pay attention too or all they are going to see are his elbows and the back of his jersey as he rolls by.
Go back to Brett Hundley, the prep star out of Chandler; his game with Centennial last week was epic. I honestly am still surprised with the zip he creates with that short smooth arm motion. Then when the play broke down there he is breaking the pocket, eyes downfield, making plays both with his legs and with arm. Down the stretch, he seemed to get better and better, with great accuracy and plenty of juice on his throws he was head and shoulder above the competition.
However, you might say then “why didn’t Chandler win?” “If he played so well how did Centennial pull it out in the end?” I have a simple answer for you. Centennial was able to get their “best athletes” in space against players not up to their level. Everyone sees the misdirection that the Coyotes created on their identical reverse touchdown runs, what you might miss is the burst that Jalen Ortiz had and how he did not give the Chandler defense the opportunity to recover. The Chandler defense had to respect the option capability of Centennials quarterback while created the mismatch of Ortiz on the slower, less athletic Chandler defense. As my dad would say, “the proof is in the pudding.”
Although I still like seeing the ball spread all over the lot, pushed down the field, I do enjoy seeing athletes making plays. They are starting to turn me into a believer.
Tim Gilbert
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