Geeky Stuff

Patrick Browne asked me about new plays this year. You may be surprised to know that I've been thinking about that.  (That was a joke of course. I know that you know that I've been thinking about little else.)

We will add a spread formation and a Midline version of the option. And we want to try to accomplish a true fullback dive option with a mesh, and have our play-side linemen block at the second level. All of this is rather ambitious, but I thought that running the outside option at all last year was ambitious and the boys did it very well. These are just the next steps in the progression to becoming a true 'triple' option team.

The mesh by the way, is the hand-off part of an option where the quarterback determines whether or not a hand-off is going to happen. It might happen, and it might not. The quarterback reads the defense during the play and then he and he alone decides what will happen. One of the coolest things about the triple option, from either the wishbone or the spread formation, is that executing that part of the option correctly means we don't have to block the big giant defensive tackle that we're running toward. He will take himself out of the play by committing to either the fullback or the quarterback.

For those of you like me that get all geeked up about football, here are three different examples of what we will call the Spread Midline option that will be in our playbook.

Credit where credit is due - I saw this series originally last year on a Navy fan blog site called http://thebirddog.wordpress.com/

Below is a video of the Midline option. The quarterback sees that the "hand-off key" (an arrow points him out) is turning inside to tackle the fullback. So he keeps the ball and could have even pitched it somewhere down field if he'd wanted to run that risk. This is a great read by this quarterback, because even though the defender goes to the outside initially to the B gap, he still turns his shoulders inside toward the fullback, which causes the fake and pull. I think the fullback would have been past the defender even if he'd been given the ball, but it is still a fabulous read. We would call this play Spread, Midline Option Left
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6udfx_rutgers-midline2_sport

Here is the same play.  But this time, once the quarterback sees that the handoff key 'floats' - stays outside to tackle him - the quarterback just goes ahead and hands the ball to the fullback. So again, Spread, Midline Option Left, but with a different outcome
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6udiq_rutgers-midline4_sport

Finally, in this example, they do something a little different. They KNOW in the huddle that they want the QB to keep the ball, so they cut the motion A back (#28 I think, equal to our 2 back) immediately up the field as an extra blocker. I think he is supposed to block the hand-off key, but since that guy has taken himself out of the play by chasing the fullback, he just gets up field and cuts a safety. The lead A back (#34, would be our 3 back) looks for an inside linebacker first, but since the guard got in that guy's way and no one is there early for him to block, he goes ahead and jumps out to the other safety and absolutely destroys him. We would call this one Spread, Midline 15 Keep
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6udrh_oldmid_sport

In addition to the Midline, we'll add a Belly series and a greater, more deceptive variety of counter plays. 

If you don't love this stuff, you're just not geeky enough. 

Hannah & Oltjen Accept Ravens Trophy

I delivered the FCCJC 2008 Runners Up trophy to our sponsors, Dr.'s Joe Hannah and Jay Oltjen this morning. I thought this would be an ideal time, as I was taking in my third child for an ortho consult. (Yes, he needs them...)

Jay Oltjen is a big football fan, and was really pleased to hear of our successes this year, and that the boys had so much fun. I also presented a jersey to Sarah Fankhauser, who handles the marketing and probably many other duties for the practice as well. (Her logo design graces the front of our jerseys.) She was thrilled to receive it, and very excited to be able to display all of it in their office at 151st and Ridgeview.

On behalf of all the players and parents, I thanked them for sponsoring us, and do so again publicly here on our blog. They are first-rate corporate citizens, terrific orthodontists, and great people.

Ravens 2008 Statistics

Thanks to Coach Judd, who kept a drive chart for both offense and defense for the entire season. In addition to being the only possible way we could share these next three posts, the drive charts were really helpful demonstrating which plays were working, which were not, and where we were vulnerable defensively.

A few more statistics, that don't need a table:

Ravens Record: 6-2-0, League Runners Up

Points Scored: 116
Points Allowed: 36
Point Difference: +80, 10 points per game

Ravens Fumbled: 31 Lost: 6
Opponents Fumbled: 27 Lost: 9 (Luke W 3; Mitch C 2; Ox, Trevor A, Hayden M, Tyler R)

Interceptions Made: 2 (Tyler R 2)
Interceptions Given: 0

Season Turnover Margin for Ravens: +5

Safeties Scored: 2 (Luke W, Michael N)
Safeties Given: 0

3d Down & 4th Down Conversion Percentage

Ravens: 22 / 50 - 44%
Opponents: 12 / 50 - 24%

Ravens 2008 Defense Summary

Defense Summary	Season	Avg
Plays	243	30.4
Yards	569	71.1
Defensive Penalties/Yards	5	0.6
	35	4.4
Net Yards	604	75.5

Ravens 2008 Tackles

Player	Tackles	Avg.
Team	33	4.1
Mitch C	30.5	3.8
Trevor A	24	3.0
Luke W	19.5	2.4
Tyler R	17	2.1
Dart H	16	2.0
Hunter H	12	1.5
Peyton B	9	1.1
Michael N	8	1.0
Terrell G	7	0.9
Ox ¤	7	0.9
Jack B	6	0.8
Jake E ¥	4	0.5
Zach P	2	0.3
Hayden M	1.5	0.2
Jack D	1	0.1
Jason B	0.5	0.1

¤ Missed Game 4
¥ Injured for Games 1 - 4

Ravens 2008 Rushing Totals

Carries Yards Yards / Carry	Season Totals	Game Average
Peyton B	76	9.5
	596	74.5
	7.8
Mitch C	88	11.0
	368	46.0
	4.2
Hunter H	32	4.0
	101	12.6
	3.2
Tyler R	31	3.9
	70	8.8
	2.3
Hayden M	5	0.6
	19	2.4
	3.8
Jack B	8	1.0
	9	1.1
	1.1
Terrell G	2	0.3
	5	0.6
	2.5
Team Rushing Totals	242	30.3
	1,168	146.0
	4.8
Less Offensive Penalty Yards	17	2.1
	-100	-12.5
Plus Defensive Penalty Yards	12	1.5
	65	8.1
Net Yards	1133	141.6

Butterflies are Free

I have told this story before, but I needed to write it down in the blog, before I forget all the details.

There comes a moment in many football games, where the game is truly on the line. I know, that is a hopeless cliche. Nevertheless, it is a true statement. Football play-by-play guys often let us know when that play is about to happen. Even the PA announcer for Olathe Northwest usually says something like, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a big play" which drives me batty, but OK, maybe some people need the help.

So in the 2008 season, our third grade team is playing our third game of the season against the best team in our league. Their coach is a good guy named Kendall Gammon, and if you recognize that name as the former KC Chief and current radio broadcaster, bingo, that's the guy. Kendall's team was unbeaten to that point, and were quickly ahead of us that day 12 - 0. But with some persistent effort and a great final play of the half, we managed to get to halftime tied.

We traded drives for the entirety of the third quarter most of the fourth. At one point we turned the ball over on downs at their 1 yard line, and then nearly scored a safety. Late in the 4th they put a great drive together and were halfway into our territory when we finally stopped them on downs. By that time there was just over a minute left in the game, and that's when we finally broke a 53 yard touchdown run (Peyton) to go in front 18 - 12.

So we're now to their final possession. On first down they completed a pass for 6 yards, but our corner (Hayden) was right there to make the tackle. They called timeout. On second down they tried to beat us outside the other way, but Hunter ran the ball carrier down for a 5 yard loss. They called timeout again.

So let's set the stage, shall we? It's now 3rd down and 9, with less than a minute to play, and we're six points ahead of the best team in our league. Chances are pretty good that if we stop them on this play, only a miracle last play could beat us.

Now when we're on defense, I'm on the sideline. Coach Lee runs the defense, and he's out there in the huddle with the players. This is great for any number of reasons, including Lee's a lot better at defense than me. But I can tell you, it does feel a little more helpless on the sideline than in the huddle, and at that point in the game - yes, I know it is only a game - I was feeling a wee bit of stress.

And that's when the sleeve of my shirt was tugged. "Coach?" I knew it was some player wanting to ask me something. "What?", I asked, as I kept my attention on the field.

"Coach, are the monarchs flying south for the winter?"

You know what a double take is, right? That's where you look at something, look away, and then look back. That's what I did with the player. I glanced at him, then looked back at the field, and then, after the question had mostly registered in my brain, I know that I turned back to him with an expression on my face of absolute incredulity.

"WHAT?"

"The monarchs, coach, the butterflies. Are they flying to Mexico now for the winter?", Jack D. asked, and pointed across the field at a dozen or so fluttering butterflies along the chain link fence.

So at this very intense moment, literally seconds away from a tremendous victory, or a breathtaking disappointment, it was my duty to consider whether butterflies were migrating.

I looked back at the butterflies, and then back at the kid. I know that at some point in elementary school I must have learned that Monarch butterflies migrate. But at just that moment, my internal tension no doubt interfering with my memory for these things, I could not summon the answer.

So I did the only thing I could. It was in fact, the only thing that a head football coach, a man, SHOULD do in that circumstance. I turned around and asked the team Mom.

"Yvette, are the Monarchs flying south for the winter?"

I know that someday when I am drooling on myself in an Alzheimer's unit, people will once again look at me with the mixture of pity and puzzled bewilderment that Yvette Hatfield granted me that day.

"WHAT?"

I explained to Yvette that Jack really needed to know, right now, if the Monarchs were flying south for the winter. I saw Yvette's mouth open. I know she wanted to answer. But no sound would come out. Somewhat helplessly, I looked down our fence line, where Brent Morgan (Hayden's dad) had watched the entire exchange.

Brent either took pity on me, or actually knew the answer, I'm not sure which. "Yes coach, they are."

"There you go Jack," I said. "The monarchs are flying south for the winter. Can we watch the football game now?"

"OK," he answered. "I just wondered."

They threw an incomplete pass on 3rd down, stopping the clock, but I called timeout. Coach Lee, I'm sure, wondered what in the world I was doing calling timeout and going out there to talk to him, and I remember that I suggested putting an extra safety back for the last play or something, but really, truly, I just needed to be off the sideline for a minute.

Yes, we stopped them on 4th down, took a kneel down, and claimed the victory. But I will never, ever look at Monarch butterflies the same way.