The Prep Report

by: Jamie DeMoney
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Flying Under the Radar
The Triple Option is Alive and Well

The triple option – it was college football’s offense de jour in the 1960s and 70s, highlighted by the ultra successful wishbone systems at Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama. Now, only a handful of Division I-A programs such as Rice and Air Force employ an option system.

But the triple option is still very much alive and well on high school football fields across the nation. Especially at Warren Central HS in Indianapolis. Head coach Kevin Wright brought it with him from Trinity HS in Louisville, Ky., in 1999, and the Warriors won back-to-back state titles in 2003-04. It was the first state crowns for the school since Jeff George left there running a wide-open attack and passing for 8,126 career yards in the mid-80s.

Warren Central rolled over opponents last season to the tune of 392 rushing yards per game. The Warriors entered the season ranked No. 5 in the National Prep Poll and were favored to win a third straight Class 5A championship.

Another nationally ranked program that runs the triple option to near perfection is Colerain (Cincinnati). Coach Kerry Coombs and offensive coordinator Rick Haynes have a unit that averaged 315 rushing yards and helped rest a defense that surrendered only 98 points in 15 games.

“We’ve spent some time with Colerain discussing the triple option,” Wright says. “I know Coach Coombs real well, and our offensive coordinators exchange notes.”

Even though their offenses might be considered “old school,” Wright and Coombs and their staffs are great offensive minds.

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Monthly Roundup

The head coaching job at Zeeland (Mich.) East is being manned on an interim basis by Jay Riemersma. The former University of Michigan and Buffalo Bills tight end is filling the job for his friend Steve Turner, who is taking a year off. Riemersma has lived in his hometown since tearing an Achilles’ tendon while a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004... The Ohio-Pennsylvania matchup in the Big 33 all-star will remain intact, for at least one more year. Coaches associations in both states voted to keep the rivalry going even though next year’s game is the same day as Ohio’s North-South All-Star game... Shooting victim Gary Joe Kinne, 38, returned to practice at Canton (Texas) four months after a disgruntled parent allegedly fired a shot into his abdomen, nearly destroying his liver.

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The List

Here are 15 more of the best offensive coaches in high school football today:

1. Rush Propst and staff, Hoover (AL): Back-to-back Hoover QBs have won Alabama Mr. Football. Four state titles since 2000.

2. Gus Malzahn and staff, Springdale (AR): Two-minute, no-huddle sets keep defenses on their heels. Entered season with Top 15 national ranking.

3. Todd Dodge and staff, Carroll (Southlake, TX): Hard to leave Dodge off of any list like this one. Spread offense that puts a full-court (end zone-to-end zone) press on defense.

4. Dave Logan and staff, Mullen (CO): Former NFL receiver, current NFL broadcaster watches more film than Ebert and Roeper. Has brought three state titles to three schools in just over a decade.

5. Tom Knotts and staff, Independence (Charlotte, NC): The architect of prep football’s second longest winning streak ever and most prolific passing attack this decade is back after one year coaching QB’s at Duke. Patriots entered year with 77-game winning streak.

6. Bruce Cobleigh and staff, Harrison (Kennesaw, GA): A guru of the Jet set that utilizes a variety of sweeps with deep vertical routes. Record is 38-9 since 2001.

7. Bob Howard and staff, Sigourney-Keota HS (Sigourney, IA): Continues to confuse and punish defenses with deceptive Single Wing. Zero losing seasons in 28 years.

8. Dennis Dunn and staff, Evangel Christian (Shreveport, LA): A pioneer of the spread at the prep level … deepest shotgun formation you’ll ever see. Eight state titles since 1993

9. J.T. Curtis and staff, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, LA.): Has run the veer option to 19 state titles since 1975.

10. George Herrmann and staff, Pflugerville (TX): Incorporates option and spread at emerging Texas power.

11. Ken Stonebraker and staff, Salina (KS) South: The Cougars run the ball with great effectiveness, and they do a lot of it out of empty sets. Two state crowns since 2000.

12. Glen McNew and staff, Morgantown (WV): Three state titles since 2000 with variations of the Wing-T and four-wide spread.

13. Jon Mack and staff, St. Bonaventure (Ventura, CA): No-huddle, attacking offense utilizes speed to keep defenses guessing. Seraphs have six CIF titles in nine years.

14. John DiBiaso and staff, Everett (MA): With a 52-3 record since 2000, the Everett offense wins with spread and option packages.

15. Andy Lowry and staff, Columbine (Littleton, CO): The Rebels give a multiple option. Three state championships since 1999.

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Feedback: Who Are We Missing?

Give us your comments related to high school football across the nation that we should know about. We might use some or all of your comments in future issues of AFM’s Prep Report. Please email us at PrepReport@AmericanFootballMonthly.com Jamie DeMoney is the editor of PrepNation.com.

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