That Championship Season – AFM’s 2011 Survey of 334 State Champions

Winning a state championship is the pinnacle for most high school teams. Learning from the experience of championship coaches can help in your quest to hoist the trophy.

Hard work. Dedication. Leadership. Commitment. Focus. Team chemistry. These are the common themes that emerge when you talk to high school coaches that won their state championships in 2011.

But there is also great diversity among the 334 teams that raised the state championship trophy last season. There are the small schools in small towns that won titles for the first time in their history and the large schools where winning a championship is almost an annual occurrence. There is the rookie head coach who won a championship in his first year and the coaching veteran who toiled for over 25 years before finally taking home the hardware. There are almost endless combinations of offenses and defenses that produced championship results.

In the following pages, we present the results of AFM’s 2011 survey of state championship head coaches and also include profiles of five coaches who led their teams to titles. We hope that you’ll see that, no matter how many years you’ve been coaching, no matter how many championships your school has ever won, and regardless of the size of your team or your style of play, you have the opportunity to bring a state championship to your program. That is, of course, if you make a dedicated commitment as a leader to provide focus, build team chemistry and, above all, work hard.

VERMONT VICTORS

Mike Stone, Hartford HS (VT)

Hartford High School is barely in Vermont. Located less than 1,000 feet from the Connecticut River, which is the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire, the small school of 610 students in White River Junction is anything but small when it comes to state championships.

Last fall they won their ninth state championship by defeating Middlebury High School, 42-6, for the Vermont Division I title. “It was a unique feeling putting it into perspective,” said head coach Mike Stone, who has been coaching at the school for 26 years and has been the head coach for all nine titles. “We’ve also lost three championship games and I certainly remember each one of them.”

Stone’s teams have now won four state championships in a five-year span on two different occasions. He credits two main reasons why Hartford is consistently successful – the athletes themselves and the consistency of his coaching staff. “The make-up of your kids, their attitude, leadership, and focus are all critical to the success of your team. Additionally, the fact that our kids see – for the most part – the same coaches during their years at Hartford makes a big difference.”

According to Stone, leadership is important but not necessarily senior leadership. “Our athletes have to work on it year round, recognize expectations and be both mentally and physically ready before they show up for August camp. It’s like the old saying, ‘the more you work at something, the harder it is to let go of it.’ With the success we’ve had, the kids don’t want it to slip away.”

Stone found that by the third or fourth game last fall, his team had a chance for another state championship. “We were fortunate that we had time to develop our offense last fall,” said Stone. “We had a lot of kids back on defense but our early games were such that we got better, offensively, each game. Then, by the fourth game or so, we were clicking and I felt we could make another title run. Weather didn’t affect us, either. Being in White River Junction, our falls can be pretty rough. We’re a grind-it-out team but we had good weather for the most part.”

Hartford used 15 running backs last fall in grinding it out. The team scored more than 41 points in every game but one on their way to an 11-0 record. Stone also had one of the largest offensive lines in the state, referred to as the Hoggies. The name is derived from the mud the linemen inevitable practice in on their home field.

A strong off-season program also helped Hartford prepare for their title run. “Our players had a great off-season strength and conditioning program and part of the concept of a weight training program is to be strong enough for the regular season but also for a long playoff run,” said Stone. “Three years ago we played a lot of sophomores and they were ready for a title run as they matured. Our athletes, when training camp begin, I believe really enjoyed the experience and didn’t tread it, hoping they would last until the end of camp. It made a difference.”

Hartford runs the Wing-T, which is taught to fourth and fifth graders and through middle school as well. “We rely on a lot of traps, counters, sweeps and reverses,” said Stone, “Our kids and coaches believe in our system. We try to take advantage of our strengths.”

Defensively, Stone’s teams run a 4-2-5 but often have three down linemen or eight in the box. “A big part of our defense is to do everything we can to disguise our coverage,” said Stone.

Hoosier Heroics

Kevin Wright, Carmel HS (IN)

Kevin Wright was born to be a coach. His father, Larry ‘Bud’ Wright, is the winningest high school football coach in Indiana history. Over 46 years at Sheridan High School, he has 368 wins. Kevin played for his father as did his brother Kent, who is the head coach at nearby Lebanon High School. Last fall, Kevin Wright completed his second year at Carmel High School, guiding them to the Class 5A State Championship.

After coaching nearby rival Warren Central to three championships (2003, 2004, 2005), Wright left to coach at Western Kentucky for two years when they became a FBS team. He then made the transition back to high school for medical reasons and to be closer to his family. Wright was named head coach at Carmel on May 10, 2010. It is the second largest high school in the state with 4,443 students. Last December, Carmel completed a 14-1 season by overpowering Penn High School in the state championship title game, 54-0.

During their playoff run, Carmel came from being down 10 at halftime to beat Warren Central, 34-30. In that game, the Greyhounds converted two fourth down plays on the winning drive and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 23 seconds left. It revenged Carmel’s only regular season loss, a 22-20 defeat to Warren Central with the winning field goal coming on the last play of the game.

Carmel won two other playoff games by scores of 11-9 and 21-17 on their road to the state championship. Ironically, the title game was the only time Wright was able to relax. “It was probably the first time I could really enjoy a game,” he said. “The players were resilient and they persevered. Against Penn they put everything together in all three phases of the game.”

Wright believes the difference with his 2011 team was senior leadership. “We lost a tough playoff game in 2010 on a controversial call,” said Wright. “After the loss, the upcoming seniors led by example and made a commitment to an off-season strength and conditioning program and other things that would help us win a state championship. Our locker room poster was ‘No Excuses.’”

Carmel won a total of 7 different team championships during the 2011-2012 school year. It was the most of any Indiana high school in one season. “There’s now pressure on us to repeat,” said Wright. “But I think, as coaches, when expectations are high, we put the pressure on ourselves. People expect Carmel to be successful every year.”

Wright pointed to the dedication and focus of the athletes when discussing the reasons for Carmel’s success. “Our success consists of a number of things but it really comes down to the kids. You’ll see a great work ethic throughout the school year and someone is always working out at our facilities, whether it is at 5am or 11pm. That’s intrinsic motivation.”

Wright’s offense consists of the triple option and zone game, both under center and in the shotgun. Carmel rushed for nearly 4,000 yards and passed for 2,000 last fall. Wright operates a multiple spread, no-huddle offense that results in more plays and more points. Carmel’s staff visited the Oregon coaches last February and learned about the up-tempo, no-huddle offense from Chip Kelly and his staff. “The Oregon coaches were tremendously accessible,” said Wright. “We learned a number of things that will help us improve our offense.”

Defensively, Carmel’s base is a 3-4 but the team makes adjustments to it each year, depending on personnel. “Our philosophy is to have the players in peak condition so they can play fast for four quarters,” said Wright. “Like Oregon, we’ve started playing music during our practices. It’s helped the overall flow of our practice time together.”

PRIDE OF THE OREGON COAST

Kevin Swift, Gold Beach HS (OR)

“We were flabbergasted,” said Gold Beach High School Head Coach Kevin Swift after his team defeated Scio High School in the Oregon Class 2A state championship game last fall. “We were heavily out-weighed and about a three touchdown underdog going into the game. But our kids showed tremendous resiliency and shut them out, 30-0. We got home at 3am and my wife and I then turned on the computer to watch a replay of the game and make sure it was real and not a dream. I was never prouder of any team in my 28 years of coaching.”

Kevin Swift serves as the athletic director and a social studies teacher at Gold Beach High School as well as being the head football coach. There are 223 students in the school in this Oregon coast town of 1,800. “We had a very good team in 2010 but got pounded in the playoffs,” said Swift. “I thought, going into 2011, we were looking at 6-3 or 5-4 and maybe making the playoffs. We had three starters back on defense and only two on offense and had to completely rebuild our offensive line.”

If Swift learned one thing last fall, it was to never sell athletes short. “As coaches, we tend to be pessimistic and not really see the heart of a champion. We had a kid play half the season on a broken ankle. I learned that, more than anything, when you consider all the factors of a successful program – the work ethic of the kids, a consistent coaching staff, a supportive administration, a year-round weight training program – it is team  chemistry that is the most important element. Our kids liked each other last year and went to bat for each other. They also liked the coaches and our athletes were coachable, which made a big difference.

“The importance of team chemistry shows the most during times of adversity. It’s a different attitude and mentality. We were behind at halftime in five different games this past season and came back to win all of them. We did not have that sense of team chemistry in 2010.”

Swift is from Orange County in California and attended Servite High School, itself a football powerhouse. “Coming to a small Oregon town from southern California was a change for both Gold Beach and myself,” said Swift. “I represented change and, for my first five years at Gold Beach, the town didn’t take kindly to change. Now I’m more established and Gold Beach is clearly a football town.”

One of the things that clearly changed the program was a few years ago was when Swift took his seniors to southern California. “We spent eight days with Coach Bruce Rollinson and his staff at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. He is a good friend and he welcomed our kids. I feel our kids learned a lot about attitude, work ethic and focus and it got us over the hump. It clearly made a difference in the development and stabilization of the program. Our athletes saw coaches and players working together at 8am on a Saturday morning – they then began to get it.”

Gold Beach runs an offense similar to that run by perennial powerhouse De La Salle in California. “We use veer option with an I back, similar to what Nebraska also runs,” said Swift. “We ran the inside veer 38 times in the championship game. It’s a  physical sledge-hammer type offense.” Many of Gold Beach’s athletes play both ways so, defensively, Swift employs a multiple even front based on gap control. “It’s based on speed and not size,” said Swift. “It’s gap control and an 8-man front.”

Swift believes the 2011 season will be remembered for a long time. “Our kids were resilient and I and the other coaches are extremely proud. Our undefeated 13-0 record was quite an achievement. I’ll get out of coaching when I have seen everything, but not quite just yet.”

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

 60% Spend at least 9 hours
per week reviewing game video.

 Average hours spent per week on football
responsibilities during the season = 44 
(13% spend more than 80 hours per week)

 Average hours spent per week on football
responsibilities during the off-season = 23
(9% spend more than 50 hours)

“It was a payoff for a lot of hard work and effort by players and coaches – we had lost the 3 previous State Championships by a total of 8 points to the same team.
For me, relief.”

- Chris Homer,
Hurricane High School (UT)

State Champion Facts
States with most champions,
New Jersey (20), Massachusetts (19)

States with fewest champions,
Delaware (2) and Hawaii (2)

Toughest state to win a championship, California (5 champions out of 1,063 high schools)

“It was a vindication for the hard work the coaches and players put in the off season. I believe success in the fall is almost always directly correlated to the work in the off season. Our players and coaches had a great off season and the players really bought in to the things we asked of them.” 

- Kim Nelson,
Roosevelt High School (SD)

What base offense did you run in your championship season?

                                                 2011          2007
Spread                                      41%            19%
I backfield w/variations             18%            33%
Wing T                                       11%            14%
Pro Set                                      11%              8%
Veer Option                                 5%              4%
Double Wing                               2%               4%
2-Back/Option                            2%               6%
Wishbone                                   0%               4%
All Others                                   10%              8%

Use of the spread has more than doubled in just four years – mostly at the expense of the I. As for the wishbone, may it rest in peace.

What base defense did you run in your championship season?

                                                      2011     2007
4-4                                                 29%         20%
4-3                                                 23%         34%
3-4                                                 23%        14%
3-5-3                                             11%           8%
4-2-5                                              7%            NA
Other                                              7%          24%

Money Matters What is your annual football budget?

Under $10,000      21%

$10,000 - 20,000    35%

$20,000 – 30,000     22%

$30,000 – 50,000     9%

Over $50,000         13%

“We have won four state championships in the last six years, but this one, at the highest classification in Florida, was very gratifying because it was not our most talented team. But it was the most cohesive and character-driven team that I have ever seen.”

- Robert Weiner,
Plant High School (FL)

“The players may need 20 years to really understand what they did for the community and the high school.”

- Bruce Kozerski,
Holy Cross High School (KY)

Team ProFIle

Average number of players = 54.5
(16% have more than 80 players)

Average number of returning starters = 8
(82% have between 6 and 15)

Average number of
players who will play in college = 4.5
(4% have more than 16)

Small Town, Big Achievement

Doug Hazen, Lovell HS (WY)

Lovell, Wyoming is a town of just over 2,000 not far from Yellowstone National Park in northern, Wyoming. When their high school team won the 2011 state Championship, it was a big deal.

“This was our first state championship in 24 years,” said Doug Hazen, head coach of  Lovell High School, Wyoming 2A champions in 2011. Lovell defeated Lyman High School, 21-13 for their first title since 1987. “It was a special event for our players, coaches, fans, and the community. The state championship game was at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie and a once in a lifetime experience for all of us. We got home after midnight and there was an impromptu parade that included our town’s fire trucks. It’s something this town will never forget.”

2011 was Doug Hazen’s third year as head coach at Lovell. “I took over a program that was 4-5 the year before and I think one of the issues we had was a different group of coaches, it seemed, every year, “ said Hazen. “There was no continuity then, but we’ve maintained much of the same staff over the last three years. We went 5-4 and 8-2 before last fall’s run to the state championship.”

Hazen is also a math teacher at Lovell, a high school with an enrollment of just 200 students. “We had great junior and senior classes and I think solidifying our coaching staff helped our athletes,” said Hazen. “We became stabilized as a program and it became easier for the kids to focus. We also cleaned up a few discipline issues and the kids developed a strong sense of trust – in both their teammates and our coaching staff – along with a strong work ethic.”

Lovell’s growth and success as a winning program can be traced to its athletes, coaches, a supportive administration, an off-season strength and conditioning program and that work ethic. “I believe all of these things played a role in our success,” said Hazen. “But a key element was team discipline. By that I mean we use the concept in practice. If a player makes a mistake, the entire team is penalized. We will then do conditioning drills or some form of exercises to make sure everyone knows a mistake has been made and, hopefully, it won’t happen again. It’s just like in a game when your team clips or is offsides. One person may cause it but the entire team suffers.

“They have bought into the idea that we are playing as 11, not 1, and each player is affected by a teammate’s mistake. This has helped overall team unity and behavior and has brought us all closer.”

Lovell uses a pro style offense and I formation but varies it with two wide receivers, and two running backs and a tight end. The way the offense is structured, Lovell can shift, use motion, and by shifting and using motion, can run power plays as a pro right or pro left offense. Defensively, Lovell plays a traditional 4-4 defense with three defensive backs in various coverages.

Lovell went to four state championships between 1987 and 2011 but lost all four games. During their 11-0 season last fall, Lovell won two games by scores of 21-19 and 23-20. “Winning becomes addictive,” said Hazen. “As coaches and players, we obviously want another state championship. But that’s how you define success – working with what you have is the ultimate challenge.”

What are some of the reasons for your success?
(multiple answers)

98% said Coaching Staff

93% said Players

76% said Strength and Conditioning

62% said Parents Support

53% said Administration

34% said Boosters

27% said Facilities and equipment

Quick Fact

Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has won 37 state championships – more than any other school in America.

“This season everything came together.
We had good coaching, good talent, and our kids were able to support each other to achieve the success we set as our goal. Winning the first state championship in our school history (30 years) is something the players will never forget. Personally, I feel proud to have helped the kids in our school, players and fans, and our community to be able to grasp a good memory. The overall feeling is one of “job well done”. Every time I slide the championship ring on my finger,
I have fond thoughts of a group of kids who refused
to be anything but the best.”

- Jeff Gourley, Olathe South High School (KS)

DESERT DOMINANCE

Dan Hinds, Desert Vista HS (AZ)

In 2009, the program of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix hit rock bottom as the Thunder finished with a 2-8 record. Last fall, just two years later, they won their first state championship since 1998, defeating Hamilton High School 45-19 in the Arizona 5A title game. In the process, Desert Vista ended Hamilton’s 53-game winning streak and three straight state championships and avenged an earlier loss during the regular season to Hamilton, 35-10.

“It was an unbelievable feeling,” said Head Coach Dan Hinds. “It really is hard to describe but it was the culmination of hard work by our players and coaches. I’m now fortunate enough to have played on a state championship team in Arizona (Tempe McClintock, 1980) as well as coached one.”

For Hinds, the 2011 season was the result of player commitment, work ethic, and focus. “The players gained a lot of trust in our system over the last few years, trusting each other as well as the coaches,” said Hinds. “The perfect example of that was in the state championship when we had a fourth down near the goal line early in the game and went for it and scored. Kicking a field goal was not an option. We trusted each other.”

One of the annual rituals that Hinds and his staff conduct is an out of town team retreat. “We have it annually at the White Mountains which are in the eastern part of the state near the New Mexico border. It’s relatively close but it’s great for the kids and has limited distractions,” said Hinds. We usually have about 100 players go with the coaches and do drill work and conditioning but, more than anything, it’s a great time to bond with our athletes.”

Desert Vista has an enrollment of about 3,000 students and is a leader in many academic pursuits. Leadership is also a factor, especially when it comes to the football program. “In particular,” said Hinds, “one senior – Mike Annedundo, who signed with New Mexico – showed unbelievable leadership skills. As coaches, we would go to Mike if there was an issue or problem and he would take care of it. He was clearly instrumental in turning our program around from that 2-8 season in 2009.” Annedundo was a two-way starter – at both running back and linebacker – for three straight seasons.

Does Hinds feel the pressure to repeat? “Of course. With success, expectations are always high,” he said. “But a lot of that pressure is self-imposed. One of the factors that has helped our success has been the support of Desert Vista’s principal, Dr. Anna Battle. She understands the physical, mental, and emotional make-up of an athlete, having been an All-American collegian in track.” Dr. Battle also served as Desert Vista’s athletic director for five years.

Desert Vista is probably one of the few teams in the country to run the Fly Offense under center. But they also run it from the shotgun as well. The fullback and tailback are behind the quarterback and there is a lot of faking, disguised with motion. It also helps open up the play-action passing game. Angle blocking is a staple of the offensive line although the team man blocks. DV’s base defense is a 4-3 with multiple fronts and coverages.

“In the end,” said Hinds, “it comes down to the athletes you have and their commitment. After all of the Xs and Os, you want your kids to be in a position to be successful after their high school careers are over.”