The Hybrid Wing Attack – You can create mismatches at the POA by using the Hybrid Wing Offense

Keeping teaching and learning simple for players has paid dividends at Crestwood High School in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania. We have developed a system called the hybrid wing. It consists of utilizing multiple, unique wing formations, shifts and motions to outgain and out leverage the point of attack while keeping minimal blocking schemes.

The hybrid wing is a blend of the direct-snap single wing, wing-t and today’s spread offenses. The offense is able to utilize various personnel groupings to adapt to your style and age group while using multiple tempos and backfield actions while running or throwing the ball.

This is a unique blend of offense which is built on three philosophies: 1 – Keep teaching and learning simple. We only use three main blocking schemes that we can apply to a power or spread set. Each position has there own buzz words or cues. 2 – It uses unique formations and shifts that force defenses to alter their base defense. Preparation becomes very difficult. 3 – We have developed a base run game through varying backfield actions (power/spin/cross/Jet) while having a form of misdirection and play-action off each base running play. The base run game can be applied to most, if not all, formations including power and spread formations.

Strong Sweep

The strong sweep acts as our base running play, similar to the wing-t buck sweep. We will try to outnumber the POA (Point of Attack) with a pre-snap we shift and/or motions while double teaming at the POA (Diagram 1). As you can see in photo #1, we get two blockers out in front of the ball. The guards pull and the one and two back lead block with the QB the lead blocker.  That’s the extra blocker that the defense cannot account for. We have rules in place for inside blitzes where we will keep the guards home or we can also influence the guards if the defense is reading guards. This system has built in influence blocks for every position except the center.

Here are the responsibilities for each player on this play:

1    Lead blocker
2    Ball carrier
3    Kick-out edge defender
4    Double teams OT unless end man is outside         OT then perfoms a crack down block on ILB
OT    Reach end man
IT    Reach, cover for SG
SG    Alley pull, look for run through
C    Back
QG    Alley pull, look for run through
Y    Post
X    Crack force defender

The strong sweep has two lead blockers, the blocking back (3 back) and the QB (1 back). This play also has two guards pulling (unless influencing).
   
Weak Counter

The weak counter play is set up by the strong sweep. Remember, this is only the base scheme. We can apply key breakers and different backfield actions to this play as well as 4-5 tags to vary the blocking schemes. As you can see in Diagram 2, we can double at the P.O.A. and lead/wrap with at least two blockers.  The backfield action includes a strong sweep and the handoff to the wing/4 back.
Responsibilities for the players
on this play:

1    Run a fake sweep
2    Get snap, hand off to 4
3    Combo wrap, look outside
4    Ball carrier, get under hand off from 2
OT    Combo wrap with 3, look inside, watch run through by ILB
IT    Block DE
SG    Kick end man on LOS to the weak side
C    Block DT
QG    Block DT
Y    Watch run through by ILB, make call to SG
X    Run track to  F/S

Transforming the Offense to Spread Sets

We utilize two main formations to spread the field (Diagrams 3 and 4) while keeping our base schemes. In the formation in Diagram 3, we run our direct snap power/power sweep plays with play-action as well as our spin and T series action plays. In the formation in Diagram 4, we will run our jet series plays with play-action and boots. We will also use a pistol set in both formations and run a read play off our dive/wedge scheme.

About the Author: Greg Myers has been the head coach of Crestwood High School (PA) for the past nine seasons. The team has an overall 34-6 record over the last six seasons and has qualified for the playoffs in six of the nine seasons Myers has been head coach. Crestwood had 16 straight losing seasons prior to his arrival. Myers was the Northeast Pennsylvania Coach of the Year in 2014.