Bristol using balanced attack to beat BAL rivals
BucksLocalSports Editor While the running backs and the wide receivers typically make the football highlight reels, any gridiron game starts with the offensive line.
“I tell the offensive line this all the time. If we plan on winning football games, it’s going to have to go through them,” said Warriors head coach Leo Plenski.
While Plenski is young, he knows a thing or two about offense. The 2005 graduate of Bristol High School made a name for himself playing offensive tackle at Lafayette. He was also the long-snapper for the Division I-AA Leopards, making it onto the prestigious All-Patriot League selection list his senior year.
In the team’s most recent win over BAL rival DelCo Christian, a duel that began Saturday, Sept. 22 at Marple-Newtown and resumed Sept. 24 at Bristol, the Warriors used a balanced offense in registering its third win of the season against a BAL rival.
“We established the run early and when we needed to throw a couple times and keep the linebackers and safeties off, we did and we executed it well,” the coach explained.
“If we can get our attack as balanced as possible, then it opens up more options for our offense.”
Though they won the game 33-7, Bristol actually trailed Delco, 7-0, when the game was resumed Monday night in Bristol. The delay gave Plenski time to make a few adjustments. The Warriors had been driving downfield when lightning caused a suspension in the action. With the ball on the DelCo 16 yard line, the coach knew his team needed a game-changer.
“I told the kids, if we wanted to gain some momentum, we had to score on the first play,” said Plenski.
“We ran a quarterback naked and had the tight end wide open for the touchdown.”
The tight end was senior Tyler Kelly, who caught a grand total of three scoring aerials on the night. Sophomore Donte Simmons anchored the Warriors’ rushing attack, taking 26 carries for 149 yards and two touchdowns including a second-quarter 18-yard scamper that put Bristol on top, 20-7, at the half.
The confidence level with which junior quarterback Trevor Leone is playing right now has a lot to do with the Warriors’ early season success, the coach says. His second year under center, the signal-caller is displaying maturity and poise in guiding the offense down the field.
Again, it goes back to balance.
“If we can get him a couple chances to throw the ball in the beginning of the game, it will open up the run game for Donte [Simmons] and it all comes together,” said Plenski.
“We’re trying to have as much a balanced attack as possible and having Trevor at quarterback, we have that opportunity.”
Defensively, the Warriors were caught flat-footed in their season opener with Comm Tech, which connected on three TD aerials of 35 yards or more before the halftime gun went off. The Phoenix also burned Bristol with a 52-yard touchdown in the first two minutes of the game.
That hasn’t happened since though Plenski said poor tackling has been an issue at times this season.
“The last week-and-ahalf, we focused on making sure they knew how to tackle and tackle correctly,” he said. “The way they played Monday night, they started hitting hard and tackling like you want them to.
“[DelCo] had 62 yards [rushing] in the first quarter. After that, our defense really buckled down and we held them to 33 yards.
“They all played tough and physical and showed a lot of emotion out there.
“When they put themselves in the right position and make tackles, good things happen.” *** It seems like another lifetime looking back to Bristol’s season-opening loss to Comm Tech.
The Warriors committed five turnovers, two of which were fumbles that led to second-quarter scores for the opponent. Tied at 6-all after the first period, the Phoenix took a 26-6 halftime lead and never looked back on their way to a 38-20 triumph.
Bristol has let go of the ball since though not to that degree. The Warriors fumbled twice late in the battle with New Hope-Solebury though by that time, the game – a 28-16 win – was well in hand.
The Warriors
fumbled three times in their most recent win over DelCo and somehow managed to pounce on all three loose balls.
“The turnovers have gone down but I’m still not totally happy. I’d like to see it as minimal as possible.”
“That first week, we can’t expect to win a football game when we fumble seven times.” *** The win over DelCo pushes Bristol to 3-1, overall, 3-0 in the BAL and that’s good. Heading into the bye, Plenski wanted his team on top of the league standings.
“We’re using this week to get healthy and get fresh. We come back and go right back into the BAL. We have genkintown when we come back and we’re looking to go 4-0 in the league.
Sounds like a plan everyone in the borough can adhere to.