Change can be daunting with new coaches, schemes

Coaches often refer to high school athletics as an extension of the classroom. That is most evident in some football programs installing new schemes.

“It’s like learning a foreign language for some kids,” Central Crossing first-year coach Trevor White said. “And for coaches, it’s kind of like teaching a foreign language. The adjustment to all the terminology we use is probably the hardest part. Instead of simply doing something you practice every day, you have to think about it first.”

Under former coach Chris Harr from 2010 to ’16, the Comets featured a fast-paced spread offense. Upon his arrival, White, who previously coached at Brookhaven and Beechcroft, switched to a traditional approach leaning on the run game. White said buying into his wholesale changes wasn’t an issue for the players, but executing the new scheme remains a work in progress.

“Kids are generally receptive to changes; they just want to play football,” White said. “It just has to make sense to them. You try to explain why this fits us best as a team.”

Senior receiver/defensive back Owen Lakso said the initial practices were a culture shock.

“In my first three years, we never once went under center,” he said. “We used one-word calls and signs at the line of scrimmage. We actually huddle now and we’re not as rushed. It’s fun and all, but for the seniors to learn something completely different, it’s a little challenging.”

Beginning his second year at St. Charles coach, Bob Jacoby is still working out the bugs in the triple-option offense he used with great success at DeSales and later installed at Hamilton Township and Hamilton.

“The biggest challenge is always getting the kids to believe in what you’re doing, and sometimes when they don’t see success immediately, it becomes a struggle,” Jacoby said. “As smart as our kids are, this scheme was a little difficult to grasp for them last year. On the field, the quarterback making the right option read is pivotal, but understanding the big picture is just as important.”

Tennyson Varney is making wholesale changes in his first season at Grove City after leading high-scoring Franklin Heights to the playoffs in 2016.

“In theory, you’re just plugging your system into the personnel you have, but getting kids to change their approach in practice is significant,” he said. “The teams here the past few years rarely, if ever, threw the ball. Subsequently, the receivers rarely worked on catching the ball. Even though we balance things up, we demand our receivers catch 50 to 100 balls a day. It’s just a different mindset we need to get them used to.”

Canal Winchester underwent a dramatic facelift this season under rookie coach Josh Stratton, installing a fastbreak spread offense. His goal is to run four plays per minute.

“It’s about creating an identity,” said Stratton, who spent the past four seasons at New Richmond near Cincinnati. “We snap it quick, run tempo packages and try to spread it around to different people. We don’t have a ton of formations, but we examine and choose options at the line of scrimmage.”

Stratton said the 2016 team operated out of a shotgun, used multiple tight ends, two backs and gap blocking. The Indians did not pass often.

“Yes, what we’re doing is entirely different,” Stratton said. “Right now, we’re only running 22 to 24 plays, which is a fraction of what we eventually hope to run. It’s about becoming efficient and building on those plays at practice. We put in a package here and package there when kids seem to have a grasp on things.

“I mean, let’s face it. We’re not the Patriots or the Buckeyes. We can only work with the kids a couple hours a day a few months a year. You can only do so much.”