Pioneers preparing for balanced attack
|
After studying films of the Falcons’ earlier games this season, WCHS assistant coach John Dryden said LCHS employs a strong running game, with just enough of an aerial attack to avoid being too predictable.
“We know they like to run the ball, and that’s one of our main concerns,” Dryden said. “But they also have a very athletic quarterback (Michael Edmiston), who can run the ball just as good as he can throw it. He’s basically another running back in the backfield.
“In the game film against Blackman they ran the ball, then mixed up their offensive attack very well with their passing game.”
The Pioneers got a first-hand look at Edmiston last year, when the then-sophomore came off the bench to rack up 86 yards rushing, 80 more through the air and a 41-yard touchdown run.
Defensively, Dryden said Lincoln County has employed a 5-2 set, and through their first two games have not shown a great tendency to blitz opposing quarterbacks. However, he noted that the Pioneers expect they may see more pressure than the Falcons’ first two opponents.
“In the first two games they haven’t shown much blitzing,” Dryden said. “But after they look at the Shelbyville film, they may try and do a little bit more than they have done so far this year.
“Shelbyville came after us up the middle with some success, so I imagine Lincoln County will try and do much of the same. So we have worked a lot on the blitz this week, and have thrown every type of defense at our starting offense.”
As for the Pioneer defense, Dryden said he and the other coaches liked what they saw last week at Shelbyville, and hopes to see the unit continue to improve.
“Our defense is making some good strides, and the players feel comfortable with our defensive set,” he said. “We learned a few things last week. We found we could make the plays on defense, and we could match up pretty well with anything the offense ran at us.
“So we all feel that we’re headed in the right direction, and the kids are starting to step it up on defense.”
On the other side of the ball, while there were few highlights from the WCHS offense, Dryden said he was pleased to see sophomore receiver Heath Crisp “provide a spark” late in last week’s game.
“Crisp came in and did a good job,” he said. “We knew he was an athlete, and we were just waiting for him to step up and show everybody what he is capable of doing.
“He came in and did what he had to do, and he may have just found a spot. He’s certainly one of the top two (receivers), and he could just be the starter this week.”
Throughout the week, Dryden said Pioneer coaches have tried to show their offensive players what they did correctly during parts of last week’s game, and tried to bring more consistency to the Pioneer offense.
“We have to have ball control, and last week they showed signs of being able to move the football,” he explained. “The line did a better job of holding their blocks, and opened up some good holes. We had a stretch there where we moved the ball with great success, but we lost our focus a little and had to turn the ball over.
“Overall the offense is starting to feel more comfortable with what they’re doing, and that’s going to make a difference in how we attack Lincoln County.”