Why Everyone Hates (or Envys) Southlake

[GreenBat]

Southlake: Welcome to Perfect City, U.S.A.

[TheTastyGreek]

Holy crap... I had no idea:

Something else happened that same year Gillum resigned: Todd Dodge traveled to Tennessee before the 2002 season to revolutionize the state of high school football.

They ran a spread offense at Middle Tennessee State, where the offense featured four, sometimes five receivers scattered all over the field—just as Dodge’s did. But they didn’t huddle before the play, didn’t even have a receiver run the play in to the huddle. Instead, they relied on hand signals similar to those in baseball. The hand signals sped up the game; every player just lined up and looked back to the coach for the play. The signals also allowed for a more thoughtful offensive attack, since the coach had maybe 22 seconds of the 25-second play clock to consider his next move. Plus, they allowed the coach to call off a play when the defense shifted, and then signal another call in response to the shift. Dodge and three assistants spent four days in Tennessee that spring learning the no huddle. It sure looked familiar to Dodge. It was really just a variant of the signals he used at the line of scrimmage back in Port Arthur.

The pressure on this man is enormous. As Riley Dodge says, “One loss, and this season is a failure. I don’t want to think about it.” But Wasson isn’t worried. “Yesterday when I was unpacking,” he says, “I was going through some old lock and key stuff, and I said, ‘Here’s the original blueprint to the offense.’” The offense is the no huddle. The blueprint is from the trip to Middle Tennessee State.

We're emulating MTSU?? We're doomed....

Edited August 25, 2007 by TheTastyGreek

[GreenBat]

Holy crap... I had no idea:

We're emulating MTSU?? We're doomed....

It sure looked familiar to Dodge. It was really just a variant of the signals he used at the line of scrimmage back in Port Arthur.

It helps to read all of what you posted. They copied what Dodge was doing in High School as a player.

[runt96]

WOW, awesone article. The sky's the limit.