Runningbacks Coach at Middle Creek High School.  Varsity is 23-2 in conference over the past four years (since their header has been here).  JV is 22-4 in conference over that same period.  Varsity football conference titles in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.  Their JV defeated my teams in 2013 (17-14) and 2016 (34-28) for the conference championship.  Varsity has made it to the state semifinals in 2 of the past 4 years.  First day of practice is Thursday.  Friday we head out of town for 7 on 7.

--Dave

Nice!

Congratulations Dave best wishes!

Congratulations Dave best wishes!

Thanks Quincy.  It's a large school (4A) and close by.  Looking forward to it.

--Dave

Nice!

Steve, they seem to have all their ducks in a row.  It ain't the Double Wing, but they certainly know how to play. 

--Dave

Steve, they seem to have all their ducks in a row.  It ain't the Double Wing, but they certainly know how to play. 

--Dave

Dave....you’ll enjoy winning...zero doubt about that

Dave....you’ll enjoy winning...zero doubt about that

Yeah, I'm sure.  I'm just way behind on what I need to know.  We're an Air Raid team and I haven't run that since I was a header at GHHS in 2016.  But terminology here is completely different.

--Dave

Congrats Dave!!!! Should be a fun challenge.

They've given me a stack of Tony Franklin DVDs, as well as the Hudl playbook of their Spring install.  Looks like I'll have plenty of homework.  It's all 2-point stance, no huddle, tempo.  QB already has 4 D1 offers.  And this morning I read that one of the DBs has an article written about him on the NC State football recruiting website.  The facilities are very nice there and it will be interesting to see how they go about doing things.  I was also able to bring along 2 other coaches.

--Dave

Steve, they seem to have all their ducks in a row.  It ain't the Double Wing, but they certainly know how to play. 

--Dave

For me, the full transition took years. First, there were the non-negotiable ridiculous splits. I was supposed to be helping the backs and receivers run routes, but I couldn't help myself when I saw an o-lineman get smoked over and over.

Then, I'm pretty sure just to screw with my head, Mahonz invented the position of "Passing Game Coordinator" and made me wear that name tag. At the time, I'd just as soon punt or kick deep than throw a perfectly good football in the air.

Along the way, there was the "no pulling" thing. Also, Mahonz is not a fan of cut blocking, but he indulges me because I pick my battles. At some point, the Double Wing was just a distant memory, but I still thought of her as my "first girl".

One day, I get to install the DW to scout an opponent. I was absolutely giddy. 3 plays for 9 yards later, and I'm thinking, "I'm supposed to be happy about this?" 2.5 and a cloud of dust is a hard way to make a living. That's the exact moment that I realized that I'm no longer a wingnut.

I know you've run spread and other offenses in the past and keep coming back. Watch out, though. "Air Potter" has a nice ring to it.

Congrats on the new gig. Can't think of a more deserving coach. I hope they realize what they've got.

My previous transition from DW to a spread team actually went pretty smoothly all things considered...

The Oline actually made the best transition....because of the violence of DW blocking (at least that is my opinion)...and when we started teaching cut blocking, it only got better...the cut helped them when they were assigned to block someone a lot more athletic than they were...at the end of the day, TKO is nothing more than a very simple zone scheme...

Probably the biggest transition issue for us was the backs...now we were asking them to make a choice of where they were going to run, instead of telling them to run it right here....we left a lot of TD's on the field because they refused to bounce outside when it was there...eventually, they started seeing the field better...

What was different as a team...we could score quickly from the spread...if we were down two scores, we weren't worried...in the DW, we were worried...we could chew up clock and yards...but it took time for us to get there...

Watch out, though. "Air Potter" has a nice ring to it.

Sounds Awesome

Very nice ring to it.

For me, the full transition took years.

--These transitions do take years.  Which is why I no longer like to venture outside of the Double Wing.  It was one thing to learn it well enough to run it.  It took even longer to be able to run it with expertise.

I was supposed to be helping the backs and receivers run routes, but I couldn't help myself when I saw an o-lineman get smoked over and over.

--Well, they already have Line coaches.  And I have ZERO interest in teaching zone blocking, anyway.

3 plays for 9 yards later, and I'm thinking, "I'm supposed to be happy about this?" 2.5 and a cloud of dust is a hard way to make a living. That's the exact moment that I realized that I'm no longer a wingnut.

--It is a hard way to make a living.  But it's even harder for the opponent, which is what makes it so much fun for me.

I know you've run spread and other offenses in the past and keep coming back. Watch out, though. "Air Potter" has a nice ring to it.

--We threw the football all over the place in 2016.  The TF Air Raid allows you to come from behind and in a hurry.  And even though we went 8-1 while trailing in 7 of the 9 games, with the Double Wing we'd have never trailed in the first place.  It's why I asked to coach the RBs.  I knew that was the only position in the Air Raid that I could teach their personnel the way I teach my DW personnel.

Congrats on the new gig. Can't think of a more deserving coach.

--Thanks Lar.

I hope they realize what they've got.

--We'll see if they do.  It's just nice to be at a school that has its head on straight and understands football as a priority.

--Dave

Sounds Awesome

Very nice ring to it.

I had fun with the TF Air Raid in 2016, but I really hate playing football the same way everyone else plays it.  I've only been at MCHS for a few days, but it's easy to see why they're successful.  The scheme is really no better than anyone else's.  But they have good talent being coached by good coaches that are using good facilities.

Yesterday I was meeting with the HC and OC.  On the table in the HC's office were 3 jerseys and 3 helmets.  The new jerseys were a home, an away and an alternate.  The 3 helmets were white, a black to red fade, and a chrome one.  Each of the jerseys had the same number on them.  I then learned why all this gear was laid out:  In walks a young man with his family.  The young man is about 6'3" and 235 lbs.  It's his number on the jerseys.  He's just moved here from another high school and this was how they were welcoming him.  The table was laid out like it was signing day.  Playing on the HC's flatscreen were MCHS highlights that a professional video company had put together. 

Just nice to see a more serious approach to things than what I saw at my last high school.  The parents there still call me about the clown show over there.

--Dave

Then, I'm pretty sure just to screw with my head, Mahonz invented the position of "Passing Game Coordinator" and made me wear that name tag. At the time, I'd just as soon punt or kick deep than throw a perfectly good football in the air.

LOL..its been a fun journey.  🙂