ShotgunWing-T Plays101

Lew JohnstonRich Hargitt

ShotgunWing-T Plays101

My background as a high school coach began in the wing-T offense. This book provides some great ideas on how to run the fundamental plays of the wing-T in the shotgun offense. No matter the level of coaching or type of offensive philosophy, 101 Shotgun Wing-T Plays can help teams improve their offensive attack.

Gus MalzahnOffensive Coordinator

Auburn University

Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt have come up with a new and innovative twist to the traditional wing-T. This system is very thorough, very multiple, and will be very thought-provoking for all wing-T coaches.

Denny CreehanHead Football Coach

Alderson-Broaddus College

Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt have provided a great resource for the shotgun wing-T. For anyone wanting to learn or expand their offense, 101Shotgun Wing-T Plays is a great book to have in your library. It gives coaches plays that attack every part of the field, as well as ways to get the ball to the best players. Johnston and Hargitt have stayed true to wing-T concepts while doing a great job showing the evolution of the shotgun wing-T. I recommend this book to all wing-T coaches who want to get better.

Mike ParsonsHead Football Coach

Clovis West High School (CA)

Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt have assembled a book that is a must for every coach. This updated version of the time-tested wing-T basic elements provides a great opportunity for anyone who wants to learn more about this style of football.

Chris NormanFormer Head Football Coach

Shelby (NC) High School

Lew Johnston

Rich Hargitt

$19.95

ISBN – 978-1-60679-195-0

jo

hns

to

n/ha

rg

itt

10

1 S

ho

tg

un

Win

g-T

Pla

ys

c

oa

ches

cho

ice

101 Shotgun Wing-T Plays is a great book for anyone wanting to implement the shotgun with standard wing-T plays.

Jim UnruhFormer Head Football Coach

Illini West High School (IL)

Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt have put together the most comprehensive look at one of the fastest growing offenses in the country. I can’t think of any two coaches more qualified to write this book. Every wing-T coach I know is now trying some form of shotgun in their offense. Learn from two experts that have been around and have implemented the offense with success. We will be using 101 Shotgun Wing-T Plays at our school.

Pat MurphyHead Football Coach

Capital High School (MT)

Coach Lew Johnston and Coach Rich Hargitt have teamed up to provide an excellent resource for traditional wing-T coaches looking to expand their offenses using the shotgun formation. This book is a great tool for coaches who want to combine the traditional Delaware wing-T principles with today’s spread game concepts.

Jeff HerronHead Football Coach

Camden County High School (GA)

Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt have provided a great resource for football coaches who run the double wing or any other wing-T-based offense. 101 Shotgun Wing-T Plays illustrates how to use multiple formations, without changing your basic offensive structure. If, like me, you are seeing 9- to 10-man fronts every week, this book is for you.

Mike BentonHead Football Coach

Ridgeview High School (IL)

101Shotgun Wing-T Plays

Lew JohnstonRich Hargitt

4

©2012 Coaches Choice. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Coaches Choice. Throughout this book, the masculine shall be deemed to include the feminine and vice versa.

ISBN: 978-1-60679-195-0Library of Congress Control Number: 2011941343Cover design: Studio J Art & DesignBook layout: Studio J Art & Design

Coaches ChoiceP.O. Box 1828Monterey, CA 93942www.coacheschoice.com

5

Dedication

To the coaches who have helped me along the way; to the players who have made my career so rewarding; to my family and friends who have stood beside me through the rough times; and to God for all His amazing grace, I dedicate this book.

—Lew Johnston

This work is dedicated to my wonderful wife Lisa and our beautiful children, as well as to the coaches and players that have taught me so much through the years and will teach me even more to come. Finally, this work is dedicated above all to God, who gives me the ability to live each day with strength and honor.

—Rich Hargitt

6

Acknowledgments

This project was the brainchild of my coauthor, Rich Hargitt. Without his enthusiasm and dedication, this book never would have been completed. Rich continued to push me and get things done when I did not have the time. He is a human dynamo. Thank you, Coach Hargitt, for being the driving force behind this project.

I first started studying the shotgun attack in 1999. We had a young man coming into our program at quarterback who I knew was destined for greatness. He was very intelligent, a great athlete, and had a cannon for an arm! Thank you, Ryan Pond, for making my job easier as head coach and offensive coordinator for those four seasons that we flourished with you at quarterback running the shotgun spread wing-T offense. You taught me as much as I taught you. Kevin Newsome deserves my thanks for helping us take the shotgun wing-T package that we ran to another level. With an athletic quarterback, we developed a motion package and some screens and draws that you will see in this book. Besides all his ability shown on the football field, Kevin is a trusted friend.

I want to acknowledge the staff of former head coach Tubby Raymond at the University of Delaware. Tubby’s staff spent countless hours teaching me the Delaware wing-T offense. All my questions were answered, and they listened as I presented ideas of my own. I owe a debt of gratitude for their assistance.

Finally, I would be remiss without recognizing the guy who first introduced me to the wing-T offense: my old friend and coaching colleague, Jerry Carter. Jerry and I coached together when I first broke into coaching in the early 1970s. When he became a head coach and started having success with the wing-T offense, I contacted him. He was willing to explain things and give me the encouragement I needed to get this offense off the ground. And, as they say, the rest is history.

During the time we ran our version of the shotgun spread wing-T offense, our record was 50-6. Ryan Pond set numerous passing records at our school, in our region, and in our state. He is still ranked among the top 10 in passing yardage in the state of Virginia. For all those offensive linemen who protected him, I want to say thank you! All of you guys made coaching you at Western Branch High School a rewarding experience.

—Lew Johnston

7

I would like to thank Coach Lew Johnston for agreeing to work on this project with me and supplying so much information and support. Lew is a great football coach but an even better Christian leader and one of the true fine individuals one meets in coaching.

I would like to acknowledge my beautiful wife Lisa and our children, who supported me during the writing of this book. Thanks also to my parents, who gave me the foundation to be successful.

I would like to acknowledge John Boma, who hired me for my first job so many years ago and first exposed me to the wing-T. I would also like to thank Mike Benton, who helped convince me to move to the wing-T when I was first starting out as a head high school football coach back in Illinois, and Paul Henry, who helped me block it. Thanks also to Rex Lardner for helping me get exposure for this offense and to the great people at Coaches Choice, especially Angie Perry, who did so much to help us with this project. Thanks also to Jason Mammano, who provided direct technical support.

There have been several coaches that have influenced me and supported me as I have made the transition to the spread wing-T starting in 2003. I have to extend special thanks to Paul Henry for being such a great wing-T offensive line coach and to Cecil Phillips for speaking with me and sharing his thoughts on the wing-T from the shotgun. Also, a huge thanks to two special friends. First, thanks to Coach Dave Farquharson for always being there to bounce ideas off of and traveling the country to learn more football. Secondly, thanks to Randy Niekamp for all the time on the phone and in person and for being such a source of information and support.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the athletes in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina who ran our system and worked so hard to represent their faith, family, and football programs with such class.

—Rich Hargitt

8

Foreword

Lew Johnston and I first became acquainted in the fall of 2004 when I took my first head coaching job at King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, Virginia. At that time, Lew was the head coach at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, and both our teams were in the same conference: the Southeastern District. Our relationship quickly transformed from an adversarial one on the field to a budding friendship off the field. One thing I quickly learned about Lew was that he possessed a tremendous passion not only for the game of football and the wing-T offense but, more importantly, also for his players. Lew is a man of character, and he constantly amazes me with his dedication to any task. For years, Lew has continued to be a student of the game, and now, thanks to his willingness to share, he is taking the opportunity to give back. He has been a valuable asset to me, helping me to grow professionally as well personally, and for that I am appreciative. Over the past few years, we have exchanged numerous emails, bouncing ideas off of each other, and his knowledge and grasp of the game have been instrumental in my success as a wing-T football coach.

I first became acquainted with Rich Hargitt only recently, but in that short period of time, I have quickly learned that he is another football coach that not only possesses a tremendous knowledge of the game but is also one who strives to make a significant impact on the lives of his players. I am convinced that Rich is one of those coaches who will always go the extra mile for his players and program. He is another coach that has no secrets and is one who is always willing to share ideas that will enable other coaches to improve the overall productivity of their respective programs. That was made clear to me when Rich agreed to drive a couple hours on a Saturday afternoon to meet me at a local restaurant so we could bounce ideas off of each other in an effort to improve the overall quality of our programs. I believe that such a scenario gives one a clear depiction of the type of genuine person that Rich Hargitt is, and it’s coaches like Rich and Lew that are having an impact on the lives of the players and coaches they come across.

In 101 Shotgun Wing-T Plays, Lew and Rich have created a game plan of success for coaches of all age groups and levels of experience. They have managed to use their experience as highly regarded football coaches to create a blueprint for success for those who wish to successfully implement a shotgun package into their offensive attacks. Utilizing their superb organizational skills and avid attention to detail, they offer a plan from A to Z for those who desire to incorporate some facet of the shotgun game into their offensive playbook. What impresses me the most is the variety. This book is a

9

detailed endeavor that identifies and illustrates everything a coach needs for successful implementation to occur. The play descriptions are thorough and the diagrams are detail oriented, which will enable coaches at all levels to install them effectively. It is a complete guide—from the running game to the passing game—on how to incorporate a shotgun attack into your wing-T package.

Lew and Rich’s shotgun wing-T attack is the catalyst for us being able to turn around our season this past year. We were struggling offensively due to various reasons, and after talking at length with Lew, my coaches and I decided to incorporate some of their shotgun attack into our package. After installing and practicing certain facets of their package for two weeks, we decided to unleash our newly renovated offense against our rival, who happened to be the number two AA team in the state at the time. Forty-eight minutes later, we pulled off a 31-14 upset, and the offense—along with newfound confidence in our players—led us to five consecutive victories, along with a share of our district championship, and catapulted us into the playoffs. One element that leaves no room for disagreement is that this book captures and outlines all the components necessary to achieve success in the shotgun wing-T.

In terms of being a coach, a mentor, and a friend to so many, Coach Johnston and Coach Hargitt truly exemplify what the coaching profession is all about. It is gentlemen like Lew and Rich, who always think of others first, who give others the opportunity to grow professionally and personally. May all of you pursue your goals and dreams to the fullest.

Cecil PhillipsHead Football Coach

Amherst County High School (VA)

10

11

Contents

Dedication ................................................................................................................................................5

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................6

Foreword...................................................................................................................................................8

Preface....................................................................................................................................................12

Chapter 1: Perimeter Running Plays............................................................................................15

Chapter 2: Off-Tackle Running Plays...........................................................................................41

Chapter 3: Inside Running Plays ...................................................................................................63

Chapter 4: Quick Passing Plays .....................................................................................................85

Chapter 5: Dropback Passing Plays .............................................................................................95

Chapter 6: Rollout Plays................................................................................................................ 109

Chapter 7: Screen and Draw Plays ........................................................................................... 115

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................... 127

About the Authors ........................................................................................................................... 128

12

Preface

The wing-T offense has been a great way to move the chains and score points for decades in high school football. Teams from coast to coast have utilized the misdirection of the wing-T to compete against teams that feature superior talent and greater size. This offense has long proven itself as a battle-tested way to compete every Friday night—no matter what sort of size and strength that a team featuring the wing-T might face. We have been privileged to be coaching football for a combined period of time totaling almost a half century. Over the years, the wing-T has served as a basis for what we do offensively and helped us to compete at a high level regardless of talent or opponent.

Recently, a major shift toward spread offenses that feature a more wide-open attack, utilize different personnel groupings, and feature a balanced attack has begun. This trend has led many coaches to maintain the angle-blocking and series-based offenses that made the wing-T so successful while mixing in multiple formations. A look at what the University of Florida under the direction of Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen and Auburn University under the tutelage of Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn did provides a glimpse of how coaches are spreading defenses out but maintaining many of the best aspects of wing-T football. A number of innovations have come from the spread offense, not least of which is the ability of offenses to create better match-ups through the use of multiple formations. This has led to a number of coaches around the country attempting to meld together the best aspects of the wing-T and the spread offense in order to build a system that allows their teams to be competitive. We feel that the spread offense and the wing-T actually complement one another other quite well.

The ability to feature the wing-T as a base offense allows the coach to use shoulder skills and angle blocking while controlling the clock and tempo of the game. The spread offense allows a coach to widen the defense and create larger lanes by which to run and pass the ball. The shotgun wing-T is a mixture of these two concepts. While staying true to the basic tenants of wing-T football, the shotgun wing-T also allows the coach to take advantage of motion and multiple formations to manipulate a defense. The wing-T coach will see old staples of the Delaware wing-T system, such as the buck sweep, belly, down, power, tackle trap counter, waggle, and many other standard plays that have made this a great offense for decades. For those coaches who wish to see a modernization of the attack, they will also be able to see the jet sweep, rocket sweep, and the spread passing game on display in this work. The combination of these two great systems makes this offense a versatile and potent attack.

13

We have been running spread versions of the wing-T for the past decade and felt that the time was right to contribute what we have learned about utilizing the shotgun and spread formations in a wing-T–based offense. This book is by no means comprehensive in terms of what can be done from the shotgun with the wing-T, but it does endeavor to give a coach a glimpse of how friendly the shotgun and wing-T really are when coached well. This work provides the reader with an understanding of how to run the basic 20, 30, and 80 series plays of the wing-T while also introducing some concepts that are unique to the shotgun wing-T. Readers will notice a varied attack that allows a team to take advantage of whatever offensive personnel they might have in a given year. We hope this book will be a reference guide for coaches who wish to continue the tough brand of football that the wing-T boasts while also creating a new twist on the offense that will engage student-athletes and win ball games.

14

1515

1

Perimeter Running Plays

16

Play #1: HB Buck Sweep (TE)

Blocking Rules:

TE: Gap-down-backer.

RT: Gap-down-backer.

RG: Pulls; kick-out blocks first man past RH’s block.

C: Reach-on-away.

LG: Pulls; walls off through the hole.

LT: Gap; crosses the field.

SE: Cutoff blocks free safety.

LH: Motion; ballcarrier; follows guards into the hole.

RH: Blocks first man inside.

FB: Blocks backside A gap.

QB: Hands off to LH; boots away.

Vs. 4-4 Vs. 4-3

Vs. 3-3

17

Play #2: HB Buck Sweep (SE)

Vs. 4-4 Vs. 4-3

Vs. 3-3

Blocking Rules:

TE: Gap; cutoff blocks free safety.

RT: Gap-down-backer.

RG: Pulls; kick-out blocks first man past RH’s block.

C: Reach-on-away.

LG: Pulls; walls off through the hole.

LT: Gap; crosses the field.

SE: Crack blocks first man inside on the second level.

LH: Motion; ballcarrier; follows guards into the hole.

RH: Blocks first man inside.

FB: Blocks backside A gap.

QB: Hands off to LH; boots away.