3Rd Weekend Spring Flag Video

[TeeDub23 0]

We traveled 2 counties over to play their best team. A tackle football team that is using the spring flag league as a fall season warm up. We had scrimmaged them before and knew they had probably the fastest 8 year old I have ever seen. Priority #1 was to stop #4. I figured if we stopped him, we would control the game. Well, that wasnt so easy........

Game #3

They couldnt throw very well and we contained him the best we could, but in the end, you can only chase someone back and forth down the field before he breaks a couple for TDs. Our defense played great and swarmed him when we could.

Offensively, we ended up relying on the pass more than I usually like. Their defense was great. Good spacing and they were able to drop back in to coverage and when we did run, they were fast enough to stop it. Our runs were ineffective except where they missed flag pulls. In the end, they intercepted us several times in crutial moments and some of my better players dropped passes that they normally catch and that hurt.

Enjoy the video. Once the video goes black and fades back in, it starts the second game against them (back to back) and these are more highlights than true game footage.

Look to hear comments on strategy to stop him or offensively. I found the best play was to capitalize on them rushing the safety and hit the C on a fly. Our slants and play actions werent working as well because they were not biting.

[Coach Marty 0]

Wow...#4 was a beast especially defensively. You've got some talented (and large) eight year olds there. We don't pass nearly as much as you do. Sharp crisp looking offensive plays with good spacing. Speed kills!

[Johnp2 21]

Great video! I enjoyed watching that #4, as we have a player who is simply a freak of nature as well. He's very small like that #4, and is like a little whippet running all over the field--has moves within his moves, etc. I'd put him on par with that #4 in fact. Every parent, coach, official tells me he's the fastest kid they've ever seen.

It's really comical seeing him run. Literally. You can often hear parents laughing out loud as he zigs and zags his way through the defense making player after player miss. He's a "day one" guy with me (I've coached him 10+ seasons). Because I spread the ball around, he only gets it 3 times per game (maybe 4--tops). He scores at about an 80% clip when he gets the ball and there have been multiple games where he has scored every time he touched the ball. Of course since he is so well known in our league, he's a great decoy.

Yes--it is hard not to give it to him over and over, especially in the tournament--but that's not how we roll. ;-) Only once--last season--have I considered it. The opposing coach did something that did not sit well at me at all, and I yelled out "You do that again and I'm giving it to #7 on every play!"

With that, I noticed last season this player is starting to enjoy toying with the defense. He's the only player I've never instructed how to run, but last season there were times where he had a clear path to the end zone, but would cut inside looking for more players to put moves on. I nixed that pretty quickly. It is really amazing how some kids are just light years ahead of their peers.

Regarding their defense--I know how frustrating that is (being on both sides of it). We always look to stop the run first, cover the field (not the players), etc. We try to get teams to rely heavily on their passing game as the odds are very much in our favor when we do that. Of course, we are a run-oriented team. When we go up a defense similar to ours I get frustrated myself, but believe I have a way to deal with it---which I'll explain in a new topic. Thanks again for sharing the videos. Good stuff!

[TeeDub23 0]

Ha! I didnt enjoy watching him nearly as much as you guys did. I would enjoy it more if he was on my team, but bottomline, you cant coach speed. After watching the video some more, I think we played great defense on him. We made him change directions multiple times and that is about all I can ask for at this age. We have asked for a rematch on our home field and we play them again the 14th.

I am thinking about possibly rushing 3 kids at there backfield in an effort to put some pressure on the handoff exchange and make them pass a little more on us. They run almost out of the same offesive set with their two playmakers in the backfield. Their plays are slow developing. If I rush (almost man to man) 1 at each RBs and 1 at the QB that might cause some issues. The issue will be that if they break it out from the backfield, we are toast. Just a thought.

I expect another great battle on the 14th.

[Johnp2 21]

How often did they give him the ball? Years ago we played a team that had a super-star like that, and they pretty much gave him the ball on 90% of their plays. In my opinion, that is not impressive at all. Not to get on my high-horse, but the mark of a real coach at this age is how he can empower ALL is players to be successful. This instead of just lucking in to a super-star athlete and rely soley on his athleticism to define his team's success.

We played them next second season. We had not given up a TD that season (I think we played them in our 6th game). On the very first play I sent 100% of my defense after him. I told them to ignore all other players. Just line up and go right at that player. We did it again on the next play--and it sent a message. Then, I caught a key on when they were going to give him the ball, and I called out a code word that instructed 100% of my defense to go after him. Unfortuntaly, he DID score on us in that game (once), but other than that one play we shut him down and won the game.

Good luck. If you feel certain they will open the game by giving it to him, you should try what I did---just send your entire defense at him. ;-)

[TeeDub23 0]

I agree that you should share the ball. They used him about 75% of the plays. There was another kid that was good, but not as good as he was. He got the other 25%. My defense is similar to what you are referring to except I plan on sending just 3 at the backfield leaving the other 2 to guard the WR and C.

I do not change my QB, but I rotate all other positions including RB. However, we are so pass oriented that we pass to whatever the defense gives us.