Passing Game and Prep Football

Submitted By: Dennis Jarvis
A lot of high school football follows the slow, methodic grind of running the ball straight at the defense. It's a game of inches and 2-3 yards per down is not uncommon. Occasionally, if you don't turn your head for too long, you'll see a spark of energy hit the field and the fans watching the game. The ball takes flight and for a split second, we're all hanging on it's trajectory to see what the outcome is. Will the receiver catch it? Is the pass on target? Can the defensive back intercept the pass and hurl his body the opposite direction? The passing game is one of the reasons we watch prep football and it rarely disappoints. Let's look a little closer at how it functions at the high school sport level.
There's a reason most high school programs rely on the run. It's safer. Yea, you may only get 2-4 yards on a carry but you're likely to get something. A lot more needs to go right in order to complete a pass. There has to be enough time for the QB to get the throw off and it has to be delivered in roughly a 5 yard area of the field at exactly the right time. The receiver needs to get there while eluding his defender and finally, he needs to make the catch while hearing footsteps of defenders looking to make imprints on pads with their helmets. High school football players are getting more talented and sophisticated all the time but it still takes a lot to make it all come together at the pace and speed of today's game. This brings us to the necessary ingredient for all successful passing games. Talent at the key positions.
The high school passing game really relies on that year's pool of talent. Let's start with the quarterback. It's not just the physical ability to throw the ball and ideally the size to see over the offensive lineman but so much of the position comes down to calm under pressure. The high school quarterback has to quickly (real quickly) size up the field in real time as bodies are flying all over the place with most of them trying to drive him into the ground. Panic directly turns into errors which turns into interceptions and botched plays. The mental game for this position is probably the toughest requirement on the field. You can have a player with the physical abilities but not the mental toughness needed to successfully pass the ball. Looks, like this year will see a lot of rushing in that case. Let's hope he can hand off the ball well. The receivers require toughness in a different way. After using physical speed and agility to get free, he has to quickly find focus and clarity at the time of the actual catch to focus on the fast moving football ball. It's transition of all physical to all mental in a blink of an eye.
The running game also can free up the passing game in that the defense doesn't know what's coming. You have to keep the defense honest with the run in order to create space for your receivers. It also helps to have a great offensive line. The best cornerback can only keep tabs on a receiver for so long. Eventually, there's a gap or misread across defensive back zones and if the offensive line can keep the QB safe that long, pass complete! In the meantime, we'll keep standing up in the stands when see the ball in the air. It's what we love about high school football.

Published At: Isnare.com