Option attack lifts Blair to 58-27 victory over Hill School

POTTSTOWN >> It’s an offensive plan not seen in high-school football circles much at the present time.

But Jim Stone claims it’s been a staple during his 22 years heading the Blair Academy program. Saturday at Dell Field, the option/wishbone style was working in fine form for the Bucs in a 58-27 victory over the Hill School.

The Blair offense, noteworthy for the three backs it positioned behind quarterback, covered 474 yards while scoring seven touchdowns … all but one of them off running plays, which accounted for all but 40 of the O’s stripes. It had one runner gain more than 200 yards on the day, another go over 100 — all in the first half — and two others who added another 100 between them.

“Nobody sees it,” Stone said of the option/wishbone. “It makes it tougher for teams to prepare for us than us for them. It’s a system I believe in.”

Yet it was just one aspect of Blair’s performance in this Mid-Atlantic Prep League contest. The Bucs (5-1 overall) forced the Rams (0-6) into four turnovers — two pass interceptions, two fumbles — and parlayed them into four of their seven first-half scores, building a 51-13 lead that insured a running clock for the entire second half.

“We certainly caught breaks on the defensive side,” Stone said. “Making the turnovers happen, and scoring quick.”

Those circumstances thwarted the Hill’s attempts to stay in the running with their guests. The closest the Rams were able to get was the 10:26 mark in the second quarter, when they got on the board off Trey Humes’ three-yard burst up the middle which, following his conversion kick, made it a 14-7 game.

Blair then scored three times before the Hill struck again — that time, a 39-yard pass play from quarterback Clayton Oliver to Rich Tabarrini with 7:54 left in the half — and two more times before the half ended. A 25-yard field goal by Harley Wedholm — he also converted six of seven extra-point attempts — in the final half-minute secured a fast-moving second half, where the Hill held a 14-7 scoring edge.

“They’re a good, physical football team,” Hill head coach Dave Rackovan said. “We didn’t tackle well, and they were executing their offense. Their defense was knocking us off the ball.”

The Bucs took the opening kickoff 50 yards on seven plays, capped by Chase Singletary’s one-yard plow up the middle at the 9:25 mark. They followed that score with a more-sustained, 13-play march set up by Nick Mosco’s recovery of a fumble on the Rams’ fourth touch.

The second TD was Kyle Phipps’ 11-yard burst through his left tackle with 1:05 left in the quarter. Phipps, who had 111 yards in the first half, added another 105 in the second half and had two other touchdown runs of 46 and 91 yards the rest of the way.

The rest of the Bucs’ stable of backs offered additional big output. Alfred Dorbor had 103 yards on 11 carries — all in the first half — while making a 26 yard TD run following the Hill’s first score. Singletary (seven carries, 47 yards) and Mosco (69 yards on 12 totes) complemented the Phipps/Dorbor tandem out of the fullback slot, Singletary scoring the Bucs’ fourth TD.

“Those two kids (Dorbor, Phipps) are very good,” Stone noted. “And we have two explosive fullbacks. We’re small up front, but our backs can make people miss.”

The Hill’s passing game was at the forefront of its offense, generating 234 of its 324-yard output and two of its four touchdowns.

Clayton Oliver, in his second game back from a hand injury, completed 14 of 28 attempts — nine of them going 10 or more yards. Oliver hooked up with  Rich Tabarrini (3-57) on a 39-yard scoring toss in the first half, then opened the second by hitting Jay Carter (5-82) on a 13-yard TD toss.

Oliver, who ran for the Rams’ final TD by going 15 yards around his left end with 40 seconds remaining in the game, also connected with A.J. Bates five times for 90 yards. A 40-yarder to Bates was Oliver’s longest of the game.

“I think he’s getting close,” Rackovan said of Oliver’s injury recovery. “Last week he was at about 75 percent. (Saturday) he was throwing the ball as well as he could. Next week, he should be at full speed.”

On the ground, Trey Humes was the Hill’s workhorse with 70 yards on 13 carries. Oliver (11) and Bates (4-9) had the rest.

Bates also made his presence known as a kickoff returner. The senior took five kicks 174 yards, the longest a 52-yard return of the second-half kickoff from the Hill five to the Blair 43 … a run that set the stage for the first of the Rams’ two second-half scores.

“He’s a great kickoff returner,” Rackovan said. “He’s done great things for us.”

At the same time, Rackovan saw the turnover situation as critical to his team’s showing.

“We needed to score when they scored,” he said, “but the issue was us turning the football over. Those were the big difference, tackling and turnovers.”

NOTES >> There was only one punt the entire game. Blair did it inside the game’s seven-minute mark, giving the ball back to the Hill for its final score. … Defensively, Henrique Custodio recovered a Blair fumble early in the second half at the Hill 41. The Rams took the turnover to the Blair nine, but gave the ball back to their guests on downs. The first play, Phipps went on his 91-yard TD jaunt.