Team doesn't punt all year, wins state title

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=892888

Interesting...

 

I think if he'd do that and run the A-11, it could tear a rip in the space-time continuum.

 

Wow. That defense must be outstanding. I'm sure there were instances where they gave up the ball deep inside their own territory.

 

I don't know much about Arkansas.

But, when I see 'Academy' or 'Saint' or 'Bishop' within the name of a school, a lot of times that has a whole lot more to do with them winning a state title than what kind of offense they run.

 

Gregg Easterbrook had mentioned this in his Page 2 column last year. Pulaski went deep into the playoffs then, too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/071113
(It's a couple of items down).

 

The numbers clearly support this, and, really, it just makes sense.

Most coaches are WAAAAY too eager to turn the ball over to the other team.

 

I guess it depends on how many net yards you get out of your punts. If it is something below 25 or so, I can see that being a good strategy to use most of the time.

 

I recall that there's actually a study done by some MIT math prof type guy that concluded that, in terms mathematical probability, football coaches punt WAY too often.

In short yardage situations where you've only a yard or two to go, it's nearly always a better idea according to the numbers to go for it, even when you're well inside your own territory. Yet there are extremely few coaches with the stones to actually follow through with that--not when it's so much easier to avoid the second guessing by punting it away.

 

When I was growing up in our town, our high school basketball coach was very, very successful. For fun, he helped out and coached freshman football.

He swore by the "no punt" strategy. He said at that level of football it was an absolute waste of practice time and too many bad things could happen punting with young kids. He always talked about how it entirely changes the way you call an offensive game and makes life a lot easier. He said if he ever coached at the varsity level, he'd only use the punt if he was backed up in horrible field position.

Those teams were successful, often going undefeated, with kids who went on to have very average records at the varsity level.

 

I don't think you can legitimately say you're NEVER going to punt, but this seems pretty sound based on the numbers.

However, if you hold a 1-point lead late in the game and it's fourth-and-8 at your own 15, you punt that fucking ball.

 

This column of Easterbrook lays it out. Also has a link to the 2005 paper by the mathematician. Truly fascinating. I model my Madden play off it

 

Exactly. That's why the Arkansas Activities Association put in a 1.75 enrollment multiplier for private schools a few years ago — basically a built-in one-class bump. The public schools finally got fed up with the privates (Shiloh Christian, etc.) winning almost all the state championships.