Hobart to spread its Wing-T
By Zach West
Hobart head coach Joe Litsch isn’t afraid to say it - he can’t design plays very well and he likes the I-formation offense. After last season ended and stellar running back Jonathan Gelnar (1,927 yards, 28 touchdowns) graduated, however, Litsch realized he was going to have to make some changes if he wanted to take advantage of his returning talent. So he sought out head coaches Jody Iams at Sequoyah-Claremore and Ted Dorrell at Choctaw, both known for their successful Wing-T offenses, and adapted what he learned to fit his system.
“I can’t design, I have to steal,” Litsch said. “We took a little bit of something from each of them. They’ve tried it, and they know what works and what doesn’t. I think we learned from the best.”
What Litsch came up with is an offense that he terms the ‘T-Spread.’ While the execution of the offense is complicated, the idea is fairly simple. Lacking a true No. 1 option at tailback, Litsch wants to get the ball to as many skill players as possible, use misdirection, and make blocking angles easier for the lineman. What differentiates his concoction from the run-based Wing-T is that, with two tall, speedy receivers in T.J. Norman and Travis Bish, Litsch plans to spread the field and take to the air more often.
