Ranger Football To Unveil New Offensive System

From a scrimmage: Here you see five people signal a play to the offense, but only one of them is the actual call. This is designed to prevent opponents from "cracking the code."

After completing his second season has Head Football Coach at LHS, Mike Ribar knew that something had to change. The Rangers’ offense has struggled in recent years, and was limited to less than 14 points per game last year. Michael Goolsby, the team’s most consistent playmaker, was graduating. He decided it was time to move away from the program’s traditional offensive system to a “read option” look.

The “read option” relies heavily on the quarterback to make smart decisions and good plays. As the name implies, he will have the option to run, hand off, or pass the ball on each play depending on the defensive scheme. Unlike some option systems (such as the one run collegiately at the Naval Academy), passing will also be a major factor in the scheme. “It’s going to be exciting,” says Ribar, “it will open opportunities for big plays.”

The new system involves a lot of mental preparation, especially for the quarterback. In addition to using the “read option,” the Rangers plan to quicken the pace of play. This is designed to prevent defensive substitutions, hopefully creating mismatches in open space. Instead of a traditional huddle, each play is silently signaled to the team via hand gestures from the sideline. In order to prevent “sign stealing,” multiple “dummy signalers” are used, and the players need to know which is giving the actual play. To help keep everything straight, players will have play lists strapped to their forearms --  a technique that is widely used at the college level.

The role of starting quarterback will be filled by junior Austin Mahar, who has made a lot of nice plays in training camp. Quentin Palmer, an experienced running back, is expected to start in the backfield with Mahar. They will work behind Tyler Fox, who is returning to the offensive line at center. Ian Plumley and George Johnson also return to provide offensive line experience.

The defensive side, which has looked good through the team’s first two scrimmages, also has key returners. Kevin Musai and Basho Khawan will be back as inside linebackers. Tom Paul will play one of the outside LB positions, and Sean Wiggins will serve as safety. On special teams, the kicking situation is not yet clear. One contender is Atilla Nagy, a junior from the LHS soccer program. Like many schools, Lakewood has had success in recent years using soccer players as football kickers.

To have a strong season, it is vital that the Rangers play minimize mistakes, especially on offense. When done well, the “up tempo game” can wear out the opponents’ defense. However, mistakes could lead to very short time of possession, putting the Lakewood defense out on the field too many times. The team is young in many areas, but Ribar is optimistic. “We’re excited, we have potential,” he says.

Lakewood opens the season with a home game against Medina on Friday, August 26th at 7 p.m. Adult tickets are $6, Lakewood senior citizens and children under five are admitted free. Student tickets are $4 via pre-sale at the school.