Football: Reformed offense means more chances for Lacey (08-28-06)
By Michael Petre (Daily Staff Writer)
WINCHESTER — In recent years, the Shenandoah offense has been best described by sounds, not words.
It starts with the boom of the offensive line bursting off the snap.
Then there's the swoosh of the running back as he takes the handoff and charges toward his blockers.
And, soon after, there's the crunch as bodies collide amid the stereotypical cloud of dust as the Hornets methodically move downfield.
Nowhere in this scenario is the potential impact of the game-changing player, the opportunity for an athlete to grab the spotlight. As the Hornets open their seventh season against Catholic on Thursday night, that could change.
With graduation having gutted the backfield, the Hornets are left with a handful of small, speedy backs who don't fit the grind-it-out offense of old. The coaching staff doesn't plan to leave its physical style behind, but a different cast will be running the show.
Senior running back Brandon Lacey is the ringleader.
"Lacey has that big-play ability," senior quarterback Blake Derby said. "Whenever he touches the ball, he has the ability to break a long one."
Coming off a 2005 season that saw him garner 96 rushing attempts for 550 yards and six touchdowns, Lacey is the lone experienced runner still in the fold. Workhorse Anthony Frates — who pounded the ball 719 times for 2,889 times in the final three seasons of his Shenandoah career — was lost to graduation, and fellow fullback Dan McCallion was a grade-point casualty.
Richard Redwood, the other figure in the Hornets' three-back set, also graduated, leaving Lacey and little else.
Cause for concern? Not necessarily.
"I have faith in my other backs," Lacey said. "I've seen them in practice — they're coming right along. They're going to step in just like I did when I was a sophomore. They'll get their shot, show what they got and they're going to perform."
Those up-and-comers include junior Paul Diggs and sophomores Teley Tate and Dale Stephens, but make no mistake: This is Lacey's year to shine. The coaching staff — led by first-year offensive coordinator Brian Wolf — has made the necessary adjustments.
"Defense wins championships, but offense wins games," Wolf said. "[Lacey's] strength is his speed, his ability to run. We want to put in plays that we can utilize that, be it Wing-T or five-wide. We want to set him up to be successful."
In turn, the staff asked Lacey to assume the typical leadership role a senior carries. For the normally reserved runner, that was a significant adjustment.
"I'm not really a loud, vocal person," he said. "It's kind of different for me, but I have to lead the team in the right direction. I'm learning every day."
At 5-8 and 160 pounds, the King George native isn't a physical presence. His quickness and lateral ability make him tough to bring down in space, so the Hornets are trying to find ways for him to find space.
"It's going to allow him to move around and use his speed a lot more," junior wide receiver Proteus Herring said. "Basically, we get him the ball and let him do what he does."
That has been an effective approach. Called on as a sophomore in 2004, Lacey racked up 709 yards and five touchdowns on 123 carries. The big plays surfaced last fall — he had a 60-yard touchdown run against Maryville, a 31-yard scoring sprint against Bridgewater, even a 69-yard touchdown pass to Herring against Ferrum.
The Hornets hope they keep coming.
"We want him to be able to do more things, not just be one-dimensional," Wolf said. "We want him to be able to catch passes. We want him to be able to be a difference-maker."
Lacey carried the expectations through the preseason in stride. His goal for his final year of college football was a simple one — albeit it somewhat grandiose.
"I hope it will be my best year in football ever — not just college, but high school," he said. "I've been told I've got to be a better back, not think about last year or the year before. I'm trying to make a name for myself and do all I can to make our team the best we can be."
In turn, his fellow seniors ask the same of him.
"If we're in a tough game, I know that he'll do his best to step up and do something," Derby said. "He definitely has that one-play ability where, if he hits a seam, he's gone."
