McGuffey’s offense offers glimpse into past
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey and tackle Reno Presto will toe the line this season as the Highlanders play in the Class 2A Century Conference.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey fullback Aiden O’Dell takes a handoff from from sophomore quarterback Dakota Reedy as the Highlanders’ offense works for precision.
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey sophomore Wyatt Fisher, left, closes in on a pass intended for senior running back Nate Romestan.
Mark Marietta
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Junior Reno Presto, left, left, and sophomore Bryen Thomas collide in a drill as the Highlanders prep for the 2023 season.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Senior wide receiver Brennen Mullins bursts past Hunter Hayes during a drill drill during preseason workouts.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Tackle Reno Presto leads the Highlanders' linemen.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey junior running back Malachi Ealy high-steps through an agility drill in a preseason workout.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McGuffey junior running back Malachi Ealy springs through a drill in preseason practice.
CLAYSVILLE – They do things in unconventional ways out in the country. And for the McGuffey High School football team, that’s one of the keys to success.
The Highlanders are one of the few remaining high school teams in Western Pennsylvania that utilizes a flexbone offense, spearheaded by the triple-option play that even today can send opposing coaches into fits of rage.
The offense – think Air Force in college football – offers a glimpse into the game’s past, when fullbacks were running backs first and blockers second, but at McGuffey head coach Ed Dalton knows it offers one thing: It changes everything.
“We play against the spread offense eight times a year and those teams play against our offense once,” Dalton said. “Everybody plays a different defense against us. They don’t play their base defense.”
The offense is one reason why the Highlanders have a string of 12 consecutive winning seasons and four straight playoff appearances. McGuffey runs, runs, runs and often ends up in the end zone.
Of course, it helps to have a quarterback who can make lightning-quick decisions and reads, can take a hit and can be an elusive runner. The Highlanders had such a player every season under Dalton, and though two-year starter Philip McCuen is gone nobody is doubting McGuffey’s effectiveness on offense this season.
Senior Connor Crowe moves into role of quarterback and Dalton doesn’t expect a dropoff in production from the position.
“Connor is as good of an option quarterback as we’ve had, and we’ve had four in a row,” Dalton said. “He could be the magician of them all. He is the quintessential running back playing quarterback. He can run. He can run over or past you. And he has enough arm strength that you have to respect him. He can make every throw. We think a lot of him.”
Dylan Droboj returns at fullback and Charles Wagers has starting experience at running back. Nate Romestan and Malachi Ealy will be at the other running back spot. Ryan Keith returns at split end.
Three players with starting experience return up front: tackle Reno Presto (6-2, 250), and guards Evan Brookman (6-0, 220) and Josh Plants (5-10, 205).
“That’s our separator,” Dalton said of his offensive line. “We don’t have the speed and skill guys that some other teams have, but we think we can better them up front.”
The defense returns seven players with starting experience and will get an eighth in late September when cornerback Logan Carlisle, who transferred back to McGuffey, returns from offseason surgery. He will join an experienced secondary that had 16 interceptions a year ago but gave up too many big plays.
“We can’t allow the huge secondary plays,” Dalton said. “That has been our Achilles heel. … The secondary is pretty good and when Logan gets back it could be really, really good. He’s a good corner.”
The returning starters in the secondary are Romestan, Wagers and Crowe.
The front seven should be solid with Brookman, Presto and Nick Madosky back up front and Aiden O’Dell at linebacker.
The Highlanders also should have strong special teams with Dylan Stewart at kicker and Crowe doing the punting.
“Dylan Stewart could be our first end zone kickoff guy,” Dalton pointed out. “And Connor was all-conference as a punter. He was able to flip the field with his punting in the playoff game last year against Mohawk. That’s a big part of football, especially in a tight gamer.”
McGuffey’s roster has 33 players across the junior and seniors classes and Dalton says that has led to camp being competitive.
“They are really coachable. They have had success at our level and at every level, so they expect to be successful,” Dalton said.
‘I don’t know if we’re ever going to get to the end of the playoffs and have the best team in the tournament or have the best talent, but we can beat anyone on any day. We don’t have to win four out of seven. We just have to win one, so we’re going to be a problem for our opponents.”
Those opponents in the Class 2A Century Conference should provide for better competition this year, Dalton says.
“Sto-Rox is an unknown commodity and (Washington) has a good team coming back. They are always good. Keystone Oaks has arguably the best player in the league. Waynesburg has to be better. They have most of their team back and had a good middle school team. And Charleroi, I think they made a good (coach) hire.”