Barrett Donahoe never has professed a love for being a coach who loves a game plan that involves “3 yards and a cloud of dust.”
But the Heritage Academy football coach is willing to adapt his strategy if that is the most viable option for his team.
Judging from the performance of his offensive line and the running back tandem of Michael Ledbetter and Dontae Gray, Donahoe is seriously considering an offensive attack that features a focus on the ground game.
“We’re going to try,” Donahoe said. “We have begun to structure our offense around those guys. Trying to get those guys in the backfield at the same time is important for us right now. We feel like any time those two guys touch the football, they have an opportunity to make a big play. That is a good feeling as a coach.”
Donahoe hopes Heritage Academy (2-1) will experience plenty of those good feelings at 7 p.m. Friday when it travels to Clarksdale to face Lee Academy (2-1).
The Patriots could be forced to rely on a heavy dose of Ledbetter and Gray because junior quarterback Tyler Anderson had to leave the game due to a dislocated pinkie finger and a knee injury last week in a 10-0 victory against Oak Hill Academy. Anderson was pressed back into service after senior quarterback Zach Oswalt, who replaced Anderson, had to leave the game with an undetermined injury. Donahoe said Wednesday that Oswalt will be out for this week’s game.
If Anderson isn’t able to go, senior Dylan Barker will get the nod at quarterback. Last season, Barker and Anderson split playing time at quarterback.
In the offseason, Donahoe moved Barker to a hybrid position that resembled an ‘H’ back. Barker figured to be one of as many as six players who had the potential to play in a role that looked to capitalize on the Patriots’ depth.
But injuries have depleted that depth. Donahoe also admitted he and his coaches have realized that they might have relied on Anderson a little too much and that they should examine ways to diversify the offense.
The performance of Ledbetter and Gray against Oak Hill Academy made it a little easier for Donahoe and his assistant coaches to make that transition, even if some people might believe it is better to use one the field at a time to keep the other rested.
“I think you use them as dual threats on the field,” Donahoe said. “If they are on the field at the same time, you have to respect that. From a defensive game plan standpoint, you have to know where those guys all of the time.”
Donahoe also said he has confidence in running backs Toby Young, Dylan Hughes, and Lukas Bryant, who is coming off an ankle injury. He said any shift to a more run-oriented attack means the offensive line will have more responsibility, but he said he believes Jones Ray, Jack Hannon, Logan Sneed, Dalton Hocutt, and Hunter McMillen will be able to carve out running room.
Ledbetter has the utmost confidence in Gray, too. The senior expressed his belief in Gray’s potential in the preseason. Through three games, he said nothing has changed and that he feels he and Gray can be a potent one-two punch.
“I can give him a rest when he needs it, and he can give me a rest when I need it,” Ledbetter said. “Dontae is a very good running back. He is a good, fast running back.
“We have very similar styles, so it is more of an endurance combo.”
Ledbetter showed Friday he has game-breaking ability, too, recovering a muffed punt and returning it 38 yards to help propel Heritage Academy past Oak Hill Academy.
But the Patriots showed what could be a glimpse of the future in the second half against the Raiders. Taking advantage of their edge in depth, the Patriots kept the ball on the ground in the final 24 minutes, which helped Gray amass 134 yards on 16 carries. Ledbetter and Gray spent much of the second half on the field together. Ledbetter said that was a part of Heritage Academy’s strategy to wear Oak Hill Academy down and to use the speed of the two backs to get to the edges for extra yards.
After the game, Gray echoed Ledbetter’s confidence in their effectiveness as a one-two combination.
“We are both patient and wait for the hole to open and we turn it up,” Gray said.
Gray said he didn’t remember the last time he eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he had accomplished the feat. Odds are moving forward Gray and Ledbetter will get plenty of chances to get into triple digits. That’s a prospect both players enjoy, especially Gray, who said he was “too fat” to be a running back in pee wee football. He said his size — and the accompanying weight restrictions — likely prevented him from getting a chance to be standout tailback at that level.
“It feels good to carry the team sometimes,” Gray said.
Donahoe is glad the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools doesn’t have any rules that would restrict Gray from playing running back. Now it is up to Ledbetter and Gray to accept the challenge and deliver.
“They like it, and they push each other,” Donahoe said. “One of them makes a big run and the other one wants to get in there and make a big run. It is a challenge for them. I am very pleased to see that. We want that to continue to grow and those two guys to have success together.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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