I will say the Carmel team that won a state title. I am not sure the year but I believe they had a tight end named jack Simmons who went to minnesota. I remember watching them in a playoff game and had a hard time knowing who had the ball.
Best option team u have seen
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I would go with the 2009 6A Cary Grove state champ team. QB was Krebs and backfield was Chandler, Hembrey and Stepanovich. They ran well in the championship game against the Providence Celtics who beat everyone that year in the daunted Catholic League. I am biased as I haven't seen much of MC and others who run it well consistently, but I think that 6A team was arguably the best team in the state that year and could have played with the 7A or 8A champs. They may not have won, but they would have given anyone a game that year. That team ran the option better than any other CG team to date and there have been some good ones.
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I think I read here somewhere that MC runs a veer and not the triple option? The 2003 Carmel team had a big O line, a big deceptively fast QB, and also a passing game that had to be respected. It could be argued CG had a couple teams every bit as good as Carmel's at the triple option, maybe better, but not the passing game as well. JMO
The veer is still triple option it just differs in formation a team the runs veer uses two backs and a te. Where a wishbone triple option uses a fullback and 2 split backs.
I agree that they were the best O line CG has ever had. CG in 2009 and really any year since has not had the passing threat other good option teams have probably had, which to me makes how the '09 team ran the option that much more impressive.
Again, I never saw some of the great MC and other teams of the past where many of you have and I am sure that many were at least as good as that '09 team. I also recognize that the '09 team had an outstanding defense as well, and we all know defense wins championships (which will probably determine the big game this weekend of HF and LA) and clearly MC has had many of those.
MC's highest scoring team ever was their '96 team. 2 future NFL players on it in Steve Edwards and Darrell Hill. That offense it all starts with the offensive line and that was their best O line they have ever had.
I believe they ran the most plays in the country in 1988. Pottinger was pretty innovative in the no-huddle....
Was thinking the exact same thing. 1993 Belvidere option attack was unstoppable. Too young to recall the '88 team, but they put up some pretty ridiculous numbers:
http://statelinesportshub.com/vern-pottinger-the-dean-of-belvidere-bucs-football/
No IL HS team that I am aware of runs true T-O.
MC does it out of a split backfield and utilizes two split receivers.
Carmel Catholic, Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge, & Stillman Valley (all that I am familiar with) run out of Double Wing sets but are not true Flexbone Option teams because they utilize TE's.
True Flexbone Option football formations (two split receivers, perfectly balanced) are right there with split back when it comes to effectiveness.
Why do you need a TE as another lineman especially if you don't run much outside veer (attack outside of B gap as primary read)? Paul Johnson has it figured out.
MC does it out of a split backfield and utilizes two split receivers.
Carmel Catholic, Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge, & Stillman Valley (all that I am familiar with) run out of Double Wing sets but are not true Flexbone Option teams because they utilize TE's.
True Flexbone Option football formations (two split receivers, perfectly balanced) are right there with split back when it comes to effectiveness.
Why do you need a TE as another lineman especially if you don't run much outside veer (attack outside of B gap as primary read)? Paul Johnson has it figured out.
The 1988 Belvidere Bucs ran the no-huddle triple option wishbone. Verne Pottenger's teams were near unstoppable. Known as the Amtrek attack. Pottenger used to have an option coaching clinic every February until he moved back home to Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
The st Laurence teams in the earlier 70s that one multiple prep bowls. This was during the era when there was no state and the prep bowl was it.
Someone correct me if I"m wrong, but I do believe that the Cary-Grove staff used to frequent those clinics in 80's and 90's. I do believe that they took the basic offense and molded it to what they wanted to do scheme wise for their kids.
To come full circle, Belvidere North has actually gone back to the option attack after running the spread for the first 8 years of the school being open. Their offense looks similiar to what Cary-Grove does as far as formation and scheme. Granted, they have a ways to go to get to that level. They have even gotten the feeder program to run the same offense all the way down to 1st grade. Belvidere High is running the spread right now, they are actually coached by the starting TE on the 1993 team, Chuck Leonard. It should also be noted the 1993 team didn't have a Division 1 athlete on the squad.
I grew up in Belvidere, attended both high schools, and eventually graduated from Belvidere North in 2009. The majority of the kids that played in HS grew up in the option offense growing up, so walking into 9th grade the offense was like 2nd nature, which was a huge advantage going into high school. Some people that knew the signs for the offense and would sit in the stands on Friday nights and know what play was coming when they could pick out the dummy signal, that was always fun growing up.