By T. Scott Boatright
Ruston High School’s Jerrod Baugh is admittedly an old-school head football coach — he might embrace this day and age of technology making an impact on the football field, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it.
“It’s invaluable,” Baugh said. “I still feel like it’s cheating to be able to use it in the middle of a game. I’m old school. Used to be that you relied on what coaches could see and determine in the middle of a game and now you can go back and review video and do all of that with the kids.”
Technology didn’t play as big a role as usual during Friday night’s 63-28 win over Catholic-Baton Rouge at L.J. “Hoss” Garrett Stadium because technical issues kept the in-game video drones the team usually uses from taking flight.
So, instead, the Bearcats staff had to rely on end zone video and video from the top of the press box for their coaches to use while talking to squads on the sideline using video tents during different possessions, be it offensive or defensive.
It was the second straight week the Bearcats faced such issues as they were not able to use drones during last week’s game against Edna Karr inside Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
“Like I said, it’s invaluable to be able to have that and I think our coaches being able to use that, whenever everything is working, to sit down with them and talk about what adjustments we need to make and all of that, so it is a big deal. When it’s working, it’s great, and when it’s not, I don’t know anything about it so I’m not much help with it.”
But when it all is working right, Baugh appreciates what technology and the people making it happen can do to make solid impacts for his Bearcats.
“Coach (Colt) Dunbar and the kids he’s got working with him are very important to this team. People don’t realize, those kids are at practices, they’re up here during the games, and a lot of people that can’t see under that (sideline video) tent, they’re watching guys who have uniforms on running around and don’t see the work they’re doing.
“(Chris) Brister (the RHS team trainer/coach) and the team of kids he’s got running around and working as student trainers, the group that Nick Brown’s got up in the press box helping to run the video (Jumbotron) — there’s a lot of stuff going on.”
And Baugh appreciates those things happening that are often unnoticed by the casual fan.
“There are a lot of behind-the-scenes things going on and all the students and coaches do a great job with it. I’m very proud to have them and am glad they want to do that for us.”
Bearcats senior quarterback Sam Hartwell directed Ruston’s big win over Catholic, completing 17 of 27 passes for 318 yards and five touchdowns while rushing the ball 14 times for 162 yards, including an 85-yard scoring scamper.
Hartwell said both in-game video and time spent watching video during weekly sessions before the game are a big part of the way the Bearcats prepare for contests.
“Our coaches spend a lot of time up here late at night breaking down film for game plans and putting it together for us,” Hartwell said. “And I just want to thank them for preparing us like that and giving us the opportunity to go out and execute it.
“I probably spend at least an hour a day watching film. I feel like I need to do everything possible to prepare for my teammates and that’s the best way I can do it. The time spent in the tent during a game breaking down video is huge. We get to see what the defense is doing and get to find more ways to attack them — get better and more positive plays. That happened tonight.”
RHS offensive coordinator Earl Griffin admits in-game video can be helpful but added that the coaches and players have to be ready to adjust when it’s not working quite like it usually does.
“Sam stepped up big tonight,” Griffin said. “We finally got back into the groove. Last week was a debacle. I don’t know if the lights were too bright for us or what. We knew we needed to rest (running back) Dalen (Powell, who is nursing a sore ankle) but that we still had a high-powered offense to go without him.
“The offensive line held up and that’s the main thing. We have guys that can catch the ball and run the ball — but those linemen are the most important guys on the field. Sam ran for nearly 900 yards last year and we knew we had to get back to that. We talked and made adjustments on the sideline and the guys came through. I’m proud of them.”
And while the Bearcats didn’t have the video Friday night they usually do, Griffin realizes how important it still is.
“It’s a game-changer,” Griffin said. “The past two or three years, the drone view, it’s spoiled us. Tonight we were without it. I think they said a wire went out. But for the most part, the end zone and side views were enough.”
Another “behind-the-scenes” part of the Bearcats’ play is the close on-field huddles they take during timeouts. One of those timeouts Friday night resulted in running back Kohl Gray taking a direct snap to paydirt from a yard out.
“Those direct snaps are a part of our game plan now,” Griffin said. “We’ve got some big (ball carriers) and it takes an extra second or two for Sam to be able to hand it off and Kohl and our offensive line did a great job tonight. If it would have been a playoff game, Dalen could have played tonight but his ankle was real tender on Monday so we decided to give him some rest.
“We talk about a whole lot during those timeouts. I can’t give away all the secrets, but for the most part, we talked about whether we thought we could get inside and block those guys and open the hole for Kohl. He wanted the football and is hungry. He’s been wanting the ball and he seized the moment and ran with it.”
Assistant head coach Kyle Williams said that in-game video can be important.
“I think it’s like everything else, it reinforces things that you see going on during the game,” Williams said. “It gives the players an opportunity to clean up some mistakes or whatever it is that may or may not be going on. Sometimes it works flawlessly and sometimes it doesn’t.
“We didn’t have the drone last week. We had it some this week. It never works in the Superdome, so we weren’t surprised when it didn’t work there. It’s a good tool for what it’s used for, having the opportunity to reinforce some of the things we see going on in the game. And it’s especially important for the kids to give them the opportunity to see it.”
Ruston’s defense had trouble stopping Catholic early on before tightening up and outscoring the Bears 28-7 in the second half.
But Williams said video had nothing to do with that happening on Friday.
“It was just playing better,” Williams said. “We didn’t see anything we hadn’t prepared for. We were ready for it. I think you get out there and play good football teams that are executing and sometimes you get in a position where we try to do too much instead of realizing that, hey, we just have to do our job.
“As they went along, they settled down and did a better job as the game went along. There were no halftime adjustments or anything like that. It was just settling down and doing what they were supposed to do and they did a better job in the second half.”
