With no true No. 1 back, the Balers will spread the ball among
its backfield
Historically, the Balers offense has revolved around two things:
Running backs and the offensive line. But through the team’s
non-league schedule this year, the team has focused on a more
wide-open offensive attack – thanks to the skills of quarterback
Michael Bocksnick.
With no true No. 1 back, the Balers will spread the ball among its backfield
Historically, the Balers offense has revolved around two things: Running backs and the offensive line. But through the team’s non-league schedule this year, the team has focused on a more wide-open offensive attack – thanks to the skills of quarterback Michael Bocksnick.
Through four games, the Balers have already thrown for more yards than all of last year – 540 yards in 2011 compared to 491 last year – and the Balers haven’t found the one running back that will carry the load throughout the season.
But that hasn’t stopped them from pounding the run game. Instead of just using one back, they’ve found as many as nine on their way to nearly 900 yards on the ground.
It took the team a few weeks to find that offensive rhythm, though, as the Balers struggled out of the gate.
At 0-2 and looking for the first win of the year against Saratoga, the Balers gave the ball to nine different backs – including Bocksnick, who leads the team with 330 yards rushing – to find a way to pull of a 28-14 win.
It was the first time – in only the third game – the Balers rushed for more than they threw, and it was all because of the extreme depth in the backfield.
Nine players rushed the ball, but none had more than 60 yards on the day. It was a complete team effort.
“It takes the strain off of one person so we aren’t just depending on one person,” running back Jacob De Leon said. “It brings the team more together because we can bring in a running back at the same caliber as the other ones.”
And it’s that simple motto that drives the Balers’ offense, that has proven itself capable of throwing and running.
“It’s fun to go back and fourth between the different offenses,” Bocksnick said. “They don’t know what to expect,” Bocksnick said.
The Balers followed up that showing- ing with a similar one against Willow Glen, using seven ball carries to combine to rush for nearly 300 yards on the ground.
And front and center in both weeks was sophomore Zak Hicks, who on 30 carries this year has rushed for 154 yards and one touchdown. Hicks’ success is a byproduct of the competitive atmosphere surrounding the running backs.
“I just want to work hard because it is hard as a sophomore to get a starting spot or touches on offense,” he said. “I have to do scout all the time and bust my butt all the time.”
But once he gets those touches he – like the rest of the Balers – makes the most of them.
“I feel like they think I really earned the spot,” Hicks said. “I feel like I did but I’m still working my way up there.”
It’s that competitive fire that has head coach Chris Cameron excited to find out what his large group of running backs can do as the season goes on.
“There is a lot of depth and it breeds competition,” he said. “Some guys are good at one thing and others at something else.”
For Anthony Cervantes, Hicks, De Leon, Bocksnick, Eddie Perez, Nate Valencia, Cody Cameron, John Hartshorn, Damien Botelho and the other Baler running backs, finding their niche on offense will give them more playing time.
“All nine running backs that get the ball can go inside and outside – it doesn’t matter to us,” Cervantes said. “I think it makes our team really solid overall. At running back we are deep – we are all good.”
They are a team of ball carries – instead of just one dynamic threat.
“It’s like family pretty much,” De Leon said. “We are not depending on one person anymore – it’s not that one guy. It’s all of us coming together and actually being a team and getting the ball and taking it to the right spot.”
The greatest advantage of having so many backs capable of carrying the load won’t come into perspective until the end of the year – when it matters most, Cameron said. When it gets colder outside and the weather plays more of a factor, a strong run game – with depth – will be needed.
“It’s great when it comes down to the wire and grind of the season,” Cameron said. “You need to be able to run the football. The more guys you have that can do those things, the better you are in those big games. You need tough running backs that can slam it in there and pass protect.”
Cameron believes he has the depth to do just that.
“It gives us a lot of options and it always keeps the backfield pretty fresh,” he said. “We can do multiple things with multiple guys.”
