Gators find consistency with offensive tweaks

“If I could figure this team out, I’d be a genius,” were the first words out of South Terrebonne Gators’ head coach Richard Curlin’s mouth after Friday’s 24-12 victory over the Terrebonne Tigers.

What has the 20-year Gator coach perplexed is the inconsistency of the team’s offensive play. They had not scored more than 14 points in a month and only three in its previous two games.

Part of that could be blamed on a wave of injuries to regular starters on both the offense and defense, but Curlin also knew his team was in a rut.

So, the Gator coaches decided it was time to shake things up.

“We had a coaches’ meeting and we knew we had to completely loosen up the offense,” Curlin explained. “We installed a few new plays and moved some personnel around.”

“The last two weeks, our Wing-T (offense) has just been stagnant,” said offensive coordinator Stephen Barba. “We had to do something just to get the kids excited again.”

The Gators (5-3, 3-1) replaced their run-heavy Wing-T offense with a spread shotgun formation and moved tailback Jaquis Flores to fullback.

They hoped the redesign would force the opposing middle linebackers to stay tight to the line of scrimmage, open running lanes for its regular sweep play and help quarterbacks pass more efficiently.

The moves worked as the Gators were able to score 21 points in less than a quarter and a half and gained more yards (298) than in any game this season.

“We needed a more balanced attack than what we’ve been getting,” Curlin noted. “A lot of younger kids stepped up in critical spots. We’re going to need that the rest of the way.”

The biggest benefactor of the new offensive formation is senior slot end Mitchell Hutchinson. With the ground game stalled from injuries over the past month, he has been the Gators’ main offensive weapon this season.

Including his two-touchdown performance against the Tigers, Hutchinson has 30 receptions for 421 yards and six touchdowns on the year.

“We can throw any route to him, short or deep, he’s been able to get open,” Barba said. “He’s been able to pull the safeties away from the line and help open up our running game.”

Hutchinson credited his breakout season to himself and senior quarterback Quinton Lirette developing their timing in summer camps at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Football University in Alabama.

“We’ve played together since our freshman year, but those camps helped develop our skill level,” Hutchinson said. “We’ve been practicing a lot and it’s all paid off.”

Hutchinson, who also runs the 400-meter dash on the Gators’ track team, has been known for making great diving catches deep in the middle of the field. However, he prefers the shorter curl route near the sidelines.

“It’s better to run over people,” said the 6-foot, 1-inch, 170 pounder.

With the Gators in second place behind South Lafourche in District 8-5A play and two games left in the regular season, South Terrebonne still has a shot at the district title.

While they don’t control their own destiny, the Gators seem to have more control of their offense. They hope to ride their new offensive formation to a playoff spot.

“We’re going to let it all hang out these last two games,” Curlin insisted. “We’re holding nothing back.”