WILLIAMSBURG — Lafayette High’s offense has adopted its own version of “Operation Warp Speed.”
No, the No. 7 Rams (4-0) haven’t abandoned the Wing-T offense they adopted in 1997, employing it to methodically ground the opposition into submission in dominating the Bay Rivers District ever since. They’ve just sped it up.
The tempo change isn’t lost on Poquoson coach Elliott Duty, whose No. 13 Islanders (4-0) host the Rams on Friday at Poquoson Middle School in a de facto Bay Rivers championship game.
“They come fast, lining up and, from huddle to snap, getting the ball off in five or six seconds,” Duty said, noting most teams take about 12-15 seconds. “It doesn’t give you a whole lot of time to recognize formations to get adjusted.
“It’s not no-huddle but it’s almost like no-huddle.”
Duty just offered a perfect synopsis of why Rams’ coach Andy Linn sent offensive coordinator Thad Wheeler and assistant coach Nick Kepa to Liberty Hill High in Texas to learn more about the higher-paced Slot-T offense he says is similar to the Wing-T.
It’s not as if the Rams, Class 3 state champions in spring 2021 and state finalists in 2023, weren’t still having success with the ground-and-pound Wing-T. Their 401 yards per game — 312 per game rushing — and 36-point average this season are similar to past years.
But Linn felt the familiarity of opponents, defense-minded Poquoson in particular, with tempo and look of the Rams’ Wing-T made them easier to scout of late. So, with a senior-heavy veteran offense, he figured this would be the ideal season to add a wrinkle for a group experienced enough to adapt quickly.
The logic unfolded perfectly in the opener, a 40-12 win over Smithfield, as speedy Josh Simpson ran for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But, by the end of the second game, a 24-6 win over rival Warhill, Simpson, senior running back Tyree Wilson, all-state lineman Andrew Buckley and two other senior offensive linemen were out with injuries.
No matter. The Rams haven’t missed a beat with sophomore running backs Izaiyah Gray (290 yards rushing, three touchdowns) and Bryce Johnson (173 yards rushing, two touchdowns), combining with senior Breon Stokes (363 yards rushing, five TDs) in a potent ground attack. A pair of sophomores and a freshman filled in capably on the offensive line.
“The injuries have been a blessing in disguise because we’ve developed more depth for this season and experience in this offense for the future,” Linn said, adding Simpson and Buckley are back Friday.
If less time to adjust to the run game is a problem for opposing defenses, the Rams’ passing attack is no slouch. Veteran quarterback Baum Hogge and backup Talen Leach have combined to pass for 356 yards and seven touchdowns, blessed with two of the district’s best and fastest athletes in receivers Jael Love (six receptions, 191 yards, three TDs) and Naye’Ron Hudson (five receptions, 76 yards, two TDs).
“People say ‘Lafayette doesn’t pass,’” Linn said, noting that tight end Cyler Brooks has contributed with two receptions for 99 yards and two TDs. “We don’t pass as much as others, but we do so more effectively.”
Now, they do it at Warp Speed.
