Our HS Team of the Week Makes it About Players not Plays
Nov 09, 2023 2:01 pm
Coach ,
This week’s CoachesClinic High School Team of the Week is Desoto High School, currently the #1 ranked team in Texas and #7 in the country on MaxPreps.
The defending state champion DeSoto Eagles are led by Head Coach Claude Mathis, a former running back at Texas State, who was named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Coach Mathis was a four-time All-American at Texas State (then Southwest Texas State) from 1994-97. He holds 14 program records, including career rushing yards (4,694), rushing touchdowns (45), all-purpose yards (7,264) and total points scored (294). He was named the Southland Football League Player of the Year in 1996, finished third in the Walter Payton Player of the Year voting and was inducted into Texas State’s hall of honor in 2011.
Desoto has a roster full of talented players - notable are Quarterback Darius Bailey who is committed to Sam Houston State. His favorite target Daylon Singleton is committed to SMU as is OLB Brandon Booker.
The key to the Eagles offense is being able to adapt their offense to highlight their personnel. This is done through extensive game planning.
Coach Mathis points out two areas and how he looks at those in this video:
Offensive Coordinator Charles Williams builds the foundation of what they do around the offensive line. It starts with them. They also aim to be unpredictable but most importantly they are building it around the players skills not plays. Coach Williams shares their philosophy in this video:
Here’s an example of how that plays out on the field. Knowing the players skills allows them to be smart about what plays they are calling.
Desoto begins the defense of their state championship in the playoffs this week vs. Harker Heights.
Good luck to everyone who is in the playoffs this week!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski
P.S. Here’s our list of remaining UNDEFEATED teams from our clinics:
Alabama
Saraland (10-0) - Jeff Kelly RPO and Run Game
Arkansas
Fayetteville (10-0) 7A Jay Wilkinson - OC
Attacking Multiple Coverages with the Passing Game
Iowa
Southeast Polk (11-0) 5A - Brad Zelenovich - HC
How to Encourage Multi-Sport Athletes
Louisiana
Destrehan (10-0) - Rhett Peltier
Rhett Piltier Channel- 7 presentations
Ohio
Massillon Washington (12-0) Nate Moore-HC, Jarrett Troxler-OC, Jason Jarvis-STC
Oklahoma
Bixby HS (10-0) Tyler Schneider, OC
Nebraska
Wahoo (11-0) Chad Fox, HC
4-3 Defense and Defensive Drills
Waverly HS (11-0) Reed Manstedt, HC
Texas
Westlake (10-0) vs San Benito- Brandon Murdock - OL
Brandon Murdock - Pass Protection Drills
Aledo (10-0) vs Midlothian - Tim Buchanan - HC
Cuero (10-0) vs Hamshire Fannett- Travis Reeve - HC
Inside/Outside Run Game with RPO
Carthage (10-0) vs Gilmer- Scott Surratt - HC
Canadian (10-0) vs Spearman- Chris Koetting- HC
Gunter (10-0) vs Palmer- Jake Fieszel - HC
Gunter Pistol - Combo of Flexbone, Wing-T and Spread
Albany HS (10-0) Denny Faith, HC
Desoto (9-0) Claude Mathis, HC
Adapting Offens to Players’ Talents
Vandegrift (10-0) Drew Sanders, HC
Did you do a clinic or course with us and we missed you? Let us know and we will be sure to add you to our next update.