University High showing that offense can sometimes be the best defense
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MORGANTOWN – Sometimes in sports, simply being able to outscore an opponent can be enough to carry a team to success.
They say offense wins games and defense wins championships, but the Hawks put a new spin on the term last week against Parkersburg South in a 76-50 victory.
While the UHS offense has clicked since the opening snap of Week 1 against Musselman, the defense has raised questions for head coach Eric Snyder and his team.
Against the Patriots, UHS totaled 621 offensive yards in 55 plays (11.3 yards per play). Parkersburg South averaged only 5.7 yards per play but ran 85 plays, 30 more than the Hawks.
The Patriots possessed the ball on offense for twice as long as University did (31:32 to 15:32). The explosiveness of the UHS offense is something Snyder says has caught his eye early on.
The Hawks have nine touchdowns in just 23 completions through two games. Senior Hayden George has found the end zone six times in seven receptions. UHS averages 34.5 yards per completion.
"The ability of our offense was definitely something we expected to be at a high level, but the sheer explosiveness they've shown on the field is something that has slightly surprised us as a staff," Snyder said. "Being able to stay fresh on offense gives us an advantage. Our offensive line has been very solid, and the run game has followed suit. With that, we've been able to open up the field and have some success taking our chances when we have them."
While the offense has been a bright spot, Snyder knows his club has things to work on defensively after the opening two weeks.
Even in a 35-3 victory over Musselman in Week 1, the Hawks allowed their opponents to rush the ball for 276 yards and go on multiple drives that took over five minutes.
"We were able to limit Musselman's scoring, but they were successful running the ball against us," Snyder said. "Parkersburg South ran the ball well also and scored a ton of points. We need to be in tune and locked in on our assignments on defense against Washington, which will throw some nice packages on offense."
Snyder also mentioned how the depth of his defense needs to play a larger role with many players occupying positions on both sides of the ball.
"We have some guys who have to play nearly every snap sometimes," he said. "I'd like to see some of our guys step up and provide us an impact on that side of things."
The Hawks will welcome Washington to Baker's Ridge at 7:00 p.m.