Dragons Hold Off Potosi to Stay Undefeated, Basler Talks Offensive Success

written by Broden Kreitler

edited by Joshua Banks

The St. Gen Dragons are on a roll! The Football Boys moved to 4-0 on the season after a nail-biting, one-point victory over Potosi, winning 25-24. It was a tight game that came down to the wire, with Ethan Ottins delivering the game-winning touchdown for St. Gen.

The Dragons will look to keep their perfect streak alive this Friday, September 26, when they travel to take on the Central Rebels.

To get a feel for the team's early success, we caught up with Dragons offensive coordinator Kellan Basler to get his thoughts on the offense and the season so far.

Basler on Offensive Success: "We Have a Very Experienced Offensive Line"

Basler credits the team's consistent growth and a strong run game for their success out of the gate. "Over these past four games, the offense is doing a great job of just getting better each week we go out," Basler shared. "The key to our success so far is that we have been doing a great job in the run game and have a very experienced offensive line. The offensive group is doing a good job of adapting and making adjustments throughout the week."

The Coaches' Playbook: A Week of Planning

The success on Friday night is a culmination of a week's worth of intense preparation. Basler gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how the coaching staff approaches the upcoming opponent each week. "When it comes to game planning for each week, as an offensive staff, we will come in every Sunday and discuss alignments to our base formations," he explained. "We'll discuss what plays we like for the week and how we will block them based on the defensive front they will give us. We discuss the other team's personnel and if there are any weaknesses in the defense."

The work continues throughout the week. "When Monday rolls around, we will install anything new we are wanting to put in for the week and will run through our scheme. There is a lot of work that goes into this each night of the week with creating practice scripts, putting together the practice plan, creating the play sheet, and watching film," Basler said. "When Friday comes around, hopefully the plan comes together, and sometimes there may be a lot of adjustments made as the game goes on."

Adapting the System to the Players

Basler strongly believes in tailoring the offense to the talent available each season.

"Each year I think it's important to adapt your offense to the players that you have coming up," he stated. "For instance, this year we knew we had a lot of good runners and athletes that can make things happen with the ball in their hands. This year I wanted to put a big focus on running the football and allowing those athletes to get a lot of touches."

He added that the quarterback is key to the overall scheme. "We have a quarterback that is very smart and a tough runner, so it's critical that we find ways to incorporate him in our run scheme. Each year is different and it's just important to get a good understanding of what is the best fit for the kids that we have."

"I am a strong believer in developing a strong run game first because if you have a strong run game, then it tends to open up the pass game. You have to find ways to get the ball to your best athletes and create a scheme that works to your team's strengths," he emphasized.

But for the coaching staff, the job extends beyond the scoreboard. "Our main goal as coaches is to create long-lasting relationships with your players and teach them life lessons that they can carry through life," Basler noted.

"Potential is Just a Word"

The coordinator sees great things ahead for the 4-0 squad but is focused on consistent improvement. "This group of guys have a great amount of potential, but like we tell them all the time, potential is just a word," he concluded. "We have to prove each and every week how good they can actually be. If they can keep getting better week in and week out, then this group can do some special things moving forward and I'm excited to see how the rest of this season goes."