The Delaware Wing T scheme is predicated on running the ball effectively.

To do that, players must selflessly block for one another in a system that asks even backs and receivers to do their fair share.

For Pearl River Central Running Backs Coach Justin Sones, the offense struggled at the beginning of the season, but found its stride as time progressed.

“Last year was our first year running the Wing T and the kids were adjusting to that style of offense,” Sones said.

Not only did the athletes have to adapt to the scheme, but they were also getting accustomed to the amount of work necessary to make the system run well.

That required effort can be taxing on players, especially in their first year.

Sones said every player has to give it their all in this system, and the team eventually learned what they had to do in order to win.

“We put ourselves in positions of success because we played hard,” Sones said.

“We weren’t successful when we didn’t play with as much effort.”

Team chemistry plays a large part in any team’s success.

However, it’s especially vital in the Wing T because players must  put the team first.

“The goal is not for a particular player to score, but for the team to score,” Sones said.

That selfless mindset is one that has to be taught by the coaching staff

The hard part can be that when going into the first year of any system it can be tough for players to buy in.

However, Sones said that over time the players adjusted, and became hard-nosed football players.

“We’re selling toughness and I think they’re buying it,” Sones said.

“I think that the toughness aspect is not something that’s lost on these kids.”

Not only were the players having to adapt to a new system, but also to a new coaching staff.

Sones said that when a new staff takes over there is always a transition period.

“We were trying to figure out the kids,” Sones said.

“When it’s your first year not only do you not know their skill set, but you also don’t know their personality.”

However, Sones thinks the team improved as time went on.

Now he and the staff have the relationships with their players they wanted from the start.

The offseason has been beneficial for both the players and coaches to form those relationships, and also improve on the field.

“I think that we’ve had a really good offseason program,” Sones said.

“Our kids have gotten a lot stronger, we ask a lot of them, but we didn’t miss a lot of work out days in the weight room.”

Additionally, the players have a year’s worth of experience in the offensive system.

Sones said having that understanding will be beneficial on game day.

“We gained a year in the offense, and now we know what the flow of the game is,” Sones said.

“You can practice all day long, but until you run that play in a game you don’t really know.”