Dissecting a Successful Offense: Abilene High School (TX)

It takes guts to make changes to an extremely balanced offense that averaged 45 points per game the previous season. Abilene High School (TX) head coach Steve Warren is gutsy. He’s also a state champion, thanks in part to an adjustment to the Eagles’ offense that produced a unique blend of a power running game and the spread offense. “Yep, that characterizes us pretty well,” said Warren, who, in his 14th season, led the Eagles to the 2009 5A Division II state championship. “We’re a spread offense, with a power running game. We’re a spread team by formation; in other words, we are very multiple formation-wise. But we are not a spread team when it comes to the type of plays that we run. Someone asked me at a coaching clinic this offseason what I call our offense. I kind of tagged us a ‘Spread I.’” During last season’s 15-0 championship run in the Texas 5A playoffs,