Paraclete Runs a Triple Option

The key to Paraclete High’s playoff quarterfinal today against Big Bear will be distribution, according to Spirit Coach Jeff Cortez.

Paraclete (10-1) is hoping to continue its successful pattern of spreading carries and yardage to its three front-line rushers while the Bears (8-3) will try to control the game with time-consuming drives out of its power-I formation.

“I expect a physical offensive team,” Cortez said of Big Bear, which will host the Southern Section Division XII game at 1 p.m. at Big Bear Middle School. “They will try to control the ball and clock and keep our offense off the field.”

The Spirits, who have won 10 games in a row since losing, 51-0, to St. Bonaventure in their opener, struggled early in the season with the wing-T offense that Cortez installed.

Instead of featuring Curtis Brown rushing 20 to 30 times a game, the three-time section champions tried to utilize Michael Washington and Erick Jackson to keep defenses from focusing on Brown.

“We reached a little goal of mine last week,” Cortez said of Brown, Washington and Jackson almost equally sharing 40 carries in the first round of the playoffs. “Even distribution of the ball--that’s what we want.”

Washington rushed for 213 yards in 11 carries last week to lead the way in a 48-14 victory over Mojave.

Brown leads the Spirits with 1,351 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns, Jackson has 754 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Washington has 515 yards and three touchdowns.