NC plays its first region game of the 2015 season friday night against the Harrison Hoyas. Last season, the Warriors trumped Harrison 49-27 and looks to do the same as the stakes spike with the beginning of region play.  

The Hoyas run an offense that differentiates from what NC normally gameplans to stop. Their Wing-T offense consists of a mobile quarterback, big fullback (or B-back), and two small running backs (also called wingbacks or A-backs) that line up on either the tight end or tackle’s hip and double as slot receivers when the offense needs to pass. Harrison lines up under center and in shotgun, but pre-snap motion is a universal part of the Wing-T playbook, some used to place a player to get the ball, others to distract defenders and test eye discipline.  

Harrison brings size and speed to the backfield with sophomore quarterback Justin Fields (#1) and junior running back Darius Clark,  weighing in at 6’2,’’ 190 pounds and 5’7,’’  162 pounds respectively.  Fields is a run first quarterback with great speed and fluidity for a sizable athlete.  Clark, in contrast, is the “lightning” of this offense, and viewers can expect to see him on counters and sweeps, where he can use his burst and agility to find the endzone from any point on the field.  Harrison may try to work some trick plays through their most explosive offensive player as the Hoyas look for revenge and a quality region win in 2015.

The Harrison defense plays a 3-4 defense (three defensive linemen and four linebackers) and zone defense against the pass designed to shut down the quick passing game. Harrison’s coverage proves fairly simple, with cover 2 against 2×2 sets (two receivers on each side of the offensive line) and cover 3 against 3×1 sets(three receivers to one side, one on the other) but once again expect change-ups to fool NC’s offense with something the Warriors have not seen in preparation.

The corners play in a unique position, with their backs to the outside receiver watching the next receiver down the line, waiting to stop him from running outside breaking routes or blow up screens with the safeties responsible for the deep pass.  The outside linebackers play almost the same depth as the inside linebackers.  

Look for NC to find room between the corners and safeties with screens and quick throws and deep between the safeties. Harrison’s offense will create some big plays when the NC defense gets tired or distracted with all the misdirection and “student body left/right” running mentality. Coming off a poor 1-3 start to the season, NC enters region play with expectations of success and another run at the playoffs.
The Chant’s prediction: North Cobb: 35, Harrison: 17