Ronan (Mont.) football coach Jim Benn installed a no-huddle offense this year and it enabled the Chiefs to establish a national record during last week’s 70-36 rout of Libby.
Xavier Morigeau, Ronan
Photo courtesy of Ronan
Six players combined for an incredible 87 carries and a total of 637 yards. The previous record for carries, according to the National High School Sports Record Book, was 85 by Southern (Stronghurst, Ill.) against Roseville in 1979.
“We run eight or ten plays more per game than we did last year,” Benn said of his quicker attack from the wing-T. “We do a lot of misdirection, multiple fakes and try to hide the ball as much as possible. We didn’t throw the ball at all. We tried twice but they ended up as runs.”
Leading the way was Xavier Morigeau, a powerful 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior fullback, who set school records with 42 carries for 334 yards and six touchdowns. A junior, Lucus Black (5-8, 155), added 165 yards on 20 carries.
Benn calls the record “a great thing for our kids. The thing that’s cool is how they’ve turned things around.”
Benn took over coaching duties a year ago and the Chiefs won three games. This year they have won five times so far. In the five years prior to his arrival, they won a total of seven games.
