High school football: Hampshire moves to run-heavy attack

HAMPSHIRE – No Fox Valley Conference football team threw more passes the past two years than Hampshire.

So when running back Jake See heard that the Whip-Purs were moving to a run-heavy offense, the senior was noticeably upbeat.

"Personnel-wise, running the ball is much more our fit," said See, who enters his senior season as the Whips' top returning rusher. "We have guys who are ready to run the ball, and we have guys ready to block for us.

"I love running the ball, so it’s just going to give me some more opportunities to do what I love."

First-year coach Jake Brosman is ditching Hampshire's pass-oriented attack for a run-friendly offense. The former Dunlap assistant of six years has been pleased with the transition so far.

Players were excited when Brosman initially told them of the changes to the offense.

"They've taken to the concepts and the principles right away," Brosman said. "It’s a very simple system. I’ve worked my tail off to make sure it’s simple. It’s gonna be quick, hard-hitting, power football."

Under Mike Brasile, now the coach at Woodstock, starting quarterbacks Jake Vincent and Drew Dalby combined to pass 564 times for 3,976 yards since the start of the 2016 season. That number is set to go down drastically under Brosman.

Thirty-seven area players ran the ball more times than Hampshire's leading rusher last year, graduate Ben Corcelles (55 attempts, 155 yards). See received 47 carries, running for 113 yards.

"I'm a guy who loves the run offense," Brosman said. "If can run power football all day, I will."

See, a third-year varsity starter, is expected to get the heaviest workload, but Brosman sees a strong group in the backfield, including Trevor Laffin, Gio Chapel, and Gio Valdivia. Even Zach Golden, Hampshire's leading returning receiver, might see time in the backfield, Brosman said.

A combination of Evan Wendt, Nick Saia, Jake Rambo, Colin McIntyre, Troy Kallhoff and Sam Mullen, among others, will be tasked with opening holes on the offensive line.

Brosman looks at the landscape of the nine-team Fox Valley Conference and successful run-first teams, such as option offenses Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove, and sees the need to match them.

"I think you have to play to what the conference is," Brosman said. "If it’s a running conference, it’s going to be a ball-control conference. I had a couple of people tell me I'm crazy for wanting to run against some of the [FVC teams]. But we're going to try and control the clock, limit our opponents' possessions, try to get as many touches as we can ... and play at our speed."

Senior Will Buterbaugh is in an open competition at quarterback, Brosman said, along with juniors Ben Curran and Jackson Milison.

Buterbaugh doesn't care what kind of offense the Whips run as long as it translate to more success. Hampshire was 1-8 last season in Brasile's final year, losing its final eight games.

Buterbaugh said one of the strongest parts of his game is running the football, so the change is welcomed by him.

"It's a lot different than what we're used to, but we have the right players for it," said Buterbaugh, a first-year varsity player. "Whatever works best for the team, I'm all for it. ... I just want the team to win."

See knows there will be some bumps along the way, but he's eager to turn things around in his senior season.

"It's one of those things that kind of hangs over my head," See said of last year's 1-8 finish. "We haven't been successful the last couple of years, so other teams are going to underestimate us.

“We’re going to come into every game as the underdog, so we’ve got to come out and play some smash-mouth football.”