New Palestine HS (IN) has gone an impressive 88-4 over the past seven seasons and have won back-to-back state titles while scoring over 50 points per game and allowing just under 13. To say they're a powerhouse program would be an understatement.
Today, New Pal special teams coordinator Wes Anderson joined us to talk about their special teams philosophy, and more specifically about a unique approach to their kickoff teams.
Anderson is a big proponent of providing ownership to the kids on his special teams, and they way they do that on kickoff is with the use of three "hitmen" who vary their alignments from kickoff to kickoff. This creativity really gives issues for return teams dedicated to counting the return men from left to right, and has allowed them to get some of their best players free to make tackles deep in the opponents territory.
A few other interesting things I was able to pick up from Anderson's talk:
- How return teams have adjusted to the unique kickoff approach
- How they make adjustments on the fly since they're not a two-platoon team
See coach Anderson's full talk below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce1-258irfA