Howell coach Brian Lewis grew tired of losing. He did not take the head coaching job at Howell to play little brother to Brighton.
He brainstormed with fellow coaches looking for a new path to victory. That’s when the Highlanders imposed the Power T triple option offense. The results have been staggering. Howell was powered by running backs Bryce Kish (75 yards and three touchdowns), Christian Farren (65 yards) and sophomore Jack Gondick (62 yards and a touchdown) during an easy 35-7 victory over Hartland Friday night at Hartland.
It was Howell’s 15th win in the last 17 starts and the Highlanders are gunning for big prizes. They are the defending KLAA champion but seek bigger game – namely a state title. The win kept the Highlanders (4-1 in division play) in second place in the KLAA West with Northville (4-1), a game behind first place Brighton (5-0).
Howell quarterback Preston Barb rushed for 13 yards on four carries, but did not throw one pass all night. That’s usually the case when the triple option is working.
The Power T formation is both simple and complicated. Barb is under center as quarterback. Kish (left), Gondick (center) and Farren (right) line up in the backfield in a straight line forming a T with the quarterback. Everybody knows what’s coming. They just can’t stop it. Barb has the option to fake handoffs, give it to the first man or run the ball himself.
“You’ve got to problem solve. You’ve got to figure it out,” Lewis said when asked why he changed to a power offensive game. “You’ve got to put your team in the best position to succeed.”
Howell ran the ball 45 times for 214 yards against Hartland, pounding its way to a 35-0 lead before Harland avoided being shut out on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Michael Elliott to Carter Smith with 10 seconds remaining.
In order to be a Howell running back players must prove to Lewis they are tough and willing to work hard. They must also be unselfish. They are not carrying the rock for themselves. They are playing for all of Howell.
“It’s a great offense,” Kish said. “It is the way Howell is. I think it’s the people (that makes it work) and the way we think. We are one unit. A lot of times teams know exactly where we are going but we still get five yards, five yards. The way we play football it works.”
The front men for this offense isn’t the running backs. The offensive linemen power things.
The three backs did not earn their spots because they are superior runners.
Kish is a devastating back who is most dangerous when he turns the corner and heads up field. However, he earned his spot by being a willing blocker for Justin Jones last season. Farren cracked the line up by being hard-nosed.
Gondick, a sophomore, began calling people out in training camp to earn his spot.
“He was saying I want to play,” Lewis said. “I don’t care who is in my way.”