EastMont standout decides to stay put

ELLISTON — The biggest catch of the high school football season for Eastern Montgomery may have happened before the Mustangs’ first game.

Junior Ron Ford, who has proven he can catch just about any pass that’s in the same area code, was caught before he headed out the door to transfer to another school. Ford had weighed the offseason option of transferring to nearby Three Rivers District rival Glenvar.

“I talked to my parents a lot and we decided it was better for me to stay right here,” the versatile 5-foot-10, 175-pound athlete said. “I’m glad to be right where I am.”

That decision was a source of joy for all concerned at Eastern Montgomery, prominent among them first year coach Brian Lee. The new coach, who arrived earlier this summer from a similar post at Thomas Walker in Lee County, succeeded the departed Mark Poston. Poston coaches at Nelson County now.

Lee hasn’t been in his new job long but he does know this:

“I’d like to get the ball in Ron’s hands as much as possible.”

Poston had a similar plan. Ford led all Timesland receivers last year with 70 receptions and 17 touchdowns in 10 regular season games. That amounted to 994 yards total and 14.2 per catch.

The differences for Ford this year will be substantial. Whereas all those snags last year came in context of the pass-oriented spread offense, the Mustangs have new plans for an offensive scheme this year. Lee is installing the jet-sweep offense, a hybrid of the wing-T. The jet-sweep was refined and popularized by coach Tubby Raymond before he retired after great success at the University of Delaware.

What this means for the athletic and speedy Ford is a switch from wide receiver primarily to slotback, a position that is as much running back as receiver in the jet-sweep. Also, like the jet-sweep itself, Ford’s new position is described by Lee as a hybrid. Ford figures to be deployed at running back and occasionally at quarterback, too.

In the end it must be assumed that Ford is unlikely to be the recipient of 70 passes again this season. That doesn’t mean his touches will be fewer, though. They may be more even though he’ll be sharing touches with the opposite slotback, the leading candidate being sophomore Daryl Manns.

“We want to get them out in space and let them use their God-given ability to shed tackles,” Lee said. “I keep telling them that in a lot of situations, they’re going to be one-on-one against a defensive back in the open field.”

All this is fine with Ford.

“I’ll be getting more carries as a running back than I have before, but that’s OK,” he said. “I was a running back all the way through little league.”

Ford’s offensive value to the Mustangs doesn’t end at pass catching, running, and blocking. He’ll also be a decoy on occasion, which should open it up for other skill position guys such as running back Shane DeWeese, Ford’s fellow hybrids Cody Claxton and Dustin Sled, and the shifty Manns.

Lee is already planning on a special situations package that will feature Ford at quarterback. The leading contenders to start at QB will be two sophomores, Jesse East and newcomer Elliot Stigall.

Ford has already earned praise for his football intellect. According to the coach, such is Ford’s grasp of the new offense already that other players occasionally approach him instead of one of the coaches with questions about positioning and execution.

All this would have never have been possible if Ford had opted to walk. Teammates didn’t sit idly by while Ford’s decision-making process was under way.

“We talked to him a lot,” DeWeese said. “We didn’t want to see him go. He needs to be here. He’s part of the family.”

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