WE RUN THE SINGLE WING. SERIOUSLY, WE DO.
Friend of the blog Wes Wolfe bring us the story of the actual single wing renaissance in Virginia. We were only slightly joking when we said that West Virginia and Florida, on about 20 percent of their snaps, run the single wing. Louisa County High School, on the other hand, ain’t joking: they went to the state championship last year running an unadulterated version of the single wing straight from General Neyland’s playbook.
If you want to read the whole article, Wolfe’s paper, the Central Virginian, is undergoing a bit of a web overhaul at the moment, so we’ve got the article in picture form below. Warning: the pics are huge, and will look clunky. Excuse the mess, but when it comes to our passion single wing, we’re willing to put it in whether it fits or not.
We predict three comments pass until someone writes “Me, too, Orson. Oh, we’re talking about site formatting here, right? Because I was talking about my dick.”
1
I confess to immediately thinking of some variation on “Yeah I will! or “That’s what she said!”. Damn you, college
Comment by swampchomp — August 15, 2025 @ 11:37 am
2
Just give me a shoehorn, baby!
Comment by Bonghit Gator — August 15, 2025 @ 11:37 am
3
For some reason I immediately thought about site formatting.
Comment by PW — August 15, 2025 @ 11:40 am
4
â€You never know what a football player is made of until he plays against Louisa County High School.†- General Neyland
Comment by Bully Van De Graaff — August 15, 2025 @ 11:41 am
5
That coach looks suspiciously like Mike Leach.
Comment by PeteJayhawk — August 15, 2025 @ 11:41 am
6
In 17 days…Florida Box.
Best quote of the article:
“We may have more single wing guys than any other state. I don’t know why - maybe in Virginia we’re just more forward-thinking”
Comment by Allahver Fist — August 15, 2025 @ 11:43 am
7
Me, too, Orson. Oh, we’re talking about site formatting here, right? Because I was talking about my dick.
Comment by NDTom — August 15, 2025 @ 11:44 am
8
That coach looks like an accountant. Trust one of us to dig up something that nobody’s seen in 40 years, except when AMC shows KNUTE ROCKNE: ALL AMERICAN once a year.
You know that’s the kind of coach that uses his tongue fancier than a $2 whore.
Comment by Brewster Crew — August 15, 2025 @ 11:45 am
9
Single wing is good, but for even more misdirection try it with the spinning fullback option
Comment by DustyMck — August 15, 2025 @ 11:54 am
10
Closer to home, I believe Central Gwinnett ran a single wing in the mid-90’s when they had Timmy Smith, the greatest you never heard of. Ran for 3000 yards in 1.5 seasons at the highest level in GA, 11 or 12 ypc as a SO, and routinely sat out the last quarter and half.
In a game against state power Parkview, he ran for 200+ and 4 TD’s on about 15 carries, added another TD on a KR, had an INT in the end zone, and ran down future NFL DB Ainsley Battles from behind from the opposite side of the field.
He then dropped out of school after his SO year. Math is hard.
Comment by Chg — August 15, 2025 @ 11:56 am
11
This school is 90 miles from me - I have a sudden urge to go watch the single wing in action. God bless the old school offensive minds out there.
Comment by Jerkwheat — August 15, 2025 @ 11:57 am
12
God, Central Gwinnett sucks.
Sorry, I’m required to say that as a South Gwinnett alumni .
But I don’t remember the Timmy Smith fellow. I was a mid-90s high-schooler, but college and beer makes that seem so far away and cloudy.
Comment by Rival — August 15, 2025 @ 12:10 pm
13
I believe West Babylon, New York runs the single Wing. Jason Gwaltney ran that in 2005 (I think) en route to being a 5 star RB prospect and committing to WVU, but then it all went downhill after that.
Comment by Champ — August 15, 2025 @ 12:13 pm
14
FINALLY some recognition for the Notre Dame Box!
Comment by B-Rob — August 15, 2025 @ 12:38 pm
15
#9, Can you clarify this spinning fullback option bit? Never heard of it…
Comment by Beatuofa — August 15, 2025 @ 12:53 pm
16
Paul Bryant HS (in Tuscaloosa of course) runs the Notre Dame box - the coach there played for Central HS (Tuscaloosa) in the 80s, where they also ran the Notre Dame box.
I remember the first time I saw that offense-it took some getting used to, then after a while, you saw it as a brutally effective way to move the football.
It’s also the only offense in which the center, and not the quarterback, is a skill player. Direct snaps to moving wingbacks is not something just anybody could do.
Comment by BamaTaxMan — August 15, 2025 @ 12:58 pm
17
B-Rob, the problem with Notre Dame box is that it’s eighty-odd years old.
Comment by rusty — August 15, 2025 @ 12:59 pm
18
17: Or a police officer in disguise.
Comment by Oops Pow Surprise — August 15, 2025 @ 1:10 pm
19
Damn it, 18 you beat me to it. Most Notre Dame box is not 80 years old, but you probably still want no part of it.
Comment by Expat Ohioan — August 15, 2025 @ 1:18 pm
20
#17: It’d still be the most attractive box in all of South Bend, even at 80.
Comment by Will — August 15, 2025 @ 1:20 pm
21
Don’t sell yourselves short on the talent in south bend, guys. There are some lookers on campus. Just about every student there has a letter in a varsity sport, and the girls are for the most part gym nuts who work work out a ton.
Comment by Wooderson — August 15, 2025 @ 1:26 pm
22
That was Harvey Robinson, not Harvey Robertson. Dammit. Somebody get on the horn to a copy editor.
Comment by Newspaper Hack — August 15, 2025 @ 1:32 pm
23
It is unexcusable that NCAA 2008 does not have the single win. Can EA get working on this for ‘09?
Comment by Liam — August 15, 2025 @ 1:38 pm
24
It’s true, the single wing is alive and well in VA. My high school STILL uses it. It totally confuses the other team even if they think they’re ready for it. I can think of four or five other schools in VA that use it also.
Don’t laugh, my HS coach won over 300 games.
Comment by Nupe in Va — August 15, 2025 @ 1:49 pm
25
Nupe – what schools do you know? I know Western Albemarle did, but they have a new coach and will prolly change up. Giles does, of course, but other than that I’m at a loss. Fortunately, it seems like a ton of schools run the wing-T (or maybe I just keep running into them), which is the next-best thing.
Comment by Newspaper Hack — August 15, 2025 @ 1:58 pm
26
Shouldn’t Paul Bryant High be running the wishbone?
Comment by PeterPumpkinhead — August 15, 2025 @ 2:53 pm
27
UGA Legend Bill Hartman Sr. (the newscaster’s dad) was UGA’s first all-american in the 20s or 30s. I think he played for Harry Mehre who learned the ND Box from Rockne.
He coached every position imagineable from UGA from the 40s until his retirement in ‘94. For about 20 years he was a volunteer kicking coach teaching guys like Rex Robinson, Kevin Butler and John Kasey. (all-americans and all-pros for a ton of years)
He knew kickers and snappers would get bored off to the side with the mind numbing repetition of kick after kick. So he’d teach them the Notre Dame Box every day during practice. Complete your kicks. Learn the box.
we now return to the conversation to discussing penis size.
Comment by paulwesterdawg — August 15, 2025 @ 3:07 pm
28
Re #12, with Central winning 70% of the games in the “rivalry,” I can see how all the losses would tend to run together.
Go Black Knights.
Comment by Chg — August 15, 2025 @ 3:08 pm
29
Giles has been running it for as long as I can remember. Off the top of my head Osborne, Warren Co, Skyline, Stone Bridge and I think King William and James Monroe in WVA.
Comment by Nupe in VA — August 15, 2025 @ 3:10 pm
30
Peter,
You would think….
But no, the coach there was a disciple of a guy who tore up Mississippi for years running the box, then retired to Alabama to coach, bringing it with him.
Oh, and it’s the Paul Bryant Stampede.
Dont ask. Dont EVEN ask.
Comment by BamaTaxMan — August 15, 2025 @ 3:14 pm
31
The first high school game I covered in VA was a Giles Co. game against Auburn High School.
The damn full back stuck his hand in the air after the snap. One of the other backs spun around and the little short dude in the middle ran for 63 yards on that play.
The boys at Giles have run it so long they have a single wing on their helmet.
Comment by Jon — August 15, 2025 @ 3:29 pm
32
#15 In the single wing, the QB does not line up under center and generally doesn’t receive snaps. He lines up between guard and tackle and spends most of his time acting like a blocking back/pulling guard, leading, kicking out, trapping, etc. There are two backs in the backfield both offset from center a little bit. One is a step closer and usually shading to the strong side. This is the fullback. One lines up a step further away and shades to the weak side.
In the spinning fullback series the ball is snapped to the fullback. He spins 180 degrees and fakes or gives to the tailback. He continues spinning and fakes or gives to the wingback. If he gives to neither he runs a dive. Out of this you can have a sweep right, sweep left, or dive on any given play. The plays look the same from the backs perspective. Only the blocking changes. It isn’t a true option as there is no reading at the line. The ballcarrier is designated in the huddle.
It looks like a wing -t sweep or counter series if you are more familiar with those. In those a FB runs a trap, the TB (technically HB) runs a sweep, or the QB runs a bootleg.
Comment by Stephen — August 15, 2025 @ 3:35 pm
33
If anyone has ever seen any Montana HS football at any level you will know that it is loaded with the option and single-wing. I can run it in my sleep and we were a 3 or 4 wide set attack on offense. We just saw it so much that it was embedded into my brain.
Comment by Keegan — August 15, 2025 @ 4:28 pm
34
Courtland use to run the Delaware wing T
Comment by Willet — August 15, 2025 @ 4:38 pm
35
IN high school we ran a hybrid offense of spread option/wing T. Occasionally when we had extra backs in the back field we’d move one of the more senior lineman backwards for extra blocking skill and the occasion lineman run, aka “Tarzan”.
re #32: Awesome explanation, very clear and concise for such a concept. Well done, Stephen!
Comment by That 5.0 Guy — August 15, 2025 @ 8:25 pm
36
IN high school we ran a hybrid offense of spread option/wing T. Occasionally when we had extra backs in the back field we’d move one of the more senior lineman backwards for extra blocking skill and the occasional lineman run, aka “Tarzan”.
re #32: Awesome explanation, very clear and concise for such a concept. Well done, Stephen!
Comment by That 5.0 Guy — August 15, 2025 @ 8:25 pm
37
Hey I play high school football for Orange County, Louisa’s biggets rival, ane they are VERY good at running the single wing. They run the spinning fullback version that was described above and they run it to perfection, all the way down to their Pop Warner and booster football leagues. Orange beat them two years ago in a shootout at their place and they throttled us last year on their way to the title game. The wing-t is also run by a lot of teams up here, and central virginia is a great place to see some old school football.
Go Orange Hornets
Go Gators
Comment by OC Gator — August 15, 2025 @ 9:12 pm
38
Some of the comments on here are amusing, simply b/c I keep running into names of schools and coaches I know.
I had a discussion online with a coach at Paul Bryant HS on the mechanics of running the single wing.
I coached a single wing team last year, and it is a blast to coach, mainly b/c no one else runs it, so it impossible for opposing teams to emulate in practice.
#32,
You have a pretty good description, but you need to include the fact that there are teams that run full-spin (360) and half-spin (180) series.
If you want to see what a single wing Spin series look like, with the full 360 degree spin, click on the video at http://spinningsinglewingfootball.com
BTW, Orson, Urban Meyer runs the spread single wing, and will tell you that if you ask him. They base their whole offense off the single wing, marrying spread principles into it. The Tim series, where Tebow runs in short yardage, is simply a Power series from the single wing.
Comment by Beergut — August 16, 2025 @ 12:40 am
39
Menominee, MI also uses the single wing - and has for over 30 years. They won the division 5 state title last year, crushing some silly Detroit area team 41-6 in the final.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGN3-elfH64
Comment by spain — August 16, 2025 @ 8:21 am
40
I’m trying to think of a way to tie penis, football, and eating box into a relatively cohesive, relevant statement, but I’m not that creative.
Serisouly though, yall need to look up the Markham Double Wing.
Comment by Kecalf Bailey — August 16, 2025 @ 4:40 pm
41
In the 70’s, D-III Denison was down and out and turned their program around in one year, running the Single Wing. A guy named Clay Sampson, if I recall correctly, ran for about 2000 yards in 9 games.
Comment by drew — August 18, 2025 @ 8:35 am
42
I made a trip to Denison in fall 1992 to see the single wing; their coach was retiring after the season, and was the only one in the country running the single wing at the college level. Made an excellent excuse for a short road trip ( I was at Wittenberg at the time) and it was an amazing offense to watch, especially as drunk as we were by game time.
Comment by Rocket Surgery — August 20, 2025 @ 5:08 am
43
To add to the earlier comment on Menominee High School in Michigan’s Upper Penninsula………this Div 5 team running the single wing (since 1968 with coach Ken Hofer) won the D5 State Championship last year posting a 539 points scored to only 44 allowed. They are currently 5-0 this season, having already knocked off the D4 (Wrightstown) and D1 (Mequon-Homestead)defending state champions from Wisconsin. Not many schools want to play this team and they continually play enormous Metro Minnesota, Madison, Milwaukee teams for non-conference games (4 out of their 9). They too, have a spin series and several other variations that are in the tool box - but very rarely ever taken out because they are not necessary. If a game is ever close you may see these little gems.
Regarding the single wing………why have a quarterback hand off the ball and do nothing when you can have an extra blocker…? It would seem to make a lot of sense.
Review the Florida throttling of OSU in the National Championship game last year and you will see that they were in fact running the single wing - just nobody’s talking about it because they didn’t recognize it!
If you want to see it Menominee-style, tune in to the Mich D5 State Championship game near Thanksgiving. By the way, they are currently ranked #35 in the Nation…………running the single wing.
Comment by Badgerland — September 27, 2025 @ 4:10 pm
44
I played with Timmy Smith, he was the greatest high school running back ever. He had great size and speed as a freshman in high school, I later went on to play at auburn, but Bobby Bowden once said he was the greatest high school back he had seen since Hershel walker!
Boy what drugs will do to a kid
Comment by micah — October 8, 2025 @ 6:42 pm