New-look Chickisaws offer test for Tigers

It might look like it, but the Blytheville Chicks haven't been on the set of "The Oprah Winfrey Show"for one of those mid-afternoon makeovers.

But the before and after pictures of the Chicks are a real eye-opener.

Last year, when the Central Tigers last saw Blytheville, they encountered classic Chick football where a wishbone running attack was occasionally interrupted by a token pass. The Tigers escaped with a 20-19 victory, denying Blytheville on a 2-point conversion run with under a second left for the third loss in what would be an 0-10 season for the Chicks.

When Blytheville visits at 7 p.m. today, the Chicks will be a pass-happy bunch complete with a no-huddle offense under coach Doug Quinn, who apparently has seen the light in his 14th season at the helm. Blytheville, now throwing about two-thirds of the time with a strong-armed sophomore quarterback at the controls, will enter with a 2-0 record.

Central's fourth-year coach, Lawrence Brookins, brings in his first 2-0 team and a lot of surprise about the remodeled Chicks.

"They found a quarterback they believe in as far as a passer, and they've flushed the run game almost 100 percent down the drain," Brookins said.

The Chicks have taken flight on the arm of 6-foot-4, 205-pound sophomore Brice Beck. They soared for 344 yards passing last week in a 42-6 thumping of Poplar Bluff and went for 250 yards passing in a 26-0 opening-week win over Osceola.

"We made a commitment to throw the ball at the end of last year," Quinn said. "We were 0-10 and I thought that required drastic measures. I think the spread passing game matches up with our personnel better than anything else."

Quinn said the changes are not a whim, but well-plotted with plenty of guidance.

He received input about the spread offense from the coaching staff at the University of Central Arkansas, now under first-year coach Clint Conque. Conque was previously the offensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech, which led the nation last year with an average of 403 yards passing a game.

"They've been very helpful getting us information," Quinn said. "It's gone well, but we still have a lot to learn and a lot of areas to get better at."

The changes have run deep in the Blytheville football program. Quinn said even the seventh and eighth-grade teams are utilizing no-huddle offenses.

Against Poplar Bluff, nine different receivers caught passes and 36 different players saw action in a fast-paced system that employs platooning.

Brookins said he believed Beck was at the center of the change.

"He's a good player, no doubt about it," Brookins said. "If I had him, I know I'm throwing the ball a bunch."

Making Blytheville even tougher is a still existent running game, which saw 205-pound fullback Robert Harris rumble for 127 yards on 11 carries last week.

The Chicks' makeover has inspired changes on the Tiger side. Central will at times insert an extra defensive back in place of a lineman.

"We've probably spent 90-95 percent of our practice time defensively on just the pass," Brookins said.

Central's own offense, led by junior quarterback Mitch Craft, has been effective. The Tigers have been in the neighborhood of 400 yards in both games with senior Monroe Hicks at the center of the attack. He leads the team in both rushing and receiving with 257 and 154 yards, respectively.

Blytheville's defense has yielded just six points all season and smothered Bluff's running game last week. The Mules had 17 rushes for minus-25 yards.

"Out of the three teams we've played so far, this is definitely the best," Brookins said. "We think we can put it in the end zone. I don't know if we can keep them out."

jbreer@semissourian.com

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