WARDSVILLE -- The Blair Oaks Falcons are becoming very familiar with the wing-T offense.
Facing it for the fourth time in seven weeks, they can almost write the book on how to defend it.
Blair Oaks will write another chapter in that book tonight when they go on the road to play the Eldon Mustangs. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Victor Field.
Eldon offers the Blair Oaks defense another variation of the wing-T defense with quarterback Hunter Hees, who has thrown for 822 yards in five games.
“What Eldon does is they put Hees back in the gun, running the wing-T out of the shotgun,” Blair Oaks coach Ted LePage said. “It doesn’t hit as fast as being under center, but it has the same effectiveness of trying to get your eyes manipulated on the defensive side.
“They have the ability now to pull the ball out of the belly, in what we call the RPO (run-pass option) game, and they’re able to throw off it.”
As the years pass, the Falcons have seen teams throw more often out of the wing-T formation. In the 2017 state semifinal game, Maryville attempted just one pass against Blair Oaks. In this year’s season opener, the Spoofhounds attempted 33 passes against the Falcons.
The Mustangs (3-3, 1-3 Tri-County Conference) are attempting nearly 18 passes per game this season, with a 2-to-1 run-to-pass ratio with their wing-T offense.
“It just adds another wrinkle,” LePage said of the passing game. “It is 100 percent an evolution. What they’re seeing is they’re taking some of the things that defenses have to play to take it away, and they’re seeing holes. There are throwing lanes in those holes.”
Hees has thrown nine touchdown passes to just two interceptions. He also has 131 rushing yards and three scores.
“Their quarterback is electric,” LePage said. “I told the team earlier, he’s not Dylan (Hair), but he isn’t far off. He can really throw the ball on command, he’s very good in their offense.”
Hees missed last Friday’s game -- a 42-20 loss at Southern Boone -- due to injury. Evan Beanland filled in at quarterback for the Mustangs, throwing for 61 yards.
The Falcons have been preparing in practice this week to face Hees.
“It’s really, really tough to defend all areas of the field, the way he’s able to throw it,” LePage said.
Running back Krystopher Shepard leads the Mustangs with 706 yards on 88 carries, scoring eight touchdowns. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of Eldon’s six games.
“He reminds me of (Jackson) Funderburk from School of the Osage,” LePage said. “He’s not very big, but he’s extremely fast, extremely well-balanced and will hit a hole and get through.”
LePage noted the Mustangs have plenty of size on their offensive line, another reason they are averaging 224.2 yards rushing and 147.2 yards passing per game.
“They have a big offensive line,” LePage said. “The center is 350 pounds, the two tackles are 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-5, and one is 285 pounds and the other is 295.”
Devin Hardy and Devin Wardenburg each have 189 yards receiving to lead Eldon. Each player has two touchdown receptions.
“With their RPO package, certain receivers open up,” LePage said. “Their tight end is also in their throwing package.”
LePage said Eldon’s variety of plays offensively can present a challenge for the Blair Oaks defense.
“With the wing-T, you don’t want to get upfield,” he said. “That adds to the effectiveness of the passing game, because everything’s happening and you don’t want to get out of your run lane. If you get upfield, you’re out of your running lane and their running back can get through that hole.
“If you do rush them, Hees is so elusive. We haven’t seen very many people get to him in the pocket.”
Eldon is scoring 30.5 points per game -- including a 75-point performance in a Week 3 win against Versailles -- but the Mustangs are allowing 29.0 points per game.
Eldon has lost its last three games, giving up 37.3 points per game in that stretch.
The Mustangs utilize a 3-4 defense, highlighted up front by Vijay Jones at right defensive end. Jones has 17 tackles, including three for loss.
“That’s the first guy, you have to notice him right off the bat,” LePage said. “He’s long and he’s very athletic. He can go around a blocker and still make the play.”
Middle linebacker Erik Krantz leads the Mustangs with 40 tackles, including a team-high nine tackles last week against Southern Boone.
Michael Rugen, also a linebacker, is second on Eldon’s defense with 35 tackles.
“(Krantz) is a very, very good downhill tackler,” LePage said. “(Rugen) is also a very, very good tackler.”
Hardy leads the secondary with three interceptions at cornerback to go with 22 tackles.
LePage said Eldon’s defense can come at teams from different angles.
“Their defensive backs are normally in a shell look, so they’re staying four deep,” he said. “But those front seven guys, they can get after you really well up front. And they do tilt the field on one side, because (Jones) shuts down the other side of the field.”
Notes: For the third consecutive week, Blair Oaks (6-0) is the unanimous No. 1 team in Class 2 in the Missouri Media Rankings. Lafayette County (6-0) is No. 2, followed by Seneca (6-0), Lamar (5-1) and Richmond (5-1) to round out the top five. … Blair Oaks has won its past 20 matchups against Eldon and leads the all-time series 30-17 against the Mustangs. The Falcons won last season’s shootout 71-36 in Wardsville. … This will be the first of two straight road games in which Blair Oaks will play on a grass surface. The Falcons play Week 9 at Southern Boone. ... In last week’s 65-6 Homecoming win against Versailles, Blair Oaks had 27 players record at least one tackle. Brady Kerperin had a team-high 7½ tackles, while Brock Suthoff came off the bench to finish with seven tackles. … With three games remaining in the regular season, Blair Oaks is atop the Class 2 District 2 standings with 54.83 points. Hermann (5-1) is second with 47 points, followed by St. Francis Borgia (3-3, 42.17 points) and Father Tolton (5-1, 40.76 points).