Aug 30, 2015 5 min read

If you haven’t noticed, there has been a changing of the guard in high school football.

Gone are the traditional Pro-I offenses that utilize two tailbacks to methodically orchestrate scoring drives via the running game. Like in college football, most WPIAL teams are now using a no-huddle spread attack without the benefit of a tight end or fullback.

The logic is simple: run as many plays as possible to wear out opposing defenses. Ask McGuffey’s opponents last fall. The Highlanders took an average of almost 80 snaps per game. The goal is 15 seconds per play. In the Highlanders’ Week 1 loss to Mt. Pleasant, there were 186 total snaps.

It added up to a prolific attack. McGuffey rushed for more than 2,500 yards, passed for more than 1,300 and scored 74 offensive touchdowns. It averaged 35 points per game on the way to a 7-3 record and the Highlanders were one win shy of sharing the Interstate Conference title, breaking the program’s playoff drought.

Despite replacing a 4,000-yard career rusher and quarterback who orchestrated one of the best passing attacks in program history, head coach Ed Dalton is not the least bit concerned. Friday night’s scrimmage against Uniontown illustrated his point.

Marcus Czulewicz did not look like a new starting quarterback in his final tune up for the regular-season opener against Mt. Pleasant, which is set for Friday night at Highlander Stadium. The 6-2, 195-pound junior led McGuffey on three scoring drives, throwing two touchdown passes to senior Shaun Sanders.

Czulewicz was able to stay in the pocket against eight-man defensive fronts, throwing perfect strikes to his experienced receiving corps, which features four seniors. He also showed versatility, escaping the pocket, rolling left and throwing across his body to connect with Sanders on a 15-yard pass.

s”He’s really smart – probably No. 1 in his class or pretty close,” Dalton said. “He’s grown up around football. He’s very easy to talk to and he leads by example, and he has a good arm. We’re on the same page. We think the same thing on most plays.”

That’s important in Dalton’s offense, where Czulewicz has the freedom to change the play at the line of scrimmage and has to think on the fly, making quick calls and getting personnel aligned within seconds.

If McGuffey is going to repeat its success from last fall, it will need Czulewicz to show the type of moxy he displayed against the Red Raiders.

“I love running this offense,” Czulewicz said. “It’s fun throwing the ball around a lot, throwing it around and hurrying up. If we’re in good shape, we’ll be successful. The challenge is getting everyone aligned as fast as you can. You have to keep the defense on their toes.”

It should come as no surprise that Czulewicz looks experienced. He started four games as a freshman when Nate Whipkey sat out with an injury.

It was not always pretty.

The Highlanders went 1-3 – though two of the losses were against South Fayette and Seton-La Salle – and they averaged slightly more than 22 points per game. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns.

The growing pains led to growth last fall when Czulewicz started against Brownsville, completing all four of his throws for 110 yards and a touchdown.

“Varsity football is a lot faster than you think when you were coming up in middle school,” Czulewicz said. “You have to get used to it. You have to learn how to read defenses and see things faster, plus you have to get the ball out quick.”

Dalton ensures his quarterbacks are able to do that when it matters on Friday nights. The Highlanders practice with loud music blaring to simulate crowd noise during a hurry-up offense.

It’s all a part of running as many plays as possible, a philosophy Dalton wants to use to McGuffey’s advantage. Part of that strategy includes playing linemen on one side of the ball to ensure they can stay fresh.

The offense also requires a talented running back. McGuffey has had a 1,000-yard rusher in all three of Dalton’s years in Claysville. Sophomore Adam Townsend, who broke a couple long runs against Uniontown, will split duties with junior Spencer Gillispie.

But it will all come back to Czulewicz. He may not have Whipkey’s speed, but Dalton compared the junior to Cody Enders, who played under him at Trinity before earning a scholarship to UConn. In the new age of high school football, a team that can pass and wear opponents down is difficult to stop.

“Marcus is the best pocket-passer I’ve coached since Cody and he likes it in the pocket,” Dalton said. “A lot of quarterbacks don’t feel comfortable standing in there. He stands there and gets the ball out fast. He’s going to be a household name if he just keeps his head.”

With six starters gone on offense, plus the talent returning at Washington, McGuffey is seen as an afterthought in the conference. Czulewicz and the Highlanders are OK with that. They are prepared to let their offense do the talking.

“I think we’re pretty overlooked,” Czulewicz said. “Everyone likes to look at the team down the road, but I think we have just as good of an offense as them. We’ll wait until Week 9.”