By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
Second-and-10 from your own 42 doesn't sound like the optimum moment for an offense to strike. This, of course, makes it the perfect time, especially for El Dorado's passing attack this season.
Senior quarterback Darius Holly has thrown for 1,359 yards and 12 touchdowns this season for the 6-1 Wildcats. Most of that has been spread around to Taliq Ellis, Keshun Greene and Shun Levingston, who have combined for 1,209 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
"Our pass game is back like it was a few years ago, which is good to see," said El Dorado coach Scott Reed, who compared this year's receivers to the state runner-up group (Clay Murphy, Taylor Reed, Tevin Smith and Marcus Parker) in his second season.
"The good thing about this group is the catches are spreading out. That's one thing that's impressing me. Every quarterback kind of has their favorites, I guess. But, (Holly's) getting to where he's comfortable going to all of them."
And, why not? The Wildcats' trio could be as athletic as any group of wideouts in the state. El Dorado has had several outstanding receivers during Reed's tenure but has rarely, if ever, put so many game-breakers on the field at the same time.
Friday night against Benton, Holly threw a quick hitch pass to Levingston, who made two defenders miss, outran two more and then eluded another with a cutback on his way to a 58-yard touchdown pass. Earlier in the game, Ellis sprinted past the Panthers' secondary and made a beautiful diving grab for a 41-yard reception. In the same game, Greene hauled in a 61-yard bomb from Holly.
On the season, Ellis, a senior move-in from Nebraska, leads the team with 21 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Levingston, a junior converted from running back, has 20 receptions for a team-high 498 yards and five touchdowns. Greene, a 6-foot-4 senior, has 19 catches for 343 yards and one touchdown.
"I think that group, when you watch them, they work at their craft - their route running and their skills. They work hard at it. They watch each other. I think Taliq coming in and Shun being new there and with all the pieces - adding in (Derek) Jobe and (Evan) Chandler, that group works hard at what they're doing. Every week, they're excited about the put-ins, the things that could be explosive plays. They don't bust routes. Rarely, do they miss a call and they have a lot to learn because every week, there's new stuff, probably more than any position we have. There are new route concepts every week, depending on how people play coverage or who we think we can pick on on whatever. They've impressed me."
In football terms, YAC refers to yards after catch. This is what makes this group of receivers special - the ability to turn something short and simple into something that ends up on a highlight reel.
"That's a nice luxury to have. That was quite a play. We looked at how many guys, Shun either broke a tackle or made 'em miss, I guarantee you Benton wasn't happy with that on film," Reed said of Levingston's play. "That was a one-man show there. It was about a two- or three-yard throw and a 65-yard run after catch, which is good to get. You've got to get some of those. You can't throw it over the top of them all the time. There were a few great plays in the passing game Friday night. Taliq made an incredible, great effort on a deep ball. That's hard to do. And, we got three really good pass plays when you add the one to Keshun in there. All of them had a big effect on the ball game."
Because of the talent at receiver, Reed said the Wildcats have thrown more hitches and bubble screens this year. Those short passes have become a staple in this season's offense.
"I think the more you spread the ball out, the harder it is on the defense. And, to me, that's just like running a stretch play or a toss sweep. It gets the ball on the edge," said Reed. "Our guys have been very good throwing it and catching it. Our snapper is another big part of it. The ball has to come back there quickly and Darius is very good catch-and-throw. He has a quick release. He has a good ability to get the ball from the snap, to out of his hand, quickly. You have to have that to throw those things. Wanya Archie and (Thomas) Crawford both do a good job getting the snap back there to where you can get it out of your hand. You don't see us having to chase the ball around a lot.
"The real deal here is, that's not something you can call on third-and-12. But, on second-and-10, you don't feel like you have to throw the ball down the field. You can throw it out there and feel good you're going to make 4-to-8 yards and there is a chance you're going to get an explosive play. Not everybody has that ability. Not every team has that."
Another factor in the short passing game is the ability to block in the open field.
"If you're going to throw hitches and bubbles, those other wideouts have to block for each other," said Reed. "This group is getting to where they're taking pride in that. I will say this about Taliq and Shun both, they're two of the better blocking wide receivers we've ever had. You can watch on film sometimes where Taliq will take somebody and puts him on his back. Shun has gone out there when we've thrown the quick screen a couple of times and knocked his guy down.
"I think the whole group is taking pride in it. They're all doing a good job."
Of course, the key to any passing attack is the quarterback. Holly has been calm under duress. His confidence has improved noticeably.
On third-and-4 Friday, the Wildcats called for the quick hitch pass. But, the receiver didn't hear the call. Holly took the snap, looked to make the quick pass, only to see no one was there. The senior regrouped and then scrambled up the middle for a first down.
"A year ago, Darius may not have been calm and converted like that. I mean, he has come a long way. There's no doubt," said Reed. "He's healthy. He's confident. And, he's going to continue to get better. There are still some things he can get better on. And, he works at it. He studies at it."
It takes a village to complete a pass. Reed pointed out, "We also have a tight end (Alex Boone) who is a threat. We do have some weapons, which is good." The Wildcats have also had consistency on the offensive line, starting the same group since the third week. The running game has been clicking, too, which helps suck in the defense toward the line of scrimmage.
But, El Dorado's big-play passing attack has played a huge role in the team's success this season. New receivers coach Hal Qualls predicted as much during the preseason.
"I think his demeanor helps them, too," Reed said of Qualls. "He's coached for a long time and he has an ability to talk to them and be able to get after them without them taking it personally and challenging them a little bit - correct and teach them. He's kind of low-key, not a screamer at all but they've taken to him.
"I'm really pleased with the job he's done with that group."