After securing the snap in the shotgun, with senior running back Jerome Sharpe standing alongside, Joliet Township High School quarterback Justin Stephenson scans the defense for a second time in as many seconds.
On the left side of the offensive line, 6-foot-2, 275-pound tackle Joe Guenther pwebsuts his fourth year of varsity experience to good use, offering the 6-4, 220-pound Stephenson the protection he needs to locate the likes of senior wide receivers Ronald Jordan, DJ Foster and Alex Kershaw.
This is the third year of Steelmen coach Jason Aubry's version of the spread -- a one-back, shotgun-based offense that in Week 1 nearly jolted Richards behind the blocks of Guenther, the passes of Stephenson, the catches of Jordan and the draws of Sharpe, all improved parts of an engine.
And it's a meaner machine.
"I feel more comfortable in the offense this year because I know it," said Jordan, who notched 24 receptions as a junior. "It's complicated because if you don't practice it, you won't get far. It takes practice to get there, and it's like a machine now."
That machine was a work in progress last fall during an 0-9 regular season. But following last Friday night's 28-21 loss to perennial playoff powerhouse Richards, JT (0-1) looks to obliterate a 15-game losing streak because -- with due to respect to former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt -- the puzzle pieces appear to be in place.
For starters, Stephenson connected on 21-of-45 passes for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns, including 10 catches for 124 yards to Jordan. Sharpe rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, Jordan added a 44-yard run, and Guenther's given aided the offense for an accounting of time better than a Timex.
"Absolutely, our offensive line was a huge, huge help to us against Richards," Aubry said. "And what we've kept talking about with the kids is we have seniors now who have been under my offense, who have been in my program here, longer than they have been in any other program.
"Whenever you come in and try to turn something around, it always takes time. I know kids sometimes get sick of the repetitions, but that's what you have to do. This year, I thought we might see the change, might see the difference, and obviously on Friday night, we did see some good things."
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Although Bears fans have anointed Rex Grossman as their whipping boy, and rightfully so, Grossman had sick success at the University of Florida throwing out of the shotgun. Going from the option to the spread, Stephenson's learning curve was similar to the hook Kerry Wood had as a Cubs rookie.
When Shadonta Travis transferred to Bolingbrook, JT switched to Stephenson last fall, and his junior baptism of fire produced flame and flameout at 97-of-228 for 1,062 yards, 5 TDs and 11 interceptions. An offseason of preparation provided No. 4 a boosted platform, particularly when speaking the nuances of the system.
You could see it in his eyes.
"He looked like a veteran player, that's what he looked like," Aubry said. "He was moving in the pocket, he was making great reads, and that's what he did all summer. He understood some of it last year, but you put him in like that and he's trying to make the tough reads. Justin made great reads all summer and that carried through."
"Excellent -- beyond excellent," Sharpe said of Stephenson. "Justin played the best game I've ever seen any quarterback play, and our receivers were immaculate. They looked like NFL receivers in my book."
As Aubry and Stephenson confirmed, however, the Steelmen adopted a first-things-first mindset. Before Stephenson and his receivers could unleash the aerial circus, Guenther, senior left guard Mike Galvin, senior Joe Orlando, senior right guard Jordan Johnson and sophomore right tackle John Hosey had to hit the sleds.
"It's a little easier to block in the spread because we're mainly pass blocking," Guenther said. "But it's also easier this year because we have a strong O-line. I have one of my best friends, Mike Galvin, next to me, and we've been working out and lifting together the past couple of years to get ready to have a great senior year."
"The advantage of running the spread is it spreads the defense out," Sharpe pointed out. "It spreads everything out and opens everything up, especially the way our O-line blocks."
Those blocks were of another variety when Stephenson ran the option as a freshman. While the one-back shotgun resides as the opposite end of the offensive spectrum, the consistency thread still covers the gamut from the O-line to the quarterback to the singleback and then wideouts.
"I feel much more comfortable this year because of the experience under my belt, and the offensive line makes me even more comfortable," Stephenson said. "They did a great job. We worked hard over the summer, we have good chemistry, and I just had to learn to relax, stay relaxed and let the reads and the throws come naturally."
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Despite a 30-yard touchdown pass from Stephenson to Foster, JT trailed Richards 20-7 after the first quarter. Forgive the Steelmen faithful for a forced sigh, or as Jordan noted, "Our fans have been down on us. I think we're better, but we have to show it." In the second quarter, it showed, Sharpe scoring on a 4-yard run at 17 seconds.
With only 35 seconds left until halftime, Stephenson found Foster again for a 9-yard TD hookup and a 21-20 lead. The Bulldogs rallied for the lone score of the second half to win, but JT outgained Richards 352-265 overall and 253-61 passing. The Steelmen, who started 3-1 in 2006 before fading fast, moved with a renewed vigor.
You could see it in their eyes.
"We're closer than a team -- we're a family," Guenther said. "Even during the summer, Justin would work with the linemen so we could get that special bond developed. It's like coach Aubry always says, we're trying to start the tradition, and we're excited about the rest of the year."
One of the things the spread demands from the wideouts is stamina. There's no rest for receivers like Jordan, who might block for several series in an I-formation or double-wing offense. JT did keep the ball on the ground 26 times against Richards, passing 63.4 percent of the play calls.
"The hardest thing, as receivers, is you have to stay in terrific shape," Jordan said. "We're passing a lot and you have to be in shape to play wide receiver here. We're running routes all of the time and you can't take any plays off. And that's the part of the spread I like, too. The big plays."
"The main person I like to move the sticks is Ronald Jordan," Stephenson said. "I like DJ Foster for the deep ball, and a good running game definitely opens up the passing game. If the defense doesn't know what to stop, it's excellent, and being in the shotgun give me more of a visual of the field to make my reads quicker."
Speed reading rates as the equivalent of setting up in the shotgun and completing tosses. In Year 2, though, Stephenson knows his Xbox-like stuff.
"I like what's called the '4' route," he said. "It's a 10-yarder where the receiver sits and finds an open area. That always works for an easy first down, and the '3' route, a speed out, that Ronald seems to make happen every single time to get open on."
"Everything is about timing," Jordan said. "If we're not on point playing in this offense, it's not going to work at all. Timing is everything."
Said Aubry: "Everything we do is a timing route. Every route a receiver runs, they run a certain amount of yards and they turn around. And by the time they turn around, Justin has to be throwing the ball so when they turn around, the ball is there. The reason we're able to do this is all the repetitions we go through in the summer."
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Judging by the demeanor of Justin Stephenson, Aubry sold JT on the concept that took the halfback and Seneca to the Class 2A state championship in 1990. The roster may say Stephenson shredded a mere 5 pounds in the offseason, but the payoff applies to the entire Steelmen offense.
It's a leaner, meaner machine.
Fifteen-game losing streaks tend to dangle around the neck like a strand of itchy jewelry, but Sharpe stated the emphatic nature of a group of teammates toughened and hardened by losses that no longer matter heading into Friday's 7 p.m. kickoff against host Plainfield South (1-0).
"We're not that team anymore," he said. "Our goal is to get to state. That's the goal of every high school football team, and we're going to work hard, keep pushing forward and keep pushing forward to win games."
"You always say if we played our best game and we lost, there's nothing you can do about it," Aubry said. "I think we played a good game Friday night. I don't think we played our best game. There's plenty of room to improve. We feel good about what we've done and we do feel good about we can do in the upcoming games."
The Richards game displayed JT's growth. According to Guenther, "I was blown away by performance of our offensive line," and according to Jordan, "we almost had the upset. We have to play mistake-free ball in order to come up with the win, and we have to play hard to get that first victory."
"Honestly, I think we can play a lot better," Stephenson said. "We were down 14 points right away in the first quarter, but we came right back because we're not blowing games this season. We're ready to play our best."
Better and best. The shotgun one-back offense has closed the gap for JT, from Guenther to Stephenson to Jordan to Sharpe, much like Musketeers in becoming about all for one.
"We can do anything," Sharpe said. "If we block perfectly and run our assignments perfectly, everything is smooth. We have things to work on, but we're pushing forward as a team."
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