Keeping busy: Local coaches share option knowledge afar

Vince Benedetto recalled how frustrating it was facing the triple-option offenses of Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge when he was playing defensive end at Crystal Lake South.

“The thing I remembered, I played so slow against Cary and PR because [the option] was so different,” said Benedetto, the head football coach at West Central High School in Hartford, South Dakota, the past two seasons. “That was the draw to running it. We played teams way more talented than us, but I thought, ‘If I can get a team to play slow and control the ball, we got a chance.’ That’s what PR and Cary do so well.”

Last winter break, Benedetto met with Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp and C-G coach Brad Seaburg to pick their brains about option football.

Former Crystal Lake Central coach Bill Mack was an option guru for former C-G coach Bruce Kay and Schremp. Kay then passed a lot of his knowledge along to Seaburg, who succeeded him in 2011.

Now, even though they still were coaching – although their fall seasons were pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic – Schremp and Seaburg shared their option acumen with another young coach.

It was a winning situation for all involved.

Benedetto’s West Central team finished 6-5, its first winning season in five years, and ran for more than 3,000 yards with its new offense. Schremp and Seaburg, who were like assistant coaches 515 miles away, had something to pique their football interests while Illinois football was on hold.

“[Schremp] wanted to make sure the live stream was reliable (on Fridays),” Benedetto said. “It got to the point where he would text my (assistant) coach in the press box. He was all in. It was pretty awesome. The funny thing is our nickname is the Trojans.”

Schremp’s Wolves have battled C-G’s Trojans as Class 6A powerhouses for the past decade-plus.

Schremp constantly watched West Central’s videos on HUDL, the Internet program widely used by high schools to share game and practice videos and on which they scout opponents.

“Thank God we had that (live stream) on Friday nights,” Schremp said. “It was a godsend to me to keep football going. (My wife) Sheri and I had our routine on Friday nights: Order a pizza and watch our South Dakota football.”

Sheri even remarked after hearing phone calls between Schremp and Benedetto that those calls sounded strikingly similar to ones made many years ago, but now it was Schremp as the mentor.

Seaburg was flattered that Benedetto sought him out for advice as well.

“It makes you feel old,” Seaburg said with a chuckle. “It’s nice to give back to people, especially when they’re in South Dakota and you know they’re never going to play you. You can pretty much tell them everything. It’s nice to have younger guys who are looking to better themselves, because you remember when you were that way, when you were learning and wanting to get better.

“It’s nice because you felt like that part of your brain was working a little bit.”

Schremp made a similar comment to that. Illinois football teams hope their season, slated to run Feb. 16 to May 1, will be able to start on time and finish.

Benedetto played tight end and defensive end at South, then played tight end at NCAA Division I South Dakota State. He and his wife, Kendra, both teach at West Central and live in nearby Sioux Falls.

Benedetto was just announced Wednesday as the head coach at Sioux Falls Jefferson, a school that will open next fall.

South Dakota has far fewer teams than Illinois. Benedetto’s team made the Class A (third-smallest class) playoff semifinals the past two years. Eight teams make the playoffs in each class.

“Making the semifinals (in 2008) when I was in high school was a lot different than making them here,” Benedetto said. “We were a lot better because of [the option]. We were 1 yard away from going to the state championship.”

It was tough for Benedetto and his staff to make such a big change after running an offense similar to that of the Jackrabbits at South Dakota State.

“I knew I wanted to change,” Benedetto said. “I knew we needed a change. The first day of practice, you can learn all you want talking on the phone and drawing up stuff, but until you coach it, you have to get used to it. It was a learning experience for the coaches and players, and having someone like Schremp and Seaburg who’s run it giving you confidence that you’re doing it right was huge for us.”

Schremp thought Benedetto’s team did a commendable job handling a sophisticated offensive system in one season.

“Vince would see us running plays and making it look easy, and I would say, ‘Vince, that took us years to perfect and learn the little nuances of the play and the footwork, how to choreograph it,’ ” Schremp said. “We’re almost like a dance coach, counting steps and getting the whole nuance of the play down. There’s the playbook and how to teach the playbook and practice it. For the first time through, his kids did great.”

Schremp even shared some plays specifically designed for sophomore quarterback Justin Zirpel, who ran for about 1,500 yards. One play was Prairie Ridge’s quarterback counter, not an option play, but a designed run for the quarterback that served former Wolves quarterback Samson Evans so well.

Prairie Ridge ran it for an 80-yard touchdown in its 2016 Class 6A state championship victory over Sacred Heart-Griffin. The Wolves also ran it for Evans’ famous 66-yard game-winner in the 2017 second-round victory over C-G, when he scored with seven seconds remaining. They won, 17-13, and went on to win back-to-back state titles.

“We ended up scoring four touchdowns on that play,” Benedetto said. “It was really cool to see it all come together.”