Fans have their favorite plays of all time, but what about coaches? Do they have a favorite call they’ve ever made? Shaw Local asked each of the five head football coaches in the DeKalb County area about the favorite call of their careers.

In this installment, Sycamore coach Joe Ryan recalls how six straight quarterback runs opened up a future NFL player for a game-winning touchdown in a 2013 quarterfinal.

Sometimes play calling can be a slog. Sometimes it can be an epiphany.

In 33 years as a head coach, Joe Ryan said he’s experienced plenty of games on both ends of the spectrum.

As his Sycamore team was mounting a final drive in a tie game against Lincoln-Way West in a Class 5A quarterfinal in 2013, everything was clear as crystal.

“I actually told my coaches – I won’t say exactly how I said it – but I said everybody shut up. Nobody talk on the headset. I see what I want,” Ryan said. “It was just one of those moments where it was kind of crystal clear. And I’ll say it again, there are times when it hasn’t been crystal clear.”

The Sycamore offense featured future NFL linebacker Ben Niemann as a wide receiver. Although he already had a touchdown earlier in the game, Ryan said Lincoln-Way West had done a good job of doubling him and keeping him from a monster game.

With 5:45 left, the Spartans took over on their 38-yard line. Ryan had quarterback Dylan Mottet run six straight times.

Ryan said the six straight runs forced the Warriors to bring an extra safety up to protect against Mottet and the run.

“Anytime we could get Ben the ball in that year, we were going to do it,” Ryan said. “Most of the game, they were doing a good job of doubling him and preventing that, although he did have a couple touchdowns.”

Mottet lobbed up a pass to the left corner of the end zone, and Niemann kept his feet in bounds.

The Spartans won, earning the program’s first trip to the state semifinals, then falling 42-20 to Montini, which took second in the state.

Ryan said from the start of the series, he knew exactly what the Spartans needed to do and was grateful for the clarity.

“I don’t know how to explain it. You just start seeing it,” Ryan said. “There have been some games where I don’t see it, and I’ve had a lot of trouble calling plays, there’s no doubt about that. But that one drive, I just started seeing exactly what I want to do.”

And even though that game was 12 years ago, Ryan said experience certainly helps those moments of clarity happen more often than they do at the start of a coach’s career.

But what really helps encourage those types of a-ha moments is having great players.

“I can guarantee you, when I was 23 years old as a head coach, I didn’t have very many moments of clarity,” Ryan said. “You start understanding what defenses are doing and have to do.”

“But you know what really helps the clarity? Having really good players.”