How did Guthrie football successfully prepare for Piedmont? A coach suited up for practice

GUTHRIE — Tyler Young had an unusual vantage point during the past two weeks of Guthrie’s football practices.

Instead of observing from the sideline, the quarterbacks coach suited up in pads and stood in the pocket, making plays as Guthrie’s dynamic defenders aimed to sack him.

“Coach Young was a dog. ... He can lowkey throw that thing, so it was kind of like we’d seen a real quarterback, really,” senior cornerback Nate Benford said.

Look at a box score from Guthrie’s 35-0 shellacking of Piedmont on Friday night, and it’s clear the Bluejays were ready to handle the Wildcats’ typically prolific offense.

Piedmont managed only two first downs with none before halftime. Guthrie (5-0 overall, 1-0 District 5A-2) held the Wildcats to just 52 yards of offense. And the Bluejays controlled possession with three takeaways, spoiling their district foe’s undefeated record while staying perfect.

Head coach Kelly Beeby realized it would be a unique challenge to neutralize Piedmont’s tricky flexbone offense in his team's district opener.

More: Three and out: How Oklahoma high school football's top Week 5 games were won

Who could prepare the Bluejays by not only studying the Wildcats’ intricate schemes, but also mimicking them in practice?

Beeby called upon Young as the temporary scout team quarterback.

Young joked that he’d love to take a little credit for the victory, but he spread most valuable player honors across the roster.

“The kids that we have, they play so hard for Coach Beeby, and that’s the big part of it,” Young said. “I’d like to think that I had a little part of it, but it’s mostly the kids.”

Each year, Piedmont (5-1, 0-1) has introduced wrinkles into its offense, Young said. With their spin on the classic flexbone formation, the Wildcats averaged 38 points through their first five games this season.

Then they stepped into Jelsma Stadium and felt the wrath of The Rock.

Guthrie’s defense greeted the Wildcats with a takeaway on their first drive. Defensive lineman Treyvon Braxton recovered a fumble to set the Bluejays up on Piedmont’s 32-yard line, and senior running back Jaylen Harper capitalized with a 7-yard touchdown run.

Then Benford, who also had one reception for 31 yards, led the defense with a pair of interceptions.

For his first-quarter pick, he maneuvered into position and held his hands up as the ball dropped like a gift from the sky, setting up the drive that ended with Dae’Lontae Glover’s 3-yard rush into the end zone.

Benford was a little shaken up after his third-quarter interception, but he was able to walk gingerly to the sideline and later returned to the game.

More: How RyJan Reininger carries family football legacy at Oklahoma School for the Deaf

“Nate’s a dynamic athlete,” Beeby said. “Coach Davis, our secondary coach, spent a lot of time with those guys in film study on their play-action pass concepts. (Nate was) reading his keys and just switching up, crossing routes, and was in the right place at the right time.”

Guthrie’s offense also had some dazzling moments. Harper followed Tariq Watson’s opening kick return with a 33-yard touchdown run, taking a 7-0 lead only seconds into the first quarter. The star running back finished with 122 rushing yards and two first-half touchdowns.

Even when the offensive explosiveness waned in the second half, Guthrie’s defense remained stout. Young’s scout-team presence might have made a difference this week, but the Bluejays have consistently prided themselves on defensive tenacity, shutting out every opponent so far except one.

Forgive Guthrie for letting Tuttle sneak in three points.

“Coach Beeby preaches, ‘Stop the run before we can run the ball,’” Benford said. “I feel like our team, we’re not really one of the slept-on teams. Everybody knows who Guthrie is. Now, we just gotta go out there and prove our point.”

Next, Guthrie travels to Bishop McGuinness, reprising a district matchup that has recently ended in thrilling fashion. The Bluejays will strive to maintain their dominance, but Young plans to discard his shoulderpads for a coach’s whistle next week in practice.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

More: Oklahoma high school football: Three under-the-radar storylines heading into Week 5

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football: Guthrie routs Piedmont in OSSAA Week 5