Indians 'veer' into Pirate territory, fall 31-14
LARRY KRANTZ
LARRY KRANTZ

Jacksonville receiver Clint Copeland catches a screen pass during Jacksonville's 31-14 loss to the Pine Tree Pirates. Copeland is a versatile player for the Indians, lining up as a wide receiver, cornerback and quarterback. Jacksonville is 1-7, 0-5 on the season.

LONGVIEW - Ever play keep-away from a dog or a younger sibling?

Tossing that Frisbee just over their head or around them as they were looking the other way?

Then you know how the Pine Tree Pirates felt during their 31-14 win against the Jacksonville Indians last week.

Anything - with the exception of a quickkick punt - worked.

Nearly everything Jacksonville tried came up short.

The Indians missed their best chance to make a statement against Pine Tree after only three plays, after forcing the Pirates to punt on its initial possession.

But before the Pirates could even snap the ball, Jacksonville was flagged for having 12 players on the field, which is a 5-yard penalty.

As it turned out, five yards were just enough to give Pine Tree a first down.

Kelvin Hall makes a catch during Jacksonville's loss to Pine Tree Friday night. Hall made one reception for two yards and threw a 48 yard touchdown pass on a trick play. PHOTOS: MIKE CUMMINS

Fast-forward 18 plays and seven minutes later to where the Pirates' Gabe Van Zandt scores from two yards out.

At that point, Jacksonville still hadn't run an offensive play, and there were only three minutes left in the first quarter.

After Paxton Lindsey threw an interception three plays later, the Pirates were headed to the end zone again, this time with quarterback Alton Horton scoring on fourth-and- 5 from 5 yards out.

The Pirates ended up spending nearly 36 of the game's 48 minutes on offense and running 79 plays.

Jacksonville, in turn, ran just 32 plays and gained 151 total yards - 48 of which came on a trick play where receiver Kelvin Hall threw a touch- down pass to Courtney White just before halftime.

It's one thing to continue to do the same thing and expect different results.

It's another thing entirely to try different things and continue to get the same results.

But that's the way it's gone for Jacksonville this season.

The Indians, who started the season hyping their new pass-heavy offense, have traversed most of the football offense continuum and emerged on the other side, claiming that they'd installed an offense known as the "Veer," a misdirection-based, run-heavy offense that is as simple as it is effective.

Usually.

Not against Pine Tree.

Now, in all fairness, just like a car on a cold day, you have to give a new offense a few series to warm up before you can tell what you have.

Unfortunately, a few series is all Jacksonville got against Pine Tree.

Theoretically, the jury is still out as to whether or not the Veer will be effective for the Indians.

But with no wins since nondistrict, the question doesn't seem to be whether or not the Veer will be what the Indians have been looking for all season.

The question in my mind is more of a chicken-or-theegg question: did the Indians start changing their ways because of the players, or did the players change because of the ways?

Under Copeland, past Jacksonville teams have been disciplined - few turnovers or penalties - and ruthlessly effective at chewing up the clock and stopping opposing offenses cold.

Instead, this year's team has been plagued by penalties and turnovers, and the defense has been left out in the cold by a schizophrenic offense that's turned chasing its tail into an art form.

This year's team is much younger, and somewhat smaller, than Copeland's former teams at Jacksonville. Younger teams have trouble staying focused.

But sooner or later, those teams grow up. What will this year's team grow up to be in the next two years?

I'd bet that even Randy Copeland would like to know the answer to that question.

But I'd also bet that he won't spend much time practicing the Veer.