Lonesome Polecat?

JIMMYBUFFET,

I ran the run and shoot and don't remember a specific series featuring the LONESOME POLECAT RECEIVER.
Maybe it totally escaped me, but a lonesome polecat was simply a receiver we would leave detached from the huddle and place him on almost the boundary. I would waggle in the play to the Qb and the Receivers coach would waggle it to him so he was knew what was going to be run. As the lonsome polecat caught on, of course there were those who had to start cheating with him. They would actually have him come out of the bench area just before the ball was snapped so as to not let the defense plan to defend him, etc. That ploy did not last long as the Refs wised up, but the dumb coaches kept trying it anyway! I always figured, if you have to cheat to win, what have you got in the end anyway? NOTHING WORTHWHILE IN MY BOOK.

Coach Easton

Coach,

To my notion the LONESOME POLECAT alignment was the first real attempt to utilize the entire WIDTH OF THE FIELD FROM WHERE THE BALL WAS SPOTTED TO THE BOUNDARY. In essence the forerunner of the spread. Just my opinion.

Coach Easton

quote:

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Originally posted by: jimmybuffet
Have Tiger Ellison's book on the Run and Shoot. He diagrams a few of the basics of the "Polecat" and refers to several others they used back in the day. Does anybody have access to the rest of the "Polecat" series to which he alluded? Thanks for your help.

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Coach -

If you get a chance, you might want to get in touch with Coach Ken Leonard at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois. His teams have been running the Polecat for years. He is also a great guy and I'm sure would be MORE than willing to trade a few emails or phone calls with you.