Easton Area High School football team seeking to complete trifecta again

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Don't start calling them "Air Easton" just yet.

The Easton Area High School football team has been known for its powerful trap-based ground game with efficient play-action passes built off of it.

This season with a senior quarterback whose strength is decision making, a speedy freshman wideout, two possession tight ends and sure hands out of the backfield, the Red Rovers have succeeded through the air more than usual.

"I don't know about 'Air Easton' just yet," coach Steve Shiffert said. "I guess it's an evolution of the game where it's not three yards and a cloud of dust anymore. It's nice to think that when we need to do that, we can. Bottom line is defense. If you play good defense, you get good field position and you're able to try different things."

The Red Rovers (11-2) will need their offense at its best and its defense equally as impressive as they travel to Nazareth (11-1) tonight for the District 11 Class AAAA championship.


After throwing for 160 yards in Thursday's 24-8 win over rival Phillipsburg, first-year starting quarterback Ian Hayden now holds the Easton single-season record for passing yards (1,737) while going 117 of 216 with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions on the year.


His favorite target is 5-foot-5 Shane Simpson, who is playing receiver for the first time in his career.

"It's been great," said Simpson, who leads the Rovers with 604 yards on 33 catches with three TDs. "I liked playing running back, but wide receiver has been good to me, too."


Simpson, 14, was named the Easton Lions Club Offensive MVP on Thanksgiving after hauling six catches for 111 yards and rushing one time for 44 yards.

"His athletic ability is outstanding," Shiffert said. "He can do things we can't coach. The other thing is the way he fits into our package. He does what he's supposed to do and makes the plays we ask him to make. As he matures obviously he's going to do more and that's how it's been. Each week we've added a little extra responsibility."


The Lehigh Valley Conference champion Blue Eagles have an impressive freshman of their own in running back Jordan Gray. Gray holds the District 11 record for rushing yards as a freshman with 1,380 and 20 total TDs.


He's just one of the countless threats Nazareth possesses on offense along with quarterback Dan Harding and receivers Adam and Andrew Bridgeforth, Dan Shepherd and Alex Tonnies.

"Nazareth has such a varied attack and with the no-huddle, our kids have to be quick to recognize things and react," Shiffert said. "It's a total package. They do a lot of things very well."


Nazareth, the top-ranked team in The Express-Times region, has a knack for fourth-quarter comebacks this year after rallying for 21 points against the Red Rovers, beating the visitors 35-28 in Week 2.

"We have to play better defense and score on offense every time we get the ball," Simpson said.


Simpson, who has also returned a pair of punts for scores this fall, was converted to wideout due to Easton's plethora of upperclassmen at running back, including seniors James Middleton (who is no longer with the team) and Kevin Griffin and juniors Austin Brown and Ryan Williams.


The freshman has still carried the ball 19 times for 126 yards for the second-ranked Rovers.

"I haven't really been nervous," Simpson said. "I'm treating it like every other opportunity. They (Griffin and Brown) teach me a lot like where to go because sometimes I don't know where to go and they help me out."


Shiffert said Simpson is just one of the many underclassmen -- including freshman LT Forrest Myers and sophomores LG Angel Rodriguez, C John Spadoni, RG Jagger Miller, DE Nick Raso and ILB Cameron Casciole -- gaining confidence and experience each week.

"If you look at our season as a whole, it's confidence not just in Shane, but with all our young people," he said. "Our philosophy is to put the best players on the field and they just happen to be youngsters. We went through some growing pains in the beginning of the year but I think it's paying dividends by sticking with those kids."

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/11/easton_area_high_school_footba_23.html