Alburnett blasts North Linn, 46-0, to improve to 5-1

ALBURNETT — It's difficult to defend a shapeshifter.

Alburnett proved that in a 46-0 win over North Linn on Friday. The victory secures a winning regular season for the Pirates (5-1, 3-1), just one year after a 1-8 finish.

'I think you can see by the result, that tonight is the night that we got them to really buy into our system,' Alburnett head coach Nick Breuer said.

At times, the Pirates broke the huddle and lined up in an inverted 'V' formation. Before coming set, the Pirates offensive lineman shuffled and took their positions, leaving three or four men in the backfield. The recipient of the snap makes a spin move and keeps it or hands it off.

'It's actually the oldest formation in the book,' Alburnett assistant coach Ben Slife said. 'It's single-wing, Pop Warner started it.

'We are constantly working the spin. But the offensive line is the key to the whole thing. If the guys up front aren't blocking, it doesn't matter how pretty it looks, it's not going anywhere.'

Coordination and timing are key, along with a lot of practice.

'This offense is dirty,' lineman Nick Airy said. 'It's the most aggressive thing I've ever seen. But we've been working on it all summer and it takes a lot of work.'

Tanner Sloan, Class A's leading rusher with 840 yards coming into the night, racked up 165 more yards, many from the single-wing formation. He accounted for three touchdowns and Cody Martin ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns and caught another one.

'I can trust my linemen everytime,' Sloan said. 'I can trust that they are going to get their blocks and I'm going to get a hole.'

The Alburnett defense was smothering, holding the Lynx to minus-5 yards in the first half. Ryan Miller of the Lynx, sixth in Class A with 740 yards, found it tough to get past the line of scrimmage.