Paso Robles goes with new formation to deal with weather, field conditions

It’s a formation that wasn’t implemented until the Northern Division playoffs began — a far cry from those summer days in the preseason, when every team had visions of hoisting the CIF-Southern Section trophy the Bearcats clutched to their muddy, rain-soaked chests Friday night.

To have a season go 14 games and include that frenzied celebration, adjustments need to be made, injuries have to be overcome and, no matter the elements, big players need to step up in big moments.

The Kansas City I jumbo package combined all three of those factors, and the Bearcats rode it to glory.

“It’s the perfect offense to run in this stuff right here,” said coach Rich Schimke after Paso Robles’ 13-10 home victory over Newbury Park, pointing to the ground as he unstuck his foot from the mud with an audible squelch. “Cause you can’t throw the pigskin in this.”

So the Bearcats ran it. And ran it. And even with 1,300-yard rusher Christian Erickson forced to watch from the sideline with a knee injury and two other backs out hurt, they ran it some more.

They ran nearly exclusively out of the Kansas City I, where all 11 players lined up close to the ball with fullback Kasey Millsap, middle linebacker-turned-fullback Matt Keller and wideout-turned-running back Bailey Gaither in a row behind quarterback Justin Davis.

It turned every play into a rugby scrum, with Davis quickly pitching the ball to Gaither before barreling in himself — all cautions of quarterbacks avoiding contact thrown to the wind — to be a lead blocker.

Newbury Park, which had watched film all week long of the Bearcats spreading the field and throwing screens to the perimeter, was left to contend with 10 bodies rushing downhill to block while Gaither just waited to find a crease.

“I try and slow it down and get some positive yards,” said Gaither, who entered the game with 1,453 yards and 20 touchdowns receiving compared to just 168 yards five scores on the ground. “Just try to win each play.”

Gaither was never dropped for a loss, and finished with seven runs of 10 or more yards.

“He’s an all-star,” said Davis, seemingly at a loss for explanations after Gaither’s 30-touchdown season. “He can do everything.”

While most of the time the formation resulted in a Gaither carry, Paso Robles threw enough wrinkles in at the right times to catch Newbury Park off guard.

Twice, Davis handed off to Keller going the opposite direction, and the junior rumbled for a 9-yard first down and another short gain. Millsap added a 4-yard carry, which also moved the chains, and Davis scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard sneak out of the Kansas City I.

And nobody will soon forget the biggest fake of all, when the Bearcats packed the line on fourth-and-3 before Davis dropped back and found a streaking Jonathan Baldwin for a 34-yard score and a 7-3 lead.

“That all comes from film study,” Davis said. “We took control of their weaknesses, and we got it.”

Gaither, thrust into running back duties with a depleted backfield and murky passing prospects amidst the muck, finished with a career-high 28 carries and 206 rushing yards.

“It’s not me; it’s everybody,” Gaither said. “We’re all in this together. None of this is possible without everybody.”

It was just the second time this season the standout senior failed to score a touchdown, but he continued to be the go-to-guy Paso Robles needed Friday.

On third-and-6 with 3:26 remaining and everybody inside packed War Memorial Stadium knowing who was going to get the ball, he took another handoff and squirted free for 14 yards, forcing the Panthers to burn their final timeout.

“I want to cry — I’m so happy,” Gaither said after the game, caked in mud and watching as his teammates started to huddle around the trophy that would soon be in their grasp. “We came through a lot of adversity this year, and we have a lot of charisma. I’m just so happy for all of us.”

This story was originally published December 5, 2014 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Paso Robles goes with new formation to deal with weather, field conditions."