🏈As a high school defensive coordinator, I know that every play is a chance to learn something. Each play can lead to a win or it can ruin someone’s day. I love dialing up pressure on third down or calling that perfectly timed blitz. But I’ve always been fascinated by one thing—the first play of a series. It’s the play where the offense throws everything they’ve got at you. They’re scripted, ready to go, and usually lining up their best play.

In the football world, we call this P& 10—“Play and 10”. I’ve spent this off-season diving deep into this concept. I want to be smarter, faster, and more prepared than the offense. It’s not just about watching film. It’s about using data to make us more efficient. Data gives us the upper hand when the offense tries to set the tone and setting the tone is our job as far as I’m concerned.

Offenses often script their opening drives. They’ve had all week to think about it, so they come out strong. But for us, the defense, we’re often just reacting. The big question I’ve been asking is: How can we make sure our first reaction is the right one? Can we use data to not just “react,” but predict, prepare, and take control?

That’s where I’m focusing my studies. How can we use analytics to predict that P& 10 play and get ahead? Every team is different, and every play matters. Why not focus on these “first play” situations? Situational data—like what the offense likes to do after a timeout or how their formation influences their play calling—is key.

Let’s be honest, I didn’t get into coaching to just study spreadsheets. I’m here to win and make my players ready to crush it on the field. But using data to make our defense smarter gets me fired up. It’s like the light bulb that goes off when you spot something new while watching film. P& 10 is about more than stopping the first play. It’s about setting the tone. It’s about disrupting their game plan before it even starts.

So here’s the plan: Every week, besides my blog posts, I’ll dive into a new football article. I will summarize it and give you my take. I want to get the conversation started and hear your thoughts on how we can improve our game.

I’m here to challenge the norm, push my players, and make us more aggressive. And like I said, we’re starting with P& 10. What does it take to stop the scripted first play? How can we be more efficient? These are the questions that keep me up at night because I need a ring. Over the next few months, I’ll share what I find.

This blog isn’t just about the X’s and O’s. It’s about mindset, toughness, and attitude. You need more than stats to win games. You need grit, heart, and the belief that you’re going to hit harder. You also need to play smarter and take every inch the offense gives you. That’s the mentality I’m instilling in my players, and that’s the approach I’m taking here.

P& 10 isn’t just the first play of a series. It’s the first play of this blog and my off-season grind. It’s also how I’m building a better Defense. So welcome to the journey. I’ll post weekly with a new article, TLDR summaries, and thoughts on improving our game. Let’s talk shop, get smarter together, and raise our football IQ one play at a time.

Thanks for checking in! Now, let’s Get to the Football!