Coble leads Monarchs into showdown with Dinwiddie

Andre Coble learned the nuances of the spread offense during a sojourn in California.

When senior quarterback Andre Coble walks down the halls of Meadowbrook High School, everyone seems to know who he is. On the football field, he's the linchpin of the mighty Monarchs offense, which averages 37.5 points per game.

"We're in this offense because of him," said first-year coach Troy Taylor, who was an assistant at Meadowbrook when Coble was a freshman and sophomore. "It's best to get the ball in the hands of your best player."

Ranked No. 1 in The Times-Dispatch Top 10, Meadowbrook (1-0 in the Central District, 4-0 overall) runs the spread. It's the formation for the quarterback who can do it all.

"He's a tremendous competitor. Ever since we saw him as a freshman, he let us know what we had to look forward to for three more years," Dinwiddie coach Billy Mills said. "He makes plays with his arms and his feet. You have to account for him all the time."

The Monarchs and fourth-ranked Dinwiddie (1-0, 3-1) play tonight at 7 at Meadowbrook. Meadowbrook won big when Coble was a freshman and sophomore. The Generals won 49-48 in overtime last year and went on to win the Division 5 region title and finish as the state runner-up. Meadowbrook lost in the Division 6 final for the second year in row.

"They have been our measuring stick the past three years," Mills said of the Monarchs. "To win the Central District you have to get through Meadowbrook. They have been scary to watch on film."

Coble makes everything around him work. No one has stopped the Monarchs this season. They began the year ranked No. 6 because of question marks on the line from which All-Metro first-teamers Morgan Moses and Derek Tinsley graduated.

Meadowbrook climbed to No. 1 with victories over Highland Springs and Hermitage. The Monarchs' line averages much closer to 200 pounds than 300 now, but the offense hasn't changed much.

"Ever since my freshman year it's been a battle with Dinwiddie," Coble said. "It's going to be no different (tonight)."

Coble's counterpart at Dinwiddie, junior Chris Hall, was Times-Dispatch player of the year Adam Morgan's backup at QB the past two years. Hall's favorite target, Quintaze Jackson, is the region's leading receiver.

"I've been proud of our kids with only one starter back on offense," Mills said. "We've been focusing on consistency. We've been one team one week and another team the next."

When Coble was in middle school, he moved to California, where he learned the spread formation. Teams were smaller and faster there than in Virginia, he said. He moved back to Virginia before his ninth-grade year.

Coble often calls audibles or even calls a play to Taylor on the sideline.

"Coach Taylor and I have a bond," Coble said. "We trust each other. When I come to the sideline, we both talk about what we can run."

It's no surprise that West Virginia University, one of the schools that popularized the spread offense, has offered Coble a scholarship.

Before he shifts his focus to college, Coble wants to break Meadowbrook's trend of region final losses and take his team to the state championship. The Monarchs won the Division 5 state title in 2004 then moved up to Division 6. They have lost three of the past four Division 6 region finals.

The next step toward that goal comes tonight.

"Every Friday is the state championship to us," Coble said.

Contact Eric Kolenich at (804) 649-6109 or .

Staff writer Arthur Utley contributed to this report.