At Powhatan, simplicity is the foundation for success

Keep it simple. That's the mantra the coaches preach at Powhatan.

"We don't run a whole lot of plays," coach Jim Woodson said. "It took me a long time to figure that out as a coach. At the beginning, I figured I'd try to outsmart everybody and trick them and have so many plays they wouldn't know how to defend it. We were tricking ourselves because we didn't know how to do it."

Most of the time, the Indians, ranked No. 7 in The Times-Dispatch Top 10, keep it on the ground. That is fitting because quarterback Shawn Minor used to be a running back. In eighth grade, he made the switch when the starting QB was hurt. Minor was named Powhatan's starting quarterback as a sophomore.

"A quarterback is a whole lot more than just a thrower," Woodson said.

Minor says about 80 percent of the team's plays are rushes, either a designed quarterback carry, an improvised run or a handoff to sophomore running back Landon Bradley.

Minor says the Indians' offensive line sets the pace. While many of the best teams in the metro area feature linemen around 200 pounds, the Indians have a line much closer to 300.

"Nobody really credits the line, but if they didn't block like they're supposed to, we wouldn't get anywhere," Minor said.

Sometimes they'll move the pocket so Minor can get outside, where he's extremely dangerous. Miss a tackle, and he's gone. When the defense tries to box him in, that's when the Indians run a draw and the 5-9, 165-pound senior leans down and runs behind his mammoth line. Mixing a small, elusive quarterback with a large offensive line can be a dangerous combination.

"[Defenses] have to pick their poison," Woodson said.

Bradley (9.6 yards per carry) has rushed for 909 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. Minor averages 11.5 yards a carry (37-425) and scored 11 times. Dion Berry has contributed 432 yards (12.3 per tote).

Minor also has thrown for 465 yards and five touchdowns.

Tonight, the Indians (4-0, 7-0) play host to Brunswick at 7:30. The Bulldogs are 4-0, 4-3. Powhatan logged its 400th victory as a program last week. Woodson has been part of 232 of those as a player and coach.

The Indians have won 46 consecutive Southside District games. Brunswick was the last to beat them, Oct. 26, 2001.

Simplicity works at Powhatan.

The Indians won the Group A, Div. 2 state championship in 1996. They won the Group AA, Div. 4 state title in 2003 and the Region I championship Minor's freshman and sophomore years. They make a good argument to do it again, having defeated every team on their schedule by no less than 28 points. They've outscored their opponents 337-34.

While Minor doesn't think this year's team is as talented as previous years, he thinks their drive is better than ever.

"We've got more of a want to win than in the past few years," Minor said.

The school's tradition and legacy makes them a perennial power, Woodson says.

"Brothers, uncles and dads," Woodson said. "They just keep coming. We expect them to play at a certain level and the kids, through the years, have answered the challenge."

Minor is part of that tradition, too. Minor's brother, Kevin, threw the pass that scored the winning touchdown in the 2003 championship game.

While Minor admits next season might be a rebuilding year, he thinks this year's squad has the right mix of talent and composure to keep the school's tradition and set a new standard for success.

"This is the hardest working team I've played on," Minor said.

It's all the hard work that makes winning so simple.