Adjustments keep Demons offense dynamic

WASHINGTON - Spoiled. That is the word both Washington High School offensive coordinator Don Miksch and head coach James Harris used when describing how lucky the Demons have been for the last three years with the same guy running the offense.

Luke Turner has been at the quarterback position since early in his sophomore year. Last year, he was fourth in touchdowns (37) in Class 3A, fourth in rushing TDs (19), third in all-purpose yards (2,937), fifth in rushing yards (1,276) and Washington as a team was second in rushing TDs and eighth in team rushing yardage.

The only teams that scored more than the Demons were the two teams that played in the championship (13 games) and one that played in the semifinals (12 games). The Demons played 10 games.

Teams couldn't defend Turner because they couldn't practice against what he was able to do. Keokuk head coach Josh Roberts said, 'That Turner at quarterback was fun to watch, but hard to coach for. We put one of our best athletes back there to practice for him, but it's hard to simulate what he did.”

Other coaches would watch with Turner rack up yards and points with frustration and envy.

'Every coach I talk to asks me where they can get a quarterback like I have,” Harris said. 'Luke makes us look really smart but Coach Miksch does a good job of coaching him up. Coach (Lane) Ranck does a great job with our receivers. Coach (Shannon) Rugg does a nice job with our backs. Coach (Nic) Williams does great with the offensive line. As much as we have really talented skill position guys, it's 11 guys as one. It's all 65 guys.”

Washington is going to need all of those guys working together now that Turner has graduated. Demon Nation was 'spoiled.”

'Replacing Luke is going to be nearly impossible,” Miksch said. 'We just can't replicate what he was able to do for us.”

It just so happens that the Demons don't need to replace him. They have an offense that is adaptable to different skill sets.

'One of the great things about the way I designed this offense is the way we can fit whatever the strengths are of whoever is back there to the offense,” Miksch said. 'We feel that it is a lot more dynamic than other offenses at this level.”

If Washington has a pocket passer-type quarterback, then the offense allows for that. If there is a running quarterback like the Demons have had in Turner then the offense allows for that as well. The way it's designed, it allows Miksch to decide how much he wants to run the quarterback or have him pass.

Because the offense is fluid, Demon coaches try to have at least one quarterback in every class. That is not always the case, but this year Washington has a freshman QB, a sophomore, a junior and a senior. They are all competing for the job, but one has made an impact.

'One kid is standing out ahead of everybody else,” Miksch said last week. 'Right now, we have a projected starter.”

The man who might be quarterback this year has a much stronger, more accurate arm than Turner.

'We have had to adapt for that, and we're excited about it,” Miksch said. 'Right now, we are pretty sure who we want to be the quarterback.”

This year's hopeful at quarterback, however, does not compare with Turner's speed and ability to run with the ball.

The 2020 Demon offense cannot be anything but different without Luke Turner to quarterback it.

This year's offense is going to look different and operate differently than it did behind Turner. The quarterback who will run this year's offense is going to look different and operate differently Turner, even differently than Washington offenses have looked in the past.

In fact, it will be operated by a quarterback that is different from most any other.

But that quarterback will be very familiar to any Demon fans who watch sports at Washington.

'Regardless of who the quarterback is, generally speaking the quarterback is going to be the most athletic kid on the team,” Miksch said. 'For the most part, athletic kids are confident kids. The type of person we need to lead this kind of offense has to be confident.”

Demon coaches were confident saying that Trashaun Willis will most likely be starting behind center in 2020. Willis will not be under center because the Demons run a shotgun-style offense. There is another reason he will be in the shotgun. Willis will not be under center because he cannot take a direct snap. He has to catch the snapped ball in his right hand. He does not have a left hand.

'Probably my biggest difficulty is getting the snap down,” Willis said. 'I think we have it figured out now.”

Born with amniotic band syndrome, a condition in which amniotic bands entangle the fetus and stunt the growth of parts of the body, Willis' left arm ends short of where his elbow would be. He calls it his ‘little arm.

Whoever starts at center for the Demons will have a lot of responsibility to be very accurate with the snap. There are three players competing for the job of center. It may be the most important position on the offensive team this year for the Demons.

Willis will not run the offense like Turner did, but he will have a lot of the same responsibilities.

It is the quarterback's job to know everybody else's job.

Willis has been calling the plays on defense in his role as a linebacker, and an all-state linebacker at that. He is familiar with what it takes to be in charge of a team on the field. He also learned from Turner.

'Luke taught me a whole lot,” Willis said. 'Just watching him and how he handled everything was definitely a learning experience.”

Now Willis will be watched as to how he handles everything and the world will get the learning experience.