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Tag: Coach Brad Laplante

Hutto gets first Win over West Mesquite

Written by Steven Ryan on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Hutto looked a lot different than it did last year, but the results were still the same. While the offense needed some time to get going, the defense dominated as the Hippos ran away from West Mesquite in a 41-21 win Saturday at Waco ISD Stadium in Waco, TX.

West Mesquite scored on only one of its first ten possessions, and that came on a drive that started at Hutto’s eight. Junior LSU commit Landyn Watson combined with senior Lordswill Uwa and junior Braylon Sugg on a defensive line that didn’t allow the Wranglers to get the push up front necessary to move the ball consistently.

“To put 41 points on the board, you’d think that’s an offensive number, but let’s start with the defense and the way that they played,” said Hutto head coach Brad LaPlante. “You noticed that they weren’t running inside? They were throwing the screens outside to try to get downfield, or running to the outside edge… They were not going to line up at their own 25 and drive the length of the field all day.”

West Mesquite scored 14 of its points in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand and Hutto playing its backups on defense. The defense even got in on the scoring when senior Jordan Phoenix intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 43 yards for Hutto’s first touchdown.

That play helped spark a Hippo offense that started the game playing like it had a lot of new faces. Sophomore quarterback Grayson Doggett’s first pass was intercepted when he threw late on a short out route. West Mesquite scored on the next play to take a 7-0 lead.

But the offense dealt with few issues after that. Doggett rebounded nicely and finished with 278 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-26 passing. Senior Xavier Phoenix caught the lone score on a three-yard fade route. Sophomore Jairiez Lambert provided a pair of explosive plays with receptions of 40 and 41 yards. Senior Dajon Harrison, one of Hutto’s lone returning starters, caught five balls for 55 yards.

“(Doggett is) fine. If you’re ever going to judge a kid based on one play you’re probably not going to be in the business very long. If you saw our coaching staff, all we did was go back and coach,” LaPlante said. “His maturity is way beyond a sophomore, as well.”

Hutto was also able to lean on a run game that churned out 196 yards on 30 carries, most of which came in the second half. Senior Makhi Kimble (18 carries, 148 yards, three touchdowns) helped put the game out of reach with scoring jaunts of 68 and 26 yards in the third quarter. Senior Kendall Williams (five carries, 46 yards, one touchdown) scampered for a 19-yard score in the fourth quarter to cap a 42-0 run for the Hippos.

“Here’s the deal with Mekhi, he’s kind of been the secret,” LaPlante said. “Last year we had a different brand of offense with (former running back) Chux Nwabakou where we were throwing the ball a little bit more. But even though Mekhi is not a huge guy, he can run between the tackles. He’s got great feet. He’s got great vision. He keeps his feet going. He just moves the pile. I’m going to say he’s the reason our offensive line got better today because they believed in him, so that’s just how one player can make the guys elite around him… But I think that we made an identity for our offense through the game that we have not been able to do during fall camp.”

Hutto Reloads 2019

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Despite losing key players, this year’s team shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Last season, the Hutto Hippos stomped its District 5A-11 competition, many times outright embarrassing their opponents and taking no mercy whatsoever. The team beat Pflugerville Connally 78-14, Cedar Park 65-21, Pflugerville 59-13, Manor 65-35, Rouse 40-0 and McCallum 58-7. Thanks to two powerhouse players and Division I commits, quarterback Chase Griffin (UCLA) and running back Chux Nwabuko III (Texas Tech), the team continued its prowess well into the playoffs but found its match in Foster, who beat Hutto 41-31 in the third round of the state championship semi-finals. “I think everybody knows that the target is on our backs,” Hutto head coach Brad LaPlante said. “I think that’s a big challenge for our kids to repeat as district champions. Yet I know they’ve worked hard to get that opportunity to repeat.” He said his players have a winning mentality, and they care about each other and give their best to their teammates and their coaches. “And that’s a great place to be.”

The 2018 season was the fifth consecutive year Hutto made the playoffs when the team had an 11-1 (6-0) record; so that team isn’t a one-year wonder. Coach LaPlante said that’s because he and his staff are building a program, not just a team from season to season. Sure, last year’s team lost a lot of experience and talent, but he said this year’s team also has a lot of talent and experience returning. This includes a hard-running offense lead by senior tailback Mekhi Kimble, who runs the forty-yard dash in 4.4 seconds; just as speedy is senior slot receiver Dajon Harrison. Coach LaPlante believes senior outside receiver Trey Pinelli “is the best blocker in all of CenTex,” who LaPlante also anticipates will get more ball action this season.

Of course the big question mark is filling the quarterback position now that Chase Griffin graduated and off to UCLA. Hutto has two or three possible quarterbacks, with rising sophomore Grayson Doggett and senior Brock Bujnoch being the top two competing for the position. Key returners on defense are senior outside linebacker Landyn Watson, “a key to the defense’s success.” Senior noseguard Lordswill Uwa has some Division I interest, and junior defensive end Braylon Sugg “at times has the best hands and feet out of all them,” coach LaPlante said. Senior Logan Tipton is a three-year starter at left tackle, and Jayson Vogelpohl is a returning all-district linebacker. 

“We’re going to control our own destiny. We’re really good when we want to be. But we have to make that decision every day to be really good. I like the fact that we are in control. I think we have the pieces to the puzzle to make a run. We may just have to do it in a different way that we did last year.” Coach LaPlante said the returning players have to create a team identity, which will have to start on defense, an element of the team that he feels particularly confident about. Altogether, Hutto’s defense will have about eight returning starters on the line, at linebacker or in the backend as well. Naturally, Hutto’s offense will be forced to fill in big shoes left by Nwabuko and Griffin, who last year was named a Gatorade Player of the Year in quarterback for the state of Texas. Last year, Griffin had 4,051 passing yards, 51 passing touchdowns, 415 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. “You can’t replace them,” coach LaPlante said. “But you find a way to manage the players that you do have. Our offensive coaching staff has done a good job at that. I think everybody thinks we’re done. We had a lot of big-time seniors leave last year, but I think we’re going to sneak up on some people with our team’s speed and how well we play together.”

Texas Sports Monthly

The Heat of Hutto Hippos

Written by Charles Branch on . Posted in HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, TEXAS SPORTS.

The dry Texas heat, the grass clippings, the pairs of cleats stabbing the dirt, and the yelling from coaches  to play with more effort. It’s football season folks. On the outskirts of Austin lies Hutto a rural town that supports their Hippos, last season brought execution and success into the playoffs for this team.
A lot has changed for the school most notably a new coaching era. Meet Coach Brad Laplante, the former offensive coordinator who takes over the reins from recent retired Coach Steve Van Meter. Van Meter led the Hippos to a very impressive 11-2 record before losing to Fort Bend Marshall 35-32. Hutto is believed to be in great hands in Laplante who has great admiration for his formal coach.
“Coach VanMeter is a person that I will forever be thankful that our paths crossed.  God put us in the position to meet when coaching colleagues of mine informed Coach Van about me and he trusted the coach and person I was during our interview.  Coach got here in 2013, and after 1 season, I arrived to work with him.  Our discipline, leadership, academics, standards, and level of play all rose because of his leadership, the good families we get to work with, and because of the good staff he put together here at Hutto.  His biggest influence for his players and coaching staff was to have us all trust each other and “do what’s in your wheelhouse.”  He wanted us all to be who we were and embrace that.  Love that man.”
 
This will be Coach Laplante’s third coaching gig. Not much will change but he will get creative putting his players to make plays this upcoming season.
”Coach VanMeter and I worked side by side to instill our offensive philosophy, develop plays, and put our players in position to succeed.  We lost 3 very good senior starters on offense.  Other players will be asked to play an expanded role, some players may play both sides of the ball, and the experienced players coming back have great leadership to help out the new guys.  As our team moves forward, we will be better because our defense continues to improve, and last spring ran to the ball really well.  We don’t need to play mistake-free ball, but we hurt ourselves in the losses we had last year.”
A lot of that responsibility falls on junior quarterback Chase Griffin. Griffin recently committed to UCLA and looks to add to his resume this season. Making smart decisions and controlling the game is crucial for the quarterback to put points on the scoreboard. The past two seasons he has limited his mistakes committing less than ten interceptions in each of those seasons.

“Chase is the most complete QB on and off the field I have had the absolute pleasure to coach.  Elite players make the other players better around them.  His numbers, production, limit of turnovers won’t need to improve.  His leadership, we expect, will rise to another level this year, and he will make other players around him better.  For us to go deeper than we ever have, his checks at the line of scrimmage will need to be on point, and his ability to read the pocket pressure and get the ball out quickly will serve him well.”

It all starts in the off-season, practice, as well as the weight room. And it all starts with the coach.
“My vision for this season is to watch our players and see them play so hard, that I never have to question what the scoreboard says.  The excitement level has to be high each and every day.  Good, mature players understand that everything we do matters as a team, and everything we do is for the success of the team.  I would love for our practice intensity to grow, and our football IQ to grow so we don’t understand just the play/coverage etc., but we understand the concept of it as a whole.  We have had an awesome off-season.  Our players have been hungry in the weight room, we did well in lineman challenges, our guys have shown out at camps, and we were very successful at 7 on 7.  When our players work hard, positively affect the others around them, and play at their highest level, we are a tough group to beat.”
The Hippos open the season beginning with West Mesquite then go on to play Liberty Hill and Del Valle. Times are pretty exciting for the Hippo fans which expect a full house in every home game.
“As a head coach, my intention is to build on what our staff has been working on for 5 years.  It’s a great time to be a Hutto Hippo, but we can still raise the bar in academics, recruiting, and our play.  Our players have bought into #EverythingMatters!”
Everything will matter once they step on that field against Mesquite. One things for sure it all starts with their identity on both sides of the ball.
“Our style or brand of play won’t change, we may even try to play faster on offense.  Defensively 2 big goals are to be better in 1 on 1 coverage situations and stop the big play.  I truly believe teams will have a hard time moving the ball on our defense the length of the field without explosive plays.”
Everyone get ready. Central Texas high school football has come alive and is here to stay.