How the 2018 Football State Champs Used Hudl to Dominate Their Season
Mar 25, 2019
3 Min Read
Learn how video and analytics fit into the 2018 football state champs’ winning workflow.
More than 400 state champion football teams used Hudl for video analysis in 2018. They all deserve a huge congratulations on their amazing seasons!
Every one of these teams took advantage of film review, and some took their game to the next level with all of Hudl’s tools for football. Ninety-eight percent of the state champ teams we talked to also used Assist, 70 percent used Play Tools and 41 percent used Sideline.
But using the same toolkit doesn’t mean these coaches have the same workflow. Every coach’s process is unique—which is why we asked a few coaches to share how Hudl helped them go on to take state.
Reviewing your team’s plays is critical, but the best coaches know their opponents as well as they do themselves.
Aaron Kiser, Pioneer Jr./Sr. High School (Ind.) uses Hudl to plan his team’s practices and anticipate their rivals’ plays.
“On Saturday mornings we review our Friday night film as a team, then coaches stay after to break down the complete self-scout and opponent scout by entering our own data and run reports. Sunday, we meet in the afternoon to go over the reports as a staff and develop the game plan for the next opponent, which we then build into the practice scripts for the week.”
— Thurston Football (@thurstoncoltsfb) March 8, 2019
Kris Alge, McComb High School (Ohio) also relies on playlists to help his players quickly size up the competition.
“We make cutups of other team’s favorite plays and show them to the team every day for 10 minutes before practice starts.”
Empower Coaching Staff
The winningest coaches utilize every player on the team—and that includes their staff. Video gives assistants, position coaches and managers more ways to support the team.
Dave Jenson, Lourdes High School (Minn.) relies on video to guide in-game decisions, uncover tendencies and celebrate his team’s success.
“As an assistant coach on both sides of the ball for the varsity and the head coach of the JV, I used Hudl in many different ways during and after the season. In season, I grade out position groups using traditional film usage (sideline and end zone camera angles). During games, I use Hudl Sideline to evaluate QB decision-making and use the information for corrective in-game adjustments. For practice, we utilize practice scripts for defensive reps and the playbook in conjunction with Go Rout to have uptempo, efficient offensive sessions. For out-of-season usage, we look for tendencies in ourselves and opponents, and make highlights for our season as a team and for individual players.”
Acel Copeland, Bishop Miege High (Kan.) makes immediate adjustments during games or practice with instant replay.
“I am a manager for my team and we use Hudl almost every single day during football season. Hudl Sideline is super convenient and easy to use for practice, and being able to use instant replay at our games is amazing—the coaches love it.”
The state champ coaches aren’t just focused on getting wins. They also prioritize improving their players.
Mike Norris, Cathedral Catholic High School (Calif.) has his team review their playbook to develop their game intelligence.
“I use the messaging to communicate with my position group. We also share the playbooks with the guys and break down film. It’s very helpful to see how much time each player is on Hudl and how many play cards they have viewed.”
Aaron Kiser, Pioneer Jr./Sr. High School (Ind.) helped one of his best players get noticed with video.
“The past two seasons we did have a player being highly recruited by DI schools and thus used our recruiting tools more extensively. He is now an early enrollee at the University of Notre Dame.”
