Beetdigger offense still potent

A year ago, Jordan High's football team was known for its wide-open, high-octane offense.

With quarterback Sean Taylor at the controls, the Beetdiggers could — and did — score points in bunches, finishing with a 9-2 record and a spot in the 5A quarterfinals.

Taylor and several of the players that made the offense so successful a year ago have since graduated, but that hasn't stopped the 'Diggers in 2007.

So far, Jordan's spread offense has simply picked up where it left off.

Chaun Cook has taken over at quarterback, and with talented weapons and a stout offensive line surrounding him, the Beetdiggers' offense is as lethal as ever.

Off to a 3-1 start, Cook and Co. took a huge step last Friday toward proving that last year's success wasn't an aberration as they beat defending champ Bingham, 36-35.

Coach Alex Jacobson installed Jordan's spread offense, which maintains an emphasis on rushing the football, when he took over for longtime coach Jim Birch, who became an administrator in the Jordan School District four years ago.

Birch, who led Jordan to its 11th state championship in school history back in 1994, was known for producing hard-nose offenses that thrived on the option.

When Jacobson took over, however, he decided to install his own offense. And while there were certainly growing pains along the way, the Beetdiggers have been reaping the rewards of the new-look attack in the last year-and-a-half.

"Because of what they do, they're capable of scoring on any play," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "I think they have a great offense."

Behind Cook, who accounted for five touchdowns, Jordan snapped Bingham's 17-game winning streak in Week 4.

According to Peck, the key to the game — from Bingham's point of view — was turnovers. Jordan forced the Miners into a bundle of them, and the Beetdiggers capitalized.

"You can't let a high-powered offense like that be on the field like we let them be," said Peck. "They have some of the best receivers in the state. Their quarterback is great, and their offensive line did an outstanding job against us."

Through four games, Cook is the state's leading passer, having thrown for 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns.

His favorite target, Raymond, is the state's leading receiver, having caught 28 passes for 601 yards and seven TDs.