Selling It Better Than Yelling It

It’s the most precarious and precious 15 minutes of teaching in high school football. It’s a window of opportunity that can be the difference between victory and defeat.

During halftimes of the 15 championship football games this weekend, while fans are munching on hot dogs or searching for the nearest bathroom, head coaches will be huddling with their assistants and making decisions that could reverse or embolden their team’s fortunes.

There’s great reward for the staff that anticipates, schemes and guesses the best during the 15-minute halftime break.

“It’s absolutely vital,” Los Angeles Loyola Coach Jeff Kearin said. “You need to make minor adjustments in pass protection or pass coverage or formations. If you don’t, you play into the [opponents’] hands.”

The adjustments are usually subtle, such as having a defensive tackle slant to a different gap or having the defensive end line up farther outside to prevent ballcarriers from getting around the corner; perhaps having a running back stay in to block or deciding which blitzes are working and which are not.

Substantial changes, such as abandoning a game plan that was worked on all week during practice, is risky if not foolish, even if it’s not working particularly well.

“I want to breed confidence in what we’re doing, whether we’re doing it right,” Kearin said.

Changes must be made in an orderly, organized fashion because the teenage players expected to execute them are already pumped up and emotionally attached to a strategy. They need to feel confident that any new scheme will be the correct one.

Halftime is about regrouping, clearing up confusion, regaining energy and focus and reestablishing fundamentals.

As much as outsiders might think halftimes are devoted to fiery speeches and challenging players to play harder, the strategic adjustments are more important.

“The motivational talk is going to last only until you leave the locker room,” Kearin said.

Kearin remembers a halftime decision earlier this season against Santa Ana Mater Dei. Assistant coach Ken O’Brien noticed that Mater Dei’s safeties were creeping forward to help against the run.

“This is Pop Warner 101,” Kearin said. “Let’s play action and throw a post over the top.”

Loyola put in a new pass play, called it “Monarch,” and it went for a long gain, though the Cubs eventually lost in overtime.

Woodland Hills Taft Coach Troy Starr makes adjustments to blocking schemes and personnel, but he doesn’t believe in wholesale changes.

“I don’t know what miracle adjustments there are at halftime,” he said. “Let me know. The minor ones usually have the biggest effect.”

When Newhall Hart opened a 16-7 halftime lead over unbeaten Mission Viejo last week, the primary halftime job for the Indian coaches was calming their players, who were excited about leading the top-ranked team in the state. Hart held on for a 24-12 victory.

The next time a team rallies for a victory in the second half, don’t assume it was because a coach lashed out at halftime and fired up his players.

Yes, inspiring players is important, but so is figuring why specific plays are working ... or not.

To the teams that make the best adjustments at halftime this weekend, a championship trophy could be the reward.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

For all of the football matchups tonight and Saturday, see page D13. For scores and highlights of winter sports, visit latimes.com/preps.