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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
Mtn HB Stretch is an outside zone run out of Strong I with 21 personnel and a receiver motion (Mtn) called before the snap to help identify defensive rotation. The blocking scheme flows the offensive line laterally toward the play side, with the FB and TE working to reach edge defenders while the HB presses the line of scrimmage and reads the stretch course to find the cutback lane. This is a zone run designed to beat gap-shooting and overaggressive fronts, and the primary read progression starts with the play side edge block, then the alley defender, before the HB decides between the bounce, bang, or cutback lane based on the first color of the defense he sees flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch the play side defensive end and outside linebacker before the snap, if they are crashing hard down the line on every snap this stretch scheme will expose them for an easy bounce outside. Check safety depth and alignment, a single high shell with the strong safety cheating toward the box signals extra run support and a possible edge-set defender who can string the play out. Post-snap, key the play side linebacker's first step, if he flows flat and fast with the zone action he is vulnerable to the cutback lane once the HB presses the hole. Watch for a nano blitz off the edge or a contain blitz from the weak side corner, since fast edge pressure can blow up the stretch before the OL gets a chance to reach block. If the defense runs a heavy 4-3 under front with the DT shaded into the play side A-gap, expect penetration that kills the stretch, so be ready to check the play at the line if you see this alignment.
Usage Tips
Use the Mtn motion pre-snap to bait linebackers into flowing early and to confirm whether you are facing man or zone coverage based on how the defense reacts to the motion man.
Run this out of favorable down and distance like first and ten or second and short so defenses cannot sit on the run and commit extra defenders into the box.
If the defense shows a heavy box or an overshifted front, hot route the FB to a different angle or check into a cutback friendly play from this set like HB Cntr Wk Alert Z Smoke to punish overpursuit.
Pair Mtn HB Stretch with Mtn PA Slide or PA Power O later in a series so linebackers and safeties who bit hard on the stretch action get gashed by play-action off the same look.
User the play side guard or FB at the second level to seal off the first defender who threatens the cutback lane, since the CPU blocking can miss assignments against blitzing linebackers.
