CASTROVILLE - Medina Valley's triple-option Flexbone offense has netted some gawdy rushing numbers in 2026.
The Panthers average 368.2 yards per game and 9.8 yards per carry. Medina Valley has run 255 plays this season and 225 of come on the ground.
"Most offenses let the defenses attack them, but I say, we're coming downhill and we're going to come to you," senior quarterback Hunter Hurtado said. "We're always ready to come downhill. We're coming toward you. Every game. Every play. Downhill."
The Panthers are thriving as a result at 6-0 for the season and 3-0 in District 14-5A-I. It's their best start since 2001, when they won their first nine games. The Panthers leapt into the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Class 5A Division I rankings this week at No. 9 behind area notables Smithson Valley (No. 1) and Boerne Champion (No. 5).
The Flexbone wasn't the original plan when Andrew Britt was named Medina Valley's head football coach in 2023. He thought he had a perfect compromise by blending the spread into an option offense.
His assistants jokingly called it the "Air Bone" - a hybrid of the Air Raid and Wishbone. Quarterback lined up in the pistol formation - away from center, but closer to the line than the standard shotgun - and ran the offense from there.
Britt - whose coaching background is entrenched in the spread - found it difficult to stray away from the passing game. That approach led to a balanced offense - 1,721 yards passing and 1,647 yards rushing. It also produced a 5-6 record and a first-round exit from the Class 5A Division I playoffs.
Not bad, but the Panthers needed to find a way to produce more on offense as they began a two-year foray into the Class 6A ranks in 2024. Heeding the advice of his staff, Britt moved to the Flexbone, a triple-option offense that fits the Panthers' group of smaller and quicker offensive linemen. The offense's misdirection and deception is an equalizer when facing larger and deeper teams.
"We understand what it takes to win a football game," Britt said. "It matches our personnel really well with what we have kid to kid."
Since making the all-in dive to the Flexbone in 2024, nearly 80% of the Panthers' offense has come on the ground. In 2024 - their first in Class 6A - the Panthers went 5-6 and averaged 198 yards on the ground.
Last season, with the concepts fully in place, the Panthers went 10-3 and averaged 298.8 rushing yards. Medina Valley won the District 30-6A title at 6-0 and made its deepest playoff run since 2009.
The Panthers are back in Class 5A Division I with the opening of Creek View, the second high school in Medina Valley ISD, this fall. This level doesn't means it's easier. The Panthers' new district has traditionally been a physical one with Southside and Jay.
"It's a lot of hard-mouthed football," senior defensive back Brody Marquardt said. "Everyone's physical. It's all about being more prepared and just being the better team overall."
The Panthers opened with wins against a pair of Class 6A teams - Churchill (59-21) and Warren (63-20). Medina Valley racked up 448 yards on the ground against Churchill and 387 against Warren.
More impressively, Hurtado directed those victories in his first season as the starter. He started learning the offense at the sub-varsity level as a freshman.
"It's very hard to learn, but once you get a hang of it and get rolling, I do think it is beneficial to us because most teams don't get to face an option," Hurtado said. "It's very hard to stop when everything is clicking like it should be."
Senior left tackle Lucas Moody, who at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds is an outlier on the Panthers' smaller offensive line, said Hurtado has adjusted well as the starter.
"He's handled it really well," Moody said. "He's been a real calm leader."
Hurtado served as the backup quarterback last year and helped his adjustment to game speed. It allowed him to hone his decision-making skills.
"You have to read it quick because they are coming at you full speed," Hurtado said. "You are just playing away from what the defense does. When we do have a chance to throw it, we have to complete it because most likely it's going to be a big play since most team tend to put more inside the box."
Against Churchill, Hurtado completed his two attempts for touchdowns of 73 and 93 yards. The Panthers piled up a school-record 610 yards.
Junior Kourtney Bratcher leads the Panthers with 765 yards and 12 touchdowns on 67 carries. Hurtado has rushed for 454 yards and eight scores on 50 carries. Hurtado has completed 19 of 27 passes for 491 yards and seven touchdowns.
Dedicating themselves to rushing means ball control and time-consuming drives. That's something their defense appreciates.
"It helps us out a bunch when we get a stop and then the offense is able to work their way down a little slowly and score each drive," senior linebacker Slate Crisp said. "It gives us some confidence."
It's also the key to another long playoff run.
"Running the football is the recipe for success in late November and early December," Britt said.
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at First-year starter Hunter Hurtado has Medina Valley's Flexbone offense rolling.