‘Eyes in the Sky’: Prep football coaches provide analysis from press boxes

Aside from the crown running lengthwise down its center, a football field is flat.

Though both teams’ pre-snap formations are plainly revealed to the coaches on the field, once the ball is snapped players collide in a mishmash.

Subtleties of the game, particularly at the line of scrimmage where it most matters, are mainly hidden to those on the sideline in this full-speed blur.

That’s where an added dimension helps — the “Eyes in the Sky.”

“I like the perspective that you get, the view that you get, and the information you’re able to gather,” said Schaumburg assistant coach Chris Rafaj. It’s his 15th year in the program, but his first season serving as a coach in the press box during varsity games.

Rafaj is the head coach and offensive coordinator of the Saxons’ freshman team but on Friday nights, home or away, he’s up in a partition of the stadium press box reserved for Schaumburg coaches.

Rafaj watches the action, wearing a wireless head set with a microphone, and relays what he sees to head coach Mark Stilling, offensive coordinator Kyle Evert and offensive line coach Fran Cassidy on the field.

Rafaj typically is joined by Jeremy Harkin, Schaumburg’s freshman team defensive coordinator. Harkin relays information to Stilling, defensive coordinator Matt Zimolzak and defensive line coach Billy Matzek.

Stilling can toggle between head set channels depending on game situation or if he’d like further detail from his offensive or defensive coaches, or from above.

“When you’re on the field with that horizontal viewpoint, it’s so hard to be able to see how things are moving, how things are adjusting,” Rafaj said.

“Once you get that vertical vantage point in the box, you’re able to see everything, how they’re moving. It’s so much more information from up there than if you’re on the sidelines.”

Teams have hours of film on an opponent, provided by that program or available through online services such as Hudl.

Based on that, coaches craft a game plan to execute what they do and stop the opponent from achieving its goals.

Once the game starts, offensive formations, blocking assignments, secondary coverages, they all may change.

“Are they doing what you thought they’d do?” Stilling asked rhetorically. “And also your team — are they doing what you want them to?”

The Eyes in the Sky sees all.

The coaches upstairs can see if a key opposing player left the field to simply talk with a coach or to seek treatment from a trainer; if a player entered as part of a specific personnel package; if the defense switched coverage to take away a hot receiver.

Blocking schemes, missed assignments, a defensive set unseen on film. The Eyes in the Sky can provide a quick recommendation for a play that looks good, against a given scheme.

Or simply, Rafaj said, “What worked and what didn’t work” — and why.

“It’s fluid, so there are times where there might be something going on offense and we have the ball and I need to be involved in second-by-second communication,” Stilling said.

“There could also be times where I need to go back and review something that happened in another phase, and go back to the other channel. It’s often no rhyme or reason, it’s just a feel thing,” he said.

The head coach will expect a detailed plan from coaches in the box to present at halftime. From those 15-minute meetings emerge second-half adjustments.

“Little tweaks,” Rafaj said, on what plays may succeed, or shifts in blocking technique based on what they’ve seen from the press box.

Of course, the other team is doing the same thing.

As it is between the players on the field, communication between coaches is equally important.

Those on the sidelines, and those above them.

“In order for any high school football program to win, you’ve got to have all the coaches on the same page,” Rafaj said. “And you’ve got to have coaches everywhere.”