About a month ago, St. Aloysius coach BJ Smithhart got tired of seeing his special teams unit struggling to cover kickoffs. So, he decided to try something radical and onside kick.

Almost, but not quite, every time.

As if one of Mississippi’s top Class 1A teams needed another weapon, it found one in the kickoff.

The Flashes have recovered two kickoffs and turned them into momentum-swinging points in the four games since they adopted the new strategy of varying kickoffs between long and short. They’ve been onside kicking about 75 percent of the time, but still kicking it deep the other 25 percent.

The mix-and-match approach has led to the two recoveries and a handful of return mistakes by opponents that pinned them deep in their own territory.

“It puts pressure on people,” Smithhart said. “A lot of times kids are nervous and somebody might not be used to catching those. It gives you a chance to have a big play.”

The change in tactics was welcome news to St. Al’s special teams players who realized they were struggling early in the season.

“I feel like it’s better to do that. We fly to the ball better like that,” said George Tzotzolas, a linebacker who also plays on the kicking team. “It seems like it works more for us than kicking it deep. Then last game we got them off guard because we kicked it deep.”

Smithhart said the new tactic has invigorated the Flashes’ special teams players.

That includes players like sophomore Jake Pierce and senior Luke Dial, who don’t see a lot of playing time on offense or defense but have developed into key cogs as blockers and tacklers on special teams.

“It gets the kids excited and pumped up. Everybody wants to make a play,” Smithhart said. “A lot of times the guys making the majority of the plays are the ones that don’t get to do it too often.”

Another special teams ace has been sophomore Donald Woodson. He starts at cornerback and has 37 tackles and two fumble recoveries this season, but made perhaps the biggest play of the game on special teams in last week’s 35-6 rout of Coffeeville in the North State championship game.

After DeMichael Harris had ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run to put St. Al ahead 21-6 with 7:46 left in the third quarter, Casey Griffith pooched a kickoff down the left sideline.

Woodson hustled down the field and alertly pounced on the ball when it landed in a hole in the coverage team. Harris scored again three plays later to put the Flashes ahead 28-6, his backbreaking touchdown set up by the hustle of Woodson.

“That’s probably my most favorite part of the game, is special teams. It’s mostly the start of the game and every time we defer it and kick off in the second half. That’s what I love to do,” Woodson said, adding of his key recovery, “That felt amazing. It felt great for me and that I could get the ball back for my team.”

There is, of course, some danger in kicking it short. Greenville-St. Joe jumped on one and returned it for a touchdown, and also broke another for a long return. And failing to recover one can give a dangerous offense the ball at midfield.

Those are chances Smithhart is willing to take, though. His defense has quietly been one of the best in Class 1A, allowing just 18 points per game while forcing 48 turnovers. The offense, meanwhile, has shown an ability to score from anywhere on the field. Having a defense that can hold the line and an offense that can score quickly makes the calculated risk of an onside kick worth it.

“That says a lot about our defense. Field position from an offensive standpoint is huge,” said St. Al senior Connor Smith, who plays quarterback and safety. “It gives you a chip on your shoulder. It’s saying, ‘We’re going to give you the ball at the 50 and still stop you.’”