By DON O'BRIEN

Herald-Whig Sports Editor

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Ian Hatton has no problem admitting he has a personal preference when the plays are called into him from the Hannibal football sideline.

"I'd rather it be a pass because I like to throw the ball," said Hatton, the Pirates' senior quarterback. "I'm pretty confident and I know coach is too in my ability to throw the ball. But I like to spread it around a bit."

Through the first half of the season, the Pirates have found a nice balance in their offense. Long known for its ability to grind out yardage on the ground, Hannibal has been just as effective passing the ball during its 4-1 start.

"This is the best balance we've had since I've been here," 12th-year Pirates head coach Mark St. Clair said.

Hannibal's offense will be put to the test on Friday night when Porter Stadium plays host to the de facto North Central Missouri Conference championship game when state-ranked Moberly visits. Both teams are undefeated in league play - Hannibal at 2-0 and the Spartans at 3-0. The winner will have the inside track to the league title. Moberly, which is 5-0 and ranked third in the latest Class 3 state poll, is the defending NCMC champion and will bring in a 12-game NCMC winning streak into the game.

The Spartans will have to figure out what only Harrisonville has been able to this season: Slow down the Pirates' offense. Hannibal is averaging 35.8 points and 338 yards of offense per game.

Though it may be more diverse, Hannibal's offense still leans toward the run. Behind a quick offensive line, the Pirates have rushed for just over 1,100 yards over the first half of the season. Senior Jay'Kob King leads a multi-faceted ground game with 435 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Zach Nichols isn't too far behind with 411 yards and six scores.

King uses his speed to pick up yardage, while Nichols is just as likely to run through a defender than run past him. Hatton has also proved adept at running the football with 111 yards and a touchdown. Michael Forrest also has rushed for 111 yards and a score and is just now healthy after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2.

"They all hit the hole in a hurry," St. Clair said of his runners. "We need that because we don't have big linemen. We're relying on them to get off the ball quick, create a little crease and, hopefully, we'll hit the hole before it collapses."

Competition for playing time, St. Clair said, has helped the line come together. Senior Derek Hicks has manned left tackle, while Luke Myers has held down the right tackle slot. Mike Foster, Dustin Chitwood and Andrew Davis have rotated at the guard spots, while Davis has also seen time at center behind starter Adam Lyons.

"We've been working together as a group and doing the right things on offense," Hicks said. "We've been pushing and the line has been getting off the ball. Ian is doing a good job. Our running backs have been really pounding the ball. We've been pretty dynamic on offense."

When he gets his wish of a passing play, Hatton's more than delivered. He's completed 34 of 50 passes for 576 yards and seven touchdowns against just three interceptions.

"I think our ability to throw the ball has made our running game that much more effective," St. Clair said. "We're able to spread the ball out to different people. Ian's ability to read the option has made us more of a threat than when we've been in the past and been able to run the ball for 3,000 yards in a season."

Credit a summer spent at passing leagues in Hannibal, Palmyra and Clark County for helping the Pirates develop their aerial attack.

"That helped a lot in getting our receivers' timing down and running the right routes," Hatton said of the summer leagues. "It gave us a good look in the off-season."

Which has carried over into regular-season success for the Pirates.