The Good:

+Belfry isn't the same team without their Stud Linemen, but the depth is solid nonetheless. They still moved it on some very good competition despite missing three starters

+ A LOT of backfield depth and playmakers

+ The young LB'ers got tested by three very good Offensive teams without the other two starting LB'ers to bail them oout most of the night and played "decent". The key here is the reps and experience as Belfry tries to find that guy for the middle and that guy in the hybrid LB/DE spot. Heard Fields really started to show improvement over the course of the night.

+ Grayson Cook was perfect on XP's in place of Woolum.. that's a positive and welcome sign

+ Freshman Peyton Hensley is going to be special from all accounts.

 

THE BAD

- I am sure most of this is simply precaution, but I simply can not remember when Belfry had this many key players banged up or injured prior to the start of a season. All indications are it should be all hands on deck in two weeks, but literally I think 15 or 16 of Belfry's 22 projected starters have been out for a stretch at some point this summer.

- Pulaski, GW, and Richlands has some nice Offensive weapons, but Belfry did give up some big plays in Varsity Action... specifically in the middle of the field in the second level. Part of this is no Wellman or Woolum, but even though the LB'ers showed flashes of good play this proves Belfry still has a LOT of improvement to do at LB and CB once you get into the 2 deep

 

THE UGLY

- Nothing too bad here. Belfry was sloppy with their makeshift line against the Richlands 1 Defense. Couple fumbles and some sacks. Thats what you can expect though against a quality team at this stage of Summer

 

All in all nothing too alarming or worrisome...think Haywood is happy with what he has and once he heals this team to 100% should be fun to watch!

Belfry scrimmaged Rockcastle tonight at Hazard.

 

Pirates held out Wellman, Hall, Dotson, and Woolum. From what I hear all four are ready to go but this was a precautionary thing

 

Scrimmage format took the whole "Scores don't matter" to new levels as both staffs were content blowing breakaway plays dead and bringing the ball back up the field for the sake of time.

 

Early on Rock equated themselves well. Neither team "scored" on their first possession of the 10 play drills.Belfry hit a long pass on their 10th play down to the 2 yard line. Rock drove to the Belfry 20 and hit some nice pass plays but ultimately it ended with an INT.

 

Second possession Varney broke lose for what would have been an 80 yard TD, Belfry hit a long pass to Jessie that would have been a big gin, Corbett also had a long run. Ray flipped the switch a couple times and ate the line alive.

 

Third possession Adkins was the star with a long run that would have set up a 1st and Goal if not a TD, and then after Belfry drove the ball down he capped it with a 20 yard run. Rock worked some subs in Offense and Belfry did as well and Rock's Offensive possession didn't amount to a lot.

 

That was pretty much the end of the Varsity vs Varsity

Standouts for Belfry:

- The big Sophomore Lawson is really turning heads at Guard. He already has D-1 size and from what I gather he is seemingly growing with every Varsity snap. At the minimum he has firmly established himself as a bonafide reserve and future starter, and at the same time he is making the starting spot a challenge for the incumbent to have to battle all year to keep Lawson off the field.

- Adkins played great at HB as did Varney. Both have shown that quick step and big play ability. Catron will have a greater role as well at HB and has looked good thusfar.

- Ray Horton supposedly was unblockable at times and twice had the QB in his cross hairs for what would have been a devastating hit in a real game but let off the gas to avoid any unnecessary injury. He was tossing guys like rag dolls when he wanted to flip the switch.

 

 

 

- The young LB's didn't sparkle this week. Still struggling with the speed and physicality is still something they haven't adjusted to yet especially without Hall and Wellman. This is the bad news, but the good news is they are having to fill roles that won't be necessarily asked of them (barring injury). With two potential All-State type talents in Wellman and Hall set to re-join the lineup they will be asked to play more of a supporting role and have that parachute of two veterans to cover mistakes.

 

 

For any Rock fans reading:

- My sources were quite surprised and impressed by Rock, especially when it was 1's vs 1's (save the 4 missing guys for Belfry). Rock's Defense really tackles well and has nice physicality in their Front 7. They played aggressive against Belfry's Offense and as a result got some nice penetration and stops, but it also meant that some missed assignments resulted in what would have been sudden change plays because of a lack of Safety help.

- Rock Offensively, much like their Defense, pleasantly surprised. From what I gather from reports they failed to score on Belfry (not sure if they had any of the long plays called back to the LOS), but they did sustain success for the most part moving the ball and showed some very nice flashes in their passing game. Running game didn't exactly get established as a consistent threat, but they did rip off a couple nice runs that kept the chains moving. Nice size, nice skill, and their biggest problem was Belfry's two DT's... which they wont see anything like them unless they play South Warren in the Finals.

- All in all Rock equated themselves very well from what I agther and have a lot feel positive about. I think they will be right in the thick of that District and definitely in the 8-15 range of teams in 4A

Early on Rock equated themselves well. Neither team "scored" on their first possession of the 10 play drills.Belfry hit a long pass on their 10th play down to the 2 yard line. Rock drove to the Belfry 20 and hit some nice pass plays but ultimately it ended with an INT.

 

Second possession Varney broke lose for what would have been an 80 yard TD, Belfry hit a long pass to Jessie that would have been a big gin, Corbett also had a long run. Ray flipped the switch a couple times and ate the line alive.

 

Does Belfry throw the ball more than usual in scrimmages or should people expect to see a few more balls in the air this year? Corbett appears to have a nice arm.

Does Belfry throw the ball more than usual in scrimmages or should people expect to see a few more balls in the air this year? Corbett appears to have a nice arm.

Yes and no and maybe all at the same time haha

 

Belfry does throw more in scrimagges usually.

 

Corbett has a nice arm and has a nice set of weapons. The Jessie kid is a prototype WR with great height and speed. Woolum was a starter last year and made big plays at SE. Varney is an excellent receiving back.

 

Does this mean more passes in the season? Not sure. Bentley, Dotson, and Scott will all be better pass blockers after this summer and their individual camp circuits. With that said though this is Haywood haha if a pass is not needed or he is very sure it doesn't have a strong chance of succeeding he views it as a risk. Sani Warren through for new yards in his first three or four games at UPike as his entire career at Belfry haha

Yes and no and maybe all at the same time haha

 

Belfry does throw more in scrimagges usually.

 

Corbett has a nice arm and has a nice set of weapons. The Jessie kid is a prototype WR with great height and speed. Woolum was a starter last year and made big plays at SE. Varney is an excellent receiving back.

 

Does this mean more passes in the season? Not sure. Bentley, Dotson, and Scott will all be better pass blockers after this summer and their individual camp circuits. With that said though this is Haywood haha if a pass is not needed or he is very sure it doesn't have a strong chance of succeeding he views it as a risk. Sani Warren through for new yards in his first three or four games at UPike as his entire career at Belfry haha

 

We're talking about a team that won a state championship game 43-0 without completing a single pass and returns 9 starters each way. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Realistically, who could Belfry potentially see in the postseason that could slow down their running game? Not anyone I can think of.

WYMT Pigskin Preview of the Pirates.

 

Some good sound bites from several players and also Coach Haywood.

 

Pigskin Preview: No. 1 Belfry Pirates

Those who know about this Belfry team should appreciate the Belfry fans here on BGP. I can't lie, I'm 42 years old and I don't think I could be as modest and humble as their fans are this year. They are a shining example of how we should all act. Makes me want to see Belfry have a spectacular and exciting year.

 

Good luck, Pirates!!!!!!

I am just cautiously optimistic. Maybe it was all those years Belfry was "this" close but came up short. I have confidence in our staff and I know the players work their tails off, but there is a part of me that can never really be comfortable before a game. This team has the potential to be really special, not just by Belfry standards, but I mean all-time elite KY football kind of special. Even so, I don't want to take winning for granted because anything can happen in this game and that oblong ball takes some funny bounces sometimes. So I will be content to watch it unfold and hopefully enjoy the ride without sticking my foot in my mouth or having to eat any crow.

 

@PurplePride92