Can NEKY schools dent the EKY Football Wall?

 

Ashland, Russell, and Raceland football teams will try to put a dent in the recent domination of Johnson Central, Belfry, and Paintsville in their respective regions tomorrow night. All three teams will have to pull off upsets on the road to continue their march to Bowling Green. The Tomcats and Devils are heavy underdogs while the Rams appear to have the best shot at a region championship. Let’s take a look at each matchup.

 

Ashland (9-3) at Johnson Central (11-1)

 

Coach Tony Love and his coaching staff deserve a lot of credit for leading Ashland to the region finals. The Tomcats started off 0-2 and were staring at 0-3 late in their game versus rival Russell. Ninety-five yards and a two-point conversion later, the Tomcats had their first win and continued the momentum to a 9-3 season that many felt would not happen. Quarterback Braxton Ratliff has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Tomcats. The sophomore signal-caller has thrown for 1951 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 739 yards. His favorite target has been senior Tate Dowdy. The speedy wideout has hauled in 57 passes for 958 yards and 8 touchdowns. All-purpose athlete Aroq Colburn has been a threat as a runner and a receiver for the Tomcats. The Tomcat defense has been led by linebacker Marcus Daniels. That defense will face a tall task coming Friday night against the powerful Eagles.

 

Jim Matney has his Eagles soaring high once again. The Eagles, coming off a finals appearance a year ago, have reloaded in hopes of bringing home a state title. Running back Joe Jackson leads a potent running attack with 1691 yards and 26 touchdowns. Riley Preece has provided balance to the offense by throwing for 1115 yards and 14 touchdowns. Multi-sport star Geordon Blanton has 18 receptions for 588 yards for the Eagles. Nathan Wilcox has a team-high 80 tackles to spearhead a tenacious JC defense.

 

It will take a near-perfect game from the Tomcats to pull out a victory. The Eagles have dominated the series over the past decade and seem poised to make another trip to Bowling Green.

 

Russell (10-1) at Belfry (11-1)

 

Coach T.J. Maynard’s Devils have put together a very impressive 10-1 mark as they return to the regional finals for the second time in his three-year tenure. After a sluggish offensive start to the season, the Devils have turned into an efficient offensive team over the past eight games. Senior Nick Conley has finally hit his stride and leads the team with 1040 yards and 18 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Austin Smith, aided by improved offensive line play and experience, set the school record for passing yards in a season with 1550 to go along with 12 touchdowns. Senior Landon Brewer leads the team with 46 catches for 717 yards and 6 touchdowns. The team’s foundation has been its Bad Boys Defense. Senior Blake Thompson leads the team with 88 tackles while senior Drey Boehm has picked off six passes this season. The interior line play of Seth Deboard, Ryan Stump, and Jacob Pierce has been stellar all season for Russell. Their toughest test so far comes Friday night in the form of three-time defending champion, the Belfry Pirates.

 

Philip Haywood’s teams are known for smash-mouth offense and hard-hitting defense and this edition is no different. The Pirates offense has only thrown 31 passes all season en route to an 11-1 record. The Pirates have a stable of backs that tote the rock. They have five running backs that each average over 40 yards a game. The line boasts two Division I signees in Cole Bentley and Austin Dotson. It is no secret what the Pirates are going to do. The question is can you stop it? The defense is led by talented senior lineman Raquan Horton. He has been a thorn in the Devils’ side in the Pirates two big wins in the playoffs the past two years.

 

The Devils are going to have to hit some big plays early to stay in this one. They must create some turnovers along the way as well. If not, The Big Red will take another step towards a fourth consecutive championship celebration on Pond Creek.

 

Raceland (10-2) at Paintsville (12-0)

 

The Raceland Rams have had one goal for the 2016 football season: a trip to Bowling Green. The dream can take one step closer to reality with a win over #1 Paintsville Friday night. The Rams and Tigers battled to overtime in their October meeting with the Tigers winning 27-21. The two teams have been destined for this rematch since the final horn sounded in Raceland.

 

Mike Salmons relies heavily on his Big Three to carry the Ram offense. Senior quarterback Nathan Davidson has had an All-State type of season. The strong-armed Davidson has thrown for 2860 yards and a staggering 27 touchdowns. John Cherry, another All State candidate, has 1130 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. Bruising runner Bailey Walker has plowed his way to 16 touchdowns and 1344 yards to balance the Rams’ offensive attack. The offense has been complemented well by a defense anchored by defensive lineman Isaac Wallace and Jerome Hall. The defense will be tested Friday night by an explosive Paintsville offense.

 

Coach Joe Chirico has done an incredible rebuilding job in his short time at the helm of the Tigers. Speedy Kent Phelps, a Wofford signee, has rushed for 1758 yards and an amazing 30 touchdowns to lead the Tigers rushing attack. Quarterback Darren Morris has filled in nicely replacing 2015 Mr. Football Kash Daniel. He has thrown for 1179 yards and 21 touchdowns. The big-play guy through the air is James Allen who averages over 25 yards per catch with 10 touchdowns. Tyrese Allen anchors a tenacious Tiger defense that has helped propel Paintsville to twelve straight victories.

 

This game will most likely come down to which defense can limit big plays. Can the Ram defense seal the edge to limit Phelps from long runs? Can Paintsville slow down Walker and make the Rams one-dimensional? What offense will be successful in the crucial red zone? All these questions will be answered Friday night. The winner will continue its march to Bowling Green while the losing team will start basketball season.

 

#PearlVision

 

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Russell? No. Belfry just too strong.

 

Ashland? Doubtful. JC is too strong.

 

Raceland? Absolutely. Gonna be a dogfight.

Edited November 18, 20169 yr by LCDAWGS19

The only one with a real chance of an upset is Raceland. Belfry is on their way to 4 in a row. Only team with a real shot at Belfry is themselves making mistakes. Hopefully they come back to the pack some next season but that's yet to be seen. JC will be back in Bowling Green. I do think the winner of Paintsville/ Raceland is in Bowling Green as well.

 

One thing I find interesting is this years regional finals is historical chalk. The schools in the finals from 1A to 6A are a who's who in the name game of KY football with very few exceptions. Trinity, St. X, Mayfield, JC, Ashland, Corbin, Belfry, Raceland, Russell, Beechwood, NCC, Cov Cath, Holy Cross, Danville, Lex Cath, Lou Central, CAL, DeSales, Lex Christian, Pikeville, Hazard, Russellville, Paintsville, Lou Male, etc. I wouldn't even venture to guess a total of the number of semi-finals and finals appearances that have been accumulated in this group alone. Are we going to continue to see this trend of these teams continuing to own the post season or is there new blood coming?

Edited November 18, 20169 yr by All the Right Moves

The only one with a real chance of an upset is Raceland. Belfry is on their way to 4 in a row. Only team with a real shot at Belfry is themselves making mistakes. Hopefully they come back to the pack some next season but that's yet to be seen.

 

What you talking about, Willis? :madman:

I did some quick research. 23 of the 48 teams playing tonight area located in Louisville metro, Lexington metro, and northern KY. Pike, Johnson, Davies, Hardin, Warren, Pulaski, and Greenup Counties add another 2 teams each. Between the I-75 and US 23 corridors there is only 1 team still playing: Hazard. That's a huge void.

What you talking about, Willis? :madman:

 

That's the only shot any of us have is if the next round of superstars is only great and not historic.

What team(s) in the area that you speak of (I-75 & US 23 corridor) is underachieving in your eyes?

 

 

I did some quick research. 23 of the 48 teams playing tonight area located in Louisville metro, Lexington metro, and northern KY. Pike, Johnson, Davies, Hardin, Warren, Pulaski, and Greenup Counties add another 2 teams each. Between the I-75 and US 23 corridors there is only 1 team still playing: Hazard. That's a huge void.

That's the only shot any of us have is if the next round of superstars is only great and not historic.

[fingers in my ears] I'm not listening, I'm not listening...

 

:whistling:

What team(s) in the area that you speak of (I-75 & US 23 corridor) is underachieving in your eyes?

I don't know if I would say underachieving, but there are teams like Breathitt Co, Bell Co, Harlan Co, Bourbon Co, Mason Co in that demographic who are not performing up to the level they have in the past. Maybe it is for good reason, I don't know, but that is a big area that is unrepresented.

There are no historical powerhouses in that area but there are teams that have been very good. Now there seems to be a void when no one is even mentioned.

I don't know if I would say underachieving, but there are teams like Breathitt Co, Bell Co, Harlan Co, Bourbon Co, Mason Co in that demographic who are not performing up to the level they have in the past. Maybe it is for good reason, I don't know, but that is a big area that is unrepresented.

 

I had some of the same in mind but everyone has their struggles.

[fingers in my ears] I'm not listening, I'm not listening...

 

:whistling:

 

LALALALALALA

I would put Bell Co & Breathitt Co both in the historical power category, the others not so much.

 

There are no historical powerhouses in that area but there are teams that have been very good. Now there seems to be a void when no one is even mentioned.