Ashland - Buy or Sell?

[Booge]

SELL!!! No chance in 3A.

[spindoc]

Lease, less of a commitment!

[oldrambler]

If you are talking about a state title, I would say sell. I don't think that they have that kind of team this season. Now if you are talking about a deep playoff run I might just "Buy", Ashland is playing very well right now and are on a roll.

[Booge]

Lease, less of a commitment!

 

It's still money down the drain.

[spindoc]

It's still money down the drain.

I've only seen Ashland twice and they struggled to stop the run. Offensively, I think they are very good. If they can stop a run oriented team I think they will do very well, and for my money, I'd have to see that happen to buy!,,,at least in the playoffs!

[Dino]

Sell. A team that got manhandled by a good, not great, 1A Raceland team will not be making a deep run in the playoffs, IMO. That being said, Ashland is good enough to play the spoiler role for anybody who makes the mistake of taking a win against them for granted.

 

If the regional title game constitutes a "deep run" in the playoffs, then Ashland is one upset away from making a deep run. The Tomcats have very little chance of upsetting Johnson Central and then upsetting either Rockcsastle or Bell for the regional title the following week.

[Goliath]

I dont think you can look at the Raceland game as ANY kind of indicator of how the cats will finish up this season. First of all, how could you use the word manhandled when the cats had more total yards on offense and lost by 5 poitns??? They are obviously a different football team now and haven't played nearly that same type of ball since that game.

That being said, I think you would still have to sell the tomcats as state title competitors at this point in time. As for a deep run into the playoffs, I think the tomcats are very capable of that.

[Painter]

...The Tomcats have very little chance of upsetting Johnson Central and then upsetting either Rockcsastle or Bell for the regional title the following week.

 

Actually, even getting to a Rock or Bell would mean getting out of our immediate district. That said, Ashland or JC would potentially meet each other twice within a 2 or 3 week span...once in the regular season, then once in a playoff scenario. It will be extremely difficult for the winner of the JC vs Ashland season matchup to duplicate a victory twice in such a short time span.

[oldrambler]

Actually, even getting to a Rock or Bell would mean getting out of our immediate district. That said, Ashland or JC would potentially meet each other twice within a 2 or 3 week span...once in the regular season, then once in a playoff scenario. It will be extremely difficult for the winner of the JC vs Ashland season matchup to duplicate a victory twice in such a short time span.

Very good point Painter, it is very hard to beat a team twice in a season (when both are good teams) let alone just 2 or 3 weeks apart. GO TOMCATS!!!!

[Dino]

I dont think you can look at the Raceland game as ANY kind of indicator of how the cats will finish up this season. First of all, how could you use the word manhandled when the cats had more total yards on offense and lost by 5 poitns??? They are obviously a different football team now and haven't played nearly that same type of ball since that game.

That being said, I think you would still have to sell the tomcats as state title competitors at this point in time. As for a deep run into the playoffs, I think the tomcats are very capable of that.

You yourself said in a previous thread that Ashland's "line was outplayed on both sides" by the Rams and many Tomcat fans were very discouraged by the team's poor showing at home, including Dickie. Maybe "manhandled" was too strong a word. Let's just say that the Rams "handled" the Tomcats by controlling the line of scrimmage and holding their own at the skill positions. Raceland is much improved this season, but Ashland blew them out last season and lost to them at home this season.

 

Belfry is a notoriously slow starting team and do not seem to be as strong as the past few Pirates teams, yet Ashland struggled to beat them at home. Russell is also a little weaker than last season, but managed to take the Tomcats into overtime in Putnam. This is not one of Ashland's better teams.

 

Last season, the Tomcats and Golden Eagles held each other to the fewest points either scored all year (Russell also held Ashland to 13 points). This year's JC defense is much better. This year's Tomcats defense is not as good as last season. Ashland's offense is not as good as last season and JC's offense has improved overall. If the Tomcats win beat JC in Paintsville, it will be a major upset, IMO.

 

Ashland is down this year, but is still the second best team in the district.

[Dino]

Actually, even getting to a Rock or Bell would mean getting out of our immediate district. That said, Ashland or JC would potentially meet each other twice within a 2 or 3 week span...once in the regular season, then once in a playoff scenario. It will be extremely difficult for the winner of the JC vs Ashland season matchup to duplicate a victory twice in such a short time span.

The winner of the first game will most likely play the second game at home. That will make sweeping both games a little easier for whichever team wins the first game, but a letdown in that second game will be of great concern for the regular season winner.

[Painter]

...If the Tomcats win beat JC in Paintsville, it will be a major upset, IMO...

 

 

The winner of the first game will most likely play the second game at home. That will make sweeping both games a little easier for whichever team wins the first game, but a letdown in that second game will be of great concern for the regular season winner.

 

Gotta hand it to you Din0....you have an uncanny knack for describing the obvious.

[cvillecat]

You can not judge any team by their performance in an opening season game.

In the Raceland/Ashland game the only thing IMO Ashland lost was the score and maybe special teams play. They are a much improved team and are playing very well at this time. As others have stated it is very difficult to beat the same team twice in a short time span. Once a team gets into the playoffs anything is possible. Ashland is very capable of making a run at the state title as are all the teams in the playoffs so I would not be so eager to sell them so quick. I guarantee that the players who have worked their tails off since last December aren't in the market to sell.

[T-CAT4LIFE]

As I said in the previous thread, Ashland is not for sale, and I would like to meet the poster that could afford them if they were. :lol:

 

The animosity some of you have towards the Ashland program and fanbase is quite comical though. It gives me a good laugh at least once a day.

[Kick]

I dont think you can look at the Raceland game as ANY kind of indicator of how the cats will finish up this season. First of all, how could you use the word manhandled when the cats had more total yards on offense and lost by 5 poitns??? They are obviously a different football team now and haven't played nearly that same type of ball since that game.

That being said, I think you would still have to sell the tomcats as state title competitors at this point in time. As for a deep run into the playoffs, I think the tomcats are very capable of that.

 

 

I hope all of Ashland's opponents judge the Cats by the way they played in the Raceland game.