Final, from Putnam Stadium.

 

Ashland walking away victorious like

Great Defensive game. Hard to beat a very good Russell team twice. Survive and advance.

Ashland needed a close game to put things back into perspective. Defense wins championships and this group of Tomcats knows defense. 

9 hours ago, JDEaston said:

Ashland needed a close game to put things back into perspective. Defense wins championships and this group of Tomcats knows defense. 

Far more often than not, Ashland's defense has been their calling card since Tony Love has been the coach. Johnson Central is the only school that's really consistently put up points against the Tomcats in the last several years. Love and Chad Tackett are great defensive coaches.

It's hard to watch this group of Russell seniors go out like this so early in the postseason. I truly believe they were capable of so much more, but potential alone isn't enough. It's only a small part of the equation. 

On a personal note, this group was more special to me than most. I've watched them more closely than any other class at Russell, from the highs of their unbeaten 8th grade season and beating Ashland in the Kiwanis Bowl three years ago, to the low of watching their playing days together come to a close last night. This was probably the last class I'll ever follow that closely at Russell. Priorities shift, but the ride was fun while it lasted.

It's only after it's over, that you look back and realize that it's not always the destination that matters most, sometimes it's the journey. I hope that's not lost on Charlie J, Nathan Conley, Anthony Blevins, and the rest of this senior class.