Thursday night football at Eastern!

OC by 21.

Oldham with a running clock.

Interesting to see Oldham back in action after another week off.   The Colonels have played just one game in the last three weeks.   

Eastern (4-2) is putting up a lot of points per game (33.2), but the Eagles have had to this year, as they have given up over 40 points three times and are surrendering 31 ppg.   

Eagle QB Eli Scott is throwing for an average of 177 yards per game, with 14 TDs and only 4 INT, but the senior is completing only 45% of his passes on the season.   

Senior Eastern running back Pierce Humpich will challenge the Oldham run "D"; he's averaging 176 yards rushing per game, while averaging 8.7 yards a carry.   He has 8 TDs on the year.    Nobody else for Eastern has run the ball much; Darius Shipley is the team's #2 runner with only 111 yards rushing through 6 games.

Eastern features multiple threats on the receiving end of Scott's passes; six different receivers are averaging at least one catch per game and all six have scored at least once.

Eastern's defense hasn't created a lot of turnovers this year; only three INT and one fumble recovergy (and zero fumbles forced) in six games.    Eastern has managed just 8 sacks on the season and only 14 tackles for loss.

Oldham County (5-0) is undefeated through five games for the first time in a long while, but the Colonels own one victory via a forfeit by Meade County and have only played once since September 4th, a sometimes sloppy 28-20 win over arch-rival South Oldham that ended a 10 game drought against the Dragons.

Ranked #10 in the state in 6A according to BGP, the Colonels will have to show that they can regain their focus in this game after a lot of time playing against each other in practice.    QB Sam Young is a three-year starter and the district offensive player of the year as a junior.   He hasn't disappointed in his senior year, throwing the ball efficiently and leading the team in both passing and rushing.    Young has completed 67% of his passes for 723 yards and 9 TDs against 0 INT.   He also leads the team in rushing with 279 yards and another 6 TDs.

Caden Sheppard has been a pleasant surprise this year for Oldham at running back.   The 260 pound sophomore has been a mobile bowling ball this year for OC, and has shown surprisingly shifty footwork in averaging a little over 50 yards per game on the ground (210 total yards and 2 TDs in four games).   Grant Gilchrist is perhaps the Colonels' fastest running back, and after a slow start, Gilchrist may have broken out against South with 80 yards.

Oldham's stats don't quite match up - Young has more completions than the receivers have receptions, according to the team stats - but this receiver group has impressed.   Speedy sophomore Justin Ruffin is the clear class of a deep corps, averaging over four catches per game and leading the team with 236 yards receiving and two scores.    But junior Jaxon Elkins - a tall, mobile target - seniors Jacob Davis and TE Brian Monteleone, plus Wesley Alexander have all stamped themselves as versatile receivers with good hands.     Oldham is averaging about 20 yards per reception.

The Oldham defense is giving up just 19 points per game played, but the Colonels - like Eastern - have forced few turnovers this year.    In four games, the Colonels have just 6 sacks and 10 TFLs, but the Colonels have excelled at "bending but not breaking".   Only Simon Kenton (28 points) and South Oldham (20) scored 20 or more points against Oldham.   The Colonels held Fern Creek to 13; only Central held the FC Tigers to fewer points.

The game will be broadcast LIVE (and archived) on www.pegasussportsky.com, beginning at 7 pm ET.   The broadcast will be simulcast on twitter (@pegasusmike).

I will post updates here throughout the contest.

CM

 

Oldham County and Eastern used to play nearly every year.

It made sense; Buckner and Middletown are less than 30 minutes apart.

But....this will be the first meeting between the two squads since 10/17/2014, when Oldham went to Eastern and won, 13-7.

That year ended six straight years that the two teams had played, but Eastern dominated that stretch (2009-2014), winning five of six games.  

From 1999-2007, Eastern won 4 of 7 very tightly contested games between the two schools, so Eastern is 9-4 against Oldham County this century.

Game time 7:30 .....17 minutes till the Pegasus pregame show.

www.pegasussportsky.com

simulcast on twitter

Updates here as I can send them!

CM

Wes Alexander 20 yard reception from Sam Young on the game's first drive for TD.

Oldham 7 Eastern 0   9:47 left in first   Eastern set to get the ball for the first time.

Oldham with an 88 yard drive to start the game.

Check out the live stream on PSN HERE. Our own Colonel Mike is on the call, doing a fantastic job, as usual.

Oldham's second drive ends in a TD.

After starting on their own 20, Sam Young takes off on a 76 yard run and later scores on a 1 yard keeper.  

PAT is no good

6:25 left in first

Oldham 13-0

Sam Young is getting it done with his arm and legs early on tonight. Touchdown pass for the first score, run for the second. He's a dual threat stud.

Darius Shipley catches a 21 yard pass from Eli Scott

Oldham 13 Eastern 7   5:19 left in the first quarter

Great effort from the Eastern receiver on that score. Both teams are flying up and down the field. 

 

Eastern picks off Young, setting them up with great field position deep in OC territory. First big defensive play of the night.

Young throws his first INT of the year, and Easterncapitalizes.

On4th and goal from the 12, Scott hits Dewitt with a TD pass.

The PAT gives the Eagles a 14-13 lead with 3:17 left in 1Q