99 yard touchdown run by Ashland late in the half. A deflating way to go to locker room if you're Russell.

Ashland 14 Russell 7 3:05 3rd

14-7 ashland after 3.

Goal line stand by the Tomcats to preserve the 14-7 lead.

2:57 remaining

14-7 Ashland final.

Russell had Ashland's back to the ropes near the end of the first half before Trevonte Taylor sprung loose for a 99 yard score. That proved to be the decisive play.

The Devils battled all night, but Ashland's speed bites them again. Great effort by Russell to at least give themselves a chance to win.

Was Russell's coach on the sideline last night?

1 hour ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

Was Russell's coach on the sideline last night?

No. Not sure how long the team will be without him.

Statement from Russell Superintendent Sean Horne to WSAZ:

"The district is aware of the incident that occurred during last Friday's football game involving our coach and student-athlete,” Horne told WSAZ. "This matter is currently under review. Because this is a personnel matter, I will not comment further at this time. The safety and well-being of our student-athletes are our biggest priority. We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure our student-athletes and students are provided for in a safe and supportive environment."

Game Highlights:

This really surprised me. Good for Russell

What a game. This matchup reminded me a great deal of the 2020 meeting between these two programs, when they delivered a classic in the second round of the playoffs.

Ashland had quite a week from a public relations and community-engagement standpoint. On Wednesday night, a parade brought the community together in a tremendous way, and on Friday morning, Joseph Payton of WSAZ visited the school for the Fired Up Friday pep rally. Both events were outstanding and reflected the strong support surrounding the program.

At the same time, events like that can sometimes shift focus away from the game itself, so I was interested to see how Ashland would respond early. The Tomcats went three-and-out on their opening possession before punting, and just as it appeared they were beginning to find their rhythm, they turned the ball over near the Russell 22-yard line.

The game went back and forth before Trevonte Taylor broke loose for a 76-yard touchdown run with 4:24 remaining in the second quarter. Taylor continued his impressive play at running back, finishing with nearly 200 yards, with much of that production coming in the first half on runs of 76 and 98 yards. He has made tremendous strides, and the biggest difference this season appears to be his ability to run through contact and shed tacklers. His commitment in the weight room is clearly paying off.

I also want to give my highest compliments to Russell for both their toughness and sportsmanship. Their student section deserves recognition as well for cleaning up the entire area they occupied before leaving the stadium after the game. That is a tremendous reflection on their school and community.

Russell came in with a clear game plan, similar in some ways to the 2020 playoff meeting, and executed it well. They managed the play clock, consistently ran Kaiden Benge up the middle, and complemented that approach with short passing patterns to move the chains. Hunter Williams is an impressive quarterback who does an excellent job setting his feet in the pocket. He has a quick release and a dependable group of receivers around him.

Looking strictly at the official statistics, Benge finished with 52 yards on 21 carries, averaging fewer than three yards per attempt. However, this is a case where the numbers do not fully reflect his value to Russell's offense. On his 19th carry, Ashland tackled him in the backfield for a one-yard loss, but prior to that, I did not have him gaining fewer than two yards on any carry. His biggest impact may have been the way he forced Ashland's defense to consistently expend energy, often requiring four or five defenders to bring him down.

I was especially impressed with Ashland's resilience late in the game. Russell was able to stop Ashland twice on drives that reached Russell territory in the second half. After Russell scored to cut Ashland's lead to 14-7, they followed with their second fourth-down stop. They continued to move the ball, drain the clock, and find a strong offensive rhythm, eventually driving inside the Ashland one-yard line.

That is when J.J. Keyes and Luke McCoy delivered one of the biggest plays of the night, breaking through on third down for a crucial tackle for loss. Ashland's defense then held on fourth down, preserving the lead in a pivotal moment.

Overall, this was an excellent win for Ashland. To defeat a Russell team that was playing well, executing its game plan, and carrying significant momentum in the second half says a lot about the Tomcats' toughness and composure. Great game, great atmosphere!

3 hours ago, TCR said:

That is when J.J. Keyes and Luke McCoy delivered one of the biggest plays of the night, breaking through on third down for a crucial tackle for loss. Ashland's defense then held on fourth down, preserving the lead in a pivotal moment.

Benge's forward momentum is not easy to slow, but he was stopped dead in his tracks on that third and goal direct snap. Ashland manned up when it had to most.