While I agree with some of this I think better weather conditions would have gone in Russell's favor. Russell's passing game kept most teams honest but to keep trying to pass the ball in that wind was their downfall in that game and was not a wise decision.

 

I don't think Mercer will be as successful this season in 5a but that is simply because they will not have the raw speed that they had last year. Mercer never really consistantly ran the ball in the AA title game but a couple of big plays made the difference. Speed kills and Mercer had plenty of speed in that backfield. Probably as much as any team in any class last season.

That's more of a testament to Russell and their athletes.

While I agree with some of this I think better weather conditions would have gone in Russell's favor. Russell's passing game kept most teams honest but to keep trying to pass the ball in that wind was their downfall in that game and was not a wise decision.

 

I don't think Mercer will be as successful this season in 5a but that is simply because they will not have the raw speed that they had last year. Mercer never really consistantly ran the ball in the AA title game but a couple of big plays made the difference. Speed kills and Mercer had plenty of speed in that backfield. Probably as much as any team in any class last season.

 

 

I don't know a lot about Russell, but I do know the cold weather affected Cory and Brandon and the whole Mercer team honestly. If Russell's passing game was that good then it probably still would have been a good game, but imo, I still have to go towards Mercer because Cory and Brandon were just that good. I believed all year that Mercer had the best 1-2 punch at RB in the state. I just think that if Mercer had been able to run the ball consistently they would have had more than a couple of big plays and it could've gotten ugly real quick. But, who knows? Maybe in the coming years these two teams can hook up in August or September.

I don't know a lot about Russell, but I do know the cold weather affected Cory and Brandon and the whole Mercer team honestly. If Russell's passing game was that good then it probably still would have been a good game, but imo, I still have to go towards Mercer because Cory and Brandon were just that good. I believed all year that Mercer had the best 1-2 punch at RB in the state. I just think that if Mercer had been able to run the ball consistently they would have had more than a couple of big plays and it could've gotten ugly real quick. But, who knows? Maybe in the coming years these two teams can hook up in August or September.

If you think the cold weather only affected those two than I want to know what everyone else was wearing.

 

Russells passing game was a down the field style to keep defenses honest. Let your playmakers get under it and make a play.They did not rely on it but it was a good change of pace. In that game they tried to rely on it too much IMO.

 

If you say with a good pass offense should have still be fine in that wind then I think you are wrong.

 

Mercer county had a double dose of speed in that backfield. And if you ask them I gaurentee you they were more affected by many of the hits they took in that game than by the weather. Those were to tough fast backs that took some real punishment and kept going. That is to their credit.

I never said I saw Cory or Brandon take some receptions to the house. I was making what I thought was an obvious tongue in cheek statement to your comments about Mercer's inept passing game. I just assumed that most of the TD receptions belonged to Cory and Brandon. My bad, they had 4 of the 12 TD receptions, my fault. I figured Daryl Smith caught 1, Chris Lewis caught 1, and Cory and Brandon did the rest. Guess you guys took some practice passes against that weaker competition. Don't pump South Laurel up neither. How far did they advance in the playoffs? I'm 100% sure all of the top 10 teams that were in 3A would have dismantled them in similar fashion. Now, back to your passing attack. The game some(not most nor all, the key word is some) people feel was your most competitive game besides the Russell game was the Boyle County game. Boyle County was way down last year, yet you guys managed to go 1-10, isn't that what you said? Go 1-10 against these top teams, and you shall lose. I have a Bowling Green tobaggon that is purple that I wear during the football season. Please, by all means, when you see the purple tobaggon at a Mercer game, feel free to approach me and gloat about your successful regular season(I got you going no worse than 7-2), but when the playoffs roll around, and when you guys don't make it past the semis(and I'm being generous), I will be back to say I told you so. Believe that. Good luck this year. You will need it in November. Can't wait for the BG-Mercer matchup.....if you make it that far.:flame:

 

Ill actually be busy at any of the Mercer games you choose to come too. I tell you what you can do though, is choose to wait for me after the ball game and Ill discuss anything you want. Im not gloating about anything, you make wrong assumptions, and I give you what actually happened. Without you, being nothing more than an "armchair coach" making all of these comments, this would have never gotten started in the first place.

 

It's amazing what happens when you give some people a computer, message board and sign in name.

Two years ago Mercer passed the ball quite a bit if remember correctly. Or alot more compared to last year when they didn't have to throw the ball. Justin was a pretty good Qb. They just had a dynamic duo in the backfield that broke the state rushing record. This year they will have a new Qb. Will it be trevor? I like his potential. He is definitely an athlete with a descent looking arm. As for the Russell game last year I have to hand it to that whole Russell team. But, especially to clarke and the wills kid. That hit wills put on jackson to start the game set the tone. It jarred the whole Mercer side. I knew that it wasn't going to be business as usual for the Titans that day. Hey purplepride, I made my first two keeps in the fantasy league. I'm still debating whether or not I should keep deangelo williams. My goal is to not finish last this season.

That offense you said was predictable was also that same offense that Marty Jaggers ran when he was the head coach at Lincoln County (3A) from '91-'96, which included five playoff appearances. Within those playoff births, there were Three (3) Regional Runner-up's, 1 Region Championship, 1 State-Runner Up and one year, his first as a head coach ('91) Lincoln made it to the 2nd Round.(guess what the majority of the current 5A is made up of?!?! Ding Ding, we have a winner Chuck!! That's right, Namecips got it..the old 3A!!)

 

No state titles and no wins over what would be considered upper echelon teams. What school was it that soundly beat Lincoln in the '93 state finals? Oh it was CovCath who I'm pretty sure is now a 5A school. In the timeframe you mentioned above, Jaggers has a 44% winning percentage, not exactly top tier.

 

The wishbone, flex-bone/jet, heavily run dominated offense(s) arent the only ones that Jaggers knows, by any means. Guess what, though?! They work. For whatever reason, Jaggers has always seemed to get criticized for because his offense(s) arent, I guess, innovative enough for most. Whatever the crap that is all about, I have NO CLUE.

 

Like I said before, he could run up and down the field against the competition they played last year. IMO, he will not be able to do the same thing in 5A.

 

Relax Mercer fans, put up the numbers and the wins and the respect will come. Until then, grow some thicker skin because those that have been at the top for years aren't exactly going to buy in to the hype that you belong until you've done it a few times.

No state titles and no wins over what would be considered upper echelon teams. What school was it that soundly beat Lincoln in the '93 state finals? Oh it was CovCath who I'm pretty sure is now a 5A school. In the timeframe you mentioned above, Jaggers has a 44% winning percentage, not exactly top tier.

 

 

 

Like I said before, he could run up and down the field against the competition they played last year. IMO, he will not be able to do the same thing in 5A.

 

Relax Mercer fans, put up the numbers and the wins and the respect will come. Until then, grow some thicker skin because those that have been at the top for years aren't exactly going to buy in to the hype that you belong until you've done it a few times.

:ylsuper: :ylsuper: :ylsuper: :ylsuper:

No state titles and no wins over what would be considered upper echelon teams. What school was it that soundly beat Lincoln in the '93 state finals? Oh it was CovCath who I'm pretty sure is now a 5A school. In the timeframe you mentioned above, Jaggers has a 44% winning percentage, not exactly top tier.

 

 

 

Like I said before, he could run up and down the field against the competition they played last year. IMO, he will not be able to do the same thing in 5A.

 

Relax Mercer fans, put up the numbers and the wins and the respect will come. Until then, grow some thicker skin because those that have been at the top for years aren't exactly going to buy in to the hype that you belong until you've done it a few times.

 

44% winning percentage in the time frame mentioned above?!? Are you serious?! Im assuming that you were referring to Jaggers winning percentage while at Lincoln County. Im far from a mathematician, but Im a lot more advanced than you, that's definately apparent. Jaggers record while at Lincoln was as follows:

'91 8-4

'92 9-4

'93 13-2

'94 9-4

'95 8-5

'96 2-8

 

49-27 That comes to a winning percentage of 64%. Excluding the '96 season (when he had to start 3 freshmen, by the way), Jaggers had a 71% winning record in his first five years of a head coach, EVER. Oh, and by the way, 2 of the wins that he had in his first 3 years were v.s Bowling Green and Warren Central. In '93, in the State Finals, I hardly call a score of 28-13 being called "soundly", especially when you take into consideration that CovCath had something like 48 seniors that year, the same number of total players that Lincoln had on their entire team. You're another on here that becomes a tough guy sitting behind a computer.

:ylsuper: :ylsuper: :ylsuper: :ylsuper:

 

 

Oh, and I forgot to add, which Im sure you and your buddy Namecips will appreciate this one. In 2003, when Jaggers was the O.C and Danville, a little school with about 450 came up to y'alls place and WON with that "predictable" offense. (Yes, I realize that you all returned the favor in '04). Just wanted to put that out there..

44% winning percentage

49-27 That comes to a winning percentage of 64%.

You're another on here that becomes a tough guy sitting behind a computer.

 

First, you are correct, I mis-typed the percentage. Still not exactly earth shattering. Good but not great coach.

 

Tough guy? Where does that come from and why are you making this personal?

 

Mercer had a fine 3A team playing a 2A schedule last year. Played the hand you were dealt and won a title. Congrats! I'm not questioning that at all. What I am questioning is whether you can do it playing the same size teams and a harder schedule? My OPINION (which last I checked I was entitled to) is that you will not unless their are some changes.

 

Not once did I "put down" the coach or the school.

 

Relax a little.

Oh, and I forgot to add, which Im sure you and your buddy Namecips will appreciate this one. In 2003, when Jaggers was the O.C and Danville, a little school with about 450 came up to y'alls place and WON with that "predictable" offense. (Yes, I realize that you all returned the favor in '04). Just wanted to put that out there..

:thumb:

 

I do appreciate that one. Was a good hard fought game that could've been won by either team.

 

Beechwood beats CovCath on a regular basis.

Ill actually be busy at any of the Mercer games you choose to come too. I tell you what you can do though, is choose to wait for me after the ball game and Ill discuss anything you want. Im not gloating about anything, you make wrong assumptions, and I give you what actually happened. Without you, being nothing more than an "armchair coach" making all of these comments, this would have never gotten started in the first place.

 

It's amazing what happens when you give some people a computer, message board and sign in name.

 

 

My assumptions and opinions are based on what I saw and what I was told by Mercer County fans. I can't stress that enough. What you may believe are wrong assumptions you seem to prove once you put the stats up. Go back to the beginning of my posts and you'll see how I never once discredited Mercer, I simply said do it against the proven powerhouses and you'll get your respect. It won't be handed to you just because you won state last year regardless of what classification you won state in because too many powerhouses do it and have been doing it for years. This is all brand new for Mercer. Out of all the local schools(BC, Danville, Harrodsburg, Lincoln), this is Mercer's first taste of state title success and it took a merger than it is 1 year old for Mercer to achieve that success. Relax and have some patience and your powerhouse status will come soon enough. I have and always been an armchair coach, just like you and everyone else on here. Amazing, Mercer County wins a state title and a mathematical formula has them repeating this year and they actually believe it and get offended when other people don't.

If you think the cold weather only affected those two than I want to know what everyone else was wearing.

 

Russells passing game was a down the field style to keep defenses honest. Let your playmakers get under it and make a play.They did not rely on it but it was a good change of pace. In that game they tried to rely on it too much IMO.

 

If you say with a good pass offense should have still be fine in that wind then I think you are wrong.

 

Mercer county had a double dose of speed in that backfield. And if you ask them I gaurentee you they were more affected by many of the hits they took in that game than by the weather. Those were to tough fast backs that took some real punishment and kept going. That is to their credit.

 

 

I don't know a lot about Russell, but I do know the cold weather affected Cory and Brandon and the whole Mercer team honestly.

 

That is my sentence from my post. I'm quite sure Russell was affected as well. I was strictly speaking on Mercer at this point.

 

 

As far as the passing game, I was implying that in better weather, if Russell's passing game is as good as you say(I did say I don't know a lot about Russell)

then it still would have been a good game, nut that I still thought MErcer would win. I never said anything about their passing game being fine in the wind.

CovCath or Highlands...End of conversation...Most likely Highlands this year

My assumptions and opinions are based on what I saw and what I was told by Mercer County fans. I can't stress that enough. What you may believe are wrong assumptions you seem to prove once you put the stats up. Go back to the beginning of my posts and you'll see how I never once discredited Mercer, I simply said do it against the proven powerhouses and you'll get your respect. It won't be handed to you just because you won state last year regardless of what classification you won state in because too many powerhouses do it and have been doing it for years. This is all brand new for Mercer. Out of all the local schools(BC, Danville, Harrodsburg, Lincoln), this is Mercer's first taste of state title success and it took a merger than it is 1 year old for Mercer to achieve that success. Relax and have some patience and your powerhouse status will come soon enough. I have and always been an armchair coach, just like you and everyone else on here. Amazing, Mercer County wins a state title and a mathematical formula has them repeating this year and they actually believe it and get offended when other people don't.

 

 

First of all, nobody has ever said anything about a state championship being handed to Mercer this year. I sure as heck havent said that, nor have Mercer fans on here, not that I can recall. Secondy, I dont care one iota about any rankings or mathematical formulas that are in papers, message boards, etc., not one bit. Thirdly, not everybody on here is an "armchair coach", all I have to do is read some of the posts on here from certain people to know that, either they are a coach, or are within the "support" staff somehow and actually have some intelligence about what they are talking about. Lastly, I welcome all of the negative, clueless, wrong, foolish, nonsense talk that come from people on here when it comes to the merger, last years state championship, HC Marty Jaggers, etc....I love it. Why?! Because if people didnt feel somewhat threatened in a way, then you wouldn't have naysayers, b/c naysayers dont give a dang about people or teams that dont pose some sort of a threat. Think about it, why do some teams, high school or college, get "boooed" more when they are the visiting team than other schools?! You think Utah State or Portland State if they were to play USC would get "booed" in the Colliseum like Oregon or Cal would?! Would you like to take a guess why?!?