Strange game. Lots of offensive fireworks in the first half, and then … zilch. The score you see above is what it was at halftime.

 

No stats yet; Hearsay should have something soon …

I really do not know how to describe this game. I think the best team won, but I am not positive. Bardstown certainly had a lot of opportunities to win the game, they COULD have won, I don't know whether they SHOULD have won.

 

One thing is for sure: Warren East is the Real McCoy when it comes to offensive firepower. I do not see anyone giving them problems until Bowling Green, and I think that they will be in the 4A mix.

 

The game started pretty much the way it has gone for Bardstown the last two weeks, with a fumble. Warren East got the ball and cruised for a TD. In fact, their first three drives they looked pretty much unstoppable, throw it, run it, Bardstown's defense was confused and had no answer. East got 2 runs from Holton and a run from Dunn for scores. Bardstown punctuated it with an 85 yard kickoff return by Kelvin Scott for a TD.

 

Sometime in the second quarter, Bardstown got mad. Their fullbacks started to run harder, their defense started to attack the passer, and the attitude got tougher. Bardstown stopped being the butt-kickee and became the butt-kicker. They put a nice drive together and Scott ran it in from 12 yards. They had a slip-up on D and let an 80 yard scoring pass from Ellis to Demetric get by, but scrapped right back and got another Kelvin Scott TD.

 

Bardstown even had a chance to take the lead before halftime but couldn't get the right personnel in. 27-21 WE at the half. B-Town with Big Mo. Ellis with something like 9 straight incompletions at that point.

 

2nd half, the Bardstown defense was lights out, but unfortunately so was the WE defense. Bardstown was dismal offensively, couldn't block, couldn't get people set up right, couldn't tie their shoe. WE was almost as bad. Bardstown had 3 opportunities to take the lead and win the game: first, in the 3rd quarter WE snaps a punt over their punters head and Bardstown gets it at the WE 25 and misses a field goal (though it was a great kick by Logan Edelen); then late in the 3rd WE inexplicably throws a pass on 3rd and 2 that gets tipped and intercepted by Bardstown's Morrio Leggett, who returns it to the WE 10 yard line. Again, Bardstown can do nothing with it; then, late in the 4th, Bardstown puts together their only good drive, and QB Alex Smith avoids pressure picks up yardage and then fumbles it away at the WE 15 yard line.

 

WE only got past the 50 twice in the second half.

 

Ellis' numbers did not end up being real good. Note to other teams - if you want to slow down the WE pass attack, put a lot of pressure off the edges on Ellis, and keep contain. He is not as effective in the pocket. Bardstown did that well the final 3 quarters.

 

Bottom line, disappointing loss for Bardstown, but WE is a good 4A school. Bardstown cut down on turnovers, was much better on penalties tonight, the kicking game and overall special teams was outstanding. They finally got some fire out of Rashaun Phillips. QB Smith was better. Still some unfortunate decisions, but better. I will say this - and I mean no disrespect to the Tiger lineman - but Smith did not get a lot of help tonight, both the run and pass blocking was very subpar. That unit should lead the team and needs to do some soul-searching.

 

Kelvin Scott - you've got guts, baby. Flying around, making plays, big hits on D, big hits on O, 3 TD's, big kick return. Keep plugging, I know you're frustrated, but this is what tough is about, keeping the chin up against the bigger boys on the block when it doesn't look so good.

 

Lots of work still to do.

^ Nice summary.

Although it was a loss for the Tigers, I think they definitely improved, which is a good sign, but like Hearsay said, there is still lots of work to do.

 

"Do Work!"

Nice breakdown Hearsay..

 

To me the three most intriguing teams in the state right now are Warren East, Trigg County, and Lone Oak, mainly because being on the opposite end of the state I don't know/hear much about them.

Congrats to Warren East, good to see you guys representing football in Warren County. More reason to hold my head up while I live in Titletown. Keep up the good work. Good luck.

You have to go all the way back to the 2003 season, when the Tigers started 1-4, to find the last time Bardstown had a losing record.

Bardstown played a heck of a game, had the chance to win many times but kept falling short, this is a different team then last week you can tell the coaching staff got after the tigers this week in practice, and dont forget tigers Warren East is a really good team.

Bardstown out played East in every way. Give them credit, they had a good game plan and East didn't adjust. East was in a funk on O almost all night. Hats off to Bardstown, they have a fine team and a fine crew of coaches.

Both head coaches are BGHS products, David Clark for Bardstown, and Ben Bruni (a starting OL for the 1995 3A champs) for East!

 

This was a *big* win for the Raiders, and I can't recall the last time that East started a season at 3-0 two years in a row!:thumb:

I'd be curious to hear from the Warren East folks about how Bardstown and Fort Campbell compare. That could be a potential playoff matchup down the road.

Jordan Ellis was only 8 of 21 passing, but that 8 was good for 173 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Interestingly, he completed his first 5 passes of the night, and then was only 3 of 16 the rest of the way. 80 of the 173 yards came on the 1 long TD on the wheel to Demtric Ray.

 

WE's running game was pretty good. 33 carries, 196 yards (5.9 yd/carry). However, as mentioned, they had 16 carries for 130 of those yards in the first half. Spread it around nicely. Holton 11-52 yards, 2 TD's. Dunn 10-42. Owens 6-39. Ellis actually was damaging with his feet, 5 carries, 52 yards.

 

WE had only 93 total yards in the 2nd half, most of it on their last drive. Similarly, Bardstown's total offense in the 2nd half was a net minus-8 yards. Kelvin Scott, 15 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD's on the game.

Jordan Ellis was only 8 of 21 passing, but that 8 was good for 173 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Interestingly, he completed his first 5 passes of the night, and then was only 3 of 16 the rest of the way. 80 of the 173 yards came on the 1 long TD on the wheel to Demtric Ray.

 

The stats on Ellis are somewhat misleading though...he had 6 passes dropped by his recievers who have not dropped a ball all year. His interception came off a ball that a reciever bobbled and pitched up in the air to the DB. Take away the drops and he's 14 of 21 with no picks...but that's part of the game.

 

He also had a 60+ yard TD pass negated by a holding penalty.

The stats on Ellis are somewhat misleading though...he had 6 passes dropped by his recievers who have not dropped a ball all year. His interception came off a ball that a reciever bobbled and pitched up in the air to the DB. Take away the drops and he's 14 of 21 with no picks...but that's part of the game.

 

He also had a 60+ yard TD pass negated by a holding penalty.

 

Many, many of Ellis' passes from midway through the second quarter on were coming up short. I think blaming most of the incompletions on his receivers is stretching it a bit. The stats do tell the true story.

 

Anybody got a final tally on how many yards the Raiders were penalized? I know it was way more than 100.

The stats on Ellis are somewhat misleading though...he had 6 passes dropped by his recievers who have not dropped a ball all year. His interception came off a ball that a reciever bobbled and pitched up in the air to the DB. Take away the drops and he's 14 of 21 with no picks...but that's part of the game.

 

He also had a 60+ yard TD pass negated by a holding penalty.

 

Respectfully, I don't agree with this. The interception was on a ball that was thrown well behind his target, and the tip came because the receiver was trying to turn around and make a play. It was right in front of me. Once the Tigers got a pass rush going, Ellis was short-arming his passes, and he had at least 3 that I can recall that should have been intercepted. I do remember 2, maybe 3 drops, but not 6. Ellis did get a little bit flustered. I was standing next to he and his family on the track after the game, and overheard him to say that he had been pressured and hit more in this game then in the rest of his career.

 

This is to take nothing away from him. He is a great player, one who can play at the next level. But beginning in the second quarter the Tigers found something to exploit, and Ellis did not have his best game. I would not want to deprive the Tiger defense of credit for their role in that.