WHAT!!!!That is absurd.

 

Besides Rock only has 32 players and they have been playing 6-7 sophmores all year anyway. If you are referring to playing 9th graders then please rethink your strategy. Rock is only playing 4 seniors, some juniors and a lot of sophmores already.

 

 

Sounds like Mercer and Rock are alike in a lot of ways.

Let's put a poll in this one and see how big a margin there is between the teams. Will a moderator put a poll on this thread please.

Let's put a poll in this one and see how big a margin there is between the teams. Will a moderator put a poll on this thread please.

Done....

Rockets by 13. I look for Rock to miss an extra point. No matter how many close games you have, a good team will pull at LEAST one of those out. No excuses, Rockcastle has lost 4 games, but we lost them because the other team was better, (at least for that night )

 

To me, personally, the only thing that the Mercer and Whitley county games are good for is to allow the freshmen/sophomores to gain experience. Rockcastle County is a proud program and would not take to losing kindly. The point I am trying to get at is that the playoffs are already seeded. Rock play Knox, if they advance then they play (probably) Bell county. To me, if we can get past those teams we can beat anyone in 4-A. So to me, I would try to see what the 1st and 2nd year players can do.

 

Sorry for the novel.

 

Yet again allow me to explain myself. Rockcastle's first two rounds in the playoffs are already determined. If the Rockets beat Mercer/Whitley by 7,000,000,000,000 points or lose by 7,000,000,000,000 points it doesn't matter. They still play AT Knox and if they advance they will PROBABLY play AT Bell County.

 

Now I didn't know exactly what grade each player on the team was in, I didn't know how young the Rockets were. I made this comment without EXACT knowledge of the EXACT grade of each player. To call that absurd is absurd because it is EXACLTY what the coaching staff is doing. They only start 4 seniors, which means that of the 22 positions, 18 are underclassmen. That is what I meant, play the young (Jr-Fresh.) guys, which is what they are doing.

 

I meant no disrespect to the Mercer county program, I was just saying that for the most part this game is irrelevant to Rockcastle, in terms of playoffs. The Rockets could forfeit this game and the Whitley game and STILL have the same playoff scenario. Grant it, they COULD meet another 4 loss team in the 3rd round (I doubt it) and then home-field could be important but that is very uncommon, if it has ever even happened.

 

In short, when I made these comments I did not realize that ONLY 4/22 positions were occupied by seniors. Either way, my opinion is shared among the staff because the underclassmen are playing. Also I know that this Rocket program is too proud to lay down to anyone but Rockcastle has played some VERY physical teams and I think they should take some of the tired/physically drained players to the bench for rest. But with that said, you can't bring Freshmen/8th graders in. My idea is a valid idea but one that becomes hard to do with only 32 players. You see it in the NFL all the time; when a team like the Patriots has already clinched home field advantage they take some important pieces out of the game early or sometimes don't even play them.

 

3Wishes, why are only 32 players dressing for Mercer? Was that everyone on the roster? Don't the Rockets usually have around 45-50 players??? Or is that a stretch of my imagination?

Well you have to look at it this way. The ROCK team is young and in the rebuilding stage and you have to give them credit where credit is due and support them in any way possible they have had some good games and played their hearts out both on offense and defense. So no matter what the outcome may be the ROCK will pull this one out and have a victory this Friday.

Yet again allow me to explain myself. Rockcastle's first two rounds in the playoffs are already determined. If the Rockets beat Mercer/Whitley by 7,000,000,000,000 points or lose by 7,000,000,000,000 points it doesn't matter. They still play AT Knox and if they advance they will PROBABLY play AT Bell County.

 

 

You are exactly right, the playoffs are fixed and nothing can be done to change those. However, it does matter because winning at this late stage of the season is crucial to make a run in the playoffs, allow your team to come together oen last time after an already 14 days of rest. Even if Rock started 22 seniors I guarantee that they wouldn't be sitting the bench, there is no way you can even begin to compare what high school teams do vs. the New Engalnd Patriots. I have just never heard of a team benching their players in games because the playoffs are already determined and I doubt I ever will. If the margin of victory begins to exceed 3-4 touchdowns late in the game, then yes I understand but not the majority of the games. Rock is top 10 in wins the past 20 years in the state of Kentucky, sitting the starters is not an option, they also need the time learn and play together. A team cannot worry about injuries, those will happen and they will run their course.

They only start 4 seniors, which means that of the 22 positions, 18 are underclassmen. That is what I meant, play the young (Jr-Fresh.) guys, which is what they are doing.

 

 

They don't have a choice, there are only 5 on the team.:eek:

3Wishes, why are only 32 players dressing for Mercer? Was that everyone on the roster? Don't the Rockets usually have around 45-50 players??? Or is that a stretch of my imagination?

 

In the early 90's Rock would dress 70-60 yearly, easy. Since the middle school opened the numbers have been declining every year. Due mostly to the amount of kids that participate differs from when there used to be 4 teams playing 5th-8th grade to just one team playing 7th and 8th grade. Either way, in the past 8-10 years Rock only has about 40-48 players on the roster. That is usually calculated at the beginning of the year before grades, injuries, quitters, etc take its toll on the team. To answer your question as to why there are only 32 players dressing, that is all that is left after injuries and etc.

 

5 seniors

8-10 juniors

10-12 sophmores

12 freshmen

 

That is a rough estimate before some kids don't dress for varying reasons.

As a whole the Bell, Rock and Knox district is very young. Neither of them have a senior dominate team. Knox actually has the largest senior class of the three. Bell only has 6 seniors and only 1 starts both ways. So they will have 15 starters back next year. :scared::scared: If the roster I have is correct they start 5 sophmores and 2 freshman! Should make for some fun times to come on Log mountain.

 

 

I think Mercer will be in for a suprise. Rock is probally the best #3 seed in the state. It is unfortante that they will have to play Bell again early in the playoffs or they could make a run.

 

 

I think Mercer will be in for a suprise. Rock is probally the best #3 seed in the state. It is unfortante that they will have to play Bell again early in the playoffs or they could make a run.

 

Don't you just hate the new playoff alignment. I loved trying to sweep the other district in the North East.

Don't you just hate the new playoff alignment. I loved trying to sweep the other district in the North East.

 

 

:thumb: Absolutely.

As a whole the Bell, Rock and Knox district is very young. Neither of them have a senior dominate team. Knox actually has the largest senior class of the three. Bell only has 6 seniors and only 1 starts both ways. So they will have 15 starters back next year. :scared::scared: If the roster I have is correct they start 5 sophmores and 2 freshman! Should make for some fun times to come on Log mountain.

 

 

I think Mercer will be in for a suprise. Rock is probally the best #3 seed in the state. It is unfortante that they will have to play Bell again early in the playoffs or they could make a run.

Mercer has been 'surprised' all year.:lol: This season certainly hasn't gone the way I thought it would. Never did I think we'd be fighting for a .500 record at the last regular season game.:irked:

As a whole the Bell, Rock and Knox district is very young. Neither of them have a senior dominate team. Knox actually has the largest senior class of the three. Bell only has 6 seniors and only 1 starts both ways. So they will have 15 starters back next year. :scared::scared: If the roster I have is correct they start 5 sophmores and 2 freshman! Should make for some fun times to come on Log mountain.

 

 

I think Mercer will be in for a suprise. Rock is probally the best #3 seed in the state. It is unfortante that they will have to play Bell again early in the playoffs or they could make a run.

 

If there is one thing for sure, I can promise you that Mercer will not be in for a surprise. There is no team in the state, unless they have been living in a cave for the past 20 years that will be SURPRISED by the type of team Rockcastle has. Big, Strong, Physical, hardnosed kids to go along with a handfull of others that usually have very descent speed. Run, Run, Run, Run and you better respect the pass, b/c they can line up and do that too, if needed. That is Rockcastle County. Great football.

 

Larkey and Jaggers, even though they have never played against one another, have a good, professional, mutual friendship/respect for one another and their teams of past and present.

 

As for the staff and players, I don't think any of them will be in for a surprise when it comes to playing one another. They are both two teams, led by two very good head coaches, who both try to line up and physically wear you down....and, IMO, I don't see it being any different come friday.

 

I think Friday nite will be a match-up of the best 4-4 team (Rock) in the state and the best 4-5 (Mercer) team in the state, by far. I think that you will be surprised, because the best #3 seed in the state is playing the best #4 seed in the state. It should be a great game, and I can't wait! :thumb:

Mercer has been 'surprised' all year.:lol: This season certainly hasn't gone the way I thought it would. Never did I think we'd be fighting for a .500 record at the last regular season game.:irked:

 

You know what that .500 record or even a 10-0, 9-1, 8-2, etc. record in the regular season means in what seems to be a relatively wide open, Class 5A the playoffs?! Jack Squat.

In the early 90's Rock would dress 70-60 yearly, easy. Since the middle school opened the numbers have been declining every year. Due mostly to the amount of kids that participate differs from when there used to be 4 teams playing 5th-8th grade to just one team playing 7th and 8th grade.

 

This is exactly what happened to Lincoln County and I wrote an guest article once for the Advocate-Messenger explaining my reasoning and a lot of people told me that it was illogical.

 

Clearly, though, when kids are weeded out earlier, there is less participation in the higher grades. Our freshman team at Lincoln County in 1979 had 30+ players. We had 6 county youth teams feeding the one freshman team. Now, they have a middle school feeding the high school and they don't have enough freshmen for a freshman team.