Aug 29 vs Holy Cross (Louisville) @Pike County Bowl- From all indications this shouldn't be an extremely difficult challenge. The talent level at HC has dropped off a bit over the past few years and they graduated their playmaking QB Jimmy Nauert. HC has some good size to matchup with Belfry but I expec Belfry to roll fairly convincingly.

 

Sep 5 @ Lawrence County LC will be under a new regime, a new system, and more than likely minus Boone Goldsmith. Belfry should take this one on the road.

 

Sep 12 vs East Ridge ER just doesnt have the manpower and horses.

 

Sep 19 vs Shelby Valley SV has steadily improved under Saunders and should have some quality pieces back in place. It won't be enough to upset Belfry, but this should be a little more competitive game.

 

Oct 3 @ Pikeville Belfry has won the past seven games against the Panthers and with a new coach and a depleted line, Belfry should be a heavy favorite again.

 

Oct 10 vs Magoffin County Magoffin is slowly but surely improving their program but are still not on Belfry's level

 

Oct 17 vs Pike County Central PC should have a quality product to put on the fields this fall. Aaron McQuire will prove a formidable test for Belfry's biggest question mark heading into 2008, their secondary. Nonetheless, PC has never beaten Belfry and that trend should continue his season

 

Oct 24 @ Sheldon Clark 8 games deep into the season the Pirates should face their first true test as they go into Inez, site of the only district game they have lost since 2001. SC in all likelihood will not be as good as last season's Cardinal team,and Belfry should win... but this is could be close and could result in an upset.

 

Oct 31 vs East Carter EC should be improved since last season, but it would take a WHOLE lot of improving to knock off Belfry at CAM this late in the season.

 

Nov 7 @ Johnson Central Last season's JC team entered with much more hype and expectations than the 2008 version will. Belfry controlled the anticipated mathcup with the Eagles last season to CAM, this should be a pretty even matchup an Matney will be out for blood after Belfry shut down the Eagle ground game last season.

 

Belfry should be the favorite in all 10 games, I see them either going 8-2 worst case, or 10-0 best case.

I hope in the coming seasons...Belfry can get some additional meat on the schedule. We may not be able to get an actual read on this team until the Nov 7th game with Central.

Absolutely agree. The move to 6 classes should have provided an oppurtunity to get some better matchups. May have to bite the bullet and travel to get good games.

Some interesting stats:

 

Dustin May graduated after leading Belfry in rushing with an impressive 1747 yards... but the cupboard is far from bear. As a team Belfry ran for 4818 yards last season, assuming Hickman and Heath Varney accounted for 300 yards, Belfry still returns over 2700 rushing yards of experience including a 1000 yard rusher in Lee. Factor in Elkins passing numbers and the Pirates return 3300 yards of total offensive production behind an O-line that remains relatively in tact.

 

 

 

Belfry returns 2 of their top 3 tacklers.

 

Charlie Dotson returns as the leading tackler, he had 140 tackles last season, an avcerage of 9.3 per game.

 

Corey Coleman was third on the team in tackles with 72, 4.8 per game.

Just wanted to bump this go Pirate fans who will be attending the upcoming practices and are near the program.

 

I (and I bet EKU) would appreciate ANY updates.

Belfry should be the favorite in all 10 games, I see them either going 8-2 worst case, or 10-0 best case.

 

With all the returning horses for the Pirates, 10-0 with that schedule would surprise no one. IMO, 8-2 it will NOT be considered "acceptable" in S. Williamson and will bring out the "critic birds" en masse.

 

The real question, in my mind, is whether this schedule adequately prepares Belfry for the playoffs. Russell and Breathitt Co. will be two full notches above ANY regular season Belfry opponent (with the possible exception of Johnson Central).

 

:bunny:

Agreed. The schedule is underwhelming.

With all the returning horses for the Pirates, 10-0 with that schedule would surprise no one. IMO, 8-2 it will NOT be considered "acceptable" in S. Williamson and will bring out the "critic birds" en masse.

 

The real question, in my mind, is whether this schedule adequately prepares Belfry for the playoffs. Russell and Breathitt Co. will be two full notches above ANY regular season Belfry opponent (with the possible exception of Johnson Central).

 

:bunny:

 

Totally agree, 8-2 (I was figuring losses @ JC, and @ either Pikeville or Sheldon Clark) would definately be the WORST case considering how talented this group of Pirates should be on both sides of the ball.

 

Last year Belfy as good enough that their "Average" schedule didn't really matter when they played teams from the eastern Semi-State. The Pirates will be just as good if not better than last season, but you can bet your bottom dollar Breathitt and Russell will be improved from last season.

 

Where Belfry's schedule hurt them last season, and where it may very well hurt them again, comes in the fact that they will have not seen athleticism and speed equivolant to Lou. Central or Paducah Tilghman if they meet them in the finals. I was really hoping that East Carter or Lawrence County would be off the schedule in place of someone else, but that didn't happen.

Edited July 13, 200818 yr by Ram
Rule 13

Belfry will be fine. They will lose one regular season game in my opinion and will be ready come Post Season time.

Tough to see Belfry and P'burg no longer playing.

Belfry will be fine. They will lose one regular season game in my opinion and will be ready come Post Season time.

 

Which game do you see them losing?

Tough to see Belfry and P'burg no longer playing.

 

I agree... but I am sure Derrossett doesn't mind it this season with the team he has. I say he has NO problem with Belfry being in another class and out of the district.:lol:

Haywood and Derrossett need to sit down and find a way to make that game happen year in and year out.

I wished Belfry could get a stronger schedule, but in their offense they tried, but you cant force teams to play you.

I dont understand why teams wouldnt jump at the opportunity to play such a qualitly opponent like Belfry. I can understand teams a great distance away.

But look at a team like PBurg. If they would have scheduled Belfry the last two years, it would have benifited them probably more than it would have Belfry. The competition would be as strong or stronger than any team they faced in the playoffs. Not even to metnion the gate the game brings.

I'm not throwing stones at one team, but that is just a team that came to mind that Belfry tried to get a game with.

...I dont understand why teams wouldnt jump at the opportunity to play such a qualitly opponent like Belfry. ...

 

While I also miss P vs. B and anxiously wait for it to return, here are a few reasons why teams don't "jump" to play the Pirates :

 

1. Belfry is a 3A feeder school with a multi-state feeder draw of a much bigger school. Much of this is due to the poor state of quality football and education across the river. This factor has compounded with Belfry's playoff success of the past few years. (there's no "fault" in any of this, it's simply a statement of how things are). It's good for Belfry, not so good for the high schools of Mingo County.

 

2. There aren't many other teams that run a Pirate style offense. The prep work that goes into defending the wishbone (and there's plenty of it) yields limited benefit for the remainder of the season.

 

3. (In particular for Prestonsburg) Some still have hard feelings from the involvement of a few Belfry alumni in an alleged P-burg recruiting violation from years ago (and NO, I'm not going into that again). P-burg didn't have the option of dropping Belfry from the schedule in the following few years (the two teams were in the same district).

 

 

:bunny: