Seems like you answered your own question with the bolded.

 

Exactly.:thumb:

Hats off to Ryle. This win should boost their confidence for a run in the playoffs. I was at the the opening game in 07 that started the Ky win streak, and fittingly enough was able to watch the game last night that ended it. Congrats to the Highlands program on such an unprecedented feat in NKY football. Great game. two great programs. Good luck to both in the playoffs. Should be lots of fun.

Congratulations to Ryle on a huge victory.

I hear what your saying but Towles made some smart decisions in getting down or out of bounds. There is no reason to take hits when you dont have to. In Hempel's case, he was taking on defenders because he had to in most instances. He ran the ball like he had to get to the yard marker on every carry. Towles was taking what they were giving him and living to play another play if you will.

 

IMO after Ryle's first loss to Highlands they have had that game last night circled and been staring at it all year. The Birds on the other hand not so much. It was just another game against a worthy opponent and a prep for the playoffs.

 

I agree that you don't have to nail someone every time. I'm a fan of the kid as he's got "it." I can see where schools will be interested in him. Heck, I'm not sure he's not better than Zeke. Easy throwing motion/strong arm/runs well/big kid. What's not to like? He'll be a beast next season.

Oh please.....:cry:

 

IMO, Ryle was treating this game as a 'scrimmage' to prep for the playoffs and was still able to pull it out...... lol.

Come on, it was a great game between two very good teams with very good players and very good coaches. To say it was just another game for HHS is a little on the absurd side. It was a big game for them as well as it was for Ryle.

 

Hopefully both teams play well in the upcoming weeks and advance deep into the playoffs.

 

Its not an excuse for the loss as I have stated a few times in this thread that Ryle was the better team last night. I just feel that the emotions were running higher on the Ryle sideline last night.

I did get a kick out of the Head Officials sermon before the coin toss. Didn't want any "crap".:lol:

J.K. Hall/ J. J. Jude; C. Hempel/ T. Elliott

Ryle D much better than Johnson Central

Johnson Central much better offense

Highlands @ Golden Eagles this year.

Ryle/Highlands @home could have gone either way and was closer than most people realize.

Ryle gassed in 2nd half.

J.C. goes both ways too.

What does all this mean, you ask? Well, it means that we just saw a preview of things to come and under much different conditions come November......Highlands is going to have their work cut out for them on the road in hostile territory.

 

I feel an addendum is necessary to this post that was given after Ryle/Highlands I......

 

Add Mullins/Tanner Bratton to the similarity list. This Raider squad is almost a carbon copy of Johnson Central.....The blueprint for beating the Birds has been exposed and unfortunately the game will be on the road which is another similarity. Hopefully the outcome will be a difference. Go Birds.

 

Whackem'n'Stackem' I saw JC play this year. They aren't anywhere close to Ryle.

While the Birds ultimately scored a TD on their last drive the fact that two long TD passes were flat out dropped ended up hurting them. How many minutes did it cost them? 2? 3? 4? Not sure but I guarantee you Dale would like to have had those at the end. I can think of 4 drops - 2 that would have been a TD (same drive) and 2 that would have kept drives going. That hurt the Birds as much as anything IMO.

I must have been misinformed I thought #48 Hollingsworth and #42 Drake played LB they was both playing DE and NT. Seems like Highlands should have had some bigger bodies on the line and put them 2 guys at LB.

Deion Mullens is an outstanding player. He has been forced into 2 way duties due to the season-ending injuries to our 2 original starting DE's. He was on the field about the entire game. Also, Caleb Lonkard is all heart and effort and Elliott is Elliott and Mace is Mace - 170 pounds of absolute warrior. Highlands looked pretty pumped up especially coming out for the 2nd half. Ryle's team was jacked up the whole night. Gotta play that way to beat a great team like the Birds.

Its not an excuse for the loss as I have stated a few times in this thread that Ryle was the better team last night. I just feel that the emotions were running higher on the Ryle sideline last night.

 

That was very apparent and also very impressive. I don't know when I've seen the sideline chanting for their units.

Why would Ryle take over #1? They beat a banged up Birds team by 2 on senior night at their home field.

 

The way I see it, these two split, so there should be a 1A and 1B.

 

Ryle won and should be number one every HS team is banged up this time of year stop making excuses for the loss. Champions overcome it. Take the loss in stride. Ryle was the better team. Congrats Ryle.

I am neutral and I don't want to hear the injury baloney. When someone is hurt at that level you bring in the next guy and he does the job. How about the fact that, after a great first half, Elliott was injured and played little in the second half. And when he did play, he did not carry the ball. His replacement stepped in and did the job...big time. Ryle conrolled the line and if you want to play "but for" had Ryle not made a decision to pass on first down after Highlands scored to pull within 8, Ryle well may have run out the clock. They made 4 yards on each of the next 2 carries and Ryle had complete control of the line at that point. On their final possession when the Birds stacked the line, they were knocked backward and Ryle made several crucial first down when everyone knew they were going to run and run between the tackles. The 2 teams are very even, but last night belonged to Ryle. Ryle will be voted #1 because of their recent victory.

Deion Mullens is an outstanding player. He has been forced into 2 way duties due to the season-ending injuries to our 2 original starting DE's. He was on the field about the entire game. Also, Caleb Lonkard is all heart and effort and Elliott is Elliott and Mace is Mace - 170 pounds of absolute warrior. Highlands looked pretty pumped up especially coming out for the 2nd half. Ryle's team was jacked up the whole night. Gotta play that way to beat a great team like the Birds.

 

The 2 way duties did not seem to have any negative effect on the Raiders last night....especially when you have key players like Hempel and Elliott gutting it out. Sometimes determination just takes over.

The key is how does Highlands React to last nights outcome. I believe that Highlands confidence and swagger has been a big reason they have the success that they do.

If they can regain that swagger add in the determination to never taste the bitter defeat pill again, and the could be starting another long winning streak.

 

Or

The next time they are challenged in a game (either in 2 or 3 weeks) does self doubt (something they have never had recently) creep in. Causing players to try to do too much, or to play tight, in the key moments of a game.

 

I expect the former, I hope for the latter!