What does Garrard County need to do to improve in 2012? What do they need to keep doing to be successful? Remember, please be constructive.

They will have to replace a ton of offensive production and a lot of tackles on defense. Good news - they return their entire OL, DL, two starting LBs, and a QB.

It's true that several really good players will be missed. My favorite senior this past year was Markell Hayes. Heck of a defensive motor. You're right about the line. It should be dominating with the experience there and with the Abney kid behind them tossing the ball around. I'm sure Mark Scenters will find a good mix to put onto the field. Good luck to the Garrard County boys and Coach Scenters!

Coach Scenters has done a lot of good things with the program... The best thing he has done is build a program that is about something more than winning football games.

 

As for on the field: I think the Lions may employ a more high-percentage passing game. Coach Scenters will run the ball... Period. Still, Abney is probably their best returning player (Caudill, however, is a stud - one wonders how they will utilize him next season).

 

Defensively, I think they will be okay.

 

BTW, it may not help much in 2012, but there is a really solid incoming freshman class coming up.

As small and rural a county as Garrard is, Coach Scenters has done some really incredible things with the Golden Lions football. It was a blessing for Garrard County that Madison Southern(Mark's alma mater) didn't pick him for their coach when he was available. Just imagine what Garrard could have done in 3A if they had the kids that play out of county that live there or just transfered out. I think that Danville had two from Garrard, at least one of which made all state in the Louisville CJ. Boyle County had one who made all state in the CJ and his dad coaches at Boyle. Rockcastle had two brothers from Cartersville who always attended Rockcastle because family worked for the Rockcastle system, one of whom made the CJ all state list as well. Mark has really overachieved and you guys had better hold on to him. I think that a new field at the new high school would go a long way in do just that.

Papa, after last season's success, do you think that will draw some kids that may have attended other schools to stay at Garrard?

Garrard is not as small and rural as depicted - it has consistently been one of the fastest growing counties in the state... That said, it is like most county schools, there are ebbs and flows in talent-level. Still, a lot of talented athletes have played at Dyehouse Stadium (particularly during the mid 1990s and early 00s). I believe they are in an uptick. The incoming Seniors are good players and outstanding leaders, the junior and sophomore classes will not be loaded with freak athletes, but there are some solid players there. The Freshmen-to-be have an opportunity to be great - if the class sticks together for four years.

 

Coach Scenters has done an excellent job of rebuilding the numbers by adding the right kind of young men. He has very high expectations for the program. 2011 showed that Garrard County can field a top-level team. 2012 and beyond will show whether or not GC can produce a top-level program... Which it hasn't really done since the 90s. It should be fun.

They will have to replace a ton of offensive production and a lot of tackles on defense. Good news - they return their entire OL, DL, two starting LBs, and a QB.

 

The returning offensive and defensive line is what has me excited. I really believe that the way the offensive line was playing during the second half of last season that team could move the ball on most anyone in Class 3A. The defensive unit was a little undersold last year - they improved tremendously from previous squads. Much of the credit to the improved defense has to go to Charlie Owens. I know his name periodically comes up for head coaching positions so I hope Garrard County is able to keep him.

 

As for replacing the offensive production, that is a concern but not one I'm too worried about. With running backs Noah Williams and Garrett Caudill returning, you have to powerful backs. There are a couple of quick kids in Tre Merritt and J.T. Lyon coming back too. Mix that with a couple young freshmen backs and I think the offense should click. My thought is this year's team could be more powerful, but perhaps not a team that can score from 80 yards out at any time like last season.

 

Finally, returning quarterback Billy Abney will need to have a big year for this team to advance as far again in 2012 as they did in 2011. Abney threw for 2,000 yards and 22 scores against only 7 interceptions last season and hopefully the numbers will be very similar this time around. You don't hear his name tossed around that often, but Abney is one of the better pure-passing quarterbacks (he can run, but doesn't do it often) in the state of Kentucky.

Papa, after last season's success, do you think that will draw some kids that may have attended other schools to stay at Garrard?

 

I doubt it. Those kids in the Cartersville area that go to Rockcastle County or Madison Southern do go to those schools because they have anything against Garrard County, it's just a whole heck of a lot easier and quicker to get there from those parts of the county. Most of those young men and women start at those schools in kindergarten and remain there throughout. In fact I had two cousins that started a linebacker for Madison Southern in the early 90s who lived (and still live) in Garrard County.

 

What I do believe you will see is an increased number of players on the roster this year. I know that 32 eighth graders are participating in the off-season weight program as of now. If they can keep 20 of those kids it will be a huge boon to the program. And those kids that are coming in, if they develop well and keep their heads on straight, have the makings of one of the better classes that have come through the system.

Good to hear about the young players gchs. 32 eight graders is quite impressive.

As small and rural a county as Garrard is, Coach Scenters has done some really incredible things with the Golden Lions football. It was a blessing for Garrard County that Madison Southern(Mark's alma mater) didn't pick him for their coach when he was available. Just imagine what Garrard could have done in 3A if they had the kids that play out of county that live there or just transfered out. I think that Danville had two from Garrard, at least one of which made all state in the Louisville CJ. Boyle County had one who made all state in the CJ and his dad coaches at Boyle. Rockcastle had two brothers from Cartersville who always attended Rockcastle because family worked for the Rockcastle system, one of whom made the CJ all state list as well. Mark has really overachieved and you guys had better hold on to him. I think that a new field at the new high school would go a long way in do just that.

 

 

Zach Hester's father and mother have been employed by Boyle County since Zach was a 6th grader. It's not like they just left a year ago. Isn't the reason they are at Boyle County is because Jeff Hester was let go by Garrard County? Correct me if I am wrong.

Garrard County's 8th grade team enjoyed a successful season. What Coach Scenters has done at Garrard County is tremendous. Good luck to Garrard going forward. They have earned a lot of respect in the last year from high school down to little league and that starts from Coach Scenters.

Zach Hester's father and mother have been employed by Boyle County since Zach was a 6th grader. It's not like they just left a year ago. Isn't the reason they are at Boyle County is because Jeff Hester was let go by Garrard County? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

I don't believe Jeff was fired, I believe he resigned. But his last year at Garrard County was 2000. He's been at Boyle since then. Jeff's wife has probably been at Boyle since at least 2002 or 2003. I'm not sure if either of their children ever even attended at Garrard County elementary.

I don't believe Jeff was fired, I believe he resigned. But his last year at Garrard County was 2000. He's been at Boyle since then. Jeff's wife has probably been at Boyle since at least 2002 or 2003. I'm not sure if either of their children ever even attended at Garrard County elementary.

 

 

I knew that Coach Hester was at Garrard but never knew the circumstances of his departure. I met their family in middle school when our boys began playing basketball together so I know they have been in the Boyle system since at least when Zach was a 6th grader.

When I was discussing the kids that attended the schools besides Garrard, I wasn't meaning it as a bad thing. I didn't name any kid by name on purpose because I didn't want it to look like I was poking fingers at anyone. What I meant by my post was the fact that Mark has done a great job there at Garrard and he did it without some talent that usually a rural County school can ill afford to lose and still be successful. Yes, I was talking about the Hester boy at Boyle. His father is a top drawer coach in my opinion and my son, who played in the KY vs. TN Border Bowl when he was coaching this past year really liked him as a coach. I don't have any idea of the circumstances of his departure from Garrard as a coach. No, I don't think it would make a difference about the kids attending Garrard that aren't playing there, because they probably have a good reason for not being in Garrard as explained about the boys from Cartersville not playing there. Those boys attended Rockcastle since kindergarten, I'm sure they weren't recruited at that time. LOL Cartersville is a long way from Lancaster and there are areas even more distant than there where it is easier for the kids to cross the county line to attend school. A trip to Berea (Madison Southern/Berea) from Cartersville is five minutes and from Lancaster to Cartersville is more like twenty-five to thirty minutes. The bus ride can be quite a trip by the time all of the transfers are completed from some of these areas. The Cartersville buses can be seen traveling at 6 to 6:15am to their routes to be able to complete them on time.

As a side note, I am aware that there is a rule that only three kids can go to any school district outside of Garrard County and do it legally. Contracts must be signed and updated from year to year. This goes back to the 1980's when Garrard accused Berea Community of recruiting their athletes. Many kids from the Cartersville area were attending Berea at the time because of the before mentioned bus trip and distance of travel to Lancaster. The road to Lancaster was much worse then. To make a long story short, the kids that were attending other schools at the time were grandfathered in and the new rule mentioned above was implemented. So three kids can go to Berea, three to Madison Southern, three to Rockcastle and so on. If a person works in another school district and lives in Garrard County, they are allowed to take their kids with them as a professional courtesy. They are very strict about this in Garrard and if a kid is caught going to another school without contract, they can be forced back to Garrard because Garrard won't release the state money that is provided for that child to another county.