outlawcoach

You make a very good point. Regardless of the formation(I assume we are talking about a 4 wide set or some variation here) the line of scrimmage has to be controlled. The zone play out of the shotgun has gotten very popular and it should because it has been working. People get prepared for those receivers all over the field with mabey some shifts and some motion sprinkled in. This has enabled the zone play to be a very effective weapon. As in any other defensive preperation, first deal with the running game which in this case will be the zone or the speed option. If the defense cant slow down these ground plays, being able to match up with their passing game is a moot point. Dont get me wrong....Im not knocking the offensive system....It is very dangerous when run correctly. The defensive personnel have to really be drilled on assignment football. Also stemming fronts and disguising coverages is an asset! But, all in all, its tough to defend! :thumb:

Playing Corbin is a win/win situation for JB. If you get beat, you were supposed to and, if you win, its huge. Also, playing them very early like this really lets you know where you are in terms of expectancy. Besides all that, I think Harlan can compete with Corbin. Dont get me wrong...Corbin is obviously the favorite but I think the Dragons may be able to hang in there with the Redhounds. They might catch Corbin looking down the road a little. Im looking forward to this one!:thumb:

I have been told that #54 has been tearing it up in the weight room. I also hear that he has a tremendous attitude as well. Im really looking forward to a great year from him. Is it true that he is running under 5 flat consistently as well as cleaning 275? He really has a great future!!:thumb:

I dont know about 3 jobs but I do know that he seriously considered and turned down both the Hazard and Perry Central jobs over the years. JB's wife has a good job at the HARH and it would take something special for him to leave! I'm sure there may have been other offerd but these are the 3 that I remember. By the way, this was a few years back!:thumb:

I still cant remember what his nickname was in high school. Most of the other kids called him "sir." lol He was a rapid cat but I still dont think he can beat me in ping-pong!! What was his name??

Get your best people on the field. I have seen very few teams, even at the biggest schools, that didnt have at least a few going both ways. At the small schools, going both ways is almost understood for most of your front liners. Conditioning is a factor, but if you can survive the early part of the schedule the kids play their way into shape by mid-season. Bottom line....get your best players on the field!!!

From an outsider with no dog in the fight, but former Dunbar coach David Hensley sat out this past season to spend more time with his young children but I hear he might get back into the right situation. He has been successful at several programs and would be a solid hire. He might be worth a phone call. Just a suggestion from someone with no ties to the program at all!

This is a very tough schedule for McCreary and it may well be a step in the right direction. If they can be competetive with this schedule, it will only make the program that much stronger. I like that McCreary is trying to take the next step. I hope they are more than competetive and I wish them luck. They are much overdue for good football in Stearns!!:thumb:

That one was to easy. I'll wait on the tougher ones to get you!!:lol:

Like I have said before, its 2 really good classes coming in numbers wise. Lets just hope they stay together. Im also encouraged by this years senior class. 14, or whatever the #, is a great turnout for a senior class at a small school like Harlan. The key is consistency. That is having 10 to 15 seniors every year. As far as playing a JV schedule, it is vital to get them as much game situation playing time as possible. That being said, you still need enough people left to practice when you have a JV game. If not, all you can get done on JV game days is film work and conditioning, both of which are important. The problem with this is that if you have people doing some double duty with the varsity and JV, they miss the film work. Ah, the problems of being a small football school!!:thumb:

Of the losses on that list, it would be interesting to see how many of them were to out-of-state schools. I know that T, X, and Highlands usually play 1 or 2 monsters from Ohio.

You wont believe it, but I completely agree with your summary Bayshore. As smart as you are, if you were only good looking, you would have it all. Of course, at you're and HDE's ages, who needs looks??:lol::lol:

Like you and HDE, I also think they have some good returning players but the "outstanding" part was the # in this Sr class. It is unusual at Harlan to have a graduating class this large. Im also encouraged by the 8th grade team which should make for a good # of kids in the freshman class. Also, looking at the rest of the region, next years Dragons could be pretty dang tough!:thumb:

Are we debating which adjective to use in describing them? OK! I'll go with competitive if you prefer!! Ever the editor!!:laugh::laugh:

You are exactly right....outstanding Sr class coming in for a class A program but the non-district schedule is tough. And Isaac, I think the passing game will be greatly improved. People have got the impression that JB likes to keep it on the groud but I can tell you from experience that he loves to throw it around when he can. I sure hope you guys do well. I'll be rooting for you. #26 is sure going to miss it.:thumb:

From an outsider looking in, Pikeville played a monster non-district schedule that I thought would be enough for the Pville faithful. However, there may be things that we dont know about that led to the firing. Good luck to Pikeville and Coach.

There's no telling how many Phil would have scored if he had the 3 pointer. Phil scored "quietly." By that I mean after the game you would think he had 18 or 20 and find out he had 38. He seldom missed a free throw....led the nation his jr and sr years at Vandy. Phil was FIRST team All SEC his jr and sr seasons....an acomplishment many big time pros cant claim!:thumb:

I dont know if he was the best player ever at Laurel County, but Paul Andrews is a legend after hitting ONE shot to win a state title. Went on to play at UK.

Joe does a very good job. Knott also had a heckuva LB. Will he be back? #50 something!!

He took the ACT again Saturday although he already has a 30. And I dont know what his adjusted GPA is with all the AP classes....it has to be above a 4.0 because he has never made a B. We are awfully proud of him.:thumb:

We make the bad weather where we are from dont we Isaac??:laugh::laugh:

The same problems and same complaints happen every year. I try not to let it bother me any more. If a coach from a rural area has a kid they feel is truly deserving, all they have to do is look up the voting members of the AP and shoot them out a letter or email to let them know about their player. The AP voters can only vote for players they know or have been informed of!!

Congrats to Hazard. Im happy for your program but I would have lost money on this one. Its another example of why they play the games. Now get after Beechwood and bring a title back to the mountains!

Congrats to Corbin. 13 win seasons are very very rare!!

:laugh::laugh: