ryanparker

Mason County will win. They are a very good team.

Off the topic of who is actually going to win the game...I saw on another site where someone predicted that this will be the largest crowd at Russell ever. I see the weather looks good for Friday night so that is good news. No matter who wins or loses, one positive thing about the game is that it should be the kind of environment that makes us all high school football fans in the first place.

I wondered that myself. They must have formed a collective pact to let their silence speak for the confidence they have in the Rams destroying Russell this week. :-) Their presence would certainly make the thread more entertaining.

I have to disagree with the quote about Raceland facing stronger competition than Russell. Raceland's schedule is loaded with cupcakes other than Ashland and LCA. I do, however, agree with you that Russell's schedule is about the same as Raceland's schedule...mostly no competition with the exception of a couple of games. Of course, Raceland has passed their tests while Russell has failed.

I think it is just that us Russell fans have gotten accustomed to seeing great efforts from all 11 guys on the field for a full 48 minutes every Friday night and there have been a few games this season where it appeared the effort lapsed. I really don't think it is the losses to Ashland, Simon Kenton, and Mason County that has gotten many of us so disgruntled. It is the fact that it appeared the team quit in a couple of those games. Heck, they even took a knee with a minute left against Ashland to put a stop to the beating! That is just not what you expect from a Russell team. You expect them to compete hard from kickoff to close. If a team "smacks them in the mouth", then you expect them to respond like warriors willing to fight all night rather than look like they would just as soon get the game over with. If they leave it all on the field this Friday against Raceland, then I am pretty sure most Russell fans will leave the stadium happy win or lose. It's the pride and effort that I want to see more than the results.

You beat me to it on that one! Beechwood was the first thing that popped in my mind as well. These Raceland fans are one confident bunch this year! Both the Ashland and LCA games could have gone either way. I hope Raceland does well in the playoffs, but to suggest they can only lose if they make an inordinate amount of mistakes and "beat themselves" is over the top...especially when they will probably be double digit underdogs against Beechwood. Anyhow, back to the thread about the Raceland-Russell game. :-)

Yes. I just meant that this is their worst team in a decade. That being said, this has undoubtedly been their best decade ever as a program.

Since it looks like we are starting to compare the history of the 2 programs, let's go ahead fill in the rest of the story on up to present day: 2000: Russell 8-4 / Raceland 1-9 2001: Russell 7-5 / Raceland 5-6 2002: Russell 11-3 / Raceland 9-3 2003: Russell 10-3 / Raceland 6-5 2004: Russell 13-1 / Raceland 5-6 2005: Russell 14-1 / Raceland 7-4 2006: Russell 13-2 / Raceland 11-2 2007: Russell 11-2 / Raceland 7-2 2008: Russell 6-3 / Raceland 8-0 So the totals since 2000 look like this: Russell went 93-24. Raceland went 59-40.

Sheldon Clark will provide some good competition for round 2. I think Mason can pull that one out, though. I am pretty sure that if mason can pull off the upset at Belfry, then the semi-final game against Breathitt would be at Mason, though.

You are correct in identifying my hyperbole in the heat of the moment. Nonetheless, it is still true.

Can anybody post the size of Johnson Central's offensive line? I have heard they are one of the best lines in the state and their ridiculous running stats seem to back that up. I was just wondering if they are big, fast, or both.

Congratulations Boyd County. Wilson is a tremendous player.

Good point. It hasn't happened at least as far back as 1998. I checked the KHSAA site and that's as far back as their records go. For that matter, this week marked the first time Russell has lost two-in-a-row anywhere since 2001.

Wow! I didn't realize that was the player you guys were talking about. After he ran back the opening kickoff, I was surprised when I didn't see him come out at running back! He did also make several good defensive plays including some hard hits. Extremely impressive and only a freshman. Wow.

No doubt that Mason County has been good, is good this year, and will continue to be good! We Russell fans are just disappointed that this year's Russell team hasn't lived up to the expectations set from the last few years. When you go to the state title game two years in a row, it tends to produce unrealistic expectations and somewhat of an arrogance that makes our first reaction be "what in the world is wrong with Russell?" when we lose rather than considering the possibility that there are other good programs, too, like Mason County who definitely deserved to win this game tonight. They are clearly the better team this year. Heck, even when Russell had some of their best teams they have ever had this decade, the games with Mason County were always close! As long as the Royals keep their coach, I would imagine they are going to be a force to be reckoned with year in and year out. I just really hope Mason County manages to get it done in the playoffs this year!

I know how you feel. I have thought the exact same thing. At some point I think we've just got to realize it may not be going to happen.

I don't know. That's likely the last they will see of teams in their district this year. Their playoff road will likely consist of Magoffin, Sheldon Clark, Belfry, and Breathitt.

You are correct. It's always good to see those rivals get together...although this year could be a little Belfry payback for the last 2 times the teams met. Mason County should get Magoffin County at home and then Sheldon Clark at home. I think they can win those games to earn the round 3 trip to Belfry.

Funny stuff indeed. The prediction thread was up before any other prediction thread. I anticipate it will get a lot of activity this week.

Congratulations Raceland!

I don't think bulletin board material is really needed for Raceland in this one. This year's Russell team is a world away from being as good as last year's team and is a galaxy away from being as good as the '05 and '06 teams. Let's face it. The stars are aligned for the Rams in this one. This game pits the best Raceland team in a decade against the worst Russell team in a decade. No bulletin board material is needed when you simply have the better team. And darn it, I really wanted to come on here and give you Raceland guys a hard time about how Russell is going to win this week! But after witnessing this Russell team play again tonight, I have to say they are going need a turnaround for the ages to beat Raceland. And since I don't think they are allowed to bring back Tyler Jones, Adam Foster, Toby Hicks, Jonathan Cornwell, and Greg Bender from last year's team, the facts are the facts. Raceland should beat this team and beat them badly. That being said, I voted for Russell in the poll just to make sure they had one vote. ;-)

His enthusiasm, passion, and class are quite evident and it is obvious that it carries over to the Mason County team and program. I really thought the whole team carries themselves as well as any team I've seen this year and plays the game of football like it supposed to be played...and this is coming from a Russell fan who was there cheering for them to lose as passionately as anyone! :-) Mason County is a good team and a good program. I hope this is the year they break through and do something in the playoffs.

Ashland is a good team...perhaps the best team in our Northeastern Kentucky area. Their schedule is just ridiculously difficult, though. I have to go with Johnson Central in this one although I will be pulling for the Tomcats to pull off the monumental upset.

Congratulations to Simon Kenton on a big win! This one must have been a surprise as most were picking Campbell County.

I haven't seen Johnson Central play, but judging from these scores and statistics, it appears they are head and shoulders above the rest of eastern Kentucky.