DanvilleFan

Marion returns on the kickoff to the 33. Their first run goes nowhere but a second run goes 11 or so yards for a first down.

Ads waste no time lighting up the scoreboard again as Dillon Cruver hooks up with Trinden Sellers, who takes it to the house for another touchdown. Garcia's kick is good as it appears that the Ads kicking game has improved a good deal. Danville now leads 20-0 with 3:43 to play in the first quarter.

Early runs by Marion to the edges go nowhere as the Ads speed is able to styme them and then they get flagged for a false start. On 3rd & 16 the Knights do a playaction pass but the pass is broken up. That forces a Marion punt but it is shanked around the 50. So things are not going well for the Knights in this first quarter. 3:53 to play in the quarter.

Marion returns the kickoff this time to their own 26 but the Ads are flagged for a personal foul for roughness, moving the ball to the 41.

And Meaux quickly adds yet another score with a run to the outside. On the extra point, there is a bad snap and a kick by Garcia is not attempted. Danville now leads 13-0

Things get worse for Marion County as they never touch the kickoff and the Admirals recover. It is now 1st and goal for the Ads at the Marion 9.

And Meaux runs it in on the very next play, rolling with a tackle and never having his knee touch. After 31 touchdowns last year, Meaux gets another in his Admiral career and the first of this year's campaign. Extra point is good by new kicker Juan Garcia. Danville leads 7-0 with 6:30 left in the 1st quarter

There have been a ton of flags on both teams on this first drive. One of them waives off a Meaux touchdown run. Ads are now down to the Marion County 19 with a 1st & 10.

Marion is able to force a 4th & 1 early on the Ads 44. Not surprisingly, the Ads pitch it to Meaux out of the I-Formation and they move the chains.

Ads receive the ball to start the game and take the ball to their 35 yard line.

Game is going to start soon. AM 1230 WHIR is providing a radio feed for the game: https://us7.maindigitalstream.com/2251/

Highlands Trinity Franklin County St. Xavier Murray Tiebreaker: 40

Steve Stonebreaker's second season as head coach of the Danville Admirals begins at 8:00 p.m. when the Ads play host to the Marion County Knights. This year's Pigskin Classic has a new sponsor as Stuart Powell Ford/Mazda replaces the Ghost in Blue Foundation and Community Trust Bank. Last season, Stonebreaker led a big turnaround as the Ads snapped a 23-game losing streak in their first game under his leadership and posted a 9-3 record, eventually eliminated in a close game in the second round of the playoffs against former head coach Clay Clevenger and the Somerset Briar Jumpers. The Admirals are hoping to go further this year, led by highly touted sophomore running back Jayvian Meaux and senior wide receiver Trinden Sellers. The Admirals remain a young team as only 14 of the 42 players on their roster are juniors and seniors. Ross Brown, leader of the Knights, is also in his second year. The team posted a 7-4 record last year, losing in the first round of the 4A playoffs at Logan County. That was the school's first winning record in ten years and it could have been even better as three of those losses were by a combined seven points. The Knights are more experienced than the Ads, entering the year with a roster loaded with upperclassmen but Brown has said that he worries about the team's lack of depth. Returning quarterback Wyatt Thompson leads a Wing-T offense that has experience on the line with some new players at receiver. Both teams hope that this game can be the start of a great 2026 campaign that will push them deeper into the playoffs.

This one kinda flew under the radar but Don Story is taking over the Danville Lady Ads.

I wouldn't agree with this. I do think Danville and Boyle will resume their series but it will probably take another 3-4 years. Once Stonebreaker is able to get a full 4-year run of a class through and the Ads have depth again, then I think the Boyle series will come back. The community wants the game to happen but due to the Ads struggles post-Clevenger there was no point in playing the game when Boyle would slaughter the Ads. The rivalry probably won't return to its late 90s/early 2000s level but I do think this series resumes in less than 5 years.

As a student in Danville in the early 2000s, those games with Boyle when both teams were winning lots of state titles were great. So many people attended that there wasn't enough seating and you had people lined all the way around the field on the fences. Just a wild atmosphere that may never be recreated.

Wow, big time hire for Mercer. Big loss for Pulaski.

I really like your #10 there. It's often overlooked in discussions about recruiting and the like.

As an outsider, I'm surprised that Beechwood is allowing an arrangement like this but I'm not as familiar with their past and how common that is. It's also interesting how there is intrigue surrounding Beechwood and Mayfield this offseason as we head into another very competitive 2A season.

Yeah, I don't see the issue with the track record either. If he had stops of 1-2 years at lots of places and that was the pattern, I get it. But I see two stops of 3+ years and, like you say, Taylor County dismissed him so that prevented at least three years there. Not sure what the average tenure is for basketball coaches in the state but I don't think his tenure anywhere is egregious.

If true, I can at least appreciate the search committee or who is running it at least making the effort. Worst you can be told in these things is "No."

I'd also say Danville's 1997 team that lost on a last second pass to Lexington Catholic would be on this list. Sam Harp always saw that as the title that got away (aside from the 2006 8 minute meltdown vs. NCC).

I don't see why you can't do a hybrid. Seed the top 4 teams (1 goes in each quadrant of the bracket) and blind draw the rest.

It was great to see Danville football finally get some positive momentum again after some terrible years. Key to next season will be continuing to develop talent and add depth to the roster. This past season was very much the Meaux and Sellers show. They are great athletes/players/contributors but the Ads need more threats to get to another level and advance deeper in the playoffs again. The LCA game last year showed that the Ads still have a ways to go in this department. The scheduling remains soft but again, that is to be expected as the Ads try to rebuild community support and get kids to play again. Last season was an A+ effort by Stonebreaker, who has fully embraced this job. For the first time in a long while I'm excited to see what the Ads do next season.

With all the job vacancies we keep seeing I think administrators and school systems need to think a lot more about what they are doing to help coaches and teams in all sports rather than worrying about whether their coach is on a hot seat or not.