Mitch Rapp

I would include Johnson Central as a dark horse. I think it is crazy to rank them in the top 3 in 4A because of their weak schedule. I am not saying that they are not a top 3 team, just that they have had no opportunity to earn that rank yet. To warrant such a lofty ranking, I think that the Golden Eagles need to easily handle Ashland tonight and also beat Belfry - and that assumes that Belfy plays at near full strength.

"Could still" is not equivalent to "will." If JC plays it's typical game, the Tomcats will lose big. There is no chance that a Matney-coached team will be caught looking ahead with the district title at stake.

I did not say that JC will beat Ashland by 3 or 4 touchdowns if the Tomcats play their best game of the season - I said that they could still lose by that much. If JC does not put the ball on the ground tomorrow night, the game could get ugly in the second half because JC will wear Ashland down with their physical play.

From what I understand, the defensive line has been a strength this season but most of the line is still very young. I have not been able to attend any games this season yet but I will probably try to make it to the Belfry game and I plan to watch the Covington Catholic game too. Johnson Central is developing the same type of team that they had in 2006 - big, physical fullbacks, a very athletic QB, and good overall team speed. Their leading receiver is averaging over 30 yards per reception and I think that their top rusher is averaging over 13 yards a carry.

Barring a rash of turnovers, which has not been a problem this season for the Golden Eagles, this game will not be close for more than a quarter. Anybody who thinks that JC's strength of schedule will play any role in this game must not have looked at the Tomcat's schedule. Raceland, Russell, and Ironton are good teams, but they are much smaller schools than Ashland and the Tomcats lost or struggled against all three teams. Ashland could play its best game of the season on Friday and still lose by three or four touchdowns.

While it is true that Highlands has dominated Johnson Central since it joined the region, the same cannot be said of Covington Catholic. If Johnson Central does not beat Covington Catholic this season, then it will be because of youth, not because of its weak schedule. JC ended the Colonels' 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons. JC will be very strong for the next few years, and if the Golden Eagles win a state title, it will not not necessarily be because Covington Catholic and Highlands moved up to 5A, although obviously some NKY fans are already trying to make that case preemptively. :lol:

I believe that the series between Covington Catholic and Johnson Central stands at 3-3, with the biggest blowout win posted by the Golden Eagles. Johnson Central is a very talented but very young team. They may be a year away from seriously contending for a state title, but they will not be a long shot to beat the Colonels at home in a few weeks.

I have tried a lot of different canned chilis over the years and, as you said, most reminded me of what I imagine Alpo tastes like. Bush's used to make a pretty good chili in a jar, but they stopped producing it a few years ago. Dixie is probably my favorite canned chili now and Skyline is not bad either, but I prefer a good Texas chili to the Cincy version.

I never use a recipe to make chili - I make sure that I have a good supply of clean spoons and rely on frequent sampling and adjustments. Typically, I do the following: 1. Saute onions in some oil (usually peanut) in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven until they begin to caramelize and add some crushed garlic to the mix late to avoid burning the garlic. 2. Add fresh, never frozen lean ground beef to the skillet. Stir frequently until it begins to brown. 3. Add water and/or tomato sauce to the skillet (my wife loves tomatoes in chili - I tolerate some tomatoes, but good chili does not really need any tomatoes). 4. Add a mix of chopped chili peppers to the skillet - jalapenos, serannos, and poblanos are my personal favorites, but the important thing is not to get the chili too hot too quickly. It is easy to dial up the heat as the chili cooks but it is difficult to tone it down later if you get it too hot. 5. Add cumin, cayenne, turmeric, Hungarian or smoked Spanish paprika, salt, black pepper, and fresh chopped cilantro to the mix. 6. Stir frequently over low heat for several hours, sampling and adjusting the "heat" upward as necessary using a good quality hot sauce such as Melinda's XXXXtra Hot or Cholula. 7. Simmer the chili until the thickness and aroma tells you that it is ready to eat. Note: IMO, real chili does not need any beans, but beef is expensive, so I often add some red kidney beans and/or pinto beans to my chili. Refried beans are also useful to thicken chili if you get it too watery and become impatient with the process and want to stop cooking and start eating.

On paper, this game looks like a mismatch, but this will be Ashland's best shot at beating the Golden Eagles for at least the next three or four years. The key will be how often Ashland can keep JC's defensive line from getting to Baker and Long in the backfield. I expect JC to take control of the LOS and begin dominating the game by the end of the first half.

7 - Johnson Central 5 - South Floyd 3 - Raceland 2 - Greenup County 1 - Southwestern TB - Johnson Central

It would be stupid to predict that a team loaded with talented freshmen and sophomores will win the 4A title over a veteran Highlands team, would it not? I would love to see JC schedule Highlands and/or CovCath for the next few seasons. As for going out on a limb, I think that predicting a state title is going out on a limb, with or without Highlands and Covington Catholic in Class 4A. BTW, I believe that JC is 2-2 with the Colonels in their past four games, despite the Colonels' superior strength of schedule.

It will at some point in the next 4 years. JC is a longshot this season because of its youth. Beginning next season, JC will be competitive with any team in the state re-classification may open the door to some new scheduling opportunities.

Johnson Central has fared as well or better than most NKY teams have fared against Highlands and Covington Catholic in recent years. You might want to share your expert scheduling advice with those teams as well.

Do you have memory issues? JC hammered one of the Louisville Central state championship teams a few years ago. They play Belfry every season to tune up for the play-offs. They don't pick their district opponents. Last night's game was the result of a larger school canceling on JC at the last minute. They were lucky to find anybody to play on such short notice. In case you have not noticed, most of the stronger football schools in eastern Kentucky are in Class 3A and below. Smaller eastern Kentucky schools are reluctant to schedule JC. Schools like Knox Cental, Perry Central, and Harlan County have fielded some strong teams but they have been very inconsistent over the years. Teams in WV and southeastern Ohio are reluctant to schedule them because of their playoff systems. They cannot be as confident of beating a team like JC as the Cincy teams like Moeller are when they schedule NKY teams for Harbin points. I would like to see JC playing a stronger regular season schedule, but the schedule that they have played has not prevented them from being the second or third best team in a region that has included eventual state champion Highlands in most seasons. I will make this prediction. Johnson Central will win at least one state title in the next four seasons and they will field at least one team during that period that will be stronger than either Highlands or Covington Catholic. It would be great if JC could schedule those teams after they both move to 5A as tune-ups for the 4A playoffs. I think that it is great that so many people outside of eastern Kentucky are so concerned with Johnson Central's schedule. It's nice to have a statewide following.

I am pretty sure that Johnson Central has won more district titles and more regional playoff games since Jim Matney was hired than it did in all previous seasons hired combined. I suspect that given the unusually large number of talented young players on the roster and a very strong 8th grade class in the pipeline, the schedules for the next four years will be appropriate for a team expecting to make multiple runs at a state title.

Johnson Central 35 Perry Country Central 0 Halftime

Johnson Central 43 Mastery Charter North 19 Final

Johnson Central 43 Mastery Charter North 19 3:15 4th 48 yd. pass Workman to Adkins.

Johnson Central 36 Mastery Charter North 19 4:42 4th Another fumble by JC, this one returned for a TD. Starting offense is back in for JC.

Johnson Central 36 Mastery Charter North 13 7:59 4th

End of the 3rd quarter. JC substituted liberally and fumbled twice in the quarter. Lots of freshmen and sophomores playing tonight.

Johnson Central 36 Mastery Charter North 6 45 yd. run by Bryce Skaggs

Johnson Central dominated with its rushing game in the first half with 299 yards. Mastery Charter's receivers dropped several passes and had only 47 yards of total offense in the first half. Johnson Central returned no starters in the backfield this season and I was expecting tonight's game to be closer. Coach Matney noted before the game that teams often have trouble with the Golden Eagles' offense the first time that they face it. That has been true tonight.

Johnson Central 29 Mastery Charter North 6 Halftime