footballfan9

Yes, it is true. I don't know why they are traveling this evening instead of on Saturday.

You can look at that the other way too... perhaps the Lafayette fans didn't engage the SK sideline? It's very hard for me -- and I think most people -- to believe that athletes would first engage fans if there were no provocation. As we all know, incidents like this are not at all uncommon in the world of sports, and 99% of the time it is started with fans, though 100% of the time it is wrong for either side. Say what you will about SK's placement of benches, but we wouldn't be having this conversation if they followed the norm (and apparently, the rule).

Not that it makes much difference, but it was 70-14. Though it might as well have been 100-0 because it was just that much of a beatdown after the first 10 minutes or so.

I was at the Trinity game as well. They weren't at all prepared for a team of that caliber. Given the games that they've played since then, I'm sure they're much better prepared mentally for that level of competition. They have improved a lot, but they do still have some glaring issues.

I have no kids at either school and I'm not a grad of either. I was at the game and also talked to a few reputable people that were on the Lafayette sidelines and can tell you it was going both ways. I don't know who started it, and neither do you, but the stands are largely made up of adults and there's no excuse for that behavior. I have been to all of the Lafayette games this year and have seen nothing like that happening, nor were there any problems on the opposite sideline between the Lafayette stands and the SK sideline. On whole, the game on the field was clean. You've got yapping on only one sideline between kids and adults -- put two and two together.

5 is Branden Layne, a Jr. OLB.

I was there and it was not unprovoked. You can't force a high school team to stand right next to rowdy fans of the opposing team and not expect some adversity. The blame goes both ways and this has not been an issue elsewhere this entire season. On the opposite side of the field, the Lafayette fans did not harass the SK bench and there were no problems -- go figure.

Two of the biggest reasons were Landon Young and Jedrick Wills. During the regular season, they sometimes played red-zone defense, but I don't think they took a play off after the first quarter. They were able to contain the sides of the line and SK just didn't have an answer for them. SK had a bit of success against Lafayette's secondary in the first quarter, but that seemed to stop once their O-line began to break down. There also seemed to be a real attitude shift once Lafayette caught up to, and then passed, SK. SK seemed a bit deflated.

Lafayette has improved defensively in their last two games, and they will need to play that way against Male in order to keep it close. They will also have to avoid committing turnovers and penalties. Perhaps their biggest challenge is their lack of a kicking game. They cannot afford to go three and out and then kick the ball ten yards. Missing PATs, or being forced into going for two because they are afraid to kick it will not work. They will need every point and every yard. Handing Male the ball at midfield is a recipe for disaster, just as it was at Trinity. It is an uphill battle for Lafayette. The Male High School football team is the real deal and they do deserve accolades. To their credit, Lafayette has found a way to win, but they cannot afford to hurt themselves if they are going to compete in this game.

Sorry, but that seems a bit one-sided and not at all consistent with what I personally witnessed and gathered from my own conversations with those on that sideline. Logically, it makes no sense either as Lafayette was down big until just before halftime -- hardly any reason to taunt fans. I guarantee you the SK crowd was not blameless in the exchange. If we're all honest here, it's just a bad situation in which to place high school kids. This isn't the NFL and these guys aren't pros. Instead of trying to intimidate teams by forcing them to stand next to the home stands, keep it classy and give each team and their fans their own space. It's just a bad idea. Well, I hope the 2 SK coaches weren't spending a lot of time trying to watch their play calls. That seems rather unsportsmanlike. And if they were, it was time poorly spent because it didn't seem to help.

Defense has indeed been an issue with Lafayette. The secondary has not been challenged very much and is susceptible to big passing plays. The front line has been porous at times. When Jedrick Wills and Landon Young play both sides of the ball, then the story changes and the defense becomes a lot more stout. But playing both offense and defense is sure to wear them down by the 4th quarter. If they play defense like they did in the second half of the SK game then they have a shot at making it a game. If they don't then it should be an easy win for Male. Lafayette has grown tremendously since they played Trinity -- that was something of a wakeup call for them. But even so, they've been inconsistent and are prone to getting into trouble due to penalties, the occasional turnover, and a woeful kicking game. They will have to play the perfect game, and Male will have to make many mistakes, for Lafayette to have a chance to win, though I honestly don't see that happening. Male may very well score 70, but I don't expect Lafayette to get shut out like Central Hardin.

I attended the game and just wanted to offer a different perspective here. I have no kids at nor am I employed by either school. I am from Lexington and sat on the Lafayette side, so I did not have a clear view of what was happening on the other sideline, though I did talk to a couple of people who were standing there. Apparently, individuals in the SK crowd were yelling insults at the Lafayette kids. In fairness, I understand that a few of them shouted right back. Ideally, players and coaches remain focused on the game and ignore the crowd, but it's an emotional environment and sometimes that does not happen. The blame for any verbal exchange rests squarely on both parties. Having the visiting team's bench directly in front of the home stand is a very bad idea and it is asking for just that type of confrontation. Any reasonable person would have to assume it's intended to intimidate the other team, which itself seems rather low class. I would like to note that I heard absolutely no verbal exchanges between the Lafayette crowd and the SK bench. Read into that whatever you will. As far as the game goes, there were tough football plays on both sides, but nothing seemed to get out of hand. I saw players on both sides showing good sportsmanship. At the end of the game, everyone shook hands and there seemed to be no ill will between the teams. My conclusion is this: move the benches and you wont have players and fans tempted to yell at each other. I've attended every Lafayette game this season and this has not been an issue. If you weren't there at the game, then you probably shouldn't just jump to conclusions.