brooksville

Final from Newport. Bracken County scored first on a 22-yard field goal. They had a TD run called back for holding. Newport scored on a 20-yard pass with 1:46 until the half. Halftime was 7-3 Newport. Polar Bear Greg Benedict got an interception on the goal line and took it 40 yards. Andrew Kirk would eventually have 23-yard touchdown run to put Bracken County up 10-7 with 1:39 in the 3Q. Daulton Tarter would score a touchdown with a 22-yard run with 7:49 in the 4Q. After that JV would play with no more scores.

Halftime: Newport 7, Bracken County 3 Bracken County scored first on a 22-yard PAT. They had a TD run called back for holding. Newport scored on a 20 yard pass with 1:46 until the half

Bracken County: https://bluegrasspreps.com/forums/topic/251190-2025-bracken-county-polar-bears/ Newport: https://bluegrasspreps.com/forums/topic/251463-2025-newport-wildcats/

I do hate when photographers sit under basket inside the free throw lane. I think the NFHS has a rule about that but it’s up to the officials to enforce.

Bracken County is ranked #9 in Class 2A according to the Herald-Leader coaches poll. Newport is unranked in Class 1A.

Polar Bears head to Newport Friday—kickoff at 6:00 pm.

Here is the KHSAA policy: https://khsaa.org/media-reports-stats-pubs/media-resources/media-credentials/ Most of the state championship events are $150 for commercial photo/videographers. However, it's $350 for basketball and football state championships. I checked the state associations of Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana, and they do not even allow commercial photographers at state events. If you sell your photos/videos, you have to pay the fee. If you are taking photos to be used in articles, you don't have to pay the fee. I will say, the baseline at the KHSAA basketball state events has been pretty crowded the last several years, and I wouldn't be surprised if they raise the commercial fee or not allow as many or any commercial photographers. This would only allow photographers from print/web outlets, school media, and KHSAA's official photographers. The 9th Region charged a fee this year for commercial photographers, too. After seeing the situation with Cooper, I think every school athletic department should create a fair policy for the media at athletic events, especially when it comes to being on the football sidelines or the basketball baseline. Anyone with a camera should not be allowed on the field saying they are media. But this person had been to multiple Cooper games it sounds like. And let's not forget what happened at Trinity, where a photographer filed a lawsuit because he was injured on the sidelines.

I feel like bad parking is part of the experience. I've been to several SEC road games for Kentucky and I always have to park miles away and walk through the campus. ?

I have a thread started about the Bracken/Bourbon/Rowan. The Bourbon County football coach made a Facebook post about what happened. https://bluegrasspreps.com/forums/topic/253071-bracken-county-vs-bourbon-county-vs-rowan-county-scrimmage/

Here is what that person/org posted on social media. Here is their page: https://www.instagram.com/rooksportsdidit?igsh=MW9xc2hkYnFjYWFtMw==

This was posted by the Bourbon County coach on Facebook: Just walked out of a Sunday morning meeting with my seniors and this post was sent to me. Danny Hudnall has my phone number and most certainly could have reached out. I am not that hard to find. Friday night as our Varsity was playing on one side, Rowan county changed up the format and made our JV play at the same time. I should have never let that happen. I even went to the refs and told them before the scrimmage started that I didn’t like having 2 teams playing at the same time. They wanted to save time so they went against the scrimmage format. Bourbon JV was scoring at will against Rowan. A kid from Rowan JV was ejected for throwing a punch. A few plays later, a shoving match started. Once all that was calmed down. 2 players got into another shoving match. 2 players from Rowan, and the assistant coach were all over my kid. The assistant coach hit him in the throat and my kid then proceeded to grab a helmet off and swing it. Yes. It shouldn't have happened. Not my self nor Rowan’s Coach teaches that. But they’re 14/15 year old kids. At no point should a helmet be swung and at no point should a paid coach and 2 players be hitting another kid either. We preach accountability. And have already moved on from this without a few of our players and coaches moving forward with us. Where was the microscope last week when these kids were giving back to their community. that's life and those tough decisions rest with me alone. But for this post to be made without Danny even being there is comical. So it must be personal? My Advice- Before we point fingers we first must sweep our own porch. We have to show the same accountability that you are requesting from others. - Be Accountable in your marriage. - Be an Accountable Father. - Be an Acountable Foreign exchange parent. - Be an Accountable Land lord. Then point fingers.

Posted by Football of Kentucky DBA on Facebook: This is how Rowan County and Bourbon County turned out. Player got his helmet taken off and another player hit him in the head with it. Fighting on the field, fighting in the stands. Cops called. Ridiculous. Also posted in the comments: Someone just sent this to our inbox regarding the matter : ⬇️ “Rowan co was getting beat bad jv, and started to get mad players ran on the field from their sideline and attacked a Boco player. The player shown bleeding ran 40 yards to fight a player jumped in his face by throwing a punch. The helmet came off and got hit Rowan coach put hands on bourbon player racist slurs being used vs fans n the stands”

Posted by Football of Kentucky DBA on Facebook: This is how Rowan County and Bourbon County turned out. Player got his helmet taken off and another player hit him in the head with it. Fighting on the field, fighting in the stands. Cops called. Ridiculous. Also posted in the comments: Someone just sent this to our inbox regarding the matter : ⬇️ “Rowan co was getting beat bad jv, and started to get mad players ran on the field from their sideline and attacked a Boco player. The player shown bleeding ran 40 yards to fight a player jumped in his face by throwing a punch. The helmet came off and got hit Rowan coach put hands on bourbon player racist slurs being used vs fans n the stands”

Painting with broad strokes there my friend. Parents and family are still the number one factor in child’s behavior. You can’t blame a teacher for how a kid acts on the football field where they can’t control their behavior or hold them accountable. That’s directly on the coach and parents.

Lovell Martin posted this on Facebook. Apparently the KHSAA sent out this message to head coaches.

He has moved to OL/DL. Greg Benedict is the QB now.

I will be here taking photos and looking forward to it. They have been longtime 37th District rivals for the last 20 years. It's always hard to predict a matchup between class sizes. However, I will give the edge to Scott. Using the MasseyRatings from last year, the score is Brossart 30, Scott 28.

I think so too. They lost a whopping 26 seniors. That group had a great run as well in their four years.

From a Bracken County parent: “The Bracken County Polar Bears had a successful first scrimmage against 4A Rowan County and 3A Bourbon County. Unfortunately we didn’t get to compete as much as we wanted to due to a fight between the other two teams which caused the event to be ended early. While watching two other teams behave poorly, I was really proud to be a Polar Bear. In 10 offensive and 10 defensive plays with our varsity guys beat Rowan 21-0 and Bourbon 21-0. We are at Newport next Friday night.”

I believe Guy Turner is still waiting to be ruled eligible by the KHSAA.

From 10thRegion.com PARIS, KY – Last winter, the Paris Administration introduced Dane Damron as the next football coach at Paris High School, taking over the position that was previously held by Tyquan Rice, who guided his alma mater for four years. Under Rice, the Greyhounds were a household name in Class 1A football, consistently staying among the top five each year. Rice left his position and was later named the new head coach at Bourbon County. With an entirely new coaching staff and team, Coach Damron will inherit a Paris football team that finished last season 7-5 and bowed out to eventual state champion Lexington Sayre in the 1A state playoffs regional semifinals. The game was tied at 20-all midway through the third quarter before the Spartans reeled off 21 unanswered points to pull out the win. Coach Damron, the quarterback of the 1991 National Championship Georgetown Tiger Football Team, brings tons of experience to the program, having started his career as a graduate assistant under the legendary Coach Roy Kidd. He went on to spend seven years as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky University, including five years as the offensive coordinator. In addition, Damron spent time as a head coach at Kentucky Christian College and Virginia-Wise, as well as Boyd County (KY) and Lake Gibson High School in Florida. The new Paris coach will need his knowledge and experience of the game to try and rebuild a Greyhound program that took a big hit after last season, which saw over 20 players graduate or transfer out. Graduating was three-year “electrifying” starter Elijah Webb, the team’s leading receiver, along with Alex Koeder, the team’s leading rusher. Also gone is four-year starter Preston Cowan, who led 1A in total tackles in 2024, as well as Kaden Frederick, a former 1,000-yard passing quarterback. Paris lost a total of 11 seniors from Rice’s final squad, and then you throw in the numerous players that transferred out of the program, one can easily see why Dameron’s job, in trying to keep the Hounds with the elite in 1A, will be extremely tough. However, the cup wasn’t left dry. Returning from last year’s squad that played a pivotal role on the team for the past two years are juniors Madi Bell (266 rushing yards & 99 total tackles), Brandon Santiago (173 rushing yards, 264 receiving yards, 8 total TDs & 52 total tackles), and Chase Williams, who finished his sophomore season with 70 total tackles, with 12 going for a loss. They, along with newcomer Trevion Mizell, and senior Aiden Goff, should be a good nucleus to build from, however, after talking with the coach, he knows he will need to develop a lot more kids right away if they’re going to get through their very demanding schedule that very well could be one of the toughest in 1A. The Hounds will open their season on August 22nd at longtime rival Frankfort. Their first home game will be August 29th when Williamsburg comes to town for the Greyhound Hall of Fame Game. Up next on “Decade of Dominance” night, Pineville will be in Paris on September 5th. On September 12th, 2A power Somerset will take on the Greyhounds in the Blanton Coller Classic. September 19th, Damron’s Hounds will host an exceptionally good Newport team for homecoming. Paris will finally be back on the road on September 26th when they make the long journey to 5A Perry County Central. Following their idle week, the Greyhounds, for their first district game of the season, will make the short journey to Carlisle, where they will face off against the rival Nicholas County on their new turf field that will take place on October 12th. Defending state 1A runner-up and district foe Raceland will host Paris on October 19th, just before the grid Hounds conclude their final two games of the regular season at home when they battle Fairview (October 24th) and Morgan County (October 31st). “I am honored to be the head football coach at Paris High School,” Damron said when he was hired as the new coach. “This program has a rich tradition, and I look forward to building on that legacy. My goal is to develop a culture of hard work, accountability, and perseverance—both on and off the field and work with our student-athletes to achieve great things together.” The Greyhounds are scheduled to be in Owingsville on Friday, August 8th, for a four-way scrimmage that will involve host Bath County, Paris, Powell County, and West Carter. On Friday, August 15th, the Hounds will be at Nicholas County for a scrimmage against a team to be named later.

From 10thRegion.com The Mason County Royals football team has a new head coach and several new starters after graduating 26 seniors from last year’s 8-4 team that lost to Ashland in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. After four seasons as the Royals' head coach, Joe Wynn resigned in January to become the coach of the Simon Kenton Pioneers. Mason County hired Tony Adams in February, but he resigned in April. Bradley Boone, a 2015 Mason County graduate, was promoted to head coach in April after serving as an assistant coach for six seasons. The new coach is very excited. “It’s a great opportunity, you know, to continue to learn and lead this program and make it to what I see and what I would like it to be,” Boone said. “You know, following the footsteps of Coach [David] Buchanan and Coach [Jonathan] Thomas and Coach Wynn. Coach Buchanan was my head coach. Coach Thomas was my freshman head coach, and then when I first came back after college, starting with him, and then being with Coach Wynn the past four years, I’ve learned a tremendous amount from all three of those guys. And now to think that I’m the one in control and the head of the program is really cool.” Boone said summer practice has gone very well. “The kids are working very hard; learning a new system offensively,” Boone said. “…Just understanding the different run schemes and pass schemes we’ve implemented, and defensively, we’re doing the same thing we’ve done the past four years.” Junior Camden Gregory is the heir apparent at quarterback following the graduation of Teegin Routt, who passed for 27 touchdowns and 2,339 yards last season. Boone said Gregory “has progressed all summer,” and will be protected by an offensive line that Boone calls “the strength of the team.” Four seniors will anchor the offensive line: Gavin Redmond at center, guards Maddox Spencer and Will Dotson, and tackle Cash Cooke. They will be joined by sophomore tackle Bentley Fox. The Royals return three experienced running backs who combined for 15 touchdowns and 961 yards. “It’s a three-headed monster,” Boone said. “Joey Staggs, Lennie Avery, and Hayden Horn, that we will rotate a ton and they’re going to play a lot of snaps.” Mason County’s receiving corps is young. “I think we have a lot of talent there, it’s just kids that’s been at the JV level,” Boone said. “Micah Payne is the only one that returns that has any action at the wide receiver position.” Boone mentioned several names on defense who have stood out, including Payne, who has moved from cornerback to safety, Staggs at linebacker, Avery at safety, and Dotson, Spencer, Fox, and Jivon Tennell upfront. “We have a lot of guys I feel like at the D-line level that can play, probably eight to nine guys that we can rotate, which is very good for us,” Boone said. Staggs led the team in tackles last season with 46. Payne had three interceptions. The Royals will travel to Scott High on Friday to scrimmage the Eagles, and will host the Conner Cougars for a scrimmage on August 18. The season opener on August 22 vs. the Bracken County Polar Bears in Brooksville will be the first meeting between the two programs. “I expect the atmosphere to be great; I expect a lot of people to be there,” Boone said. “I know they’re very excited for it, we’re very excited for it, and I think it will be a very good football game.” Mason County’s home opener is August 29 vs. the Montgomery County Indians. The Royals will host state powerhouses Highlands and Covington Catholic on back-to-back weeks in October. Covington Catholic has been in the district for the past two seasons. Highlands joins the district this season. “What I’ve told the kids, what I’ve told the coaches-it is what it is. There’s nothing we can do, it’s out of our control,” Boone said. “We have to play those district games, and we’re going to go into that week competing, trying to win just like we do every other game. We know that they’re very, very good, and we are going to have to play very well in those games to compete, but we’re not going to back down from anyone, and that’s just going to be our motto going into those weeks.” Harrison County is the other district opponent. Holmes is not competing in the district, so Covington Catholic, Highlands, Harrison County, and Mason County are all guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Alumni Night, featuring former Royals playing a 7-on-7 game, was held on August 1. “Alumni Night, I thought, went very well,” Boone said. “When I first wanted to overtake the program, one of my biggest things was getting the alumni more involved, whether that be, you know, at games, on Thursday’s at the end of practice, going into the regular season I want to bring in alumni to talk to the kids, to kinda motive them, to kinda talk to them about their playing days, how they’re going to miss it, you know, when they’re done.” Schedule: Aug 22 at Bracken County Aug 29 vs. Montgomery County Sep 5 vs Fleming County Sep 12 vs. Boyd County Sep 19 at Boone County Sep 26 - Bye Oct 3 at Lawrence County Oct 10 at Harrison County Oct 17 vs. Highlands Oct 24 vs. Covington Catholic Oct 31 at Newport Central Catholic

From 10thRegion.com Coming off its first playoff win since 2019, George Rogers Clark returns to the field this season with a seasoned core ready to build on that success. The Cardinals’ 14-6 win at Lafayette last November was the program’s first road win in the postseason since 2006, as well as their first under head coach Joe Chirico, an eastern Kentucky transplant who starred for Marshall University. Statistically, GRC doesn’t bring back much on offense — its top two rushers, passers and receivers all graduated — but a bevy of seniors and juniors waiting in the wings are more experienced than raw numbers show. Chirico’s eager for them to start writing their story. That veteran presence is especially evident along the offensive and defensive lines, a “seasoned” group and perhaps the most physically mature one on the team. Across the board, Scotty Mitchell, Buddy Leaval, Colton Johns and Santi Guerrant are “guys who’ve been out there and worked hard,” Chirico says. Having that kind of experience should be steadying early on, and over the course of the season may continue to pay dividends in late-game moments. In addition to being a first-team member of central Kentucky’s All-Name Team, Stryker Davidson led the team in tackles (96) and sacks (6) last year as a junior. “He fits that name,” Chirico said with a laugh. The Cards also bring back linebacker Cole Rose, their second leading tackler (82, 2 sacks) and an Eastern Kentucky commit. Trey Davis, a junior who’s started since his freshman season, is poised to make a leap, potentially on both sides of the ball; he’s the top returning rusher (196 yards, 2 TDs on 29 carries) and among the top returning receivers (124 yards, 1 TD on 9 catches). “We’ve got a lot of guys that’ve played a lot of reps,” Chirico said. “Does that mean we’re gonna win games? No. But it means they’ve got experience. That’s exciting." Chirico, who’s in his fifth season guiding the program after nearly a decade at Paintsville High School, can see his philosophy beginning to manifest at GRC. He coached in eastern Kentucky for almost two decades before moving to Winchester, and it takes time to shift a culture — especially on the football field. “Hard work pays off and getting kids accustomed to the way I coach and the way I go about the game — and I’m not saying I’m right — but that takes a little bit of time to get everyone to understand,” Chirico said. “No one really knew me here … so it took a few minutes to get folks acclimated to our staff.” The results reflect that buy-in. Last season’s playoff win was a program-defining moment, sparking increased buy-in and offseason commitment. “Time off” in the weight room has been nearly non-existent, and increased strength will be crucial to navigating a tough schedule that kicks off at Scott County and features additional road games at veteran-heavy Montgomery County and a Henry Clay program expected to be much improved under new coach Philip Hawkins. That’s in addition to an always stacked district slate (Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass, Madison Central). Class 6A is a different animal from any in Kentucky high school football. As GRC continues to solidify and strive for bigger stages come playoff time, it’ll have to remain focused on each incremental moment presented for it to get better. “Hopefully we play hard,” Chirico said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

He got injured over the summer and is out for the season.