rerun

I’ll watch the game tomorrow on livestream, but from what I saw at the stadium, it was at best, damp.

I guess it depends on the definition of mud…As always though, whether dirt, wet grass, or mud, it was the same for both teams.

Mud?? There was no mud at all. There was a light misty rain for a few hours before the game which could’ve made the field a little slick. But mud? No.

As an Ashland fan I hate to see that even if it means a win or a loss. The kid needs to keep his head up and realize there were many plays that could have changed the outcome. Could've gone either way, just like last week for the Tomcats. Seemingly one play made the difference, but in reality, you just don't know.

Slight chance of light showers in the afternoon with temps in the upper 60's to low 70's. The field is still in good shape and should easily dissipate any moisture that falls today. Should be a fast track.

All Ashland home games are streamed on Mytowntv. Just click on the Ashland link on the website and you’re good to go.

That's definitely me, I was doing that at the beach a few weeks ago. I got frustrated and went to the local JFL game to count mouthpieces dangling from helmets. ?

Many kids wear mouth guards not attached to helmets. That's fine. Same thing all the way up through the NFL. My issue, as I stated earlier is the traditional mouth guard hanging from the helmet. If it's attached it should be in your mouth, not dangling like you see on almost every snap in the NFL, especially at the receiver positions?? At least in the JFL kids are told to put it back in, as they always have been for decades, by coaches, refs, etc. The difference is today some kids are doing it, not out of forgetfulness, but imitation, and they begrudge being corrected because they are trying to copy the look of their NFL heroes. Heck, I was a little chubby white kid but I still wore my orange Wilt Chamberlain headband because I wanted to be like Wilt every time I played ball or looked in the mirror. That's harmless and funny. But the mouthpiece is a huge safety factor and should be modeled correctly by the professionals, on every snap.

This has filtered down from the NFL. Mainly with receivers and defensive backs. If you never put it in your mouth then don’t hang one from your face mask. Sets a bad example as I see JFL kids imitating the behavior.

Then I would say after watching the Johnson Central film the Simon Kenton coaches are salivating....If Ashland does the same thing and expects different results then they may be in for a tough night.

I'm not sure Ashland was flat on defense. Three down lineman with outside linebacker bodies moving up to the line of scrimmage for a five man front was not a winning formula to stop the Johnson Central run attack. How about an even front? Maybe a split four and then you can move those outside linebackers to line of scrimmage when the situation requires it. I'm a believer in our coaching staff but we needed more bodies in the box Friday night. I do think the Tomcats bounce back this week but if we play another run orientated team and continue to do the same thing we'll make an early exit in the playoffs.

Hey, from a Tomcat fan....Are they are a solid football team? Yes. Do they stand a chance of winning 4A? No. Their last two games of the year against Johnson Central and Simon Kenton should be a challenge and also give us an idea about how much noise they can make in the playoffs.

Offenses, as mentioned earlier, have evolved to very complex systems. High school coaches have to spend an inordinate amount of time on offense which, of course, leaves less time to spend on defense. Defending against these schemes requires more time, not less.

I'm getting old so my memory may be failing me but it seemed like Ashland was number 4 last week. On Friday they beat a perennial power on the road in West Virginia's largest division by three touchdowns. One of the teams moving in front of them this week beat a very good 2A team, the other beat a mildly decent 5A team. These are nice wins but probably not as nice as what the Tomcats did. Don't get me wrong, I have no idea if Ashland is a better team than the two moving in front of them, but if they weren't in front of them last week they shouldn't be in front of them this week. Not that this matters and Ashland, IMO, is still a year away from being a danger to crack the top 4.

I don't think Ashland has the potential to compete with Corbin or Boyle. I do think they have the potential to beat Johnson Central but I'm not convinced they are there at this point in time. They just have too much youth, especially on defense. The thing about young kids is they normally have a steep learning curve. If they continue to develop I think beating Johnson Central is a real possibility. Corbin or Boyle County, not this year.

Doesn't really matter, with Covington Catholic holding the solid third this is just a discussion about who gets second pick of the leftovers...

Scott is a fine man and a great coach, he just needs time. He didn't have the horses tonight, plain and simple. Ashland has kept the momentum from last season and continues to improve with every game. Their offense is starting to arrive and their defense continues to develop.

As a Tomcat fan I was surprised to see them at preseason #5. If they continue to progress at the rate they did last year then maybe by season's end they'll be worthy of a top 5 ranking. I'd love to see them be competitive with the top 4 but I don't see it happening this year. If they were still in 3A I would be a lot more confident in a top 5 ranking but that's water under the bridge....

Both teams had their chances. Refs were letting them play the entire game. Very physical from the onset. Nice win for the Tomcats, the Red Devils left it all on the court. Hated to see either team lose.

Great game. The difference was the McCracken run at the end of the first half. Ashland showed a lot of grit and character in the 4th quarter. Good luck to McCracken.

Nice synopsis Mr. Jones. I appreciate the time you put into this.

Hoping for Raceland to pull the upset but in the end Pikeville wins but not in dominate fashion with the score ending up somewhere in the 21-10 range.

Well said. I agree…

You're all over this one Devil and I agree 100%. Coach will have his team prepared but with the young Tomcats and a team like CAL it will take more than preparation to get the win. They will have to play a near perfect game, get the big calls, and have turnovers go their way to even contend. To their credit all you can do in these situations is prepare and work on the things you can control, which is what they're doing, and then hope the things that you can't control go your way...