TCR

Coach Sphire along Athletic Director Wes Caldwell are first class. Enjoyed the opportunity to meet both. Despite having known about Coach Sphire for a number of years, this was my first time meeting him. Same with Wes Caldwell, who played on Coach Sphire's state championship team in 2005. Highlands has a nice team and as expected, will be one of the top contenders in a tough 4A class. They have a lot of versatility across the roster. Combined with their depth they have the capability of matching up with just about any style of football. The seniors on this Ashland team finish their careers with 37 wins, a regional title and two district titles. Several of them contributed from the time they were freshman on a team that was written off after a 2-4 start in 2022. That team ended up making the state semifinals. I will remember this group for a long time not just for on field accomplishments, but also the way they handled adversity. Injuries are common in football but Ashland had a voluminous amount by the end of the season. Then the passing of long time announcer Dicky Martin on October 15, a void that continues to be felt throughout the community. Coach Chad Tackett and his staff provided strong leadership and the players continued to go out there each week and represent their community with pride. Special thank you to the seniors: #0 Dylan Duckwyler #1 Mason Wolfe #3 Sam Lyons #4 Rieday Rucker #5 Keshawn Newman #11 Bryden Hughes #28 Cam Davis #31 Gustabo Roblero #33 Branden McGee #42 James Crace #46 Bryce Ramsdell #50 Baker Sutton #51 Luke Corliss #54 Tanner Abb #55 Brady Marushi #64 Ben Prichard #75 Todd Miller #78 Miles Hutchinson #83 Troy Barnett

http://979theriver.com/ashland-tomcat-sports-2/ Audio for the game.

A hard fought game between two tough teams. My highest compliments to the fan base at Whitley County who drove around three hours on a school night to support their program. They fed off the energy their talented team brought. Ashland's resilience continues to impress, being in high pressure situations as they trailed by three late in the first set and by seven early in the second set. First set: Ashland jumped out to a 7-2 lead early, before Whitley County would counter with a 10-2 run of their own to take a 12-9 lead. It felt like Whitley County had firm control of the set from that point. Reagan Issac is incredible and I believe she had something like ten kills in the first set. Whitley's defense adjusted and they did a better job defending Ashland at the net. Ashland played from behind until the score hit 22-19 and would conclude the set on an 8-3 run to win it 27-25. A big part of that was going over the middle, doing a great job getting the ball to Miley Murphy and Elise Marcum to make the plays. This Ashland team is extremely resilient. They have won several sets this year when trailing late. Second set: Whitley County came out on fire, extending an early 5-1 lead to 12-5. Ashland would come back with an 8-1 run out a timeout to tie it up at 13. Whitley County maintained control, a big part being how they defended Ashland's hitting from the outside. The Kittens took their first lead of the set at 21-20 and would close it out on a 4-1 run. They just built so much momentum with the 8-1 run to tie it and then that late surge to win it 25-21. Later in the set Ashland did a better job making it harder for Whitley County to set up Reagan Issac. Easier said than done, but she was not getting the ball in the same positioning she had earlier on. It's almost always a point for Whitley County when she hits it as she has 500+ kills on the year. Third set: After Whitley County opened up on a 3-0 run, Ashland countered by going on a 17-4 run to take a 17-7 lead. It looked like Whitley County was starting to wear down during this stretch as Ashland continued to pile it on with the momentum in their direction, but after a timeout Whitley County would go on a 12-4 run to cut the Ashland lead to 21-19. Ashland would respond in particular with two big plays from Elise Marcum over the middle (including the set point) and an ace from Olivia Wiley that hit just near the back sideline. Ashland would win the set 25-21. This may be one of the best atmospheres I have been around at a game in any sport. Whitley County brought an electric crowd and Ashland, at home, had a huge turnout with support from athletes and coaches from multiple sports along with a great community turnout. Both teams played so hard and each set went down to the wire. The two coaches in this matchup are exactly the type one would want representing their community. David Halcomb at Whitley County is passionate about the program and has been trusted in multiple sports. He serves as the softball coach and has also coached basketball at the school. Winning four regional titles in a row is incredible and his 2023 team was the first team at the school in any sport to win back-to-back regional titles. This is also a young Whitley County team that has a lot coming back. Jason Clark came to Ashland after a decorated coaching run at Raceland in the 2010's where he won back-to-back regional titles. After a 30+ win team in his first year at Ashland that lost in the regional finals, they have pulled off two in a row and now the first ever Elite Eight appearance. Seeing Coach Clark in tears after that game talking about how much the Ashland community meant to him was amazing. These two coaches have served their communities, have been a huge part of growing the sport in their areas, and have a lot to be proud of.

After reviewing statistics that is correct, all three played in that game and had over ten carries each.

Johnson Central executed nicely on both sides of the ball. I believe this is the first time, all season, the backfield of Perry, Music, and Morrow have played together. Morrow came back a couple of weeks ago (Injury) but Perry was hurt in that two week stretch Morrow played and just came back. Morrow, I always thought was highly underrated. Ran for 100 yards against Ashland two years ago when as a sophomore and hearly had 100 in this game. Johnson Central PA announcer George Salyers led the crowd with a statement followed by a moment of silence to honor the life and legacy of legendary Ashland announcer Dicky Martin before the game. George delivered a heartfelt and thoughtfully crafted statement, so impactful that it was mentioned to me by multiple Ashland fans who appreciated it. The kind gesture toward an announcing legend and even better man by Johnson Central meant a lot.

Dicky Martin truly had my back during a tough stretch in my life, following the loss of my father. I will never forget the kindness and support he showed me. In late 2019 and into 2020, it felt as though Dicky swooped in and helped reverse the course of multiple areas that were going south. On the announcing side, Dicky will always be the voice of the Tomcats. His talent, passion, and presence behind the microphone were unmatched. A Hall of Famer in Kentucky, his résumé was filled with moments and memories forged through years of dedication to the game, the athletes, and the community he loved. While such accomplishments highlight the legendary announcer he was, I would like to take a moment to reflect on another side of Dicky Martin. The man, Dicky Martin. Dicky Martin was a man who had faith in Jesus Christ. He was the kind of person who went above and beyond for others—offering rides to games for those who may not have had a way to get there. The community involvement he had, helping those in need. A Father figure to some players, who sadly did not have that at home. Dicky took time to critique games, and providing honest, encouraging feedback to young broadcasters and players alike. Dicky was also a deeply devoted grandfather who often spoke with pride about his family. His kindness, generosity, and compassion left a tremendous impact on everyone he met. Having played football at Ashland during my high school years, I would occasionally see Dicky around the program or in the community, exchanging nods or greetings at the gas station or a local restaurant. In 2017, during my first season calling semi-pro football, I sought his advice. He graciously shared his contact information, and we would occasionally talk during halftime of games. In late 2018 life brought a series of challenges including the loss of my cat Bubba who I was attached to, followed by my Father after a lengthy illness in January 2019. By the summer of 2019 I was a shell of myself and to stay active in something, the goal was decided to attend every Ashland game I could that fall. During halftime at one of the basketball games, Dicky was in the lobby. I thought about searching to give announcing at the high school level a try and with the season being halfway over, did not expect anything available until possibly the fall, nearly a year away. Dicky would extend the invitation to join him on a game, which again shows how Dicky was looking to go above and beyond to help somebody. That first game held deep personal significance with it being exactly one year after my father’s passing on January 9, 2020. But it was the second game was when I grew to know what Dicky was really like as a person. Afterward I thanked Dicky for the opportunity and shared the struggles over the past year. A heartfelt conversation in the parking lot revealed shared ground and began a connection that would leave a profound impact on me. Dicky played a pivotal role in helping me emerge from a place of grief and despair. He became, in many ways, a father figure during a rough patch. Dicky Martin’s faith in Christ and his character stood even greater than his legendary voice. His kindness—whether through a ride given, a door held open, or a word of encouragement—flowed naturally from his unwavering faith and generous heart. Unlike the announcing end where Dicky had the required talent, this asks for no spotlight and requires no extraordinary talent, only a willingness to serve others. Dicky Martin was, is, and will forever be the voice of the Tomcats. As great of an announcer as he was, he had a strong faith in Christ and was an even better man. His legacy of kindness, faith, and excellence will stretch for generations.

It was in 2001, a 40-20 Rowan County win at Johnson Central.

Nice win for Ashland! Greenup continues to fight! If there was a theme to this game it would be resilience. Starting with Greenup County. What a job Travis Jones has done there! 16-12, last year won Eastern Kentucky Conference Coach of the Year. Greenup County has some consistency on their coaching staff as a whole and this game says a lot about the toughness instilled in these players. Although Greenup didn't win, they could have easily said "here we go again" (The last time Greenup beat Ashland was 1999) after Ashland opened up with a 73 yard run and broke open another long run before fumbling the ball back to Greenup. To top that off, Greenup would trail 28-7. Definitely a situation where they could have folded and they did not. Greenup County's passing game clicked in the second half which would lead to a touchdown to cut the lead 28-14, followed by an interception return by Jasper Davis that cut the lead to 28-21. Ashland stepped it up and made a couple of huge plays. Cam Davis would bust loose again for a long touchdown run to increase Ashland's lead back to 35-21. Greenup would drive and get to the Ashland 18 before Trevonte Taylor would come up with an interception. Ashland came out in the wishbone and ran the remaining four minutes off the clock. Ashland faced adversity and had a nice response. Ashland's offensive line is doing a great job up front and right now they are the #2 rushing team in 4A behind Johnson Central.

Great showing from Pikeville, what incredible resilience! You have to give Pikeville even more credit when you consider how young they are, showing mental toughness at that caliber. We're talking about a team that has had no seniors throw or run the ball, only one that has posted receptions, and only one of their top five leading tacklers are in their senior season. That is a great win to be proud of, and coming over a rival that everybody knows is no pushover is what makes this such a great victory for Pikeville. They will have tremendous opportunities over the next couple of weeks against Johnson Central and Belfry. Excited to continue to keep up with Pikeville over the course of the season. Always does a great job representing EKY! As for Raceland, this is disappointing for them but can be a great lesson/learning experience. Just think of it this way, going back to 2005 - St. X would defeat Trinity 48-16 when the two teams met in September. The two would meet for the state championship with Trinity winning 14-6 as underdogs. Both games were played back then at Papa John's Stadium in Louisville (Even their regular season matchup) and although X had a key injury that altered their approach to the state championship game, they picked up a lot of penalties in the first half and had problems executing. It seemed like X peaked a little too soon that year while Trinity peaked at the right time. A big win is always positive, but the way this unfolds could be a hidden opportunity if the two schools meet in the playoffs as they have five out of the last eight seasons.

Congratulations to Pikeville! They did what they needed to do, made some adjustments after the CAL game and picked up a nice win representing against an out of state opponent. Having covered Cabell Midland a time or two the last few years, they have been a consistent contender but are still adapting to change after Coach Luke Salmons departed in 2024 for Corbin. Cabell Midland had two state championship appearances (2012 and 2019) while being in contention most years during Coach Salmons' time there. They hired assistant Eric Fetty after John Ashworth left, with the team going 5-6 in his lone season but making a nice comeback after an 0-5 start. Coach Fetty's offense is one with an emphasis on running the ball. West Virginia's culture has changed dramatically over the past five seasons or so. I do not know a lot about some of the changes with the rules, etc. but it is becoming more common to see a program become totally decimated after a successful coach leaves. With that being said, I don't think that is the case with Cabell Midland. It will continue to take hard work while also being patient with setbacks for them to continue to be successful. Coach Fetty is in his first season this year and has stability, having been around the program a long time. With that, this is still his first year as a head coach. There is so much to that position in your first year. The administrative aspect of it, and other areas are such big learning points for anybody but I am sure Coach Fetty will continue to put all he has into it and do an excellent job for the program. They still have some key players back from last season and by the end of the year could be in the thick of things. As for Pikeville, as usual they have stacked their schedule early. Their 2022 state championship team started 0-2, their 2023 state championship team started 3-2 and the tough early scheduling paid off. They make tremendous strides over the course of the season and I think will be in the hunt for another title. Should be a great game against Raceland next week, and then travel on the road against Belfry followed by Johnson Central. The games particularly against Cabell Midland, Belfry, and Johnson Central, with their strong emphasis on power running, should provide excellent repetitions should there be a second encounter with Raceland.

Congratulations to Woodford County and great job representing the state! This is a GREAT win for the program! Harvest Prep has four state semi-final appearance since 2016 and in two of those they were a score away from going to the state finals. They are big, physical, and a volumnious number of players have gone to the collegiate level from Harvest Prep. Woodford off to a nice start and what a job Coach Johnson has done there. We're talking about a program that was 8-36 in his first four seasons (2015 - 2018) including 0-10 in 2017. From 2019 - 2024 Woodford County went 49-17, and are already off to a 2-0 start this year. Congratulations and way to represent!

Congratulations to Johnson Central. Madison Central has a nice team and this has been an interesting series! Overall, Johnson Central has improved to 3-9 all-time against Madison Central. Two of the last three matchups (including this one) have been decided by a touchdown or less. Both programs love to run the football!

Have not seen stats for the Moeller game yet but the finish was wild - Mount St. Carmel (Ill.) won by driving the field and scoring as time expired, deciding to go for the two point conversion. Five star prospect Quinten Burrell would catch the pass from QB Emmitt Dowling to pick up the win against Moeller. Wishing the Shamrocks all the best this week. They have done an excellent job representing the state!

A big win for Russell, and some heavy positives both teams. As mentioned above, Frasure continues to impress. He just looks so comfortable in the pocket and hits his receivers in stride. It was a defensive back and forth early until Russell hit Cayden Pennington deep on third and long. That, I felt like, was a huge play that opened the game up early. If you're Russell, you have to be pleased that the team is giving this kind of response without Benge. The run wasn't there all evening, but they went against a pretty solid run defense. This put more pressure on Frasure to deliver and he went above and beyond when it came to delivering. Does anybody know of games where a QB has completed 100% throwing 10 or passes? Regarding Greenup County, you never want to lose but this truly tells me the positives of where they are at as a program - that they are going in the right direction. Losing the talent they did last year, would have been a big setback for their program normally. For Greenup County, I compare this year to 2020 with East Carter. The prior year under Tim Champlin, East Carter went 7-4 and made the playoffs on one of the best seasons in school history. They lost a lot, and ended up going 4-3 in the COVID year, hanging around with Russell for a while in the first round of the playoffs - a Russell team that finished the season ranked #3 in 3A in the RPI and rightfully so. This year Greenup County had a couple of key injuries to further complicate the start to their season, but responded by picking up a good win against Pike County Central and being competitive with Russell. Russell has West Carter next on the road and Greenup County travels to Portsmouth. All the best to both teams.

Highlands Johnson Central South Warren Glasgow Belfry Tiebreaker #1: 41

Hoping the QB for PRP feels better soon.? First ever meeting between these two programs. As for PRP's first game, Trinity has some unreal statistical accomplishments on the field in additon to all the winning. There are a lot to name. They are both talented and extremely disciplined. One that comes to mind is their 2020 team that allowed under 800 total total yards defensively, including 26 rushing yards all year. They were 10-0 in the COVID season, one of those wins was against the 5A state champion Bowling Green - a team they beat 42-7. I am sure the staff and players at Trinity would take the W regardless of what the stats are, but they have some astronomical achievements on that end. So while that first game is probably not a good sign for PRP, something like that is not unusual coming from Trinity. Knowing how Coach Salmons is for Raceland, he knows they picked up a big win last week and will keep their foot on the gas pedal. First off, I just can't see Raceland having another night where the passing game struggles like it did espeically with the key players they have back from last season. Second, I wouldn't be surprised to see more of that three back T formation set they ran. I thought Raceland did a nice job and with Stiltner, Marushi, and Arnett, they have three backs that are an excellent fit to run that. They hit the hole hard, they block for each other, they carry out fakes for each other, and run behind a rock solid offensive line. All the best to both teams.

Harvest Prep came to play in the Eastern Kentucky area last season and normally they play Ironton, Ohio, just across the river in the playoffs - winning one and losing two against Ironton since 2020. My pastors, David Amos and Blake Rice, both took positions at the school a couple of years ago and actually came back to the area for that game. The school was founded by Rod Parsley in 1986 and over the past decade is where they have had a majority of their success. While they have won state championships in the 2010's in both men's and women's basketball, the football team is knocking on the door with four state semi-final appearances over the last decade. Their most recent is just two seasons ago. Milan Smith has been their head coach, he's in his 11th or 12th season, but he has over 100 wins and has done a fantastic job there. In terms of what to expect, Harvest Prep is big, quick, and VERY physical up front. I would not be surprised if they have some collegiate prospects on their line. I have not kept up with them, but it looks like they still have Collin Boff at QB. At least five D1 offers going into his junior season. Jamarcus Jones is committed to Buffalo to play and had deep interest from some of the MAC schools. The game DMC mentioned looks like something they would do. Recently they have really looked to beef up that early part of their schedule to try to get the edge in those deeper playoff games. Two of their state semifinal losses (2019, 2023) came by six points or less. I am sure Woodford County is looking to get back to the state semifinals themselves, just four years removed from it at this point. The only unfortunate part to playing Harvest Prep is how it will impact the RPI. Kentucky has 1A - 6A with each higher number representing a larger class in terms of school size. With Woodford being 5A, we know they are in a larger class. Ohio goes Division I - Division VII with Division I schools being the largest and Division VII being the smallest, opposite of Kentucky. Harvest Prep is Division V, likely a 2A if they played in Kentucky. Regardless of RPI, I feel like them and Woodford County are both quality teams that will be helpful to each other in preparation for the later parts of the season.

A point of interest in this rivalry goes back to the 1970's. Greenup County's football program was relatively new, their first season being in 1973. Before I talk about it, it's important to note the following. In the 1970's the KHSAA was transitioning to four classes which would hold until it increased to six in 2007. For the first few years there would be two state champions in the 4A class - one was for the Jefferson County schools, and the other was for the rest of the state. The two winners would meet for an overall state championship. Greenup County would win the 4A at-large state championship in 1977 before losing to Trinity in the overall championship. Outside of a loss to Huntington, WV, Trinity was the only Kentucky team to defeat Greenup in 1977....with the exception of Russell, who would pick up a 17-14 win against the Musketeers at home. Russell would go 10-2, with a tight loss to Highlands in the playoffs. The next season Russell's 3A state championship team had three losses, two to West Virginia teams. The lone Kentucky loss in 1978 came to Greenup County 15-14 on the road. Talk about a heart pounding Greenup team, they would go 8-2-1 that year, and seven of their games would be decided by three points or less. Russell would go on to win the state championship, winning their three playoff games by a combined score of 63-15. What a time the 1970's were for football in this area! Greenup County gets an at-large 4A state championship in 1977. Russell wins a 3A state championship in 1978. Ashland has a state finals appearance in 1972, an at-large state championship in 1975. Boyd County has a state finals appearance in 1973. Russell wins a 3A state championship in 1978. Ironton, OH, just across the river, wins a state championship in 1979. Russell has controlled much of the series (39-12) with Greenup only having two stretches where they won two of three until 2018, which was the first time they won two in a row and now they have won three in a row and five of the last eight. A good sign for their program. It's not like Russell has struggled the last few years either. T.J. Maynard has always kept them in contention (7.1 wins per year over the last decade, including maybe the best 2-9 team of all-time in 2022) and this year looks to be no different. As to the game this year, it should be a dandy as always. As mentioned in a prior post, the enthusiasm is high at Greenup across the board and it is a different atmosphere from before. I believe that has spread to the football program and Coach Jones has been on top of things, being quite determined to cultivate a strong football culture. Last week was very telling of that, with some key losses from last season - their leading returning rusher barely had over 50 yards all last year - combined with a couple of key injuries that hit before the season even started. That was a strong win despite some penalties. I think Greenup will continue to improve and be a tough opponent this season. The question is, how much they will have improved (Especially with penalties) by the time they play Russell. Russell made an excellent statement as well, picking up a big win against Coal Grove despite not having Benge running the ball. Jayden Frasure did a really nice job throwing the ball going 13/17 with 2 touchdowns. The running game was effective and Russell's line looked physical up front. Russell would have some additional help if the run game with a healthy Benge, but I am unsure of his status. As to who wins, Russell would be the one more projected but this is one of those rivalries where the numbers can be thrown out. Should be a great atmosphere and a fun game.

This series has a neat history despite the two programs only meeting four times. The first time the two programs collided was in 1972 in the state championship game with Lexington Tates Creek winning 16-7. An interesting fact about that game is who was roaming the sidelines for Tates Creek - a young Philip Haywood, an assistant that would take his first head coaching job at Prestonsburg three years later. Tates Creek was coached by Roy Walton who had a spectacular coaching career, Philip Haywood being one of the many coaches he mentored. Ashland was coached by Herb Conley, who is also one of the best and very highly regarded in the profession. He would get an at-large state championship in 1975. Coach Haywood wrote about his interaction with Coach Conley after Ashland and Belfry met in the playoffs one year (This was after Conley was Ashland's head coach) and thought highly of him. Coach Conley saw in Coach Haywood what a lot of people did at that time, and encouraged him to stay the course as at that time Coach Haywood's teams were getting close to winning it all but falling short either in the championship game or a game or two before. Ashland is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "JAWS" team, having won an at-large state championship behind a tough defense in that 1975 season. The following year Herb Conley's final game came against Tates Creek at Ashland where Tates Creek won 14-13 in overtime behind a controversial finish on a missed extra point call. The two programs would not meet again until 2015, when Ashland traveled to Tates Creek for the last game of the season. Tates Creek would win 41-22 and the next season would be the most recent meeting for the two programs, when a young Ashland team would pick up a 23-12 win at home. That would be a part of a run where they would reach the regional final for the first time since 2004. Against Raceland last week Ashland improved throughout the game and overall were a bit ahead of where I expected them to be at this point. Hughes came along throughout the game. He has a cannon of an arm and excellent speed. Ashland ran several short pass plays against Raceland that were effective as he was able to get their ball there quickly. I also felt the offensive line for Ashland was ahead of where they were at this point last year. After having 63 rushing yards total at halftime, Ashland had around 120 in the second half getting a much better push up front. Defensively they had some strong moments too. Raceland had an experienced, talented offensive line with strong backs and after Ashland adjusted down 14-0 the only time Raceland moved the ball consistently came on the last drive where they kicked the game winning field goal. Ashland is known more for speed and ability to swarm the ball defensively to the outside, but this defense did an excellent job up front against a big, physical line. Tates Creek will not be an easy win for Ashland at all. First, this was a 6-4 team last year and noting at a couple of their losses from last season. Frederick Douglass, state power. Bryan Station, 7-5 last season....but those losses come to the hands of Trinity, Boyle County, Bowling Green, Frederick Douglass, and a tight one against Madison Central in the state tournament. Tates Creek is just six years removed from a state semifinal appearance and has been in the regional semifinals more years than not over the last decade in 6A. This is a senior-heavy Tates Creek team that has a nice QB back in Burnside, a back in Bryan Evans that ran for nearly 1,800 yards with 20 touchdowns, and both of their top receivers returning from last season. They lost some key players on the defensive side, but do return a few that are playmakers and I feel confident they will mix in some new players who will step it up and fill those voids. Historically, Tates Creek has always brought a lot of athleticism to the table and this matchup will be especially fun to watch with all the speed on the field on both sides. There are some similarities to their styles of play.

Nice win for Russell! Coal Grove is a rock solid opponent and has been above .500 in most seasons over the last decade, including an 11 win season in 2017. That backfield is a LOAD to defend and they have a physical line up front. Caden Turner has been getting D1 looks and is not easy to stop on either side of the ball. Russell has the pieces offensively and I think will turn out to be really nice on that end once Benge is back and Frasure, who is making nice strides, continues to get reps.

Lots of excitement in this one. Always a great game between two fantastic programs! I meant to post sooner about Ashland's scrimmage last week against Huntington High (WV) and how that ties in before I jump into the game analysis. Huntington High is a great school with a state championship in the last five years (2022) and has consistently been in contention. They have a LOT of athleticism with two D1 linemen and QB Tayveon Wilson who is committed to Clemson. Like with the first scrimmage against Jackson, I felt like both teams accomplished what they needed to. Neither scored in the two sets of ten plays (Although both moved the ball), Ashland won the two sets of ten plays on JV, and the lone score of the entire varsity game came for Ashland when the two teams opened it up to full game play. Mason Wolfe stripped the ball from a player who caught a screen pass, going 20 yards for the defensive score. Mason has had an outstanding couple of scrimmages on both sides of the ball. Huntington had loads of athleticism and looked like a team that will be a real threat this year. It is worth noting that with Tayveon Wilson's leg being injured in the winter, Huntington did not run him one time out of precaution - which certainly won't be case the case in the regular season. All in all, a good scrimmage and Huntington's backs remind me of the type that Raceland will send. As to this game, I feel like in one particular way it is similar to the prior year except the roles are flipped. Ashland had LaBryant Strader at QB last year, a generational talent who had two seasons starting under his belt already. Raceland was still working kinks at the QB position and it took until later in the season before they hit their stride. This year Raceland returns the efficient Waller who completed a whopping 72% of his passes last season including 7/10 in the state semifinal and 13/15 in the state championship game. So Raceland has the experience coming back. Ashland has two talented young quarterbacks on their roster in Stutler and Hughes, but both are young and it will take some time to get them acclimated to the varsity level. However, both are very talented and will be strong leaders for their team. Whichever direction Ashland goes, they have a lot of speed and athletes like Cam Davis or Mason Wolfe could be the difference maker for them. The difference with this Ashland team, from a running perspective, is the incredible amount of depth they have at the RB position. There are several guys on that team who can flat out run the football. Defensively Ashland looked impressive in both scrimmages. As usual, they have a lot of speed to the outside and their line had a couple of impressive pass rushes against Huntington High. I expect we will see Ashland try to attack with the run and utilize that to set up the pass. Defensively, I expect they will see a heavy load of Marushi and Stiltner while having to defend the occasional pass from Waller. One problem with defending Raceland is how they make you defend the whole field. They do a great job with those WR screen passes and I anticipate there will be a few of those tonight, especially if Ashland starts to key on Stiltner and Marushi. As for Raceland, they had a couple of solid scrimmages and that experience on both sides of the ball can go a long way. Offensively, it seems like the teams that have had the best success against Ashland over the years have been the ones that run right at them. Given Raceland's offense with two backs like Stiltner and Marushi, they will likely get the ball early and often. They return a lot of from a defense that held Ashland under 100 yards on the ground last year, and it's likely they will be defending heavily against the run. The challenging part about defending Ashland is, as mentioned before, the depth at the RB position. Cam Davis is a breakaway player and they can utilize him in many different ways, including the jet sweep. Mav Ashby and Rieday Rucker are powerful runners. Ashland will likely send several players at Raceland. It should be a fun atmosphere. Excited to get the season started!

Belfry may have the edge in this one with all the experience they have coming back, but like another poster mentioned East Carter will have a big crowd and I am sure they will give Belfry a tough game! This one will come down to whichever team establishes their brand of football. Starting with East Carter. It's hard to believe Coach Champlin will be entering his 11th season. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 were the number of wins in each of Coach Champlin's first five seasons, the program going 19-33 as a whole but making improvements. The program was committed to a process and now those seeds that were planted early on have become trees, with East Carter having gone 36-19 the past five seasons with a state semifinals appearance in one season and just two seasons ago were an overtime away from going back to the semis again. The real turning point for East in that stretch, in my opinion, was the 2020 season. Losing a lot from the 2019 year in which they went 7-4, they would still get back to the playoffs the following season and earn the opportunity to play in the state semis in the following season. It will be interesting to see how East lines up against Belfry but with a 1,500 yard rusher returning in the backfield in Landon Yoak, I anticipate they will get it to him early and often. Caleb Hall is a capable receiver and I am sure East will be providing a threat in the passing game. Matt Varney has done an excellent job during his time on staff at Belfry. He is an excellent mentor that has strong ability to relate to his players and a great, in-depth knowledge of the game. To step it up in a time like this, to be a light in the community, that alone says a lot about him. Based on the scrimmages it seems as if little, if any will change and I am sure Belfry will be a tough out. I anticipate we will try to see them get their signature run game going early on against East. The most dangerous part of Belfry's backfield, I feel like, is their versatility. In addition to their running, carrying out play fakes, etc. they are also capable receivers, especially Woolum who actually led the team in receiving last season. Should be an exciting one between two great programs.

Greenup graduated some players from last season including a generational player in Tyson Sammons. Especially the run game, we're talking 2,500+ yards and 37 touchdowns between Sammons, Austin Walker, and Waylon Perkins. Their leading returning rusher had a total of 55 yards last season. That being said, there is one difference right now at Greenup County overall compared to what would normally have been the case in prior years - the enthusiasm around the program. Not just football, but Greenup County has gone through a culture change over the last several years. There is a different feel around the sports programs and more importantly from the academic perspective. This school has come leaps and bounds. Enthusiasm like that will spread across sports as well and make a difference.

You are right on! ?Wheelersburg has 37 wins over the past four seasons and actually since Raceland has Ashland coming up, Wheelersburg defeated Ashland at Ashland 49-7 in 2022. Coach Rob Woodward has done a fantastic job there. While his teams in contention each year, he had unreal success between 2013 - 2018 in particular. Wheelersburg went a whopping 74-12 with a state championship in that stretch.

Great Crossing has a fantastic program, but I can certainly understand this decision. Occasionally being involved with the Tigers at Hargrave Military Academy, I found out that L.J. will be playing at the postgraduate level. For those who may not be familiar since there is not a lot of this in Kentucky (It is big toward Virginia and Maryland) you are allowed to take a year after your senior year to play postgrad before officially going to college. Players take this for various reasons. Some take it to improve their academic standing, some will take it to focus on trying to get additional exposure and get to a higher level school. Others, like L.J., will have a lot of additional exposure from this with the rare opportunity to play as an undergrad. You do not have to necessarily be a high school graduate to play. Some schools (Hargrave Military Academy started this last year) will allow a player or two on their squad as an undergraduate depending on their skill level and academic ability. Almost every team L.J. competes against will have multiple players, at least, that are Division I prospects. I know two seasons ago Hargrave Military Academy had players off their bench that went D1. L.J. will have the opportunity to play 40 - 50 games in the season. These games are two 20 minute halves, near-identical to NCAA rules. Last year the Tigers went 36-10 and adding to their impressive 100+ game home winning streak. Coach Ben Veshi, in his second year at the helm with his relationship-oriented approach, does a fantastic job and L.J. should fit right in his system. Usually they are a top ranked team nationally and the coaching tree is quite strong. Over the past two decades Kevin Keatts (2024 Final Four at NC State) and A.W. Hamilton (Had some success at EKU) were two of their coaches. They went a combined 499-39 with three national titles. Two under Keatts and one under Hamilton. One key player returning will be Shane Pendergrass, a third-team All-American who is a 4-star forward and in the top 100 players in the '26 class. Shane joined the team last year as a junior. The 11th region is a real bear to win no matter how talented a team is. Great Crossing had a tough road to win it last year even with a talented team and strong senior leadership and I am sure they have some guys waiting for their opportunity to step it up to keep them in contention this season. After winning in 2024 Lyon County lost three Division 1 basketball players in Travis Perry, Brady Shoulders, and Jack Reddick and their young team this year won 25 games and challenged just about anybody they played. I'm sure Great Crossing will find a way to continue to be a tough out.