PurpleHaze

It's a secret...!!

Many thanx, RockPride! Here's hoping that we can get a few more games in our series sometime...let's make sure we get together and meet at one or more of them! By the way, you might like to know that Jeff Brohm was at the game. I enjoyed meeting him...WKU is in very good hands with him!

I'd sure like to see you tell St Xavier that they are a nobody...over 1500 students, all boys Catholic school. How many times have you seen two schools like St Xavier and Trinity ANNUALLY draw 33,000-38,000 to their games? Just before Trinity went national, they gave us our last loss at our stadium in 2010...by only 14-12! Highlands and Male are #2 and #3 NATIONALLY in all time wins (though they did not appear on our schedule). However, we did play teams that appeared on their schedules, and we beat them by comparable scores or better. BGHS is one of only two public schools to ever beat St Xavier at their new stadium (Male being the other, but we did it twice). And the last time I checked, we did beat Blackman. Their behavior was so atrocious that the BGPD had to station 75 officers (some in plain clothes) at the game. They couldn't even find their way to THEIR locker room and tried to go into ours! I am in a wheelchair, and I was warding off their players and pointing them in the right direction...and a Blackman assistant coach was classy enough to check on me and make sure that I was not harmed (not that I was worried about it...I'm a military veteran, I CAN take care of myself!) McCallie's head coach didn't cry about the officiating...he's first class all the way, and so are their players! I'm quite sure that Lexington Catholic would object to being called a nobody as well. So would John Hardin, who had four losses in the last three years...three of them to us in the west bracket of the playoffs. Our crosstown rival, Warren Central, had four losses in 2011 and 2012...ALL of them to us. You're entitled to your opinion, but the truth takes care of itself.

You forgot the fact that they can't do that in college games either! Besides, that is the rule here in KY! I can remember when Paducah Tilghman used their band at McRight Field to split up the visiting crowd in my day (1974-76) in order to demoralize them and minimize their positive effect on their team!

Thanx to all the folks and friends here who have been cheering us on or having a good reason to see it end before it got to 50. Class is as class does. That is what I expect from my protégés on the team...no exceptions! These last four teams have represented Alma Mater and our community in a manner that makes me very proud. We were banged up from the Owensboro game last week, but you "run what you brung" as the drag racers say. I will say this: they did an amazing job of containing their blazing speed with the exception of the blocked FG attempt. McCallie EARNED that win. We made mistakes to be sure, but they made their share as well. And they did it the way we like it: in a first class manner. Their coach was very gracious and generous in his praise of our team from his game films according to our newspaper. They kept their speed and added size this year. Everybody here knows that we lost about a decade of talent in the last three years, and that's no exaggeration! It turned out to be an incredible game with the only score of the second half deciding the game. This was only our second Homecoming Night loss since 1985. It was also the end of our record 26 game win streak at the Hallowed Ground. Nothing to do now but learn from mistakes, work hard, and start some more streaks and make more memories! Make no mistake, the guys DID NOT let me down tonight! And Kevin Wallace deserved the applause that Mrs PH and I started as the Purples came off the field! Not too bad for a program that didn't know how to win for a long time!! We had a 26 game winless streak from 1956 to 1958...managed only two ties with Glasgow. Well, Trinity had a couple of oh-fers in their great history, but I'm certainly not going to rub it in their faces! They simply learned to win big much sooner than we did! I'm just glad that we are where we are now, and it feels great! Okay, Barren County, you're first on the next list...! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb: Once a Purple, ALWAYS a Purple!!:thumb:

I am proud of Alma Mater and my Purples! There was a time when nobody in their right mind would have thought that the Purples would win 48 in a row, win three championships in a row, or even have a perfect regular season! Shows how far we've come since the early 1970s. Can you even believe that, in the mid 1950s, BGHS actually considered dropping the program during a 26 game winless streak?? They were 0-24-2 during that time, managing only two uninspiring ties with Glasgow. The pressure of the streak is off now...time to think of another streak. Four titles in a row! Sic 'em, Purple!!:thumb:

Don't forget two major factors in the McCallie game last year. One: it's a long way to Chattanooga...McCallie gets to make that trip this year. Two: the Purples had a wide open passing offense last year. They weren't used to running the ball to play keep away. Next thing you know, Blue Tisdale is toting the mail...lots of it! He was pretty exhausted after the game, but he did a great job and the coaching staff once again did a great job of adjusting to their opponent. Oops, forgot one other factor: the Purples last lost at the Hallowed Ground in 2010 in their home opener Trinity. You know, the one where their fourth string QB was the hero of the game and Trinity's head coach could not contain his relief and glee in winning that game 14-12. That streak now stands at 26 in a row. Donaldson Stadium/Beard Field has become a place where you don't want to be the visitor if you want to win. We don't resort to bush league tactics to intimidate other fans and teams. But we DO have the Bleacher Bums, and they look bizzare, shriek, and stand the whole game! They LOVE their Purples! This year, we have TWO backs who are capable of doing what Blue did last year. Soph Jamale Carothers, who set the single game rushing record on 24 carries against Owensboro last week, and junior Jacob Yates, who sat out last week after getting hit in the kidney against St X. It was precautionary and he should be back this week. He's been held to under 100 yds rushing once this year to date. Senior WR Bradley Wierson is an excellent possession type receiver. However, if we need the home run, junior WR Robbie Lofton fits the bill, and he's the defending 3A Triple Jump Champion in track. But the three keys are to keep the ball away from their speedsters as much as possible, let Carothers and Yates do their thing while mixing in a few passes to keep them honest, and stay away from the stupid mistakes and glaring penalties. I, for one, like our chances. If we get beat, we get beat and we have three weeks to get ready for the Backyard Brawl against Warren Central. But if we win, I have a feeling that the guys will get mobbed like they did against St X! And don't forget...I WILL be on the track with the Lucky Jersey!!! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb:

I don't have the exact figure yet, but Carothers DID set a new record for rushing yardage for one game at BGHS last night!! The old record was 269 yards (in ten attempts) by senior David Moore in 1975 (I was a junior that year) at the Hallowed Ground against Christian County. Yes, Carothers is a sophomore, 5-7, 165 lbs (I was that size as a center back in the day!!). He wears a very distinguished number for running backs at BGHS, #23. Spud Byrd (we were both seniors in 1976) was 1st Team All State with C-J and AP and set our all time rushing yardage record that still stands to this day with 1724 yards. Spud's son, Brian Harpool, also wore that number as the main running back for the late Coach Haley's 1995 3A Champs. Carothers' four rushing TDs was one shy of the record for one game set in 2001 by Aaron Johnson against Paducah Tilghman at the Hallowed Ground in the second round of the First Region Playoffs. He's the back I talked about in an earlier thread who gained over 100 yards in mop-up duty in one game last year as a freshman. I knew that he was going to be a special player, but I had no idea that it would be this soon!:clap: With both him and Yates toting the mail, the Purples' ground game will be very hard to stop by anybody else left on the schedule this fall!

Anything can (and often does!) happen at the Dungeon...tonight is but one example!!:scared: If my guess is correct, sophomore RB Jamale Carothers set a new Alma Mater record for rushing in one game. I will let you know when I get official numbers. His four rushing TDs are just one off the school record set by Aaron Johnson in 2001 against Paducah Tilghman. Hats off to our old WKC rival. They came in believing that they could end The Streak. They played their rears off, but BGHS is just so great at adjusting at the half now. Chattanooga McCallie at the Hallowed Ground next week...sic 'em, Purple!!!!:thumb:

Ben Holt is a beast! Put him at DE and an OL can not handle him. Put him at OLB and there's not a RB strong enough to block him effectively unless he's a 240 lb bowling ball rolling downhill. He's the real deal! The Purples have continued to improve each week, and I see no reason why this shouldn't continue this week unless something creepy happens at the Dungeon (and it often does for those not familiar with old Rash Stadium!). Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb:

If the Purples keep improving week to week like they have been doing since their scrimmage with Manual, the Purples will once again overcome the traumatic experience of playing at the Dungeon! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb:

The Red Devil teams from the mid 1940s through the mid 1970s would chew the current team to pieces! BGHS went winless against the Red Devils from 1956 through 1971 (they finally beat them 14-13 in 1972). The only non-losing effort during that time was a 7-all tie for Homecoming in 1964. Still, the Devils are always tough to beat at the Dungeon, where they've played since 1926. The Purples and the Devils have met 72 times to date (only Glasgow has played the Purples more...75 games). BGHS has finally managed a competitive record against them, 32-38-2 all time, since the 1980s. I dare say that McCallie is the fastest team the Purples have ever played. In one incredible 30 second sequence last year in Chattanooga, the two teams combined for three touchdowns...two on kickoff returns! Defense and special teams had better be on their toes, or that team will beat the Purples. I'm hoping that the long trip from Chattanooga will help slow them down some!:thumb:

I will say this: BGHS set a new record for consecutive wins at the Hallowed Ground last night with their win over St X. The last team to beat them there? Trinity in BGHS's home opener in 2010. That was the year that several Trinity posters were complaining that their "fourth string" QB almost got them beat. I argued that it was their "fourth string" QB that won the game for them 14-12. He scored the winning TD. The Trinity fans that were there and actually saw the game congratulated us for a great game and they wished us luck the rest of the season. Mrs PH and I actually enjoyed talking with them as we left the game! Better than our visit to Marshall Stadium to be sure...Mrs PH got sold a rotten hot dog and they refused to give us our money back. If it's true that Vito Tisdale Jr will be playing, the Purples will have a ground game to match the air game. They will beat you either way. Vito Jr will be like a bowling ball rolling downhill. I can't wait to see the newbies coming up!! Vito Sr was a monster at FB for the late Coach Haley and Jr's brother Blue could run and catch for the last three years! True, the Purples have never beaten Trinity in five tries, never beaten CovCath in two, and only beaten Highlands once (a big one in 1995). But remember this: EVERY dog has his day, and the Purples will have theirs sometime! (They almost did against Trinity in 2010.) I'm not aiming to make the St X faithful mad (I think that they're great fans and we've enjoyed playing them since 2005), but the Tigers had an 8-0 series lead on us, and they were predicting 56-0 and 56-7 in that 2005 game, but the series has the Purples winning the last four games. We will also be stuck in a district that quite frankly stinks the next four years. We will be scheduling some heavyweight programs outside the district to be ready for the playoffs during that time. But our team will worry about that when it comes. Right now, the team is halfway through the real meat grinder of our schedule and still unbeaten. We play at the Dungeon next week, where Owensboro is awful tough to beat any year. Then, remember the joke where they say that they went to a fight and a hockey game broke out? Well, we will host a track meet, and a football game will break out (Chattanooga McCallie)!!:lol2:

Incredible game!!! I told several St X fans, players, cheerleaders that nobody deserved to lose that one, and that the Tigers played a superb game. I meant it, and they saw it in my eyes! I think that St X fans are among the classiest fans in Kentucky and appreciate football at this level. It was the 26th win in a row at the Hallowed Ground, a new school record that beat the 25 in a row from 1993 to 1996. It also tied Boyle Co for second in all wins in a row with 47. Owensboro at the Dungeon is next! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb:

Hey JS! Haven't heard from you in a while. If you come to the Hallowed Ground Friday, by all means look for Mrs PH and me. We are in a roped off area next to the cheerleaders and in front of the Bleacher Bums. I will be wearing "The Lucky Jersey", my genuine gold #57 jersey I wore the night we first beat Paducah Tilghman back in my senior year, 1976. You will be welcome in the area! I'm hoping that Oxnard shows as well...we haven't seen him in a while! St X fans are great, and I hope that many fans come down for the game! BGHS has made unreal improvement since their scrimmage with Manual, who admittedly returned a huge amount of their starters from last year. The whole game defensively against Mercer Co, they were dominant, holding them to minus three yards rushing and less than 40 yards total offense. The team was very opportunistic against LexCath and made them pay for their mistakes. Senior leadership has grown exponentially in three weeks on both sides of the ball. Campbell Gott, QB, played a near flawless game against LexCath. On the other side of the ball, Ben Holt represents a huge problem for any defense. Too quick for offensive linemen when he lines up at DE. Way too strong for a back to block at OLB unless the blocker is a 240 lb bowling ball rolling downhill!! The whole defensive front is deep and experienced. If Holt gets loose in the backfield, your QB had better be extremely mobile! Tre Boards made two big interceptions against LexCath to kill drives. Do you have a DB who can jump as high as Cameron Wallace? On the other side, the Tigers are always huge and physical. They flat wear you down. In the second Rafferty's bowl they played against us, they rendered seven starters unable to play in our next game because they just were so darn strong!! They are traditionally strong on special teams and cover kicks and punts extremely well. They always have a smart coaching staff who can make adjustments on the fly. There's also the St X tradition...it isn't just a commodity for the football team, it is instilled into everything they do...it's what they're about, and that's very admirable! They also are challenged almost weekly with a tough schedule and play in the Super District. Factory for mobile, tough linebackers. I think that the Purples will need to keep being opportunistic and keep their cohesiveness on offense growing. Easily Gott's biggest game to date...he's going to have to come through again. The running game will have to make Gott more effective. Defense will have to get to the QB often...no surprises in the air. Either way, it's going to be a tight game, and I give the edge to the Purples because they're sooooo tough to beat at Donaldson Stadium/Beard Field!

I agree with Purple88. Your players played hard and never once threw in the towel despite those penalties. Just kept playing hard and keeping things close until the bitter end. Go far in the 4A playoffs! That's got to be a record for TD receptions by a TE at BGHS...I don't know if his brother Ryan, who played at and is now a graduate assistant coach at WKU, did that for us! I warned people about Jamale Carothers before the season. Last year, as a freshman, he had a 100 yard game in mop-up duty in one game! He's going to be quite the runner before he's through wearing Purple and Gold! I was very proud of Campbell Gott's senior leadership and his near flawless game tonight. He keeps getting better each week, and that's what we want! Next week, the Purples will be finally at home on the Hallowed Ground of Donaldson Stadium/Beard Field. However, I don't know how much of an advantage that will be since we are hosting St Xavier...! But I will say this: when you put on that Purple and Gold, you accept any challenge and you don't back down! You leave it all on the field when the final horn sounds! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb:

I don't want to jinx anything, but this game has been as exactly as I predicted so far...intense, tight, both teams playing hard, neither team deserves to be trailing. Outstanding game so far!

I'm sure I can speak for the rest of Purple Nation that there's no offense taken. You are one of the most thoughtful and respected posters here and you always think before you push those keys!

Many thanx to you, Lex, and the LC fans who feel as you do about the Purples. We have the same respect for the Knights, as does Coach Wallace and the players. The series also gives us valuable exposure in your neck of the woods! Ben Holt is a freakazoid! He can play DE or OLB in our 3-4 defense. Manual couldn't stop him in our scrimmage and they had almost all of their offense back from last year! The rest of the front seven can play with anybody as well. The secondary, although young and inexperienced, is athletic and can come up with a big play. The offense improved immensely in the second half of the Mercer Co game, and I'm very pleased about the resurgence of our ground game, plus Holt is a load when put in the offensive backfield. This is the first game of a murderous four game stretch for us. How we do in this first game will tell a lot about how we do in the next three games after. The guys know that they are in for a real battle in this one, and they are looking forward to the challenge, as I'm sure the Knights are too. I'm not into predicting scores, but I think that this one will be a real nail biter! I like the Purples in a game that neither team will deserve to lose!

Senior DE Ben Holt played out of his mind tonight...I think he had six or seven sacks and I don't know how many more tackles for losses!! It was one of the most dominant defensive performances I've ever seen on the high school level! Of course, he was Defensive Player of the Game. Offensive Player of the Game went to junior RB Jacob Yates, who had a very productive night both catching passes and running the ball. What a burst of speed from this young man! Next up for the Purples is a trip Friday to play host Lexington Catholic in the Bluegrass Bowl. They ripped Allen Co-Scottsville in the first game, as the game went to the running clock just moments into the second quarter. Here's hoping that the Purples can make it 46 in a row! Sic 'em, Purple!!:dancingpa:dancingpa:dancingpa:dancingpa

Coach Smith the Younger is a winnah in his debut as Sparty head coach...congratulations!:thumb:

Impressive win in the debut of Coach Feggins!

I don't think that Mercer Co will see the likes of the Purples' "Jungle Defense" come Saturday for the rest of the season. How much the Purples win by depends upon how improved the offense will be from the scrimmage. I have faith in Campbell Gott getting better as the season goes on at QB. Wierson coming back at WR after missing the scrimmage will be welcome relief! Sic 'em, Purple!!!:thumb:

Part of the problem with the BGHS offense was that senior WR Bradley Wierson was not available due to injury...should be back in time for Mercer Co next week. Manual's offense dominated time of possession during the varsity portion of the scrimmage (13-0, not 27-0). All they could manage was two FGs and a one yard TD run after an interception was run back to the BGHS one. All things considered, this year's defense won't be too far off last year's unit. Offensively, no way will they be as good as they have been the last three years. However, both units will be battle tested by the time the playoffs arrive. Word to the wise: the players are not concerned with streaks. If one, two, or three end, it won't be the end of their world. They have resolved that the brass ring is the ultimate goal, as it is each year. By the way, T fans, my cousin in the San Francisco area says that there will be a movie coming out about a great program in their area soon. You know, the one that won 153 games in a row before getting beat by Bellevue, WA? As far as I'm concerned, anything else this team can add to the past three years will be the icing on a marvelous run, one the likes of only two teams in Kentucky can surpass. Knowing the times when BGHS was hard pressed to win games, I am busting with pride for them! Not bad for a program who almost gave up football in the late 1950s when they had a 26-game winless streak (0-24-2)! EVERY dog has his day! Not only is the eighth grade team loaded, but the seventh grade team is as well...I sense another incredible streak coming in our near future!:thumb:

Hey hoss, I'd be willing to bet you're glad that Blake Pillow will be gone this time! But seriously, I'm always glad to see the JH fans and players. Great sports, and several players have folks stationed in Ft Knox, and I'm retired Air Force myself. It's been a great postseason rivalry with great fans on both sides! Best of luck to both of us this year!:thumb: