Tigertalker

Christian Co. has not played very good defense this year except the Henderson Co. game. Mike Whitaker is big on not playing kids both ways and has not allowed Lovelace to get some of the better athletes on that side of the ball. Shaun Brown proved he could a player at DB but has not seen action back there this year. The same for Dillard at OLB, and Tandy at FS. With some injuries to some defensive kids they have had to play Tandy and Dillard more on defense. Thus the defense improving. Christian Co. is confident after playing WC so close last game depsite WC resting kids and perhaps not showing as much with a possible rematch and with Duffer and Henderson Co. sitting in the stands that night. I'll give the edge to WC playing at home and a balanced attack on offense. If you get on Christian Co. early and bustem in the mouth they tend to go through the motions like they did with Marshall Co. and Graves Co.

WOW Chris Thomas not a very good QB. As someone on the inside of the Tiger program looking out I beg to differ. 1st year starter, broke the school's all time passing comletion percentage, matured into a QB, and has played with a broken thumb on his passing hand. When film is BROKEN down by the COACHING STAFF Chris Thomas is always at the top. He won the Mayfield game with his checks at the line and called the "TE Dive" for the winning TD in that game. Let's not forget he is replaceing a guy named Pulley who was a alright QB for the Tigers. Thomas isn't asked to win games he's asked to manage games. Also to his credit and to the offensive coaches Hoptown is running more offense this year then they would be if the previous staff was here. No Doubt Emanuel Taylor (E.T.) is a difference maker. When he returned back home expectations grew for this Hoptown team. 6'0 200 runs hard and is probably the most punishing runner since the Miguel Merritt and Travis Hampton. Mario Brasher is a plus at RB as well for the Tigers rushing for over 600 yards this year. With E.T. here that meant Chuck Thomas would move out to WR instead of playing RB again this year. Defensively this Hoptown defense isn't as bad some want to think. Break down film and you'll see. They gave up 37 to Alcoa (TN) the best team they will face this year. 51 to Christian Co. Tandy has been the best QB they have played this year. Quick release and throws accurate on the run. DIXIE JONES took full responsibility for that loss. He didn't lay blame on the kids like has been done in the past. The Hoptown 1st team defense and key reserves are giving up 15 ppg through 12 games. LB Billy Lawrence has been a help since transferring from Louisiana because of the Hurricane. He is good in pass converage and solid against the run. He is not a starter but is one of the key reserves. Pass defense has improved since Caredell McGregor took over at FS (Madisonville game) and with Chris Thomas now starting at CB since the Paducah game. He is the CB on the team with Josh Ladson maybe haveing the best technique. The loss of Antwain Loving back there hurt but life has gone on. As for this game Bowling Green AT Hopkinsville. Well Hoptown is gonna show up even though some of the common fans have told us not to. Everybody involved with the Hopkinsville program knows how good Bowling Green is. Their big, fast, and well coached. As usual Coach Wallace and Rosoc Echols have a stud RB. Hibbitt runs behind a good O-Line. Defensively the number of shutouts tell you they play for the kill. Their hard to get outside on and stiff up the middle. Fortunately Hoptown has already faced the Alcoa defense which is the best defense they have seen this year. BG's defense is super and a juggernaut to gameplan for but the Hopkinsville offensive coaches are excited about the challenge. As our the BG coaches are as well. Hoptown has already overachieved to most of the common fans or sports reporters. In the offseason the talk was BG, Franklin Simpson, then maybe Hoptown but some picked Paducah ahead of them. When Dixie Jones was hired many criticized the hire. Those people who did were the ones who were on the outside looking in at the program. The kids were excited when Dixie Jones & Rusty Goble returned back to the program. Dixie treats the kids the same all the time. He doesn't pamper them when they do good or ignore them and blame then when they do bad. He realizes their TEENAGE KIDS just out there trying to do something special. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but exleast with him the kids know what they will get in return. The future is bright for Hopkinsville football. Real good freshmen and the middle school programs are in the best shape they have been in.

Rankings don't mean nothing but someones opinion and gives peope something to chatter about. I know a lot of coaches that don't even follow to see where or if their team is even ranked. But I know a few coaches that will break down polls to see if their team is getting any respect and all that. Being with Hopkinsville I have noticed the comments about Hoptown being 0-2. There are a couple of other good football teams in the state that are 0-2 and I can guarantee their staffs are throwing in the towel just yet. Hopkinsville lost in the opening game to a very good Memphis Ridgeway TN. team by 3 in OT. Their O-line averaged 280 pounds and they weren't just big they was good. Their QB is rated in the top 50 in the nation and is getting several D1 offers. They had a real good RB who has gotten some offers along with a D1 prospect at WR and a LB who has gotten D1 offers. In the end their depth and Hoptowns mistakes it was what won them the game. Then after playing Ridgeway on Saturday we turn around and go to Male on Friday with our QB Curtis Pulley at only 65-70% with a ankle injury and some other kids banged up along with a few that need to mature and grow a bit. Hoptown played as bad as I ever seen and didn't deserve to even be on the field. We had WR's running the wrong routes and on defense we couldn't get lined up right and tackled very poorly. Plus Male is a pretty good team ya their young but they got a solid team that is only gonna get better. But Hoptown only loss by 5 when it could have been a lot worse. I would rather have 2 losses to good teams like we do then 2 wins over some teams that aren't that good. When you play good competition it only makes you better and you find out more about your team. Then if ya really wanna break it down a week before the season starts Hoptown loses their best football player Marcel Laseur for the season with a ACL & MCL injury. Here's a kid that was our best RB and coud run in between the tackles and last year rushed for over a 1,000 and only fumbled twice. On defense he was our leading tackler and QB on defense. He lined us up he made the defensive calls and checks. That has been a big problem in the early part with the defense and some of the kids took the loss of him as if it killed us. It didn't kill us but did set us back that is obvious. The mistakes we have made are correctable and will get fixed and the kids are gonna play harder then they have been or they won't be playing for Coach Craig Clayton. Before the season started I really felt liked Hoptown was a top 3-4 team in 3A with the talent returning and the staff we have down here. With the loss of Laseur now weren't not as good but were still better on offense then we was last year but don't have the late in the game eat up clock runner that Laseur was. Gonzalez and Barker are excellen offensive kids but rely on the whiggle and speed more than power runner. On defense we just need to listen, tackle better, be aggressive and we will be fine. On offense were only running about 30% of our offense but now were hitting a stretch in the season where Coach Clayton likes t crack the whip so to speak and start adding things to the offense and defense. Plus we'll start getting game film on our opponents so we can break them down and put in a proper game plan. Against Ridgeway we went into that game blind because of lack of film and they started a different O-Line then they were expected to. Against Male their defense won't let you run a lot stuff so you have to limit your plays and rely on the big play which shouldn't be a problem for us but the other night it was. Were gonna play a lot better then we have (exleast I hope so) so we still feel confident about this teams potential. As long as your playing good come district play and the playoffs that's all that matters. My point is that I think people look at a teams early season record of 0-2 and immediately pass judgement that well that team in overrated when they don't know that much at all about that team except for their record.

I should have pointed out that I had BG at 11 right behind Oldham Co. but after the thumping tonight Bowling Green is a top 10 team.

1) Paducah Tilghman 2) Boyle Co. 3) Highlands 4) Covington Catholic 5) Hopkinsville 6) Mason Co. 7) Bell Co. 8) Lexington Catholic 9) Rockcastle Co. 10) Oldham Co. HOPKINSVILLE is 0-2 with a 3 point loss in OT to a very good 4A team from Tennessee and a 5 point loss on the road to Male. Hoptown could have won either game but didn't. I know this I would rather have 2 losses to very good teams then 2 wins over teams that aren't so good. Hoptown wasn't at full speed against Male. Pulley was only at 65-70% and if it had been a lesser opponent we was playing then Curtis would not have played we had some other kids banged up from the Ridgeway game but we had also got some kids that need to test their man hood and see if they wanna play football. Anybody that knows Hoptown know they are slow starters every year. It is now at this time each year that Coach Clayton cracks the whip and we start adding things to our offense and defense. Hoptown has yet to play nearly as good as they are or can be and this week were gonna find out who wants to play and who don't. Like Coach Clayton said this morning Marcel Laseur is NOT gonna play this year he is done so the guys need to get overit and now somebody else has to step up. Against Male ther was some kids in lala land and that's not gonna work. So this weekend the guys are getting film sessions and then Monday off and on Tuesday were going toe to toe and getting after it and seeing who wants to grow up and step up. Then Wedesday they will prepare for Mayfield. Hoptown is better offensively this yeat than last year and have more team speed. The defense has been the big question with the loss of Laseur that was expected but when ya arm tackle and line up wrong your gonna get burnt. I still think were a top 5 team that is gonna get better and I know the staff liks the potentia of this team but this week will be a big week for Hoptown.

3 wishes Yes they was listed in the Kentucky New Era paper in Hopkinsville. I knew Clayton and Higgins were going to be on the staff but I didn't know about Gates and Thomas until I saw it in the paper. The just had the coaches from Western KY in there.

CRAIG CLAYTON Head Coach at Hopkinsville CURTIS HIGGINS Head Coach at Trigg Co. PAT GATES Head Coach at Caldwell Co. (just completed his final season as the head coach) PERRY THOMAS Head Coach at Paducah Tilghman These are some of the coaches that will be on the staff aswell.

I have to agree with you on that. The Lady Colonles are a great team. They have some shooters and they have some girls that like to get in the post and get physical. They could beat a boys team.

STADIUM OF CHAMPIONS in Hopkinsville is a beautiful stadium and a nice atmosphere. WAR MEMORIAL in Mayfield. When that place is packed with those Cardinal Crazies it gets LOUD and it feels like thay are right on top of you. Great place to watch a game.