Cubster

It will be a big weekend at a couple local high schools. Both Russell and Raceland will have their Hall of Fame induction nights this weekend. The Red Devils will host Ironton on Friday night and the Rams will entertain East Carter on Saturday evening. These are both huge events for each community as they honor their great athletes from the past. Let's take a closer look at our spotlight game Ironton and Russell. These two teams come into the contest on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Tigers are licking their wounds from 49-6 shellacking at the hands of Wheelersburg while the Red Devils won a defensive struggle over county rival Greenup County. I am sure if Ironton has any pride they will be foaming at the mouth tomorrow night at The Hank. Can they rebound for a victory or will the Red Devils get a rare two-game win streak in the rivalry? The Tigers could muster only 133 yards of offense last week. All of the yardage came on the ground and 71 yards came on a run by halfback Ethan Duncan. Senior quarterback Jake Isaac returns at quarterback and will need to complete some passes to balance the Tiger offense. Tyler Webb, a 6'6" 300 lb. lineman, anchors a strong offensive line that will face an attacking Red Devils defense that caused several turnovers last week. The Russell defense limited Greenup County to 26 yards of total offense. A trio of juniors, (Ryan Stump, Grant Bates, and Austin Braden), were instrumental in the huge defensive effort. Stump had nine tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Bates nabbed an interception and Braden was in the backfield all night from his defensive line position. I look for the Tigers to try to play smash mouth football with their big offensive line but they must pass efficiently to keep the Devils honest. The Devils' offense could only muster 119 yards of offense last week. Nick Conley was bottled up all night by the Musketeer defense. Junior quarterback Austin Church made two big plays down the stretch to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for the boys from Flatwoods. Senior Landon Brewer scored the lone touchdown on a 23 yard strike from Smith. He is a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball. The Ironton defense was torched for five touchdown passes by the Pirates in their opener. I am sure Coach Mark Vass has definitely addressed that area of his defense in game preparations this week. Coach TJ Maynard will be game planning to get Conley loose this week. The senior tailback can dominate a game with his hard running. The offensive line will have to be better this week for the Devils to win. The home opener is always special at The Hank. Throw in the Hall of Fame festivities on a holiday weekend and it has the makings of a large home crowd. This game has the makings of another defensive slugfest. I think this Devil defense could be special this season with its athletes and their endless effort. A late Conley TD run will be the difference as the Red Devils make it two in a row over the Tigers. PVs Pick: RUSSELL #PearlVision Check out my blog at pearlvisionblog.wordpress.com

Friday Night Lights I hope you enjoyed my initial blog entry. I would like to make mention of another Hometown Hero that I omitted. Bob Trimble is a homegrown Ram who has led both the Ram and Lady Ram basketball teams to district championships in his career at Raceland. The lefty also was a star athlete for the Orange and Black. Today I will take a look at three of the best football venues in the area. RAM STADIUM The home of Ram Football just sits off US 23. The community takes great pride in its football and the stadium represents that pride. I think some of its unique qualities make it a great place to watch football. The cars watching the game from 23 is a staple in Ram Land. Are they saving money or just taking advantage of a good view without the hassles of parking and harsh weather at times? The concessions offer the best variety in the area if you don’t care about your arteries or your cholesterol?. You can choose from a Ram Burger, cheese sticks, deep-fried Snickers, or a Funnel cake just to name a few items. The inflatable Ram helmet highlights the pre game introductions for the Ram players. The press box has been updated in the past few years to make it modern and press friendly. Though we miss Bill Farley on the PA, Ram Stadium is the place to be Friday nights in Raceland. HENRY R EVANS STADIUM Affectionately known as “The Hank” this stadium exudes tradition and excellence. The home-side stands are second to none in this area. It boasts the best press box facility as well. The fire-breathing Devil draws raves from football fans all over the Commonwealth. The pre-game introductions with hundreds of kids and adults on the field adds to the excitement. And when the siren goes off, accompanied by ” Here Come Your Devils!!!”, the crowd is at his loudest. The visitors side provides ample space for opposing fans and their bands. I think all fans, players, and coaches will agree Ivan McGlone Field is an excellent place to watch a game. PUTNAM STADIUM The Holy Grail of stadiums if you are a Tomcat fan. This cozy stadium reminds me of Wrigley Field because of how it is located in an actual neighborhood. Tomcat fans can basically walk to the games from their homes. The field is well-manicured and always looks to be in top condition. The tradition of the Tomcats walking down the steps into home end zone highlights the pre-game activities. You always hear tales of the ghosts of Putnam Stadium helping the Tomcats pull off an improbable upset or win. Putnam Stadium is a must see stop for die-hard high school football fans. The common denominators among these stadiums are winning and community support. These two things go hand-in-hand. State championship banners adorn two of these great stadiums. Can a banner be hung at Ram Stadium? #PearlVision Check out my blog at pearlvisionblog.wordpress.com

The oppressive heat and high school football dominated the area this past week. The Raceland Rams broke through with their first win over Ashland since 2008. Nathan Davidson continued his great play and the interior lines dominated on both sides of the ball. The Tomcats, led by QB Braxton Ratliff, hung around most of the game and actually had a chance to tie the game twice in the final minutes. The Ram defense was too much and Ram Nation got the Fire Truck win they had been waiting for. If the Rams start consistently finishing drives, Coach Mike Salmons will be smiling frequently this season. The Backyard Brawl was deja vu all over again. The Musketeers, led by a stubborn defense, capitalized on a special teams’ mistake by the Devils and took a 6-0 lead late in the third quarter. PV predicted that the quarterback who made the most plays in the game could provide his team with the win. Junior quarterback Austin Smith converted a crucial 4th down and six to keep the Devils’ winning drive alive. On the next play, Smith connected with senior Landon Brewer on a 23-yard strike to tie the game and placekicker Sam Ewing booted his first career extra point to give the Devils their first lead of the game with 5:39 to play. Senior Drey Boehm picked off a Greenup County pass in the late minute to secure the victory. It was the fourth straight year the Devils have scored late to break the Musketeers’ hearts. The Musketeers mettle will be tested this week as high flying Fleming County invades Lloyd. The Devils look for a rare two-game win streak over perennial Ohio power Ironton Friday night at Henry R. Evans Stadium. A couple scores that probably raised the eyebrows of the Ram Nation and the Red Devil Nation were Paintsville’s easy win over Frankfort and Fleming County’s shutout win over Mason County. These two teams will most likely be the teams that both teams must be defeat to win district crowns. The Fed Ex Cup playoffs began this weekend on the PGA Tour. Patrick Reed won The Barclays at the tough Bethpage Black layout and secured his spot on the Ryder Cup team. Rickie Fowler stumbled down the stretch enabling Zach Johnson to secure the 8th spot on the team. Now captain Davis Love III must choose his final four players for the team. Love, the 2012 captain of the Medinah Meltdown squad, can go straight by the points and not go wrong. The 9-12 spots belong to Bubba Watson, Kentuckian J.B. Holmes, Fowler, and bronze medalist Matt Kuchar. He could go outside the box and maybe choose a veteran like Mr. 58 Jim Furyk. Some young options could be Bill Haas or Justin Thomas. I think he should and will go with the top 12. Despite Fowler’s collapse today, he did birdie the last four holes to halve his only Ryder Cup singles match in 2010. I know, like all American golf fans, it is frustrating to lose to the Euros in the Ryder Cup. DLIII got them in position to win in 2012 let’s hope the boys in Red, White, and Blue can finish the job at Hazeltine later this month. College football actually kicked off in Australia Friday night as Cal whipped up on Hawaii 51-31. My favorite college sport to watch begins in earnest this weekend. The Kentucky Wildcats, once again seem poised to make a run at a bowl game. Mark Stoops has had a monumental job taking over from Joker Phillips. The talent had fallen so badly during the Joker Era that it has taken time to replenish the talent pool. The Cats have been close, the past two years, to breaking through only to fall short. The home opener is HUGE in their bid for a bowl. I will take a closer look at my two favorite college football teams in my next blog. Yes you can root for two teams……. #PearlVision Check out my blog at Site Title

Greenup had 26 yards last night.

Roberts out for Ashland?

Devils are resting 3-4 starters that are nursing injuries.

Will Adkins play another position if he is not the starting QB?

Are there any other candidates for the job?

Russell Rowan 7 Raceland Bath 9

Lewis County Players Ralph Davis Eddie Scott Jim Bloomfield Harold Billman

Must be a hard decision.

Any word on this job?

Will they hire someone from previous staff?

Can they run the table?

That was at no cost to the KHSAA

Will they have a coach by June?

And really no insight on who the coach will be.

Best post yet.

Great post

Hyatt and Hilton room prices have gotten out of control.

He has hurt feelings C21.

Great point Big Slick.

Is this job really open? If so why?

If he runs the so-called spread that Raceland and Russell use the team will run 70% of the time. They won't throw it 20 times much less 30 times.

I think it will now be an in-state coach.