Watusi

Coach Haywood is really good at seeing the big picture, and pacing the team to peak at the right time. That is one if his biggest strengths as a coach, IMO. I miss some of those matchups with McGlone's Red Devils, and there were many. That old single wing was tough to defend and they ran it very well. Good to read your posts, Ram!!

Belfry bounced back well after a tough week last week against Johnson Central. It's not that Russell didn't play well, they did. Belfry just had the advantage with the running game, as Russell's run defense was not up to it. This game went from 14-14 to 28-14 pretty quick at the end of the first half, including a pick 6 with about a minute left. Then the Pirates got the ball first after halftime and scored making it 35-14 and you could see the change in body language for the Red Devils. The QB was good for Russell as long as he wasn't pressured, and when Belfry changed it up on D and tried to pressure him, it made the difference. Two players for Russell that really stood out was the kicker/punter, #33 Totten and the big WR #2 Carson. Both of them really are talented and were fun to watch. I wonder if either have college offers. The injury bug is still wreaking some havoc on the Pirates, hopefully that will improve some this week. Belfry's head coach had to sit in the pressbox for this one as he is nursing broken ribs. They played without the top back, Dre Young, who was injured last week. Several others have nagging ailments. And of course their 2 OLB were lost for the season early on. The Big Red did get a boost with the return of Neal Copley who played quite a bit of LB and RB in his first game of the season. Shoutout to Caden Woolum. The Jr RB ran for a little over 300 yds and a handful of touchdowns on 16 carries. This has been a fun season to watch him develop into a very good RB (and DB). Caden filled in last year for the Pirates at QB and led them to a state title, but that wasn't his natural position. He is just an athlete. Looking forward to the trip to Putnam next week, it is always a big time matchup between these two.

I looked that page up, it is indeed a fan page. Glad it wasn't somebody from BHS making excuses and getting the details wrong.

Can we go ahead and end any speculation that Hazard may give Pikeville a challenge?

Sheldon Clark got them more twice I think, but still an incredible stat. Edit: I didn’t see the “regular season” part of your post. You may be right on that (you always are ?)

That sounds like an uninformed fan reaction and not a team affiliated post. Of course Belfry will still host a playoff game barring a complete meltdown against Pike Central. That Facebook page should do better. I heard a lot of complaints about the officials but it’s just sour grapes. Calls were pretty even in my opinion even if there were a few bad ones. The game was won, and lost, by the guys wearing helmets and not stripes. Belfry built a good lead in first half but couldn’t put them away. Then big Mo shifted and turnovers were a big time problem. Give Lawrence Co credit, they played well and took advantage when they needed to. They actually took a knee deep in Belfry territory late to avoid another score. No Pirate fan wants to lose but I’m lying if I don’t admit it was cool to see the excitement on the Bulldogs sideline and in the stands as the final ticks ran off the clock. 21 straight losses to a district opponent is tough to handle.

Madisonville NH Paintsville Scott Co South Warren Cincy St X

Belfry / Pikeville is always a fun week. This should be a closer game than last year, but this rivalry has never really been all that predictable. You still gotta line up and play. It is really good for Pike Co and Eastern KY football in general and always worth the price of admission. Belfry is a better team than last year, but very young. Seems like Pikeville is still looking for their offensive identity. The Pirates are pretty banged up too, so look for several starters to not be ready to go. Looking forward to it, as this game helps both programs prepare for the road ahead. Go Pirates!!

What’s the word on Boley’s injury? He’s a special talent and I hope it’s not something serious.

Defense made good strides tonight and the entire OL including the two tight ends really had a good game. It’s fun watching a young team mature and develop. Proud of the way the young Pirates really took over the game late down 21-14 and put together two good drives sandwiched with defensive stops.

I agree on last year. Belfry was a pretty bad team early on and LCA was on another level. This Pirate edition is much improved, even with the obvious absence of Mr Football Dixon. They are a much more balanced team with more options and balance. I don't know if they can beat LCA or not, but the young Pirates have shown a lot of ability and they have a ton of potential. The inexperience in the secondary may be a downfall against LCA's passing attack. I would not be shocked to see Belfry pull it out, but more than likely they are a 7-14 point underdog.

Mayfield Lexcath Corbin Sk T

That's a good looking field. @TilghmanPride do you know what brand turf it is? Looks very similar to Belfry's which was done by Vescio's Sports Fields.

Hard for me to pick this one either direction. Belfry is no-doubt a better team than they were in week 1 last season, but they have the arduous task of replacing a Mr Football whose worth to that team really can't be quantified. The Pirates are deeper than last year, a little more experienced across the board, and have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. However the Maroons style is one that can hurt them, especially considering the secondary is maybe the biggest question mark for Belfry right now. So I will just say I am so happy it is finally football time, and I will sit back and enjoy the ride. Bring it on!!

This is one of the premier bowl games in the Commonwealth. They have consistently brought in great teams and produced big time matchups. Kudos to the folks in charge. I went to the Pigskin Classic one year in the 90s where Male played Moeller and I cannot remember who Corbin played. An in-state team I'm sure. It was maybe Coach Whittaker's first game at Corbin. Male had Tony Driver as their all around stud and he wore a different number in the first half, seemingly to throw off the defense. So he didn't get credit for his first half stats, and still won MVP. Can anyone tell me what year it was and who Corbin played? And if anyone has a list of results from this bowl game from its inception, that would be cool to read.

I’m not really a fan of Cincy chili. Don’t shoot me. I think it’s the taste of cinnamon that gets me. I like a spicy chili, something with a bite, but never anything sweet. @Birdsfansent me some Dixie chili once in cans. It was actually pretty good. But he just about had a cow when I told him I put it on hot dogs but had to add a lot of Frank’s hot sauce to it.

What brand turf is that?

Some of Isaac's Career Numbers Games - 61 Rushing: 530 carries, 6,457 yards, 87 touchdowns Receiving: 21 catches, 724 yards, 12 touchdowns Passing: 3 completions, 7 attempts, 53 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception 5 touchdowns on interception returns 2 touchdowns on fumble recovery returns 1 touchdown kick return 1 touchdown punt return 108 total touchdowns 12.18 average yards per carry 2019 State Championship MVP - 15 carries for 224 yards and 3 TD 2021 State Championship MVP - 41 carries for 376 yards and 5 TD

Kash Daniel was pretty recent and Tim Couch was more recent than Scotty Russell, but I can't name the years. Of course they were the AP Mr Football and Dixon is the KFCA Mr Football, a relatively new award.

That pretty much sums it up lol

With Belfry playing Paducah Tilghman this week, I couldn't help but think of my old friend Joey Fosko. BGP's westsider. Joey was the most informed high school sports guy I have ever known, particularly in western Kentucky. Joey and I used to talk about the 1985 championship game in 3A when the Blue Tornado beat my Pirates. I would have really enjoyed talking with him this week. https://bluegrasspreps.com/forums/topic/113438-westsider-has-passed-away/#comments

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This is a heavyweight match in the small school ranks. I missed it last year but I am really looking forward to this one. I don’t know who will win, looks pretty even on paper. I’ll be pulling for LCA because of a young man on their team who lost his father recently, and both his parents have deep Belfry roots.

thanks SD for the info. When PT hired Coach Thompson I either read or was told it was the same Shawn Thompson. Glad you corrected me. So for anyone that knows: What is current PT Coach Sean Thompson’s coaching history? And where is former Wayne Co Coach Shawn Thompson at now?

Good stuff DMC. A lot of thoughts running through my head. Glass slipper game, indeed. These will be two young teams who peaked at the right time and have a lot of tradition and history behind them. Two contrasting styles and coaching philosophies, with good measures of success for each Even though 85 wasn’t Belfrys first trip to the championship, Belfry fans remember the 85 loss very well. Tilghman was the more talented team but the Pond Creek boys gave it all they had and with a couple minutes to go it was 16-14 if my memory serves me. The Blue Tornado added a couple scores late to seal the deal. These two coaches faced off in a state championship game in 2013 and it was a classic game. The Pirates won 3-0 on a cold windy day against Coach Thompson’s Wayne Co team. It has been fun watching the Pirates rebound from the demoralizing start to the season. 0 and 5 will take a toll on a young team and nobody knew how they would respond. Credit goes to the coaching staff for keeping eyes on the ultimate prize and following Coach Haywood’s mantra of getting a little bit better every day and doing the fundamentals right. Speaking of coaching, is this the best job this coaching staff has done in their impressive careers? I can’t argue against it. Lots more to discuss this week. This game excites me ??