Painter

Tiny...I have your ticket in my office. Do you want to pick it up or for me to leave it at the gate?

Since rain is forecasted as imminent for this Friday’s game, BCR, it looks like we will be experiencing those “good old days” and going for it. Personally, I dislike the notion of rescheduling a game purely based on weather but gate/concession revenue is seriously impacted by rainy weather. A good example was this years Kiwanis Bowl. Normally, there would have been over 1000 fans in the stands but due to the monsoon like conditions, I heard there were only about 300 die hard spectators (who were undoubtedly player’s parents and relatives). I drove to the stadium that night with intentions of going but opted out when I had to put the car wipers on Noah speed while enroute. There will never be 100% consensus on this dilemma but I’m not convinced it really hurts postponing a game IF it means more people will be able to witness the contest. Given the choice, would you rather watch or play a game in dry conditions or pouring rain?

That's a bit more like it....a win is a win whether 1 or 35. At the risk of speaking for the Tomcats, we would love to see Mason pull it off...it would be an upset, but not too sure if it would be of Biblical proportions. Hope the Royals and T-Cats both take care of business this Friday.

...And then you wake up, right?...Pass me some of that stuff, Luck... 35 point spread seperating Mason from JC!? Im looking for Mason to give the Eagles a good game and its not unfathonable the Royals will win this game....but 35?....c'mon.

That was mere speculation on my part, 81...perhaps its a jaded opinion, but I have learned that reporters oft times put certain spins on a story to skew it in a direction other than the facts of the matter. I didnt mean to imply I had bonifide information...excuse the misunderstanding.

The follow up report of this instance was that all player had been reinstated and the coach apologized for what had happened. As with many things, we cant always believe what we hear/read by the media. I have a feeling there was much more to this than we know.

Lets stay on topic, devil78...but if you insist on speculation, at least acknowledge this decision is typically an "agreement" between BOTH AD's...as was the case back when we handed the devils a loss.

Be sure and keep that quote tucked away devil78...it may come in handy for you again next year as well...:lol: Now, if my Russell brethren will allow us to stay on focus for THIS thread...Ashland vs Boyd Co... As several posters have already mentioned, this used to be THE game for each of these respective programs. It simply didn’t get much bigger for the district to have the season finale between the Tomcats and Lions (many times with district championships on the line). Although I believe Russell has replaced the County for this annual rivalry, “back in the day” Russell was simply a tune-up game as the Devils served merely a Tomcat whipping post. With BC riding a 2 game win streak though, the life support devices have been momentarily shelved and spirits are, as expected, high for the Lions. This could be a dangerous game for the Cats particularly coming off a stinging defeat last weekend. Other than the obvious excitement associated with this rivalry game, I am anxious to see how Ashland rebounds from their last outing…this will be a true test of not just football fundamentals, but overall character of the team. How much grit, backbone and pride will this Ashland team exhibit? I hope these Cats are hungry and come out with an attitude of something to prove. There is a whole lot of football yet to be played, and I would be hard pressed to find a better place to start than smashing a BC Lion right in the chops. Boyd hangs tough early, but too much Tomcat for them to handle 4 quarters. Ashland wins, pulling away late in the contest. Don’t forget, its Senior Night too….not too often we have a class of 24 senior players.

I sure hope not, devil78....although, now that I think about it, the last time the AD did that, it worked out pretty well for the Tomcats. Thanks for that reminder!

If both of these teams play up to full potential, JC gets the W. I am anxious to see how the Eagles respond after the shellacking they put on the Tomcats last week. That was an emotional win for their program and sometimes there is a letdown after such events. Personally, I don’t think JC will experience a letdown but highly motivated effort is not something which can automatically be duplicated every week or sustained for long periods of time. The only weak link I recognized with JC is a vulnerable secondary and this may play into Mason’s strong suit. Believe me, one has to look long and hard to even find a weakness with this year’s Eagles. At the risk of getting off topic, I wanted to congratulate JC on their win last Friday. The appropriate thread had already been closed by the time I got back online. To say I was impressed with their team would be a gross understatement. JC is deserving of their top 5 ranking and has clearly identified themselves as the team to beat in our district and perhaps region as well.

Russell 49 East 6

LC is a much better football team than their record indicates. They are a storied program and play with a great deal of pride and effort. IF Mason looks past them, they could easily find themselves looking at the short end of the score. Its unlikely Coach Buchanan will let that happen though. I look for MC to put together 4 solid quarters in this game and get themselves ready for the playoffs. This just isnt LC's year.

This should be a classic example of "Who wants it the most". After seeing both teams play, its tempting to think of them as being rather equal...but I will give a slight edge to the Lions. The difference maker being their O and D lines. Are both teams still in the hunt for a district playoff seed?

This is a huge rivalry game and I expect Fairview to come out strong, but the Rams will weather that first emotional wave from the Eagles and eventually name their margin of victory. Rams roll and are getting ready for the playoffs.

I will let you know next year, cville (not that Im 28, but it will take me the better part of a year to remember what 29 felt like)

Thanks, Graybeard!! You are too kind! Its a great day to be alive and a perfect night for football.

That about sums up my opinion as well, cville. Did you catch his interview on the local news this morning. He was talking about how much rushing yardage his offense was averageing...it was pathetic. To an uninformed viewer, you would think this guy invented the game.

What I look for most in this game (other than a win) is whether the Tomcats can come out focused and determined to take care of business or flat and not taking LC as a serious challenge. At this point of the season, with every game having District significance, there SHOULD be no such thing as an automatic win. Until Ashland puts together a flawless performance, we have things to work on. I would like to see the Cats get through this game without any turnovers, especially fumbles (lost or recovered). I hope the D stays hungry and goes for another shut-out. Dont even look at the scoreboard...play each play like it was your last.

First of all, congratulations to Boyd Co and Coach Evans with their first district win last Friday. Its somewhat amusing though that every time BC logs a W, someone starts the “Beware of the Lions” banter. I realize Boyd is rebuilding this year with a young team and new coach but do you really want to call out “The Maroon” based on a victory against a struggling 1 - 6 team? Hey, I hope the County wins half of their remaining games and make it to the playoffs. Don’t expect Ashland to take the Lions as an automatic win though…you won’t sneak up on these Tomcats.

There is nothing particularly magical about the wing-t. Its been Russell's bread & butter for decades and they run it to PERFECTION. Opposing defenses will know whats coming...now try and stop it.

I know in Ashland we are expecting unseasonable cold weather (40's) for game time preceded by heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Sounds like football weather to me!!

It seems that every game this year has been a pivotal one for the Tomcats. Other than the season opener, I can’t think of any game in which Ashland was a clear favorite, and WE LOST that one to a very good Raceland team. Based on the results since that opening loss, this perpetual underdog role seems to serve Ashland well though. Mason, IMO, is one of the better coached teams we have faced this year (and we have faced some dandies, i.e. McGlone, Haywood). Im amazed at some of the predictions on this thread calling for an Ashland blow-out. The Cats should win the game IF they continue to work hard and execute up to their capabilities but being an away game against a very dangerous opponent doesn’t exactly make me want to bet the farm.

Yes.

I agree that a Tomcat victory on October 20th would not be a major upset but with all the hype around JC football, this game will garner much 3A interest. As for the “weak schedule” viewpoint…just because JC has steamrolled weaker opponents doesn’t necessarily mean they are incapable of soundly beating very good teams as well…they have to prove it on the field though. The simple truth is, neither program will exactly know where they fit into the overall 3A picture until the season is over. Think back to last year when JC was supposed to revisit Putnam Stadium and avenge a painful loss by meeting Ashland in a playoff rematch. I was probably as surprised as the JC fans when the rematch didn’t take place due to the Eagle’s swift playoff exit. Where we really differ in opinion Dino, is the winner of the regular season Ashland v JC contest will be hard pressed to duplicate the effort and sweep the other team. I believe there are far more instances to provide evidence of this than the contrary. However, should Ashland be victorious on October 20th, the bright side for JC fans is that they will probably get a chance to come back to Putnam Stadium and avenge not just one or two, but three consecutive losses to the Tomcats.

Gotta hand it to you Din0....you have an uncanny knack for describing the obvious.