Painter

Great job Dennis! Free-handed it too??!! I am very impressed!:notworthy: As for the game...I look for Raceland to TCB tonight and keep their mojo going. Best of luck RAMS!

This one is going to be a slugfest. I look for JC to play its best game of the year as both of these teams open up against a District opponent for the first time this season. Matney has a way of whipping his teams into a frenzy when he can play the “underdog” card. Having this game in Paintsville is a huge advantage for the Eagles too. When comparing these two teams, it’s interesting to note that the cumulative W-L records of their collective opponents stand dead even at 22 – 16. Even though Ashland is undefeated at 6-0, JC finds itself in a very un-Matneyesque predicament at 2 – 4. Regardless… pre-district records are meaningless when trying to evaluate these two teams. I find it more revealing that the Eagles have yielded a whopping 176 points defensively. From 2005 through 2008, JC has yielded an average of 18 points per contest. In 2009, however, the Eagles give up over 29 points per game...Ashland yields 11. Defense wins championships.

It’s a relief to see the record get above .500 for the Rams and getting this most recent W on the road is another good sign things are starting to get on track. This Raceland team is finally starting to gain some momentum…and that’s a very good thing considering the next three opponents are at the opposite end of the spectrum from the most recent three. The Rams have yet to be at full force all season long and have had to deal with multiple distractions, not to mention a restless and vocal fan base. Time to circle the wagons Raceland…chalk up the past to experience, get healthy, and above all else, just focus on arch rival Fairview. The Eagles have lost 4 consecutive years to the Rams…in fact, 2004 was the last time Fairview has won this match-up. Don’t think for an instant these Fairview seniors are not focusing on Raceland.

WOW. Congrats to Boyd on getting one in the win column. I must admit, it’s great to see there is still some fight left in the Lions. With an open week ahead, BC has time to get ready for a tough remaining stretch with games against Greenup (away), Rowan (away) then the finale with Ashland (home).

This LC season is shaping up to be one of legendary "potential". There was an earlier thread about whether there has ever been a team go winless one year, and then undefeated the next. I don’t believe there were any examples of this ever occurring in Kentucky but if you stipulate this happening during the course of a regular season schedule, the Bulldogs may be in line to accomplish the unbelievable. Those two foes which still loom large are an away game with upstart Greenup Co then back home for another Cinderella story with Rowan.

I have wondered the same thing doc... The first part of this season has been brutal for Central, but I’m surprised to see how quickly the JC fans seem to be jumping off the bandwagon.

Looks like you have your game face on Graybeard....Im likin' it!

Overall records between these two programs is dead even at 5 – 5 – 0. Four of those five wins have come about since the arrivals of Coach Matney and Coach Hart. Hart won the inaugural game in 2005 in the famous “Wide Right – Mud Cleat” controversy 13 – 10…but since that game, Central has ripped off 4 consecutive victories. Our current seniors have yet to beat the Eagles and have experienced some rather lopsided Ironton-esque defeats…7 -35; 21-28; 33-67, and finally last year’s game 6-41. We have witnessed how these Tomcats have handled the Ironton situation, and even though Central is not (nor has ever been) the equivalent of an Ironton…I believe these Ashland seniors will have the same mindset when they line up against the Eagles. Enough is enough.

This game is two weeks away, but since both teams are having their bye week, I hope this thread can stay open. In the not too distant past, this was a marquee game in our area due to Central’s sudden surge to prominence and Ashland’s storied tradition…mix in a couple of record rushers and you have the ingredients for a great ballgame. Central has a less than impressive record thus far, but their opponents have not been cupcakes either. Ashland has yet to take on a 5A school, but they did finally log a W against Ohio perennial power, Ironton. I hope with the back to back wins, AND the start of district play will revive some of the JC posters to start a dialog about this game. IMO, this will be Ashland’s greatest challenge of the regular season. Thoughts?

Just goes to show you there IS a silver lining in every dark cloud. I sincerely hope GC stays positive and focused on fundamentals and simply getting better with every play. Don’t pay attention to the scoreboard or season record…just keep plugging away. Keep the passion that you had at the beginning of the season…the prize is still just as valuable. Beating Rowan would be a nice feather in that musketeer hat…

Im looking forward to this QB matchup too RamFan...and if Ashland faces a better player at that position this regular season, I dont know who it would be.

We could have a dedicated thread, even a web page, addressing this topic. I fear it is here to stay though Ram. :irked:

That is one of my favorite rituals coming out of Ram Land...having those young kids warm up with the Varsity really adds fertilizer to the seeds of expectations.

Greenup finds itself at yet another crossroad. After a long and rejuvenated offseason, the Muskies answer two opening losses with 2 consecutive wins (one being a rivalry thriller). Now, there have been a couple of possible internal distractions with transfers and departures, an open week, followed by meeting up with an Ohio opponent. I voted for DB in the poll simply because I have not seen enough yet from GC to convince me there won’t be some form of implosion on this team. Granted, my reluctance is based on things I have witnessed over the years and has absolutely nothing to do with the resurgence of interest and passion coming out of GC this year…I’m just skeptical is all. It’s hard to predict how a group of kids will react to the departure of one of their captains and how much rust may have accumulated in the off week. This will be a challenge…one which a committed team will overcome. I don’t enjoy being wrong, but it would delight me to see GC make yet another statement that the program has turned the corner and on its way to greater accomplishments. Much is acknowledged about the overall quality of high school football in Ohio compared to Kentucky, but as far as our local “river wars” are concerned, I would like to see us (Kentuckians) be the asterisk in this debate between the two states….maybe overall, Ohio has the edge, but when it comes to this small stretch of the Ohio River, Buckeyes Beware!

So, would this aspect of weather be enough to change your prediction for this game?

Looks like we may be in for some rain tomorrow (and now)...advantages to anyone? Will poor weather conditions provide Roback with an edge or a limitation?

This is really bad news on several fronts. Obviously, no one wants to see a player injured but from all reports I hear, Ben worked his tail off during the offseason and was probably the most improved player on the team. I believe he held a team record or two on physical strength as well. Football aside, best of luck to Ben and I hope he has a speedy and complete recovery. He will be missed. Quote from the Daily Independent by Coach Hart: “I was sick to my stomach when I heard about Ben because of how hard he worked and how long he waited for the opportunity to play.” Hart said Stringer had been “the best lineman on both sides of the ball for (Ashland).”

Not too shabby.....looks like the Tomcat Defense will have their hands full. Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 200 lbs Forty: 4.75 secs Vertical: 28 inches Shuttle: 4.55 secs A former NFL Punt Pass & Kick National Finalist... ultimate 100 freshman writeup Quote: The QB MVP went to Derek Roback of Waverly High School in Ohio. Roback, 6-foot-1 1/2 and 194-pounds, was fantastic with his leadership and decision making while leading the ?White Team? to the 7-on-7 championship. He also had a 4.65 40, 29.5-inch vertical, 8?7 1/2? broad, 4.48 shuttle, and 20 reps on 135-pounds. BuckeyeGrove.com - Ten to watch in 2010 class Quote: Roback has excellent size already at 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds. In 2006 he was a national finalist in the Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition and is an outstanding athlete ? he runs better than 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. He was the quarterback MVP at the NationalUnderclassmen.com Ultimate 100 in June.

I heard it was Greenup Co, not Central Hardin :confused:

Best of luck to Coach and Mrs. Rains. I have walked that path myself and its not an easy one...thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Both of these teams are a bit of a mystery to me. I don’t believe anyone would have guessed either would be sporting 1 – 4 records at this point. However, having an identical record may be the only similarity between these two. I look for JC to take this game handily. From my perspective, it seems Central is improving whereas Breathitt is spiraling downward. Their single common opponent has both losing to Sheldon Clark…Breathitt 0 – 6 and Central 14 – 22. Where the heck are all the JC posters??

Raceland has a great opportunity to hone their skills in this game. Any district game is important, but the Rams, in all likelihood, will be too much for Nicholas Co. (1-3) to handle. The Bluejacket’s only victory this season was recorded against winless Bath Co (0-5). I don’t envy NC schedule over the next two weeks either….Raceland this week, followed by LCA. Ouch.

Good catch doc:thumb:...I had just finished reading some info on Irontons next opponent, Logan, who has indeed beaten the Tigers several times...that is what was in my mind when posting that about Waverly. Thanks for setting the record straight.

The Waverly Tigers come into Putnam Stadium sporting a 3-1 record. This strain of Tiger may not have to ubiquitous punch as their Ironton counterparts, but they have been known to beat Ironton. In looking at their 3 wins thus far, those 3 opponents combined for a total record of 2 – 10.

It's not just Whitley....I don't think anyone has an answer for Varney. Congrats to Belfry on this road win!