TomcatPride

Well, seeing as this will probably be the only Tomcat game I'll get to this year before I head back to school, I should comment on what I saw. And, seeing as I misplaced my maroon tinted shades a few years ago, I can say as a fairly unbiased observer that the best team won this game tonight. They should've scored 30+ but the Rams fumbled a couple away deep in Ashland territory. Raceland had the better QB, the better receiver, and seemed to be much better prepared. Credit to the coaching staff, as it looked like Ashland wasn't allowed to practice all summer while Raceland had been working and fine tuning their game for months. That isn't a knock on Coach Hart, he's working with a young team and they needed some game experience. In fact, you could tell they played better throughout the game as they came out in the 2nd half and took it to Raceland a little better. Now, my beef lies with the Ashland quarterback situation. I don't mind having Thomas there as long as they use the option or spread out the receivers and run with him some, but in the first half he wasn't being utilized hardly at all out of the backfield. In the 2nd they turned to him some more and he delivered. In terms of his passing, he had a couple nice throws, but some were dropped and others were off target. If Ashland doesn't want to use the option and ignore their best playmaker, they might as well put Royalty back there and let Matt focus on tailback. Speaking of, I don't think it's too early to say we may be seeing the next great Tomcat running back in Rashard Carter. That is, if he keeps his head straight. As for Raceland, the Sparks kid absolutely impressed the heck out of me. He's a big target, a tough matchup, and seemed to have some nice hands. I would use that roll out pass in the flat or across the middle to him until the defense could stop it. And that's before I saw the leg on him. Kid's a nice player. Finally, I was shocked at how low Ashland's numbers were. They had, according to the program, only 15 seniors, 17 juniors, and 15 sophomores, I believe. It seemed that Raceland had just as many, or maybe more, kids than Ashland. It's sad evidence that population around the area is on the decline, and I would venture a guess that the next time the KHSAA realigns that Ashland will be a 4A school, seemingly where they belong with the Greenups and Boyds of the world, er state. I saw some improvement tonight, but I think this could be a long season at Putnam. I hope I'm wrong.

Warren Central was just a much more athletic and bigger team. Elliott couldn't defend them. They played a tight zone and Central would knock down 3's. They went man to man and Central just dominated them inside. They couldn't stop them in transistion. They were simply overmatched. Knipp tried to play, but could barely move on the court. His help would have been nice, but this kid is going to be a real player by the time he's a senior...in 2011! The Faulkners played well and Ferguson had a hot stretch in the 2nd then went fairly quiet. He's going to have two more years with big numbers. One thing I noticed about Anderson, who is one of my favorite players I've ever watched in the Sweet 16. He started slow tonight, missing early shots, I think he had 5 midway through the 2nd. Then he picked up a cheap foul on an Elliott lay up and that got him going. He was on a mission after that, and finished with 25. They just have so many bodies coming off the bench, but that won't matter tomorrow morning. That game could be spectacular. I'd just like to congratulate the Lions one more time. They had a great run, excited a community, and won a game at Rupp. I came away extremely impressed with that bunch of kids. They are going to be an absolute force to be reckoned with the next two years. I enjoyed watching you all very much this year, and good luck (sans Tomcat games ) next year! :thumb:

I hate to admit it...but I love this Elliott Co. team! They started out slow, but Ethan Faulkner got them into the game. He knocked down some shots and got some defensive turnovers. I really like how he plays. He's got the look of a future coach about it. He's always talking to his teammates, telling them where to be, keeping their heads up, etc. He makes this team go. Ferguson didn't do much the first half, but they went right to him to start the second, and he hit a tough jumper and got fouled. He went on to score 20+ that half, I believe. I was there, and didn't really notice a large amount of inconsistancy or bad calls. Of course I was sitting in section 231, so I may have missed them. The fouls seemed to be good calls, the better team won this game. SV made a lot of bad turnovers as well. Elliott should take note of how June Buchanan played right with Warren Central in the first half. If they are hitting their shots, they can beat Central. They just can't get rattled by the press by an athletic team. Does anyone have an update about Timmy Knipp? He went down with an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter. He would be a big loss if he isn't available tomorrow.

June Buchanan seemed to make a decision to not let Jeremy Anderson beat them. They played a box and one with Childers face guarding him the length of the court. In the first half, he had trouble getting open, and the Dragons weren't hitting their open shots when they got them. Buchanan did make their shots and made it close the first half. They just ran out of steam and Warren Central came alive. Hood, Britt, and Hudson hit their shots and got more aggressive on defense. Their press became more effective and they got some easy lay ups. The Crusaders gave a great effort, but Warren Central just had too much for them. I really like the Stepp brothers and the Cox kid. Very impressive. If Warren Central doesn't turn it up a notch tomorrow night, Elliott Co. will give them everything they want.

Holmes was just more athletic than Tilghman, and their defense was all over the Blue Tornado, forcing them to take bad shot after bad shot. I think they are a tough matchup for South Laurel, as I don't think the Cardinals have the athletes to stay with Holmes. Contain Profitt and South Laurel is very beatable. I was pretty impressed with Holmes, they've got athletes and some length. If they are hitting their shots, like they did tonight, they are a very dangerous team.

They did. Fairdale was all over the boards and got out to about a 7 point lead in the early part of the 4th. Hammonds hurt his shoulder and missed most of the 3rd. Then, as experienced and senior laden teams do, South Laurel came back. They got aggressive on the boards and Profitt hit some big shots. Hammonds and Smith made their free throws down the stretch and forced Fairdale to take some bad shots. Survive and advance.. However, Holmes will be a very tough test for them. They are very athletic and will get all over you on defense. If South Laurel plays like they did most of tonight I don't think they can hang with Holmes.

If Elliott plays anything like they did against Ashland, they can beat any team in the state, and I honestly believe that. I plan on attending and can't wait to see how the young boys react to playing in Rupp. Both teams could easily play the first half with the deer-in-the-headlights look, but I'm not sure. Those kids have played a lot of games together and don't seem to feel the pressure of a big game. All of Sandy Hook will be there, and they will be very loud. Faulkner #1 will be the key; if he can run the offense and get the ball to Ferguson, Knipp, Maynard or whomever is hitting, Elliott will be a tough out. I really hope they come out and play well, excite the crowd, and represent the 16th well. They will be a great story to write about, and I'm sure someone is all over it. I'll be rooting for them to win and give the story some extra spice. Good luck Lions! Elliott Co. 72 Shelby Valley 64

Jeremy Anderson - Warren Central - Been my favorite player to watch for a few years now. Great shooter, physical player who will go to the bucket, and plays with a lot of heart. I hope they make another long run this year. Ty Profitt - South Laurel - Love the way he runs the show for South. I'm interested to see if he can lead the Cardinals to a W over Fairdale in the first round. Jordan Hammonds - South Laurel - When his shot is on he can be dangerous. Plays with a lot of intensity. Would be a good pickup for a state school. Faulkner #1 - Eliott Co. - Not sure which one he is, but the primary ballhandler for the Lions is the key to that team. He keeps everything under control on offense and isn't afraid to take it inside. He played with a lot of passion in the Regional championship, and I can't wait to see how it translates to Rupp. Have we mentioned they start 5 sophomores and bring another sophomore and an 8th grader off the bench yet? Ryan Young - Lincoln Co. - I saw them play Dunbar a few weeks ago and really enjoyed watching this kid play. I sat beside his dad at the scorer's table and he was a great guy, so I was rooting for them to get to Rupp. Young is a very nice point guard who has to come up big for the Patriots if they are going to beat Adair Co. in the first round.

To be honest Scooterbob, they were bad both ways. It's not necessarily that one team got calls and one didn't, it was that the officiating was terribly inconsistant. They would call East for a ticky tack hand check in the front court, but Ashland would get hammered down low and they would let them play. They were pretty pitiful, and not just from the standpoint of an Ashland fan. The officiating in the 16th continues to be, at best, poor.

Wow, sounds like the Tomcats are continually improving throughout the year. And I'm so happy to hear the students are coming out to the games in large droves and being vocal and positive. Not a knock on the former Tomcat coach, but there is no doubt in my mind that Buddy Biggs is the main reason the kids are so into this team. He's brought a rejuvenated feel to the team, the students, and the fans, and after sitting through games down here in Lexington with small crowds and little student support, I'm happy to see the same isn't occuring back in Ashland.

Bryan Station dominated this one from the start. They were up 26-5, I believe, after the 1st Quarter. I was really shocked at how badly Station outplayed Tates Creek, considering the Commodores were 18-2. Morones, the sophomore, had a monster game, with around 25 points. His shot was on tonight. Mack played a great floor game, as I've become accustomed to seeing from him. He sees the floor so well, and I think he had 8 assists tonight to go along with 12-14 points. I love the way he plays, and I really think he could play at an Eastern or Morehead, and if he has a growth spurt before his senior year next season, he could play at a higher level, just my opinion. The play of the game, by far, was a nasty dunk by Combs right in the face of a Tates Creek player that brought the house down. Look for it on the news tonight. And in case anyone is wondering why a Tomcat fan was at a Bryan Station-Tates Creek, I work for a stats company in Lexington, which is also why I know so many of the stats tonight. And in the many Lexington games I've worked this year, tonight was by far the largest and most vocal crowd I've seen. Kudos to the kids from Tates Creek and Station for that. :thumb:

http://wlstats.net/2006-07_Basketball/Bryan_Station/HC.BS.12.12.06.pdf

Gosh you weren't supposed to bring up what after after they won the region! :madman: In all seriousness, JC's pitcher was on (I want to say his name was Blanton?) and the Tomcat bats didn't come around until it was too late. Great team, great season.

If I recall correctly, out of the three, the 2004 Tomcat baseball team was the last to win a Regional Championship. Maybe you should try to enjoy Tomcat Baseball more often However, I have complete confidence in Coach Biggs to get this program back to Rupp. I've heard nothing but good things from his former players as well, and I can't wait until I get in town over Christmas to see what the team looks like. Hopefully Thomas carries some confidence over from football, where he finally had a breakout year, Wilcox will stay healthy, and McDavid will be the team leader he was in football. Don't forget about senior guards Jeremy Rose and Tyler Salyers, they were the starting guards on their freshman team that was very good, and they are very heady players who can get up and down the floor and make plays. I'm excited to see them get their chance. So let's stop this "trouble in Ashland" nonsense when there is no trouble at all and just look forward to the start of a new season and a new era of Tomcat Basketball :thumb:

I am so happy for Matt Thomas. I don't know what has gotten into him these past few weeks, but it appears as if he is finally playing up to the expectations and lofty standards Ashland fans had made for him. It couldn't happen to a nicer or more deserving kid. I'm sure some of the credit goes to an outstanding o-line in front of him, but the Matt Thomas I saw at the Russell game was the one I had been waiting to see. He was hitting the holes without hesitation or dancing around. And he knew when to turn on the jets and when to showcase his moves. It appears as if he has continued this, with multiple 200 or close to 200 yard games. This kid is a junior, and if he keeps this level of play going and his confidence strong, he could very well go down as the great running back we all thought he could become. I like the way Ashland is playing right now. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in town and make it a couple more games this year.

Matt Thomas with a 59-yard TD run, 14-7 Tomcats.

Prestonsburg ties it on a 50 yard run on 4th down from midfield. Not sure who ran it. 7-7. 3 minutes to go in the 1st quarter.

Just walked in and turned it on. Ashland leads 7-0 after Prestonsburg fumbles the kickoff and Ashland drove 40+ yards for the score. Matt Thomas ran it in, I believe.

I'm assuming this isn't GIAT's words, and he simply copied and pasted it. Hearing GIAT say Ohio is God's Greatest Creation is like Star Jones saying no thanks to a second helping. Shocking and impossible.

I don't like the idea as, personally, I wish they were playing tonight. But I don't think it's right to absolutely rip Ashland and the administration for this decision. Knowing Mr. Swift and the rest of the Ashland administration very well, I can say with quite a bit of confidence that this decision was made not as a subversive way to undermine Russell and increase the chances for a Tomcat victory. Swift was more likely trying to appease as many people as possible here. Quite frankly, they probably freaked out and jumped the gun since the decision was made so early, but I think it's a far cry to exclaim this to be the worst decision in recent history. Look, this is a big game. Honestly, it's probably both teams marquee game of the year, and since Ashland doesn't play Ironton, this is the game both teams would most love to win. It's also going to be the game most people want to see, no matter where it is played. So I'm sure the decision was made with the comfort of the fans, safety of the players, and, yes, dollar signs in mind. So when you're sitting in your dry seats enjoying the game on a warm, sunny evening (hopefully), I'm sure you wouldn't wish it to be cold and raining. The fans on here would be at the game, but half of the would be crowd would sit at home sadly. It's not the first time a game time has been changed to increase revenue, it sure won't be the last. If Russell was going to run all over us tonight, they will tomorrow. If we were going to stop them tonight, we will tomorrow. It's a special game, and it being on Saturday night will be even more special. All fans should appriciate the fact the game will take place in (hopefully) dryer conditions, and stop ripping Ashland for doing something you believe is simply to give Ashland an advantage. It's just not the case. And I'm sure Russell fans will appriciate the fact we are trying to keep the condition of our field as best as we can just in case you need to use our "Old Dump" in an emergency situation when your place isn't it game condition.

These Tomcats were a lot better than I expected to see (I didn't attend last week). They took advantage of Belfry turnovers and penalties to stop their offense, and used a nice balance of passing and running to support their own offense. Mahan was very impressive at QB, taking off for several nice runs and connecting long to McDavid a couple of times. He would've had more yardage but his receivers dropped some passes. The defense made some nice plays, but the cold, hard truth is that they will still have a hard time stopping a big, tough runner inside. May #20 was a killer for the Pirates, a very nice looking football player who, only a junior, will only improve. That said, Haywood outsmarted everyone in the stadium who thought May would get the handoff for the conversion (which I fully would've gone for; their first and only XP was blocked). Unfortunately for Belfry, McDavid broke through and got to the QB before he could pitch it wide and the play failed. I still would've given it to May even though everyone would expect it. Predictability isn't a bad thing if it's effective. Regardless, hats off to the Tomcats and the Pirates for a tough, hard fought and well played game. Ashland isn't as bad as everyone seemed to suggest after last week, but I have to respect Raceland's talent to beat this Tomcat team. Next week should be fun. Who do we play?

Dude, I went to New York once and it smelled really bad in downtown Manhattan around 32nd, they should shut that whole city down. Come on firebird, you've been to Putnam once. I'd say that's not much of a sample size to form such a strong opinion about a place that's been around for over 80 years. The one thing you seem to mention is how dirty it was on the visitors side with all the trash. What does that tell you? I know there are trashcans strategically placed throughout the bleachers to minimize the distance needed to throw your popcorn away, so it would seem that the visiting fans are the ones who are disrespecting the venue. Not that it doesn't happen on the other side, or any other stadium for that matter. But you better believe that there are a group of guys that are out there the following days who clean that place up and work their butts off to get it back to the level you see as simply dirty and nasty. I'm sure they appriciate your opinions on the matter. As for comparing it to Evans, there is no atmosphere that matches Putnam in HS football than the kids in maroon coming down the steps under the light in front of a packed house in a big game. I aslo don't like how everything is spread out, walking along the track to get to the concessions, and the long walk from parking. Plus the visiting seating doesn't really compare with Putnam. I'm sure it's quite dirty too, but simple metal bleachers don't show trash like concrete seating does, so I guess we're out of luck. And talking about Alumni Gym, you are aware it has been renovated correct? It's a nice facility now that serves it's purpose well for elementary and freshman basketball games, as well as wrestling. It may not be state-of-the-art, but neither are Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. And Yankee Stadium was the most uncomfortable place I've ever had to sit and watch a sporting event, but it a one of a kind experience. Not to compare it directly with Ashland's venues, but they are both old and complained about, even though I would never want them to be destroyed.

As an Ashland fan, I know the talent is down. I know the numbers aren't there. Our population has declined severely in the past decade. That has hit all youth sports in town, IMO. We're not blind to the fact that we're not sending out Surgalski's and Umberger's on the court every year. Well, most of us. We don't expect, as wild as this may sound, to have a random group of kids come together around December and win games. Most Ashland fans can cope with this group of talent not winning a region title every year. Regardless, when a team like Russell wins the region title after playing horrendous basketball in the AIT in December, and then putting on a terrible performance at Rupp, it opens everyones eyes to the overall weakness of the region. If a stronger team was winning the region every year, we as Ashland fans would not worry about not winning the region. But in the very weak 16th region, I feel as an Tomcat fan that Ashland can win the region every year even with less talent than years past. It's not crazy at all to believe a new coach can come in here and win the region next year. We're realistic about our situation, but we know anyone can win the 16th.

Is he being misportrayed? He was a great coach, and a good guy once you got to know him. But I'm not making up the things I've stated and reinterated numerous times on here. I felt it was time for a change, and obviously he did too. As for the coach/politican question, I just want a coach who is personable and who the kids want to play and win for. I don't think that makes him a politician, but if it does, I guess that is my answer. And I never said I wanted to take focus away from football. I want some focus on basketball too, since I feel it's become second class behind football. The sole reason for that, I believe, is Leon Hart. A great example of how a new coach can rejuvenate a whole program. But I want focus on all programs, I never said I wanted to take away from football. And I disagree with you 007. It's not like the 16th is a powerhouse. A new coach doesn't need to bring horses, which I'm sure would go over great with our regional friends anyway. Ashland may not have talent head and shoulders above everyone else, but I don't think they are too far behind anyone else. I feel the 16th is very balanced, and all a new coach needs to win, in my opinion, is some motivation, energy, and luck.

Sadly, if someone had to choose between Ashland and a Lexington, Louisville, NKY school, it would be hard to pick Ashland. The town isn't growing like those places, where talent seems to always be there. In Ashland, it comes in waves in the current system. But, that said, it's still Ashland. I know it's not what it once was, but the pride is still here. We're the winningest program in the state. If you're a tradition type person who loves history, how could the Ashland job not be desirable. And we know the situation isn't perfect. The talent pool is down and there is an up and coming team 5 minutes down the road. But if you're a confident coach, you can look at Ashland as a high-risk high-reward situation. We're ready to hand you the keys. Come in and rejuvenate the youth leagues, build the numbers back up with a likeable personality and connection with the town, and get Ashland excited for basketball again. You've got two very good players (Thomas and McDavid), your own holiday tournament, and playing in a region that is not overly strong where you could coceiveably have a chance to win it every year. Why not look at the Ashland situation as a positive? I think the right coach could look at Ashland thinking he could be the one who changed it up, he was the one who started selling out Anderson Gym every night, he was the one who brought the focus at Ashland back on basketball and made it more than something to do while football was over, and that he was the one who restored the "Tomcat Pride" and winning ways to Ashland basketball. I know it may be far fetched, but it's all very possible.