Belfry Wins

I think Belfry does have the advantage this game. Belfrys D will be fine. After the SC loss all they did for two weeks was tackle. Now the last 3 games they have layed some serious hits. Belfrys D-line is very quick also. Coach Haywood has always had his D ready to stop Middlesboro offense when most teams cant quiet figure it out. I feel it will be the same way Friday. I believe if Belfry hangs onto the ball then we will win. You will see Belfrys depth take control in the second half. It takes a toll on a team having the fullback run and run at you and then having someone like Chapman to bust it to the outside. This Middlesboro team is athletic as can be but what people dont realise is Belfry is no slow poke team. IMO we have 5 RB's that I feel confident with running the ball (Chapman, Epling, May, Hickman, and Lee) and then we have a great qb who can run the ball well and carry an excellent fake. Also our addded advantage is he has a great arm. This Belfry team has flew under the radar IMO but they are comming out ready Friday. So I think with the home crowd advantage and depth will be the difference with a turnover free game. Just curious how is Middlesboro preparing for the turf? Are the practicing somewere with it? Because it is alot different than grass. If it rains any that stuff gets slick.

Ill say this something is wrong this team was as talented and good as any team Belfry played including NCC and Ashland. But for some reason they could not get up for hardly any games. They are something wrong there. I dont know if it was their attitudes or what but no way should Hazard even give them a close game. Pikeville had the talent to be in the semi's and possibly a state championship they are no excuses for a round 2 exit plain and simple.

I have wondered what they will do since the brackets was announced. Correct me if Im wrong but isnt their usualy a bigger turnout during the regular season game than the state championship game. I mean people from all over has that game marked and packs in. I for one feel you guys got the shaft and should play for state title. I think it just completes a good football season. I have nothing but respect for those two schools they are talented and I love to watch them play.

I dont got a dog in this fight but if I was the home team I would kind of want it on my home field just for the advantage but I understand going there completely. Just out of curosity though if they was to play at the Pizza Box how would they do this? Would the team with homefield advantage pay the cost to rent it or would they split it or what? Im just curious on a playoff game like that. I guess the homefield team should have the decission and the cost to cover since they are the ones witht he homefield advantage.

I agree they will defintley have one somewere inside 21 points. Im sure they are having fun Joe but trust me the pressure does get their the more you get into it, especialy if you make it to Louisville. Im not saying they wont win it and they may blow out everyone from here out but I see them having a close game or two. And most Mercer fans will agree with me that they are no lock. They are a contender defintley but no lock thats why we play the game. One thing that will catch up a little bit is talent and depth. Teams like Belfry, Russell, and O'Cath will be just as deep as them. Im a Belfry fan and we have the pleasure like Mercer does of wearing most teams down. But that all changes when you play a team just as equal makes it interesting. Im anxious to watch this Mercer team as the season progresses and competition gets tougher. I know they are for real no doubt about it but Im just anxious to see how AA does unfold. Congrats Mercer, and remember its playoffs give it your all every game.

Im sure some people thinks this will be an easy game but as Lee Corso would say not so fast my friend. I would have felt much more confident playing SC Friday night. For one reason we played a very good game against Pburg in game one and against SC we really left something not finished. Im sure though that Coach Haywood will have his boys ready to play. At least I hope so. If they do I think we will win and wear them down in the second half like most Belfry teams do. I feel our 2 championship years Pburg was just as good as us maybe even more skilled but our debt was the difference. But I know Pburg is going to bring it and pull out everything to try and beat us. I hope Belfry comes prepared. In the playoffs though you better bring your A game and Im sure they will. Ill post a score later when I think about it some but this should be a fun game.

Yeah and Coach Haywood had 3 offensive lineman setting out with mior bumps letting them heal. That makes a difference also. And he worked on alot of things. A rules question I do have. Belfry on 4th down and short went with what they called snap down were the line starts in a up position and then goes down to a 4 point stance on hutt. It acorss drawed Valley offsides but they called a false start on us. When Haywood asked the reff said that rule was changed two years ago. Is that the truth because Coach didnt agree with it? If it is weve gotten away with it alot because we use it often.

Here is a view of JC from a non JC fan. I can assure you they are the best team in mountains. The line between them and Belll and Rock is kind of thin but I feel JC will win on their homefield. As far as them overlooking anyone I highly doubt it. They have a great coach who I guarantee you wont overlook anyways. He will play that game off likes hes the biggest underdog in the world. He is a smart coach and wont let them overlook anyone. Dont think of a team what you see by some fans cause most fans from most schools think their teams beat the world. As far as them making it and winning state. Sure they have a chance. Everyone does right now. I wouldnt put money on it but wouldnt count them out. Personaly I dont think they will get past Cov. Cath or Highlands but I do feel they will play with them and crazier things have happened.

Im glad Coach Haywood got the respect he deserves. Anyone who has ever played for the man will tell you what Im going to tell you. His strategy is to make you a better player and a better person. That right there is a quality of a great coach. His goal is to make you play to the best of your potential and also to teach you to be all you can be in life. And you have those life lessons daily. If hes around you in school and you play for him you better answer your teachers or any elders by sir and ma'am or you will be running at practice. I remember one year I got off the bus at Ashland and my shirt must have came untucked. I got yelled at allt he way to the locker room over that. He won alot of respect from me by teaching me more than ball. He taught me about life, God, and ball. He taught me to be the best you have to work the hardest. And to this day I can still call him and anything I need he will do for me. That is a quality of a good coach. On top of that though I never have seen a team improve from the beginning of the year to the playoffs as much as Coach Haywoods teams will do. Great coach.

Belfry is breathing fire to play SC again. Sometime the edge goes to the team that one but in the case of Belfry/SC I think it goes to Belfry. Belfry feels they let it get away with missed tackles and that is the truth. Coach Haywood has done nothing during the off week but run the guys and tackle. So they are itching to get back against SC. So it will be a great game.

They was other reasons than that why David Jones did move over to Ky but needless to say Kinder isnt much of a guy and honestly their Principal shes just as bad. Ive got alot of friends from there and they tell me some awful stories on him. I wouldnt want the man around a kid of mine ever.

I know SC has more weapons than Dials. They are a good football team. I just feel that Belfry has a bit more depth and talent. No offense taken to SC fans because I along with the rest of Belfry have alot of respect for you guys. Friday night will be a two pretty good power teams. One thing I think will cause a problem for SC is our speed on D. Belfrys Dline is small and you think when you see them wow they arent big but they are very fast and strong and they do a great job of getting to the ball. When your linebackers step up and fill the holes like they should then we are tuff on run D. And I for one have thought our pass D isnt to bad this year.

We scrimaged Hazard and Pikeville will be fine their. Also in the game wtih East Jessamine Pikeville was playing their first complete game without my opinion the best player on their team and leader in offense especialy and great linebacker, John Mayo. The QB had to step in and adjust to everything Im sure Mayo had took most of the reps and practice at Qb in the preseason. Ill also say this from watching most all of Pikeville games on film up to the Belfry game I will say they improved alot each and every week and their improvement for the Belfry game was really good. They have a team and I will stand behind my word not many teams will come to Pikeville and beat them. Im saying they make it to Semis anyways and I wouldnt be a bit suprised to see them pull the shocker. Im still looking for the day when Belfry and Pikeville both goes together to state and we all can just cheer for each other. That would be so great.

Yeah alot of people look at our skill position and see no Maynard, Jones or Howard and they think were weak there but Im telling you our skill players has carried us this year early when the line struggled. Chapman and Epling both have break away speed and are hard to handle. May also runs very hard and will run over you. Ask any team we played these backs are tuff. Dials is a great back but overall Belfry has more talent there. Also having Elkins in there who throws a nice pass is excellent because he can keep the D from stacking the box plus opening up the running game. Hard thing about this team is I have seen teams focus on our speed guys and try to shut them down and May simpy kill them. And if you commit to trying to stop May then we will let you have a shot at him a time or two and run that counter and its all over. I think Belfry is better than SC but SC wont say that and wont roll over because we are Belfry and they shouldnt. But I do think the game is 2 or 3 TD's at half and we pull away in the second half and put the game away. It will defintley be a fun atmosphere Friday night and all of Belfry has nothing but respect for what Shawn Hager has done at SC. You guys have a great coach and a good guy.

I wasnt able to attend this game tonight. First game I have missed in years but I had other things I had to take care of for a drama our church is working on tonight. It was hard to have to miss but some things have to come before football. But congrats on the win. When Belfry plays to their potential they are pretty good and a classy bunch of kids. Im proud to be a Pirate always have been and always will be. One thing I heard that I want to compliment Pburg on. You guys know teams always give you the bad rep of being classless and cheap with alot of plays. But from what I heard Pburg brought a very classy team to CAM Friday night and played a clean game. As much bad mouthing as you guys hear I wanna say congrats on that. Now time for SC all I got to say is Ill be back Friday night and me along with a very large host of Belfry faithful will be there going wild. I think Belfry crowd is alot more alive and into the game when were on the road and our guys really feed off that. Hopefully our band director will bring the band. I was so mad when she didnt even bring them to Pikeville.

Ill say this from seeing Pikeville play and NCC I think that would be an excellent game. NCC and Beechwood is obviously close so I will say Pikeville is a contender. Nobody better overlook this team. They have alot of talent and most of it is young.

Who has Belfry scheduled just curious for next year? I know their district games and Ive heard Shelby Valley and Corbin in PCB. But who else? I know Pikeville and Lawrence Co. But that still leaves a game or two opened.

Breathitt had a ruff game with Cawood at Brethitt this Friday. Leslie Co. has a little bit more experience comming into this game and the home field advantage. I look for those two being the difference in a close and competitive ball game.

To be honest with you he wouldnt start in Belfrys backfield. Burch has 12 players on their team and I heard they have one hurt so that would be 11. They are fotunate to have a team this is a typical Kinder game. He is a joke as a coach plain and simple. The kid is a decent back but I can think of several backs in EKY that I have seen personaly that is alot better. He honestly couldnt start in Belfry or Pikevilles backfield. Man who is an average team this year held them under 100 yards.

Here it goes again. Top 10 goes by records alot and its not a slight to Pikeville they arent in there. They are a great team and will win and be in it before the season is over but it will take a few games because they do hav ea few losses from their tuff early season schedule. Ive seen film alot of it of SC and watched Pikeville in action 2 times and the Pburg game on tape. And I do think Pikeville would win they have more speed. But that is nothing more than an opinion. And dont look at the Phelps game to see Pikeville as one who criticised alot of classy type things last week I will say congrats on beating Phelps the way you did, putting up 70 plus on a team proves nothing. Keep in their and you guys will be in the top 10 and be serious contender in playoffs.

Yeah SS the highlights on Sports Overtime looked awful muddy. The mudd can make a talented team look more even with a less talented team. It also stinks for you guys because games like that is always good to work on your weakness and its hard to pass much in that mudd. Also congrats to ER they hava couple RB's that defintley run hard. # 4 is a very good runner.

A little close at halftime but flat games do happen. The field looked really muddy to. Did that play role in the closeness of the game?

Belfry has great parking. You can even park probably a little closer to the field than you can at Valley. We have one real big parking lot that is right behind the home bleachers. Im anxious to seeValleys new turf they always did have a nife set up anyways.

First of all Middlesboro and Pikeville is two excellent teams. Pikeville has went through beef pf their schedule and because of being a 1a school must play a weaker district they cant help that. Middlesboro is still to come (in their district). I still believe Pikeville will have the tuffer regular season schedule though. But I fele Pikeville might just beat the Boro right now because they are battle tested but we will never know. But I do agree with the rankings. Allthough Pikeville should be up there somewere there record is not allowing them and I totaly agree with that and feel good abotu Middlesboro being were they are at.

By the way with all the talk about low class and all that. I want to give a shout out to one player from Pikeville (one that stuck out to me) who played very classy and very well and that is #24. He is a heck of an athelete to be a sophmore and seems to have a level head on his shoulder and is a very classy kid it seems.