Red Beaulieu

Yes there are :thumb:

For me this is one of their strengths-patience. They have played on their heels several times this year, some due to injury, some due to their own mistakes, but they have yet to fall apart. Sometimes I feel Steelman (who is so competetive, but I love it) tries to force things to happen, but he is playing much smarter this year. So far this group of players has been pretty cool under pressure. Of course a State Championship is a whole new level of pressure.

I wasn't trying to underplay BG. I think they have a great team. The Colonels have played a more difficult schedule, and are highly favored to win tommorrow night. I haven't seen them play, but those are some impressive stats. 225 tackes for Flynn! It sounds like they are a very well balanced team, and the Purples will truly be put to the test. Obviously I hope the Purples win. They are a great bunch of kids who have worked very hard to make it back to the State Championship.

Those are some impressive stats for the Colonels. I sure hope we can hang with you guys.

BG has an excellent kicker as well, but he has not hit the distance of CC's kicker. Those are some impressive numbers. The cold will be a factor.

I believe everyone is healthy. I think they will like the cold weather better than the sauna they played in against X. But who wouldn't.

I would direct you to review the Massey Rankings, Lit Rankings and Cantrel Rankings. All had Covington ranked ahead of BG for most of the year. At least the last 4 or 5 weeks. I know that these are just tools to fuel discussion, but the current popular opinion on web sites is that Covington will win easily.

Covington Catholic and Highlands were ranked higher than BG in several polls through out the year. Right now the BP Poll certainly has CC as the heavy favorite.

Luckily for BG, no one listens to me either. All I am saying is BG has worked really hard to change and improve it's offense, and make the most of the plethora of athletes the team has been blessed with having this year. Now, I would love to state confidently that BG is going to win, but it sounds like they will have to play a near perfect game to do that. Haven't seen CC, but they read like an unbeatable team. Clearly they are the favorites. However if you think BG got to the State Championship riding the Hines-Hibbitt train, that is a slap to the many other talented players who have contributed this year. Now if the Hines-Hibbitt express is working...Whoo Whoo!

If CC thinks BG is going to live and breath with Avery Hibbitt, this game just got a whole lot easier.

you beat me to it. Bowling Green of old.

Actually, to be completely technical, Tinius has a scholarship offer from Western. Western is now a going to the Sunbelt conference as a D1A school. I believe WVU is also interested in Tinius. Tinius is an excellent soccer player. BG's boys soccer team won their state championship this year. In the shadows of Tinius is another soccer player, Matt Simpson, who can kick as well as Tinius. I don't know either's longest distances or records. CC's kicker's record is excellent. The very cold temps. expected for Friday will dilute the kicking game somewhat for both teams.

Stuart Hines is the only player with D1 A offers, somewhere around 10 I believe. Jackson, Hibbitt, Tinius and Beard have offers from some D1AA schools. Not that they shouldn't be proud and excited about their offers (very few high school players advance to the next level) but I think the story of BG having a lot of D1 players is overhyped. They have some talented senior and junior players, but clearly they are considered the underdogs next week. I don't know much about Covington Catholic. Do they have any players being recruited for the next level?

Congratulation Bowling Green Purples for making it back to the State Championships. A lot of hard work goes into getting there back to back years. Central played hard all 4 quarters, and never gave up. They do have some very good team speed, especially Huguley. I read to be prepared for a hostile environment, but that really wasn't the case. Lots of fans, both purple and yellow getting along; some really great food, ribs and polish sausage with onions, and a really exciting game with two teams that refused to quit. Looking forward to next Friday, but for now I'm going to enjoy their win. Go Purples!

After seeing both play, why do you think this will be the outcome? Who were the opponents you watched them play?

Article in Courier suggests that Central is addressing lack of discipline problem. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061123/COLUMNISTS01/611230511/1002/SPORTS

The Purples travel just fine. They have played at hostile fields before. They had 2 sophomore QBs and a fairly one-dimensional offense last year. Even a great defense is going to struggle defending a short field all night. The Purples are more experienced, many options on offense, and defense is still strong. Excellent kicker as well. This group of kids won't go down without a fight. They hung on pretty tough against a very good St. X team without their QB, RB, and in second half, center and middle linebacker. This team has faced adversity, and so far have showed a lot of fortitude. I'm sure Central is very good, or they wouldn't be in the semis. I'm pulling for the Purples to win.

BG has a very close senior class, and a lot of student/fan support. A large crowd of students traveled to Georgetown to cheer the boy's soccer team to a state championship. I expect a large group to travel to Central this Friday. A tradition this year takes place at the end of the game after the football players shake their opponents' hands. They meet their fellow students and band at the end zone. The band plays the Alma Mater, every football player lifts his helmet in the air, and everyone sings. It is heartfelt, and stirring to watch. Ah memories.

BG has to travel to Louisville to play the big city boys. I don't know anything about Central other than what I read on -Preps. Sounds like they are athletic and have lots of speed. Are they mainly run team, pass team, or both? What's their defense like? More has been posted about BG. Will Central sneak in and end their run back to State? Has Central played tougher competition? Much is made every year about BG's weak district, though they have played against some of the top players in the state--Vic Anderson, Deuce Finch, Keith Tandy, Blake Ayers, and Emmanual Taylor.

Congratulations BG!! I don't think I have ever been to a game that had that many holding calls on one team. The refrees were really tough on the Purples, and didn't really allow their offense to get in a groove. But you guys never put your heads down, and you never gave up. Emmanual Talyor is a monster back. His straight-ahead speed packaged in 190 pounds makes many a defensive player shiver. The monster middle linebacker from BG met him on a goal line stance, and laid a hit on him that neither one will forget for a long time. Hoptown covered the big pass play well all night, but BG just ran it down their throats in the second half. A fullback-Chase Carpenter(I think)-did a great job. He was a man on a mission. Always an exciting night when BG meets up with Hoptown, and tonight didn't disapoint. Good luck next week!

Bowling Green has a few that should be in the conversation Stuart Hines OL Avery Hibbitt RB Ryan Beard DB/WR Tucker Jackson LB Casey Tinius K

Final

Not trying to get off topic, but Bowling Green has played St. X the last two years. They also played Warren Central and Christian County this year, both teams ranked in the top ten in 4A this season. BG can't do anything about their district competition. Sounds like the HH CC was a great game. Surprised Highlands lost. After watching them play St. X, I thougth they would skate into State.

Didn't Christian County lose one of their best defensive players due to injury during the BG game?

Congrats to kicker Matt Simpson! Don't know the stats, but he did a great job tonight. Ist string kicker was sidelined with an injury I believe. Most exciting play was when the extra point snap went 10 yards over Matt's head, he chased it down, and ran it in for 2 with several Gators chasing him. :dancingpa