Frances Bavier

... and may I say that that is a lovely shirt your wearing today, Black Eagle .... Frances

Anyone else get tired of seeing these babies get shut down? Frances

Of course, this statement can be applied to every school in the state, including Johnson Central. We all have some level headed fans, some die hards, and some blow hards. The truth is, every one of us wants the same thing. We want the kids from our school to play hard, play well, and win. We want the kids from both teams to come out injury free, and we want to have those bragging rights that are good for one full year. The only difference is in how we express those wants. Frances

You'll be able to spot LRCW. He'll be the one with barbecue sauce all over the front of his Tomcat Jacket ... Frances

I doubt that one is enough. Frances

Fastbreak - Obviously you are much closer to the program at Rose Hill than I am, but I have to say that at this point, I don't know anyone that has tried to tear down either of these two. I have spoken with people that KNOW basketball, and I have never heard anything but praise for the abilities and skills of both Jackson and Euton. I have never seen Jackson play, but I would go as far as to say that anyone that questions the ability or skills of Euton would have absolutely zero credibility, in terms of judging basketball talent. The kid can flat play the game of basketball. Some on here may think I'm nuts, but I'll give you a little nugget. If Euton had chosen to play football, he would have been an extremely good offensive lineman. He is now, and has always been, aggressive, smart, strong (relative to age), big, and a natural leader. His work ethic is exemplary. I had the good fortune to coach him in youth football, and I know what I am talking about. He was not simply a kid that matured earlier than others, and was able to dominate due to that advantage that usually erodes by the freshman or sophomore year. Coaches speak very openly about athletes, when non coaches aren't around. I have personally heard some of the highest praise of Euton come from the people in positions of power at Ashland. Believe me when I say that these were NOT false platitudes. Frances

I think Rose Hill will miss not having Kyle Bair on the floor. From what I know of him, he's a very good kid, and a solid basketball player. Of course, with an uncle like "Sugar" Bair .... Frances

I live about 20 minutes from Papa John's stadium, and unless I have to be out of town for work, I will be at the championship games. Well worth the price of admission. Good football, good coaching, good people. Needless to say, I'm a little biased toward whichever teams come from the Eastern end of the state.... Frances

BB, I know that you've probably seen him in action even more often than the rest of us. What would you say the odds are that there is enough money in JC Alumni 76's wallet to cover the tab? What are the odds that enough cattle in Johnson County can be slaughtered in time for the game, if LRCW should happen to show up "hungry"? Frances

You must be kidding. Have you seen the front of LRCW's shirts? I knew him for 11 years before I realized that they were plain white T-shirts and not tie-dyed. Only man I know that carries a barbers sheet with him when he goes to a steak house ... Frances Okay - he's the only other man I know ...

Let me know if you need a corner man, LRCW. If you start to get bloated like the last time, I'll be ready to cut you, to relieve the pressure... Besides - somebody is going to have carry out the 30 gallon trash can full of cheeseburger wrappers... Frances

It pains me greatly to say this, but like LRCW, I just don't see the Tomcats playing the level of intense football that it will take to beat JC. I think Grim and company have too many tools on offense, and the Ashland line will have to play inspired football for the Tomcats to put enough points on the board to keep up. Also like LRCW, I have picked against the Tomcats all year, so I'll keep the streak alive: Johnson Central 38 Ashland 7 Good luck to both teams, but I know you'll understand why I hope that the Tomcat coaching staff can prove my prediction wrong once again. Frances

Daggone. Did this game start late or something? Frances

Did Kyle Bair transfer from Rose Hill? Frances

Congrats, Oldrambler. It sounds like the Rams are looking pretty good right now. We both know that Paris isn't going to just roll over and play dead in the second half, but it's nice to be in the driver's seat going in at halftime. Frances

Might I recommend plastic surgery? Frances PS - just kidding with you, Jeepman.

This game is far from over. That said, Mason County has -4 yards total offense at the half. Frances

14 - 0 Ashland at the half. Frances

Someone asked if there was an internet broadcast of this game. You can listen to it by going to http://www.b97fm.com/main.html Click on the "Listen Live" in the top right side of the page (it's written in white). It will open up another window that will have the Ashland broadcast. I'm not sure of the other link, but I know that Mason County also broadcasts their games on the internet as well. Their two man broadcast team does an excellent job of calling the game. Frances

LOL - I find that as I age, I'm less able to remember them... Frances

And as a result, it is possibly one of your best ... Frances

Thanks, Stinger. I have to say that, without a doubt, every coaching staff makes decisions on who will start (and get the majority of playing time) based on a lot of factors (that I listed above). When it comes to starting, and playing time, one thing is certain - coaching staffs (from every school) watch more game film on a weekend than the people in the stands have watched in their lifetime. Coaches don't simply watch a play and then move on to the next one. They usually watch a given play at least 9 or 10 times, and often, much more than that. They "break down" the film to enable themselves to grade every kid, on every play. If a coach benches a player after the season has begun, it is because that player isn't getting the job done. There is one immutable truth, that many parents simply don't want to hear - FILM DOESN'T LIE. Good coaching staffs show the film to the kids, to allow them to see what they really are (or are not) doing. For some kids, the first film they see is in High School, and for others, it may be as early as youth football. When a kid sees himself on film, it usually changes their self image, by showing them the reality of their efforts. As parents, we all want our kids to start and play as much as possible. That's human nature. How we handle expressing our disappointment when that doesn't happen reveals much about us. Frances

Listen to him - the man knows what he is talking about. Frances

Of course, there were some people on BGP crying foul, as if moving the game from Friday night to Saturday night were a criminal act. I guess that in hindsight, it looks like a pretty good move. Unless of course, someone just wants to whine ... Frances

Trimmer - Nice post, but I'll add a little something. The only way an offensive lineman (regardless of school) can ever pick up a blitzing linebacker is if he knows that the LB is coming. To do this, the offensive lineman must be able to look through his eyebrows at the feet of the LB's. I'm sure that the Ashland coaching staff will be addressing this very issue with the offensive linemen, after Boyd County was able to come (virtually untouched) through the A gap on more than a couple of occasions last Friday night. Also, I thought the single most effective play that Evans called for Boyd last week was the middle screen. The Lions executed it to perfection several times, and at very crucial spots in the game. Frances