Buffalo Gap

You're right Joe, just because a team throws for over 300 yards, doesn't necissarily mean a lot.....if it did, Hal Mumme would have had a 50 something game win streak when he was at UK and Texas Tech would never be beat.

 

It's amazing how ironic things are......If a team rushes for over 300 yards in a high school game, v.s a team that throws for 300, the team that rushes for that amount, 9 out of 10 times, wins.

...at the same time, it's a shame that South's QB, Bowling, isn't a couple, few inches taller, if so, everybody and their mother would be after him! Great QB! Great Competitor!

...and still lost 53-6. While I don't foresee Mercer scoring 53 again this year by any stretch of the imagination, their defense is largely intact from last year. While I agree in your assesment of the SL QB, don't expect Mercer's D to be on the field all night. :thumb:

You're right Joe, just because a team throws for over 300 yards, doesn't necissarily mean a lot.....if it did, Hal Mumme would have had a 50 something game win streak when he was at UK and Texas Tech would never be beat.

It's amazing how ironic things are......If a team rushes for over 300 yards in a high school game, v.s a team that throws for 300, the team that rushes for that amount, 9 out of 10 times, wins.

Great job Clay!!!! Huge win for you and your team!!

Well BC excuse all season long has been the schedule .. now not only has BC lost to a 2A team, they have lost to a 3-4 team.

Boyle lost to a 3-4, now 4-4 team that lost to Lincoln County, 12-7, ranked #5 in 5A with a now 6-1 record as time expired on Mercer on the Lincoln 5 yd line, on a 4th down incomplete pass.

Mercer's next loss was to the current #6 team in 5A, Pulaski County, 23-22, when Pulaski scored a TD and converted on a 2 point conversion with under 2:00 to go in the game.

The third loss was to one of the current topped rank Class A teams in Tennessee, 10-7, in which Mercer had 4 turnovers...one inside Mercer's own 10 on a muffed punt that led to Watertown's lone TD, and 3 others inside Watertown's 25 yard line.

The fourth was to a VERY TALENTED and SPEED dominated Hopkinsville 17-14, in which Mercer missed a 33 yard field goal as time expired....AT HOPTOWN (actually, Mercer just ran out of time...given 30 more seconds, Mercer wins..just going off the 65 yard drive in the past two minutes preceeding the field goal attempt).

My point, is, that Mercer is a little bit better than their 4-4 record shows. In saying that, SO IS BOYLE. If BOYLE plays 7 "slap jacks" from across the state, they are 7-0 now....EASILY!! Boyle is a good team, despite their record, and to be honest, it wouldnt surprise me one bit to see them make some kind of a run in the playoffs, at least through the first two rounds, if not more. I wish nothing, but the best to Coach Pardue, his staff and most importantly, his players. So many people on this site, you included, want to just judge teams off of their W-L records through the regular season....that is completely unjust, but at the sametime, a realization. Boyle is a good team. Mercer is a good team. The better team won tonite. Boyle will be back, and it might be this year. Good luck to both....and good luck to you and yours!

Now, can we please get on with the game that was played between two very fine Central Kentucky teams tonite?! Thank you!:jump:

Too much Mercer wishbone tonight.

Yep. Mercer was down at halftime 10-7. Mercer got the ball after the half and Jordan Yeast scored on about 65 yard jaunt to paydirt on the first play from scrimmage. Jaggers made one small adjustment offensively at halftime, and then it was practically lights out after that, and the boys executed perfectly! The offensive line came off the ball and blocked their tails off. The RB's followed through on their part and QB Trevor Short ran the ship. A great job to Matthew McCloud, too, on returning a punt for Mercer's 1st TD of the game, also on an interception and big runs in the second half, to add too Jordan Yeast, Nathan Griffith, J.D Gilliam, etc.. The defense, as always, played a great game, minus one break down on Boyle's first score. RaShad Buster had two(2) INT's on the nite!:thumb:

Great win for the staff, fans and most importantly the boys. They have worked their tails off all year, and despite the bad outcomes in a few games, things would eventually come together and pay off. They did tonite. Great job!!! Enjoy this win and get ready for a good South Laurel team, and it is a game of HUGE MAGNITUDES!!!!

That's terrible! Best of luck to David. Keep your head up, because I have seen you play in person, and I can promise you that you will be able to play at the next level, wherever that might be. Get well soon! Get back to working hard, and go get your college education paid for by playing football! There is nothing like that feeling! Best of luck, again, David.

You are right, they did have some nice talent come through in the 90's. The weak schedule did attribute to the record, and all things in sports run in cycles.

 

I think LC has not had the athletes they used to have (liked I mentioned earlier), that is why I feel French is a excellent coach.

 

I think most people felt that the current coaching regime would be world beaters at Garrard after the turn-around they did in Casey County.

 

I won't be surprised to see GC challange LC tonight, I think LC will pull away in the 2nd half with defense. Like Coach French's team tend to do.

Braxton Miller and Trent Calhoun were as good, if not better than any RB's/Athletes to come through Lincoln County. I think you could make an argument that Michael Penman, Jeremy Simpson, etc. might have been better...who knows...noway to tell, either way, all of them were very special, Miller and Calhoun included.

Back on the topic of Ryan Young, but he also could have played and been a difference maker on any of Phillips or Jaggers' teams.

I'm just glad another great coach has been able to come to Lincoln County to utilize the talent and hard nosed kids that Lincoln is known for having, and turning them back into a winner, again. Best of luck tonite to both Garrard and Lincoln!

Lincoln had a week schedule or Garrard??!

One thing I do see differently for Garrard this year is overall team speed. Their skill players especially look more athletic than they have the last couple of years.

 

I don't know why the program has struggled the past few years in Garrard. For a small school, they used to be talented. I would like to see their coach succeed over there, he seems like a good guy. I just worry he may be running out of time.

 

On the other hand, the job French is doing with low numbers and a serious lack of speed and athleticism is simply nothing short of amazing. LC is fortunate to have him.

Ryan Young for LC could be considered as the best athlete/player in the area, if not that, definately in the top 3, in my opinion. He has great speed, great player. Personally, I'm tickled to death for HIM, not the rest of us (ex:Mercer) that he decided to come out for football again...haha, just kidding. He's a good basketball player, but he'll have his entire college paid for if he decides to stick with football in college...because I can promise you he will have offers. Anytime you mix raw athleticism, along with great SPEED, then that's a dangerous combo. :thumb:

He's a big difference maker.....so, there not that short in the speed and athleticism department.

Trinity started out 0-4 in 2003, went on to win their next 11 games and state title #15.

 

Deserved to drop out of the rankings after losing to 2 tough out of state schools, Seneca(a top 5 team that season) and Manual? All four losses combined equaled about 13 points total.

Pep..

I wish you ROCKS could have kept that unbelievable luck (or lack of) to yourselves early on in '03!!! haha

We (Mercer County) know how you feel this year. We've lost 4 games by a total of 12 points....all games being decided within the last minutes (Pulaski 23-22...Watertown, TN 10-7) or 5 seconds (Lincoln County 12-7....Hopkinsville 17-14) of the game:creepy:!!! Now, if you all can rub off some of the luck you had in the later part of the season on all of us down here in Titan Town, then that would be greatly appreciated!!!:thumb::jump:

The same thing was said about BGHS after yet another blowout loss to Paducah Tilghman by Tilghman's Head Coach Dan Haley. The Purples were 6-0 before that humbling loss, and it made the all-time series record 0-19-2 in Tilghman's favor. Since it was a district game, it also cost us a place in the postseason (only one team in each district made it into the postseason back in the 1970s). In 1976, not only did we beat Coach Haley's Blue Tornado for the first time ever, but we made the postseason for the first time ever as well!

 

Chin up, Mercer Co fans...better days will come if you keep working at it!

 

By the way, since that game, we are 11-11 against the Tornado!!:thumb:

I want to thank you! I wish like the dickens PurpleHaze, that this site had more POSITIVE people like you....for every team. Coaches and Players alike do not deserve the criticism and second guessing from people that seem to infiltrate this board on a daily basis!

I, for one, want to thank you! Best of luck to you and your PURPLES the rest of this year and for years to come!

I didn't mean by stating we're trying to get things "back on track" that the train has totally derailed. It's just hard to adjust to the lack of success this year compared to the awesome season we had last year. True, last year was a fairy tale of a year... perfect record and state championship. I in no way thought we would duplicate that this year, but did believe we would possibly be 6-1 or perhaps 5-2 right now. Not 3-4. And while we have 4 losses by a total of 12 points, what does that really count for? A loss is a loss. I haven't jumped ship on this team at all! Just disappointed. I want to see Mercer build a program and not just win games. I hope we continue to improve and build on creating a tradition of success.

Well, I want to tell you right now, that you have no better person to build a program than Marty Jaggers. Mercer County, realistically, hadn't done much of anything for 17 years until Marty Jaggers took over. Was Mercer over .500 some of those years? Yes. Had they made the playoffs some? Yes. Was the talen level of Mercer, before the merger better than it was before Jaggers took over!? Yes.

When Jaggers took over the program in 2005, even before the merger, Mercer County hadn't won a 1st round playoff game in 17 years. He took a team, than many thought, at best, would finish 5-5, 6-4 in the regular season....instead, he helped lead that team to a 10-2 finish, and the schools 1st playoff win in 17 YEARS!!! Guess who the previous coach was that led them to a playoff win.....that's right, LARRY FRENCH.

Lincoln County started a great program from pretty much the time the schools in LC consolidated into one, under the leadership of Bill Ed Leed...that traditon was carried on by Snooky Woolridge, then by Larry Phillps, who led Lincoln to a semi final appearance in '88, and a state-runner up finish in '90.

Phillips chose to resign to move on to administrational duties after that season. Jaggers took over in '91, he won a district championship in his first year as a head coach at the ripe age of 32. Two years later, he took a Lincoln County team to a Class AAA State-Runner Up finish in '93. He had success every year he was there...even in 1996, when Lincoln went 2-8, but started 3 freshmen on defense.

He, along with his coaching staff has HELPED BUILD a program in Mercer County that will hopefully live on forever, even when Jaggers isgone. It's one thing to build a program, and it is another thing to keep a program amongst it's elite within their respective class. Jaggers has done both of those. He kept something going as a rookie head coach at Lincoln in his early years, and he has helped Mercer return to it's once glory days, pre and post merger.

I for one, love it, that Jaggers and French have, in some sense, traded jobs...and both of them have either rebuilt or revitalized a tradition that was once in place at their respective schools. I think it is great!:thumb:

Fans and Parents, alike, that are apart of the Mercer County program need to just relax. Success will happen again, it might not seem like that in four of the weeks this season, but I promise you that it will. Jaggers has too talented of a staff, and a very talented, hardworking bunch of young kids that are working their tails off everyday, every week to make this season as special as last years. I promise you, nothing but good things are to come of this 2007 season. The coaches believe in the players, the players believe in the coaches...and anytime you have that, then that is a great recipe for success.

Thank you for your support!:thumb:

It wasn't a knock on the coaching staff being young. I just meant that as a group they have not been together very long. At Russell Coach McGlone has been there for 30 years and some of his assistants has been there 20. They are to the point that they don't even have to discuss much because one knows what the other is thinking.

 

It normally takes a bit of time for everything to come together the way they want it to. 06 was a magical season. One to remember. But it is tough to build off of.

I didn't mean for it to sound like that's what I thought you you insinuated, in no way...sorry for the mix-up.:thumb:

Bottom line ... Mercer County is playing a schedule much tougher than the one they played last year with a team that is less talented than the one they had a year ago. It isn't like Jaggers and his staff suddenly got stupid, although it seems a few losses have stirred some unrest in Titanville.

 

I still see no reason why Mercer can't win the district title in November.

Thanks for that positive note! :thumb: You have to take one at a time...but, I feel the same way!

I totally thought Mercer was better than what they are...Hopkinsville is a pretty weak football team.. I am very surprised at how much Mercer has struggled this year....:confused::confused:

Raiderbird...

Mercer is a good team, Hopkinsville is a good team (they always have, always will...they might not have a Artose Pinner, Curtis Pulley, Ricky Abren, etc., but they are very talented.) Hopkinsville took a 5 1/2 hour bus ride to play you all, at your place, against probably the best team you all have had since the Lorenzen/Smith days when you all were ranked nationally.

I'm just going to let you know, but you all, HIGHLANDS, are on another level, it's almost absurd how ridiculously good your team is this year. The Bluebirds from Ft. Thomas get my vote for the best team in the state, all classes. Your team is THAT GOOD.

You all are a different kind of monster, deciding whether or not a team is very good when compared to you all isn't exactly the best of measuring sticks. Best of luck to you all this season!

Thanks!

 

I guess that some may or may not realize that talent like Mercer had in the backfield last year in Jackson and Ford does not come by very often. Ask Russell with Clark and Gross and Belfry with Jones and Howard. Talent like that is tough to replace.

 

I was just hoping that the boys did not get down on themselves because of the spectacular start they had as Titans. The first year running the table and starting of the second year on that same not. Then to lose several by very slim margins can be a tough pill to swallow for a young team and coaching staff.

You're right about the young part, but they are growing with every practice, every snap, every game. This coaching staff has been through the ups and downs, either together or at seperate places. Not counting Marty Jaggers, you have 2 former head coaches at the either the high school level and/or the college level on staff. Bill Mason was very succesful as the head man at Nelson County from 2001-2005, Donald Wayne Smith was the head man at Harrodsburg in '98 and '99, then the head coach at Lafayette in '00 and '01..then became the head coach at Kentucky State University from '02-'04. Then you also have Keith Brown who has been a longtime assistant at Harrodsburg, very knowledgeable as well...among others.

All of these guys have been through the battles as players in HS and college, along with a few of their other young assistants who played all through high school/college, won at both and excelled at both levels. Thanks for your support!

One great year doesn't put Mercer in the same class as any of the above mentioned teams. Though a play here and a play there, Mercer could maybe be undefeated. Those teams have done it for decades.

I realize that.....wasn't testing or questioning that fact. At the sametime, I think one would be foolished to think this Mercer County Football program won't eventually be considered a very good and respected one for years to come. All of those schools mentioned had to start somewhere, at a some point. Mercer County is trying to get to where some of those schools are, and I for one don't see any reason why they shouldn't try to immulate those mentioned before.:thumb:

True, but it is in stark contrast to the margin of victory from last years team. Going from winning by blowouts one year to to losing squeakers the next is hard on morale.

Losses like this might be the hardest ones to take...but, considering that, I think the morale is very high. There weren't many dry eyes amongst the boys last nite, even amongst a couple coaches, but 25 minutes later, out in the parking lot eating, all you could hear was talk about getting after this week and playing Boyle.

Best of luck to you all up there in Flatwoods. Classy in everything you all represent as a football power in this state.:thumb:

:laugh: Uh, yeh... I could say that. Man, you talk about a rollercoaster ride. Top of the hill 8 months ago, now we're just trying to get the train back on track.

All sports, in particular, football, are like a rollercoaster ride sometimes. You have to be apart of team, either coaching and/or playing to really know that. It's that way everywhere, with everyteam at some point, even the VERY successful ones. All you have to do is look at some of the most respected programs across Kentucky to see that, for example, Danville went 7-6 in 1999, Highlands went 7-5 last year, Trinity started off 0-4 in 2002 (Brian Brohm's Sr. Year that later ended in a state championship), Boyle County now (despite their W/L record they are a very good team), Newport Catholic last year during the regular season that went 5-5, then won the state championship, the list could go on and on. That's just to name a few.

Will Mercer make the playoffs this year ?

Yes, they will. I'm not making post season predictions, but I will say this, I don't know if I would be wanting to play them again come the playoff time. They are right their, so close....the four teams they have lost too (Lincoln 12-7, Pulaski Co. 23-22, Watertown, TN 10-7 and Hoptown 17-14) are a combined 20-6. Lincoln is 5-1, Pulaski Co. is 7-0, Watertown is 5-1 and Hoptown is 3-3 (with losses to Christian County and Highlands). No disrespect meant whatsoever to the other teams, but Hoptown was, without question, the most talented (all-around) team that Mercer has faced this year, and Mercer just simply ran out of time, IMO. Hoptown has a great team. Best of luck to you all!

Mercer County is a very GOOD team. I don't think that you will find an opposing coach, win/loss, that would tell you any different. These kids have fought their tails off this year. This is the 2nd game this year where Mercer has had a chance to win/tie the ballgame within the final :05 seconds in the game, inside the opposing teams 15 yard line (Lincoln Co. and Hoptown)....it just hasn't happened.

Eventually, they WILL get it. These coaches believe in one another, and most importantly they BELIEVE in these boys.....these kids aren't going to give up. They've showed that COUNTLESS times this year. These tough times will get better, and Im not talking about getting better next year....they will this year. Just watch.:thumb:

Some of you that don't know anything are going to look at my statements above and think that I am using them as excuses, that's fine, you're not worth my arguments...but I am just pointing out positives, in a bittersweet kind of way, positives that are going to pay HUGE divedends in the weeks to come, regular season and playoffs.:thumb:

It's about time Mercer wins a close game. Mercer 15-14

You got that right!:thumb: Mercer has suffered 3 losses by combined total of 9 points...the staff, and most importantly, the boys, deserve one big time!

Are you kidding me. I thought Mercer was all that and then some. After watching Hoptown last week against HHS, I would say Mercer. But then again maybe HHS is just that good. I guess we'll find out.

Highlands is THAT GOOD:eek:. They are the real deal and a bag of Doritos. Hopkinsville might be considered "down" by some within the program and community, compared to some of their past teams, but don't be fooled. They have athletes everywhere and plenty of SPEED. This game will be another great test for both teams. Mercer had a great week of practice. The kids and coaches were all uptempo this week, like they have the whole year, despite what some might think.

Best of luck to both on an injury free game! Go Titans!!:thumb:

Buffalo Gap, of those 26 years, how many of those has Marty been a head coach and where? Also, it appears there is a major struggle going on right now for the Titans (players, coaches and fans). Fans blame coaches, coaches imply the kids aren't giving it their all, executing or working hard, and then players feel they aren't getting a fair shake. I hate to see this for the entire school and community that revelled in such success last year. Its amazing how quickly things can change.

 

Hang in there boys... GO TITANS!!!!

He has been a head coach 8 of those years. At Lincoln County from '91-'96 he led his teams to 4 district championships, 3 regional runners-up, 1 regional championship, 1 State- Runner up. He went 8-4 in '91, 8-5 in '92, 13-2 in '93, 11-2 in '94, 8-5 in '95 and 2-8 in '96 (he also started 3 fresmen that whole year on defense). He was the offensive coordinator at Danville from '98-'04.

I can promise you right now that there is not a major struggle going on with the coaches and players. Practice isn't alwasy supposed to be some walk in the part, sure there are fun times and sure, even if just for a minute or two, things are laid back, jokes are made from players, coaches like.......but, coaches being more intense, pushing players to get the most out of them, etc. isn't a considered a struggle.....it goes on all over the country at successful program, high school and college alike. Like Gus said, Mercer lost and unbelievable senior class last year, and anytime that happens, I don't care who you are, or what class, there are going to be some BUMPS in the road, unfortunately. Mercer has lost 3 games by a total of 9 points, everyone of them have been winnable. I'm dang near positve that most of you don't realize, but Trinity went 0-4 in 2002 and ended up winning their state championship, Newport Catholic went 5-5 in the regular season last year, guess what they ended up doing?!?

Just because Mercer has happened to lose 3 very, very close games, it doesn't mean that the wheels have falling off. None of the coaches have ever implied that. If the coaching staff didn't believe that this team could still make something GREAT out of this year, they wouldn't have been up at the facility yesterday from anywhere to 6-12 hours watching film and getting the practice/gameplan for this week. If the boys didn't feel the same way, they wouldn't chomping at the bit for practice to start today, like they are..and the only reason I know that is because a couple of them have called me over the weekend, telling me so.

Play Calling? I dont think I heard anyone complaining last year about play calling.

Here's the facts...Marty is gonna run the football. And then he is gonna run it some more. And when your tired of that...guess what? He is gonna run it some more. You dont have to like it...but it has proven to be effective. He put MC in the Regional Champ even before the merger. Marty's offenses may not be exciting to watch for the casual fan...but it is effective.

 

And there is no way you can lose as many seniors as MC did last year and expect there not to be any hiccups.

 

MC will be fine!

Finally, somebody with some sense!!!Thank you!:thumb:

Yeah I like the articles where Jaggers blamed the senior leadership as part of their problem, only 4 seniors start and one of those seniors has never played football before. So I guess we need to teach the other 12 Seniors to step up and LEAD from the sideline? :confused: Leadership starts at the top, it's time for everyone to take a look in the mirror - coaches too!

In his 26 years coaching at Covington Holmes, LaRue County, E-town, Lincoln County, Danville and Mercer County NEVER has he ever BLAMED a kid or a group or kids.....challenged them yes, blamed them, no.....those are two completely different terms.