TomLandry

He got a written offer for full-ride D-1 scholarship to be a part of taking Western Kentucky to the next level last weekend. Kentucky took notice. He is visiting Lexington tomorrow for the GA game. Word is that KY is trying to work something out! Hope he stays in Blue and White!

Whitley scored on sustained drive. Volunteer HS (TN) had an 80 yd. catch/run on pass over middle....blown assignment.....and the JV fumbled into endzone in game one against Garrard Co. after the varsity defense mounted a great goal line on previous play! That's it! 7-10 shutouts!!

Merrick also hit his first sixty yarder in practice during his sophomore year. It is really hard to get the game situations right for that distance. He hit a 56 yd. essential FG last year against Rockcastle. Bell is scoring so much that he has had few opportunities this year. He hit FG tonight in rainy conditions and is 5-7 on season...only misses from 67 and 58!

Official total seems to be 191....needs 10 to tie and 11 to break the record. Also moved into eighth place on the NHSFA career list for total points kicking in career.

So have most others!

Deepest sympathy and prayers from Bobcat Country on Log Mountain in Bell County.

Only thing is that the JV defense has not allowed ANY score in all the time that they have played this year....which has been considerable!

Maybe it was provoked by the onside kick with more than a thirty point lead at the end of the game. Not nice!

Coach Elam, under the circumstances, did a remarkable job of keeping his composure. I believe a lot of coaches would have lost it and been thrown out of game. Pineville had two touchdowns called back due to questionable penalties....something that prevailed for all of the first half...I believe 11-1 or such against Pineville. Mild mannered Pineville fans who never criticize officiating were still livid on Monday morning around "coffee groups"!!!

Yes, they did. One of which was on a personal foul penalty "block in the back" that occurred AFTER the td was scored. I believe that should have been tacked on the kickoff...??? TD was taken away....as was nearly every other large gain for Pineville in first half. Players and coaches got so frustrated that they lost their cool.....after a WV player slammed a Pineville kid to ground late after whistle (he got Personal foul) players shoved and others joined in...right in front of Pineville bench..others came off bench. Five players were thrown out 2 from WV and 3 from Pineville so I am told by those who were there. They said that there were like 10 penalties to 1 in first half against Pineville. Officials were not in sync (had huddles and long discussions after nearly every flag!!) and lost control of the game early on. Pineville passing game had no chance.....defenders would make contact and hold receivers going down field....in front of officials...and never one call all day! They got what they wanted on Senior Day...with 24 second to go the paper said! Sounds ugly! Certainly will hurt Pineville losing three players....they did not have room to spare in that department going into Williamsburg next week.

Dudley two weeks ago let him try a 67 yd. attempt...yes, that is 67...he had ball on 50 yard line...and forgot about the seven yard snap distance....sent Merrick in on first down! Attempt was short...but hit in middle of endzone and would have been good at 60 easily. Bell has been scoring on nearly every drive! In first half Bell through a deep pass that was nearly a TD....and pass interference was called. Dudley REFUSED the penalty! Then Dudley let him attempt a 63 yd. FG ...snap was bad and holder ran nearly for td...and Bell scored on next play! He tried. Then in second half, Merrick had a 58 yard attempt....but by then he had numerous extra points...and I believe six or more kickoffs....takes a little off the leg strength...and temp was in 40's into a slight wind. Kick was dead center.....Middlesboro paper said it was "just short, grazing the bottom of the crossbar!!" AAHH!! So close!! That would have tied Petrey's record. Time is running out...and the weather becomes a huge factor down the stretch.

Bell defeated Leslie Co. last night (game moved up due to Halloween) to go to 9-0. Fourth straight shutout for Bell's defense and their sixth in nine games! Awesome defense....allowed 21 points in 9 games!

Merrick was 8-9 on PAT's tonight. Hit the uprights for the first time in his career on errant snap/hold! He moved into second place on the career PAT chart. His unofficial total stands at 193. That leaves 8 PAT's to tie and 9 to break Karl-Heinz Williams of Trinity's 2001 mark of 201.

If you really want to see a close game....you could go and take in second-half in Pineville. It should be a real barnburner.....Hazard is coming to town.

Spencer Greer is the strongest runner in this area.....let alone the Bell team. Yet he is not getting as many touches this year as the main back in Dudley's offense usually has. Other backs...who would come close to being "the strongest" are sophomores and freshmen. I certainly would not hand the fate of this senior led team to an underclassmen who might be prone to turnovers, etc. Their day will come. Bell's strength in the running game this year is their depth. Greer goes down for a game or two and others step up and get the job done. That is what TEAM is all about. Can't believe that an undefeated team could be undermined by selfish fans/parents....but it has happened to a lot of others before. We don't need this on Log Mountain this year. This is our time!

The Bell County fans as a whole ARE NOT disappointed with the running back situation. Bell recently had a game where about eight different backs carried the ball. Another night four or five backs had over 50 yds. each...I believe. The carries are getting spread around now...a lot. Hilton is not going to worry about 2009. He is moving toward a championship. Hilton told me before the season.....that this year's team might be one of his best....but his best teams have not always won the championship. He said if they could play as a team....and not worry about who "carried the ball" etc. but had a "team attitude" they just might go all the way. He said that the best team he ever had at Bell....got into this kind of discussion....usually fueled by parents of the kids who are not getting enough playing time or carries.....and did not go as far as they were capable of doing. We have not heard this....but if you are a Bobcat parent or fan and you are starting this nonsense...give it up. Don't hurt this year's team worrying about next year! Good grief!! Thanks, Trailblazer for starting another negative thread about Bell County....we really appreciate it!

Maybe dressing nearly 100 players to Bell's 37.....travelling on luxury charter buses (Bell travels on school buses)...having NFL-style heater blowers on the sidelines....portable bleachers for the team....humm...along with really good football team....intimidation!! Bell should have prepared better???? Tougher schedule would not have made much difference that night. Bell scheduled teams last year that were traditionally strong..but some had bad years. I disagree that they were not prepared for Lex Catholic. We got shut down on another thread and could not answer one of your statements. Bell got beat by a superior team last year in Lex Catholic. To say they were not ready or were not "mentally prepared" is not true. The team had become dependent on the kicking game starting every drive (93%....73 touchbacks on season) on the twenty. The temperature at game time was in thirties. As most of you know that can effect the distance on kicks. This was the opening kickoff as well....ball landed on one yard line and was returnable. Bell had not had to defend that all year...hardly...and Winston Guy is an incredible talent....took it nearly to house 98 yd. return. It broke their back and with one quick pass play on the next series...Bobcats found themselves down 14 points. I don't care how "mentally prepared" a team is....two blows early can change the mental attitude in a moment. Yet, they did stay in the game and many ways outplayed Lex Cath in second half....but could not dig themselves out with the turnovers. Lex defense could also be credited with hard hits, etc. but you have to hang on to the ball. If Bell had....would have perhaps been different outcome. No harder schedule would have made any difference in this game. Look at all the other competition in 4-A come playoff time.....Lex Catholic was in class by themselves....Bell is the only team that came close to giving them a game in the regional level and above. Come on, running clock in title game! Lex Catholic had the superior team last year. Bell has nearly everyone back this year....only lost 6 seniors. They are for real and if they were playing a more difficult schedule, they would just be even tougher come playoff time. But that was set last year....this schedule is a mirrored image.....due to the two-year contract started last year. Nothing that could be done about that this year. Bell has already added the new 5-A team Harlan County next year, starting a great area rivalry....also reuniting Coaches Hilton and Larkey.

We met some really nice folks down at your place in the regular season game last year. We were excited about your first playoff game....but sorry about the score....Dudley played a lot of young players....but Bell's JV, Freshman and eighth grade I believe at that time were all undefeated. Good crop still coming on! JV has played a lot this year....and defensively have not allowed a score. They did fumble in the opening game after the varsity had a goal line stand to preserve the shutout against Garrard.....into endzone for one of the only three scores on Bell all season!! We looked forward to seeing Watts again on Log Mountain. I am sad that that will not happen for him. This year's Bell team is special. Bell was a sophomore driven team two years ago. That special group are all Seniors now and deserving of a shot at the title. They take each week one game at a time....and will be ready for McCreary. Although, Bell's attitude toward the pass with Zachary at the helm....changes the dimension. Bell even came out in the shotgun in the first series in a couple of games this year! Go figure!!

Bell County's defense now has four shutouts. Three of those against pretty good teams: Knox Central; Rockcastle; and now Sheldon Clark. Defense has allowed only 2 td's this season. That includes all the JV playtime as well! The only other score in seven games.....was when Bell defense had awesome goal line stand to keep Garrard Co. in Death Valley Bowl....week one from scoring, preserving the shutout. Bell takes over on downs. First play JV offense fumbles ball in endzone and Garrard falls on it for TD!:laugh: In Tennesee a blown coverage allowed an 80 yd. pass for TD. Whitley County scored the only "drive" for a TD that the defense has allowed all season!

Word out of Log Mountain is that he will be making a visit to Knoxville this Saturday as a recruit.

Thoughts and prayers from Bell Co. Watts is a great athlete, one of the best in our district. We will miss getting the opportunity to see him play next week when McCreary comes to Log Mountain.

Most of us would like to seem him stay in "blue and white!!", but I think he has been to Louisville, Lexington, and Knoxville...to name a few....don't think he has any solid offers yet. Kickers are the last to get the "leftovers" but coaches sure have to pay for that kind of attitude on game days!

How do the Cardinals match up with the Bobcats this year.. Defense...Offense...Special teams? Several are predicting a similar score to last year.....but is Sheldon Clark a better team this year? Bell could be even stronger than they were last year at this time. The game is on Log Mountain this year as well. Cardinal Fans, can you shed some light on the game?

Monte Merrick kicked his 173rd PAT of his career Friday night. This puts him in sixth place...only 10 behind Taylor Begley of Boyle Co....old record...and 28 PAT's needed to tie the record set in 2002 by Trinity's Karl Heinz Williams with 201. Also Merrick has the range to extend the FG distance record set by Aaron Petrey of 58 yds. Merrick had the fourth longest kick, 56 yds. last year against Rockcastle Co. Middlesboro paper said that his attempt on a near national mark Friday night of 67 yds. was online but just short. Those I talked to who were at game said it would have easily cleared from 60! Hopefully we will see these two records fall soon on Log Mountain....since Bell will be there for every game down the stretch until the State Final....and then on to Louisville if they keep winning.

As for Greer, remember he is coming off an injury, and probably needed some playing time to get in rhythm...Bell only ran 8 offensive plays in first half. He had not had much work in first half. He had not played for three weeks.