TomLandry

Please check out Bronco99's response from McCreary side on the thread: Bell 72-McCreary 0 on this site. It puts this all in perspective.

Final score: Rock 14-Knox 0.

FINAL SCORE ROCKCASTLE 14 KNOX CO. 0

Rockcastle intercepts pass. Offensive interference....declined. Rocks ball!

Casey Hayes in for the TD. 12-0 Rock. Going for the 2 pt. conversion. GOOD! FLAG....ROUGHING THE PASSER....ENFORCED ON KICKOFF? ROCK 14-KNOX 0 THE BIG GAL ISN'T SINGING YET....BUT I THINK SHE'S WARMING UP!

Thanks, Scat, We Bell fans felt for the kids as well. There had been a lot of talk about the excitement of coming to Bell...but we counted 38 fans on the visitor's bleachers. I'm sure that there were fans on the ground, but not many. Our fans were enjoying the night....honoring all Seniors (except football...did that in regular season) cheerleaders, band, etc. It was great playoff atmosphere. Exciting to watch our kids do well....but we hurt for the McCreary kids. They were small and played with heart, but Bell is a much better team than a lot of people have believe this year. I think they will go all the way to Louisville, if they keep hitting on all cylinders. Let's bring another title back to the Mountains. In fact....maybe this year three or four of the six!!!

Fourth and two for Rockcastle in the red zone. Rock takes timeout.

8:42 left in game....Rockcastle on Knox 18 yard lline. Third and short.

Rock with first down on Knox 26 yard line.

FUMBLE!!! Rockcastle recovers!

Knox is driving at beginning of fourth quarter.....fourth down Rockcastle roughs the punter!!! Knox Central gets ball back and keeps the drive alive. Bad decision on Rockcastle going for the block in this situation. Knox has ball on own 47 yard line. FLAGS! Too many men on field! Penalty on Knox.

Thank you, Plato. Always appreciate the wisdom of Athens.

Your opinion is acceptable and valid. That's what these threads are about. I agree with you that teams should not run up the score. Bell could have done so many times this year....but followed the same scenario as last night. The apology I asked for was for the personal attack on Coach Hilton...undeserved and unsupported...last night for sure, and I think most other times He does not run up score on opponents.

Rockcastle holds....Knox to punt. Rock takes over at Rockcastle 41 yd. line. 4:45 left in third quarter.

FUMBLE....Rockcastle recovers....NO WAIT....ruled down back at the 16 yd. line....radio announcers from Mt. Vernon are wanting an instant replay! LOL!

Burkhart attempts a 35 yard field goal......WIDE right....NO GOOD! Second miss of night, I believe. Knox takes over on 20 yard line.

Same score late in third quarter. Rockcastle Mize down with injury to knee...hamstring, or cramp. Leaves the field.

Were you at the game? Bell Co. should never have been matched against such a team...but the KHSAA has dictated this with "everybody in the playoffs" mindset. This was McCreary's first playoff game. Bell County scored 22 points in the first six minutes of the game. They were on a 176-0 pace! Bell's starting QB set out the entire game nursing a concussion from last week. Bell's first score was by a freshman running back. Three or more freshman scored and probably ten or more different players scored. You have to play your starters for at least the first half in order to be ready for round two in the playoffs. Bell's freshman team played most of last half. Bell ran backwards and took a knee when could have scored...setting up Merrick's attempt at state record 59 yd. field goal at end of first half which McCreary blocked! Score was 52-0, I believe, at that time, at the half. This is a dilemma for a team like Bell. You have to get ready for the next week. You cannot take a knee in first half on every drive. The clock ran the entire second half and ended things quickly. Freshman scored three times. Middlesboro paper said that Bell scored on every offensive possession. They also had several defensive scores or defense set up imminent score. Bell was ready to score again....but took knee and ran out clock in second half. This is the playoffs! Dudley was more than gracious, while at the same time getting his team ready for the next week/weeks. This was only Bell's fourth home game. Bell's fan's deserved to get to see their team in action. Instead they got a glimpse....and then watched the undefeated JV and Freshman teams go to work! Were you at the game? If not...your accusations are extremely unfair and the Bobcat coaches and players deserve an apology. This was a clean played game. No unsportsmanlike or personal foul penalties. Bell players were picking up McCreary guys from ground, etc. all night. I'm sorry the score was lopsided.....but these are the playoffs and Bell took it as easy as could have been done. There will be a lot of other games like this with teams with 0-10 records, etc. in playoffs. I believe McCreary had won three games! Read the Middlesboro Daily News article when its posted on their site.....Dudley did NOT run up the score!

Halftime score: Rock 6- Knox 0.

Rock punts to Knox. Knox on 38 yd. line. 1 minute left in half.

Rockcastle 6-Knox Co. 0 with about 2 min. to go in first half.

Bell's kicker, Merrick, attended two other camps this summer. He attended the Rob Pelfrey camp in Nashville....Prokicking Services, Inc. one of oldest. He also attended the weeklong development camp of Chris Boniol, former Dallas Cowboy, Eagle, Bear kicker. Chris is the one who trained Merrick at first camp as eighth grader and has continue to mentor him. McNutt attended the same camp in Delaware as Merrick. Merrick won the FG competition for the h.s. division with 10-11 FG's right after participating in the punting competition. He then was put head-to-head with the winner of the college division guys at same camp in sudden death. College kicker finally defeated him after numerous kicks at 53 yards. Merrick recently was invited to participate in the Nike competition in Las Vegas in January '08 by some of the camps that I believe you are talking about. His performance at his camps was cited ...since he did not attend a qualifying camp of theirs. Bobcat fans sure have enjoyed Dudley allowing him to kick away this season. He made a FG last night...and had a 59 yd. attempt that he hit good....blocked by an untouched defender! He eight touchbacks last night out of 11 kickoffs in the first-round playoff game.

Bell was at one time on a pace to score over 175 points for the game..if they had kept on the pace that they were in the first half of the first quarter! Bell's defense scored or set up some of the scores. Remember the back-up QB started and the JV and Freshman teams with a few players still in early played most of the second half. Was running clock and over in a flash. Bell took a knee and set up FG attempt in first half for Merrick to break the state record. He had nearly broke it at Leslie, but caught dirt on his approach. The kick was solid and hit well this time....??? but a rare block ended the half. Even in the cold, he had hit two 57 yarders in warmup with snap/hold. Earlier in game he had one around 40 yards that was good. Bell was fine tuning all aspects of their game last night, especially if Nelson is not able to go for the rest of the playoffs. It is easy to look good against a weaker opponent, but I don't believe there was any turnovers, etc. Not bad, with losing your starting QB. Other teams have cratered this season when placed in same scenario. :thumb: to Zachary for stepping up!

Bell will not be really looking past next week, but with enough assistant coaches....I'm sure Bell will have people at the Lex/Boyle game as well as the Rockcastle/Knox Central game. Make good sense to do so with opportunity to check out all possible opponents for the next two potential games.

Bell's kicker Merrick is ranked on that site as well, I believe attending same camp as Kaufman. He is third in KY; 19th in 14 state s.e. region; 38th nationally.....this is all in the kicker catagory. Kaufman entered as kicker, I think, but Merrick entered, is my understanding from his dad, as kicker/punter combination since he does both at Bell. Effects scores in some ways. i.e punters have to switch back and forth and do both competitions back-to-back. In the K/P catagory McIntosh of Lex Christ. is 19th and Merrick is 20th nationwide; in the Punter/Kick-off specialist catagory Merrick is 22nd and McIntosh is 23 in nation. Bell should be even tougher next season in special teams with Greer, return man, also a junior. If you look on their site they will have Junior Ranking.....for 2009 recruiting class. One thing we must remember when comparing all these guys (Ray Guy's)....I believe they all are seniors.....with the exception of Merrick, who is Junior. On the Junior rankings...Merrick is #2 Kicker/Punter; #2 Punter/Kickoff specialist; #4 punter; and #8 kicker in nation.