Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky
By J. Trace Kirkwood
It started out looking like a very long night for the Bowling Green Purples. Franklin-Simpson opened the game with a sticky defense that forced the Purples into turnovers and forced shots and generally sloppy play. The Wildcats were up 9-0 just two and a half minutes into the game, and they eventually expanded the lead to to two touchdowns -- 14-0. Finally, Joe Gorman broke the ice for the Purps with a three pointer, and Bowling Green played their way back into the game before the end of the first quarter. After holding a 14 point lead, Franklin found themselves clinging to a 20-12.
In the second quarter Bowling Green used its defense to outplay the Wildcats. The forced Franklin into a series of bad possessions that included a 10 second call, a five second call, and turnovers on bad passes. Bowling Green's press is not smothering, but it is constant. It frustrated Franklin throughout the ballgame, and if you throw out the first five minutes of this game, the Purples outplayed their opponent through the remainder of the contest.
Bowling Green outscored Franklin 19-14 in the second frame to cut the lead to three at 34-31.
The Purples held F-S to just nine points in the third quarter, but they could only muster 10 points themselves. They opened nearly as ice cold as they opened the ballgame. They seemed to be stuck on 31, but by the end of the frame the hosts were behind by only two points, 43-41.
Franklin-Simpson looked tired in the fourth quarter, and I think that is directly attributable to the effectiveness of Bowling Green's nearly constant pressure. Again, the Purples' defenders pressed after turnovers and missed shots, and they did it a lot better than they did against Glasgow a week ago. Franklin didn't get any cheap baskets like the Scotties did.
Bowling Green didn't get their first lead in this game until 1:02 left in the contest, when they hit a layup to make it 49-47. Franklin tied the ballgame with just a few seconds on the clock, but the Purples got the ball back up the court in a hurry. They moved the ball around an active and seemingly desperate Wildcat defense. I thought they made one pass too many, but they scooped the ball into D.J. Ray, who was low on the blocks. Ray released the ball on a "gimme" layup just before the time expired and the ball bounced through the hoop. The home team won 51-49. It was an exciting end to otherwise ugly game.
OBSERVATIONS
Chip and Dale: I used to laugh at the "Chip and Dale" cartoons when they were so polite to one another that they couldn't get anything done. For awhile on Friday night I thought that Bowling Green and Franklin-Simpson were trying to give each other the ballgame like Chip and Dale. Neither team seemed to want to win it. One side threw the ball out-of-bounds and the other obliged with a turnover.
Poncho Wright Award: Eric Smith shoots rainbow jump shots from a kind of funny looking release. I've heard people call this type of shot a "rainmaker" because it knocks moisture out of the clouds. Back during the Doctors of Dunk era at Louisville they had a player named Poncho Wright, who could shoot the ball with the best. Poncho had a high-arching, rainmaker jump shot and was deadly from the corner. I've always said that it's too bad Poncho played prior to the three-point shot in college basketball. Eric Smith's shots remind me of Wright's. Eric even has a high arc on his free-throws.
Courtney Dalcourt Watch: He's the best athlete in this part of the state. He's better football player than basketball player, but his athletic ability is unmatched. He's big and fast and strong. I've lost track of who is recruiting him for football, but my guess is that a 1-AA program is going to make a steal. I may be his biggest fan.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Glasgow 75 - Bowling Green 74
Glasgow High School, Glasgow, Kentucky
By J. Trace Kirkwood
Man! It feels good to be back in the saddle. After a weekend of pressing the couch watching Lonesome Dove while trying to shake the mother of all colds, I was pretty ramped up to be headed to a high school basketball game. It was a beautiful drive under a huge full moon on my way to Glasgow. The moon was so bright that I believe I could have made the drive without using the truck's headlights.
I had no idea what to expect out of this game. Glasgow is re-tooled with former UofL player, Jeff Hall, as head coach, and his son Cameron Hall is also on the squad. Bowling Green lost players like D.L. Moore and Jared Carpenter, but D.G. Sherrill has opened up his offense this season with an emphasis on perimeter play. The only thing I knew is that it would be different from a Glasgow-Bowling Green from last season.
The Fourth Region better beware of this pack of dogs in Glasgow. Think of President Bush's dog Barney's recent behavior when you think of this year's edition of these snippy little terriers. I'm not trying to make a case that the Scotties are going to win the Fourth Region, but they will figure into the final outcome of the standings. Last season Glasgow finished with a mediocre 16-13 record and was sub .500 in the region. They made it to the regional tournament but got bounced in the first round by Russell County.
I was unable to track down the scoring tonight, but Cameron Hall, who is a 6'1" junior, will emerge as the best shooter in the Fourth Region this year. He can shoot from nearly anywhere on the court and has a nose for the basket when he needs to drive into the lane. Matched with the shooting of Craig Mosier, the Scotties will bite more than just Rueters reporters in January and February.
I have to admit that I arrived late to the ballgame. It's hard for me to make it to games that start at 6:00 p.m., especially when they are in another city. Last season I promised Ricky Mudd that I would make a game at Glasgow, and I never did, so I decided to kick this Pick and Roll season off with a visit to the Dog Pound. I got to see a good game.
The Purples are going to press a lot this season. They have a sweet 2-2-1 zone press that works well when the players committ to making it work. They also like to press after missed shots and even turnovers. Bowling Green has one major flaw when they press after missed baskets: no one gets back on defense. They gave up too many easy baskets to Glasgow. It cost them the ballgame.
Bowling Green's Joe Gorman didn't see a lot of playing time last season, but he was on the court a lot on Friday night. The kid can flat out shoot three point shots. He cannot be left open if he's along the arc between the baseline and the free throw line. He's nearly automatic from out there, and he nailed some key shots in the first half.
The game was knotted at 31 at halftime.
Astraddle halftime was a devestating run by the Scotties. With just a few minutes left in the second quarter Bowling Green had a 28-20 lead on the home team. An 11-3 run by Glasgow tied it, but the Scotties continued their run after halftime. They stretched it to a 20-5 run and had a 40-33 lead in the third. By the end of the quarter, the Purples had closed within three -- 56-53.
Bowling Green made a gutsy run in the fourth quarter and actually outscored Glasgow 21-19 in the final frame. It wasn't enough. Plus, the Purples missed critical free throws down the stretch. They had two opportunities to tie the ballgame with just a few seconds left, but two different players -- Eric Smith and Tevin Barksdale -- missed sets of double bonus free throws. It was a killer, and the Scotties take a big win on their home court.
Glasgow's run on either side of halftime is what killed Bowling Green.
OBSERVATIONS
Welcome Back: Everyone should welcome Jeff Hall back to the Fourth Region. A lot of people are going to pull the welcome mat in after they see how well his boy can shoot the basketball. No amount of pressure will stop him. He could shoot the ball with a piece of plywood held up in front of his face. I'm guessing that Cameron Hall will get the Fourth Region's "Newcomer of the Year" award, and the Scotties will be the most improved team from last year.
Brian Asberry Welcoming Committee Chairman?: When I was a senior in high school in 1984 a friend of mine and my brother's had just graduated from WKU. He was working for the Courier-Journal and invited me to go with him to the Louisville-Western game at Freedom Hall. He had some really good seats that put us just a few rows from the court. We both wore red hooded sweatshirts that had massive block letters reading W.K.U. on the fronts. At some point in the game Western's Brian Asberry, always one of the Hilltopper's enforcers, took exception to Jeff Hall's defense and maybe his mouth. I don't know. As Asberry trotted up the court he delivered a vicious forearm shivver to Hall's face. Hall crumpled to the court near the jump circle while the Louisville faithful went wild with anger. For a few moments I thought I was going to die at the hands of irate Cardinals fans. They were looking to express their grievance with Mr. Asberry to anyone wearing WKU clothing.
To any UofL fans that might remember yelling at me I want to inform you that what you all collectively suggested to us is physically impossible to do. The Cardinals won that game, but it didn't turn out too well for the little red birds from Louisville this season. So! Right back at ya, Louisville fans!
Good to be Back: I tried to write about some football this year, but it didn't work out. I love high school football, but my family are fair weather friends. If I go to football games, I usually have to go alone, especially after it turns cool. I travel a lot during the week, so I was spending too much time away from my family. Although they didn't go tonight, I usually have no trouble getting the wife and kids to go to a basketball game. They love the hoops.
Please post comments. If you think I'm wrong about something, call me on it. I'm a big boy, so you're not going to hurt my feelings, and there is no way I can see everything correctly from the stands. Remember. I'm not a reporter. I'm just a fan with a computer and some time on my hands. I hope everyone enjoys Season II of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll.
By J. Trace Kirkwood
Man! It feels good to be back in the saddle. After a weekend of pressing the couch watching Lonesome Dove while trying to shake the mother of all colds, I was pretty ramped up to be headed to a high school basketball game. It was a beautiful drive under a huge full moon on my way to Glasgow. The moon was so bright that I believe I could have made the drive without using the truck's headlights.
I had no idea what to expect out of this game. Glasgow is re-tooled with former UofL player, Jeff Hall, as head coach, and his son Cameron Hall is also on the squad. Bowling Green lost players like D.L. Moore and Jared Carpenter, but D.G. Sherrill has opened up his offense this season with an emphasis on perimeter play. The only thing I knew is that it would be different from a Glasgow-Bowling Green from last season.
The Fourth Region better beware of this pack of dogs in Glasgow. Think of President Bush's dog Barney's recent behavior when you think of this year's edition of these snippy little terriers. I'm not trying to make a case that the Scotties are going to win the Fourth Region, but they will figure into the final outcome of the standings. Last season Glasgow finished with a mediocre 16-13 record and was sub .500 in the region. They made it to the regional tournament but got bounced in the first round by Russell County.
I was unable to track down the scoring tonight, but Cameron Hall, who is a 6'1" junior, will emerge as the best shooter in the Fourth Region this year. He can shoot from nearly anywhere on the court and has a nose for the basket when he needs to drive into the lane. Matched with the shooting of Craig Mosier, the Scotties will bite more than just Rueters reporters in January and February.
I have to admit that I arrived late to the ballgame. It's hard for me to make it to games that start at 6:00 p.m., especially when they are in another city. Last season I promised Ricky Mudd that I would make a game at Glasgow, and I never did, so I decided to kick this Pick and Roll season off with a visit to the Dog Pound. I got to see a good game.
The Purples are going to press a lot this season. They have a sweet 2-2-1 zone press that works well when the players committ to making it work. They also like to press after missed shots and even turnovers. Bowling Green has one major flaw when they press after missed baskets: no one gets back on defense. They gave up too many easy baskets to Glasgow. It cost them the ballgame.
Bowling Green's Joe Gorman didn't see a lot of playing time last season, but he was on the court a lot on Friday night. The kid can flat out shoot three point shots. He cannot be left open if he's along the arc between the baseline and the free throw line. He's nearly automatic from out there, and he nailed some key shots in the first half.
The game was knotted at 31 at halftime.
Astraddle halftime was a devestating run by the Scotties. With just a few minutes left in the second quarter Bowling Green had a 28-20 lead on the home team. An 11-3 run by Glasgow tied it, but the Scotties continued their run after halftime. They stretched it to a 20-5 run and had a 40-33 lead in the third. By the end of the quarter, the Purples had closed within three -- 56-53.
Bowling Green made a gutsy run in the fourth quarter and actually outscored Glasgow 21-19 in the final frame. It wasn't enough. Plus, the Purples missed critical free throws down the stretch. They had two opportunities to tie the ballgame with just a few seconds left, but two different players -- Eric Smith and Tevin Barksdale -- missed sets of double bonus free throws. It was a killer, and the Scotties take a big win on their home court.
Glasgow's run on either side of halftime is what killed Bowling Green.
OBSERVATIONS
Welcome Back: Everyone should welcome Jeff Hall back to the Fourth Region. A lot of people are going to pull the welcome mat in after they see how well his boy can shoot the basketball. No amount of pressure will stop him. He could shoot the ball with a piece of plywood held up in front of his face. I'm guessing that Cameron Hall will get the Fourth Region's "Newcomer of the Year" award, and the Scotties will be the most improved team from last year.
Brian Asberry Welcoming Committee Chairman?: When I was a senior in high school in 1984 a friend of mine and my brother's had just graduated from WKU. He was working for the Courier-Journal and invited me to go with him to the Louisville-Western game at Freedom Hall. He had some really good seats that put us just a few rows from the court. We both wore red hooded sweatshirts that had massive block letters reading W.K.U. on the fronts. At some point in the game Western's Brian Asberry, always one of the Hilltopper's enforcers, took exception to Jeff Hall's defense and maybe his mouth. I don't know. As Asberry trotted up the court he delivered a vicious forearm shivver to Hall's face. Hall crumpled to the court near the jump circle while the Louisville faithful went wild with anger. For a few moments I thought I was going to die at the hands of irate Cardinals fans. They were looking to express their grievance with Mr. Asberry to anyone wearing WKU clothing.
To any UofL fans that might remember yelling at me I want to inform you that what you all collectively suggested to us is physically impossible to do. The Cardinals won that game, but it didn't turn out too well for the little red birds from Louisville this season. So! Right back at ya, Louisville fans!
Good to be Back: I tried to write about some football this year, but it didn't work out. I love high school football, but my family are fair weather friends. If I go to football games, I usually have to go alone, especially after it turns cool. I travel a lot during the week, so I was spending too much time away from my family. Although they didn't go tonight, I usually have no trouble getting the wife and kids to go to a basketball game. They love the hoops.
Please post comments. If you think I'm wrong about something, call me on it. I'm a big boy, so you're not going to hurt my feelings, and there is no way I can see everything correctly from the stands. Remember. I'm not a reporter. I'm just a fan with a computer and some time on my hands. I hope everyone enjoys Season II of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll.
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Busy and the Sickly
I want to apologize to the Pick and Roll faithful and any new readers combing through this blog. I intended to go to a couple of games this past weekend, but a really bad chest cold set in on me keeping me out of the gymnasiums. I've also been on the road for work a lot, so I haven't been to any games. I'm planning to get back on the horse this week, though.
One of the problems I have is that my own kids are starting to play basketball. I have to haul them to practices. I just don't understand where they get their passion for basketball.
I'm still at it, so don't think this blog is dead. It's just struggling along right now.
One of the problems I have is that my own kids are starting to play basketball. I have to haul them to practices. I just don't understand where they get their passion for basketball.
I'm still at it, so don't think this blog is dead. It's just struggling along right now.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bowling Green 49 - Franklin-Simpson 34
By J. Trace Kirkwood
Two very gutsy teams put every physical ability they had on the field at El Donaldson Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, last night. The visiting Wildcats rolled up U.S. 31-W with a team full of athletes that includes two of the best in the state with Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin. Bowling Green stood its ground with one of the strongest back field runners I've seen at the high school level with Tevin Barksdale.
I was excited because Frankin-Simpson had the attitude that they didn't care that Louisville Trinity is the only team to beat Bowling Green at home in the past several years. They took the field to win the game and not cower at the Purples' tradition. The Wildcats did what any good street fighter has to do to win a well-matched fight: come out and pop the big guy right in the nose and hope that he doesn't get mad enough to kill you.
Franklin's Hayden Williams picked off a J.P. Jackson pass about three-and-a-half minutes into the game in Bowling Green territory. Courtney Dalcourt found Brandon Kinnaird with a touchdown pass, and the Wildcats took a quick 7-0 lead on the Purples.
The Wildcats had an opportunity to take a two touchdown lead, but their drive fizzled in the worst sort of way late in the quarter. I won't "if" things because football is filled with important plays, ones where the momentum of the game shifts. Late in the first, Bowling Green seemed surprised by Franklin's tenacity and possibly with Dalcourt's superb athletic ability. Everything seemed to be going for the Wildcats. Dalcourt connected on a downfield pass that would've netted a first down with Franklin heading into the Purples' end of the field. However, a holding call brought the ball back. Instead of it being first and ten near the 50 (I can't remember where the play had ended, and I apologize) their next play started deep in their own territory with a 2nd down and 20.
The Wildcats couldn't get the first down.
Bowling Green got the ball back and finished the first quarter with a touchdown pass from Jackson to Zack Williams.
I have no way of knowing if the holding call ended a Franklin-Simpson drive and touchdown, after all, the Wildcats had two more downs to get a fresh set of downs. I just feel like if they punched another touchdown on the Purples and made it 14-0, they would've had a pretty good shot at winning the ballgame.
That's the beauty of football, though. In basketball it's hard to measure what a foul or a lost ball does to a team, but in football the mistake is measured out in one yard hash marks. After a penalty, when the referee puts the ball down on the grass, the fans can see "we are here and we could've been there."
It was tied at 7 at the end of the first.
Each team scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Bowling Green's Tevin Barksdale made one of the most impressive touchdown runs I've seen with a spinning, tackle breaking 48 yard rumble into the endzone. Barksdale showed everyting a running back needs to be good in that run. He showed agility by avoiding tackles and his own blockers by spinning like a springtime cyclone. He showed strength by busting through tackles. He showed speed by flying through Franklin's backfield.
Franklin's defense probably felt a little like a trailer park in April after that run.
The Wildcats didn't back down. That's why I like Tim Schlosser's team so much. They answered with a drive and touchdown with 4:50 left in the half. The teams went to halftime tied at 14 a piece.
Bowling Green opened the second half with a 24 yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Barksdale. The Wildcats blocked the point after attempt, and for awhile I thought it might prove critical to the game. That left the door open for Franklin to take a lead possibly win a close game. And, Franklin responded with a touchdown and a point after to take the lead 21-20 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Their lead was short lived because Bowling Green answered with at touchdown at the 1:53 mark in the quarter. The Purples opted for a the two-point conversion. Jackson dropped back and made a short pass into the endzone where a gang of Purples and Wildcats were clustered in line with the right hashmarks. I couldn't count how many times the ball was tipped, but it ended up in the hands of Tevin Barksdale. The Purps slammed shut the door the blocked extra point left open.
The Purples' first possession of the final quarter featured a long drive and a J.P. Jackson keeper into the endzone. Jackson did a superb job of faking a hand-off. I bought it. The Wildcat defenders bought it. I was convinced he handed the ball off to Barksdale, and I think for a split second J.P. Jackson was the only person in Donaldson Stadium that knew he had the ball.
Bowling Green was up 35-21.
Franklin-Simpson looked tired. That's what the big lineman for Bowling Green does to teams. They wear them down. Even though the Wildcats looked fatigued, they managed to score two more touchdowns in the fourth, but the Purples scored two more. The game ended in an absolute scoring frenzy.
Here's what I took from this game: If Courtney Dalcourt ends up at a 1-AA football program, that lucky school will have the steal of the decade. As a Hilltopper fan, I'd love to see this kid wearing red and gray next season. the guy is a heck of an athlete, and he is among the best football players in the state.
Franklin-Simpson is the most dangerous .500 football team in the Commonwealth. They won't be .500 for long, and should finish the season 6-4. Sorry, Coach Schlosser, the Wildcats are good, but I don't see them beating Fort Campbell on the road. The Wildcats are off next week then they paly three at home before heading to The Fort.
Tip to Coach Schlosser: When you play Fort Campbell, stay out of Oak Grove, unless you have a post game steak at Charlie's. There are rites-of-passage available in Oak Grove, but for young football players a steak at Charlie's is the only one they need to experience.
Also, Tevin Barksdale can run the ball late in the game with four or five guys on his back. He had a run in the fourth quarter and carried three Franklin defenders five yards. I'd hate to have to try and tackle him in the open field.
OBSERVATIONS
Doctor, Doctor: Apparently, in order to be eligible for Homecoming Queen at BGHS, you have to be the daughter of a local doctor. Th elist of last names for the candidates and their escorts are all the ones my insurance company has paid. For a minute I thought I was listening to pages at the Medical Center.
Throw Backs?: Bowling Green's cheerleaders celebrated Homecoming by climbing into an attic at the school and dragging out old uniforms. It was a nice touch. I did notice that none of them wore the long sleeve sweaters, knee socks, longer skirts, and carried gigantic pompoms like they did back in my day. It wasn't so much of a "throw back" as a "toss back." Wait! Toss back? That's a whole 'nother subject.
National Geographic Moment: The stadium lights attracted some of the most impressively large grasshoppers I've seen outside of National Geographic photos from Africa. One kid crushed one in front of me, and it sounded like he crushed a bag of potato chips.
ESPN: I guess they broadcasted last night's game in Bowling Green. There were cameras there, and the one in the north endzone was up in one of the most precarious looking contraptions. I can't even describe it, but they would have to pay me hazardous duty pay to ascend in that thing.
Two very gutsy teams put every physical ability they had on the field at El Donaldson Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, last night. The visiting Wildcats rolled up U.S. 31-W with a team full of athletes that includes two of the best in the state with Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin. Bowling Green stood its ground with one of the strongest back field runners I've seen at the high school level with Tevin Barksdale.
I was excited because Frankin-Simpson had the attitude that they didn't care that Louisville Trinity is the only team to beat Bowling Green at home in the past several years. They took the field to win the game and not cower at the Purples' tradition. The Wildcats did what any good street fighter has to do to win a well-matched fight: come out and pop the big guy right in the nose and hope that he doesn't get mad enough to kill you.
Franklin's Hayden Williams picked off a J.P. Jackson pass about three-and-a-half minutes into the game in Bowling Green territory. Courtney Dalcourt found Brandon Kinnaird with a touchdown pass, and the Wildcats took a quick 7-0 lead on the Purples.
The Wildcats had an opportunity to take a two touchdown lead, but their drive fizzled in the worst sort of way late in the quarter. I won't "if" things because football is filled with important plays, ones where the momentum of the game shifts. Late in the first, Bowling Green seemed surprised by Franklin's tenacity and possibly with Dalcourt's superb athletic ability. Everything seemed to be going for the Wildcats. Dalcourt connected on a downfield pass that would've netted a first down with Franklin heading into the Purples' end of the field. However, a holding call brought the ball back. Instead of it being first and ten near the 50 (I can't remember where the play had ended, and I apologize) their next play started deep in their own territory with a 2nd down and 20.
The Wildcats couldn't get the first down.
Bowling Green got the ball back and finished the first quarter with a touchdown pass from Jackson to Zack Williams.
I have no way of knowing if the holding call ended a Franklin-Simpson drive and touchdown, after all, the Wildcats had two more downs to get a fresh set of downs. I just feel like if they punched another touchdown on the Purples and made it 14-0, they would've had a pretty good shot at winning the ballgame.
That's the beauty of football, though. In basketball it's hard to measure what a foul or a lost ball does to a team, but in football the mistake is measured out in one yard hash marks. After a penalty, when the referee puts the ball down on the grass, the fans can see "we are here and we could've been there."
It was tied at 7 at the end of the first.
Each team scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Bowling Green's Tevin Barksdale made one of the most impressive touchdown runs I've seen with a spinning, tackle breaking 48 yard rumble into the endzone. Barksdale showed everyting a running back needs to be good in that run. He showed agility by avoiding tackles and his own blockers by spinning like a springtime cyclone. He showed strength by busting through tackles. He showed speed by flying through Franklin's backfield.
Franklin's defense probably felt a little like a trailer park in April after that run.
The Wildcats didn't back down. That's why I like Tim Schlosser's team so much. They answered with a drive and touchdown with 4:50 left in the half. The teams went to halftime tied at 14 a piece.
Bowling Green opened the second half with a 24 yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Barksdale. The Wildcats blocked the point after attempt, and for awhile I thought it might prove critical to the game. That left the door open for Franklin to take a lead possibly win a close game. And, Franklin responded with a touchdown and a point after to take the lead 21-20 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Their lead was short lived because Bowling Green answered with at touchdown at the 1:53 mark in the quarter. The Purples opted for a the two-point conversion. Jackson dropped back and made a short pass into the endzone where a gang of Purples and Wildcats were clustered in line with the right hashmarks. I couldn't count how many times the ball was tipped, but it ended up in the hands of Tevin Barksdale. The Purps slammed shut the door the blocked extra point left open.
The Purples' first possession of the final quarter featured a long drive and a J.P. Jackson keeper into the endzone. Jackson did a superb job of faking a hand-off. I bought it. The Wildcat defenders bought it. I was convinced he handed the ball off to Barksdale, and I think for a split second J.P. Jackson was the only person in Donaldson Stadium that knew he had the ball.
Bowling Green was up 35-21.
Franklin-Simpson looked tired. That's what the big lineman for Bowling Green does to teams. They wear them down. Even though the Wildcats looked fatigued, they managed to score two more touchdowns in the fourth, but the Purples scored two more. The game ended in an absolute scoring frenzy.
Here's what I took from this game: If Courtney Dalcourt ends up at a 1-AA football program, that lucky school will have the steal of the decade. As a Hilltopper fan, I'd love to see this kid wearing red and gray next season. the guy is a heck of an athlete, and he is among the best football players in the state.
Franklin-Simpson is the most dangerous .500 football team in the Commonwealth. They won't be .500 for long, and should finish the season 6-4. Sorry, Coach Schlosser, the Wildcats are good, but I don't see them beating Fort Campbell on the road. The Wildcats are off next week then they paly three at home before heading to The Fort.
Tip to Coach Schlosser: When you play Fort Campbell, stay out of Oak Grove, unless you have a post game steak at Charlie's. There are rites-of-passage available in Oak Grove, but for young football players a steak at Charlie's is the only one they need to experience.
Also, Tevin Barksdale can run the ball late in the game with four or five guys on his back. He had a run in the fourth quarter and carried three Franklin defenders five yards. I'd hate to have to try and tackle him in the open field.
OBSERVATIONS
Doctor, Doctor: Apparently, in order to be eligible for Homecoming Queen at BGHS, you have to be the daughter of a local doctor. Th elist of last names for the candidates and their escorts are all the ones my insurance company has paid. For a minute I thought I was listening to pages at the Medical Center.
Throw Backs?: Bowling Green's cheerleaders celebrated Homecoming by climbing into an attic at the school and dragging out old uniforms. It was a nice touch. I did notice that none of them wore the long sleeve sweaters, knee socks, longer skirts, and carried gigantic pompoms like they did back in my day. It wasn't so much of a "throw back" as a "toss back." Wait! Toss back? That's a whole 'nother subject.
National Geographic Moment: The stadium lights attracted some of the most impressively large grasshoppers I've seen outside of National Geographic photos from Africa. One kid crushed one in front of me, and it sounded like he crushed a bag of potato chips.
ESPN: I guess they broadcasted last night's game in Bowling Green. There were cameras there, and the one in the north endzone was up in one of the most precarious looking contraptions. I can't even describe it, but they would have to pay me hazardous duty pay to ascend in that thing.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Bowling Green 59 - Greenwood 7
By J. Trace Kirkwood
Greenwood's Hunter Thompson should consider this subject for an English essay: Fear and Loathing at El Donaldson Stadium. The Gators have never won at Bowling Green's home field. Heck, I don't think they've ever beaten the Purples on any football field.
When the Hell's Angels discovered that gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, who was a native of Louisville and an alumnus of Male High School, might profit from writing an article about them, they beat him nearly to death. I'm not trying to say that the Bowling Green football team is the Hell's Angel's, but they keep putting a good beating on their crosstown rival Greenwood. They beat the Gators 56-0 last season, and this game seemed to be headed that same direction.
On the second play of the game Bowling Green's J.P. Jackson connected with Lavance Anderson for a 78 yard catch and run touchdown pass. Less than a minute later Jay Beard blocked a Greenwood punt, which resulted in a touchdown, and the Gators found themselves on the short end of a 14-0 score.
The Gators stopped a Bowling Green from scoring a touchdown only once in the first quarter. Then, the Purples had to settle for a Max Oldham field goal. Tevin Barksdale scored a touchdown with 53 seconds left in the quarter, and as time expired Tyreon Clark intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown.
At the end of the first quarter, Greenwood was in a 31-0 hole.
Bowling Green slowed down a bit in the second quarter. Instead of scoring touchdowns at a frenzied pace, they scored only one in the quarter and took a 38-0 lead into the break.
In the locker room Hunter Thompson probably pondered writing Bowling Green Purples: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Really Good Football Team. At halftime, I pondered why I came to this game instead going to see a game with two teams in Scottsville.
The second half was more of the same, although Bowling Green only mustered three touchdowns in the half.
Greenwood did sneak in a score with 1:09 left in the contest, but Tevin Barksdale took the Gators' kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. It was Greenwood's The Curse of Lono condensed into Barksdale's hundred yard dash -- give or take a few yards.
Hunter! The football season is NOT over.
OBSERVATIONS
To The Max: I hope some colleges -- especially my alma mater -- are after Max Oldham. The kid can flat out kick a football. He kicks it out of the back of the endzone on kickoffs, and the one field goal he had split the uprights. He's very good.
Who Let the Dogs Out?: Uh, ahem. I'm not sure if I can come up with a tactful way of putting this. I always laugh when I see cheerleaders and dance teams dance to this song. I won't include a link, but people should consider the lyrics of a song before they use them. Trust me, I'm not offended by this because I'm not easily offended, but it's humorous when people don't really listen to what a song is saying. I think I've written about a funny thing at Male High School when I was a student there many moons ago. Our cheerleaders had a catchy cheer that went "WE ARE MALE BULLDOGS!" I've never thought self-deprecation worked for cheerleaders.
Dear Old High School: It's sort of strange for a Male High alumnus to watch a Bowling Green game. The purple and gold. The letter "H." It's all very familiar. There's also the familiarity of winning a lot of games and going deep into the playoffs only to watch someone else carry off the big trophy.
Greenwood's Hunter Thompson should consider this subject for an English essay: Fear and Loathing at El Donaldson Stadium. The Gators have never won at Bowling Green's home field. Heck, I don't think they've ever beaten the Purples on any football field.
When the Hell's Angels discovered that gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, who was a native of Louisville and an alumnus of Male High School, might profit from writing an article about them, they beat him nearly to death. I'm not trying to say that the Bowling Green football team is the Hell's Angel's, but they keep putting a good beating on their crosstown rival Greenwood. They beat the Gators 56-0 last season, and this game seemed to be headed that same direction.
On the second play of the game Bowling Green's J.P. Jackson connected with Lavance Anderson for a 78 yard catch and run touchdown pass. Less than a minute later Jay Beard blocked a Greenwood punt, which resulted in a touchdown, and the Gators found themselves on the short end of a 14-0 score.
The Gators stopped a Bowling Green from scoring a touchdown only once in the first quarter. Then, the Purples had to settle for a Max Oldham field goal. Tevin Barksdale scored a touchdown with 53 seconds left in the quarter, and as time expired Tyreon Clark intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown.
At the end of the first quarter, Greenwood was in a 31-0 hole.
Bowling Green slowed down a bit in the second quarter. Instead of scoring touchdowns at a frenzied pace, they scored only one in the quarter and took a 38-0 lead into the break.
In the locker room Hunter Thompson probably pondered writing Bowling Green Purples: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Really Good Football Team. At halftime, I pondered why I came to this game instead going to see a game with two teams in Scottsville.
The second half was more of the same, although Bowling Green only mustered three touchdowns in the half.
Greenwood did sneak in a score with 1:09 left in the contest, but Tevin Barksdale took the Gators' kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. It was Greenwood's The Curse of Lono condensed into Barksdale's hundred yard dash -- give or take a few yards.
Hunter! The football season is NOT over.
OBSERVATIONS
To The Max: I hope some colleges -- especially my alma mater -- are after Max Oldham. The kid can flat out kick a football. He kicks it out of the back of the endzone on kickoffs, and the one field goal he had split the uprights. He's very good.
Who Let the Dogs Out?: Uh, ahem. I'm not sure if I can come up with a tactful way of putting this. I always laugh when I see cheerleaders and dance teams dance to this song. I won't include a link, but people should consider the lyrics of a song before they use them. Trust me, I'm not offended by this because I'm not easily offended, but it's humorous when people don't really listen to what a song is saying. I think I've written about a funny thing at Male High School when I was a student there many moons ago. Our cheerleaders had a catchy cheer that went "WE ARE MALE BULLDOGS!" I've never thought self-deprecation worked for cheerleaders.
Dear Old High School: It's sort of strange for a Male High alumnus to watch a Bowling Green game. The purple and gold. The letter "H." It's all very familiar. There's also the familiarity of winning a lot of games and going deep into the playoffs only to watch someone else carry off the big trophy.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Warren East 36 - Bardstown 35
By J. Trace Kirkwood
The last time I saw a football game at Warren East was in the fall of 1984 when I went to their Homecoming with a recent alumnus who was my friend at WKU. It was somewhat of a culture shock for me because I was just weeks from having spent most of my time and life in Louisville. That's the first night I met my friend's sister, who was wickedly beautiful and also shot-down in the Homecoming Queen voting. I have to admit that I questioned the judgment of Warren East students when I met her because my friend had already told me she lost the voting.
I also remember that they played "Cow Chip Bingo" at some point during the night. Remember folks, I grew up in Louisville, and I went to a downtown school. The closest cattle to Male High School were breathing their last breaths at the Bourbon Stock Yards and Fischer's Meat Packing. I don't remember the details because I probably opted to watch my friend's sister rather than a cow standing on a football field about to have a bowel movement. The choice, well, seemed obvious.
Fast forward 24 years to Friday night in Bristow, Kentucky. I can't attest for the tastes of the Warren East student body, but I do know that Raider football team is much improved from 24 seasons ago. They play hard. Coach Ben Bruni gets the most out of his players, and they never give up. Never!
Bruni is armed with superb athletes like Shenard Holton, who is one of the best athletes in the state and runs like whirling top through defensive backfields. He also plays defense and pops players like an angry steer (I guess my memories of Warren East has left me with images of cows, which is kind of surprising to me). Antonious "Fuzz" Owens plays on both sides of the ball and can move his 205 pound frame in ways that don't seem humanly possible. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jeremy Werner pursues and destroys quarterbacks and running backs.
I anticipated a good game because East and Bardstown tangled to a 27-20 game last season with the Raiders prevailing. It was even better this season.
I could waste words describing how Shenard Holton and Fuzz Owens made impressive runs and catches to score touchdowns and how Bardstown answered back with their own touchdowns. I could do the same and describe how the Tigers ended up with a 21-14 lead at halftime.
Neither team was ever in control of the game. One of the things I love about high school football is how quickly the momentum shifts back-and-forth when two good teams are on the field. That was the case Friday night at Warren East.
The only time I thought a team might have control of the game was when Bardstown took a 35-22 lead in the fourth quarter and the Raider defense looked tired. They never looked defeated, though, and that's what counts.
After Bardstown took the commanding 13 point lead with 6:16 left in the game Warren East dug down deep and found a way to put together a quick drive. Fuzz Owens scored with 5:02 left and put the Raiders within touchdown of the visitors. I think the East fans felt a sense of hopelessness when the Raiders failed on the two point conversion.
East's defense impressed me at this point in the game. They looked tired. They played tired. Heck, they were tired. Instead of giving up they found a way to stuff the Tigers' offense, which had easily marched down the field on their previous possession. They backed Bardstown up to the one yard line, and the Tigers' punter kicked the ball from the back of the end zone to the his own 26 yard line.
Warren East took over with 2:46 left in the game. East quickly moved the ball to the goal line, but had some trouble getting through the Bardstown defensive line to score. It worked to their advantage. With 30 seconds left, Holton rushed the short yardage for the touchdown. East converted for two points and took a 36-35 lead.
Bardstown had one last chance, but I decided that their quarterback couldn't throw the ball down the field very well. They kept trying these short dump and run plays that got them nothing with a determined East defense.
The Raiders win in Cardiac Kids fashion.
That's two great football games in as many weeks. This is great!
OBSERVATIONS
Duck Footed Tigers: Some of Bardstown's players wore gold colored cleats. It made them look like they had duck feet. I wonder if they know it looks funny.
Why?: Why do football scoreboards have tenths of seconds these days. I've been watching football since I was a curtain climber when Earl Morrall played for the Miami Dolphins, and I've never seen a split second matter a whole lot at the end of a football game (in terms of on the clock). After all, the clock doesn't end a play until the ball is dead. It's a game of inches, not seconds.
Friendliest People: Warren East fans and staff are some of the friendliest. When I got my ticket and went through the gate, three people thanked me for coming to the game. After the game, I wanted to thank them for such a good show. So, if any of you are reading, THANKS!
Cow Chip Bingo Redux: I lost the cow chip bingo contest that night so long ago. I seem to remember that the cow wouldn't...well...nevermind, so they drew the numbers. I would've had the prize if the cow made the decision. It makes me wonder: How much Ex-lax would it take to make a difference for a cow?
Homecoming Queen Redux: What the heck were you people thinking?!
A Team to Watch: Watch out for the Graves County Eagles. They are 3-0 and have beaten Tilghman and Marshall County. They tangle with Mayfield next week.
The last time I saw a football game at Warren East was in the fall of 1984 when I went to their Homecoming with a recent alumnus who was my friend at WKU. It was somewhat of a culture shock for me because I was just weeks from having spent most of my time and life in Louisville. That's the first night I met my friend's sister, who was wickedly beautiful and also shot-down in the Homecoming Queen voting. I have to admit that I questioned the judgment of Warren East students when I met her because my friend had already told me she lost the voting.
I also remember that they played "Cow Chip Bingo" at some point during the night. Remember folks, I grew up in Louisville, and I went to a downtown school. The closest cattle to Male High School were breathing their last breaths at the Bourbon Stock Yards and Fischer's Meat Packing. I don't remember the details because I probably opted to watch my friend's sister rather than a cow standing on a football field about to have a bowel movement. The choice, well, seemed obvious.
Fast forward 24 years to Friday night in Bristow, Kentucky. I can't attest for the tastes of the Warren East student body, but I do know that Raider football team is much improved from 24 seasons ago. They play hard. Coach Ben Bruni gets the most out of his players, and they never give up. Never!
Bruni is armed with superb athletes like Shenard Holton, who is one of the best athletes in the state and runs like whirling top through defensive backfields. He also plays defense and pops players like an angry steer (I guess my memories of Warren East has left me with images of cows, which is kind of surprising to me). Antonious "Fuzz" Owens plays on both sides of the ball and can move his 205 pound frame in ways that don't seem humanly possible. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jeremy Werner pursues and destroys quarterbacks and running backs.
I anticipated a good game because East and Bardstown tangled to a 27-20 game last season with the Raiders prevailing. It was even better this season.
I could waste words describing how Shenard Holton and Fuzz Owens made impressive runs and catches to score touchdowns and how Bardstown answered back with their own touchdowns. I could do the same and describe how the Tigers ended up with a 21-14 lead at halftime.
Neither team was ever in control of the game. One of the things I love about high school football is how quickly the momentum shifts back-and-forth when two good teams are on the field. That was the case Friday night at Warren East.
The only time I thought a team might have control of the game was when Bardstown took a 35-22 lead in the fourth quarter and the Raider defense looked tired. They never looked defeated, though, and that's what counts.
After Bardstown took the commanding 13 point lead with 6:16 left in the game Warren East dug down deep and found a way to put together a quick drive. Fuzz Owens scored with 5:02 left and put the Raiders within touchdown of the visitors. I think the East fans felt a sense of hopelessness when the Raiders failed on the two point conversion.
East's defense impressed me at this point in the game. They looked tired. They played tired. Heck, they were tired. Instead of giving up they found a way to stuff the Tigers' offense, which had easily marched down the field on their previous possession. They backed Bardstown up to the one yard line, and the Tigers' punter kicked the ball from the back of the end zone to the his own 26 yard line.
Warren East took over with 2:46 left in the game. East quickly moved the ball to the goal line, but had some trouble getting through the Bardstown defensive line to score. It worked to their advantage. With 30 seconds left, Holton rushed the short yardage for the touchdown. East converted for two points and took a 36-35 lead.
Bardstown had one last chance, but I decided that their quarterback couldn't throw the ball down the field very well. They kept trying these short dump and run plays that got them nothing with a determined East defense.
The Raiders win in Cardiac Kids fashion.
That's two great football games in as many weeks. This is great!
OBSERVATIONS
Duck Footed Tigers: Some of Bardstown's players wore gold colored cleats. It made them look like they had duck feet. I wonder if they know it looks funny.
Why?: Why do football scoreboards have tenths of seconds these days. I've been watching football since I was a curtain climber when Earl Morrall played for the Miami Dolphins, and I've never seen a split second matter a whole lot at the end of a football game (in terms of on the clock). After all, the clock doesn't end a play until the ball is dead. It's a game of inches, not seconds.
Friendliest People: Warren East fans and staff are some of the friendliest. When I got my ticket and went through the gate, three people thanked me for coming to the game. After the game, I wanted to thank them for such a good show. So, if any of you are reading, THANKS!
Cow Chip Bingo Redux: I lost the cow chip bingo contest that night so long ago. I seem to remember that the cow wouldn't...well...nevermind, so they drew the numbers. I would've had the prize if the cow made the decision. It makes me wonder: How much Ex-lax would it take to make a difference for a cow?
Homecoming Queen Redux: What the heck were you people thinking?!
A Team to Watch: Watch out for the Graves County Eagles. They are 3-0 and have beaten Tilghman and Marshall County. They tangle with Mayfield next week.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Pigskin Classic, Franklin, Kentucky
By J. Trace Kirkwood
They're not talkin' pork rinds.
In Franklin, Kentucky, pigskin talk means football, and this year they put together a couple of nice football games for the folks of Simpson County to enjoy. It's a great deal, too. I paid six bucks to see two high school football games, and the concessions are great and reasonably priced. Next September, if a family is looking for a great way to spend a beautiful September Saturday night, I recommend that they point their cars down U.S. 31-W and find their way to James "Shadetree" Matthews Stadium, which is near the end of College Street and take in the Pigskin Bowl.
Game 1: Russellville 36 - Barren County 21
The Panthers from Russellville were smarting after Franklin-Simpson laid a 47-15 shellacking on them at Rhea Stadium a week earlier. It didn't look good for Russellville at first. Barren County scored first and quickly and seemed to have the momentum early in the game. A defensive lapse left a Barren County player wide open and the quarterback nailed him with a pass. I apologize for not having players' names, but I had just walked into the stadium when Barren County scored.
The Trojans seemed in control and had a their one touchdown lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Russellville found their momentum that seemed lost in their nightmare game against Franklin-Simpson last week. Fifty-nine seconds into the second quarter quarterback D.J. Quarles played a nice fake and rambled 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Then, with 3:43 left in the half Quarles connected with Zach Smith for a 64 yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers ahead 14-7. Momentum loves to switch sides in football, and Russellville was riding high after the second touchdown.
Barren County committed one of the mortal sins of football by fumbling the ball with just 1:33 left in the first half. The Panthers, bolstered by Smith's catch and scramble touchdown seemed to be in control of the game, and a late half touchdown would have put them in complete control. Russellville was on their way to a touchdown but fumbled the ball with 1.1 seconds left on the clock and deep in Trojan territory.
Barren County dodged a deadly bullet.
Russellville controlled the third quarter, though. Damien Elam, who was the game's MVP, was everywhere. First of all, he plays on both sides of the ball and plays them well. Elam is only a sophomore but plays the defensive backfield like a pro. He anticipates ball movement well and made several tackles by coming all the way across the field and knocking the blocks off of the Barren County rushers. I had little doubt he would be the MVP. He was certainly going to get the Pick and Roll (aka Hook and Ladder) MVP award for the game.
Elam also caught a 27 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Russellville had a commanding lead at the end of three: 29-7 after a 73 touchdown run.
Barren County mounted a good fourth quarter rally with two touchdowns, but the game was out of reach. The drama in the fourth quarter was that the last seven or eight minutes was played with a blacked out scoreboard. Fans were clueless about the amount of time left in the game. Finally, as the two teams were about to lineup, the officials blew their whistles and the game was over. It reminded me of playing sandlot football as a kid back in Louisville. When it was time for one of our Catholic families to have supper, our games ended. We sometimes stopped in the middle of a play. All of our players were off to supper.
Russellville won 36-21 and evened their season at 1-1.
Game 2: Daviess County 25 - Franklin-Simpson 20
This is the best high school football game I've seen in a long time. I've only made it to Bowling Green games in the past couple of season, and they pounded their opponents in those games. The Purples can beat everybody except for teams north of Elizabethtown.
Franklin-Simpson was coming off their pasting of the Panthers in Russellville last week and were ranked 7th in 3A football. Daviess County upended Evansville Harrison in the Border Classic in Owensboro last week, and the Panthers were ranked 10th in 6A ball.
This is the game I was there to see. I knew the Wildcats were good after watching them put the smack down on Russellville a week before, and I knew that Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin would prove to a handful for Daviess County. My brother-in-law, who is from Hancock County, is friends with Daviess County Coach Marcus Kimbrell, so that is another reason we decide to take in the Pigskin Classic.
Franklin-Simpson drew first blood in the game when Courtney Dalcourt, who is one of the best athletes in the state this season, turned prime Daviess County pass coverage into a touchdown when he hustled into the endzone with 10:19 to play.
I really knew nothing about Daviess County. The last time they had a real good season was when I was listening to "Men at Work" cassette tapes, wearing peg-leg jeans and Cheeno shirts, and mullets were actually in style.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Cole Lanham, who is a left handed kid who settles into the pocket and zips perfect spirals right into the numbers of his receivers. He can also scramble and rush very well. One of his favorite targets is Joey "Kosmo" Kramer (I made up that nickname, but I did scan their roster for a kid named Costanza). Kramer is unafraid to raise up his arms and catch high thrown balls in the middle of the field. When I was a kid we called these "hospital catches."
I noticed that Lanham also had a target named Chad McCain. Everyone! Please! Let's keep this kid out of Florida on the first Tuesday in November. I thought it was funny that a lefty was willing to throw the ball to a kid named "McCain." I also wondered if it takes a 42 year old woman from Alaska to keep him in the ballgame.
Lanham linked up with Kramer at the 9:09 mark in the first quarter to tie the score. This is when I first sensed that we were going to be witness to a great football game. The quarter ended with the score 7-7.
The two teams matched each other in the second quarter. Neither team could score. Well, without sounding too corny, it was a cat fight.
I hope I have the kid's name right. I think it was Hayden Williams for Franklin-Simpson got tangled up in a crazy Daviess County interception play that ended up with the Wildcats regaining possession after Dylan Clark fumbled the ball. Williams was injured and EMT's had to remove him from the field. Let's hope the kid is alright.
Courtney Dalcourt faked a hand-off and rumbled for 60+ yards for a touchdown, giving his Wildcats a tough earned 14-7 lead. Daviess County answered when Dylan Millay, an incredibly fast runner, scrambled for a touchdown. The Panthers missed the extra-point, so Franklin-Simpson held onto their 14-13 lead, which was the score at halftime.
I thought that the missed PAT could really hurt Daviess County in this game. It was shaping up to a be a close, hard-fought game.
Daviess County opened the second half with an effective drive for a touchdown to take a 19-14 lead. The Panthers did a good job containing Dalcourt and Flippin the third quarter. They bottled both of them up at the line and kept them from getting lose in their backfield. Both are good enough athletes to wreak havoc on defensive backs. I really felt like Daviess County's defense was the key to winning the ballgame. It really says something for them to be able to clog up a guy like Courtney Dalcourt.
The third quarter ended with the score 19-14 in favor of the visitors.
After sacking Dalcourt for a big loss on third down, the Panthers got the ball and scored with 8:43 left in the game. Millay ran a spinning and tackle breaking 21 yards to give Daviess County a 25-14 lead. The Panthers missed the two point conversion.
A chain of events unfolded that only happen in big, exciting games. The contest had the feel of a playoff game.
With 6:39 left in the game, Daviess County intercepted a Dalcourt pass, but they could not capitalize on the turnover. They had to punt, but the punter -- Lanham -- shanked the punt off his shin, and the Wildcats took over on the Daviess County 30 yard line. Twenty seconds later, Dalcourt found Jerrell Wickware in the end zone. They missed the PAT, and the score was 25-20.
Daviess County needed to run out the clock, but they had the worst possession of the game when they needed one of their best. They punted the ball away and Wickware had a great return to the DC's 24 yard line. On fourth down, Daviess County committed pass interference, which gave the Wildcats a fresh set of downs with little time left on the clock.
Dalcourt threw to the back of the end zone on first down, and Daviess County was able to run out the clock.
"County" took home the victory in a great contest. Well worth the six dollars to get in.
OBSERVATIONS
What It Really Means: At halftime of the Russellville-Barren County game, the Russellville Panthers walked out into one of the fields behind Matthews Stadium and knelt down and listened to their coaches. They took shelter in the shade of a big oak tree. A coach or a booster drove a pickup truck out there with jugs of Gatorade on the tailgate. The sun was setting behind that oak tree. It was a great scene. My Louisville friends don't get to see scenes like this up there, but, to me, it's a great piece of Americana to see high school football players spending halftime going over plays in the middle of what could've been a pasture.
Concessions Confessions: I love concession stands at football games. I don't know why, but food at football games is so much better than basketball games. At Franklin, they cook all their food on a this gigantic grill, and all that smoke of those different food gets all mixed up and adds flavor to everything. Plus, $10 will buy all the food you care to eat at "The Shadetree." The ladies at the concession stand are sweeter than west Kentucky tea, too. I might be at every Wildcat home game this season. Heck, I might buy one of those houses on College Street along with a football season ticket.
They Didn't Kill Kenny: Everybody in Franklin knows and loves Kenny Perry. They don't care that he ducked the British Open. I also think that it must be a town or county ordinance that Kenny plays a round of golf with everybody down there. I've not spoken to a single golfer down there who hasn't played a round with him.
Between the Hedges: Franklin-Simpson has a hedge of boxwoods on both sides of the football field. I started looking for UGA VII along the sideline. It's a great place to watch a football game. Did I mention the concession stand?
Name Game
Future Member of U2: Jacob Edge (Daviess County)
Future BMW Dealer: Beamer Barron (Daviess County)
Future Basketball Referee: Gage Hacker (Daviess County)
Future Horse Trainer: Tyler Furlong (Barren County)
Candle Makers in the Making: Jerrell and Darius Wickware
They're not talkin' pork rinds.
In Franklin, Kentucky, pigskin talk means football, and this year they put together a couple of nice football games for the folks of Simpson County to enjoy. It's a great deal, too. I paid six bucks to see two high school football games, and the concessions are great and reasonably priced. Next September, if a family is looking for a great way to spend a beautiful September Saturday night, I recommend that they point their cars down U.S. 31-W and find their way to James "Shadetree" Matthews Stadium, which is near the end of College Street and take in the Pigskin Bowl.
Game 1: Russellville 36 - Barren County 21
The Panthers from Russellville were smarting after Franklin-Simpson laid a 47-15 shellacking on them at Rhea Stadium a week earlier. It didn't look good for Russellville at first. Barren County scored first and quickly and seemed to have the momentum early in the game. A defensive lapse left a Barren County player wide open and the quarterback nailed him with a pass. I apologize for not having players' names, but I had just walked into the stadium when Barren County scored.
The Trojans seemed in control and had a their one touchdown lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Russellville found their momentum that seemed lost in their nightmare game against Franklin-Simpson last week. Fifty-nine seconds into the second quarter quarterback D.J. Quarles played a nice fake and rambled 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Then, with 3:43 left in the half Quarles connected with Zach Smith for a 64 yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers ahead 14-7. Momentum loves to switch sides in football, and Russellville was riding high after the second touchdown.
Barren County committed one of the mortal sins of football by fumbling the ball with just 1:33 left in the first half. The Panthers, bolstered by Smith's catch and scramble touchdown seemed to be in control of the game, and a late half touchdown would have put them in complete control. Russellville was on their way to a touchdown but fumbled the ball with 1.1 seconds left on the clock and deep in Trojan territory.
Barren County dodged a deadly bullet.
Russellville controlled the third quarter, though. Damien Elam, who was the game's MVP, was everywhere. First of all, he plays on both sides of the ball and plays them well. Elam is only a sophomore but plays the defensive backfield like a pro. He anticipates ball movement well and made several tackles by coming all the way across the field and knocking the blocks off of the Barren County rushers. I had little doubt he would be the MVP. He was certainly going to get the Pick and Roll (aka Hook and Ladder) MVP award for the game.
Elam also caught a 27 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Russellville had a commanding lead at the end of three: 29-7 after a 73 touchdown run.
Barren County mounted a good fourth quarter rally with two touchdowns, but the game was out of reach. The drama in the fourth quarter was that the last seven or eight minutes was played with a blacked out scoreboard. Fans were clueless about the amount of time left in the game. Finally, as the two teams were about to lineup, the officials blew their whistles and the game was over. It reminded me of playing sandlot football as a kid back in Louisville. When it was time for one of our Catholic families to have supper, our games ended. We sometimes stopped in the middle of a play. All of our players were off to supper.
Russellville won 36-21 and evened their season at 1-1.
Game 2: Daviess County 25 - Franklin-Simpson 20
This is the best high school football game I've seen in a long time. I've only made it to Bowling Green games in the past couple of season, and they pounded their opponents in those games. The Purples can beat everybody except for teams north of Elizabethtown.
Franklin-Simpson was coming off their pasting of the Panthers in Russellville last week and were ranked 7th in 3A football. Daviess County upended Evansville Harrison in the Border Classic in Owensboro last week, and the Panthers were ranked 10th in 6A ball.
This is the game I was there to see. I knew the Wildcats were good after watching them put the smack down on Russellville a week before, and I knew that Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin would prove to a handful for Daviess County. My brother-in-law, who is from Hancock County, is friends with Daviess County Coach Marcus Kimbrell, so that is another reason we decide to take in the Pigskin Classic.
Franklin-Simpson drew first blood in the game when Courtney Dalcourt, who is one of the best athletes in the state this season, turned prime Daviess County pass coverage into a touchdown when he hustled into the endzone with 10:19 to play.
I really knew nothing about Daviess County. The last time they had a real good season was when I was listening to "Men at Work" cassette tapes, wearing peg-leg jeans and Cheeno shirts, and mullets were actually in style.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Cole Lanham, who is a left handed kid who settles into the pocket and zips perfect spirals right into the numbers of his receivers. He can also scramble and rush very well. One of his favorite targets is Joey "Kosmo" Kramer (I made up that nickname, but I did scan their roster for a kid named Costanza). Kramer is unafraid to raise up his arms and catch high thrown balls in the middle of the field. When I was a kid we called these "hospital catches."
I noticed that Lanham also had a target named Chad McCain. Everyone! Please! Let's keep this kid out of Florida on the first Tuesday in November. I thought it was funny that a lefty was willing to throw the ball to a kid named "McCain." I also wondered if it takes a 42 year old woman from Alaska to keep him in the ballgame.
Lanham linked up with Kramer at the 9:09 mark in the first quarter to tie the score. This is when I first sensed that we were going to be witness to a great football game. The quarter ended with the score 7-7.
The two teams matched each other in the second quarter. Neither team could score. Well, without sounding too corny, it was a cat fight.
I hope I have the kid's name right. I think it was Hayden Williams for Franklin-Simpson got tangled up in a crazy Daviess County interception play that ended up with the Wildcats regaining possession after Dylan Clark fumbled the ball. Williams was injured and EMT's had to remove him from the field. Let's hope the kid is alright.
Courtney Dalcourt faked a hand-off and rumbled for 60+ yards for a touchdown, giving his Wildcats a tough earned 14-7 lead. Daviess County answered when Dylan Millay, an incredibly fast runner, scrambled for a touchdown. The Panthers missed the extra-point, so Franklin-Simpson held onto their 14-13 lead, which was the score at halftime.
I thought that the missed PAT could really hurt Daviess County in this game. It was shaping up to a be a close, hard-fought game.
Daviess County opened the second half with an effective drive for a touchdown to take a 19-14 lead. The Panthers did a good job containing Dalcourt and Flippin the third quarter. They bottled both of them up at the line and kept them from getting lose in their backfield. Both are good enough athletes to wreak havoc on defensive backs. I really felt like Daviess County's defense was the key to winning the ballgame. It really says something for them to be able to clog up a guy like Courtney Dalcourt.
The third quarter ended with the score 19-14 in favor of the visitors.
After sacking Dalcourt for a big loss on third down, the Panthers got the ball and scored with 8:43 left in the game. Millay ran a spinning and tackle breaking 21 yards to give Daviess County a 25-14 lead. The Panthers missed the two point conversion.
A chain of events unfolded that only happen in big, exciting games. The contest had the feel of a playoff game.
With 6:39 left in the game, Daviess County intercepted a Dalcourt pass, but they could not capitalize on the turnover. They had to punt, but the punter -- Lanham -- shanked the punt off his shin, and the Wildcats took over on the Daviess County 30 yard line. Twenty seconds later, Dalcourt found Jerrell Wickware in the end zone. They missed the PAT, and the score was 25-20.
Daviess County needed to run out the clock, but they had the worst possession of the game when they needed one of their best. They punted the ball away and Wickware had a great return to the DC's 24 yard line. On fourth down, Daviess County committed pass interference, which gave the Wildcats a fresh set of downs with little time left on the clock.
Dalcourt threw to the back of the end zone on first down, and Daviess County was able to run out the clock.
"County" took home the victory in a great contest. Well worth the six dollars to get in.
OBSERVATIONS
What It Really Means: At halftime of the Russellville-Barren County game, the Russellville Panthers walked out into one of the fields behind Matthews Stadium and knelt down and listened to their coaches. They took shelter in the shade of a big oak tree. A coach or a booster drove a pickup truck out there with jugs of Gatorade on the tailgate. The sun was setting behind that oak tree. It was a great scene. My Louisville friends don't get to see scenes like this up there, but, to me, it's a great piece of Americana to see high school football players spending halftime going over plays in the middle of what could've been a pasture.
Concessions Confessions: I love concession stands at football games. I don't know why, but food at football games is so much better than basketball games. At Franklin, they cook all their food on a this gigantic grill, and all that smoke of those different food gets all mixed up and adds flavor to everything. Plus, $10 will buy all the food you care to eat at "The Shadetree." The ladies at the concession stand are sweeter than west Kentucky tea, too. I might be at every Wildcat home game this season. Heck, I might buy one of those houses on College Street along with a football season ticket.
They Didn't Kill Kenny: Everybody in Franklin knows and loves Kenny Perry. They don't care that he ducked the British Open. I also think that it must be a town or county ordinance that Kenny plays a round of golf with everybody down there. I've not spoken to a single golfer down there who hasn't played a round with him.
Between the Hedges: Franklin-Simpson has a hedge of boxwoods on both sides of the football field. I started looking for UGA VII along the sideline. It's a great place to watch a football game. Did I mention the concession stand?
Name Game
Future Member of U2: Jacob Edge (Daviess County)
Future BMW Dealer: Beamer Barron (Daviess County)
Future Basketball Referee: Gage Hacker (Daviess County)
Future Horse Trainer: Tyler Furlong (Barren County)
Candle Makers in the Making: Jerrell and Darius Wickware
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