Game of the Week Recap: Pikeville Panthers 21 Raceland Rams 20

With the recent realignments in KHSAA football, Class A Region IV has some new faces. One of those new faces is Raceland. The Rams have been a consistent football program with limited playoff success, having never won a regional title. But with the new alignment, the Rams find themselves in a much less competitive region. Pikeville is familiar to Region IV and welcomed their new regional rival into the WC Hambley Athletic Complex Friday night in Week 2.


The contest got off to a quick start. After a Pikeville 3 and out, Raceland Quarterback (Soph) Adam Elkins hooked up with (Sr) Marcus Reed on a 46 yard WR screen for the first score of the game. The Rams proceed to add the two point conversion to take an 8-0 lead early in the first. But the Panthers would answer back quickly. After (Fr) Cody Estep set Pikeville up with good field position with a return out past their own 40 yard line, Quarterback (Sr) Randy Maynard found (Sr) WR, and newcomer, Gavin Miller with a 36 yard strike down the sideline down to the Raceland 7. Maynard would keep on the option the very next play for a 7 yard TD run. The Zack Burgy-Vanhoose PAT made the score 8-7 in favor of Raceland. As both defense held for the remainder of the quarter, at the end of one the score was still 8-7.

Both teams exchanged drives that ended in punts to begin the second quarter. On Pikeville's second drive of the quarter, Maynard Connect with WR (Sr) Tolliver Hefner on a long play action pass to set up the Panthers deep inside the red zone. However, the Panthers would give it right back to the Rams. 2 plays later, A snap that never reached the quarterback was recovered by Raceland. Raceland was unable to convert on the turnover and was forced to kick. The punt was not fielded and took a huge Orange and Black bounce all the way inside the Panther 20. From there, the Panthers continued to inflict damage upon themselves. On a read-run, Maynard tried to pull the ball back out from RB (Soph) Chase Hall and the ball was lodged out of his hands onto the ground and into the hands of a Raceland defender. This time the Rams would cash in on the Pikeville mistake. 2 plays later, 2nd string Raceland QB, (Fr) Conner Messner, took the QB draw from 10 yards out into the end zone for the touchdown. The PAT attempt was blocked by Cody Estep, A play that would prove be huge in the end.

Pikeville, as they did in the first quarter, did not take long to respond. Maynard, on a busted play, kept the ball and scrambled 67 yards for the Panther touchdown. Burgy-Vanhoose tacked on the XP to tie the game at 14. With little time remaining in the 1st half, Raceland tried to move the ball downfield for a quick score. In doing so, Elkins hurried a pass that was intercepted by LB Tolliver Hefner. Hefner returned the ball to the Raceland 26 yard line. After a 26 yard bomb from Maynard to Estep was called back, Pikeville worked to get themselves into Field goal range. The Panthers maneuvered the ball down the field to set up a 25 yard field goal attempt as time expired, but the kick was wide to the right. The score was knotted up at the half 14-14.

The 3rd quarter was hard fought with both teams having opportunities in the others' territory. But both defenses refused to break. The game would come down to the 4th and final quarter. Both clubs were plagued by fatigue and cramps at this point, it looked like it may come down to which team has the ball last. Both Raceland and Pikeville would have drives that ended in punts on their first series of the 4th. Pikeville's second possession looked as if it would stall, but on third down Cody Estep sneaked behind the Raceland defense and Maynard found him for a 69 yard touchdown strike. Burgy-Vanhoose tacked on the PAT to give the Panthers their first lead of the game 21-14 with 6:04 remaining.

Raceland was not going to go away without one last shot. The Rams started their drive from their own 20 yard line after the touchback. Raceland would proceed to gradually matriculate down the field eating up all of the clock. The Pikeville defense was gassed by the time the Rams reached the red zone. On 1st and goal with under 2:00, Raceland handed off to Reed who got down inside the 5. On 2nd and goal, it was Reed again getting Raceland inside the 1 yard line. 3rd and goal, Coach TJ Maynard called Reed's number again, but (Jr) DE Wes Anderson met Reed 4 yards deep in the backfield for the loss. With 27.4 seconds left, Raceland had 4th and the ball game. Elkins took the snap and pitched to Reed on the sweep. Pikeville had it snuffed out and Reed was dead to rights until he raised up to pass. Maynard tried to retreat but Tyler Nethercutt was free in the back of the end zone. Nethercutt caught the ball got both feet down and the attention was immediately on the next play. Raceland being visitors and having apoor kicking game elected to try for 2. After a false start penalty backed the ball up to the 8 yard line, Elkins dropped back and missed a wide open reciever on a slant route in the end zone to seal the victory for Pikeville. The Panthers recovered the onside kick, took a knee, and took a W.


Pikeville was led one again by Randy Maynard and Cody Estep. The two have been fantastic on offense the first 3 weeks. LB (Soph) Austin Black really came out of his shell on defense. Black was all over the field reeking havoc for the Rams. Raceland was paced by a solid ground game and physicality. Raceland's WRs blocked exceptionally well. There is a good possibility that these two team will meet in the post season for part II. Goodluck to Raceland the rest of the way.

Week 1 Big Sandy Preps Top 5 & Player of the Week

1. Belfry 1-0 (4)
2. Prestonsburg 1-1 (2)
3. Johnson Central 1-1
4. Pike Co. Central 2-0
5. Lawrence County 1-1


Others receiving votes: Sheldon Clark 0-2, Pikeville 2-0


_________________________________________________________________

Our player of the week award belongs to Shelby Valley senior Lucas Fields who had a career night against rival East Ridge. Fields rushed for over 200 yards and had 4 touchdowns in the blow out victory in the Pike Co. Bowl, 55-6.

Congrats to Lucas!

Week 1 Wrap-up

Our game of the week once again involved the Prestonsburg Blackcats who were coming off of a opening game loss to Perry Central in week 0. The Blackcats took on the Sheldon Clark Cardinals who also opened up the season with a blow-out loss to Rockcastle County. Both teams wanted to prove that they were worthy of their preseason hype and the Blackcats winded up getting the better of Sheldon Clark at Cardinal Stadium, 34-12.

Johnson Central welcomed the Perry Central Commodores to the "Eagle Nest" and Perry Central shocks the mountains as they pull off the upset, 35-27. JJ Jude still had a good game with over 140 yards rushing, but the Eagles didn't have enough to contain Kyle Huff & company.

The Belfry Pirates opened up the season hosting Harrison County at CAM Stadium in the 27th annual Pike County Bowl. The Pirates started out the season just right with a blow out, 34-7 victory.

Pike Central played Phelps at Belfry and the Hawks won in another blowout at "The CAM", 57-6 over the Hornets.

Pikeville hosted Tellico Plains, TN and picked up their second victory of the season in impressive fashion, winning 35-8.

Shelby Valley played rival East Ridge in what was a payback game for SV who was blown out by East Ridge last season. The Wildcats returned the favor as they destroyed East Ridge, 55-6. Very impressive victory for the Wildcats!

Betsy Layne traveled to Hi Hat to take on their rival, the South Floyd Raiders. Betsy Layne cruised in this game picking up the easy victory, 38-8.

Allen Central took on Jenkins and the Rebels beat the Cavs in impressively, 60-8.

Magoffin County opened up the season at home against Leslie County, but fell to the Eagles, 40-10.

Lawrence County won an easy one at home against Jackson County, 41-7.

Paintsville started out the season with a impressive victory over Paris at Paris, 34-12.

Tonight & Tomorrow's Lineup

Friday

Phelps vs. Pike Co. Central (Pike Co. Bowl / 6 PM) @ Belfry - No a very good matchup for Phelps, as Pike Central returns a lot of talent and is coming off of a 38-0 victory over Greenup County.

Harrison Co. @ Belfry (Pike Co. Bowl / 8 PM) - Harrison County hasn't been very successful in football in quite a while now and the Pirates look to get their first opening game win in 3 years.

Jenkins @ Allen Central 7:30 PM - Allen Central should start off the season with a win tonight over the Cavs of Jenkins.

Perry Co. Central @ Johnson Central 7:30 PM - First test of the season for Johnson Central who faces a very athletic Perry Central team who is coming off of a week 0 win over Prestonsburg. Can JJ have another big game for JC?

Jackson Co. @ Lawrence Co. 7:30 PM - The Bulldogs should be able to rebound after their opening week loss to Ashland.

Leslie Co. @ Magoffin Co. 7:30 PM - A lot of questions surrounding the Magoffin County program coming into the season and many of them should be answered tonight versus Leslie County.

Paintsville @ Paris 7:30 PM - Tigers open up the season tonight in a game that should be a good one, but I expect the Tigers to come out on top.

Prestonsburg @ Sheldon Clark 7:30 PM - Our game of the week should be a good one and gives us all a chance to see which team wasn't effected by last weeks losses.

Betsy Layne @ South Floyd 7:30 PM - Rival game that should be very entertaining and one that I think BL comes out on top in.


Saturday

East Ridge vs. Shelby Valley (Pike Co. Bowl / 6:00 PM) @ Pikeville - ER dominated this game last season, however this season the game could go either way.

Tellico Plains, TN @ Pikeville (Pike Co. Bowl / 8:30 PM) - Not very familiar with Tellico Plains, but Pikeville is very good in the Pike Co. Bowl.

Should be a great couple of days of football.

Best of luck to all teams tonight & tomorrow!

Big Sandy Preps Game of the Week: Prestonsburg @ Sheldon Clark

Prestonsburg, yet again, is apart of our game of the week. This week the Blackcats travel to Inez to face rival, Sheldon Clark at "The Rock". Prestonsburg has owned the series lately, winning the last 4 meetings and outscoring the Cardinals, 99-48, dating back to 2006.

Both teams opened up the season with losses, as Prestonsburg fail to Perry County Central in the final 2 seconds , 35-34. Sheldon Clark was shutout by Rockcastle County, 45-0 at Harrison County's Thorobred Bowl. Both teams will be looking for the win and both will be looking to show the mountains that they're as good as advertised and not over-hyped.

Sheldon Clark did graduate 17 players off of last seasons team, including most of their offensive line, which is important for the success of their run, run, run offense. The addition of Tim Smith from Shelby Valley and the return of KP Skyles certainly makes this team worthy of a second look, as the Cardinal backfield is arguably one of the quickest in the mountains. But neither back got a chance to show off that speed against Rockcastle County, as the Rockets shut down the Cardinal offense.

The Blackcats of Prestonsburg only graduated 4 starters from both sides of the ball last season and return a defensive coordinators nightmare with Jamerson & Bryson Williams. However the emergence of freshman Jarred Jarrell & sophomore Grant Anderson against Perry Central certainly doesn't make things any easier on coaches who are trying to prepare for the Blackcats. Adam Crisp has a ton of weapons to throw too along with a veteran line, that actually "looks like an offensive line", says John Derossett during media days a few weeks ago. You would think this offense would be unstoppable with all the talent, but they come out of the gate slow against Perry Central last week, however they look nearly unstoppable in the 2nd half, scoring 28 points to only 6 in the first half.

Many, including Sheldon Clark fans don't know what to expect out of the Cardinals this Friday because of the beating they took against Rockcastle. It could wind up being one of those scenarios where Rockcastle County was just that good or that Sheldon Clark was just way over hyped coming into season, or just a little of both. We will certainly find out though, because like I eluded to above, both teams are going to be coming out with something to prove.

Best of luck to both!

KHSAA Concludes Pike Co. Central Investigation

- Per WYMT:

Officials at Pike County Central have imposed a series of penalties on the school’s football program following the receipt of results and findings of a nearly year-long KHSAA investigation of the school’s football program. In addition, KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett imposed sanctions within the KHSAA Bylaws based on the
investigation.

The investigation centered on issues involving several association bylaws, with the efforts centered on KHSAA Bylaw6 (Transfer Rule) and Bylaw 10 (Recruiting) within the football program. As part of the findings, the KHSAA has agreed to accept the following self-imposed penalties by the Pike County Central administration:


- Forfeit all wins from the 2010 season;

- The head football coach will be suspended for one third of the team’s scheduled football games for the 2011 season. One of those games includes the Pike County Bowl, one away contest and one home contest;

- Development of a corrective action plan at Pike County Central within local district policies and based on proposed detailed elements; 

- Pike County Central will reimburse the KHSAA the out of pocket costs of the outside investigative assistance in the matter for in 2010-11 school year, approximately $3,000;

- Institute a mandatory training session staffed by the Pike County Board of Education representatives on local district policies and expectations;
- Institute a required training program for all coaches, as well as inclusion of the principal and athletic director, which shall be facilitated and conducted by KHSAA staff.

“I deeply understand the fact this is a black eye on our school district, and our school in particular, one that affects our staff, our students and myself personally,” said Pike County Central Principal David Rowe. “We want to ensure that this or any similar event does not happen again. After consulting with the superintendent, we have implemented appropriate measures that we feel will do just that.” In addition, the following penalties have been levied by the Association:

- If one does not already exist, a written handbook of rules and expectations for those involved in athletics at Pike County Central shall be developed. If one already exists, it shall be revised to ensure inclusion of items discovered during the investigation. This is due to the KHSAA by December 1, 2011;

- Submit written documentation that all self-penalties have been implemented;

- The football program will be placed on probation and remain on probation through the remainder of the 2011 season. Any further violation of KHSAA rules will result in additional penalties, but does not impact game scheduling or playoff eligibility;

- Pike County Central is issued an administrative fine in the amount of $3,500 for a lack of institutional control and failure to adequately monitor and ensure compliance with its football program. The fine shall be paid by the end of the 2011 football season.
“It is never easy to place sanctions on a school and potentially penalize young people, their families and school communities,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “However, the violations that have occurred are extremely serious in nature and our member schools expect this office to investigate and administer appropriate penalties prescribed by our bylaws. The administration at Pike County Central should be commended for the aggressive and decisive action in response to this situation. The proposed penalties represent a clear identification of the existing problems but strong leadership in resolving them and ensuring they do not happen again.”

The KHSAA will have no further comment. For additional comment please contact the administration at Pike County Central High School.

Week 0 Big Sandy Preps Top 5 & Player of the Week

1. Johnson Central (1-0)
2. Belfry (0-0)
3. Prestonsburg (0-1)
4. Pike Co. Central (1-0)
5. Lawrence County (0-1)

Others receiving votes: Sheldon Clark

___________________________________________________________

Our player of the week honors belong to none other than Johnson Central star, JJ Jude.

Jude carried the ball only 9 times against Heath Saturday, but his first 3 carries went to the house as he finished with 313 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. What a way to start the season for Jude as he's knocking on the door of the state's all-time rushing record.

Pike Central's Alan Boggs and Prestonsburg's Jarred Jarrell also received votes for player of the week.

Week 0 Results & Thoughts

The first week of the high school football season has been wrapped up and what an exciting first weekend it was for a lot of the coverage teams.

• Our game of the week turned out to be what about everyone expected, a shootout. Prestonsburg & Perry Central traded punches the entire game in what turned out to be a barn-burner with Perry Central winning, 35-34. Perry's quarterback, Kyle Huff and receiver Darryl Beatty had huge games for the Commodores offensively and Matthew Robinson controlled the line of scrimmage for the 'Dores on defense. Prestonsburg looked rusty in the first half, but played some excellent football in the second half, lead by senior quarterback Adam Crisp who hooked up with Jarred Jarrell & Grant Anderson multiple times after Bryson Williams was in double-coverage. However the explosion of points in the 2nd half by the Blackcats wasn't enough as the 'Dores scored with 2 seconds left in the game to win by 1.
• Pikeville hosted Harlan last night in what turned out to be another great game in the area, as the Panthers won, 21-14. Pikeville quarterback, Randy Maynard had a huge opening game for the Panthers.
• Pike Central opened up at Greenup County and blasted Greenup, 38-0. Alan Boggs threw for over 400 yards for the Hawks & hooked up with Wes Pugh multiple times for a few touchdowns.
• Johnson Central wins their opener at home over Heath, 48-0. JJ Jude picked up right where he left off last season with 9 carries for 313 yards and 6 touchdowns.
• Sheldon Clark traveled to Harrison County for the Thorobred Bowl against Rockcastle County and was shutout, 45-0 by the Rockets. Not the start many expected for SC, but then again they did graduate nearly half of their team from last season. Should take them a few weeks to get to where they want to be.
• Phelps starts the season off right with a blow out victory over Jenkins, 46-22.
• Lawrence County hosted Ashland Blazer and was defeated by the Tomcats, 36-16. The Bulldogs played the Tomcats close in the first half, but Ashland was too much in the second half.
• Betsy Layne defeated Bracken County, 38-7 up on the hill.
• Shelby Valley was defeated by the Lions of Boyd County, 28-8. Tough start to the season for the Wildcats.

We will announce our Big Sandy Preps player of the week Monday night.

Tomorrow's Lineup

Football season is finally here in the Big Sandy River valley and majority of the local teams will play their first game of the season either tomorrow night or Saturday.

Friday
Bracken County @ Betsy Layne - 7:30 PM
Phelps @ Jenkins - 7:30 PM
Pike Co. Central @ Greenup County - 8:00 PM
Ashland @ Lawrence County - 7:30 PM
Prestonsburg @ Perry Co. Central - 7:30 PM
Harlan @ Pikeville - 7:30 PM
Boyd County @ Shelby Valley - 7:30 PM

Saturday
Rockcastle County vs. Sheldon Clark (@ Harrison County) - 5:45 PM
Heath @ Johnson Central - 7:30 PM

Best of luck to each team!

Big Sandy Preps Game of the Week: Prestonsburg @ Perry Co. Central

Our first 'Game of the Week' will be the matchup between the Prestonsburg Blackcats and the Perry Co. Central Commodores. Both teams return pretty much everyone and both teams expect to light-up scoreboards this season as both love to throw the ball, which is something many area teams don't do often.

Perry Co. Central enters their second season under the guidance of former Breathitt County star Jade Haddix. Coach Haddix returns his quarterback Kyle Huff, running back Bryan Rankin, receivers Austin Pray, Darryl Beatty, Jay White, and one of the best linebackers in the state, Matt Robinson. Last season the 'Dores averaged 31 points per game while giving up 24 points per game.

Coach John Derossett and his Blackcats also return their quarterback Adam Crisp, running back Kain Collins, receivers Joseph Jamerson, Bryson Williams, Grant Anderson, and linemen Chris Cook, Alex Garner, Kinsey Van Dyne, Zak Rowe. So many expect big things from the Blackcats this season as they return a veteran group who put up some impressive numbers last season. The Blackcats averaged 37.7 points per game while allowing 19 points per game.

The past two meetings between this two programs have been very entertaining as both games come down to the final quarter and I wouldn't expect much of a difference this time around either. Should be a great game with a lot of offense,  I wouldn't be surprised if the two simply shut down one another and it ended up being a low scoring game.

Best of luck to both teams!

Local Players & Teams make Herald-Leaders Poll

The Lexington Herald-Leader released its Top 50 Players in the state today and a few local players made the cut:

Top players in Kentucky

(Based on a survey of coaches)

Player Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

Tyler Black, Mason County 6-2 210 Sr. DE/LB

Kyle Bolin, Lexington Catholic 6-2 185 Jr. QB

Hunter Bowles, Glasgow 6-6 245 Sr. TE/DE

Jalen Boyd, Western 6-1 185 Sr. DB

Devin Bruns, Highlands 6-1 220 Sr. NG

Drake Bruns, Highlands 6-0 193 Sr. DB

Jeffrey Canady, Knox Central 6-0 195 Jr. WR

Thomas Chapman, Manual 6-4 285 Sr. DL

Jeremy Clark, Madisonville 6-4 200 Sr. WR/DB

Tyler Combs, Lawrence County 6-5 275 Sr. OL/DL

Cory Davenport, Bell County 5-9 180 Sr. RB

Travis Elliott, Ryle 5-11 215 Sr. RB

Tyler English, Trinity 6-4 260 Sr. OL

J.D. Harmon, Paducah Tilghman 6-3 190 Sr. ATH

Josh Harris, Mason County 6-2 200 Sr. RB/LB

Jason Hatcher, Trinity 6-3 225 Jr. LB

Zach Hester, Boyle County 6-2 230 Sr. LB/RB

John Michael Heile, Trinity 6-4 275 Sr. OL

Brady Hightchew, Beechwood 6-1 180 Sr. QB/DB

Jonathan Jackson, Mayfield 5-11 200 Jr. LB/RB

Joseph Jamerson, Prestonsburg 6-3 215 Sr. WR/DB

T.D. Jemison, Tates Creek 6-0 285 Sr. OL/DL

Bubba Johnson, Lafayette 5-11 195 Sr. RB/DB

J.J. Jude, Johnson Central 5-9 190 Sr. RB

Ben Lawler, Scott County 6-3 205 Sr. QB

Joe Manley, Bowling Green 6-6 320 Sr. OL

Vinny Miller, Henry Clay 5-11 175 Sr. ATH

Tyrone Pearson, Seneca 6-3 285 Sr. DL

Zeke Pike, Dixie Heights 6-5 225 Sr. QB

James Quick, Trinity 6-1 185 Jr. WR

Chase Roark, Middlesboro 6-3 205 Sr. QB

Matt Robinson, Perry Central 6-1 235 Sr. LB

Daniel Ross, Jeffersontown 6-5 240 Sr. DE/LB

Austin Sheehan, Highlands 5-10 165 Sr. WR

Travon Spencer, Fern Creek 6-1 190 Sr. DB/WR

George Stone, St. Xavier 6-1 205 Sr. LB

Quintez Sutton, Manual 6-3 175 Sr. WR

Keith Thieleman, Boyle County 6-1 270 Sr. DL

Cameron Thomas, East Jessamine 5-9 175 Sr. RB

Ryan Timmons, Franklin County 5-11 175 Jr. WR

Kyle Todd, Elizabethtown 6-3 200 Sr. QB

Patrick Towles, Highlands 6-6 235 Sr. QB

Anthony Wales, Central 5-9 170 Sr. RB/ATH

DarMontre Warr, Manual 5-9 180 Sr. RB/ATH

Ryan White, Trinity 5-10 180 Jr. DB

Alan Williams, Southwestern 6-2 195 Sr. WR/LB

Storm Wilson, Somerset 5-10 175 Sr. WR/DB

Adam Wing, Rowan County 6-4 210 Sr. QB

Cody Withrow, Ashland Blazer 6-3 185 Sr. WR

Travis Wright, Trinity 6-1 185 Jr. QB

Results from Day 1 of Food City Invitational

The city of Prestonsburg is being taken over right now by volleyball teams from across the state. Games are going on at Adams Middle, Allen Elementary, Prestonsburg Elementary and Prestonsburg High School.

Results from Day 1:

Prestonsburg def. Belfry 2-0
Southwestern def. Hazard 2-0

Paintsville Tigers: 2011 Season Preview & Outlook

The Paintsville Tigers enter the season coming off of a rather disappointing 3-8 year. From the looks of things this season will be an improvement due to a few factors, the most important of which is playing a easier schedule. For years the Tigers have had one of the tougher Class-A schedules in the mountains, and to me at least it was time for this to change. The only problem is this leaves the Tigers with no real rivalry games, hopefully though they can foster some new rivalries. I can see both Betsy Layne and Magoffin County as future rivals. The team will be lead in the trenches on both sides of the ball by senior Tyler Spriggs, who is a hoss up front and will give opponents nightmares. Sophomore Blake Williams will be the newcomer to the line and should add some impressive strength up front. Quarterback will be a question for Tigers this year, but I believe Junior Matt Daniels will do a fine job leading the offense. As for the rest of the backfield the biggest bright spot should be sophomore Prater Helton, who had a stellar freshman season until he suffered a season ending injury in the fourth game of the year. He reminds one a lot of Kyle Sublett in has attitude and approach to the game. The receiving corp will be headed by juniors Dawson Smith, and Adam Plumley. Smith is very speedy, and will be a coverage nightmare on deep routes, while Plumley is a instinctive route runner with great hands. Both will benefit greatly from having a true pocket passer in Matt Daniels, I predict breakout seasons for both. The Tigers will be running a more I-based offense this year with a lot of double tight sets. This will probably do a world of good for the Tigers who will have a solid running game, if they can take occasional deep shots to Smith and Plumley the offense should do very well in Class-A and keep opponents guessing. I haven't heard much about defense but the players tell me they are looking to do a lot more hitting this year. So take that for what you will.

Shelby Valley Wildcats: 2011 Season Preview

Shelby Valley comes into the season as a bit of a mystery team, as they've hired a new coach in Aaron Stepp. So many, including myself, really don't know what to expect out of Valley this upcoming season. They always have talented athletes and also have one of the nicest facilities in the state, so it shouldn't be too hard for Stepp to build on their recent success the program has had the last few years. The Wildcats do return quite a bit of talent in Lucas Field, Logan Lucas and Corey Griffith. Fields & Lucas will be the duo on the backfield and they'll be joined by Corey Griffith who will replace Zack Norman as the quarterback.

The Wildcats look to improve on defense this season as they return one of their leading tacklers from last season in Mason Johnson. Others I mentioned above will also be expected to play huge roles on defense as well as offense and special teams. The roster looks thin right now for Valley, but as school starts more boys will come out for the team.

Sheldon Clark's Tim Smith Ruled Eligible

Sheldon Clark's Tim Smith has been ruled eligible by the KHSAA. 

Smith played last season at Shelby Valley and lead the Wildcats in rushing, but was granted another year of eligibility and decided to enroll at Sheldon Clark and become a Cardinal.

The Cardinals open up the season against Rockcastle County on August 20th for the Hometown Pharmacy Thorobred Bowl at Harrison County.

Sheldon Clark Cardinals: 2011 Season Preview

The 2011 edition of the Sheldon Clark Cardinals is going to have a new look to it this season after graduating 15 players off of last years Squad. You can never count out Coach Shawn Hager and his cards as they come prepared every week come game time. The Cards return Leading rusher K.P Skyles who rushed for 1154 yards and 17 Touchdowns as a junior. The Cards will be face with many challenges this year as they have to replace most of the offensive line and will also have a new QB under center this season. The addition of Tim Smith from Shelby Valley will be a boost to the backfield so it should be a very interesting season for the Cards.

BSPs Preseason Top 5

We've finally released our preseason poll for the upcoming 2011 high school football season and the unanimous #1 was (no-surprise) Johnson Central. They return Mr. Football candidate JJ Jude and many more that will contribute this upcoming season for coach Jim Matney. Belfry received every 2nd place vote as they return just about everyone, from 3-5 it was a scramble. Prestonsburg received the most 3rd place votes while Sheldon Clark beat Pike Central out by one vote.

1. Johnson Central
2. Belfry
3. Prestonsburg
4. Sheldon Clark
5. Pike Co. Central


Others receiving votes: Lawrence County

South Floyd Raiders: 2011 Season Preview & Outlook

People in the Hi Hat community haven't been excited about South Floyd football in quite sometime, although the Raiders have had players that have been good enough to play college football. Numbers have been the biggest problem along with injuries to key players for South Floyd, and this season it looks like their leader will be Weston Little. Little and graduate Dakota Newsome lead the Raiders last season, however it looks like Little will have to do a little of everything for the Raiders this season on offense. He'll receive most of his help from Tyler Moore who looks to be the starting quarterback. Defensively, expect the same names to be the leaders on defense, as the Raiders usually have low numbers to show up to play football for the school.

Belfry Pirates: 2011 Season Preview

The 2010 edition of the Belfry Pirates were supposed to reloading. For all intents of purposes last season's Big Red Machine was supposed to be caught amidst a bridge year awaiting the development of stellar young talent against a daunting schedule. Instead, the Pirates caught lightning in a bottle en route to defeating a pair of favorites in the hunt for the 3A State Championship. When the dust settled the surprising Pirates were State Runner-Ups.

Entering the 2011 season Belfry still is widely considered a "young team" loaded with Junior and Sophomore talent. The schedule still remains arguably the most daunting in 3A, as the Pirates not only see a non-district slate against several teams widely considered to be in the upper echelon of their respective classes, but the Pirates must also compete in the powerhouse District 8. Phillip Haywood is within striking distance of becoming Kentucky's All-Time Wins Leader, but it may very well require a similar Herculean playoff effort as last season to reach the threshold of the mark.

East Ridge Boys Basketball Has New Coach

East Ridge has hired former Kentucky walk-on guard Preston LeMaster as their new head boys basketball coach.

Press conference is set for Friday, 3 PM at East Ridge High School.