In all my hub-bub and hooplah over the Ironton-Ashland game, there is one game in particular which may trump it. On a local level, not so, but as far as the Bluegrass and Eastern Kentucky in general, The Cat fight at Tanks may not even get a second look.
A team I previewed at the begining of the season, Rowan County, has been building something special for the last several years in Morehead. The program has had a facelift and a new direction in recent years. A town that may not want their University, sure does love their Vikings. One thing has been missing for the new look RC... A signature win. ShaDon Brown, RC Head Coach, needs the big win for his resume as much as the Booster Club needs it for concession sales. Playing regional football power Mason County should help. Oh yeah, being on live television on WLEX(Lexington's NBC) shouldn't hurt.
It's weird to call Mason County a regional power and mean our region. After various re-allignments, The Royals have been suplanted into our neck of the woods, if only it were the same for Basketball with the school producing Deron Feldhaus,Chris Lofton and Darius Miller.
Both schools have offensive weapons galore. This game is going to be heavy on Artillery and low on defensive manuevers. Quarterbacks who are D-1 bound...check. Fast, Powerful backs who can score from anywhere in the 606 area code...check. Recievers are Big Money Playmakers...check.
The crowd in Morehead is going to be in for a treat with all this Offense that is going to be put on display. Somewhere, Hal Mumme is smiling. Football has had a resurgance and renaissance in The Head. 3500 showed up last Friday to witness Rowan's attack dismantle Fleming 71-13. RC Sr. Darnell Cross ran for 168 yards. Caught another 172. Saw the back of the endzone 5 times. He did all this with just 6 carries and 2 1/2 quarters of clock time. Coach Brown has led the Vikings to it's best start since 1981, with his team currently at 4-0, one win shy of the '81 start of 5-0. It's been a long time. Mark Meenach, a former RC Head Coach, would have only dreamed he had this kind of run in the college town.
Mason County figures to be right in the thick of the 3A Title picture. Currently ranked 2nd in the state poll, Coach Mike Buchanan went into classic coach mode and tried to convince everybody that the Royals were the underdog by a long-shot here. There was also a heavy dose of sarcasm and playfullness in his words as he would end the quaote with, "We're just a basketball school."
Buchanan is high on Rowan's junior QB Adam Wing saying that he is the best that they have seen this season. The Wing-Man has 3 passing TD's on the year on 25-40 passing.
His counterpart at QB is Neal Pawsatt. Pawsatt has amassed 6 TD's just barely under 600 yards passing, and is 43-67 in attempts. His prime target is Jordan Gilbert, who has been on the recieving end of 4 of those 6 and has 311 rec. yrds. on 24 catches.
A plus for Mason is that they are going to be at full strength at defense for the first time since opening night, after finally getting through some nagging injuries. Defense, may not be the main event tonight, but whichever side can muster up enough of it is going to come out with the DUB.
The Kicing game should be very interesting. Mason County loves to execute the fake punt, and Rowan County, well thanks to Darnell Cross, does not get the oppurtunity to return alot of kicks. Short field starts are the norm for the Vikes, as most teams just elect to try their chances on 4th down rather than punt and give up the big return.
This game is going to come down to Turn-overs and that one soul crushing big play.
I take Rowan County in a game where the whole Commonwealth will watching and both teams will combine for over 700 total yards... It's going to be a shoot-out. And this friday night, I am down with Brown.
Coverage starts at 7:30 on WLEX Channel 18... If your cable company does not provide this station, you can watch the live webcast on WAZOOSPORTS.com, which has a tendency to crash....alot...
1 comment:
fuq scott mckenzie
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