Jim Mashek

HOOD’s PATRIOTS PLAY HOST TO LOGAN COUNTY NEXT WEEK; SCOTTIES LOOK TO REGROUP AT UNBEATEN BARREN COUNTY

GLASGOW — Allen County-Scottsville High School’s football team and its fan base lingered on the field at Hank Royse Stadium long after the Patriots took care of business, and the Glasgow Scotties, on a damp but largely clear Friday night.

What’s also clear, from just about any vantage point, is the Patriots have put together a promising start in Brad Hood’s 19th season as the AC-S head coach.

Senior AC-S running back Chase Ross and the Patriots stormed to a 32-15 victory over the previously unbeaten Scotties, running their record to an impressive 4-0 heading into next Friday’s district opener against Logan County (3-1) in Scottsville.

It was a rough day at the office for Glasgow (3-1), but the Scotties have a chance to regain some momentum when they travel across town to tangle with unbeaten Barren County (4-0) next week at Trojan Stadium.

After the remnants of Hurricane Francine provided for a soft but stable playing surface, the Patriots went to work with their running game and basically willed their way to victory.

Senior AC-S running back Chase Ross did a lot of the heavy lifting, between the tackles, and was named his team’s MVP by the Edmonton State Bank after the game. (Senior linebacker Max Lee was the pick for the Scotties.) Ross had a lot of help from his friends, particularly Allen County-Scottsville’s tough, aggressive offensive line. And senior QB Braylon Adams was in command, throughout, as the Patriots rolled to victory.

“We’re a physical team,” Ross said when it was over. “Our guys opened the holes, big holes, and you should be able to run the football with that kind of blocking.”

Adams said the Patriots’ offensive system is a bit of a hybrid, but it certainly has some Wing-T elements, which you’ll also see from teams such as Glasgow and Barren County, and it’s something Hood has tinkered with in his two decades as the AC-S coach.

There’s plenty of misdirection and pulling linemen, but the Patriots will also go toe to toe with an opponent and dare to be stopped.

The Scotties did their best, but they certainly got worn down in the second half.

“We’re 4-and-0, right now, but next week, we’re 0-and-0,” Adams said. “Coach Hood demands a lot of us, and he strives for perfection. It isn’t going to happen, not really, but that’s what you have in mind.”

Allen County-Scottsville was hit with a torrent of penalties, while the ominous skies never brought the torrents of rain that might have been expected.

Allen County-Scottsville had gone a meager 8-13 in the previous two seasons, after reaching the KHSAA Class 4A regional semifinals in 2021. The Patriots have won all four of their games by double digits this season, including an impressive 36-22 victory over Franklin-Simpson in Week Three. Now they’ll play three consecutive games against contending teams from the KHSAA’s stacked Class 4A First Region, with Logan County (3-1), Paducah Tilghman (4-0) and Warren East (3-1).

The good news?

All three of those games will be played on the AC-S campus.

“Logan’s a good football team,” AC-S running back Chase Ross said. “Plus, we’re starting district play. We’re looking forward to it, hopefully we’ll keep this thing rolling …”

Allen County-Scottsville wasted little time getting on the scoreboard Friday night, with Patriots QB Braylon Adams finding Ross on a deep pattern inside the left sideline for the first score of the game. The 44-yard touchdown pass put the Patriots in front, 6-0, but the extra-point attempt failed.

The AC-S defense forced Glasgow to turn the ball over on downs on the Scotties’ second possession, and the Patriots recovered a fumbled snap by the Scotties before driving 19 yards for their second TD of the game.

This time, Ross broke a couple tackles at the line of scrimmage before scoring from 11 yards out, and the two-point conversion try failed, leaving the score at 12-0.

Glasgow QB Hudson Gumm then directed a brisk scoring drive, with junior tailback Cameron Bulle finding the end zone on a draw play from 28 yards out. The Scotties’ Jared Malagon added the PAT, and Glasgow trailed by just five points with 11:51 left in the first half.

Chase Ross broke off a 34-yard run inside the right sideline midway through the second quarter, and AC-S quarterback Braylon Adams took over from there, weaving his way through the Scotties’ defense for a 53-yard touchdown run with 5:17 left in the first half.

The Patriots simply rolled with the momentum after halftime.

Ross had another sensational run, a 46-yard burst through the Glasgow defense in the opening moments of the second half. Adams completed a couple passes to get the Patriots in the red zone, and junior running back Braydon Holland scored from 3 yards out with 7:10 left in the third quarter.

This time, the Patriots’ Joseph Hunley-Velasquez was true on the PAT, and Allen County-Scottsville had a commanding 25-7 lead.

A light rain started falling in the fourth quarter, and Chase Ross kept the Patriots on the attack. Ross scored on a 20-yard run with 8:24 left in the game, before the Scotties’ backup quarterback, Trace England, hit fellow freshman Keyshawn Austin over the middle in the final two minutes. Austin broke away from the pursuit and scored on the 58-yard reception, before freshman Noah Morgan ran for the two-point conversion to account for the final margin.

It was a banner night for Allen County-Scottsville’s offensive line, which includes tackles Dalton Coffey and Carson Holland, guards Tanner Swygart and Tanner Shipley, and center Jaxen Carver. AC-S senior Jackson Morris, who logs playing time at both tight end and inside linebacker, said it was an encouraging sign heading into district play.

“Everybody’s hitting on all cylinders,” Morris said. “It’s big, getting to 4-0 going into district play. Now we’ve got to get back to work, on the practice field.”