ADDRESSES HIS SQUAD AFTER WEDNESDAY’s PRACTICE.
RAIDERS AWAIT MIGHTY PADUCAH TILGHMAN; RUSSELLVILLE RESUMES DISTRICT PLAY AT HISTORIC RHEA STADIUM
No KHSAA football team in South Central Kentucky is cruising along with a higher statewide profile than the unbeaten South Warren High School squad, which takes a 7-0 record into Friday night’s game against Central Hardin.
The Spartans (7-0 overall, 1-0 in the KHSAA’s Class 6A, 2nd District) loom as a heavy favorite in this district game, in part because Central Hardin (7-0, 0-3) has not been a competitive team this season. The Bruins have been shut out three times this season, and their opponents have compiled an overall 302-40 margin in scoring.
All the more reason for veteran South Warren coach Brandon Smith to keep an eye on the big picture, with the Spartans moving into the final three weeks of regular-season play before the KHSAA playoffs begin after Halloween.
South Warren, like all other South Central Kentucky teams, took an open date last week to coincide with their respective school system’s Fall Break, and the Spartans returned to practice about a week ago with a collective eye cast toward the final three games of the season.
IS PICTURED WITH HIS OFFENSIVE LINE.
CONFERS WITH ASSISTANT COACH
MARK GOODE AT THURSDAY’s PRACTICE.
FOUR OF FIVE FIELD-GOAL ATTEMPTS.
Smith wants his team to look past Central Hardin’s struggles on the field on concentrate on the task at hand, before the Spartans close regular-season play with a district game against Daviess County (4-3 overall) and a high-profile game, on the road, against KHSAA Class 4A contender Logan County (6-1 overall).
The Cougars took defending state champion Paducah Tilghman to the wire in their last game before dropping a 35-27 decision against the Blue Tornado.
First things first, however.
That’s what Brandon Smith wants his team to keep in mind.
South Warren is ranked second, by Kentucky Sports Radio/on3’s weekly poll, and is second, among KHSAA Class 6A schools behind unbeaten Trinity High School (6-0). MaxPreps has the Spartans seventh overall, among all classifications, but it’s all just window dressing for Smith and his squad.
Playing for a shot at a state championship at Lexington’s Kroger Field remains the ultimate goal on Nashville Road.
“Those (rankings) are nice, but that’s something that isn’t talked about, or discussed, with our team,” Smith said. “I don’t think anybody’s real excited about that. We’re kind of at a point, with our program, that the big picture has to be the emphasis.
“That’s what is really important. The first thing, you have to win your district (for the top seed in the playoffs). I think this group understands that, and we’ve got to travel for this game before we come back for Homecoming against Daviess County.”
AGAINST GRAYSON COUNTY ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
ARE ON THE ROAD AGAINST BOWLING GREEN ON FRIDAY.
TAKES THE SHORT TRIP
TO FRANKLIN-SIMPSON ON FRIDAY.
Logan County coach Todd Adler, meanwhile, admits the Fall Break came at a perfect time for his squad at James Mathews Stadium in Franklin. Franklin-Simpson enters the game sporting a 5-2 overall record, and the Wildcats, like Logan County, are 2-1 in district play.
Franklin-Simpson coach Max Chaney anticipates a big crowd for the game, on both sides of the stadium. He’s impressed with what 10th-year coach Todd Adler has built at Logan County, and the Wildcats have returned to the Class 4A ranks after two years as a 3A school.
“Adler does a great job. They are a tough team, with plenty of athletes in the running game,” Chaney said. “Their defense is tough, hard nosed. It will be a tough battle for us.”
Adler understands that Franklin-Simpson likes to control the ball, and the clock. Logan County is more likely to sling it around the yard, with sophomore quarterback Luke Rogers, but the Wildcats use a lot of misdirection, in the wing-T formation, with senior QB Brady Delk at the controls.
AND THE COUGARS ARE LOOKING
TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A LOSS
TO PADUCAH TILGHMAN.
THE DEFENDING 4A STATE CHAMPION, ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
Delk is a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball, but he’s thrown just 39 passes in the Wildcats’ seven games. Delk has passed for 373 yards and six touchdowns, but he’s been intercepted just three times. Junior F-S running back Xavier Hampton leads the ‘Cats with 742 yards rushing, and he’s found the end zone eight times.
Franklin-Simpson’s Blake McPherson, meanwhile, has rushed for 709 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. Delk has added 220 yards, net, on the ground, while scoring three TDs himself. McPherson also sees extensive playing time on defense, and he’s already intercepted four passes in the secondary.
“They can control the pace of the game, for sure,” Adler said in a telephone interview Thursday night. “We can’t miss as many tackles, as we did at Paducah Tilghman. Franklin-Simpson likes to ‘ground and pound,’ so you’ve got to get some stops.”
Logan County will close district play next week, at home, against Warren East (2-5 overall, 1-2 in district play). The Raiders, under the direction of interim head coach Greg Howard, will play host to Tilghman (6-1 overall, 3-0 in district play).
Sophomore Warren East quarterback Xavier Isable has passed for 1,479 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, and the Raiders are coming off a 30-14 victory over Allen County-Scottsville on October 2. Senior running back Jeremiah Lee has rushed for 818 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Warren Central (3-4 overall) returns to KHSAA Class 5A, 2nd District play with a road trip to square off with Grayson County (3-4, 0-2 in district play). The Dragons are also 0-2 in district play. Junior Warren Central QB Tavy Dunn has passed for 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, but the Dragons have had some trouble establishing the ground game.
In KHSAA Class 1A football, Russellville High School takes a two-game winning streak into Friday night’s game against district rival Caverna (1-5, 0-1 in district play) at Russellville’s historic Rhea Stadium.
Russellville (2-5 overall, 1-0 in district play) is coming off back-to-back lopsided victories over Hopkins County Central and district rival Ballard Memorial. Senior Russellville quarterback Jerius Coleman has passed for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns, and on defense, he also leads the team in tackles (47 overall) and interceptions (three).
The Panthers will be back at Rhea Stadium next week to close district play against Fulton County (1-6, 0-2).
In other games involving South Central Kentucky squads, Allen County-Scottsville (0-7, 0-3 in the KHSAA’s Class 4A, 1st District) plays host to tradition-rich Calloway County (4-3, 1-2), while Barren County (3-4 overall) will face Tennessee’s Macon County squad in Glasgow.
Other area games include Metcalfe County on the road to face Elizabethtown, Edmonson County playing host to Adair County and Butler County’s road game against Hart County.
WITH SOUTH WARREN’s PLAYERS
AFTER THURSDAY’s PRACTICE.
THE PURPLES’ GAME WITH GREENWOOD, PIPER …