Football notes

A nasty computer virus kept me from updating over the last few days.

A couple of thoughts on the Woodford County loss to Meade County last Friday.

The Jackets looked better on defense. It took them one drive to settle down, but afterward, Woodford played a respectable game on the defensive side of the ball. Coach Roher took over as defensive coordinator last week after Coach Chris Tracy fired himself. The defensive team seemed to play with more confidence and emotion against Meade. After the initial Green Wave drive, the D only gave up one other score. (One Meade touchdown came off an interception.)The last Meade TD came late in the game, after the defensive team had spent a lot of time on the field.

The D will need to build on its performance and get a little help from the offense if the Jackets hope to advance in the playoffs.

While the D made progress, the offense continued to struggle. The Jackets have now played nine quarters of football without scoring a single point. At this juncture, it seems to be a matter of confidence and execution. The Jackets clearly haven't forgotten how to move the football. Quarterback Steven Duckworth admitted to me he's suffering from a confidence problem. His receivers dropping passes didn't help. The Woodford offense is predicated on flow and rhythm. If they can put together a good drive early in their playoff game against Covington Catholic, I think they will experience a point explosion. But their psyche is fragile and a couple of early miscues will likely mean an early exit from post-season play.