Bulldozed

Knowing the future doesn't necessarily mean you can change it.

Every time Johnson Central (5-0) lined up last night, everybody in the stadium knew they were going to run the ball. Still, Woodford County (3-2) seemed powerless to stop them. The Golden Eagles rolled up 650 yards rushing as they beat the Yellow Jackets 54-33.

Johnson Central threw three passes, and one of those was on a two-point conversion.

I really underestimated Johnson Centrals’ running game. I knew they could score on the ground, but I really thought Woodford could stop, or at least slow down such a one-dimensional offense.

Not so much. Bad tackling hurt the Jackets, but the bottom line was the Golden Eagles’ running game is just that good.

I have to say this though, watching Johnson Central play offense was akin to watching dust settle on my dining room table. I guess one can’t argue with results. Johnson Central plays to its strength and it’s winning them ballgames.

Woodfords’ offense played pretty well. I think mid-way through the third quarter they got a little discouraged. Steven Duckworth made one bad throw that Johnson Central picked off, but other than that, they were able to move the football.

Jordan Carter had a good game on the offensive side of the ball. He made some big runs and scored Woodfords' first TD on a one-yard plunge. He also had one long kickoff return.

Woodford junior tight end Bobby Neal also impressed me. He made some big catches late in the game. He's a big kid at 6'3" 212 pounds and has really good hands. He's also pretty fast for a big guy and gets a lot of yards after making a catch.

I have to say this for the Yellow Jackets; they don’t quit. Their defense went out and kept plugging away and the offense made the game interesting in the fourth quarter. It would have been easy to just throw in the towel at halftime, but Woodford came out fired up in the second half, and although they didn’t stop the Johnson Central juggernaut, they made some good stops. I have to respect that kind of character.

Woodford v. Johnson Central

The Yellow Jackets will play a huge district game tonight against Johnson Central. This is a big rivalry, the teams don't like each other very much and I’m looking for an intense game. Woodford coach Chris Tracy makes no secret of the fact that he doesn't care much for the Golden Eagle coach, adding to the drama.

Woodford embarrassed Johnson Central 43-22 in Paintsville last season and the Golden Eagles will seek revenge at Woodford County.

I’m expecting a lot of scoring tonight. Both teams have prolific offenses, but there the similarities end.

The two teams are polar opposites. Woodford runs a passing oriented spread offense. They are currently ranked 15 in the state in passing offense, averaging 214 yards per game. Johnson Central keeps the ball on the ground. They run an old school two back wishbone offense and they hold a number five ranking in rushing offense, averaging 348 yards a game.

When the Golden Eagles come to town, everybody knows what they will do. Last week against Shelby County, they threw for a grand total of zero yards. They threw only one pass all night in their 35-31 win over Bryan Station.

So theoretically, a team should be able to simply stack nine players in the box, and that’s probably what Woodford will do. Problem is that things that look good in theory don’t always work in reality. Everybody knows Johnson Central will try to run the ball down their throat, but nobody’s been able to stop them.

I’m looking for a high scoring game tonight.

I don’t think the Golden Eagles can slow down Steven Duckworth and the Jacket offense. Shelby County threw for over 200 yards on Johnson Central last weekend.

The Woodford D has really stepped up over the last two games, but I can’t get the image of Bardstown running the ball right down their throat three weeks ago, and Bryan Station had late game success last week running the ball, so the jury is still out on the Woodford run defense.

But Woodford has a lot of momentum and a lot of heart, and I expect their defense will bring it tonight. I don’t see them shutting down Johnson Central, but I think they can slow them down enough to win. Woodford fans will be geared up too, giving them that intangible home field edge.

My pick:
Woodford 45 Johnson Central 28

Oregon State 27 USC 21

Just goes to show, you have to play the games.

Cry baby

I've often wondered how the de-emphasis of competition in athletics would affect the world of sports. A recent tirade by Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador may give us a hint.

Contador won the Tour de France in 2007, and races for the Astana cycling team. Since Lance Armstrong announced his plans to compete in next year’s tour, many speculate he may join Astana because of his ties with team leader Johan Bruyneel.

Contador threw a little fit, apparently believing his past performance earned him the team’s top spot for life.

“I think I’ve earned the right to be a leader of the team without having to fight for my place,” he said. (Insert whiney voice for better effect.) “And with Armstrong, some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first, and that would hurt me.”

Wahh, wahh, wahh!

I don’t even know where to start with this.

What kind of world does Contador live. He gets to be the team leader for life…with no fight?? I’m picturing NFL veterans all over the league wishing for that kind of deal.

In every sport, athletes compete for positions. They compete for playing time. The work and push and sacrifice to earn their spot, and then they fight some more to keep it. That’s how it works.

But after two decades of youth sporting leagues that don’t keep score and concern themselves with elevating participants’ self-esteem instead of actually fostering healthy competition, we are starting to see athletes with a sense of entitlement.

Praising kids just for the sake of offering praise does not develop real self-esteem. Heck, kids know the score…they’re not that dumb. What we are creating is a bunch of spoiled brats who think they are entitled to whatever they want, simply because they graced the field with their presence.

About Face

People across the country are starting to hear about the Tampa Bay Rays. Last night, they clinched a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history.

I've known about the Rays for a long time. I lived about 6 blocks from their stadium. I could almost smell the futility from my apartment.

Last season, new ownership took over the in St. Petersburg. Gone was stingy old Vince Namoli. He treated the fans with contempt and milked the franchise to line his own pockets, refusing to spend any money to put a competitive team on the field. Gone was the Devil from their name, and this season, gone are their losing ways.

If you haven't followed baseball in St. Petersburg, it's hard to comprehend what a turnaround this season represents. It's not just a one-season about face…a two year worst to first story. It's an entire franchise history turned on its head.

This is a team that never before had a winning season. A team that people said would NEVER compete in the AL East with the Yankees and Red Sox. A team that for several years looked more like an AAA farm club than a real MLB organization.

But today is a new day in Tampa Bay. The Rays will play baseball in October! They even have a legit shot to win the AL East outright.

So congrats to Tampa Bay. I can't wait to watch my Rays in the playoffs!

Woodford County 24 Bryan Station 17

I was really impressed with the Yellow Jackets in their win Friday. The defense carried the team and the offense did just enough to pull off the win.

What impressed me most was Woodfords' never quit attitude. After the Defenders' small, fast and elusive back broke loose for a 67 yard TD run on the second play, it would have been easy to fold up, but the Jacket D picked themselves up and played a wail of a game. That never say die attitude paid off in the end. With less than two minutes left, the Defenders got their running game going and basically rammed it down Woodford Countys' throat. With 1st and goal on the 1-yard line, it looked like the Bryan Station had a sure score. But a forced fumble gave the ball and the win back to the Jackets. The Yellow Jackets didn't quit on that play. They kept battling and earned the W.

I have the sense that this could turn out a very special year for Woodford County. They have that intangible something that makes a good team great. They certainly weren't the most athletic team on the field. Woodford coach Chris Tracy said that if you line up his team position to position with Bryan Station, they have the better squad.

But Tracy's boys play as a team, and in sports that can take a team a lot further than talent alone.

Granted, there is a lot of football left to play, and the Yellow Jackets have to bring that same intensity each week, but if they do, we may well see some big things out of this team.

Woodford Co. @ Bryan Station pre-game notes

The Yellow Jackets (2-1) will face a stiff challenge tonight as the go on the road to face a resurgent Bryan Station team (2-1).

The Defenders are coming off a tough 35-31 loss to Johnson Central last week, while the Yellow Jackets played their best game of the year, beating Montgomery County 49-0.

Bryan Station features a big, fast squad. I heard a radio commentator last week say that the Defenders look like a small college team. Woodford County is a relatively small team and Bryan Stations' bulk could prove problematic.

The Jacket offense has proved it can move the football and put points on the board, so the game will hinge on which Woodford defensive unit shows up.

The Yellow Jacket defensive squad gave up 76 points in its first two games, but completely shut down Montgomery County last week.

Bryan Station has a huge offensive weapon in running back Patrick Cornett. He's rushed for 500 yards in just three games and averages 219.7 all-purpose yards. The Jackets looked vulnerable to the run in their first two games, but turned that around last week. If the defense can take up where it left off against the Indians, they should be able to win their fifth in a row over the Defenders.

The Woodford offense will also need to put together some sustained drives and keep the defense off the field. If the defensive unit is forced to play a lot of minutes, that big Defender offensive line may wear them down