A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable..
Tonight
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable..
Tonight
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to considerable cloudiness and fog after midnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.
ASHLAND -- Don't necessarily expect creative play calling in the first quarter of Friday's Newport Central Catholic at òòò½ÊÓƵhland high school football game.
The Thoroughbreds and Tomcats combined to rush for 642 yards in last season's opener, won 37-26 by Newport Central Catholic. Each team likely will test whether the other's run defense has improved since then.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at newly renovated Putnam Stadium.
Expect the Tomcats to try to run no matter what, with standouts Quinton Baker and Jake Long at running back. Baker rushed for 236 yards on just 13 carries against the Thoroughbreds last season as òòò½ÊÓƵhland piled up 338 yards on the ground. Quarterback Hunter Prince completed 11 of 17 passes, but all were short, gaining a mere 27 yards.
In Cannonsburg, Ky., Lawrence County brings several new starters but plenty of talent to face Boyd County, trying to rebound from a 1-10 season. The Lions will need to fortify a previously porous defense to contend with the Bulldogs, who have reached the second round of the playoffs each of the last five seasons.
Boyd County is looking for its first winning season since 2008 when it finished 7-5 for the program's only winning season since 2002.
Lawrence County's program is in stark contrast to that of Boyd County. Despite numerous coaching changes through the last 15 years as other programs raided the Bulldogs successful staff, Lawrence County has been a juggernaut for the most part.
Lawrence County can serve as an inspiration to Boyd County. In 2008, the Bulldogs lost every game. In 2009, they went 12-1.
Boyd County will debut its new spread offense under second-year coach John Gilliam, who relies on senior quarterback Cade Isaacs throwing to a bevy of receivers.
"Cade is a smart kid and a distribute-the-football kind of guy," Gilliam said.
Despite the pass-oriented offense, Boyd County figures to get the ball in the hands of running back Christian Braly a considerable amount.
"He's got a little shake," Gilliam said of Braly. "We threw a little flare pass on our first (scrimmage) play and he took it 40 yards."
Raceland, under new coach Mike Salmons, opens at East Carter. Greenup County goes to Lewis County.
