08-30-2015, 03:36 AM
08-30-2015, 03:41 AM
Congrats on a great game Greenup County, Russell must improve a whole lot by next week in order to beat Ironton.
08-30-2015, 03:47 AM
Congrats to Russell. Greenup played hard but just came up short when it mattered. They are going to be a very tough opponent for the Rams in a couple of weeks.
08-30-2015, 03:52 AM
Really need to shore up the O line and get better play from the linebackers.
08-30-2015, 03:58 AM
This game was way closer than the score indicates. Greenup is the real deal. They will be hard to beat all season long. Greenup very well could have won this game had Conley not broke a long run for a TD. I was very impressed with Greenup on both sides of the ball. Congrates to the Devils they never gave up.
08-30-2015, 04:08 AM
Greenup has been improving over the past couple of years. They just can't get over the hump, though. It's good for Russell they pulled out the win thanks to Conley or they might be looking at an 0-3 start.
08-30-2015, 04:12 AM
Greenup County is a pesky, hard nosed little bunch. They've got some fight in them.
They've also found a little offense to go with that defense and a few more athletes. Jackson is a huge pick up for them. They will give people fits if they don't turn the ball over like they did tonight.
They've also found a little offense to go with that defense and a few more athletes. Jackson is a huge pick up for them. They will give people fits if they don't turn the ball over like they did tonight.
08-30-2015, 04:35 AM
Glad the Devils finally got on track later in the game. Was starting to worry a bit. Congrats on the win.
08-30-2015, 04:38 AM
Great game that went down to the wire. Greenup's front seven gave Russell fits all night. Russell needs improvement on the OL, but it's just game one. Nick Conley saves the day again with two big runs in the second half. Russell's got plenty of capable backs and receivers, but #4 needs the ball in his hands more than he got tonight.
Got to give the Musketeers credit, though. Mullins is a good coach and they'll be a tough out for everyone they play this year.
Got to give the Musketeers credit, though. Mullins is a good coach and they'll be a tough out for everyone they play this year.
08-30-2015, 05:01 AM
Congrats to Greenup , those kids and coaches showed everyone something they played solid football.
Devils offense was bad all phases with not many attemps. O Line play wasn't good but it wasn't all the 5 linemen. The spread requires the ability to spread the ball around.
Defense could not get off the field as Greenup played solid football. D Line played good. Backers and secondary do not support the run well enough.
All in all Devils have work to do.
Devils offense was bad all phases with not many attemps. O Line play wasn't good but it wasn't all the 5 linemen. The spread requires the ability to spread the ball around.
Defense could not get off the field as Greenup played solid football. D Line played good. Backers and secondary do not support the run well enough.
All in all Devils have work to do.
08-30-2015, 03:51 PM
Aaron Snyder / The Independent | Updated 10 hours ago
FLATWOODS Both defenses kept casting a sleeping spell on the offenses all night, until Nick Conley forgot to hit the snooze button.
Conley gave Henry R. Evans Stadium a jolt with late-game magic once again in the Backyard Brawl series. The junior, who scored the game-winner in his first career varsity appearance in 2013 and then again in last year’s meeting, slipped through a seam and dashed 53 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on Saturday.
Russell won, 19-13, to extend its winning streak to 13 over its starving rival.
“It’s a big game, a cross-town rivalry, and they think they can beat us,” Conley said. “They really thought they could beat us this year. We just wanted to make it clear to them that they couldn’t. Late in the game, there’s a lot of heart that comes out. Having a big crowd like this really gets us going.”
Greenup County coach Chris Mullins consoled emotional players, many of them seniors, after the game. The Musketeers have dropped decisions by seven points or fewer in each of the last three clashes with Russell.
“I asked them to give me the game of their life, physically and mentally, and they did,” Mullins said. “... It was a fantastic game for us. (They) killed themselves for us and this program, and I really wished it would’ve come out with a victory. Unfortunately, there can only be one victor.
“That’s the greatest effort I’ve ever seen from the Greenup County Musketeers since I’ve been a coach here in 2006,” added Mullins, who was an assistant before becoming the head coach in 2011.
Greenup County didn’t crumble after Conley’s pivotal score as 7:26 flashed on the scoreboard.
Ryan Byrd churned out 22 of his 66 rushing yards to help the Musketeers motor into the red zone. At the 17-yard line, Russell’s defense came up with four stops of no gain, including a fourth-down pass breakup by Conley.
“Our defense really buckled down,” Conley said.
Red Devils quarterback Jacob McKee capped a nine-play, 83-yard drive with a 1-yard burst to put Russell ahead 19-7 with 1:01 to go.
Greenup County responded rapidly with three plays of 15-plus yards on its next possession. Isaiah Greene hauled in Jared Hunt’s second touchdown pass with 21 seconds to go. It was 19-13, and an onside kick was imminent.
“Probably about the only negative that I’m kinda pissed off about is how we finished the game, in our prevent defense,” said Red Devils coach T.J. Maynard. “We were kinda (playing) like the game was over. Obviously, you feel like you got the game in hand, but you can’t just stop playing. This is a funny game, anything can happen.”
Russell recovered the onside kick to seal the outcome.
“We never give up,” said Russell senior captain Nick Pennington. “We keep fighting until the very end. We say that, to beat us, you gotta kill us. That’s the only way you’re going to beat us.”
Byrd earned Most Valuable Player honors for Greenup County, which, spearheaded by Byrd, Ethan Coldiron, Caden Warnock, Jherrell Jackson, Garrett Collier and Parker Clarke, tallied six negative-yardage plays on defense.
Conley broke two mammoth gains, though, the 53-yard TD and a 54-yard rush.
“That was an unbelievable run by him, he had a lot of energy there,” Mullins said of the score. “But I blitzed both my linebackers and we gambled, rolled the dice. If he got through the line, it was going to be a big play, so that right there is one of those gambles, that as a coach you take to try to plug some gaps. High school football around here is full of great players, and that was just a great player making a big play at the end of a game.”
Said Maynard: “At halftime, we kinda decided we were going to come out and run right at them and smash them. We were finally able to break through, and Nick got a big run.”
Both of Conley’s home-run rushes occurred in the fourth quarter. He had 146 yards on 12 attempts and was Russell’s MVP.
Russell celebrated the induction of its inaugural Hall of Fame class 20 minutes prior to kickoff.
Reach AARON SNYDER at [email]asnyder@dailyindependent.com[/email] or (606) 326-2664. Follow @DindependentQB on Twitter.
FLATWOODS Both defenses kept casting a sleeping spell on the offenses all night, until Nick Conley forgot to hit the snooze button.
Conley gave Henry R. Evans Stadium a jolt with late-game magic once again in the Backyard Brawl series. The junior, who scored the game-winner in his first career varsity appearance in 2013 and then again in last year’s meeting, slipped through a seam and dashed 53 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on Saturday.
Russell won, 19-13, to extend its winning streak to 13 over its starving rival.
“It’s a big game, a cross-town rivalry, and they think they can beat us,” Conley said. “They really thought they could beat us this year. We just wanted to make it clear to them that they couldn’t. Late in the game, there’s a lot of heart that comes out. Having a big crowd like this really gets us going.”
Greenup County coach Chris Mullins consoled emotional players, many of them seniors, after the game. The Musketeers have dropped decisions by seven points or fewer in each of the last three clashes with Russell.
“I asked them to give me the game of their life, physically and mentally, and they did,” Mullins said. “... It was a fantastic game for us. (They) killed themselves for us and this program, and I really wished it would’ve come out with a victory. Unfortunately, there can only be one victor.
“That’s the greatest effort I’ve ever seen from the Greenup County Musketeers since I’ve been a coach here in 2006,” added Mullins, who was an assistant before becoming the head coach in 2011.
Greenup County didn’t crumble after Conley’s pivotal score as 7:26 flashed on the scoreboard.
Ryan Byrd churned out 22 of his 66 rushing yards to help the Musketeers motor into the red zone. At the 17-yard line, Russell’s defense came up with four stops of no gain, including a fourth-down pass breakup by Conley.
“Our defense really buckled down,” Conley said.
Red Devils quarterback Jacob McKee capped a nine-play, 83-yard drive with a 1-yard burst to put Russell ahead 19-7 with 1:01 to go.
Greenup County responded rapidly with three plays of 15-plus yards on its next possession. Isaiah Greene hauled in Jared Hunt’s second touchdown pass with 21 seconds to go. It was 19-13, and an onside kick was imminent.
“Probably about the only negative that I’m kinda pissed off about is how we finished the game, in our prevent defense,” said Red Devils coach T.J. Maynard. “We were kinda (playing) like the game was over. Obviously, you feel like you got the game in hand, but you can’t just stop playing. This is a funny game, anything can happen.”
Russell recovered the onside kick to seal the outcome.
“We never give up,” said Russell senior captain Nick Pennington. “We keep fighting until the very end. We say that, to beat us, you gotta kill us. That’s the only way you’re going to beat us.”
Byrd earned Most Valuable Player honors for Greenup County, which, spearheaded by Byrd, Ethan Coldiron, Caden Warnock, Jherrell Jackson, Garrett Collier and Parker Clarke, tallied six negative-yardage plays on defense.
Conley broke two mammoth gains, though, the 53-yard TD and a 54-yard rush.
“That was an unbelievable run by him, he had a lot of energy there,” Mullins said of the score. “But I blitzed both my linebackers and we gambled, rolled the dice. If he got through the line, it was going to be a big play, so that right there is one of those gambles, that as a coach you take to try to plug some gaps. High school football around here is full of great players, and that was just a great player making a big play at the end of a game.”
Said Maynard: “At halftime, we kinda decided we were going to come out and run right at them and smash them. We were finally able to break through, and Nick got a big run.”
Both of Conley’s home-run rushes occurred in the fourth quarter. He had 146 yards on 12 attempts and was Russell’s MVP.
Russell celebrated the induction of its inaugural Hall of Fame class 20 minutes prior to kickoff.
Reach AARON SNYDER at [email]asnyder@dailyindependent.com[/email] or (606) 326-2664. Follow @DindependentQB on Twitter.
08-30-2015, 04:02 PM
I'm actually impressed with the effort. For Russell to withstand that kind of emotion and intensity by the Mousketeers showed character. The stupid penalties about bit them though.
Anybody that takes Greenup lightly is in for a world of hurt.
Anybody that takes Greenup lightly is in for a world of hurt.
08-30-2015, 04:58 PM
Congrats to Russell.
08-30-2015, 05:19 PM
FBALL Wrote:I'm actually impressed with the effort. For Russell to withstand that kind of emotion and intensity by the Mousketeers showed character. The stupid penalties about bit them though.
Anybody that takes Greenup lightly is in for a world of hurt.
I agree on all points. Russell's kids have plenty of grit and determination. They have to clean some things up, though. As you said, the penalties were an issue and the OL needs a little work. All in all, I'll certainly take the result. 1-0 is better than 0-1.
It's nice to have so many capable pass catchers, but I'd like to see one or two of the WR's step up and become "go to" targets for McKee in crucial situations. At some point this season, I'd also like to see what Ryan Stump & Jaeden Layne are made of at the varsity level. They should be great down the road, but can they contribute in a big way this season?
On a side note, Aaron Snyder(who does a great job) keeps implying that Greenup hasn't beaten Russell since '02. This win actually gives Russell a five game winning streak, not thirteen. The Musketeers beat the Red Devils in 2010.
08-30-2015, 07:01 PM
Greenup has the potential to surprise some teams this year. If Greenup's head coach can survive the politics, he could build a nice program there. Greenup seems to have improved every year since he took over.
09-01-2015, 02:38 PM
JV Score from last night.
Russell 40
Mouseketeers 6
Russell 40
Mouseketeers 6
09-02-2015, 01:24 AM
A lot of Russell's JV are just a step behind the ones starting on Friday nights so this score doesn't surprise me.
09-02-2015, 01:51 AM
Was anyone at the JV game? If so, how did Church look throwing the ball? Did anyone stand out that might push for more playing time on Fridays?