[BlackcatAlum]

Wildcats hold on and defeat the Yellow Jackets at home and do so without their QB, Russ Osborne who went down with a injury late in the 3rd or the early in the 4th. Valley got a great effort from Jayden Newsome and Brady Bentley running the football. Those two gashed the Middlesboro defense in the 2nd half.

Conrgats SV!

[Granny Bear]

What a great game!

Congratulations Shelby Valley!!!

[TheStickyBandit]

Congrats to valley!! Hope the qb is not seriously injured.

[Spud6]

Hope Osborne’s injury isn’t too bad

[wolfcat]

They have a tall task next week at Beechwood.
Hope Osborne is OK.

[tazcat]

Wildcats hold on and defeat the Yellow Jackets at home and do so without their QB, Russ Osborne who went down with a injury late in the 3rd or the early in the 4th. Valley got a great effort from Jayden Newsome and Brady Bentley running the football. Those two gashed the Middlesboro defense in the 2nd half.

Conrgats SV!

Yeah Jackets just run outta gas in the 2nd half.  Just fortunate like last week to get big enough leads to hang on.  Couldn't get up enough in this one.  Lack of numbers and depth for the Boro. Congrats to Valley.  I expected Valley to win but I knew it should be a good game.  Boro returns almost the whole team next yr so try again then.  
Good luck to Valley from here on out.

[ROTC]

Why can’t Mboro get numbers out?

[Patriot1]

Congratulations to Valley

[wolfcat]

Why can’t Mboro get numbers out?

I would be interested to know as well.

Great coach, great history, nice field. 

Are they losing kids to Bell Co. or across the border to Tennessee?

[Micro-Brew]

Congrats Valley!!
I’ve kinda been hard on them over the last 10 years but this win tonight coupled with the win over Hazard are nice accomplishments.
Nice job fellow Pike Countians!

[tazcat]

Why can’t Mboro get numbers out?

I would be interested to know as well.

Great coach, great history, nice field. 

Are they losing kids to Bell Co. or across the border to Tennessee?

I live in Middlesboro and went to Middlesboro and I dont really know the answer to this except kids just don't really wanna play anymore.  And yes Middlesboro loses kids to Bell Co always have.  And not as many kids cross the Tennessee/KY border to play anymore like they used to.  
Not sure the exact numbers but Middlesboro had like 22-25 kids dress this yr.  When I was in school in the Mid 90s we had 45 or more.  Its just a different time these days
Its not an excuse Valley won fair and square but Middlesboro has had some rough 2nd halves this yr.  All their losses were that way.  Hazard was their only halftime trail for a loss and it was like 10-7 if I remember right and Hazard took over in 2nd half as did all their losses and some close wins same thing.  It is what it is.  Once again congrats to Shelby Valley

[mr yellow jacket]

Why can’t Mboro get numbers out?

I would be interested to know as well.

Great coach, great history, nice field. 

Are they losing kids to Bell Co. or across the border to Tennessee?

both are happening sad thing is we have kids in the hallway that dont play that could help us

[wolfcat]

I know when we used to play Middlesboro in late 90s and 2000s they always fielded good numbers. That's when Roark was the coach.

They had some great players as well.
That 98 team was something else.

I would still take Floyd Branham over any linebacker I saw play.

Skidmore wasn't too shabby running the veer either.

[More Cowbell]

Hey my prediction was pretty dang close!  I said Valley would win 27-20 in the pregame thread, can't get much closer than that!

Anyway, what a game!  Just like I thought, the wet conditions slowed down the SV offense, and they went into halftime down 14-7.  However, they came out of the locker room ready to play.  A score would tie the game up at 14, and after a big stop by the defense, SV took possession with a chance to take the lead. 

Then, as the Wildcats got deep into Jacket territory, disaster struck.  Shelby Valley's star quarterback Russ Osborne was injured while being tackled on a QB keeper.  His injury was severe enough that Valley had to improvise at the QB position for the rest of the game.  Shortly after the injury, SV punched it in to take their first lead, but missed the XP and only led 20-14.  This looked like it would be very important when Middlesboro scored a quick touchdown afterward and made their kick, which gave them the lead 21-20.

A penalty on the kickoff pushed the Wildcats back even further, and they began their drive on the 20-yard line.  Things looked bleak for Valley... 80 yards away from taking the lead, and they would have to get it done without their star player.  I honestly thought that was it.  But this team showed the heart of a champion, and they believed they could win even without Osborne.  Jayden Newsome and Brady Bentley took over from there, methodically guiding the Wildcats all the way down the field.  They eventually scored a TD, then converted the 2-point try to make the lead 28-21.

But Middlesboro had one final chance.  A clutch 4th-down pass for the Jackets, followed by a huge penalty on Valley, would set the Boro up inside SV territory.  But after 3 short gains, it came down to one final play to keep the drive alive.  Valley made the stop that they needed, and all that remained was a few knees to run out the clock.

SV will go on the road next week, likely at Beechwood.  That would be a tall task for a fully healthy Valley, but if Russ Osborne is unable to play, any chance they had of pulling the upset would disappear.  Hopefully it is nothing major.  Anyway, congrats to Shelby Valley!

[Panthers Dominate]

Congrats to SV. Running clock against Beechwood with Osborne by half without him probably by the end of the first quarter. Hope his injury isn’t serious. Games in the playoffs against top teams is why you play a tough schedule and maybe take a couple L’s. SV hasn’t played anyone that Beechwood wouldn’t clock and it will show on Friday.

[Old School Hound]

I know when we used to play Middlesboro in late 90s and 2000s they always fielded good numbers.  That's when Roark was the coach.

They had some great players as well.
That 98 team was something else. 

I would still take Floyd Branham over any linebacker I saw play.

Skidmore wasn't too shabby running the veer either.

Had good numbers in the 70's and 80's too and some of the best teams in this part of the state. They were Corbin's biggest rival and went toe to toe with them.

[Gitback Coach]

The population of Middlesboro proper has dropped 25 percent since 1980. Coupled with a variety of other social/economic factors that all mountain teams face, I consider what Larry French has achieved here in the crater nothing short of miraculous.

Proud of a very gutsy effort by the Jackets. They left it all on the field. Good luck to SV next week.