[Black_Rebel23]

Since Prestonsburg is losing 13 players this year what are your thoughts and predictions for there season next year they will be returning Zak Key, Michael Burchett, Josh Craynon, Josh Blackburn, Austin McKinney, and Brad Little as there seniors if i left anyone out let me know.

[Bleacher_Creature_10]

Prestonsburg I think will be ok on defense but, the weakness on this team will be the offense. The entire team will be young but the offense will suffer from this Brad Little will be a senior and get most of the carries and so will Austin McKinney. Look for P-Burg to spread out the defense and throw the ball with Michael Burchett.

[ryandamaste5]

Should have a great core coming back for next season. I look for them to go farther than they did this season.

[blackcat_mvp6]

Should have a great core coming back for next season. I look for them to go farther than they did this season.

How can you expect them to go farther than this year? They lost everyone on offense except Micheal Burchett, Joseph Jamerson and Austin Mckinney. They will be fine on defense, but they will struggle on offense.

[BlackcatAlum]

Prestonsburg returns 25 players.

The offense may struggle, but they actually bring back a very good quarterback and an offensive line with experience. I look for Pburg to put Craynon, Little, McKinney or maybe Kain Collins in the backfield and have Jamerson at receiver.

The defense should be solid with a lot of athletic players returning including leading tackler Austin McKinney. The defensive returns Zak Key, Austin McKinney, Michael Crow, Alex Garner, Josh Craynon and Brad Little.

Prestonsburg will need players like Josh Blackburn, Alex Griffith, Kain Collins, Zach Rowe, Trevor Stovall, Wesley Robinson, Kyle Chaffins and possibly incoming freshman Bryson Williams to step it up a few levels during the off-season because each will/may play crucial roles in '09.

Blackcat players also, please go recruit some of your friends to come out and play!

[cat86]

P-burg will be very young next year. They return a solid core of Sr's and Jr's, but there won't be very many of them. I think the total of the returning Jr and Sr class is somewhere around 12-14 players combined. Alot of sophmores and possibly even some freshmen will need to step up and contribute right away.

I look for McKinney, Little, Craynon, and Collins to share time in the backfield, maybe with Griffith and Blackburn thrown in a little here and there. Joseph Jamerson will move into Gearheart's spot at WR. Jamerson is an athlete. I don't know if anyone saw the Pikeville game, but if Chase Harmon is really a 4.4 forty guy, then Jamerson must run a 4.2, because he ran him down from behind in that game. Griffith and Blackburn will probably share time at TE.

The only O line returnees with experience will be Key, Crowe, and Alex Gardner. Replacing 3 year starter Zach Bragg at center will be a huge task, but there are several good sized sophmore linemen to fill in the gaps.

On defense, P-burg returns more players with experience. Mckinney, Craynon, Little, Crowe, Griffith, and Gardner all have major experience, and Blackburn will be able to step in with some Sr. leadership.

I expect some struggles early in the season until this team comes together and gels, but they could be a very nice team by the end of the year. The only worry is all the other district teams. They all seemed to be very Jr. oriented last year, meaning they will return most of their players for next year. Couple their returning experience with P-burg's relative youth next year and the district could be a real dog fight.

[hammertime]

Jamerson is an athlete. I don't know if anyone saw the Pikeville game, but if Chase Harmon is really a 4.4 forty guy, then Jamerson must run a 4.2, because he ran him down from behind in that game.

There is no Chase Harmon from Pikeville. There is a Daniel Harmon who is a 4.5 forty guy when healthy. But I don't know that he was healthy all year. He had a bad knee from the Allen central game on.

[cat86]

Thanks for the clarification.

[oneijoe]

Prestonsburg I think will be ok on defense but, the weakness on this team will be the offense. The entire team will be young but the offense will suffer from this Brad Little will be a senior and get most of the carries and so will Austin McKinney. Look for P-Burg to spread out the defense and throw the ball with Michael Burchett.

You may be right...

Prestonsburg over the past few years just hasn't had sufficient numbers of mobile, strong big players to develop a good power running game. Coach D. has tried to make up for it with more power-I and flexbone sets, but there's only so much that can be done with formation adjustments.

If the Blackcats do spread it out, P-burg will need to do something it hasn't tried to do since the Letton years - develop a timing-based short and intermediate passing game. Shake-n-bake "drawn-in-the-dirt" passing routes seen during the past 10 years will NOT work against the better 2A defenses.

Prestonsburg desperately needs more numbers. More than anything else over the recent past, the number of forced two-way players on the lines and at RB/LB has held this team back from its maximum potential. If P-burg had TWO MORE good quality big men this year, the team could still be playing ball this year.

[hot wheels]

Should still win their District, pretty weak district if you ask me!!!!

[xBHSxG27]

John Derossett has brought this program back to the way it used to be.I would do anything to have the Blackcats and Pirates rivalry back.I can remember watching these games. The atmosphere was amazing. But this year was a building block for the next 3 to 4 years. Watch out 2A the Blackcats are the team to beat next year and are the real deal.You better believe that there gonna do just as good or better next year. Even though im a Belfry Student I believe that they will have a great team next year.

[oneijoe]

John Derossett has brought this program back to the way it used to be.I would do anything to have the Blackcats and Pirates rivalry back.I can remember watching these games. The atmosphere was amazing. But this year was a building block for the next 3 to 4 years. Watch out 2A the Blackcats are the team to beat next year and are the real deal.You better believe that there gonna do just as good or better next year. Even though im a Belfry Student I believe that they will have a great team next year.

Thank you for the kind words. You're exactly right about a Belfry/P-burg game atmosphere. It's a game steeped in a 70 year rivalry, after all. I'd like to see it back, and hope it will happen sooner rather than later. :p

And Coach Derossett, IMO, does a very good job as HC. Not only does his style of football win games, it's also VERY entertaining to watch !!

Prestonsburg has everything it needs to be competitive with Belfry except one thing: depth numbers on the offensive and defensive lines.

The Pirates draw on a talent pool encompassing northern Pike Co. and most of Mingo Co.. It assures Belfry of always having a good number of big, mobile players.

This year is a perfect example. Belfry had one of its best linemen quit during the season. Yet, the Pirates kept right on chugging without missing a beat. Something like that happening to P-burg would have measurably harmed the Blackcat's season.

[Matman]

John Derossett has brought this program back to the way it used to be.I would do anything to have the Blackcats and Pirates rivalry back.I can remember watching these games. The atmosphere was amazing. But this year was a building block for the next 3 to 4 years. Watch out 2A the Blackcats are the team to beat next year and are the real deal.You better believe that there gonna do just as good or better next year. Even though im a Belfry Student I believe that they will have a great team next year.

This Prestonsburg team couldn't stay within 5 TDs of Belfry. I think Pburg has some serious problems that need to be fixed. Its not the coaching but the lack of players. Especially the lack of big players and big lineman.

[PaytoPlay]

Its not the players..

It IS the coaching. Seriously. In 04, Prestonsburg had more talent folks! They just weren't as well coached as Belfry.

Derrosett needs FAR superior talent against Haywood IMO. Pburg is smart to stay away.

[oneijoe]

Its not the players..

It IS the coaching. Seriously. In 04, Prestonsburg had more talent folks! They just weren't as well coached as Belfry.

Derrosett needs FAR superior talent against Haywood IMO. Pburg is smart to stay away.

You have this backwards, IMO.

Prestonsburg has never had a problem with numbers at the skill positions, and I agree, could even have been better there than Belfry in '03 and '04.

But as Matman mentioned, there's a significant difference between the two in numbers of big, strong lineman-type players. In 2004, Prestonsburg lost its starting MLB in the Breathitt game, which forced its starting DE to switch positions. Then in the 1st quarter vs. Belfry, P-burg's best offensive lineman sprained an ankle. The two things together made it impossible for the Blackcats to move the ball on the ground from then on (P-burg had been ahead early 12-0).

I don't think there's anything unusual with P-burg's situation, as I've seen the same problem with diminishing numbers of players in most all schools over the past few years.

The big football schools (4A and up) simply have more students in which to draw to counter the problem. Belfry is fortunate to be right on the border against a WV county that doesn't have a good football program. Good players will naturally gravitate to a good program like Haywood's. This is why the Pirates never lack for numbers of football-inclined big players. It's a great setup for Belfry football.

Don't know what to say about your assertion that "Derrosett needs FAR superior talent against Haywood" other than give you a "what if":

This year...if P-burg and Belfry were to magically exhange offensive and defensive linemen and the reconstituted teams played, who do you think would win ? THAT makes the point better than anything else I can think of.

I believe you give a head coach wayyyy too much credit/blame for the success (or lack thereof) of a team. If what you say is true (Haywood's "coaching" is superior), why did it take him 13 years, as a head coach, to get to a state final when it only took Derossett 6 years to take a team that far ?? My point is NOT in proving Derossett is a better coach (FWIW, I think Haywood has an edge due to his many years of experience), only that it's not "coaching" that's been the deciding difference in the two teams in recent history.

[cuppett777]

can sv win the district now?

[Bleacher_Creature_10]

No I don't think you can gvie Valley the district now i mean look at this season for example. Prestonsburg was a very good football team no arguments there i believe, Valley and Bath Co. middle of the road avg. teams. P-Burg travled to Bath Co. tourned the ball over on the kick off Bath scored. PHS then returned the favor after Bath fumbled. PHS scored twice off TO's my point in this is had these TO's not have happened PHS might have had a game like they did aginst Valley when Gearheart caught a pass form Burchett with just a few seconds to go. Had Valley and Bath not tourned the ball over P-Burg might have just been the third team in the district playing Middlesboro first Rd. So just because PHS is down in #'s don't mean that you can go ahead and crown Bath or Valley the winners yet.

[oneijoe]

Mark my words...

Austin McKinney is a potential All-Stater at LB next year. He has very good tackling fundamentals, good play anticipation, a nose for the football, and excellent at slipping blocks (an underappreciated defensive skill). The only thing lacking is 20-30 more pounds of muscle.

Hello weight room, peanut butter sandwiches, and protein shakes.

[Black_Rebel23]

Mark my words...

Austin McKinney is a potential All-Stater at LB next year. He has very good tackling fundamentals, good play anticipation, a nose for the football, and excellent at slipping blocks (an underappreciated defensive skill). The only thing lacking is 20-30 more pounds of muscle.

Hello weight room, peanut butter sandwiches, and protein shakes.

Agreed 100%

[Jed Clampett]

All I know is the rivarly between Sheldon Clark and P' Burg is back for 2009 and they come to Cardinal Stadium. Always is a tough hard fought game and should be no different in 09.

[oneijoe]

All I know is the rivarly between Sheldon Clark and P' Burg is back for 2009 and they come to Cardinal Stadium. Always is a tough hard fought game and should be no different in 09.

Yes, definately a FUN game on the schedule !!!

The P-burg/SC scrimmage was even well attended this past season.

[outdoorsman43]

Mark my words...

Austin McKinney is a potential All-Stater at LB next year. He has very good tackling fundamentals, good play anticipation, a nose for the football, and excellent at slipping blocks (an underappreciated defensive skill). The only thing lacking is 20-30 more pounds of muscle.

Hello weight room, peanut butter sandwiches, and protein shakes.

Very true, Hopefully he will gain this weight and he will by all-state if he remains healthy throughout the '09 season.

[money$]

I thought this would be the year for Pburg.

[CoachB]

Any team that John Derossett put on the field will play you hard. Regardless how many seniors they lose the year before!

[JackFrost]

I look for another good year from the Blackcats. Does anyone have a scheduale yet?

[cuppett777]

they also have the pirates back on it..

[Csportsman11]

Coach Derossett will do well with what Kids he has and they have an up and comming young Qb ,Dont remember the kids name we will see what kinda numbers he puts up,but seems as tho all mountian teams are lacking Numbers on the field but the ones thats there usually do well because they wanta play and thats whats it all about,desire ,heart and wanting to be out there in 100 degree praticing and 20 degree weatherplaying thats what seperates football players from all the other athletes and makes them the young men they are in Life...

[hot wheels]

Mckinney is way to small to be all state fellas. What is he 5-8, 140 lbs. Come on now!!!!!!!

[15th region slamdunk]

Mckinney is way to small to be all state fellas. What is he 5-8, 140 lbs. Come on now!!!!!!!

Blackcatfootball.com has him listed as 6'0 and 172 pounds

[IRISH4]

Blackcatfootball.com has him listed as 6'0 and 172 pounds

He is a good defensive players, I believe he's lead the cats in tackles the past two seasons....but I seen him a few weeks ago he's about 6' (my height) and probably 160-165 max.