[EKUAlum05]

So all jokes aside I got to watch some video on HC last night:

1. That Bryan Station score is misleading. Harlan County is a much better team than that Final Score suggests. That game reminded me a lot of the 2012 Belfry vs. Henry Clay game. That was a tight ballgame at the beginning and the Pirates moved the ball at will...but crucial turnovers, special teams blunders, and isolated incidents of poor tackling that led to big plays ultimately blew a game open that was tighter than the scoreboard indicated. The only difference here is the young and wide eyed Bears had it happen at the start of the game whereas Belfry's came after Halftime.

2. I came away impressed with HC's line in particular #53 (Harris) and #78 (Caldwell). Caldwell is no surprise...he is an All-State guy and most people in EKY know about him... but the Harris kid really surprised me. He isn't the biggest linemen but he is tough as nails and is always the low man. He was straight abusing the bigger/faster defender. I presume Caldwell will get Horton and that will be a great battle...but the matchup on the other side with Harris will ultimately be the wild card that determines if Belfry penetrates the backfield or not.

3. The biggest surprise to me though was #12 the Huff kid. Absolutely no offense to that kid with what I am saying, but when I first saw him my immediate impression was "Weak Link" because he does not look like a RB, and frankly he isn't very fast. Then when he touched the ball my entire viewpoint changed. That kid is a wrecking ball! He ran through tackles and refused to go down on initial contact and used his frame as a weapon. Of the HC backs I think he worries me the most. For all the positives about Belfry's defense they are still a team who relies on big hits and undersized players with good speed... I am a little afraid Huff's ability to bounce off tacklers will lead to 7-8 yard gains unless the Pirates are tackling low.

4. HC is not a very fast team. They are very strong between tackles but they will struggle to find yards outside against Belfry and their passing game needs a good bit of work. The question will be:
- Can HC stop Belfry more than the Pirates move and score? Obviously if Belfry turns it over this greatly helps HC.
- Can HC keep the sticks moving and the clock running to keep this one tight? If it is tight in the 4th they have a shot.
- Can HC dial up just enough big plays to gash Belfry?

Think Belfry better buckle their chin straps and play good ball....still I like Belfry 28-14