[THINBLUELINE411]

Coach Maynard has had some highs as coach of Russell so far that are being forgotten. In 2014, his first year, he broke a six-year losing streak against Ashland that included some of the worst losses in Russell history by beating Quinton Baker and the Tomcats by 2 in Putnam Stadium. He went undefeated in the district which Russell hadn't done in many seasons leading up to that and he won the regional title and earned a trip to Belfry for a state semi game against the eventual state champ.

He came out the next season in 2015 and beat Ironton at Ironton, a previously unthinkable feat for Russell. He had the bad fortune again of running into state champ Belfry in the 2nd round of the playoffs.

In 2016, he beat Ironton again, establishing the only 2-year winning streak for the Devils against Ironton probably ever. He only lost by 1 at Ashland to a very good Tomcat team. He went undefeated in the district again, beat Raceland at Raceland, and again ran into the eventual state champ Belfry in the regional final.

The only real downer in his first 3 years at Russell was the loss at home to Fleming in a monsoon.

Additionally, attendance picked up at the games as interest in the program had gone down the tubes with the enthusiasm level in the final years of McGlone's regime. The Russell teams under Coach Maynard showed up in shape and not dropping all over the field with cramps all the time as they were during the final years of McGlone's regime.

I think Russell fans are forgetting just how bad things had gotten for Russell football. I recall hearing Russell fans complain about McGlone's wing-T as area coaches had figured it out and were stopping it with ease. Coach Maynard was one of those coaches at the time at Raceland. Russell fans wanted a spread offense. Now they want to go back to a wing-T.

What has happened last season and this season? 2017 was a bad year for the Devils. The loss to Greenup hurt. They followed that with losses to Ironton and Ashland. That set the stage for a bad season which included another loss to Fleming at home where they blundered the game away, a near loss to Bath at home, and a 1st round playoff exit to Western Hills.

Starting 2018 off losing big at Greenup isn't a good look for this season, especially with enthusiasm building behind the Ironton program, Ashland having one of their better teams, Raceland having one of their better teams, and district teams like Bath and West looking competitive as well. Coach Maynard faces quite a challenge to keep the Devils ship afloat, particularly while he is depending on sophomores and juniors to lead the way.

It looks to me like Russell just has had a few classes come through with some not so great football players. Maybe when the sophomore backfield becomes juniors and seniors Russell can look good again. Russell never seems to get transfers like other area schools do that help them, so they are always depending on whatever talent they have within their school system to maintain a good program.

I think the jury is still out on Coach Maynard's regime at Russell. The odds are stacked against him, but I'm interested to see what happens this season.

The Ironton win was not against the real Ironton team. You kool aid drinkers are grasping at straws to attempt to rationalize Maynard’s shortcomings as a football coach. You can go legitimize him somewhere else, because the silent majority isn’t listening to anymore excuses!