[Hoot Gibson]

Not entirely true:

Ashland 21
Johnson Central 18

October 20, 2017

You are correct, though, that Ashland was beaten soundly by Johnson Central during the time they were in the same class. For whatever reason, Ashland could never seem to find the monsters that Johnson Central could find on their lines. That was the entire difference in the rivalry. I guess they just grow them big down there in Johnson County. In any case, it would be nice if Johnson Central could establish a state-wide reputation by winning some championships rather than continuing to have their biggest accomplishment being that they managed to grow or find bigger line players than Ashland for a number of years.

And this is why Ashland lost almost every time the Tomcats faced Johnson Central during the Matney era. Johnson Central's line play is not great because its players are big, it is great because developing cohesive lines is a priority of Coach Matney's staff. Most games are won in the trenches and Ashland's emphasis has always been on putting great athletes on the field instead of teaching fundamentals.

As for state wide reputations, Johnson Central has one. Ashland lives in the past. When was the last time that the Tomcats advanced beyond a regional final? A state semi-final game? nicker: