[Hoot Gibson]

I thought JC looked much better on offense tonight against a very good defense. They also did a great job of shutting down Ironton's star running back and Wisconsin recruit, Jaquez Keyes, and made other players beat them. Ironton is every bit as good as advertised and I thought the officiating was fine.

According to the announcers, JC running back Carter Conley may be out for the rest of the season, which is a shame for him and the team. Freshman Logan Music played very well. Ironton did a good job containing JC's running game but FB Chase Price had a big night, rushing for over 140 yards.

I feel much better after tonight's loss than after JC lost to North Laurel last week. Mason Lawson looked much sharper than he did last week and he also had some big defensive plays. I don't think that JC will face a team another team as good as Ironton until two or three rounds into the playoffs - if at all. Ironton had great team speed and their quarterback had a strong, accurate arm, and had he some nice runs.

The worst thing about the loss is that it leaves JC very little chance of finishing near the top in 4A RPI. With Boyle, Corbin, and Johnson Central in the east, the state title will probably be decided before the top team reaches the state championship game. At least the Golden Eagles will have a couple of tough road games under their belt before they face Corbin and/or Boyle County team on the road.