[Hoot Gibson]

I’d say you may be shocked Scoop.  Perry will have two starting Likemen back.  JC isn’t that hard to prepare for.  Perry has some huge strong kids and will matchup better with JC as compared to anyone else in the district.  Don’t be surprised to see a good ball game this Friday in Johnsonville.  Perry doesn’t turn the ball over, they can play with the golden eagles this year.

No, Perry cannot play with the Golden Eagles this season. Perry beat Paintsville by 2 points just a few days ago and this is not a very good team by Paintsville's standards. The chance that Paintsville would get past halftime without the clock running against the Tigers would be very slim. That is why the two teams no longer play each other.

Johnson Central has four running backs capable of running for 200 yards or more against Perry. If Perry is able to stop one of them, then JC will rotate a fresh running back into the lineup. As for JC being easy to prepare for, I do not believe that is true. It is true that what JC will do is predictable but stopping JC's running attack is not easy. They are the top rushing team in Kentucky high school football by a wide margin. If their average rushing yardage drops, then it will be because of running clocks.

I understand that Perry has a very good quarterback. Perry may have some success passing the football. Ironton moved the ball pretty effectively but Ironton has D-1 level players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Ironton scored 32 points and beat JC. If Perry scores 32 points, it will not be enough to keep the game close, IMO. I hope that I am wrong. I hope that Johnson Central plays very well and Perry makes it a competitive game. The overall level of district play needs to improve and running clock games are really not good for any team, no matter who wins the game. It's much better to build a strong team if games are hotly contested and each team's starters get a lot of quality snaps.