[16thregioner]

I say this Raceland team will preform like most Raceland teams at this stage of the season…..uninspired

I’ve never understood that.  When I played and we were against a team that we were favored to blow out those were fun games.  We always saw those games as a chance to put up as many points as possible at get some stats.  If anything the types of games can be used as an opportunity to improve areas of your game that you have struggled with all season.

Raceland should take a look at their orange brothers across the river for inspiration.  Ironton has a similar scenario in that they begin their season with their "rivalry" games in Wheelersburg, Jackson, and this year Johnson Central.  Then they turn, though, to the joke of OVC play.  They've scored on their OVC opponents on just about every play.  Not every drive...every play.  And they give up no yards to them.  Not no first downs...no yards.  I think the Chesapeake score was 62-0 at half.  Then they play subs and run it up the middle the entire second half.

The Rams need to get well past the running clock in the first half.  Get in, get it over with, and get out.  They'll be home from Betsy Layne before the games at Russell and Ashland are even over.

Really similar scenarios for Raceland and Ironton in that both try to face their "best" opponents early on and then have a couple months of zero competition.  Then they have to suddenly find the best versions of themselves when the time is right.  The best things that could happen for Raceland the rest of the way is for Lawrence to beat Belfry and come into that last game with confidence AND for the Rams to have to play Hazard in the state semis.  That may give enough of a taste of competition to be ready for Pikeville.