[cat86]

My take on the game:

Matewan may very well be the stinky armpit of the entire state of WVA, and that is saying something...

Total lack of class on behalf of Matewan's players. When they came out of the Locker Room before the game started, they ran to the 50 while Pburg was still in their endzone. Then, Matewan's players marched right down to the 10 yard line where Pburg was waiting to make their entrance and a fight almost ensued. Those wonderful WVA officials simply laughed it off and not a flag was thrown. I'm sure the great football mind that is Yogi Kinder choreographed every step of this to try to intimidate the Cats, and to be honest, it looked like it may have worked a little. Like BCA said, the Cats came out flat. However, they got rolling soon enough, and then even the numerous crappy flags couldn't slow them down. I don't blame Kinder, Matewan's coach, though. He is completely amoral, totally classless, and had to try something. I think he knew his team was completely outmatched.

Officiating was very, very bad. One series in particular. Matewan tried to run a fake punt early in the game, and didn't make it. Pburg got the ball on a very short field, about the Matewan 30 or so. On 4 consecutive plays, it went like this:

Completed pass---downfield official calls holding on one of our receivers

Another completed pass after the penalty---another holding call downfield

Another completed pass---block in the back call downfield.

Another completed pass---another holding call downfield.

Even the Matewan fans were laughing at this point. Except for the Unsportsmanlike penalties assesed to Matewan players at various points in the game, most calls went against the Cats...

I sat on the 50, right beside the Matewan section. I found it hilarious that they got upset as the game went on at our student cheering section for doing the "Hail Blackcat" cheer. They obviously had no problem with their entire team trying to start a fight before the game started, and had no problem with their coaches putting a hit out on Burchett. However, like the Bible says, "If you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind". Bet Matewan will think twice about trying that crap again.

Cats were flat, and even though they put 54 points on the board, they didn't look very sharp doing it. Burchett played well, but was pressured most of the night. Matewan blitzed alot, and when they sent more than our line could block, Michael had to hurry or scramble. Once we started hitting the quicker out patterns to offset the blitz, they had no answer.

Receivers played very well. Only 1 or 2 drops that I can remember.

This was definitely McKinney's best game of the year. He was everywhere on defense. Big Max played huge on the Dline. Lots of good hard hits by the Blackcat defense, but alot of arm tackling too. Matewan broke alot of tackles.

Great game by Josh Craynon too. His pick late in the game was an outstanding play. He had the play covered perfectly, broke on the ball perfectly, and made an awesome pick.

Matewan is not terrible. On their scoring drive, they mixed smashmouth here we come football with short quick out passing patterns very well. However, they were just outclassed. They were about the same size as the Cats, just as quick, and their backs ran very, very hard. But, as the game wore on, the better team just rose to the top.

All in all, I'm glad that we got out of there with the win and with only a mild injury to Josh Blackburn. Spoke with Blake Burchett after the game. He said that Josh was wanting to get up and go back in the game, but since he was having tingling and burning in both arms, he felt it was best not to chance it and have it looked at at Williamson Memorial.

Great job Cats. You have made believers out of alot of people who doubted you at the start of the year.