[GOREDDEVILS]

Big, physical Knox Central a match for Lawrence
By AARON SNYDER — The Independent
LOUISA — For the Dawgs to keep rolling deeper into the postseason, they will have to stop the recent wrecking ball that is Knox Central.

The Panthers (7-4) have rampaged through their last three opponents, outscoring them 116-10, and have won four straight games.

Lawrence County (11-0) has put together an unbelievable turnaround, but Bulldogs coach Luke Salmons said his team has focused solely on Knox Central this week.

“I think we’ll be ready,” Salmons said. “We’ve had the best week of practice we’ve had all year. (The players) are understanding what’s at stake.”

The Bulldogs are coming off a 42-19 win over McCreary Central in their playoff opener, in which they accumulated 377 rushing yards led by Hunter James and Shane Pack.

Knox Central blew out Boyd County, 40-0, and brings a Lawrence County-like team to Louisa.

“They match up with us as much as anybody has this season,” Salmons said. “They’re big, physical. They’re big up front. They have a couple backs that can run. Most of the games at this point are going to be that way. There won’t be a whole lot of difference.”

Lawrence County brings a more experienced group to the field, but the offensive and defensive fronts of the Panthers will present a challenge for the Bulldogs, a team that has relied on its front four and five all season.

“Like us, they don’t play anybody both ways (on the lines),” Salmons said. “Our offensive line will be ready. We’ve seen every front imaginable. I have a lot of faith in our team.”

The blockers, led by senior Ben Preston, take pride in playing physical football and have opened up holes for Pack, James, Caleb Bentley, Larry West and others regularly. As a sophomore, quarterback Hayden Kiser has matured throughout the season to become a dependable passer.

Lawrence County’s defense will have to contain a group of north-and-south style running backs led by Chad Merida, who rushed for nearly 1,400 yards during the regular season for Knox Central.

If the running game is halted, as the Bulldogs have done quite a few times this season, the Panthers will be prepared to throw with quarterback Johnathan Barger, who had 13 touchdowns to seven interceptions in the regular season.

“Their (running backs’) speed is deceiving,” Salmons said. “You can’t arm tackle them. You can’t just load up the box. They throw it well from the shotgun. It’s going to be a tough team.”

Lawrence County has the luxury of home field advantage, which Salmons said his team thrives upon.

“Any time you play at home it’s a plus,” Salmons said. “The kids get to stay in a normal routine. You have your own locker room and everything available to you. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to play as many as we could at home.”

Lawrence County has only had to compete in three close games this season — a 36-30 victory over Sheldon Clark in Week 3, a 29-14 win over Rowan County in Week 9 and a 26-16 defeat of Boyd County in Week 10. According to Salmons, his team will be ready to battle in a tight affair.

“If it’s a close game, that doesn’t scare me,” Salmons said. “The kids have handled adversity real well all year. They know it’s not going to be a 28-0 game going into the fourth (quarter).”

For two teams that match up well and have not shown too many weaknesses, Salmons thinks this game’s fate will ultimately come down to mistakes.

“It’s going to be a great game,” Salmons said.

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