[jim rome]

I can understand what your talking about with the tradition at BG,it is one of winning! However this year your playing a team that is also custom to winning.This Sr. class has won their entire football life,7th grade state championship,8th grade state championship,9th grade regional runner up where most of them were starting as freshmen,10th grade State runner up's where yes they lost to a Sr. dominated BG,11th grade State Championship,and now 12th grade playing for another State title.These boys have played for a State Championship every year since the 7th grade.

And this has what to do with Saturday night? If you want to talk middle school sports, BGR also has a middle school site. My advise is go there.:thanks:

[pjdoug]

Thanks, Granny nicker:

[Granny Bear]

What fer???

[Jaxkait]

And this has what to do with Saturday night? If you want to talk middle school sports, BGR also has a middle school site. My advise is go there.:thanks:

Sorry you can't see the point,maybe read it again or have your mommy upstairs explain the big words to you!

[pjdoug]

What fer???

for deleting vulgar posts :biggrin:

[Granny Bear]

I'm just sorry that had to be brought to my attention. You guys need to PM me when I don't see a post like that.

[Jaxkait]

I was for Pulaski against NL and Highlands and it had nothing to do with their fan bases. Same this week, The reason this Southwestern fan is rooting for PC is because they are hometown kids and has nothing to do with BG fan base.

I feel the same way,I was cheering for SHS when they made it a few years back and Id cheer for SW if they made it.Some people take a rivalry to far,and some are just idiots!

[Frozen Tundra]

Pulaski by 42. Wont be close.

[Warriors Alum]

GO MAROONS!

I will be rooting for the hometown bunch as well.

Give 'em hell PC!

[OldJacket]

GO MAROONS!
Bring home another title...

[Woody Hayes]

A battle of 2 evenly matched teams. BG is well balanced offensively as is Pulaski. Defensively both very solid. Seems PC defense turns it up a notch when backs are against the wall. Alot of fight in the Maroons. I expect it to be close the whole game. A Burgett field goal to win it at the end for PC. 31-28

[adopted purple]

This is a game that could very well be determined by a last second field goal, but which team kicks it is up for grabs.

[jim rome]

Thanks, Granny nicker:

tattle tale. do you also need your bottle. what about a bed time story.

[pjdoug]

tattle tale. do you also need your bottle. what about a bed time story.

nicker::ChairHit::gtfo: and stay out

[Jaxkait]

Pulaski by 42. Wont be close.

Don't think it will go down like that, but I like the way you think!!

[Jaxkait]

Been trying to watch some highlights on Hudi,Who is the QB from BG?

[jumperdogpete]

Been trying to watch some highlights on Hudi,Who is the QB from BG?

Home Sports Prep Sports

PREP FOOTBALL
First-year starter Payne quarterbacks Purples to state title game
Cousin of former QB Hayes has thrown for 31 TDs

BRAD STEPHENS [email]bstephens@bgdailynews.com[/email] 1 hr ago 0

Coach Kevin Wallace was talking about his Bowling Green team recently and the factors that allowed the Purples to reach Saturday’s Class 5A state championship game.

He mentioned two position groups where “we thought we would be good but we didn’t have any idea we’d get the production we have received.”

One was the secondary, where senior cornerback Tre Fant has led a ballhawking bunch with his eight interceptions.

The other position he mentioned was quarterback, where first-year starter Clark Payne has thrived.

The junior has piloted a Purples team that’s back in the Class 5A state championship game for the fourth time since 2011. BGHS (13-1) will face Pulaski County (13-1) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“It’s what we’ve dreamed of all season, what we’ve put in work for all year, to get to this point,” Payne said. “… When you play for a school like Bowling Green, I think (a state title) is your goal every year.”

Payne has been an important reason the Purples are in position to capture the fifth state title in school history.

He’s completed 176 of his 270 passing attempts this year, good for a 65.2 percent clip. Those throws have gone for 2,361 yards with 31 touchdowns against just six interceptions.

Payne threw for all three touchdowns last week in a 21-0 BGHS state semifinal win against Fern Creek.

“He’s done such a good job maturing and not forcing balls down the field and hitting people that are open and finding his check-down,” Wallace said. “At the same, time he makes big plays when we have to have him throw the ball deep.”

Payne is continuing a family legacy when it comes to quarterbacking the Purples.

His cousin is Devin Hayes, who led Bowling Green to state championships in 2012 and ’13. Hayes threw for 3,304 yards and 43 touchdowns two seasons ago and 2,544 yards and 38 TDs the year before that.

“He’s got everything here, every record you could have,” Payne said of Hayes. “You want to see if you can do what he did and be better than him if you can. It’s what everybody should strive to do.”

Payne was a freshman during Hayes’ senior year and got to watch his cousin up close.

“We had a guy here in ’12 and ’13 that’s as good as I’ve seen… of staying the pocket and understanding reads and going through progressions,” Wallace said. “Clark as a freshman got to sit in that meeting room and hear us talk about that all the time.

“You really never knew how much of that sunk in, but I’m really pleased with how he’s handled the way we’ve asked him to play quarterback.”

According to teammates and coaches, Payne wasn’t always the steady pocket passer he is today.

Senior running back Jacob Yates said he remembers watching Payne play on the JV level and said he’d look to tuck and run when under pressure.

“I can tell he’s more calm now,” Yates said. “He still has his times where he’ll scramble a little bit, but back in his younger days he’d just take off running. Now he knows that he’s got to stay on his reads and dish the ball out.”

Payne said he worked on the mental aspects of the position this offseason as he took over the starting job.

To his advantage was the fact he had several years’ experience playing with many of his offensive teammates, notably junior running back Jamale Carothers and junior wide receiver Deangelo Wilson.

Wilson has caught 15 touchdowns this season, while Carothers has caught six and run for 20.

Yates is a year older than Payne and so they didn’t play on the same field until this season. But they’ve also developed a good connection, with Yates hauling in five TD catches – including a 53-yard strike last week.

“They’re all great athletes and great guys to throw the ball to, hand the ball off,” Payne said. “It makes it better when you’ve grown up with those kids and you see them celebrating and you can all just realize what you’re actually accomplishing here.”

Payne’s play the last two weeks has demonstrated the comfort he has both with his receivers and the offense, Wallace said.

Payne bounced back from an interception he threw in the quarterfinals against Owensboro and found Wilson for two scores.

One of those was a 41-yard catch-and-run. Wallace called for a screen pass to Wilson on that play, but a Red Devils blitz forced Payne to duck the pressure.

Payne bought time with his feet and then found a window through which he shoveled the ball to Wilson, who took it the rest of the way for a touchdown. That score made the Purples’ lead 34-12 on their way to a 41-12 victory.

“Even though it looked like a haphazard play, he was smart enough to get it to the guy that the screen was set up for,” Wallace said. “… It actually was a smarter play than what it looked like just from the eye.”

Last week he threw three TD passes in three very different ways – one on a hook-and-ladder to Carothers, one on a long pass to Yates and another on a check-down that Carothers ran for a long score.

“It’s a great offense and I love being in this offense,” Payne said. “If you’re a defense going against it, you might not know what you’ll get every game.

“Having guys like Jamale running the ball, setting up D to catch the ball, everybody in this system bonds together knowing it’s not on one person’s shoulders. It’s a team effort. Everybody’s got to give a part if we’re going to win a game.”

When football season ends Payne will join coach D.G. Sherrill’s Purples’ basketball team. He also plays for coach Dan Mosier’s baseball team in the spring.

But Payne said football is his first love. Saturday night he’ll quarterback Bowling Green on the state’s biggest stage for a shot at a championship.

“Hopefully we can do what we’ve done all year,” Payne said, “and come out with a win on Saturday.

[mysonis55]

This could be a close one if Pulaski's line can buy the qb time to pass. If not, it could be bad.

[bo67]

PC was banged up against Highlands and came back. I know not the Highlands of old. PC won in the second half due to coaching. They made halftime adjustments and Highlands didn't.

[Iam4thecats]

PC was banged up against Highlands and came back. I know not the Highlands of old. PC won in the second half due to coaching. They made halftime adjustments and Highlands didn't.

Do you know what adjustments were made?

[jim rome]

Do you know what adjustments were made?

I don't know for sure. But I do know Coach Wallace from BG sent a text to the whole PC staff at half time and told them what they needed to do. This BG team is class act all the way from the coaches to the fans. Hopefully Coach Wallace will share some Intel before Saturday nights game with the PC coaches. I'm so blessed to be a part of this BG family.:thanks:

[bo67]

No I don't. I wasn't there. But all I know. A Highlands running back had over 100 yards at the half. He had 5 yards in the second half. Offensively they had to change something to Cause to outscore HHS 27 to 3 in the 2nd half was amazing

[Jaxkait]

Thanks (jumperdogpete) that was a good article! Does anyone know Hall's completion percentage?

[Iam4thecats]

No I don't. I wasn't there. But all I know. A Highlands running back had over 100 yards at the half. He had 5 yards in the second half. Offensively they had to change something to Cause to outscore HHS 27 to 3 in the 2nd half was amazing

OK, I was just checking. I know what it was and Highlands fans have been giving their coach heck over it.

[Iam4thecats]

71%

[bo67]

He should have never been named coach. But it was Muellers boy. He's no Mueller

[bo67]

Why did BG coach help PC?

[jim rome]

Why did BG coach help PC?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but :gtfo:

[bo67]

And I can't believe I'm saying this. GFY

[mantax]

OK, I was just checking. I know what it was and Highlands fans have been giving their coach heck over it.

Care to elaborate? Were you at the game or in the Pulaski locker room at half time? What have the Highlands fans been giving the coach heck over? Please inform us and hopefully you can clear up some of the fog for Bo.