[HappyGilmore]

Does it feel better now that you got it out of your system?

Much better......I might layeth some smacketh down myself this week.:champ:

[15thRegionCrazy]

UMMMM...taste like chicken!:Hungry:

not trying to be rude but keep this on the topic of the game.. bp said it would be closed if it wasn't...thanks

[youknowwhoibe]

Belfry 28
Sheldon Clark 14

[piratefan4ever]

Should be a very good game and I expect Belfry to pull out a close one. I'll get more into the scenarios and how I see them play out later, but first let me give a little bit of advice to my buddies in the secondary for the Pirates.

Guys, none of you weigh more than 160 lbs and this tackling without wrapping up and hitting people chest high has got to stop. I know the coaching staff has taught you how to tackle better than that, but just in case you forgot here it is plain & simple:

LOW MAN WINS!!!!

Hit low, and hit hard!!! Wrap up!!!

Amen!!!!!!!!!!! I agree 100% When you tackle high, they just end up dragging you.

[orisonspi]

Prediction Time:

Belfry 26
Sheldon Clark 14

[Legends of Vipperman]

Ok I have kept my mouth shut for long enough. Sheldon Clark, as a Pirate fan and an ex player I could not be more happy for you all after the huge win in Hyden this past weekend. I said you all would win that game the entire week before, because Leslie Co. was weak. They were not the team that everyone thought that they were, especially what they thought of themselves. Yes they had a 10 -1 record but the teams that they played did not impress me at all (except for Sheldon Clark and Bell Co.).

As for now, you all are coming into CAM Stadium with feelings that you all can beat Belfry, that is great, I'm glad that you all are getting behind your team. However, you do need to realize that coming away with a win this weekend is just not going to happen. Coach Haywood and his boys are not going to over look the Cards and you all know as well as I do that they are going to be ready and hungry for another regional championship at home. The Pirates are going to do what they do best. Line up with 6 to 7 guys on the front line and run the ball up the middle, to the left and to the right all night long. Who knows we may ever toss in a couple passes through the night just to keep the defense on their toes. Hey I am glad to see that Sheldon Clark is back on their winning ways and that they have had a 9-3 season so far, but remember most of these Pirates have been here before and know what is takes to win Friday night, and win they will.irateSho irateSho irateSho

GO BIG RED!!!!!!! :wenumber1 :wenumber1 :wenumber1

Belfry: 42
Sheldon Clark: 14

[Crossbones]

Good call Legends of Vipperman. Nice post.

[BelfryPride]

I agree....I just think that we will run, run, & run some more......Belfry is so determined to win this thing whan no one expected us to even win the District Title.....

I just think that 2 years of playing in the playoffs at home as well on the road, there's way too much experiance on this Pirate team for the Cards to keep up with. I am glad that Shawn has brought the Cardinal program back to a competitive level, but Belfry is going to be the stronger team on friday night.

There's no doubt that SC will play hard all night, no one in Belfry expects less from them especially the players and staff. They know what it takes to take a fired up team coming into The CAM and will be well prepared for the challenge.

I see Belfry hoisting up the Regional Title for the third time in a row and punching a ticket to Russell or Newport after Turkey Day.....

Go Pirates !!!

[Red and Black]

How can you say that Belfry has already peaked this season? Belfry peaks in any game that they need to, that's how they are coached. They play their best when they are in big games, plain and simple. So cardinal fans, keep on thinking that Belfry has peaked because they are going to come out this friday and lay a royal ass whippin on the cardinals, Belfry will roll the carpet for the 3rd year in a row.........irate04:

[Crossbones]

:oo: Just makes me proud to hear you say that.:link:

[Red and Black]

haha, my dad always taught me to give credit where credit is due, and these pirates have earned credit and respect from me over the last few years, GO PIRATES

[Crossbones]

You have learned well "grasshopper".:thumb:

[SheldonClarkPride]

Sheldon Clark has nothing to lose Belfry has everything to lose! We aren't supposed to be where we are but I can tell you now we ain't going down without a fight!

[ScHs#1 FAN!]

SCHS is gonna win and thats all I gottA say!!! SCHS IS THE BEST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

[Red and Black]

:lol: truely spoken like a #1 fan......................

[orisonspi]

I am starting to believe that all this SC momentum may be a bad thing.....

Simply put this team is on Cloud 9 right now following a Leslie County win, but, all of a sudden they are becoming a trendy upset pic by alot of people across the state. Add to the fact that they are going to be playing in a packed house that should be rocking with probably the rowdiest SC following of the year.... to add to all this is nwo the added pressure of the WYMT broadcast, the subsequent interviews and media attention that will be coming throughout the week, and the ultimate realization that if they can beat belfry they are only one game away from Louisville.

Belfry will be entering this game calm and collected. They have been here...ALOT. Belfry will be playing in their fifth consecutive regional finals game... included in those matchups was the epoch battle with Pburg that garnered an audience of nearly 10,000 fans. The Pirates have dealt with the ultimate of media attention, a state title game appearance, the past two seasons. When that ball is teed up Belfry WILL not be playing before the largest crowd these kids have ever seen (both Pburg games last year as well as Russell).

Add to the fact that if Belfry has to receive the ball to open the game then SC has to deal with a bunch of overly excited young men having to contain Matt Maynard who single handily turned the game around the last time with a kick return. I have said it before and will say it again SC has to play mistake free assignment football to win this one, by being so fired up it may cause players to force the issue or over pursue. On offense the Cardinals can not afford to come out too tight or else they may fumble early or committ drive killing penalties.

I have ehard it debated so much why it is important for CAM to eb rocking come Friday.... well as a Belfry fan we need it to be rocking to make sure that SC knows they are in a game that they are not used to..and that our boys feel liek they are in familiar territory. We are fortunate to have another home game Pirate fans...lets show why they call it homefield advantage!!!!!!!

[BelfryPride]

WOW, that was a great post !!!!

You're absolutly right in everything you said. We've been here before, we've played in front of "Thousands" and been on statewide television in the last two years. Belfry will come out and treat this game as another step back to PJCS.

SC, The Belfry Football team ,coaches,fans really respect your team. You kicked butt to get where you are now. We all know that the SC team will come out and give it their best and their fans will be there to support them, but I honestly have to say that Coach Haywood and his Pirates have way too much big game experiance, and the fact that there is some hardware to defend will be fuel enough for this Pirate team...

It's as if now the role of underdog has switched over to the Pirates on their own home field, and that will be another factor in the game. The Pirates will come out and prove them wrong, just as we did in this season where we wasnt even picked to win the district, and thanks to the work and dedication of these Pirates we are 10-2,District Champions and have a chance to roll back to the Pizza Box for December football....

Piratefans, there is no doubt in my mind that you'll have the CAM rockin' on Friday night as we host the Regional Championship for the second straight year !!!

Belfry, this is Your Turf, those are Your Titles....go out there on friday night and defend them with that Pirate Pride !!!

:Skull03: GO BELFRY !!!!:Skull03:

[former_cards_player02]

Matt Maynard is fast i will give him propts but sheldon Clark can stop him, Leslie County had the fastest running back ive ever seen who I beleive could out run Matt in a foot race. Howard was the fastest kid ive seen this whole year and if they could stop that Howard kid I believe they can stop Matt Maynard, its going to be a fun interesting game all year long Sheldon Clark has been working there butts off to get there shot again against Belfry. Sheldon Clark is better than what they were first time around and so is Belfry so I beleive its going to come down to heart and whoever wants it the most. Sheldon Clark is ready to play ball come Friday night and with all respect to Belfry they will get a taste of what a fired up Sheldon Clark team can do.

[orisonspi]

Matt Maynard is fast i will give him propts but sheldon Clark can stop him, Leslie County had the fastest running back ive ever seen who I beleive could out run Matt in a foot race. Howard was the fastest kid ive seen this whole year and if they could stop that Howard kid I believe they can stop Matt Maynard, its going to be a fun interesting game all year long Sheldon Clark has been working there butts off to get there shot again against Belfry. Sheldon Clark is better than what they were first time around and so is Belfry so I beleive its going to come down to heart and whoever wants it the most. Sheldon Clark is ready to play ball come Friday night and with all respect to Belfry they will get a taste of what a fired up Sheldon Clark team can do.

One major flaw in your thinking though.....

Howard is the ONLY running threat that SC had to be concerned with when dealing with Leslie..he is also a completely different style of back in a completely different style of system. When you play Belfry you have to not only contend with Maynard but two other backs... remember..Matt maynard is the 3rd LEADING RUSHER ON THE TEAM... he may be the big play man for Belfry but there are two other superstar backs. When delaing with Leslie and Howard you had a spread field where they solely rely on Howard's speed on draws and trunign the corner to produce their rushing yards...when you spread the field though it makes it much easier to spy a single back...with Belfry you have to consider the sheer compression that the wishbone causes and how much more difficult it is to not only read who gets the exchange, but also to which hole the back is going to.

Can SC should down Matt Maynard...of course! Would it be wise to focus all their attention on him? NO WAY! Will hager focus all his attention on him? NO WAY, he's too smart of a coach.

Remember this and remember it well....there has not been a single game this year where Maynard didn't have a big play for a TD in some way...even against henry Clay and Ironton the kid was a superstar. Personally,, I'd rather try to stop Belfry's two leading rushers then to focus on one guy and let the other two carve you up all night. You can't stop the fullback then it's goodnight sweetheart.

[TE#82]

2 great post orisionspi i believe that they are on cloud nine what if u was a player fotr the cards and you are in the regional championship game and at the first of the season people picked u to be 4th and 3rd in the districk .. asa fan i am on cloud nine id like to see em beat belfry but i dont think its hagers turn YET.. hager will have them settled down a little bit they might not be on cloud nine but come friday they will be on cloud 6 with i believe a little to much confidence.. they are gonna get smacked real quick then there focus will come and it will be a close game all night.. belfry wins 28-21 ... but i hope my cards turn me into a believer

[Red and Black]

this thread has turned into a GREAT discussion, IMO special teams could be a HUGE factor in this game, SC is a young team and young teams are almost always weaker on special teams. Because growing up everybody dreams about being a RB or a QB; not a gunner or a long snapper. Therefore nobody grows up realizing the importance of special teams. But if coach hager keeps his special teams sharp and doesnt let maynard get the ball on returns then it would be a big advantage for SC.


For belfry they must keep SC's defense on the field as long as possible and try to jump out to an early lead (say 14-0) in order to weaken SC defensively and try to cripple the momentum SC has coming off of a close game vs Leslie. Belfry's FB needs to have a big game up the middle in order to open up C gap for Maynard and the other RB (sorry but i forgot his name).

[orisonspi]

Excellent points, as for the back you can't remember it is Corey Chapman who ironically is Belfry's leading rusher this year with over 1100 yards. Chapman has amassed these yards with the fewest carries as well and I think he is the key to Belfry's success come Friday at the skill positions. The fact that Matt Maynard is such an unbelievable return man puts SC in a huge catch 22. Field position is going to be oh so critical in this game so they ahve to decide, "to kick or not to kick". If you kick it to Maynard then you take the chance of him bringing it back for the TD and completely shifting the game's momentum. If you kick it away then you are forcing a HS punter with limited experience to have to do some serious angling on his punts. Too often at the high school level this leads to kicking off the side of the foot that may end up being a 15 yard or less punt. There is also the chance that the punter may kick a line drive which Maynard can field without the coverage being downfield on him. Thus,,,, even by trying to take Maynard out of the game he may still have a major effect on it.

IMO, the overwhelming place this game will be won is up front. The strength of this SC team is easily their big,physical o-line. They may very well be the only line which is equivalent to Belfry's, or maybe even better. SC's hopes and dreams in this game come from one source only and that is to eat clock and run the ball 3-4 yards at a time with limited to no turnovers. The Pirates have seemed to be vulnerable at times up in the middle and their strength is definately at the ends. If Belfry's young LB's and noseguards Dotson and Burton can jam up the inside running of SC then it will be curtains for the Cards. Belfry is just too atheltic on offense and if the Cards continue to have short posessions and give the ball back to Belfry on a short field then eventually, no matter how well the Cardinal defense plays, an assignment will be blown and Belfry will break a big play. It is sheer numbers, the more snaps Belfry gets, the better the opportunity for a big play and the more fatigued the Cards get. Consequentially, the longer SC drives on Belfry the better their chances of reducing a big play and the Cards sustain a higher level of momentum.

The 1st quarter and the 3rd quarter are the keys to this football game. If SC is able to keep it close then fatigue won't be as much of a factor as that adrenaline begins to flow. If Belfry jumps on the Cards early then the Pirate's chances drastically increase,,, but they also can't fall into the pitfall that they are going to breeze to vcitory or else the Cards will come back just like the Leslie game.

[TE#82]

they are alot of respect between these 2 teams and from the fans also

[BelfryPride]

Yeah there is. Hager is one of our own. Come friday night he will not be an enemy, he'll be on the opposing sideline.....

Once a Pirate...always a Pirate !!!

[BelfryPride]

This has became a great discussion thread R & B .....I agree !

[Pirate Pal]

Although it's going to be COLD this Friday, I'm sure that the Pirate fans will be fired up and ready to go.

Let's Go Belfry. Another Regional Championship is yours for the keeping.

[Crossbones]

I'll have to disagree with ya Belfry Pride. He is the enemy, at least during the game. When me and my brothers use to play sports it was every man for himself. We would hug after the fight.:link:

[BelfryPride]

I'll have to disagree with ya Belfry Pride. He is the enemy, at least during the game. When me and my brothers use to play sports it was every man for himself. We would hug after the fight.:link:

I guess you have a point, but me and Shawn graduated together and he is a good guy. He really has a passion for the game, and has instilled it into his SC team.

[Crossbones]

I guess you have a point, but me and Shawn graduated together and he is a good guy. He really has a passion for the game, and has instilled it into his SC team.

I totally agree, top notch guy and a great coach. He has done wonders for that team. I played high school ball with him. I was just trying to keep the rivalry from slipping. Can't let it creep up on us. :yesno:

[jayblackcat2006]

Belfry by 2+ TDs.