The Rockets will play Union County for the last time this year under the current contract. Since renewing the rivalry with the neighboring county to the north, Crittenden holds a 4-3 advantage in the series. The teams have swapped wins each season since 2001. If history holds, this would be Union's season to tie the series after the Rockets won last year's game 42-22. Because Crittenden is playing two neutral-site bowl games, it will have only four regular-season home games instead of the customary five. The Oct. 17 matchup with the Braves will be Crittenden's last home game of the regular season. It will be Senior Night, and one the Rockets will not give up easily.
As for Calloway County, the Lakers hold a 3-2 edge in the series over the past five years since the two teams have played one another. Crittenden lost 49-7 to Calloway last year as the Lakers young QB Casey Brockman ripped the Rockets for 265 passing yards. This year's matchup comes on the heels of the two opening bowl games. Crittenden will be at Calloway on Sept. 12, its third game of the season and third straight on the road although the first two are at neutral sites - Marshall County and Caldwell County.
To make up for the lost opponents on the 2009 schedule and beyond, Crittenden has scheduled Murray High, a former Class A First District foe now playing in Class 2A, and Class 3A Logan County, a team that was on the Rocket schedule in 2005 and 2006. Crittenden beat Logan in both of those encounters.