Get your Big Blue Bow

Louise's Flowers in Marion is hoping to blanket the town blue. The Marion florist and gift shop is giving away Rocket blue bows to anyone who wants to display them on the front of their home or business. The gesture is, or course, to honor Crittenden County's Rockets, who won their first Regional title in 23 years Friday night and faces state powerhouse Beechwood Friday in Ft. Mitchell. Show your support and stop by Louise's for a free Big Blue Bow!

Are you interested in riding a pep bus to Beechwood?

Anyone interested in riding a fan pep bus to Beechwood for the state semifinal game Friday should contact the Quarterback Club by clicking here.

Also, contributions are being accepted to help the Rocket football team defray travel expenses to the Class A semifinal at Beechwood. Click here to pledge.

Rockets beat Mayfield for regional title

MARION, Ky. – With the game on the line late in the fourth period, Crittenden's defense stopped Mayfield near midfield then turned to its trusted power offense to put an exclamation point on a 26-13 state quarterfinal victory over the Cardinals Friday at Rocket Stadium.

Clinging to a 20-13 lead with just over 10 minutes to play, Crittenden fumbled, giving Mayfield the ball at its own 47. However, four straight passes from Cardinal quarterback Luke Guhy fell incomplete and the Rockets got the reprieve they were looking for.

There would be no more mistakes – no more chances for Mayfield to steal the thunder like it had so many times before against so many other teams.

The Cardinals, winners of 24 of the last 30 regional titles, were defenseless down the stretch against Crittenden's senior power attack led by Rodney Robertson and Gaige Courtney. While it was quarterback J.D. Gray who scrambled for two first-half touchdowns, returned a punt 85 yards for a third-period score and rushed for 146 yards, the smash-mouth bone-crushers came alive to seal the deal in the fourth.

Courtney, who hadn't touched the ball all night, and Robertson, who finished with 100 yards, were the Rockets' beasts of burden when a state semifinal berth was held in the balance. Gray handed off to the pair time and again as Crittenden pounded its way 69 yards down field and into the end zone, picking up three critical first downs on the way and draining Mayfield's hopes as the clock ticked off precious minutes.

The Rockets extended their final margin to 13 points with Courtney's three-yard carry with 2:11 to play. Robertson made sure Mayfield didn't even get a chance to forge a late rally when he pulled the ball loose from Cardinal running back Jarrod Noonan on the very next series. Noonan had caught a dump pass on the right flank and Robertson stripped the ball then recovered the fumble with 1:19 left.

"Our philosophy is to control the ball, control the clock and keep the ball away from their offense's hands," Rocket coach Al Starnes said after collecting his first regional championship in 18 seasons at Crittenden County. Starnes had guided the Rockets to two other regional championship games in 1998 and 2002, but Mayfield stopped both playoff runs. 

"We wanted to get first downs and take time off the clock," he said about the final drive which featured his two senior running backs.

Courtney didn't have a carry for three periods, then his number was called eight times in the closing minutes.

"Gaige is a pounder. We felt like he needed to run the ball because we needed some fresh legs in there to get some first downs," the coach explained. "Those two guys – Rodney and Gaige – are seniors, and we said big-time players make big time-plays in big-time games. It was a big stage for us and the kids did a good job of holding onto the ball, executing and blocking up front – and we got it done."

The Rockets had to pull off some late heroics to hold off a furious Mayfield passing attack. However, Crittenden (10-3) never trailed in the game after Gray broke loose on the first series of the second quarter and scored on a 60-yard run down the home sideline.

Mayfield (7-6) tried run the ball early, but had virtually no success on offense until the Cardinals started throwing on almost every down. Guhy threw it 30 times and his receivers caught a dozen passes, but they dropped about a half dozen others.

"Mayfield dropped a lot of passes and that helped us out, but our kids were flying around and had to make some plays at the end to stop them," Starnes added.

It was Crittenden's second victory ever over the Cardinals. The Rockets beat Mayfield by almost an identical score (27-14) during the regular season. Prior to this year, Crittenden was 0-10 against Mayfield, including eight playoff losses.

The victory gives Crittenden its third regional title in school history. The Rockets won the region in 1963 and in 1985 during the Class A state championship season.

Crittenden will play in the final four next week at Beechwood High School in Ft. Mitchell. Beechdown, the 2007 Class A champion, defeated Frankfort 42-14 in its state quarterfinal matchup Friday. Click here for a homepage link to Beechwood High School.

Click here for Class A Playoff Bracket.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Mayfield 0 6 0 7
Crittenden 0 14 6 6

SCORING PLAYS
CC-J.D. Gray 60 run (Robertson run) 10:48, 2nd
M-Jarrod Noonan 10 run (pass failed) 9:05, 2nd
CC-Gray 21 run (kick failed) 4:51, 2nd
CC-Gray 85 punt return (kick failed) 10:31, 3rd
M-Tyreese Murrell 2 run (Marc Wynstra kick) 10:58, 4th
CC-Gaige Courtney 3 run (kick failed) 2:11, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 11, Mayfield 13
Penalties: Crittenden 2-15, Mayfield 4-45
Rushing: Crittenden 44-297, Mayfield 26-102
Passing: Crittenden 0-3-0, Mayfield 12-30-0, 206 yds.
Total Yards: Crittenden 297, Mayfield 308
Fumbles: Crittenden 1-1, Mayfield 2-1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Crittenden: Gray 16-146, Rodney Robertson 20-100, Courtney 8-51. Mayfield: J.Noonan 10-93, Murrell 9-18, Xavier Shelton 4-6, Eric Noonan 1-1, Luke Guhy 2-(-16).
Passing
Crittenden: Gray 0-3-0. Mayfield: Guhy 12-30-0, 206 yds.
Receiving
Mayfield: Murrell 5-97, Javarius Richardson 2-48, Gary Walton 2-27, Shelton 2-29, J.Noonan 1-5.

Defense

A.Berry 2 solos, 3 assists, 2 TFL; B.Berry 2 solos, assist; Clark solo, 4 assists, TFL; Courtney 6 solos, 2 assists, 2 TFL; Cudnik assist; Freeman 3 solos,k assist, TFL, sack; Kirk assist; Mitchell assist; Nix 3 solos, 3 assists, fumble recovery; Robertson 6 solos, assist, caused fumble; Thornton 4 solos, 2 assists, TFL; Urbanowski assist; Werne solo, 2 assists.

Players of the Game Offense J.D. Gray; Defense Gaige Courtney, Rodney Robertson, J.D. Gray; Linemen A.Berry and Dylan Clark.

Records: Crittenden 10-3, Mayfield 7-6.

View coach Starnes post-game interview:

View regional championship highlight video:

Health Quest Wellness Center - Special Friday Kickoff Show

Regional Championship Pregame Interview

with Paducah Sun sports writer Joey Fosko

Sponsored by Health Quest Wellness Center, Marion, Ky.

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Ball mandate forces change in Rocket gear

Crittenden County will playing with a new ball for Friday's football game.

The Rockets (9-3) have traditionally used a Wilson football (pictured at right) and have all this season.

However, the KHSAA mandates that all playoff games be played using Rawlings balls (pictured at left). Rawlings sponsors the state football playoffs.

Crittenden's new balls arrived Thursday, just in time for the regional championship game against Mayfield. Mayfield generally uses the Rawlings style ball mandated for playoffs.

The seams no the Rawlings ball are bit higher than on the Wilson. Otherwise, the ball is the same.

Health Quest Wellness Center Kickoff Show - Playoffs

Health Quest Wellness Center - Kickoff Show

Mayfield vs. Crittenden County - Regional Championship Game

7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 28 at Marion, Kentucky 

with coach Al Starnes and defensive end Dylan Clark

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Regional championship matchup Friday at Marion

FIRST REGION SHOWDOWN AT A GLANCE

CRITTENDEN CO. (9-3)
Offense: Multiple
Defense: 50
Rankings: Rockets are 8th in Bluegrass Preps Class A poll. They are 7th in the Associated Press poll.

Player Report: Rodney Robertson is healthy for this game. When the two teams met in regular season, Robertson was wearing a large cast on his broken hand and rushed for just 31 yards on 9 carries.

Team notes: Rodney Robertson’s six rushing touchdowns last week was the most ever in a single game. Robertson tied the record for most points in a single game with 36. Robertson is just the third player in school history to record three 200-plus yard games in a career (Ronnie Moss and David Beverly were the others). Robertson is the second player to ever have back-to-back rushing games of 200-plus yards and the first to ever do it in the playoffs. Kicker J.R. Adams needs just three PATs to move into second place on the career leader list. Three more extra-point kicks would also give him the single-season school record. QB J.D. Gray needs 31 yards to give him 1,000 rushing on the season. Robertson already has more than 1,000. Only one other team has ever had two 1,000-yard rushers. That was in 1963 with Jimmy Hopper and Dennis Mott. The Rockets need 24 more points to set a school record for points scored in a season. They have 404 and need to get to 428 to set the record. Robertson needs three more touchdowns to set the career TD mark. T.K. Guess currently holds the record at 46.

MAYFIELD (7-5)
Offense: Multiple, basic I Formation
Defense: 5-3
Rankings: Mayfield was No. 4 in preseason polls, but unranked at the end of the season.

The series: The Rockets are 1-10 all-time against Mayfield. The Rockets are 0-8 against Mayfield in playoff games. The series started in 1972 when Mayfield beat Crittenden 28-6. The teams didn’t play again until the 1995 playoffs when Mayfield won 35-14. Crittenden beat the Cardinals 27-24 for the first time ever on Sept. 26 of this season. Prior to that, the closest game between the two schools was last year in the playoffs when Mayfield won 24-21.
Player notes: Mayfield’s sophomore WR and DB Javarius Richardson did not play in the first game between the two teams, but he is okay for this week’s encounter. Richardson is Mayfield’s third-leading receiver and has four TD catches. He also leads the team with 2 interceptions. Additionally, Mayfield junior RB Tyreese Murrell was ailing in the first game. He’s reportedly injury-free for this meeting. Murrell is the team’s leading rusher.

Game Notes: Mayfield has won two straight coming into the game. The Cardinals have not won three straight this season... Since 1999, Mayfield has not lost a playoff game in which it has scored at least 15 points.... Over the past three seasons, Mayfield has played on the road twice in each postseason, losing its second road game each time. Crittenden County has scored more points this postseason (95) than ever before, even in during the state title run in 1985 when it scored 84 points... A Rocket win this week would be coach Starnes’ 125th victory at CCHS.

CLASS A POSTSEASON
1ST REGION PLAYOFF SCORES & PAIRINGS
Scores & regional final pairings
Crittenden County 48, Ballard Memorial 7
Mayfield 24, Louisville Holy Cross 7
Mayfield at Crittenden County

2ND REGION PLAYOFF SCORES & PAIRINGS
Scores & regional final pairings
Beechwood 54, Ludlow 0
Frankfort 49, Gallatin County 8
Beechwood at Frankfort

3RD REGION PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
Scores & regional final pairings
Lexington Christian 69, Williamsburg 48
Raceland 40, Fairview 20
Lexington Christian at Raceland

4TH REGION PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
Scores & regional final pairings
Pikeville 27, Harlan 7
Hazard 56, Paintsville 14
Hazard at Pikeville

Robertson WPSD Player of the Week

Crittenden County senior running back Rodney Robertson was voted the WPSD-TV Biokinetics Player of the Week for his performance against Ballard Memorial last week.

Robertson rushed for over 200 yards for the second straight playoff game.

He and the Rockets host Mayfield Friday night in the First Region championship game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. A pre-game tailgate party will be held beyond the west end zone.

Health Quest Wellness Center Rocket Report

Wednesday's Rocket Report with CCHS coach Al Starnes

Sponsored by Health Quest Wellness Center, Marion, Ky.

Dr. Johnny Newcom, chiropractor

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Health Quest Wellness Center Rocket Report

Health Quest Wellness Center's Playoff Rocket Report

with Mayfield coach Joe Morris

Click here to listen to this and other podcasts

Cumulative stats are posted

Rocket fans can view cumulative player statistics every week at the 2008 Rocket Statistics link at left under the Stats, Scores & More heading. Statistics through 12 games have just been posted. A special thanks to Andy Hunt for compiling and preserving the cumulative stats and generating all of our weekly Game Notes and Record Chasers posted online and published in The Press. 

The Rocket Football Record Book, compiled by Hunt, will be out in Volume 2 in 2009. It will include all of this year's record breakers and all of the numbers from Rocket football history.

Regional Final: At a Glance

The series: Crittenden vs. Mayfield 

The Rockets are 1-10 all-time against Mayfield. 

The Rockets are 0-8 against Mayfield in playoff games. 

The series started in 1972 when Mayfield beat Crittenden 28-6. 

The teams didn’t play again until the 1995 playoffs when Mayfield won 35-14. 

Crittenden beat the Cardinals 27-24 for the first time ever on Sept. 26 of this season. 

Prior to that first victory, the closest game between the two schools was last year in the playoffs when Mayfield won 24-21.

Health Quest Wellness Center Rocket Rocket Report

Health Quest Wellness Center, Marion, Ky., sponsors the Playoff Rocket Report with coaches Al Starnes and Vince Clark. 

Tuesday we will have Mayfield coach Joe Morris as our guest.

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Mayfield uses turnovers to topple Holy Cross

From the Paducah Sun's reports

Two quick scoring strikes midway through the second half allowed Mayfield to pull away from Louisville Holy Cross on the road Friday and set up a rematch with the Rockets

The Cardinals used a 26-yard scoring pass to Tyrese Murrell to finish the third quarter and a 53-yard interception return for a score by Gary Walton early in the final quarter that helped Mayfield open a bigger lead in their 24-7 victory.

Mayfield scored on its second possession of the game on Jarrod Noonan’s 5-yard touchdown run, but Holy Cross answered with 2:54 left in the first half.

The two teams traded possession three times in those last two minutes with Mayfield blocking a punt to get the ball at midfield. Xavier Shelton’s long run moved the ball to Holy Cross’s 6-yard line where Marc Wynstra beat the halftime buzzer with a 28-yard field goal for a 10-7 halftime lead.

The Cardinals held Holy Cross to 63 yards in the first half and 92 for the game.

Another blocked punt set up the third quarter score. After hitting just 3-of-15 passes with two interceptions in the first half, Mayfield quarterback Luke Guhy finally connected on a big play with the 26-yard touchdown throw to Murrell.

Walton’s 1-handed over the head interception and long return on Holy Cross’s ensuing possession gave Mayfield a 14-0 boost that was all it needed to stay alive in the playoffs.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Mayfield         7 3 7 7
Holy Cross    0 7 0 0

SCORING
M – Jarrod Noonan 5 run (Marc Wynstra kick) 6:05, 1st
HC – Devin Brown 2 run (Jacob Hazel kick) 2nd, 2:54
M – Wynstra 28 field goal, :03.9, 2nd
M – Tyrese Murrell 26 pass from Luke Guhy (Wynstra kick) :01. 3rd
M – Gary Walton 53 interception return (Wynstra) 11:34, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Mayfield 10, Holy Cross 5
Rushing: Mayfield 32-118, Holy Cross 30-58
Passing: Mayfield 6-22-2, 62 yds., Holy Cross 7-21-1, 34 yds.
Total yards: Mayfield 180, Holy Cross 92

Playoffs: Rockets overpower Ballard Memorial 48-7

MARION, Ky. -- For the third time since 1998, the road to the Final Four runs through Crittenden County.

The Rockets won their second straight playoff game in convincing fashion Friday, overpowering Ballard Memorial 48-7. Now, Crittenden County will be at home for the First Region championship next week against Mayfield, a 24-7 regional semifinal winner at Louisville Holy Cross.

Just eight teams remain the Class A playoffs. It is Crittenden's third trip to the state quarterfinals in the past 11 seasons.

Crittenden's senior running back Rodney Robertson zig-zagged and powered his way to 214 yards and six touchdowns as Ballard was helpless against the mighty Rocket running attack. Robertson posted long runs of 75, 42, 20 and 18 yards during the contest. He had amassed 187 yards and five TDs by halftime as Crittenden led comfortably 42-0 at the break.

The Bombers' offense was stymied by Crittenden's frontal assault which pestered the Ballard quarterback and bottled up their running game. QB Alex Mallory was sacked four times and managed just 58 yards passing on 7-of-22 accuracy. Meantime, Crittenden dominated up front and held the Bombers to just 11 yards rushing.

The last time the teams played – in a 41-19 regular season Rocket win – Ballard had just 15 rushing yards, but netted 233 through the air. This time, Crittenden's pass rush was overwhelming while its secondary kept the Bomber receivers under wraps.

Defensive back Joey Pluskota intercepted one Ballard pass and returned it 30 yards to the Ballard three-yard line to set up one of Robertson's touchdowns. J.D. Gray also returned a punt 63 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.

The Rockets piled up four touchdowns in the first period and never looked back. Crittenden was ahead 14-0 after just five plays from scrimmage.

The regional semifinal victory sets the stage for a rematch between Crittenden and Mayfield (7-5). The Rockets (9-3) captured the district championship by beating the Cardinals 27-14 on Sept. 26 at Mayfield. It was the Rockets' first ever win over the Cardinals. 

Since 1999, Mayfield has defeated the Rockets eight times in the Class A playoffs. Next week's showdown will be an historic clash between the two schools with Crittenden seeking its first post-season win over the Cardinals and its first regional championship since 1985. 

Mayfield and Crittenden have met twice previously in the regional title game. The Cardinals won each encounter by a large margin – 57-6 in 1998 and 41-12 in 2002. Both games were played at Marion.

Pictured is Rodney Robertson (5) streaking toward a first-half touchdown.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ballard Memorial  0    0  0   7
Crittenden County 28 14 6   0

SCORING PLAYS
CC-Rodney Robertson 42 run (kick blocked) 11:02, 1st
CC-Robertson 75 run (Gaige Courtney pass from J.D. Gray) 8:55, 1st
CC-Robertson 9 run (J.R. Adams kick) 2:40 1st
CC-Robertson 3 run (Adams kick) :53, 1st
CC-Gray 63 punt return (Adams kick) 7:14, 2nd
CC-Robertson 18 run (Adams kick) 4:05, 2nd
CC-Robertson 2 run (kick failed) 3:13, 2nd
BM-Stephen Pullen 26 pass from Alex Mallory (Steven Mix kick) 2:38, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 5, Ballard 4
Penalties: Crittenden 9-90, Ballard 6-42
Rushing: Crittenden 30-307, Ballard 20-11
Passing: Crittenden 1-2-0, (-3) yds., Ballard 7-22-1, 58 yds.
Total Yards: Crittenden 304, Ballard 66

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Crittenden: Robertson 17-214, Gray 6-60, Brian Berry 4-37, Devin Wallace 1-(-1), Dustin Hernandez 4-(-3). Ballard: Taylor Edging 6-19, Will Mallory 5-6, Josh Bourff 1-(-1), Alex Mallory 8-(-13).
Passing
Crittenden: Gray 1-2-0, (-3) yds. Ballard: A.Mallory 7-22-1, 58 yds.
Receiving
Crittenden: Joey Pluskota 1-(-3). Ballard: Pullen 2-31, Austin Wagner 2-18, Edging 2-7, W.Mallory 1-2.

Defense

A.Berry 4 solos, 2 assists, 3 TFL, sack; B.Berry solo, assist; Clark 2 solos, 6 assists, sack; Courtney 7 solos, 3 assists, sack; Cudnik 2 assists; Freeman solo, assist; Gray solo, 3 assists, onside kick recovery; Kirk 2 assists; Long 2 solos, 2 TFL; Mitchell 3 solos, assist, 2 TFL; Nix 2 solos, assist; Robertson assist; Thornton solo, 2 assists; Pluskota interception; Urbanowski solo, assist; Wallace assist; Werne 3 solos.
Records: Crittenden 9-3, Ballard Memorial 6-6.

For more video from the Ballard game and others this season, click here.

For more Crittenden Press online videos, or to watch the above video in higher quality, click here.

Pre-game tailgate party at tonight's playoffs

Rocket football fans are encouraged to join the tailgate party beyond the west end zone at Rocket Stadium. Tailgaters will have plenty of grills for anyone wishing to join the pre-game fun.

Tailgating will begin in the bus garage parking lot next to central office at around 5 p.m. Bring your hotdogs, wings, buns, drinks, etc., and join the football atmosphere. Everyone is welcome.

Kickoff for the regional semifinal game between Crittenden and Ballard Memorial is at 7:30 p.m.

Health Quest Wellness Kickoff Show - Class A Playoffs

Rockets vs. Ballard Memorial - Kickoff Show

Sponsored by Health Quest Wellness Center in Marion, Ky.

With special guests Joey Fosko of The Paducah Sun

Rocket Players: Josh Urbanowski and Jackie Fletcher

and Rocket football coach Al Starnes

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All Western Kentucky Conference First Team

All Classes All-WKC First Team
OFFENSE
TE/Rec.—Vic Moulden, Hopkinsville
TE/Rec.—Chris Dobbins, Calloway Co.
OL—Grant Williams, Calloway Co.
OL—Max Moser, Ft. Campbell
OL—Jacob Langston, Christian Co.
OL—Jeff Prescott, Lone Oak
OL—Kyle Proffitt, Caldwell Co.
QB—Casey Brockman, Calloway Co.
RB—Tyrell Willis, Calloway Co.
RB—Vashun Banks, Christian Co.
RB—Tyresse Murrell, Mayfield

DEFENSE
DL—Stacey Whipple, Ft. Campbell
DL—Denver Seay, Marshall Co.
DL—Kameron Cain, Caldwell Co.
DL—Malcomb McDuffin, Christian Co.
LB—Josh Carter, Ft. Campbell
LB—Tyrell Willis, Calloway Co.
LB—Gaige Courtney, Crittenden Co.
LB—Charles Cooper, Pad. Tilghman
DB—Raquan Durrante, Ft. Campbell
DB—Austin Hargove, Calloway Co.
DB—Deshawn Johnson, Hopkinsville
Kicker—Issac Sims, Graves Co.
Punter—Rex Coleman, Graves Co.
Coach of the Year—Steve Lovelace, Christian Co.

Rodney Robertson, Dyllan Thornton and J.D. Gray also were named First Team Small School All-WKC.

Courtney on the air in Froggyland

Rocket senior Gaige Courtney was interviewed on Froggy Sports Radio this week.

Listen to his interview by clicking here.

Health Quest Fitness Rocket Report - Wednesday

Playoffs - Class A Semifinal Friday at Rocket Stadium

Listen below to Health Quest Wellness Center's

Wednesday Podcast with coaches Al Starnes and Vince Clark

Hosted by Chris Evans of The Crittenden Press

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Vote for Crittenden as Game of the Week

Crittenden County vs. Ballard Memorial is up for Game of the Week for WPSD-TV.

You can vote for the Crittenden game by going to WPSD's Web site. Click Here.

Health Quest Fitness Rocket Report - Monday

Support for the Rocket Report comes from

Health Quest Wellness Center in Marion, Ky.

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Robertson on WPSD ballot

Crittenden running back Rodney Robertson is once again nominated for the WPSD TV player of the week. You can vote online for Robertson by clicking here.

Where they've been; and how far can they go ?

The Rockets have won the region twice since the city and county schools consolidated in 1957. Those regional crowns were earned in 1963 and during the 1985 state championship season.

Crittenden County has twice ended its season regional runnerup over the last 51 years of Rocket football.

On Friday, Crittenden will host Ballard Memorial. It will be the 10th time the Rockets have advanced to at least the regional semifinals, or round of 16 in the current playoff format.

Some think the seventh-ranked Rockets have a good chance of winning the region and playing in the state semifinals this year. If so, that game would very likely be against Beechwood at Covington on Friday, Dec. 5.

Following are Rocket seasons where they advanced to at least the regional semifinal round, the team's record that season and how far they went in the playoffs.

1963 8-3-1 Regional champion, state semifinalist
1985 13-1 District champion, Regional champion, State champion
1996 10-2 District champion, Regional Semifinalist
1998 11-2 District champion, Regional Runnerup
1999 10-2 District runnerup, Regional Semifinalist
2001 9-3 District champion, Regional Semifinalist
2002 10-3 District champion, Regional Runnerup
2004 9-3 District runnerup, Regional Semifinalist
2005 9-3 District runnerup, Regional Semifinalist

2008 8-3 District champion, Regional semifinalist (still alive)

Just 16 teams left in Class A Playoffs

CLASS A POSTSEASON
1ST REGION PLAYOFF SCORES & PAIRINGS
Crittenden County 47, KY Country Day 0
Mayfield 44, Bethlehem 13
Ballard Memorial 48, Caverna 15
Holy Cross 35, Fulton City 14
This Week’s Games
Ballard Memorial at Crittenden County
Mayfield at Louisville Holy Cross

2ND REGION PLAYOFF SCORES & PAIRINGS
Beechwood 42, Trimble County 6
Ludlow 35, Eminence 20
Frankfort 49, Dayton 0
Gallatin County 33, Bellevue 28
This Week’s Games
Ludlow at Beechwood
Gallatin County at Frankfort

3RD REGION PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
Raceland 61, Clinton County 12
Fairview 24, Campbellsville 13
Williamsburg 50, Paris 6
Lexington Catholic 62, Lynn Camp 8
This Week’s Games
Lexington Catholic at Williamsburg
Fairview at Raceland

4TH REGION PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
Hazard 49, Betsy Layne 6
Paintsville 14, Pineville 11
Pikeville 48, Jenkins 0
Harlan 46, Allen Central 6
This Week’s Games
Harlan at Pikeville
Paintsville at Hazard

Remember our sponsors

If you have enjoyed the Rocket Football Blog this season, please remember to thank our sponsors who help make it happen. 

This year's Blog sponsors are James Penn Construction, Health Quest Wellness Center, Marion Eyecare Center, Dr. Steve Crider and The Crittenden Press Online. You can click on their links at left on this page.

Podcast sponsors this season are Yarbrough Insurance Agency, Just-A-Burgr, McDonalds, Convenient Care Care and Health Quest Wellness Center.

If you see the owners or operators of these local establishments, please take a moment to tell them how much you appreciate their efforts to bring Rocket Football to the Web each week.

Ballard beats Caverna 48-15 to set up trip to Marion

FROM THE PADUCAH SUN

Cashing in on three early turnovers, Ballard Memorial jumped to a 20-0 lead and went on to a 48- 15 victory over Caverna for a Class A playoff road victory. The win sets up a rematch against Crittenden County in the Class A First Region semifinal round next week.

The Bombers picked off five Caverna passes and forced six turnovers in the game. Quar- terback Alex Mallory threw four touchdowns passes to lead the Bombers, three of them to Stephen Pullen. 

Ballard also came up with 508 yards of offense with Mal- lory passing for 274 and Tay- lor Edging rushing for 146. The defense held Caverna to 14 rushing yards for the night.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ballard  7 20 0 21
Caverna 0 8 7 0

SCORING

BM – Will Mallory 1 run (Steven Mix kick) 2:46, 1st
BM – Stephen Pullen 44 pass from Alex Mal- lory (Mix kick) 11:33, 2nd
BM – Alex Mallory 2 run (kick failed) 10:10, 2nd
C – Josh Wright 16 pass from Cody Adams (Adams kick) 7:44, 2nd
BM – Pullen 30 pass from A. Mallory (Mix kick) 4:52, 2nd C – Derrick Lindsey 7 pass Joseph Stump (Adams run) 3:02, 3rd
BM – Pullen 5 pass from A. Mallory (Mix kick) 8:09, 4th
BM – Chris Jones 66 pass from A. Mallory (Mix kick) 6:50, 4th
BM – Taylor Edging 15 interception return (Mix kick) 6:18, 4th 

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing
Ballard – Edging 15-146, Alex Mallo- ry 11-(10), Gordon 1-3, W. Mallory 12-68, Bourff 4-32, Jones 1-4, Waggoner 1-0, Hollowell 1-(-8. Caverna – Lindsey 9-3, Stump 8-8, Adams 2-3.
Passing
Ballard – A. Mallory 14-18-1, 274 yards. Caverna – Stump 19-37-3, 238 yards.
Receiving
Ballard – Pullen 6-87, Hoskins 2-38, W. Mallory 1-23, Norment 2-20, Waggoner 1-28, Gordon 1-12, Jones 1-66.

More photos from playoff victory over KCD

More photos from playoff victory over KCD

Due to inclement weather, there will be no video from the Rockets' win over Kentucky Country Day, but here are some extra photos to enjoy.

Rockets swamp KCD in playoff opener

MARION, Ky. -- Crittenden County's defense just keeps getting better and better.

The Rockets swamped visiting Kentucky Country Day 47-0 in the opening round of the Class A First Region playoffs Friday at Rocket Stadium. The outcome was never in doubt as Crittenden piled it on early, taking advantage of seven Bearcat turnovers.

The victory sets up a rematch against Ballard Memorial in the First Region semifinals next week at Rocket Stadium. Ballard, the No. 3 team in the First District, beat Caverna, the No. 2 team in the Second District Friday. The Rockets defeated Ballard by 22 points earlier in the season. See Class A Playoff Bracket.

Crittenden's first playoff game was played in a steady rain, but the wet conditions created virtually no problems for the seventh-ranked Rockets (8-2). Senior running back Rodney Robertson kept his footing on the soggy turf and raced for 233 yards on just 13 carries. That put him over the 1,000-yard threshold for the second straight season.

For Country Day, the slippery pigskin was equally as troublesome as Crittenden's persistent frontal attack that pinned down the Bearcat offense. Along with losing five fumbles and two interceptions, KCD was hobbled by Crittenden's pressure at the point of attack.

The Rocket defense, a mainstay through its Class A First District title run, was in top form against the 2-9 Bearcats. Crittenden threw Country Day for a loss on seven plays and held the Bearcat runners to just 12 yards on the ground. The Rocket defense has allowed just 5 touchdowns against its first team in the past 6 games. Friday's shutout was its second of the season.

KCD's quarterback Ben Richter was able to generate only a token aerial offense, posting 106 yards on 11-of-24 passing.

The Rockets scored on five of their first six offensive possessions and got a couple of other touchdowns from the defense. Sophomore nose guard Andrew Freeman had a career night, scoring twice on fumble recoveries. Freeman ran one in from 21 yards out and fell on another in the end zone.

Allen Kirk, Jackie Fletcher and Aaron Berry also had fumble recoveries, and Tanner Nix and Josh Urbanowski intercepted passes in the defensive ram job.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Ky Country Day 0 0 0 0
Crittenden Co. 27 13 7 0

SCORING PLAYS
CC-J.D. Gray 1 run (kick failed) 9:28, 1st
CC-Gray 1 run (Gaige Courtney pass from Gray) 5:46, 1st
CC-Rodney Robertson 4 run (pass failed) 3:25, 1st
CC-Andrew Freeman 21 fumble recovery (J.R. Adams kick) 1:07, 1st
CC-Freeman fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed) 7:18, 2nd
CC-Robertson 3 run (Adams kick) 1:11, 2nd
CC-Robertson 2 run (Adams kick) 11:00, 3rd

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: Crittenden 11, KCD 9
Penalties: Crittenden 3-25, KCD 1-5
Rushing: Crittenden 32-300, KCD 23-12
Passing: Crittenden 2-4-0, 37 yds., KCD 11-24-2, 106 yds.
Total Yards: Crittenden 337, KCD 118
Fumble/Lost: Crittendden 2-0, KCD 6-5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Crittenden: Robertson 13-233, Gray 6-49, Dustin Hernandez 3-12, Courtney 2-4, Devin Wallace 3-3, Bryce Willis 1-2, Brian Berry 1-1, Freeman 2-(-4). Country Day: Ryan Scinta 6-9, Ben Richter 9-7, Trevor Miles 1-0, David Smith 4-(-3), Chris Kessler 3-(-1)..
Passing
Crittenden: Gray 2-4-0, 37 yds., Country Day: Richter 11-24-2, 106 yds.
Receiving
Crittenden: Robertson 1-25, Courtney 1-12. Country Day: Kessler 4-34, Beau Stoess 3-33, Miles 1-22, Scinta 1-7, Will Smith 1-6, David Giesel 1-4.

Defense

Atwell assist; A.Berry 2 solos, assist; 2 TFL, fumble recovery; B.Berry 2 solos, 3 assists; Clark 5 solos, 2 assists, TFL, batted pass; Courtney solo, 3 assists, TFL; Cudnik 2 solos, 3 assists; Fletcher 3 assists, fumble recovery; Freeman 2 solos, 4 assists, 3 fumble recoveries; Gray solo, 4 assists; Kirk 2 assists, fumble recovery; Long solo, 3 assists; Mitchell 5 solos, 4 assists; Nix assist, interception; Piper solo; Robertson solo, assist; Thornton 5 solos, 4 assists, TFL; Urbanowski 5 solos, 4 assists, interception; Wallace 5 assists; Werne assist; Willis 2 solso, assist, TFL.

Players of the Game: Offense Rodney Robertson, Defense Dylan Clark, Lineman Andrew Freeman.
Records: Crittenden 8-3, Kentucky Country Day 2-9

Weather poor for opener

Three hours from postseason kickoff and it's raining steadily in Marion.

Talked with Crittenden County coach Al Starnes earlier in the day and he's not too concerned about the wet conditions.

"We're mudders," he said.

The Rockets are picked as big winners over Kentucky Country Day, tonight's opponent in the Class A First Region playoffs. See complete Class A Playoff Bracket.

See Massey Power ratings and prediction on tonight's game.

Health Quest Fitness Kickoff Show - Class A Playoffs

Health Quest Wellness Center Playoff Kickoff Show

with coach Al Starnes and Rocket players and coaches

Rockets host Kentucky Country Day in Round One of Class A Playoffs

Friday, 7:30 p.m., Rocket Stadium

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Smokin' tailgating in parking lot

There will be some post-season smoke rolling across Rocket Field at dusk Friday.

A group of Rocket football fans will be tailgating in the bus garage parking lot above Rocket Stadium prior to Friday's football game. The group, which includes flag football and little league football player families, will be above the west end zone and they are encouraging all Rocket fans to join them.

Bring hot dogs, burgers, wings, chips and/or buns and join the playoff fun.

"We want to create a college football type atmosphere before the game," said Jamie Brown, who is helping head up the effort.

There will be plenty of grills, just bring along some grub, the organizers say.

Additionally, the Rocket golf team will be selling pork chop sandwiches on the east end of the stadium.

Pre-game is shaping up just RIGHT !

Rockets 7th in AP poll

Crittenden has moved up to No. 7 in the latest Associated Press Class A poll.

Class 1A
Rank-School FPV Rcd TP Pvs
1. Raceland (13) 10-0 200 2
2. Beechwood (8) 9-1 189 1
3. Frankfort - 9-1 164 3
4. Lex. Christian - 7-3 137 6
5. Williamsburg - 9-1 127 5
6. Hazard - 7-3 70 4
7. Crittenden Co. - 7-3 69 10
8. Bellevue - 7-3 62 9
9. Lou. Holy Cross - 6-4 52 8
10. Eminence - 8-2 28

Rockets stay at No. 8

BluegrassPreps.com Football Rankings for Nov. 11

Class 1A
1. Beechwood vs. Trimble County
2. Raceland vs. Clinton County
3. Lexington Christian vs. Lynn Camp
4. Frankfort vs. Dayton
5. Hazard vs. Betsy Layne
6. Louisville Holy Cross vs. Fulton City
7. Williamsburg vs. Paris
8. Crittenden County vs. Kentucky Country Day
9. Bellevue vs. Gallatin County
10. Fairview at Campbellsville

Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell vs. Heath
2. Newport Central Catholic vs. Owen County
3. Corbin vs. Morgan County
4. DeSales vs. Newport
5. Monroe County vs. Fort Knox
6. Prestonsburg vs. Knott Central
7. Trigg County vs. Todd County Central
8. Danville vs. Glasgow
9. Green County vs. Washington County
10. Middlesboro vs. Shelby Valley

Class 3A
1. Belfry vs. West Carter
2. Central vs. Henry County
3. Breathitt County vs. Garrard County
4. Mason County vs. Magoffin County
5. Estill County vs. Somerset
6. Elizabethtown vs. Western Hills
7. Harlan County at Wayne County
8. North Oldham vs. Moore
9. Russell vs. Pike County Central
10. Sheldon Clark vs. East Carter

Class 4A
1. Boyle County vs. Pendleton County
2. Bell County vs. Lawrence County
3. Lexington Catholic vs. Bourbon County
4. Franklin-Simpson vs. #7 Hopkins Central
5. Calloway County vs. Russell County
6. Lone Oak vs. Warren East
7. Hopkins Central at #4 Franklin-Simpson
8. Knox Central at Rowan County
9. Allen County-Scottsville vs. Muhlenberg North
10. Valley vs. Larue County

Class 5A
1. Highlands vs. #10 Bryan Station
2. Doss vs. Jeffersontown
3. Christian County vs. Barren County
4. Owensboro vs. Warren Central
5. Bowling Green vs. Ohio County
6. Johnson Central vs. Holmes
7. John Hardin vs. Grant County
8. Oldham County vs. Waggener
9. Whitley County vs. South Laurel
10. Bryan Station at #1 Highlands

Class 6A
1. Saint Xavier vs. Nelson County
2. Trinity vs. Graves County
3. Manual vs. North Hardin
4. Scott County vs. Southern
5. Eastern vs. Madisonville-North Hopkins
6. Ballard at Henderson County
7. Madison Central vs. Bullitt Central
8. Fern Creek vs. George Rogers Clark
9. Male vs. Shelby County
10. Henry Clay vs. Ryle

Tuesday's Rocket Report - Playoff Special

Tuesday Rocket Report - Playoff Special
Support for playoff podcasts comes from:
Health Quest Fitness Center in Marion, Ky.

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Health Quest Fitness Rocket Report

Monday Rocket Report - Playoff Special

Support for playoff podcasts comes from:

Health Quest Fitness Center in Marion, Ky.

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Of particular interest

Although the Rockets are off this week, there is one game of particular interest to Crittenden County fans: The Caldwell-Mayfield matchup.

Read what Mayfield coach Joe Morris has to say about his team's final regular season game on Joey Fosko's sports blog: 

http://joeyfosko.blogspot.com/2008/11/football-friday-end-of-regular-season.html

Hart on All-Academic team

Marion native Brad Hart is one of three University of Kentucky Wildcat football players to be named to the Academic All-District IV Team, according to a UKAthletics.com posting from today. The team selection is made by sports information directors and is sponsored by ESPN The Magazine.

Read More on The Press Online blog:

http://crittendenpress.blogspot.com/2008/11/hart-named-to-academic-all-district.html

T.K. Guess National Player of the Week

Campbellsville University defensive back T.K. Guess - a Crittenden County graduate - has been named the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Football Player of the Week for his performance Saturday against University of the Cumberlands.

Read more at the Campbellsville Football Web site.
http://www.campbellsvilletigers.com/article/302.php

KY Country Day roster

If you have trouble seeing this roster, drag it to your desktop and open it in a picture viewer so that it can be enlarged.

KY Country Day

Crittenden County football is idle this week as the Rockets prepare for the Class A football playoffs and first-round opponent Kentucky Country Day.

You can get a glimpse of Kentucky Country Day's football team on the school's Web site. Click here.

The Bearcats have been playing 11-man football since 2003. Prior to that, they played 8-man football and won a state championship in 2002.

Here's the 2008 team photo. Ben Richter, No. 9 in the back, is the quarterback. He's the star player on the team, throwing for just over 2,200 yards the past two seasons. He's a straight-A student and president of the student body. Richter also plays linebacker and has registered 257 tackles the past three seasons.

See more Bearcat statistics, click here.

Rocket remain 8th in BP poll

Bluegrasspreps.com Football Rankings for Nov. 4

Class A
1. Beechwood at 2A #2 Newport Central Catholic
2. Raceland vs. 3A West Carter
3. Lexington Christian vs. #5 Hazard
4. Frankfort vs. 3A Garrard County
5. Hazard at #3 Lexington Christian
6. Louisville Holy Cross at 5A #5 Doss
7. Williamsburg vs. Pineville
8. Crittenden County -- OPEN
9. Mayfield vs. 2A Caldwell County
10. Bellevue -- OPEN

Rockets fall 2 places in AP Poll

Crittenden County fell, after last week's 21-7 loss to Caldwell County, from 8 to 10 in the latest Associated Press Class A football poll.

Class 1A
Rank-School FPV Rcd TP Pvs
1. Beechwood (18) 9-0 207 1
2. Raceland (3) 9-0 187 2
3. Frankfort - 8-1 163 3
4. Hazard - 7-2 133 4
5. Williamsburg - 8-1 121 5
6. Lex. Christian - 6-3 98 7
7. Fairview - 7-2 64 9
8. Lou. Holy Cross - 6-3 63 6
9. Bellevue - 7-3 45 10
10. Crittenden Co. - 7-3 31 8

Others receiving votes: 11, Mayfield 20.
12, Eminence 9. 13, Allen Central 8. 14,
Pikeville 6.

Post-game Rocket Report

A wrapup of Friday's 21-7 loss at Caldwell County

with coach Al Starnes and defensive coordinator Vince Clark

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