CRITTENDEN CO. (0-0)
Injury Report: Eli Bebout, freshman lineman, (knee) will not play.
Offense: Multiple
Defense: 50
Rankings: 6th BluegrassPreps.com
MASSAC COUNTY (0-0)
Offense: Spread
Defense: 3-5
The series: Crittenden is 0-3 against Massac County. The Rockets’ most recent encounter with the Patriots was a 63-0 loss in 2007 at the Graves County Alliance Bowl. Crittenden lost 34-13 to Massac in Marion in 1990 and 26-6 at Metropolis in 1989. Massac leads the scoring in the series, 123-19. Crittenden County is 2-5 all-time against out-of-state opponents.
Game Notes: Massac was 7-4 last season and won its conference championship. The Patriots are considered a traditional football program in southern Illinois. The Rockets were 10-4 last year, winning their district and regional title before losing in the state semifinals. Illinois schools cannot have pre-season scrimmage games with outside opponents. This will be the first live contact Massac has had other than intra-squad scrimmaging.
Scouting Report: Massac has a 57-man roster, which includes only the top three grades. Of those, 16 are seniors.
Scouting report: Very physical team. Very good skilled players. RB Jordan Jackson, No. 4, will be a player to watch. He’s a good size back with good speed. QB is still up in air with three vying for job. Looks like Logan Wheeler, No. 10, has the inside track, but Jerrell Johnson, No. 11, is a RB who could also take snaps. The Patriots implemented the spread offense a couple of years ago to take advantage of graduated QB Zach Kester’s arm and a corps of receivers. They are all gone, but Massac has kept the same offense, adding a few wrinkles and making it more of a run-oriented attack. Defensively, look for stunting linebackers all the time. Their 3-5 scheme centers around gambling and bringing persistent pressure.
Bowl Game Opener: The Rockets are hosting their first ever Kentucky National Guard Warrior Bowl. The bowl will be played over two nights and will include a variety of other activities beyond the two high school football games (see related article this issue). In Friday’s game, Glasgow will play Herrin, Ill. Glasgow won its season opener last week 26-14 over Warren East in the Scotties own T.J. Samson Bowl. Herrin is projected to be one of the better teams in southern Illinois this season and is favored to win the Warrior Bowl opener by 10 points, according to the Massey Ratings.
Here are the high school football rankings from Bluegrasspreps.com following the first weekend of the 2009 season.
Class A
1. Beechwood vs. 5A Dixie Heights (8/29 at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
2. Lexington Christian at Christ Presbyterian Academy, TN
3. Frankfort vs. Paris
4. Mayfield vs. Trousdale County, TN (8/29)
5. Raceland at 5A #10 Ashland
6. Crittenden County vs. Massac County, IL (8/29)
7. Pikeville vs. 2A Covington Holy Cross (8/29)
8. Williamsburg vs. 5A South Laurel (8/29 at North Laurel)
9. Hazard at 2A Leslie County
10. Louisville Holy Cross vs. 4A #4 Bullitt East
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell at Kenwood, TN
2. Corbin at 1A Harlan
3. DeSales at 6A Central Hardin
4. Newport Central Catholic vs. 6A #9 Simon Kenton (8/29 @ Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
5. Green County vs. 3A Taylor County
6. Danville vs. 4A Franklin County (8/29)
7. Prestonsburg vs. 1A Paintsville
8. Monroe County at 3A Edmonson County
9. Owensboro Catholic vs. 5A #2 Bowling Green (@ KY Wesleyan/Rash Stadium)
10. Murray vs. 4A Calloway County
Class 3A
1. Central vs. 6A #3 Henry Clay (at Tates Creek)
2. Breathitt County at #9 Sheldon Clark
3. Mason County vs. 5A Montgomery County
4. Belfry vs. 4A Boyd County
5. Somerset vs. 5A Pulaski County
6. Paducah Tilghman vs. St. Louis Beaumont, MO (8/29 at Ballard Memorial)
7. Union County at 1A Ballard Memorial (8/29)
8. Elizabethtown vs. Spencer County (at Central Hardin)
9. Sheldon Clark vs. #2 Breathitt County
10. Russell at 4A Greenup County (8/29)
Class 4A
1. Boyle County vs. Rockcastle County (8/29 at Danville)
2. Bell County at #7 Marion County (8/29)
3. Lexington Catholic vs. 5A Covington Catholic (8/29)
4. Bullitt East at 1A #10 Louisville Holy Cross
5. Allen County-Scottsville -- OPEN
6. Fairdale -- OPEN
7. Marion County vs. #2 Bell County (8/29)
8. Lone Oak at 2A Reidland
9. Western -- OPEN
10. Knox Central at North Laurel (8/29)
Class 5A
1. Highlands at 6A #8 Ryle
2. Bowling Green at 2A #9 Owensboro Catholic
3. Owensboro vs. Evansville Reitz, IN 8/29
4. Whitley County at 1A Lynn Camp
5. John Hardin vs. 6A Madison Central (at Marion County) 8/29
6. Letcher County Central vs. 2A Middlesboro
7. Anderson County vs. 6A Meade County
8. Christian County vs Franklin, TN (at Hopkinsville) 8/29
9. Johnson Central vs. Horn Lake, MS
10. Ashland vs. 1A #5 Raceland
Class 6A
1. Saint Xavier at Ballard
2. Trinity vs. Lawrence North, IN
3. Henry Clay vs. 3A #1 Central (at Tates Creek)
4. Male at #5 Eastern
5. Eastern vs. #4 Male
6. Boone County at Lafayette (8/29 at Tates Creek)
7. Manual at Fern Creek
8. Ryle vs. 5A #1 Highlands
9. Simon Kenton vs. 2A #4 Newport Central Catholic (8/29 at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
10. Scott County vs. 5A Clay County
1. Beechwood vs. 5A Dixie Heights (8/29 at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
2. Lexington Christian at Christ Presbyterian Academy, TN
3. Frankfort vs. Paris
4. Mayfield vs. Trousdale County, TN (8/29)
5. Raceland at 5A #10 Ashland
6. Crittenden County vs. Massac County, IL (8/29)
7. Pikeville vs. 2A Covington Holy Cross (8/29)
8. Williamsburg vs. 5A South Laurel (8/29 at North Laurel)
9. Hazard at 2A Leslie County
10. Louisville Holy Cross vs. 4A #4 Bullitt East
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell at Kenwood, TN
2. Corbin at 1A Harlan
3. DeSales at 6A Central Hardin
4. Newport Central Catholic vs. 6A #9 Simon Kenton (8/29 @ Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
5. Green County vs. 3A Taylor County
6. Danville vs. 4A Franklin County (8/29)
7. Prestonsburg vs. 1A Paintsville
8. Monroe County at 3A Edmonson County
9. Owensboro Catholic vs. 5A #2 Bowling Green (@ KY Wesleyan/Rash Stadium)
10. Murray vs. 4A Calloway County
Class 3A
1. Central vs. 6A #3 Henry Clay (at Tates Creek)
2. Breathitt County at #9 Sheldon Clark
3. Mason County vs. 5A Montgomery County
4. Belfry vs. 4A Boyd County
5. Somerset vs. 5A Pulaski County
6. Paducah Tilghman vs. St. Louis Beaumont, MO (8/29 at Ballard Memorial)
7. Union County at 1A Ballard Memorial (8/29)
8. Elizabethtown vs. Spencer County (at Central Hardin)
9. Sheldon Clark vs. #2 Breathitt County
10. Russell at 4A Greenup County (8/29)
Class 4A
1. Boyle County vs. Rockcastle County (8/29 at Danville)
2. Bell County at #7 Marion County (8/29)
3. Lexington Catholic vs. 5A Covington Catholic (8/29)
4. Bullitt East at 1A #10 Louisville Holy Cross
5. Allen County-Scottsville -- OPEN
6. Fairdale -- OPEN
7. Marion County vs. #2 Bell County (8/29)
8. Lone Oak at 2A Reidland
9. Western -- OPEN
10. Knox Central at North Laurel (8/29)
Class 5A
1. Highlands at 6A #8 Ryle
2. Bowling Green at 2A #9 Owensboro Catholic
3. Owensboro vs. Evansville Reitz, IN 8/29
4. Whitley County at 1A Lynn Camp
5. John Hardin vs. 6A Madison Central (at Marion County) 8/29
6. Letcher County Central vs. 2A Middlesboro
7. Anderson County vs. 6A Meade County
8. Christian County vs Franklin, TN (at Hopkinsville) 8/29
9. Johnson Central vs. Horn Lake, MS
10. Ashland vs. 1A #5 Raceland
Class 6A
1. Saint Xavier at Ballard
2. Trinity vs. Lawrence North, IN
3. Henry Clay vs. 3A #1 Central (at Tates Creek)
4. Male at #5 Eastern
5. Eastern vs. #4 Male
6. Boone County at Lafayette (8/29 at Tates Creek)
7. Manual at Fern Creek
8. Ryle vs. 5A #1 Highlands
9. Simon Kenton vs. 2A #4 Newport Central Catholic (8/29 at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati)
10. Scott County vs. 5A Clay County
