[Westside]

Notes from a hot, muggy night in Pburg...

I am a HUGE Coach Cecil fan. He is a FIRST CLASS individual, a FIRST CLASS coach, and if given enough time, he will restore LC to its glory days in a FIRST CLASS manner. He's just a great guy.

LC has talent, that is undeniable. They have good size and #75 looks like a giant on the field. He has great size, good feet, good hip flexibility, and is a fantastic blocker. I can see why Marshall got on him early.

The effort was there, but it appeared that at some key positions LC was just a little young and inexperienced. That will improve over the year.

The biggest thing I saw that LC was missing was pure, unadulterated SPEED. They seemed to be lacking the types of players they had so much of in the past who could just blow by you and take it to the house every time they touch the ball. However, I thought their game plan was extremely effective until Pburg got hot in the second quarter and put a bunch of points on the board. Once LC got behind and had to play catch-up, then it was a struggle for them. If they can get ahead of a team, run behind that big O line, mix in the short passes they were so effective on in the first half, and keep the clock moving, they will be a very difficult out come playoff time. Kudos to Coach Cecil for adopting this style of offense, as it gives them the very best chance at winning with his current personnel.

Prestonsburg came out a little flat to open the game, and had to rely on a goal line stand to stop LC's first drive. Then they proceeded to march 90+ yards for their first score WITHOUT THROWING A SINGLE PASS (yes, you read that correctly...). Losing Jamerson seemed to stun them a little bit, but once they got the ship righted, they utilized their other offensive weapons and took over the game in the second quarter.

The second half was a slugfest, just 2 good mountain teams hammering away at each other. Prestonsburg got a little conservative with their playcalling (as they should with a big lead), and even though both teams seemed to have success moving the ball up and down the field, neither team found the endzone.

Big nights from Grant Anderson and Bryson Williams. Kain Collins was simply an animal pounding the ball up the middle. Man, he runs hard... When Prestonsburg is mixing the deep ball to Jamerson and Williams, the short passes to Anderson, Griffith, and Jarrell, and pounding Collins up the middle, they are tough to handle.

Big shout out to Chris Cook, too. I spent the better part of the night watching for plays when he got matched up against #75 from LC (mostly when Prestonsburg was on offense). That, boys and girls, was a battle of 2 big, talented football players going up against each other. 2 of the best linemen in the region, if not THE best, right there...

LC keep your heads up. You will get better from this game, learn from your mistakes, and become an improved football team. The talent is there, the coaching is there, you just need to get some experience and a few wins under your belt to get some momentum and confidence.

Good win, Blackcats. Next week is Belfry, who comes off a huge win against a Lexington team...always a good thing. Let's get Jamerson healthy and get ready for a huge awesome crowd next Friday. It's gonna be a barnburner...

I agree. Coach Cecil is a class act and a great coach. Give him time.