[Tomcat68]

I'll be doing everything in my power to will a Tomcat victory Friday night in Putnam Stadium. It was 15 years between our last 2 state titles and it's been 15 years since our last one. Lewis has not played nearly to his potential this season. His shoulder was dinged up in pre-season. Ironton beat a very good Wheelersburg team 7-6 with a slight assistance from some shady yellow flags. They were only leading a South Point team 14-7 at half-time before pulling away to a much more convincing win. The same South Point team that beat Greenup County in a squeaker 29-26. I do expect to see the year's best performance from Ironton through this point in the season this week, but they have not looked like the overpowering machine people have accustomed them to for the last few years. If Ironton gets off to a slow start and allows Ashland to stay in the game through half-time with a narrow margin or even possibly a lead, it will give the Tomcat players all the confidence they need to know they have a chance to make recent history. With that said, I believe it will be the addition of JD Kepler and Preston Freeman that will present the winning opportunity for Ashland.

Ashland - 23
Ironton - 21

Ashland's Freeman will kick a field goal very late in the game while losing 21-20 after having an extra point blocked early in the game to pull off a victory for the Tomcats.