(by Don Meador, The Citizen-Times, September 8, 2020)
The lights will come on this week as the long-awaited arrival of high school football arrives for players, parents, and fans. For Allen County-Scottsville, Friday’s season-opener at Glasgow signals the start of a season filled with high expectations.
The Patriots enter their 52nd season poised to make a strong bid for the Class 4A, Region 1, District 2 crown. With a talented group of offensive weapons returning combined with a core defensive unit, 2020 could be a year in which AC-S claims their first District title since their historic run to the Class 4A title game a decade ago.
The Patriots climb toward the top of the District picture started last year when, despite a 5-7 overall record, AC-S went 4-2 in District play. Wins over Warren Central, Russell County, and Warren East earned the team a second seed in the district playoffs and a home playoff game against Warren East. After downing the Raiders 27-25, the Patriots’ season ended with a loss to Franklin-Simpson---just their second loss in the squad’s final seven games.
“They got better as the year went on,” Patriots head coach Brad Hood recalled. “We need them to start with the way they ended and that learning mentality, that working mentality.”
A year later, AC-S looks as strong as they were when the season ended last November. The Patriots will start the season considered as the team to beat by many. The Cats Pause preseason rankings have AC-S at the top of the list followed by Russell County, Warren East, Franklin-Simpson, and Warren Central. In the Lexington Herald-Leader state rankings, AC-S checked in as 16th in the state for Class 4A, the highest of any District team.
Much of the optimism for the season lies around a 21-member senior class---a talented group of hard-nosed kids who have stepped up as leaders. The group includes Trace McIntrye, Jax Cooper, Nick Cooper, Jake Bow, Brandon Baxter, Landon Witcher, Dillon Rookstool, Trevor Tolbert, Zack Clark, Brayden Gaddis, Cody Miller, John Calvert, Leo Esquivel, Tucker Tracy, J.C. Stamps, Aydean Gonzalez, Kayden Whitney, Calvin Bektas, Michael Smith, Matthew Stinson, and Hayden Cope.
“A lot of these guys have game experience so hopefully when we get to that full grove of going, they’ll be able to jump in and remember things a lot quicker, get moving a lot quicker,” Hood said.
McIntyre and Cooper are expected to lead an offensive unit that will bring both a passing and running threat to each down. McIntyre threw for 919 yards and six touchdowns as a junior as well as churning out 400 yards on the ground---typical for AC-S teams that like to run an option offense. Cooper was his main receiving target catching 27 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns. Cooper was also an All SKY Conference, Second Team selection, Cooper has received a pair of college scholarship offers---from Morehead State and Centre College. Baxter also grabbed 16 catches for 150 yards and relieved McIntyre at quarterback on occasion.
The offense will also include the power running of Witcher. The talented tail back plowed his way for 739 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior. Added to the offense will be Rookstool who tallied 172 yards from the fullback spot and junior Christopher Holland who amassed 108 yards.
For Coach Hood, a strong defense has always been a mainstay of his teams. This year will be no exception as five key defenders will be asked to continue to build upon last year or two years ago as in the case of one Patriot player. .
Nick Cooper, a talented defensive back, returns after missing the 2019 season due to injuries received in a traffic accident. As a sophomore in 2018, Nick Cooper burst into the Patriot defensive mix after recording 58 tackles and two interceptions. Cooper is eager to return to the field and ready to take his game to the next level. He will have help on the defensive side.
Holland recorded 78 total tackles to lead AC-S last year, 47 of his tackle’s being solo tackles. Holland also had a pair of interceptions and fumble recoveries. Senior Dillion Rookstool---a first team selection to the 2019 All-SKY Conference Large Division First Team---had 73 total tackles including 46 solos tackles in 2019. Witcher led the Patriots in solo tackles in 2019 (49) and finished with 69 total tackles. Junior Will Moore recorded 69 total tackles as a sophomore in a breakout season. Junior Tanner Stinson and sophomore Julyan McPeak combined for 57 tackles last year.
The Patriots will also have a strong offensive and defensive line. Look for players like junior Brady Alderson, senior John Calvert, and senior Kayden Whitney to be among the regulars on the field in the trenches. Trevor Tolbert, Tracy, Miller, Clark, Gaddis, Esquivel, Stamps, Gonzalez, and Bektas, will be asked find ways to contribute. In addition, seniors Bow and Smith---a pair of basketball players returning to the gridiron for their senior seasons---are expected to offer versatility to the AC-S line-up. Seniors Matthew Stinson and Hayden Cope give AC-S added depth as receivers and defensive backs. Junior Thorny Walker will also bear watching this year and is expected to continue to be the Patriots’ kicker and perhaps punter.
AC-S opens at Glasgow on Friday. The Scotties will be in a bit of rebuilding mode following last year’s 10-2 season yet comes into the season ranked 10th in pre-season by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Junior John Carter Myers is expected to step into QB role replacing Tanner Abernathy. Myers was 26/41 for 274 yards (4 TD’s last year) and was in on 66 tackles on defense. Junior Hunter Scott rushed for 208 yards last season. Senior Mason Bragg had 66 tackles last fall. Senior Carter McKeever had 46 tackles in 2019. Junior Jayden Weyrauch rushed for 99 yards and recorded 44 tackles last season.
The Patriots jump into District action on September 18 with a home game against an improving Warren Central team. The Dragons start this year looking to snap a 45-game losing streak dating back to 2015. The Dragons fell 47-38 to AC-S in week five last year.
Week 3 has AC-S on the road to Franklin-Simpson. The Wildcats were 7-6 last year and will be under the leadership of a new coach. Franklin-Simpson defeated AC-S twice in 2019---31-26 in the regular season and 56-20 in the second round of the playoffs in November.
AC-S is slated to host Danville on Friday, October 2. The Admirals are a Class 2A school who was 3-7 last year including a 41-13 win over the Patriots. Following a trip to schedule newcomer Daviess County, AC-S returns to District action with Warren East at home on October 16 and an away game at Russell County on October 23. The Patriots downed the Raiders twice in 2019 (27-10, 27-25 in the playoffs) and defeated Russell County (34-28). The district wins helped AC-S to an overall 3-1 District record in 2019.
The final two regular season games will be at Monroe County on October 30 and at home against Greenwood on November 6. AC-S dropped a 22-19 decision to Greenwood last year but defeated Monroe County 49-32.
The playoffs are scheduled to begin the following week. Plans call for the normal playoff schedule to be followed which means---if AC-S finishes as District champion or runner-up---a home game on November 13. A third or fourth seed in the District would have AC-S on the road that week. As last year, the contests will be against District Two teams---meaning a rematch in the first round against a District opponent.
Hood enters his 15th season at the helm. Joing him on the sidelines will be long time defensive coordinator Tyler Berry. Additional assistants are Tristan Adams, Austin York, Craig Meador, Nick Atwood, Tyler Brock Meador, and Ted McCaslin
The veteran coach adds that he is optimistic despite no spring practice, a limited preseason of work and no scrimmage action.
“I don’t want to put too much on them,” Hood said in a TV interview last week. “Coaching-wise we got to really coach up the small things and get the things that we need to be good at installed. We don’t need to go out and just try to throw a lot of things at them. Yet, I’m as fired up right now as I’ve been in a long time.”
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Friday in Glasgow. The match-up marks the 43rd meeting between schools with the Scotties holding a 33-9 series lead. Glasgow has won three of the last four and seven of the last nine meetings. The last win for AC-S win in series was September 8, 2017 (39-35) in Scottsville while the last AC-S win at Glasgow was on September 11, 2009 (25-9).