Logan County Football Preview
By Perry Swack
Logan County Cougars
Coach: Todd Adler, Sixth Season
Record at School: 35-19
2020 Record: 5-4
Lost to Hopkinsville, 42-20, in the second round of the 4A Playoffs
Starters Returning: 10 total
The Logan County football program will be looking to take the next step this fall. With only six seniors on the roster, the coaching staff will rely heavily on its underclassmen to perform on the field. “We will need to see how long it takes for these underclassmen to get the experience playing on the big stage on Friday nights,” Coach Todd Adler assessed. “I will tell you we are really excited to see this team compete.”
On offense, the Cougars return most of their highest producers from 2020. The team’s top three passers and top two rushers are set to make their return this season. Corbin Rayno, Davin Yates, and Wyatt Blake all split time throwing passes last season. However, only Rayno is listed as a quarterback on official rosters. Logan’s offense is predicated on its run game (325 rushes vs. 144 passes in 2020) meaning each of these players may see time at various positions over the course of each game. The trio combined to complete 63-of-114 passes for more than 800 yards and eight touchdowns. Blake – the team’s top returning rusher and receiver – ran for 653 yards in 2020 and scored three touchdowns on 87 carries. Ryan Rayno is the team’s second-leading returning rusher at 55 carries, 259 yards, and a team-best five scores. Yates scored four touchdowns on the ground as well, on 35 carries for nearly 200 yards. Isaac Poe also returns to anchor an offensive line that propelled the Cougars to a top ten rushing offense in Class 4A.
The Cougars return less production on the defensive side of the ball after graduating three of their top four tacklers. Blake is the team’s top returning tackler after recording 52 total tackles (five for losses), two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Yates will also play a role on the defensive side of the ball (primarily at free safety) after recording 28 tackles and three interceptions in 2020. Zane Batten, Clifton Faughn, and John Ross Terry will also be called upon for a strong season on defense after racking up nearly 60 combined tackles a season ago.
The 2021 offseason looked vastly different than the one in 2020 that was filled with COVID-19 protocols. “We had a great offseason and we’ve seen lots of improvement throughout our team,” Adler explained. I think this will be vital to our growth throughout the year. We are a young team, so we have been playing catch up all spring long. Last year, a lot of these players missed out on a lot of development on the practice field and in the weight room due to (COVID-19 protocols).” With the added practice and preparation, the Cougars are hoping to take the next step as a team. After last season’s first-round playoff win, the program has now won a playoff game in three of the last four years. Prior to its 2017 playoff win, the Cougars had gone seven seasons without a playoff win.
With a new streak in place, Logan will look to keep the momentum going. “We’ve had some good teams over the past couple years but, this team is different,” Adler noted. “They are by far the most disciplined, hardest working, and most committed team we’ve had here in a long time. So, we expect them to continue to grow and compete at a high level each and every week.” With a tough, out-of-district schedule featuring South Warren, Greenwood, Franklin-Simpson, and Warren East, the Cougars should be battle-tested by the time the playoffs start. Logan County will combine experienced veterans with new faces as it hopes to take its next step as a program.
