One of the hardest things to do is predict Football games and if you go by a team’s past performance then it’s a sure recipe for trouble. Case in point, last week’s matchup between Central Hardin and John Hardin. The Bulldogs have been rolling offensively behind coach Doug Preston’s powerful running game and the All-State performance of Keyandre Strand, who currently led the State in rushing yards after three weeks. However, the Bruins were unbeaten and showed why halftime adjustments are important in football as Central Hardin came out pushing the running game heavily and after trailing 7-0 at the half, would score 24-straight points behind Quarterback Zack Spurrier’s three touchdowns rushing and his three two-point conversion passes. Central Hardin piled up 296-yards running and defense held John Hardin to just 136-total yards offensively and Strand had just 53-yards against their stubborn defense. Tim Mattingly’s defense has allowed just 26-points in four games and will face Henderson County this Friday night while John Hardin will face a pandemic pause.
You could say the Bardstown has waited a long year to get even for two losses to Elizabethtown last football season. The last was in the second round of the playoffs and came after the Tigers blew a 14-points lead in the fourth quarter. This time around with the Panthers looking a lot different with the majority of that team gone, scored the first touchdown of the game and the last one, but in between Bardstown put up 42 points and took advantage of three big plays as Bardstown got a 90-yard punt return by TJ Greenwell for their first touchdown, a 74-yard scoring pass from Brady Clark to Shannon Tonge and a 52-yard scoring pass from Clark to Yared Raley. In all, Bardstown had 411-total yards and all though the Panthers outrushed them (227-85), the Tigers got the big plays at the right time.
Bardstown will now face Spencer County and a chance to go 4-0, while Elizabethtown will travel to Nelson County and the Panthers will face a Cardinal team that’s on an emotional high from beating Marion County 44-0 last Friday behind 257-rushing yards and 3-touchdowns by Trevor Beam. It was the Cardinals first win since 2017 and the first shutout by the defense since 2015.
Like Elizabethtown, North Hardin is finding the sledding rough this year and after their 10-7 loss to Apollo, the Trojans fell to 1-4. North Hardin struggled again offensively and had several chances late in the game, but couldn’t seal the deal. Coach Brent Thompson’s team was suppose to come home and tackle John Hardin, but with the Bulldogs in a pause until further notice, the Trojans will travel a long way to face their replacement team in Danville.
Meanwhile, Green County continues their winning ways under new coach Colt
Phelps with a 36-19 win over Taylor County. Once again, the Dragons got a great rushing effort with 340-yards on the ground and over 100-yards rushing from both Blake Houchins and Julian Seymour. Green County’s 3-0 start is the first since 2017 and they will tackle Monroe County this week to try and make it 4-0.
