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County plans to buy more cars for sheriff?s department
Found: 2 Hours 30 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Warren County magistrates intend to buy the sheriff’s department a number of new cars next year, but just how many won’t be known until some bids are received.
Fiscal court members voted unanimously Friday morning to advertise for bids on cruisers. Sheriff Jerry “Peanuts” Gaines has often told magistrates that he needs new cars, with some of his deputies driving vehicles that have run more than 200,000 miles. Yet no cars have been bought in the last two years due to county budget shortfalls, Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said. Replacing sheriff’s cars can’t be put off forever, he said.
“How many are we talking about?” District 6 Magistrate Robert Donoho asked.
Buchanon said they’d take bids for 18, the full number the department asked for this year.
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to be able to purchase 18,” he said.
Buchanon said the department has about 30 cruisers now, and asked Deputy Sheriff Tim Ausbrooks if that was correct.
“Are you talking about the ones that are running?” Ausbrooks replied.
Only five of the department’s cars have less than 100,000 miles, he said. A few vehicles are beyond repair, and needed repairs on many others would cost more than the vehicles’ value, Ausbrooks said.
Jail funding lawsuit
Magistrates voted unanimously to join a lawsuit against the state, seeking to be repaid for housing state prisoners in Warren County Regional Jail.
The state pays counties for housing its prisoners, but only after they’ve been convicted. Counties must bear the cost of holding those prisoners before and during trial, and that has put some counties millions of dollars in debt, according to the resolution.
In July, the Kentucky County Judge-Executive Association voted to sue the state to make it cover those costs, and about 90 of Kentucky’s 120 counties have signed on. The suit is expected to be filed this month in Frankfort.
Fire department runs
The county’s nine volunteer fire departments made 2,157 runs from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, said Earl Bowling, chief of the Barren River Volunteer Fire Department. That’s a 34 percent increase from the same time last year, he said.
Nearly half of all departments’ runs were medical calls, while only 12 percent were actual structure fires, Bowling said. The busiest department was Richardsville, which also covers the most territory, he said.
Property taxes
Warren County Property Valuation Administrator Bob Branstetter told magistrates that this year’s property tax bills are almost ready, and should be mailed around Oct. 1.
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Airport development waiting on road work
Found: 2 Hours 30 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Just as soon as Lovers Lane’s expansion is complete in late spring, the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport will move forward with development plans for some of its property.
“With the economy being the way it is and the road project, we sort of put it on hold for a while,” said airport manager Rob Barnett. “But we continue to get calls about it.”
Barnett said the airport board wants to lease about 14 acres of land zoned mixed-use along Lovers Lane.
“It is all outside the safety zone,” Barnett said.
But any buildings still will need to follow requirements imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Tentatively, the airport has plotted out 10 lots that would all be leased to one developer, who would be responsible physically and fiscally to construct the facilities and find tenants.
“We won’t get into the development business ourselves,” Barnett said. “And we can only lease the land; we can’t sell it.”
The airport already leases part of the 565 acres it owns. About 100 are leased to the city for part of the Crosswinds Golf Course and 113 acres are leased for farming.
Barnett said the overlay district for Lovers Lane already has a couple of traffic lights planned for the general area of the airport property.
“We would probably align our entrances with those for an intersection,” he said.
Airport Board Chairwoman Patsy Sloan said she’s not sure how long it will take to develop the property.
“This is an opportunity for the airport to generate some funds,” Sloan said. “We’d like to be as self-supporting as possible and this is a step in that direction.
“We don’t have any particular grand design in mind. It really will be dependent on the kinds of entities that are interested and how they are thinking about developing it rather than us having a plan and them trying to fit into it.”
If that road frontage property develops well enough, other property might follow, Barnett said. Inside the airport fence behind that frontage property, the airport could lease property to aeronautical-related services.
Barnett said the FAA requires it to receive fair market value for its leases. That’s why they are waiting for the road to be completed - the lease will theoretically be worth more then. When that happens, the airport will put out a request for proposals.
In the meantime, Barnett expects that he will continue to field calls about the property.
Right now, one of his priorities is encouraging participation in a Web survey about the feasibility of commercial air service in Bowling Green.
“We still have 21 days left (on Friday) for the survey and we have had a remarkable response so far,” he said. “We have had like 1,400, and the consultant told me that’s the most they have ever had in that time frame.”
Barnett said he expects to use the results of the complete feasibility study to market Bowling Green to many potential users.
He already has one in mind, Louisville-based Fly Your Jet. The company is just in its formative stages but would operate sort of like an air taxi.
“Once he gets established there, I intend to bring him to Bowling Green and have him talk about the service,” Barnett said. “It’s possible Bowling Green could become a second base.”
Until then, Barnett wants to drive as many people as possible to the airport’s Web site to fill out the survey at www.bgwcairport.org. The survey will be up until Sept. 30.
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Rivalry takes on a new meaning
Found: 8 Hours 53 Minutes ago
The Richmond Register - When he arrived at Eastern Kentucky University, Dean Hood admittedly knew very little about the heated, historic in-state rivalry between the Colonels and the Hilltoppers....
Special teams, defense carry WCHS
Found: 9 Hours 40 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Warren Central and North Hardin both found out Friday how important special teams and defense can be.
It was positive lesson for the Dragons, and a negative one for the Trojans.
Despite ending the first half with -7 yards of offense, Warren Central got a fumble-return touchdown, a punt-return score and some outstanding defense to outlast North Hardin 34-19 at Dragon Stadium.
“I hope that we realize one thing from this football game, and that is that special teams play a big, big role in winning football games and that you have to be on your toes at all times,” Warren Central coach Bill Cox said.
North Hardin quarterback LaRod King got the scoring started with a nine-yard score to put the Trojans up 7-0 early in the first. But the Dragon defense made its first statement of the game two drives later, as Brad Rice scooped up a fumble and rumbled 49 yards for a score to tie things at 7-7.
King was at it again two possessions later, hitting wide receiver Josh Stone for a 65-yard scoring strike. Central was able to block the point-after try, leaving North Hardin up 13-7 early in the second.
After both teams failed to break through on their next two possessions, Warren Central’s Cortez Baker fielded a Trojan punt, shook two defenders and outran the rest of the defense for an 85-yard score to put the Dragons up 14-13 - a lead they would hold until halftime.
The Warren Central offense finally broke out early in the third, as running back Tabarus Mitchell broke off a 53-yard run to set up his own four-yard scoring play to put Central up 20-13.
The Dragon defense would bend but not break, forcing North Hardin to turn the ball over on downs for the fourth time. And after the Trojans committed two straight pass interference penalties on the next Dragon possession, Mitchell was able to seal the deal with a one-yard plunge to put Central up 27-13 with 9:49 to go.
Although Warren Central was outgained 338-185, the Dragon defense forced two turnovers, five turnovers on downs and two punts - paving the way for the offense to come to life in the second.
“The defense and special teams kept us in there and gave us a chance to win,” Cox said. “And I thought that sooner or later our offense was going to come together a little bit and give us something, and of course, in the second half they were able to.”
Cox said he was extremely happy with the way his defensive unit responded after allowing 49 points to Boyle County just a week ago.
“I was very proud of them, they gave up some points last week and our offense didn’t help them early,” Cox said. “But I thought overall our football team worked hard this week and improved in some areas.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but it’s good to see some progress.”
North Hardin coach Craddock Jaggers said that the difference in the game was preparation - as he praised the Dragons for being ready to play while his team was not.
“They have a good ball club and I’m sure they worked harder Monday through Thursday than we did,” Jaggers said. “They deserved to win the ball game.
“When you’re dealing with 16- to 18-year-olds you never know, but I hope we learn a lot - and if we don’t come ready to work on Monday, we’ll get embarrassed next week.”
Mitchell finished with 86 yards and two scores on 11 carries, while Central quarterback Troy Halcomb - subbing for a suspended Quenton Smith - finished 4-for-10 with 82 yards, including a 32-yard scoring pass to Denzel Carpenter.
King led the way for the Trojans, going 21-for-37 for 191 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. King also had 119 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Warren Central (1-1) travels to John Hardin next week, while North Hardin (1-1) will visit Bowling Green.
NHHS 7 6 0 6 — 19
WCHS 7 7 6 14 — 34
First Quarter
NH — LaRod King 9 run (Brandon Bowser kick), 7:51
WC — Brad Rice 49 fumble return (Sergio Beltran-Sosa kick), 4:20
Second Quarter
NH — Josh Stone 65 pass from King (kick failed), 11:40
WC — Cortez Barber 85 punt return (Beltran-Sosa kick), 4:31
Third Quarter
WC — Tabarus Mitchell 4 run (kick failed), 6:11
Fourth Quarter
WC — Mitchell 1 run (Beltran-Sosa kick), 9:49
WC — Denzel Carpenter 32 pass from Troy Halcomb (Beltran-Sosa kick), 8:04
NH — Nigel Phelps 9 pass from King (kick failed), 3:39
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Greenwood edges Patriots 7-6
Found: 9 Hours 41 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - When Lee Hargis stepped onto a slushy field to kick an extra point in the second quarter Friday, Greenwood coach Mark Nelson didn’t utter a word..
With the Gators’ usual kicker Alex Belt at a soccer game, Hargis was forced to attempt an extra point on a field that had been rained on most of the day.
Hargis nailed the extra point as if he had been the starting kicker all along. The dead-center kick proved to be the difference and gave Greenwood a 7-6 win over visiting Allen County-Scottsville.
“I didn’t want to get into his head” Nelson said. “You don’t want to talk to them too much. That extra point was big for Hargis to step in like that. This was a big win for us.”
Hargis’ extra point came after a five-yard touchdown pass from Ty Downing to Ricky Adams with 4:37 left in the half. Greenwood started the drive on the Patriot 45-yard line and after four plays had the ball on the 14. But a lightning delay forced the teams to head into the locker room for 40 minutes.
Greenwood (1-1) didn’t let the delay take its momentum away. After the game resumed, the Gators scored on a quick slant pass to Adams just five plays in to give Greenwood the 7-6 lead.
“We didn’t know how long we would be in the locker room,” Nelson said. “I just let the kids hang out together and not get them ready until the official came in and said we had five minutes left to go.”
Still, Allen County-Scottsville (1-1) had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Trailing 7-6 with 8:30 left to play, the Patriots had a shot at a 27-yard field goal try, but the weather conditions came into play, causing a bad snap and a Patriot turnover.
“It was just a muffed snap,” Allen County-Scottsville coach Brad Hood said. “You have to be extra careful when it’s raining and extra careful when it’s wet and it just slid through the hands.”
Allen County-Scottsville got one last opportunity, getting the ball back when the Gators fumbled on the ACS 21-yard line.
The Patriots took over with 4:39 left to play and had a long way to go for another field goal attempt. The Patriots ran eight plays before being stopped by Greenwood’s defense.
“Defense definitely won this game,” Greenwood defensive end Michael Madison said. “We were out there more than anything and the offense couldn’t get much going because of the weather. And we played our hearts out tonight.”
Both offenses faced tough weather conditions and both teams were without their starting running backs. Allen County-Scottsville was missing leading rusher Flint Lich, out due to an injury. The Gators were without Dee Anderson, who missed because of an illness.
Allen County-Scottsville looked like it would take control of the game early, even without Lich. The Patriots received the ball to start the game and drove 55 yards on nine straight running plays that were capped by a Cory Cooper touchdown. Allen County-Scottsville elected to go for two instead of the extra-point attempt, but it failed.
“We did exactly what we wanted to do on that first drive,” Hood said. “But they shut us down after that. Greenwood just played better than us tonight.”
ACSHS 6 0 0 0 - 6
GHS 0 7 0 0 - 7
First quarter
ACS - Cory Cooper 3 run (conversion failed), 6:15
Second quarter
GHS - Ty Downing 5 pass to Ricky Adams (Lee Hargis kick), 4:37
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Raiders take a tumble, 41-6
Found: 9 Hours 41 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - FORT CAMPBELL — There have been plenty of highs for Warren East during head coach Ben Bruni’s tenure with the Raiders.
But Friday’s 41-6 defeat at Fort Campbell might be the lowest of lows.
East’s 35-point loss to the reigning Class 2A state champion was its worst setback to a team not named Bowling Green under Bruni, who is in his fourth year with the Raiders.
“Everything we’ve kind of been building for we tore down tonight,” Bruni said. “I just feel like I didn’t do a very good job preparing us for this game. I think my approach to this game put us in bad positions, and because of that we got beat.”
Only Brandon Flynn’s 9-yard touchdown with 5:51 left in the contest prevented East’s first shutout in almost two years. The Raiders were outgained 373-285 and committed all four of their turnovers in the second half.
The Raiders also lost one of their critical offensive weapons.
According to Bruni, quarterback Andrew Alvey took a blow to the head on the final play of the second quarter as the Raiders trailed 21-0. Alvey didn’t return, and Bruni said Alvey is “week-to-week, day-to-day.”
“I think when we lost Alvey, it handcuffed what we could do offensively,” Bruni said. “And obviously when you turn the ball over with the frequency we did, you don’t have a prayer of staying in the game.”
In Alvey’s place, Flynn was 2-for-5 for 21 yards, and had 11 carries for 40 yards. Tailback Shenard Holton had 13 carries for 80 yards.
East’s inability to score came one year after the Raiders ran over Fort Campbell.
East handed Fort Campbell a 52-27 victory last year, the Falcons’ last loss - with its win Friday, Fort Campbell has now won 15 straight contests.
“Our defense just took it as a great challenge this week that they were going to do their best to try and shut this thing down,” Fort Campbell coach Shawn Berner said. “We didn’t have one thing go right last year and I think our kids kind of focused on that this week.”
This year, East didn’t have many answers for Fort Campbell quarterback Antonio Andrews.
The elusive Andrews was as slippery as the wet field, finishing with 155 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. His one-yard run in the final minute of the half gave Fort Campbell a 21-0 halftime lead. He also added a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“We came out here and we were relentless and executed,” Andrews said. “We wanted revenge from last year.”
Andrews also got some help from his teammates.
Fort Campbell wide receiver Chris Allen took what looked like a simple screen pass from Andrews on third-and-15, but instead took it for a 62-yard touchdown with 4:25 left in the first quarter, which gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead.
Allen broke a couple of East tackles near the line of scrimmage then had a clear field toward the end zone.
Fort Campbell used another big play on its ensuing possession to take a 14-0 lead as running back Troy Turner scored on a 54-yard touchdown run.
The Raiders also helped Fort Campbell out.
None of Fort Campbell’s three second half touchdowns consisted of drives longer than 36 yards. The Falcons were set up on two of the touchdown drives by East turnovers.
“How many times did we turn the ball over inside our own 50?” Bruni said. “It’s not real hard to score touchdowns when you only have to go 30 yards.”
The Raiders (1-1) return home next weekend when they face Bardstown. But before Bardstown, Bruni said the Raiders will have to answer some questions.
“I think we have to find out what kind of character we have, because I don’t think we have a whole lot right now,” Bruni said. “I think this has been building for some quite some time. I think this team has had a sense of entitlement since last year and I think that might have just got smacked out of us.”
WEHS 0 0 0 6 - 6
FCHS 7 14 6 14 - 41
First quarter
FC - Chris Allen 62 pass from Antonio Andrews (Matt Lassitter kick), 4:25
Second quarter
FC - Troy Turner 54 run (Lassitter kick), 10:22
FC - Andrews 1 run (Lassitter kick), 1:20
Third quarter
FC - Breon Moreno 18 run (kick failed), 1:22
Fourth quarter
FC - Andrews 30 run (Lassitter kick), 11:36
FC - J.D. Ervin 4 run (Lassitter kick), 7:43
WE - Brandon Flynn 9 run (pass failed), 5:51
...
Football briefs: Stivers leads Butler County to 17-14 win
Found: 9 Hours 42 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Butler County got two passing touchdowns from Jesse Stivers - including a 62-yard third-quarter scoring toss to Matt Hudnall - and posted a 17-14 victory over Grayson County on Friday in Leitchfield.
The Bears (2-0) trailed 7-3 at halftime and 14-10 after three quarters, but Stivers’ 16-yard touchdown pass to Eli Embry with 4:09 left in the contest put Butler County ahead for good.
Butler County also got a 30-yard field goal from Easton Weathers with 4:22 left before halftime.
Stivers finished 9-of-15 for 112 passing yards, while Jason Byrd rushed for 84 yards. Hudnall led the Bears’ receivers with 78 yards.
Butler County outgained Grayson County (0-2) 216 yards to 210.
BCHS 0 3 7 7 - 17
GCHS 7 0 7 0 - 14
First Quarter
GCHS - Brad Harrison 2 run (kick good), 10:57
Second Quarter
BCHS - Easton Weathers 30 FG, 4:22
Third Quarter
GCHS - Dustin Thomas 14 pass from Hunter Gary (kick good), 6:35
BCHS - Matt Hudnall 62 pass from Jesse Stivers (kick good), 6:17
Fourth Quarter
BCHS - Eli Embry 16 pass from Jesse Stivers (kick good), 4:09
Edmonson County 14, Caverna 0
In Horse Cave, Edmonson County scored all 14 of its points in the first quarter Friday en route to a shutout of Caverna.
Quarterback Brent Smith hit Aaron Duncan on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 3:05 left in the first quarter to get the scoring started.
Smith was at it again less than two minutes later, capping off a Wildcat scoring drive with a one-yard plunge to make things 14-0.
The Edmonson County defense was then able to hold Caverna to just 169 yards of total offense for the remainder of the contest.
The Wildcats (2-0) will travel to Russellville next week.
ECHS 14 0 0 0 — 14
CHS 0 0 0 0 — 0
First Quarter
ECHS — Aaron Duncan 23 pass from Brent Smith (Leo Gonzalas kick), 3:05
ECHS — Smith 1 run (Gonzalas kick), 1:48
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Fresh storylines spice up old rivalry
Found: 9 Hours 42 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - One thing that seems to remain constant in the Western Kentucky-Eastern Kentucky football rivalry is that there are no constants.
After upsets and last-second heartbreaks, WKU and EKU will butt heads for the 85th - and possibly final - time at 5 p.m. tonight at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond.
While it’s still the same “Battle of the Bluegrass,” there are new wrinkles, with WKU making its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision and EKU ushering in a new era with first-year coach Dean Hood.
The one thing WKU coach David Elson is certain of is that the Colonels can play.
“They definitely have some ability - they’re a football team that knows how to win, they’re coming off of an OVC championship and have 30-some consecutive winning seasons,” Elson said. “They know how to win, and it’s tough because it still feels sort of like a first game because you only have one (taped) game with the new staff.
“You know there’s some changes, and you’re just not sure how much they showed or how much they did … so we’ve continued almost with a first-game mentality, doing what we do and executing our stuff with some of their base things.”
EKU is led by 2007 OVC Offensive Player of the Year Allan Holland, a senior quarterback. Holland - a Wake Forest transfer - threw for 1,990 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and ran for another 212 yards and four scores.
Holland lost his top running threat from a year ago (Bobby Washington, 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns) as well as his top two receivers (Quinton Williams and Kyle Barber). But Elson said the Hilltoppers still must contend with Holland’s experience and playmaking ability.
“He’s a guy that started his career at Wake Forest, so you know he’s got a ton of ability and he obviously showed it last year during their championship run,” Elson said. “And just like we always say that your biggest improvement comes between game one and game two, they’re going to feel the same way. So we’ve got to be ready for their best day of the year.”
Like Elson, Hood, who most recently served as a defensive coordinator at Wake Forest, brings a defensive-minded philosophy to EKU.
Hood’s unit is led by a veteran defensive line anchored by senior Chris Coy - the OVC leader in sacks and tackle for loss a season ago. Coy is joined by fellow senior and returning starter Chris Harris, as well as sophomore Andrew Soucy and junior Chauncey DeBose, all of whom saw extended action in 2008.
Hood said he expects WKU to be hungry for its first win in 2008. At the same time, though, he expects the unexpected.
“I think this is one of those games that you can throw out the fact that they’re I-A, or that we’re at home or it’s on natural grass or whatever because it’s a rivalry game,” Hood said. “They could be a lot better than us and we could win, or we could be a lot better than them and they could win.
“It’s one of those times where you can take all those stats on paper and toss them out, because they don’t mean a hill of beans.”
Wile tonight’s game will still be a typical Eastern-Western tilt in many respects, Elson said his team understands the significance of the series’ possible last hurrah.
He also said a rivalry game on the heels of last week’s loss at Indiana might be the best way to get the season back on track.
“In the past it’s been bragging rights for 365 days, and this time it will be bragging rights for who knows how long,” Elson said. “But I love having this game right here - I think it’s great timing for us.
“But we’re not going to take anything for granted. I like the way this works out, but we’ll continue to make sure they’re ready to go.”
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WKU briefs: Lady Topper golfers fourth in Ala. tourney
Found: 9 Hours 42 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Western Kentucky’s women’s golf team is tied for fourth after Friday’s opening round of Jacksonville State University’s Chris Banister Gamecock Classic in Gadsden, Ala.
Powered by four sub-80 rounds, the Lady Toppers posted a team score of 309 on the 6,014-yard, par-72 layout at the Robert Trent Jones Silver Lakes Golf Club.
Junior JoAnna Smith carded a 3-over 75, good enough to stand in a five-way tie for 10th, five strokes behind leader Christine Wolf of Tennessee-Chattanooga, whose 2-under 72 was one of just three subpar scores in the 10-team field.
Sophomore Jordan Margurder is tied for 16th, while junior Emily Wolff and sophomore Claire Costello each finished the day with 79s. Lauren School carded an 80 and Amy O’Connell, who was competing as an individual, is at 85.
UT-Chattanooga had the only three individuals who played the course with subpar scores and holds a commanding lead in the team scoring with its 288 first-round tally, 15 strokes better than Middle Tennessee.
After that stands Murray State (308), WKU and Southern Mississippi at 309, Jacksonville State (310), Eastern Kentucky (314), Florida Gulf Coast (315), Northwestern (La.) State (321) and Austin Peay (322).
The 54-hole tournament continues today with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The final 18 begins Sunday morning.
WKU volleyball wins fourth straight
The Western Kentucky volleyball team extended its winning streak to four Friday, defeating East Tennessee State in three games (25-16, 25-17, 26-24) at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.
The Buccaneers fell to 2-2 on the season.
In the first set, the Lady Toppers took control after a kill by senior Megan Argabright that gave WKU an 11-10 lead. From there it was all the Lady Toppers, who secured the game on a block by Argabright.
The Lady Toppers fell behind 11-6 early in game two but rebounded to tie the set at 12-12 on an ace by Argabright. WKU took the lead at 13-12 after a kill by junior Brittany Bowen, off an assist by senior Julia Noe.
The Lady Toppers were led by sophomore Emily Teegarden and Argabright. Teegarden finished the match with nine kills and a .375 hitting percentage, while Argabright recorded eight kills, a .385 hitting percentage, an ace, a solo block and five assists.
The Lady Toppers finished the match with a .303 hitting percentage, 31 kills on 66 total attacks, 27 assists, 31 digs, 10 team blocks and six aces while holding ETSU to just a .022 hitting percentage.
WKU returns to the court at 9:30 a.m. this morning to face Virginia Tech. The Lady Toppers complete their run in the Marshall University tournament at 6 p.m. today against host Marshall.
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Trinity rocks Purples
Found: 9 Hours 42 Minutes ago
Bowling Green Daily News - Limiting three-time defending state champion Trinity to 17 points might be enough for a team to celebrate a moral victory.
That wasn’t the case for Bowling Green on Friday.
Despite holding the Class 6A No. 2 Shamrocks to less than 300 yards, the Class 5A No. 2 Purples couldn’t make a dent offensively. As a result, Bowling Green left a muddy El Donaldson Stadium field with a frustrating 17-0 setback.
“We’re not into moral victories,” Bowling Green coach Kevin Wallace said. “This is not a program that is into moral victories. We wanted to win a football game. We knew it would be difficult. We knew it was really uphill, but I’m extremely disappointed in the way that we played.
“Can we grow from it? Sure. I thought we grew from the game last year, but we have to pick up and go to next week and play North Hardin.”
Bowling Green (1-1) was held to 73 yards of total offense as Trinity snapped the Purples’ 21-game home winning streak. The shutout was also the first for the Purples since a 9-0 loss to Hopkinsville on Nov. 9, 2002.
Bowling Green entered the game without senior lineman Austin Yates, who was injured during practice this week, and lost senior Taylor Shipley to an injury early in the game.
Without two of its most experienced players to anchor the line, the Purples finished with 69 yards rushing and just four yards passing.
“We already have great limitations offensively. And then when we lose our two best offensive linemen, including our best one, it certainly makes life a little bit tougher against a team like that,” Wallace said.
Trinity (1-0) had more yards on its opening drive, marching 80 yards on 11 plays. The key play came on a third-and-eight at the Trinity 36, when Rocks QB Cameron Smyth’s pass was tipped. But Scott Radcliff caught the ball while lying on the ground near midfield.
Six plays later, Smyth’s one-yard sneak gave Trinity a 7-0 lead.
“Any time you move the chains it’s big,” Trinity coach Bob Beatty said. “He slipped, but he made a great catch.”
Smyth and Radcliff struck again in the second quarter.
With Trinity facing second-and-long near midfield, Smyth avoided a heavy blitz from the BG defense and got free long enough to connect with Radcliff on a 43-yard touchdown pass that made the score 14-0.
“(Smyth) has a set of wheels,” Beatty said. “Sometimes he makes me pull my hair out, but he can avoid (the rush). Bowling Green is the type of team that they are going to bring a lot of pressure at you from every angle. That’s their game plan and it’s an excellent game plan.”
Trinity added a 19-yard field goal by Cooper Bohn midway through the third quarter, but the Shamrocks were held in check the rest of the way by the Bowling Green defense.
“We played hard and I compliment our defense, but I think the field conditions probably hurt (Trinity), too,” Wallace said. “It was a very difficult situation to get any kind of footing on this field. That might have worked to our advantage a little bit.”
Smyth finished the game 17-for-24 for 196 yards, while Tim Phillips had 76 yards on 17 carries for Trinity.
“I thought we had a great game plan going in,” Trinity coach Bob Beatty said. “We had a great opening drive. We mixed it up well. It’s a good learning experience. There’s some positives, but there are also some game management things we have to get better at.”
Tevin Barksdale had 63 yards rushing on 19 carries for the Purples, who finished the game with just three first downs.
“I feel like the defensive played as a team,” Trinity senior linebacker Jordan Whiting said. “We understood their offensive scheme. We knew they weren’t so strong as far as the pass goes, so we just stepped it up as far as the run goes.”
Bowling Green will return to action at 7 p.m. Friday when it plays at North Hardin.
THS 7 7 3 0 - 17
BGHS 0 0 0 0 - 0
First quarter
THS - Cameron Smyth 1 run (Cooper Bohn kick), 6:23
Second quarter
THS - Scott Radcliff 43 pass from Smyth (Bohn kick), 7:15
Third quarter
THS - Bohn 19 field goal, 7:47
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