With all due respect to Randolph County and Beulah, Clay County’s first two opponents this season, they’d have to be considered tune-ups in comparison to what lies ahead on the Panthers’ schedule.
After a 40-14 win in Week 1, Clay County blanked Beulah 58-0. Now, the storied program, with a history that includes six state titles, will embark upon the toughest stretch of its season, beginning tonight when they take on defending Class 3A state champion and top-ranked Leeds in Ashland.
Next week, the No. 7 Panthers will hit the road for the first time when they travel to Roanoke to take on No. 3 Handley before hosting arch-rival Lineville, a 2010 state semifinalist and currently ranked seventh in Class 2A, in the final Clay Bowl ever.
“It’s a big stretch,” Clay County coach Kris Herron said. “It’s the Amen Corner of our schedule with those three games back-to-back-to-back.”
That’s three games against three ranked and unbeaten opponents in as many weeks, two of which will likely determine whether or not they host or travel in the first week of the state playoffs in November.
A lifetime of bragging rights will be on the line in the Lineville game but neither coaches nor players can look forward to that momentous occasion as difficult as it may be. Herron said coaches often try to slip a play or two from a big opponent’s playbook in practice a week or two in advance to see how their defense reacts.
But with the Green Wave, Tigers and Aggies in consecutive weeks, no such luxury can be afforded.
“We’re going to find out a little bit about ourselves,” Clay County Kris Herron said. “These are going to be games where the starters will have to play the whole ball game. We’ll face some adversity and we might even have to play from behind. It’ll be interesting to see what this team is made of.
Last year, Clay County went 0-3 at this juncture of the season, losing 3-0 in overtime on the road to Leeds then dropping a five-point game to Handley before being blown out by Lineville to slip to 2-3.
That’s something that happens about as often as a lunar eclipse in Ashland.
Herron said he told his team they could do one of two things — focus or fold.
The Panthers chose the former, winning five straight to close out the regular season 7-3 before going on to down Hale County on the road in the first-round of the playoffs. They met up with Leeds again in the second-round, this time losing 17-6.
“That gave us a lot of confidence,” said quarterback Shawncey Simmons, one of 16 seniors, of the impact of last year’s games against the Green Wave. “I’ve just been telling guys to go out and practice hard because they’re not what they’re made out to be. And I kind of think we’re better this year.”
After scoring nearly 100 combined points in its first two contests, Herron said he’s been pleased with his team’s progress thus far.
They scored two defensive touchdowns in the opener and did what a good team trying to be great should against a young team such as Beulah which plays a lot of ninth and tenth-graders by blowing them out.
In reviewing film of the this year’s Green Wave, Herron said they look just as good as their predecessor which ran the table, going 15-0 on its way to a second state title in the past three seasons. Despite, the departure of talented players such as former defensive back Jonathan Rose, now at Auburn, and running back Dedrick Forsythe, who signed with Coahoma Community College (Miss.), Leeds has started this season with a 19-point victory against Alexandria and a 32-point drilling of Marbury.
“This is going to be our three toughest games of the year,” lineman Joseph Meek said. “As a player, you have to look at week by week. It’s exciting to think about. Me, I play football for games that are tough like this.”
Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3575. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.
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