For the first time this football season, the Logan County Cougars will experience two challenges Friday night. They will be on the road and they will face a team which could make winning difficult.
The Cougars are 2-0 after having won a pair of running-clock routs, 55-20 over Butler County and 59-0 over Muhlenberg County. Both games were at home in front of packed stands.
East is 1-1. Coach Jeff Griffith’s team beat visiting Russellville 48-0 in their season opener, but lost 50-6 to powerful South Warren at WKU last Friday.
The Raiders are in the same Class 4A region as the Cougars, but they play in a different district. This year Logan’s district appears to be much stronger. In a published ranking this week, the Cougars are 10th in the state but only third in their district with Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkinsville ranked higher.
Those are two of the only three schools to beat Logan in the past two years. The other is two-time defending state champion Franklin-Simpson, but this year the Wildcats are 0-2 and no team in District 2 is ranked.
Game time is 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on all of WRUS’ platforms.
Cougars state leaders
Coach Todd Adler’s team goes into the East game ranked among the top 10 in the state in several individual and team categories. They are as follows:
Points After Touchdowns: 1) Lucas Arevalo, 7 of 7; 15) Dawson Wilson, 2 of 3; (Kobe Kawaii of East is 6 of 8; 16) Tyler Ezell, 3 of 6
Team Scoring: 1) Cougars, 57.0 points per game; (East is 16th at 27 points per game)
Team Scoring Margin: 1) Cougars; (East is 16th at 2.0)
Rushing Defense: 1) Cougars, 5 yards per game; (East is 8th at 171 yards per game.)
Team Sacks: 1) Cougars, 4.5 per game (East is tied for 7th at 2.0 per game.)
Defensive Fumbles: 2 tie) Zach Yates, 2 each;
Interceptions: 2 tie) Xavier Evans, 2 each; 6 tie) Maurice Gordon and J.T Fant of East, 1 each
Team Passing: 2) Cougars, 262 yards per game (East is 19th at 112 yards per game.)
Fumbles Recovered: 2 tie) Cougars, 2.0 per game)
Scoring: 3) Gary Hardy, 42 points on 7 rushing touchdowns
Team Interceptions: 3 tie) Cougars, (East tied for fifth with 2.)
Defensive Sacks: 4 tie) Gary Hardy, 2 each; 12 tie) Logan Gipson and Zach Yates, 1 each
Passing: 5) Tyler Ezell, 26 completions in 40 attempts (65 percent) for 457 yards and 6 touchdowns with 1 interception (East quarterback Nolan Ford is 16th who is 12 of 28 (42.9 percent) for 224 yards and 4 touchdowns and an interception.
Team Defense: 5) Cougars, 10.0 points per game; (Warren East is 25th at 25.0)
Team Rushing: 7) Cougars, 250 yards per game; (East is 23rd at 144.)
Fumbles Forced: 2 tie) Cougars, 2
Rushing: 8) Gary Hardy, 263 yards on 22 carries (12.0 yards per carry and 132 yards per game) for 6 touchdowns
Receiving: 9) Anthony ‘Rooster’ Woodard, 6 catches for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns; 23) Jaden Sells, 6 catches for 110 yards and 1 touchdown
Thirty-one of the state’s 38 Class 4A teams reported their statistics.