What everyone associated with the team—coaches, players, fellow students, parents and fans—hopes is a long run in the KHSAA playoffs begins tonight for the Logan County Cougars. Coach Todd Adler’s team will play Madisonville-North Hopkins for the second time this season. It’s one of three straight home postseason games the Cougars have earned if they keep winning.
The Cougars (7-3) come into the game undefeated against Class 4A opponents and the highest rated 4A team west of Frankfort. M-NH (3-7) is the number 4 seed in Region I, District 1. Logan is the seventh-rated team in the state by the KHSAA’s RPI calculations while the Maroons are 25th, two touchdowns below the Cougars.
When they played less than a month ago, Logan County won on the road 31-13, but the Maroons were competitive in the first half.
All four of the Cougars’ touchdowns in the game were via rushes. Wyatt Blake scored twice while running for 119 yards on 12 carries. Ryan Rayno added 89 yards and a TD on 14 carries, and freshman JunVontre Dillard rushed 9 times for 47 yards and a score.
The other seven points came on four extra points and a field goad kicked by Mattia Giubilato.
Quarterback Davin Yates connected on 9 of his 16 passes for 101 yards. Zane Batten caught 5 of them for 70 yards while Blake caught 3 for 36 yards, and Jack Delaney pulled in a reception.
Blake and Rayno showed their versatility when Blake threw and Rayno caught a 52-yarder. Blake also punted and was second in tackles with 11—9 of them solos. Yates added 10 tackles (8 solos). Elijah Hawkins was the top tackler on the night and Peyton Taylor fourth.
The Cougar defense uncharacteristically gave up 212 yards rushing to the Maroons. Chris Price carried the ball 19 times for 116 yards while Lajuan McAdoo added 79 yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 attempts.
If the Cougars win tonight, they will most likely play Hopkinsville at Cougar Field next week. Coach Craig Clayton’s Tigers have won four straight games after losing 13-12 to the Cougars at Hoptown. The Tigers play host to Hopkins County Central tonight.
The following week, the winner of District 1 will probably be either Allen County-Scottsville or Franklin-Simpson of District 2. The Cougars beat F-S 29-27 early in the season on Giubilato’s field goal in the closing seconds. That game would be at Logan, too.
Up until last week, the Cougars would have also hosted the state semifinals the fourth week if they keep winning, but a lopsided loss last week to South Warren dropped Logan behind fifth-rated Franklin County (Frankfort) in RPI.
The Cougars were playing the state’s number two-ranked 5A team South Warren competitively until midway through the second quarter. They trailed 21-3 but had a first-and-goal at the Spartan’s 4-yard line after good runs by Yates and Blake. But the Spartans held for three downs. Coach Adler decided to go for the touchdown instead of another field goal. It failed and the Spartans quickly went 91 yards for a clinching score.
Adler told WRUS Sports that he wanted to see how his team would react to falling behind after leading most games by big margins this year. He said he was pleased that they never quit trying against the talented and powerful Spartans.
This game tonight will be carried live over WRUS, beginning with the pregame at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available now and are $7 with children 5 and under free. There will be NO CASH SALES AT THE GATE! GoFan Link: Logan County Vs Madisonville-North Hopkins