When the Russellville and Logan County football teams meet tonight at Rhea Stadium, both the present and the past will be on display.
It’s fitting that these teams are both coached by two young alumni of their schools who are among the best who ever played football for their teams.
Coach Todd Adler’s Logan County Cougars will be on display. They are continuing the trend of the last two seasons. After going 11-1 in 2017 and 10-2 last year, the current Cougars are 3-0. When Adler’s first team in 2016 ended the season with a rout of Todd Central, it broke a 43-game losing streak for LCHS teams. Now they have won 25 of their last 28 games and are ranked eighth in the state in Class 4A.
Russellville has a great football history, but the Panthers have struggled the past two years. They come into this game with an 0-3 record after having let a lead slip away in the closing minutes last week. By edging the Panthers 20-15, Butler County ended its own 22-game losing streak.
Coach Mikie Benton, who came home to teach and coach after starting in the defensive backfield for the University of Kentucky, is maintaining a remarkably positive attitude, continuing to see positives and improvement in his team, which has the fewest people in uniform for an RHS team in decades.
Comparative scores heavily favor the Cougars. Russellville opened its season with a 48-0 loss at Warren East. The Cougars were challenged for the first time last week but won at East 35-17. The Cougars are the second highest scoring team in class 4A at 49.7 points per game. The Panthers are the third-lowest scoring team in Class A and have given up the most points.
Many in the crowd will not only watch tonight’s action on the field, but they will have the opportunity to reflect on local football 35 years ago.
Although no ceremony is expected to commemorate it tonight, 1984 was a special year for Logan County football. That was the year Coach Steve Eans and his players took LCHS football up a notch to varsity football in what was just the third year of the consolidated school’s existence. Early Cougar teams played their home games at Rhea Stadium.
Meanwhile Russellville Alumni head honcho Greg Owens, who seems to have a celebration planned for every Panther home football game, is doubling up tonight. Before the game at 6 p.m. his R Club will unveil a tribute to Coach Ken Barrett. Many of Coach Barrett's players will be in attendance to enjoy remembering the great times they had as Panthers. Coach Barrett is expected to be there.
This will be at the Panther Park, which is located at the west entrance to Rhea Stadium on Summer Street, near the entrance of the old RHS/RMS gymnasium. The brick work has been done by former Panther star lineman Billy Costello. The bricks are from the foundation of the long-time college’s classroom building, which was razed about 50 years ago. Some of the stones are way over 100 years old. Other memorials are located in Panther Park, too.
The second alumni recognition tonight will be at halftime of the game. The 1984 Panthers are to be honored on their 35th anniversary and many of them are expected to be on the field. That team went 12-1 and reached the state semifinals.
The 1984 team is best known for helping set a school record for winning 24 straight games, beginning with the final 12 games of the 1983 season. Many of the 1984 seniors were key players on that state championship season and continued those winning ways. They broke the previous school record of 14 in a row set by the 1949-50 "Golden Panthers." Their record has not been threatened since.
The 1983 state championship and the 24-game win streak are a part of the marvelous success Ken Barrett enjoyed in his two decades-plus career as the RHS coach. His 1980 and 1990 teams also were state champs and his 1987 team was state runner-up.
Whitney Thompson Shoulders wrote: Love being able to call Coach Barrett my Grandaddy! Growing up and having him to look up to heavily influenced my journey into becoming a woman. He instilled countless qualities in me. He instructs the family on what it means to keep Christ in the center of it ALL. I admire him more than words could express. For this monument to go up is truly humbling for our family.”
Game time is 7 p.m. Countdown to Kickoff on all of WRUS’ platforms will begin at 6:30 with John Brett Reynolds and Chris McGinnis offering insights and witticisms, followed by game action.