Clay County to take on team from Carthage for the first time since 1986

By THOMAS P. WEAVER

Horizon Editor

CARTHAGE-The Clay County Bulldog football team will be in search of their first win of the season when they head here to Smith County to take on the Class 2A Owls for the first time since 1986 Friday night.

And they will be looking to rebound from a tough loss to Glasgow, KY in their season opener, according to head coach Bruce Lamb.

“We weren’t prepared and that’s my fault,” the veteran coach said of his team’s performance north of the state line.  “I promise you this, we will be prepared this week.

“It was a very eye-opening experience for us and there’s nothing we can do about it, but put in behind us, learn from it, and have a better showing than we did this past week.”

The Dawgs took on the Scotties without all-state athlete Nolan Adams, who returns to action this week from suspension for the first game of his senior campaign.

“It opens up both sides of the ball having Nolan and his experience and athletic ability,” Lamb said.  “Just having that guy around, because he’s one of our leaders.

“He and (senior) Reece (Adams) are the main ones, and when you lose one of those guys it shows, and it did the other night.”

Lamb said Smith County has “a good quarterback,” along with a “big six-foot, six-inch tight end” and a running back who rushed for 170 yards in the Owls’ 28-23 win over Watertown last Friday night.

He also said “they swarm to the ball” on defense and are “a lot better” than they were last year when they finished the season 2-9.

Plus Clay County will also be making the trip here to the home of the Owls, which is known as “The Hole.”

“Anytime you go down there it is going to be hard to breathe, much less play,” Lamb said.  “It is always a tough place to play.

“I’m sure it will be this week and we’ve got to be up for the test.”

Game time Friday night here at Smith County is 7 p.m.  The Horizon Sports Network will have live-stream coverage of the game beginning at 6 p.m. on the Dale Hollow Horizon Facebook page and online at dalehollowhorizon.com.

Scotties shut

out Bulldogs

Explosive plays by the Glasgow Scotties did the Dawgs in here last Friday night, as the Class 3A Kentucky team shut out Clay County 49-0.

The Dawgs had an opportunity to get a leg up on the Scotties early, when they recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff, but Glasgow turned a fourth-down pass deep in their own territory into a 90-yard pick-six to start the onslaught.

A holding penalty put Clay County in the tough situation on their opening drive and similar calls hampered their other first-half possessions, while the Scotties fired at will.

Following the interception returned for a touchdown to put Glasgow up 7-0, they scored on their next two drives.

A 65-yard touchdown pass and a 60-yard rushing score surged the Scotties ahead 21-0 before first-quarter’s end.

They then added another in the second quarter to lead 28-0 at the break, before finding the end zone three more times in the second half.

Bulldog stats

Clay County was held to just 115 yards of total offense on 42 plays, including 62 rushing yards and 53 passing yards.

In his first start, sophomore quarterback Fletcher Strong was responsible for all of the yards through the air on nine of 14 passing (2 INTs), while Reece Adams also had one incompletion.

Seniors Waylon Cherry (3/25 yds.), Cole Eads (3/16 yds.), Bryson Sharp (1/6 yds.), and Reece Adams (1/4 yds.), along with freshman Nemo Hamilton (1/2 yds.), all had catches in the contest.

Reece Adams was the leading rusher (21/81 yds.), and senior Warner Melton (2/2 yds.) and Strong (4/-21 yds.) also had carries.

Reece Adams was also the leading tackler with seven (FR); Cherry, junior Rolan Holaway (Sack), and Hamilton each had three stops; and seniors Kolton Brown and Sharp (FR) both had two tackles, while Eads and sophomores Cole Ledbetter and Jackson Ritter had one apiece.