BLUE JAY PREVIEW…

Lots of thoughts on this Thursday; big games tomorrow night for Charleston and East Prairie. Week three have the early season jitters behind and a couple of games under the belt. Both teams have shots at victory.

Charleston may even have an easier path at Portageville; the Bulldogs suffered back-to-back thumpins at the hands of SEMO South Conference foe Chaffee (47-30) and 3A State ranked Caruthersville to open the season 58-0.

But, the Blue Jays have only two wins over the past 3 seasons so take nothing for granted. Portageville, normally a solid program, has been on a down cycle in recent seasons but their quarterback (Bryce Wallace) chunked it 48 times and completed half (24) of them – to 5 different receivers with 3 TDs and 0 pix…

Bulldog Ben Story caught 8 for 68; Jordan Darst 7 – 70 and Dion Foster 5-53. Daniel Allen was the prime ground component with 78 yards in the 47-30 loss to the Red Devils that featured a few ‘Dawg turnovers…

Blue Jay quarterback Jamaul Gray is set to explode; he has paid his dues and look for a break out game Friday at Jim McKay Field. Senior Maurice Moore should gain ground up the middle for the Jays giving Robert Bogan and Rontavious Clark room to run on the outside.

Defensively, look at the first half of the Sikeston game. Enough said. The depth matchup will be equal Friday night, and those P’ville legs still have to catch the Jays in the second half…should be a good matchup and entertaining football game.

I would like to be there – I have many old friends in Portageville including the father of the Qb and the WR…but, I will be at Wil Wilfong Field in Scott City for the SEMO South slugfest between he Rams and Eagles…;

Check out Dave Manker (KCHR) and Spencer Whitehead (107.1) if you can’t make the ride; or like me monitor one game while watching another…; try it, it’s a lot of fun. I listen to Reid Howell’s broadcast of KYMO of the Eagles while at Charleston games…done it for years…

On to the turf at Scott City. There just a little bit something there when these two teams play. Can’t put a hand on it. Well, yeah, really I can.

WEEK 3 PREVIEW

 

EP VS HAYTI

Ep at Scott City….Charleston at Portageville…

The Eagles take to the road again this week up I-55 – just not quite as far – to Scott City to take on the rival Rams in a SEMO Conference South division showdown…; the teams have a healthy – if not so much friendly – rivalry.

This goes back decades…; I have a special distaste for the Rams for two reasons; 1 – we lost a game at Scott City my senior year because of a missed pass interference call (really personal, hard to talk about); 2 – our baseball team that year – as well – lost a chance to win the conference because the Rams refused to play a make-up game….;

So, really, I can’t stand the Rams. I don’t think I’m alone amongst Eagle fans who remember ‘The Fumble’…; and, a little episode two years ago when Ep kinda piled it on at the end against the male sheep…;oh, so sorry. NOT.

To this game; Scott City is improved from the past couple of years. Their offense in the past has been student body left/right; SC now has a passing game to go with their vaunted running attack.

The Rams opened the season with a 47-21 SEMO South loss to Malden and then rebounded in Week 2 with a 27-21 victory over St. Vincent.

Junior quarterback Jonathon McFall runs the offense and has talented senior Austin Atchely as his primary target; the Rams also get offense from junior running back Travis Phillips…

For the Eagles, this will be a good test. Will the freshman defensive replacements stand up on the road – again. Will the offense under the leadership of senior quarterback Dalton Golightly continue to pick up steam?

P-Lat (Phillip Latomondeer) has been ruled out and is likely out until the District games with a broken bone in his foot revealed on a doctor visit earlier this week. The senior has led from the sideline/weight room to this point and deserves a shot to get on the field during his senior season.

Sophomore Brad Beck got his wheels rolling against Grandview and the Eagles will need a good performance from him out of the backfield; fullback Frank Nave will have a monster game I feel.

 PICK: Ep 31 SC 21

Charleston has a chance to show folks the win in week 1 at Kennett was no fluke – much like the lopsided score loss to Sikeston in week 2 was flukish; anyone in attendance at the 126th meeting of the rivalry knows that the Jays were in that ballgame until the final minute of the first half when things went south quickly against C-town.

The Charleston backfield will run rampant on the Portageville offense. Look for big games from quarterback Jamaul Gray and Maurice Moore. These two have been on the field for the last two years and have endured the rebuilding process leading the way by example. Underclassmen Rontavious Clark and Robert Bogan will put yards and points up as well.

The Jays rebound. PICK: Charleston 35 Portageville 21

SEMO CONFERENCE

                     SOUTH

                          Overall                            Conference

Hayti                2               0                   2            0

EP                   1                 1                   0             1

Chaffee          1                 1                   1             0

Malden          1                 1                    1             1

S. City            1                 1                    0              1

P’ville             0                2                    0             2

                     CENTRAL

Dexter            2                 0                    1              0

C’ville             2                 0                   2              0

C’town          1                  1                    1               0

NMCC           0                 2                    0              0

Kennett         0                 2                    0              2

                             WEEK 3

*South; ^ Central

EP at Scott City*

Charleston at Portageville

Chaffee at Hayti*

Sikeston at Dexter

Kennett at Gosnell, Ar.

Malden at Piggott, Ar.

C’ville at Crystal City

Farmington at NMCC

                                 WEEK 4

Kennett at EP

Charleston at NMCC^

REMEMBER 911 FOREVER….

RAY TAYLOR does…A college buddy at SEMO’s first hand accout of the attack on the Pentagon….

http://stratobatter.blogspot.com/

Do you remember where you were 10 years ago today. I do; was sitting in the news room of the Fulton (Ky.) Leader….; A family owned – at that time – newspaper with an old-time feel….

I remember the publisher’s Father coming into the office that morning – he was a WWI vet – saying something had bombed the Empire State Building…; me and William (Publisher) kinda looked at each other, grinnin; he was always coming in and saying something had happened…so, we kinda thought he was kidding… saying oh this can’t be…

Well, about a minute later we turned on CNN…And there it was….

The ole newsman had the buildings wrong (it was the World Trade Center) but he was right on the attack and told us in time to get the tube on for second plane…I quickly then picked up my stuff and headed home to my pregnant wife to watch the days events unfold glued to the TV.

Yeah, I remember where I was…Fulton, Kentucky…

It still makes me angry watching this…

And, it makes me even angrier listening to idiots speaking in support of Muslims and their rights in this country; Pardon me; for my blatant political incorrectness but, frankly, I don’t care how many good Muslims there are in America…; it will take decades – maybe never for Americans to forgive….we will never forget….

Chills again…well said, Toby Keith.

In the decade since 911, we have been at constant war with Islamic radicals/extremists….American kids are still dying in far off places so WE can sleep at peace at nite in the comfort of our homes…

God Blessed America and still continues to do so….for all our problems/worries economic frailties…there’s no better place on planet Earth than the United States of America….

And, extremely proud of East Prairie native Wayne Bell and his publication – and his performance in response to the Islamic idiots – who are crying foul over this coloring book. Keep howling towel-head, it only helps sales….

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45976

There still is the problem of American troops in harm’s way…; we can’t – and won’t – pull completely out of our battles with terrorists…; there is no other country in the world that can engage extremists and hold them accountable.

This next election will be abouto the economy – stupid – but I’d also like to see and end-game on what are future plans entail in this War on Terrorism…; blanket bombing and turn the rocks to dust is my solution; that won’t happen, but it would sure save American lives, which – quite frankly – is my only concern….

Will we ever strike first; …or is there a payback 911 attack planned; will the terrorsits try and strike here again someday….; we can’t forget – ever – and need not take continued attacks without appropriate response…; I – for one – support the Commander in Chief of our armed forces in any way deemed necessary to thwart forces of evil….

Kinda liked this Rick Reilly piece on ESPN.com…this is part of what makes this country what it is…and why I feel safe in our homeland…; can you imagine some country invading America…; this would be their welcome mat times 240 million or so….

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/6935757/remembering-flight-93

DRAGGIN….

Sheesh….feels like a Monday; think the kids had their first tardy today….; oh well, oops….;

Bad thing is….kids pay for things dads do – or don’t do…since I’m not in the best frame of mind I shall keep it brief so as not to blow a gasket….

We got some good rest here last nite tho. and so did JERSEY….; great story on her adoption by the Ambrose family…;she couldn’t’ have found a better home….

We’ll update later today on future needs of the SHS….For now….Peace…off to the Doc to ease this ear-ache….

WINNING…

To paraphrase American comic icon Charlie Sheen quote, – that should be in blue font to denote sarcasm – but this is the sheer definition of winning in my book….’

JERSEY is home….safe and sound tonite…..From an Andrew Ambrose FB post:

She’s sporting her new pink collar that Ryanne went out and got her tonight along with a food bowl full of toys. Jersey stands looking in the door wagging her tail and soaks up every bit of love we give her, very sweet pup with a good disposition. Ryanne told me before she went to bed that she thought Jersey was going to fit into our family just fine LOL!

HER NAMES IS JERSEY