"Kentucky rain keeps pouring down
And up ahead's another town that I'll go walking through
With the rain in my shoes (rain in my shoes)
Searching for you
In the cold Kentucky rain
In the cold Kentucky rain"
Well it's more like Hurricane Helene rain than it is Kentucky Rain. But "The King" is still spot on that the rain will keep pouring down for this weeks' games.
So get ready to see some old fashioned mud bowls in Proctorville and Belpre, and as for the teams on turf, hold onto that ball real tight.
Symmes Valley Vikings (1-3) @ Green Bobcats (1-4)
Time: Saturday September 28, 7:30 PM
Where: Bobcats Stadium, Franklin Furnace, OH
It's going to be a Saturday night special in "The Furnace". The Bobcats will be looking to snap their losing streak against a Vikings team that's coming off an open week. Always a competitive game, this game should feature contrasting offensive philosophies.
Symmes Valley
Need For Speed The Vikings will have an advantage in this category on Saturday. They'll need to find ways to exploit that.
Stop The Run The Bobcats will try to slow the game down and control the tempo with their ground game. The defense will need to force three-and-outs and take control of the momentum.
GREEN
Control The LOS In order for the Bobcats to control the game's tempo, they'll need to win the battle up front. This means the offensive line will need to open the holes for Green's backs.
Limit Big Plays The defense will need to limit Viking playmakers like Will Jones from making big plays. This means good pursuit angles and disciplined defense will be crucial.
South Point Pointers (1-4, 0-1 OVC) @ Fairland Dragons (5-0, 2-0 OVC)
Time: Friday, September 27, 7:00 PM
Where: Jim Mayo Memorial Stadium, Proctorville, OH
The Dragons have controlled the series as of late and should be a heavy favorite this Friday night. Expect this game to be a wet and muddy affair with all the rainfall that's expected. So we might get to see both teams' rushing games.
South Point
Keep Away The more the offense has the ball, the less the Dragons offense has it. This will help the Pointers stick around.
Stay With It The Dragons are going to make plays with their playmakers. The Pointers cannot get discouraged and need to just keep fighting.
Fairland
Pedal To The Metal Fairland's offense has been on a roll as of late. They need to get themselves going early and not look back.
Early Knockout The best way to avoid an upset bid is to score early and often. Then the defense needs to shut down the Pointers for an early knockout.
Rock Hill Redmen (4-1) @ Belpre Eagles (1-4)
Time: Friday, September 27, 7:00 PM
Where: Ralph Holder Stadium, Belpre, OH
This will mark the first-ever matchup between these two programs. The Eagles have been struggling this season but hope the rain and soft turf at home will help them in their upset bid. The Redmen will be looking to keep their momentum as they jump back into conference play next week.
Rock Hill
Explosive Plays The offense has gotten a big boost from explosive plays this season. Getting the ball early to their key player to make those plays will help set the tone.
Dominate Up Front The Redmen should have a distinct advantage at this position on Friday. Establishing the line of scrimmage and taking control early will halt any upset bid.
Belpre
Make Plays The offense will need to make some plays and extend drives. This will help run clock and keep the ball out of Rock Hill's hands.
Field Position Battle The Eagles will need to play some field position and try to make the Redmen drive the length of the field. They cannot allow short fields.
Gallia Academy Blue Devils (0-5, 0-2 OVC) @ Coal Grove Hornets (3-2, 1-1 OVC)
Time: Friday, September 27, 7:00 PM
Where: Lemaster Stadium, Coal Grove, OH
This game couldn't have come at a better time for the Hornets. With an open week looming next week, hosting the struggling Blue Devils is just what Coal Grove needs to help get the confidence back and heal up some players with bumps and bruises.
Gallia Academy
Hang Around The Blue Devils will need to find a way to get some success on offense. An early score could lead to some confidence and help them feel like they can hang around.
Stop The Run Let's face it. The Hornets are going to run the ball. So the defense will need to stack the box and make some stops.
Coal Grove
Bounce Back The Hornets need to respond after a tough loss last week. Coming out and setting the tone early will dictate how this game goes.
Put Away Early The Blue Devils are struggling and can't be allowed to hang around. The Hornets must execute and limit any mental mistakes early on to build a lead.
Clarkson North, CN Chargers (3-1) @ Ironton Fighting Tigers (5-0)
Time: Saturday, September 27, 7:00 PM
Where: Tanks Memorial Stadium, Ironton, OH
The Fighting Tigers welcome back Clarkson North, who previousy played in the 2023 Gridiron Classic against Martinsburg, WV. The Chargers will try to make this visit a much better one and leave town with a win. Meanwhile, Ironton looks to remain undefeated as they march towards postseason play.
Clarkson North
Take Advantage While Ironton's has limited their mistakes this season, the Chargers will need to pounce on anything the Tigers give them on Friday.
Contain The Big Play The defense will need to find ways to limit Ironton from making too many big plays.
Ironton
Share The Wealth The Tigers have managed to spread out the offensive production to everyone. They'll need to do more of the same on Friday.
Avoid A Letdown After a big win last week, the Tigers cannot overlook a good Clarkson team. Staying focused and doing your job will help avoid that.
Game of the Week: Portsmouth Trojans (4-1, 2-0 OVC) @ Chesapeake Panthers (3-2, 0-1 OVC)
Time: Friday, September 27, 7:00 PM
Where: Panthers Stadium, Chesapeake, OH
The Trojans roll into this game after a convincing win last week. The Panthers will be looking to snap a 2-game skid. This game will feature plenty of size in the trenches and a lot of speed at the skill positions. This should be a very physical game on Friday.
Portsmouth
Lineman Challenge Just like last week, the Trojan offensive and defensive lines will be tasked at winning the battles in the trenches against Chesapeake's size.
Contain Speed The defense must keep the Panthers' speed in check. They cannot allow their backs to get outside and cause damage.
Chesapeake
Finish Drives The offense has had trouble in recent weeks finishing drives. They'll need to execute and limit mistakes against a tough opponent.
Early Down Success The defense must limit gains on early downs and force the Trojans to throw the ball more than they normally want to.