Last week’s torrential storms caused Craig County’s Homecoming game to be moved, then postponed until Monday, October 7. With that, the Rockets will play three games in eight days beginning with a trip to Phelps High in Kentucky this Friday.
“Disappointed we could not get our Homecoming game played last week but the weather just didn’t cooperate,” said Craig County coach Jimmy Fisher. “But adversity comes fast and hard sometimes and you just have to plod through it. We didn’t get to play or practice Thursday or Friday and won’t get to practice tomorrow (Monday, no school).”
The Rockets will play at Marty Casey Stadium, chiseled into the hills of Kentucky, this Friday night. This is the first meeting ever between the two and Phelps has opened the season 2-2 with two wins over teams who are also on Craig’s schedule. Phelps beat Bland County, 36-0, and Twin Valley, 52-32, around losses to two Kentucky schools. They opened with a 48-8 loss to Jackson County and on September 20 they lost to Knott County Central, 46-34.
“Phelps is very athletic, quick, and has fast skill kids,” said Fisher. “Especially number 11, he plays wide receiver and runs the ball a bunch, too. He is deadly in special teams, we cannot kick it to him. We have to keep the receivers in front of us and tackle well.”
Fisher was without power this past weekend and didn’t get to see film on Phelps until Sunday.
“I think they will screen us to death like Montcalm did and I think they will go for the deep ball with their receiver corps,” said Fisher. “They’re averaging close to 33 points per game. We have to make them drive the ball and limit the explosive plays. I think we need to pound the ball at them offensively and keep the clock running and limit their possessions.”
The Rockets haven’t played a game since September 13 when they lost at Montcalm, 20-17. That’s three weeks without a game.
“I hope we aren’t flat,” said Fisher. “We need to play enthused, physical football.
“Twin Valley is rescheduled for Monday, October 7, so we will play Phelps on the 4th, Twin Valley on the 7th, and East Mont on the 11th. Three games in eight days. Three games that we have a solid chance of competing in and winning. We need to play smart, skip the injury bug and really get after it that eight day stretch.”
The Rockets go into that stretch with a 2-1 record.
