For coach Brian Turner, tomorrow brings the long-awaited season opener. Long time rivals Morgan County and Rowan County meet in Morehead for the ninth annual Cave Run Classic.
Turner's first and only matchup against Rowan was a success---beating the Vikings 36 - 0 in his head coaching debut back in 2003. This came after Rowan had scored back-to-back convincing wins over the Cougars the two previous seasons.
Rowan is sure to be the favorite on Friday. The Vikings have outscored Morgan by 100 points in the team's previous two meetings. But rest assured, Turner and his players aren't ready to concede anything. It's a brand new season with a game than will be won on the field---not on paper. And the Cougars are ready.
"We're anxious to get on the field Friday night and give it our best shot," Turner said this week. "We know Rowan has a ton of speed. They run the option and have players all over the field. We've got to improve defensively and control the clock. We cannot get in a scoring contest with Rowan. We have to play smart."
A big concern for the Cougars will be junior running back Darrell Cross, who led Rowan with nearly 1,200 yards rushing and scored nine touchdowns in 2008.
"Darrell is one of the best football players in northeastern Kentucky," said Viking head coach ShaDon Brown. "He'll be all over the field---at running back, wide receiver or wherever we can use him. We hope he's tough for Morgan to tackle."
"Whether it's Cross or another player, you've got to put eight people in the box and come hard to stop the run," said Turner in reference to Rowan's offense. "They're not a real physical team, but Rowan has speed and is very elusive. We've got to contain and get our pads on them."
While Morgan certainly has respect for the Vikings, the feeling is also mutual. Brown knows this is not the same Cougar team that Rowan took to the woodshed last season---and he's taking nothing for granted.
"I watched Morgan scrimmage Fairview this past weekend and was impressed with what I saw," said the Rowan County coach. "The double wing offense is tough to defend. I'll be honest, I've never coached or played against the double wing so it will be a new experience for me. It's like watching a rugby scrum. You've got to find the football and get as many three and outs as possible."
Besides the new offensive scheme, Brown also sees a new attitude at Morgan County.
"The players on the sidelines and their coaching staff were fired up and the team played with a lot of energy," Brown said. "I definitely think coach Turner has the team headed in the right direction."