November 1, 2018 – Hazard, Kentucky – NATHAN LYTTLE – Bluegrass Sports Nation Perry Central Football Columnist
The Perry County Central Commodores just quietly tied the school’s single-season record for wins in a regular season.
This year’s Perry Central team stands with the 2011 team as the only Commodore teams to earn eight wins going into the playoffs. The 2011 team won the school’s first-ever playoff game, but lost in the second round to the Southwestern Warriors. This time, Perry Central will take the two-hour bus ride to The Reservation in the first round in hopes of pulling an upset.
“We have to keep them from hitting big plays on us,” Coach Ovie Canady said. “Last year, it happened repeatedly.”
Canady referenced last year’s 56-8 drubbing in the opening round of the postseason. Southwestern ended the Commodores’ season last year in a running clock affair that saw the Warriors move the ball almost exclusively in big chunks of yards.
“I’d be foolish to tell you it won’t happen a time or two with their speed but we have to limit them,” Canady added.
Speed kills, and the Warriors have a lot of it, especially when it comes to senior J.P. Vaught. Vaught is an elite speedster whose talents on the field may be surpassed by his accolades in the track and field world.
“We have to take care of the ball and move the chains,” Canady said. “If we can do (all those things), we can pull off the upset.”
The Commodores came up short in the race for the district title, but now the boys in red are forced to set their eyes on a bigger goal: a regional championship.
The game kicks off from 7:30 p.m. at The Reservation in Somerset.
This week’s Perry Central coverage is brought to you by Peoples Bank & Trust of Hazard, Scott Alexander – Perry County Judge-Executive, Hazard Auto Parts, Hazard Village Flea Market and Perry County Tire.
