TheTimesTribune.com, Corbin, KY
CORBIN —
The 19th meeting between crosstown rivals North and South Laurel should be a dandy Friday at Gilliam Field.
The Cardinals lead the overall series, 12-6, but Chris larkey’s up-and-coming Jaguars won a defensive battle last season at The Jungle, 7-6.
“This should be a very good game,” said Larkey, whose team is coming off a 41-20 win over Williamsburg. “They might be 0-2, but they have played two very good teams and could have won both games.
“I’m really concerned because they have a lot more athletes than we do and their speed could really overmatch us,” he added. “I just know they can be very explosive and we’ve got to be ready. The Tyler Vaughn kid is a great player and he’s tough to stop.”
But don’t let Larkey fool you, his Jaguars aren’t too shabby either.
North Laurel totaled 543 yards last week against Williamsburg with 430 of those yards coming via the ground game.
Hughie Wagers ran for a career best 152 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, while Jason Williams (139 yards on 12 carries) and Ronnie Rotundi (76 yards on nine carries) also had big games on the ground.
North Laurel quarterback Johnny Fugate completed seven-of-12 pass attempts for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
“North Laurel has a very good team,” South Laurel coach Larry Welch said. “They have a good quarterback and they really have good tailbacks. They also have a good offensive line and they play in-your-face type of defense that we’ve got to be ready for. They really attack — they are very, very physical.”
Welch said Friday’s game is huge for his team, not only because it’s against North Laurel, but because his Cardinals are 0-2 and need a win.
“We’ve played two good teams, but the bottom line is we’re still 0-2,” he said. “We are going to have to play hard-nose football with them. We also have to give a hard-nosed effort.
“If we can do those things, I believe we have a chance,” he added. “We just need to come out and play well.”
Both coaches agree that whoever has the better start will be in the driver’s seat.
“This is a tough game to prepare for, but I know if you can get off to a good start, it’s a good thing,” Larkey said. “It’s really a no-win situation, though because if you win, you’re supposed to win and if you don’t win, well, you were supposed to. It’s just an overall stressful week.”
Welch agreed.
“We’ve got to come out and make good plays early,” he said. “We can’t make mistakes. It’s very important to come and play good. We’re setting at 0-2, it’s a big rival game and we need to go out there and lay it on the line.”
