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October 12, 2009

Give credit where credit is due

Quincy Alexander

In the last week enough went down in the sports world to make this a very easy process.

But, my cat could probably write to you about Brett Favre, the Sagarin Ratings or even how there’s no such thing as global warming — it was just getting a little chilly and Tim Tebow turned the sun down. (That last one was for another Tim.)

No, today it’s time to give credit where it is due. Not to the guy who gets the Nobel Peace Prize after 11 days of office, not to the guys getting paid ridiculous salaries, not even to the guys getting free education — no, on this day, it’s about the guys that play strictly for the love of the game.

It was a somewhat cold and very wet night on Friday and it was a district clash on a very muddy Gilliam Field at South Laurel High School, but there’s no telling these guys to come in or they’ll catch cold.

All night one thing was very clear — there’s really no stopping Tyler Vaughn.

Vaughn and his No. 5 jersey ripped off big-run-after-gaudy-big-run and had the Cardinals leading the always dangerous Maroons of Pulaski County by a point at halftime, 14-13.

Momentum would lie squarely on the shoulders of the Cardinals because of the legs of Vaughn, but in the second half despite 270 yards and a pair of scores for No. 5, the Maroons would strike back with a hero of their own.

All of Pulaski County thought their season was over after the second game of the year when they lost all-world quarterback Chris Muse to an ACL tear, but junior Zach Eastham would soon prove that for every Drew Bledsoe there is a Tom Brady waiting his turn.

If Eastham hadn’t proved it already by leading the Maroons all the way back over .500 — he proved that he belonged Friday night.

In the second half, with Vaughn doing his best Percy Harvin impersonation, Eastham showed up. The junior quarterback was already having an efficient night throwing the ball, but decided to start letting his legs do the talking. Five rushing touchdowns later and the Maroons were looking at a 2-0 district start right in the face by leading the Maroons to a 45-20 win.

Vaughn couldn’t work any late game heroics, but probably because his ankle was double it's original size, and that brings me to another “give credit where it is due” statement.

Vaughn already had ice wrapped around his injured ankle, but still limped his way back to the field to shake hands with the team that just beat him up (when they could catch him) for the last three hours. Very classy move Mr. Vaughn — especially when another member of your team had already taken off his helmet and left the field with time still on the clock just because he was mad. Well, my hat is off to you No. 5, my hat is off to you.

There was another performance this week that begs mentioning that I didn’t get to see personally, but I stand in awe from afar.

The Corbin Redhounds trounced Knott County Central 85-34 Thursday night (the Redhounds’ 40th consecutive district win) and during that kind of game someone is bound to have some big numbers, but what Caleb Watkins did is, well, I don’t even think Tim Tebow could come up with a word for it.

Since I didn’t see it first hand I can only give you the stats, but don’t let my lack of verbiage diminish what you are about to read — 451 yards of total offense, eight carries for 275 yards with scoring runs of 31, nine, 47 and 42 yards and a 69-yarder called back. Kickoff returns of 75 and 78 yards. There would also be a 23 yard reception and all of that to say this — Watkins ended his night before the end of the third quarter and would have eight touchdowns, by himself?

Wow!

Take that overpriced athletes and undeserving Noble Peace Prize winners, take that.

That last paragraph requires a Forrest Gump exit, “And, that’s all I have to say about that.”

Quincy Alexander is a broadcaster for Wazoo Sports.

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