Tigers Fall to East Ridge in Kinetic Cardinal Bowl

LONDON, Ky. – Clay County (0-2) suffered its second loss of the season Friday night, falling 42-15 to East Ridge in the Kinetic Cardinal Bowl at South Laurel High School.

The Tigers showed some positive flashes on both sides of the football, but East Ridge was able to take control behind a strong running game in the first half and build a deficit that proved too much for the Tigers to overcome.

For head coach Mike Sizemore and the Tigers, the loss was another learning experience for a young group that has been thrown into the fire early this season. With seven new full-time starters on the defensive side of the football and several freshmen and sophomores seeing significant time offensively, Clay County is gaining valuable varsity experience each week.

“I knew going in that East Ridge had the ability to challenge us with their offense,” Sizemore said. “We knew they had a couple good backs that were going to be tough to handle if they were able to get running.”

The East Ridge running game proved to be the difference early, as the Warriors found the end zone four times in the first half and were able to take control of the contest. Clay County had trouble getting properly aligned at times against an East Ridge offense that Sizemore described as much different from what the Tigers will typically see on a Friday night.

“Our kids played hard but have to do a better job of being able to align to that type of offense,” Sizemore said. “It's just so different than anything you see from week to week and our inexperience out there in several spots got the better of us, but our kids will improve. It's a process and we're going to have our ups and downs.”

That inexperience has been tested immediately through the opening two weeks. Seven Tigers are making their first full-time varsity starts on defense, and Clay County has opened the season against two offenses that has pressured and forced those young players to adjust quickly.

“Our guys have faced two very difficult, unorthodox offenses to start the season and it's challenged them,” Sizemore said. “But they have to keep working and improving even when their inexperience shows at times.”

Against East Ridge, the Tigers' defensive front had to adjust to the Warriors' scheme before the snap, while Clay County's linebackers were put into difficult situations against a talented rushing attack.

“Our guys up front have to do a better job getting aligned pre-snap,” Sizemore said. “With their offense, you've got to do some things different and we kind of put our linebackers on an island at times.”

Despite the struggles, Sizemore remains confident in the potential of his young defense. Several of those players gained some early varsity experience because of injuries to others last season, and now they're receiving valuable first-team repetitions every day in practice.

“I feel like they are going to improve and grow up with the amount of time they are getting on the field and the first-team reps they get in practice,” Sizemore said. “These guys still have a lot of growth ahead of them on the field, but with the way they work, I think they will get there.”

Clay County also had to make an adjustment at quarterback Friday night, as Noah Roberts was unavailable for the contest due to a lower leg injury. J.D. Lipps took control and stepped into the starting role, helping the Tigers find some early success through the air. “I thought J.D. Lipps stepped in and done a solid job for us,” Sizemore said. “He made some throws early that got us on the board in the first quarter.”

Keeton Lyttle also provided an explosive threat for the Tiger offense, while Weston Bowling continued his strong start to the season with an impact on both sides of the football. “Keeton Lyttle was explosive with the ball in his hands and he had a solid game,” Sizemore said. “I thought Weston Bowling battled all game and had probably one of the most complete games he's had as a varsity player with the way he played on offense and defense.”

The Tigers were able to create several explosive plays throughout the night but struggled to turn those plays into sustained drives. Penalties wiped away some big gains, while dropped passes also put Clay County behind the chains.

“We've got to be more consistent when it comes to moving the ball and converting first downs,” Sizemore said. “We would hit big runs that would be called back due to a hold or a block in the back, which hurt us. We also had some drops that got us off schedule on offense.”

Cleaning up those mistakes will be an emphasis moving forward, but the youth Clay County has on the field also gives Sizemore plenty of reason for optimism. At one point Friday night, the Tigers had just one senior skill-position player on the field, with freshmen and sophomores filling the remaining spots.

“We had plenty of explosive plays, but we just have to clean some penalties and be more efficient so that our offense stays on schedule,” Sizemore said. “While they will have some ups and downs early, I do think they are going to improve and turn into a solid group down the road.”

Coach Sizemore and the Tigers will look to claim their first victory this week as they travel to Scott County for their first true road game of the season. Good luck Tigers!