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Danville running back Damani Del Rosario (6) runs past Boyle County defender Blake Mason. Danville hosts Corbin on Friday in the Admirals¿ first game following their win over rival Boyle. (Clay Jackson / September 6, 2012) |
It was one of the biggest wins Danville has had in recent years, but it’s ancient history to Sam Harp.
And the Danville coach said he believes the Admirals are taking the same approach this week in practice and will continue to do so Friday when they host Corbin in the first game following their win over Boyle County last week.
Danville’s 28-21 victory in the crosstown rivalry was cause for celebration for the Admirals and their fans, but almost immediately after the game Harp and his assistants began emphasizing the importance of moving on, and he thinks the players have responded to that message.
“I think our guys have,” Harp said. “We’ve got a mature group of young men, and by their response, fighting and coming back in that Boyle game, that’s a step we’ve taken forward that we haven’t done in the last three years or so. I think they pretty well understand that each week we’ve got an opportunity to prove ourselves and get better.”
Harp said if the Admirals don’t do that Friday at Admiral Stadium, the benefits of the win over Boyle will have been lost.
“We’ve got to improve on what we just did. If we don’t beating Boyle doesn’t mean anything other than bragging rights in the community. So what?” he said. “We’ve got to improve and go on down the road and beat Somerset and (Lexington Christian) and Middlesboro and get out of our district and advance in the playoffs.”
The next step is against a Corbin team that has struggled to score points in its first three games. The Redhounds scored 13 points in a win over George Rogers Clark and 14 in losses to both Lexington Christian and Tates Creek.
Corbin turned the ball over twice in the red zone in the first half of their loss last week to Tates Creek, and it came away empty on three trips inside its opponents’ 15-yard line in the second half of its loss to LCA a week earlier.
Harp said the Redhounds ran their offense out of the shotgun formation in their first two games, but quarterback Taylor Waddle went under center last week, so the Admirals have to be prepared for both possibilities.
“They’re going to line up in a lot of unbalanced looks and basically run three or four players and try to run it down your threat,” he said. “They’ll use two or three running backs, they run with power and some speed, too.”
Running back Matt Jewell, the son of coach Steve Jewell, rushed for 102 yards against Tates Creek, when the Redhounds had the ball for almost two-thirds of the game and ran for 243 yards, but 63 of those yards came on one touchdown run. Waddle was just 3-for-13 for passing for 49 yards.
Jawan Grey, who scored the winning touchdown for Danville last week with 1 minute, 23 seconds remaining, leads the Admirals in rushing with 211 yards. Quarterback Devonta Alcorn still leads in rushing attempts (33 for 192 yards) and has thrown for 344 yards.
The Admirals also had an edge in turnovers against Boyle last week, forcing three more than they committed to reduce their ratio for the season to minus-1.
This week they’ll face a defense that appears to be Corbin’s strength. The Redhounds have given up 18 points per game, and Harp said they have shown their opponents multiple formations and quite a bit of pressure.
Corbin has not started the season well, but Harp said it’s important to look at who it has played — two of the Redhounds’ opponents are Class 6A schools.
“You can’t just look at their schedule or their wins and losses and decide they’re not very good. They’re a good football team,” he said.
And the Danville coach said he believes the Admirals are taking the same approach this week in practice and will continue to do so Friday when they host Corbin in the first game following their win over Boyle County last week.
Danville’s 28-21 victory in the crosstown rivalry was cause for celebration for the Admirals and their fans, but almost immediately after the game Harp and his assistants began emphasizing the importance of moving on, and he thinks the players have responded to that message.
“I think our guys have,” Harp said. “We’ve got a mature group of young men, and by their response, fighting and coming back in that Boyle game, that’s a step we’ve taken forward that we haven’t done in the last three years or so. I think they pretty well understand that each week we’ve got an opportunity to prove ourselves and get better.”
Harp said if the Admirals don’t do that Friday at Admiral Stadium, the benefits of the win over Boyle will have been lost.
“We’ve got to improve on what we just did. If we don’t beating Boyle doesn’t mean anything other than bragging rights in the community. So what?” he said. “We’ve got to improve and go on down the road and beat Somerset and (Lexington Christian) and Middlesboro and get out of our district and advance in the playoffs.”
The next step is against a Corbin team that has struggled to score points in its first three games. The Redhounds scored 13 points in a win over George Rogers Clark and 14 in losses to both Lexington Christian and Tates Creek.
Corbin turned the ball over twice in the red zone in the first half of their loss last week to Tates Creek, and it came away empty on three trips inside its opponents’ 15-yard line in the second half of its loss to LCA a week earlier.
Harp said the Redhounds ran their offense out of the shotgun formation in their first two games, but quarterback Taylor Waddle went under center last week, so the Admirals have to be prepared for both possibilities.
“They’re going to line up in a lot of unbalanced looks and basically run three or four players and try to run it down your threat,” he said. “They’ll use two or three running backs, they run with power and some speed, too.”
Running back Matt Jewell, the son of coach Steve Jewell, rushed for 102 yards against Tates Creek, when the Redhounds had the ball for almost two-thirds of the game and ran for 243 yards, but 63 of those yards came on one touchdown run. Waddle was just 3-for-13 for passing for 49 yards.
Jawan Grey, who scored the winning touchdown for Danville last week with 1 minute, 23 seconds remaining, leads the Admirals in rushing with 211 yards. Quarterback Devonta Alcorn still leads in rushing attempts (33 for 192 yards) and has thrown for 344 yards.
The Admirals also had an edge in turnovers against Boyle last week, forcing three more than they committed to reduce their ratio for the season to minus-1.
This week they’ll face a defense that appears to be Corbin’s strength. The Redhounds have given up 18 points per game, and Harp said they have shown their opponents multiple formations and quite a bit of pressure.
Corbin has not started the season well, but Harp said it’s important to look at who it has played — two of the Redhounds’ opponents are Class 6A schools.
“You can’t just look at their schedule or their wins and losses and decide they’re not very good. They’re a good football team,” he said.
