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Mercer County defensive end Deron Bartleson, right, will try to help the Titans slow down the Knox Central defense in the Class AAAA playoffs Friday. (Mike Marsee / October 31, 2012) |
HARRODSBURG — Jeffery Canady may be the man Knox Central looks to get the ball to when the game matters most, but Mercer County coach Chris Pardue said there are plenty of weapons the Titans have to worry about Friday when they play at Knox in the first round of the Class AAAA playoffs.
“The quarterback really surprised me how good of a player he is, and they’ve got a couple of wide receivers that makes plays. They’re not just a one-man show,” Pardue said. “But when it’s crunch time, you know who’s going to get the ball. That’s their game plan, but it’s a good game plan. It’s kind of like us and James Johnson. They’re going to put the ball in his hands when it’s time to win the game.”
Canady averages 168 yards per game rushing and has scored 24 touchdowns for the Panthers (9-1). He also has 11 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown.
“There’s nothing really flashy about him. He’s got good size (6-1, 214 pounds) and speed and he can run inside as a power runner and run on the edge and leave you,” Pardue said. “And he finishes his runs, he gains a couple of yards after contact, and there were very few times I saw them drive him back. The kid’s a winner, and you can tell he wants the ball in the crunch time.”
On the season, the Panthers are averaging 34 points and 440 yards of offense per game. Quarterback Devon Evans is 70 of 120 for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns with four interceptions. His top target is receiver Matthew Barger, who has 42 receptions for 695 yards and seven touchdowns. Also, running back Jonathan Gist has rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Knox’s defense is giving up 19 points a game, and Pardue said the strength of both teams lies up front.
“They’ve got big kids up there, and they are very aggressive and are playmakers. They’re going to stunt us a little bit, but they mostly just let their guys attack and make plays,” Pardue said. “I would compare them line-wise to Boyle County. (On offense) they come off low and get into your legs and drive-block you. And we didn’t fare well against Boyle (a 59-19 loss). The game’s going to come down to who wins up front. If we can win up front, we have a chance to win. If not it’s going to be a tough night.”
But facing Boyle taught the Titans a lot.
“It taught us about the difference in teams that attack and teams that are more finesse-type teams that try to shield block you,” the Mercer coach said. “Hopefully, we’ve learned how to handle those situations better.”
The Panthers have forced 23 turnovers, including 16 interceptions. Barger has seven of those, while Evans has four and Canady has two and returned one for a touchdown.
Linebacker Hayden Canady has 139 tackles, and defensive lineman Armani Wardlaw has 85. Pardue said Knox will play a base four-man front and walk a linebacker down to the line when Mercer brings in two tight ends.
The Titans (6-4) are coming off a 54-14 win over Paul Dunbar, a game Pardue said was good for his team’s confidence heading into the postseason.
“We told the kids last week that we really needed to win that game going into the playoffs,” he said. “And we went up there and played well. I think it was a huge win for us, and I really think we needed it.”
The Titans are averaging 35 points and 389 yards per game. James Johnson, who ran for 221 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries against Dunbar, has 1,462 yards and an area-best 27 touchdowns.
“James has done a great job, but a lot of that comes from his offensive line, too. He’s broken some tackles, but those guys have opened some big holes for him,” Pardue said. “Especially on the left side with G.W. Anderson and Austin Coleman. We’ve been a predominantly left-side running team this year.”
In Mercer’s two-quarterback system, Darion Lewis has a combined 805 yards running, receiving and passing with six touchdowns. Drew Davis is 29 of 55 passing for 768 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.
Chris Crawley-Goodman has 18 catches for 406 yards and three scores, Russell Sims has 17 catches for 399 yards and three touchdowns and Layne Peavler has 14 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Peavler also has a kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Mercer defense is giving up 28 points and 340 yards per game. Anderson has a team-high 91 tackles, Jordan Ellery has 75 and Dylan Logue 71. Sims and Peavler have each picked off six passes, as Mercer has forced 37 turnovers, including 24 interceptions.
Mercer won a playoff game last year, and this year the Titans posted their first winning season since 2006. But Knox has gone 3-3 in the playoffs in the past three seasons.
Pardue said that playoff experience should not matter come Friday.
“You go into the game expecting to win. I’m not sure we’ve gone into every game expecting to win. When we’re expecting to win games, we’ve played well,” he said. “Our kids think they expect to play well this week. We watched the film against Madison Central, our only common opponent. Both games went to overtime, and they found a way to win and we didn’t.
“But kind of comparing the schedules, they’re a team we should compete with.”
“The quarterback really surprised me how good of a player he is, and they’ve got a couple of wide receivers that makes plays. They’re not just a one-man show,” Pardue said. “But when it’s crunch time, you know who’s going to get the ball. That’s their game plan, but it’s a good game plan. It’s kind of like us and James Johnson. They’re going to put the ball in his hands when it’s time to win the game.”
Canady averages 168 yards per game rushing and has scored 24 touchdowns for the Panthers (9-1). He also has 11 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown.
“There’s nothing really flashy about him. He’s got good size (6-1, 214 pounds) and speed and he can run inside as a power runner and run on the edge and leave you,” Pardue said. “And he finishes his runs, he gains a couple of yards after contact, and there were very few times I saw them drive him back. The kid’s a winner, and you can tell he wants the ball in the crunch time.”
On the season, the Panthers are averaging 34 points and 440 yards of offense per game. Quarterback Devon Evans is 70 of 120 for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns with four interceptions. His top target is receiver Matthew Barger, who has 42 receptions for 695 yards and seven touchdowns. Also, running back Jonathan Gist has rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Knox’s defense is giving up 19 points a game, and Pardue said the strength of both teams lies up front.
“They’ve got big kids up there, and they are very aggressive and are playmakers. They’re going to stunt us a little bit, but they mostly just let their guys attack and make plays,” Pardue said. “I would compare them line-wise to Boyle County. (On offense) they come off low and get into your legs and drive-block you. And we didn’t fare well against Boyle (a 59-19 loss). The game’s going to come down to who wins up front. If we can win up front, we have a chance to win. If not it’s going to be a tough night.”
But facing Boyle taught the Titans a lot.
“It taught us about the difference in teams that attack and teams that are more finesse-type teams that try to shield block you,” the Mercer coach said. “Hopefully, we’ve learned how to handle those situations better.”
The Panthers have forced 23 turnovers, including 16 interceptions. Barger has seven of those, while Evans has four and Canady has two and returned one for a touchdown.
Linebacker Hayden Canady has 139 tackles, and defensive lineman Armani Wardlaw has 85. Pardue said Knox will play a base four-man front and walk a linebacker down to the line when Mercer brings in two tight ends.
The Titans (6-4) are coming off a 54-14 win over Paul Dunbar, a game Pardue said was good for his team’s confidence heading into the postseason.
“We told the kids last week that we really needed to win that game going into the playoffs,” he said. “And we went up there and played well. I think it was a huge win for us, and I really think we needed it.”
The Titans are averaging 35 points and 389 yards per game. James Johnson, who ran for 221 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries against Dunbar, has 1,462 yards and an area-best 27 touchdowns.
“James has done a great job, but a lot of that comes from his offensive line, too. He’s broken some tackles, but those guys have opened some big holes for him,” Pardue said. “Especially on the left side with G.W. Anderson and Austin Coleman. We’ve been a predominantly left-side running team this year.”
In Mercer’s two-quarterback system, Darion Lewis has a combined 805 yards running, receiving and passing with six touchdowns. Drew Davis is 29 of 55 passing for 768 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.
Chris Crawley-Goodman has 18 catches for 406 yards and three scores, Russell Sims has 17 catches for 399 yards and three touchdowns and Layne Peavler has 14 receptions for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Peavler also has a kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Mercer defense is giving up 28 points and 340 yards per game. Anderson has a team-high 91 tackles, Jordan Ellery has 75 and Dylan Logue 71. Sims and Peavler have each picked off six passes, as Mercer has forced 37 turnovers, including 24 interceptions.
Mercer won a playoff game last year, and this year the Titans posted their first winning season since 2006. But Knox has gone 3-3 in the playoffs in the past three seasons.
Pardue said that playoff experience should not matter come Friday.
“You go into the game expecting to win. I’m not sure we’ve gone into every game expecting to win. When we’re expecting to win games, we’ve played well,” he said. “Our kids think they expect to play well this week. We watched the film against Madison Central, our only common opponent. Both games went to overtime, and they found a way to win and we didn’t.
“But kind of comparing the schedules, they’re a team we should compete with.”
