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Prep Football: Cards' season a success

November 18, 2009|Keith Taylor/Sun Sports Editor

Losing always hurts, but reflecting helps heal the wounds.

For the third time in the past five years, the George Rogers Clark football team won eight games. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the second time in that time span.

This year, the Cardinals captured their first outright district title since the school's state championship run, winning all three of their district contests. In addition, Clark ended a long losing streak to Henry Clay, which is in the regional finals and snapped Corbin's 24-game regular-season winning streak. Prior to the loss, Corbin had won 27 of its last 29 games. Clark also pieced together a six-game winning streak after opening the season with an 2-3 record. Included in those victories was the Cards' first win over Madison Central in eight years.

The Cardinals' season came to a close following an 18-15 setback to Scott County last Friday night at Cardinal Stadium, ending a season of success. The performance in the battle of the birds came more than a month after Clark lost 40-0 in three quarters to Scott County at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown. The Cards took care of matters at home, compiling a 6-1 record.

Over the past five seasons, Paul Columbia has guided Clark to a 33-25 record, including three playoff victories. The Cardinals had a down year in 2007 and went 3-8 before going 6-5 one year later.

Clark started the season 7-0 and went 8-3 in 2005. The Cards followed that up with an 8-5 campaign the following season that ended with a trip to the regional finals. Clark went 9-13 over the next two years before the team's successful run this year.

The climb back to respectability in Class 6A has been a long one for Clark. It took four-plus seasons for Columbia and the Cardinals to recover from a disastrous 23-game losing streak that spanned more than two seasons in the late 1990s. The gloomy days came after Clark won a state title in 1991.

Despite the slow start and a pair of disappointing losses this season, the Cards recovered and earned respect down the stretch. The recovery is a credit to Columbia and his staff and the players who responded to the challenge.

It's hard to argue against eight wins competing in the state's top football class.

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