Spread Offense

Charles Penix thinks he's finally ready to establish himself as a bonafide player at Campbellsville University after spending two years waiting for this opportunity. "I'm ready to have a good season," the former Danville all-state running back said. "The coaches think I did well in the spring game and helped my chances to get on the field a lot more this season. We have two good running backs returning that are both going to be seniors, but the competition is wide open for playing time.

This year's version of the annual football meeting between East Jessamine and West Jessamine has a number of subplots. Both teams have new offenses coming into the game, perhaps spelling some surprises for their rivals. West Coach Randy Wood, in his first season as the head coach for the Colts, has instituted the triple option attack. And East Jessamine's Mike Bowlin has shifted his philosophies from pounding the ball on the ground to the spread offense. The two probably couldn't be much different.

The numbers don't lie. The latest figures released by the NCAA has Kentucky ranked in the Top 20 in five defensive categories, including third in pass efficiency and scoring defense. The Cats also are ranked No. 2 in total defense in the Southeastern Conference behind South Carolina. The lofty numbers are eye-catching, but Kentucky defensive back Ashton Cobb doesn't get caught up in the statistics. "That doesn't mean anything," he said. "Each game is a one-game season.

George Rogers Clark football coach Paul Columbia hopes his team learned a lesson in last week's 40-13 loss to Henry Clay last week. The win was the first of the season for the Blue Devils who opened with four consecutive losses. The setback was the second in a row for the Cards, who began the season with four straight wins, before dropping the last pair of games to Madison Central and Henry Clay, respectively. Clark will face a similar challenge it did a week ago Friday at Shelby County, which enters the contest with a 0-5 record.

The Mercer County Titans aren’t going to let a couple of good days get to their heads. Mercer has already doubled its win total from last season and is off to its first 2-0 start in three years, but coach Bill Mason said the Titans are staying “pretty well grounded.” Mason said the Titans will face their toughest test yet when they return to Henry Clay on Friday to play Lafayette. “We are excited, yet grounded,” Mason said. “I do believe Lafayette will be our toughest test to date.

People and things. Leonard Coulter. Danville will honor its all-time best basketball player Saturday during its boys-girls doubleheader with Casey County. Coulter, the school's all-time leading scorer, already has had his jersey retired by the Admirals, but he will be presented a framed jersey before the boys game at around 7:30 p.m. Among those presenting the jersey will be his former coach, Dave Cottrell. Coulter, perhaps the best area player ever, helped Danville win the 1968 12th Region championship.

Tyler Hinkel was studying in London, England, this past spring when he found out Centre College was putting in a new offense. "I found out, and the guys told me how awesome this offense is," Hinkel said. "And how much fun we're going to have with it. So I was thrilled. " While he wasn't here with his teammates for spring practice, it didn't take him long for the senior to catch up, and he has emerged at the Colonels' top receiver this season in the new spread offense. Hinkel has a team-high 12 catches for 157 yards and three scores for the Colonels, who will try to even their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference mark Saturday at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.

He's a three-star player who had nine catches for 199 yards and three touchdowns, including two-one handed grabs, in Florida's Class 8-A state championship game. Yet new Kentucky coach Mark Stoops managed to go into Weston, Fla., and convince 6-1, 180-pound receiver Alex Montgomery of Cypress Bay High School to verbally commit to the Wildcats. Montgomery, who had been committed to Wake Forest, was a target of former UK coach Joker Phillips and his staff after attending Kentucky's camp last summer.

LIBERTY — Casey County is venturing into uncharted territory this week, but even playing at three-time state champion Breathitt County is not overwhelming this record-setting team. “It’s something that we are enjoying. I feel like we’re playing hard right now and doing some of the things you have to do to win. We should have plenty of confidence this Friday,” said Casey coach Andy Stephens, whose Rebels play at Breathitt in the second round of the Class AAA playoffs.

Sometimes a coaching change can make a player re-think a verbal commitment given to a previous coaching staff. But when Mark Stoops took over at Kentucky for Joker Phillips in December, Tallahassee running back Khalid Thomas had no second-thoughts about staying firm to his commitment to the Wildcats. “He is ecstatic with the new staff,” Godby High School coach Ronnie Cottrell said. “He just has a tremendous belief in Mark Stoops. Mark recruited this school for Florida State and is highly respected here.