Week 4 (4-0) Ashland Ky @ (3-0) Ironton

[maniac66]

It's funny at Ashland last year Ironton got shafted by the Refs non-stop and I never heard Hart say a word about it but then again he isn't what you call a class act I agree.

[dreamweaver]

Is it true the refs were a crew from Ironton? I was told it was the Malmiesters.?(sp). Shouldn't that be against the rules? Whether they cheat the opposing team or not, when a game like this is in question so bad that a head coach states it for everyone, wouldn't you want a ref crew from somewhere besides home to do every game? SAY IT AINT SO.

[on a mission]

Refs cheating,coaches crying foul,fans begrudging the officials,sounds to me like an old fashioned pounded was bestowed upon someone. And obviously they didn't expect it! Real simple two teams play one will win,one will lose! Ashland was the LOSER!

[urban buck]

Anybody got the stats on this game?

[caglewis]

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/x ... st-Tomcats
Some stats included - and from the Huntington, WV paper - not the Ironton or Ashland ones.

[pembrook burrows III]

Ashland was flagged 7 times for 69 yards, and Ironton was flagged 6 times for 55 yards. That hardly constitutes the Rape of Nanking. I was at the game and did not catch the play-by-play broadcast on 97.1, but I did listen to Coach Hart on the postgame show.

Overall I was favorably impressed by his comments and perspective, despite some hard-core baiting by the Ashland interviewer. Coach Hart said he was not happy with some of the flags in the first half, but that the officials kept their hankies in their pockets in the second half and let the kids play. He said his guys just did not make the plays they had been making in their earlier games necessary to procure the win. Remember, it was 7-3 at halftime, and still anybody's game. He also said he is generally not happy about the officiating at most away games, and specifically mentioned his unhappiness with the officials earlier this year when the Tomcats played at George Washington, but he said there his guys made the plays needed to win. That just didn't happen on Friday night. He credited Ironton for making those plays, and being the big, tough, aggressive football team he was used to seeing from across the river. He said this was a pride game, and his team's pride was hurt, but that they would bounce back in district play. When asked if he was in favor of dropping the Ironton series by the clearly discombobulated announcer (who was basically intimating that Ironton was a dirty team out to maim the Ashland players, and that the game should be dropped despite its financial rewards), Hart responded tersely that Ashland had no one seriously hurt during the game. Yes, the game was physical, but that Ashland needed to play those kinds of games he said. He was not in favor of dropping the Ironton series. He essentially accused his own announcer of going off on some wild tangent with his hysterical remarks.

So compared to what I was used to hearing from Vic Marsh, I think Ashland has a real keeper in Leon Hart, and I look for Ashland v. Ironton to be a much more competitive series in the coming years, just as it has been since Coach Hart arrived on the scene.

[tl895]

Is it true the refs were a crew from Ironton? I was told it was the Malmiesters.?(sp). Shouldn't that be against the rules? Whether they cheat the opposing team or not, when a game like this is in question so bad that a head coach states it for everyone, wouldn't you want a ref crew from somewhere besides home to do every game? SAY IT AINT SO.

yes they were and they were bad all around

[TigsFan]

I was at the game and watched it on TV and thought the refs did a great job myself. The penalties were about even for both teams and there were hardly any flags in the 2nd half except the obvious offsides penalties. I also listened to the Coach Hart interview after the game and he didn't blame the refs for losing. He pretty much took it like a man and gave the Tigers props like he should. Ashland had their chances but didn't execute and when you load the box on the Tigers, look out cause we're gonna break one. Great game.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

Ashland was flagged 7 times for 69 yards, and Ironton was flagged 6 times for 55 yards. That hardly constitutes the Rape of Nanking. I was at the game and did not catch the play-by-play broadcast on 97.1, but I did listen to Coach Hart on the postgame show.

Overall I was favorably impressed by his comments and perspective, despite some hard-core baiting by the Ashland interviewer. Coach Hart said he was not happy with some of the flags in the first half, but that the officials kept their hankies in their pockets in the second half and let the kids play. He said his guys just did not make the plays they had been making in their earlier games necessary to procure the win. Remember, it was 7-3 at halftime, and still anybody's game. He also said he is generally not happy about the officiating at most away games, and specifically mentioned his unhappiness with the officials earlier this year when the Tomcats played at George Washington, but he said there his guys made the plays needed to win. That just didn't happen on Friday night. He credited Ironton for making those plays, and being the big, tough, aggressive football team he was used to seeing from across the river. He said this was a pride game, and his team's pride was hurt, but that they would bounce back in district play. When asked if he was in favor of dropping the Ironton series by the clearly discombobulated announcer (who was basically intimating that Ironton was a dirty team out to maim the Ashland players, and that the game should be dropped despite its financial rewards), Hart responded tersely that Ashland had no one seriously hurt during the game. Yes, the game was physical, but that Ashland needed to play those kinds of games he said. He was not in favor of dropping the Ironton series. He essentially accused his own announcer of going off on some wild tangent with his hysterical remarks.

So compared to what I was used to hearing from Vic Marsh, I think Ashland has a real keeper in Leon Hart, and I look for Ashland v. Ironton to be a much more competitive series in the coming years, just as it has been since Coach Hart arrived on the scene.

---------------------------------------thank you pb3 for sharing this. i knew the penalty yardage virtually had to be near the same for both teams.coach hart is a very passionate coach. maybe a lil too much showboating. but a good solid coach. this is a game that needs to be played every year. the two premier teams on the river will always meet. and that's no disrespect to any other river team, there are the portsmouth's, wests, burgs.etc. but in that area , it would be hard to argue, though somebody wiil. that cosistently, these are always the two teams consistently in the playoffs, year after year, after year.the teams played undisciplined the first half, because it is such a rivalry, and played it much closer to the vest the second half.frankly ashland controlled the first half, and were moving the ball consistently on the ground, but went to trickeration plays, and an all out air assault.that's what i'd be upset about , if i were a tomcat fan.BUT I AIN'T I'M A FIGHTING TIGER.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

and finally why is this still a popular topic--------its history.
AND EVERYBODY WITNESSED A GREAT BALL GAME. THAT COULD HAVE WENT EITHER WAY. I PROMISE YOU, THESE 2 TEAMS WILL NOT BE HITTING THE SHOWERS AFTER THEIR LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME.