Seniors Jacob Courntey (44) and Josh Ipock were licking their
wounds on the sideline in the second half.
...
Union wallops Rockets 54-7
Worst home loss in 12 years
MARION, Ky. Sept. 8 -- STAFF REPORT
Call it Black Friday.
In a season when everyone knew the young Rockets would take some lumps, the bruises got deeper and blacker as Union County (2-2) walloped Crittenden County 54-7 at Rocket Stadium Friday night.
It was a thumping that few saw coming.
Senior Justin Foster, the Braves' galloping running back who had piled up 399 yards rushing against Crittenden the past two seasons, finished his hat trick with four touchdowns and 199 yards on just 11 carries.
It was the worst home loss in a dozen years. The last time Crittenden took such a licking in Rocketland was way back in 1994 when Russellville left with a 54-0 shutout.
Rocket coach Al Starnes was embarrassed that his team did not play harder.
“It’s been our philosophy that win or lose we want the opposing team to know they’ve been in a fight,” the coach said. “We want our program to portray a toughness and we want our kids to play hard, but we didn’t do that Friday night.”
The loss was the worst non-district defeat in more than 20 years. Starnes said it was his fault for not having the team ready to play last week, but said things would be different in the future.
“We might not win another game, but I will promise you we are going to get tougher. We’re going to change some things, change the way we practice and change the way kids compete for positions. We’re going to make it where we have to fight every day just to stay on the field.”
Against Union County, the Rockets showed virtually no emotion and even less aggressiveness. The Braves came out of the chute swinging and were ahead 18-0 before Crittenden (1-2) could button up its headgear. Foster scored twice in the first period and senior Jake Marshall – playing in his very first football game ever – scored the next two for a 24-0 lead 14 minutes into the game. Foster broke a 64-yard touchdown run right up the gut to add a punctuation mark to a forceful first half and his team was ahead 32-zip at the break.
Marshall, who had two interceptions and a punt return in the first half for Union, was injured on the first play of the second half and taken off the field in an ambulance. A trip to the hospital appeared to be largely a precautionary measure after he took a blow to the top of his helmet. He was moving his arms and legs when he left the stadium on a stretcher.
Crittenden never managed anything offensively, scraping up just 56 total yards, and the defense was lethargic the whole way.
Foster scored one of the Braves' three second-half touchdowns on another long run midway through the third period then both coaches let their reserves wrestle it out the rest of the way.
Starnes said his team will have to play with a great deal more emotion and resolve in order to compete against the remaining teams on its schedule. Crittenden travels to Calloway County this week and the Lakers are man-for-man a better team than Union County, Starnes said.