Above, Crittenden's Barrett Sherer chases after Metcalfe's Ryan England. Inset photo below, T.K. Guess had 170 yards receiving and set the single-game school record before leaving the game with a serious shoulder injury. It was first believed to be a broken collarbone.

Guess, Gardner injured
Rockets fall by 10 at Metcalfe

EDMONTON, Ky. (Sept. 30, 2005) - Crittenden County's mighty offense was humbled and left heartbroken at Metcalfe County Friday night.

An offense which was averaging nearly 40 points a game lost its heart and soul when T.K. Guess and Blake Gardner were carried off the field with injuries and the Rockets stumbled in their district opener, losing 22-12 against the swarming Hornets.

Metcalfe's defense was well equipped to handle nearly everything Crittenden threw at it. And when Guess and Gardner ­ the team's two biggest playmakers ­ were sidelined, the Hornets feasted on the upset.

The impact of the Second District loss pales, however, in comparison to the long-term effects of the two injuries. Guess and Gardner are not only two of the Rockets' top performers, they rank among the state's best Class A football players. Guess suffered a severe shoulder injury and will be out for at least two weeks. It was originally believed that he had suffered a broken collarbone. Gardner, who sustained a neck injury in the first half, was taken to a nearby hospital. Although his X-rays proved negative, too, Gardner's status for the next game remains unclear. Guess will be out for two weeks.

The game was close the entire way, but Metcalfe captured the momentum just before halftime when a high snap on a punt deep in its own territory was quickly turned into six points. When the ball sailed high, punter Ryan England ­ the team's best running back ­ came down with the football, tucked it and broke containment for a 40-yard play. He was brought down at the Rocket 30-yard line with two seconds left in the half and his team leading 7-6. One play later, the Hornets scored on a pass from the back of the playbook when QB Will Warf threw complete to Alan Blythe, who toss a lateral to Justin Bruce at the 15. Bruce then raced untouched into the end zone for a 14-6 advantage.

"Their touchdown at the end of the second quarter was a back-breaker," Rocket coach Al Starnes said. "It seemed liked everything went their way. Every time we had a big play, we had a penalty like on the 84-yard touchdown by T.K. Guess that was called back in the first quarter."

The real stopper wasn't Crittenden's 85 yards in penalties or its three turnovers ­ although they were costly. The crushing blows were administered by the debilitating injuries to the Rockets' offensive psyche. Crittenden, which had punted just four times the first five games, was forced to kick away the ball four times in this one game by the aggressive Hornet defense. Metcalfe's full-throttle approach had Crittenden's offense out of rhythm. Quarterback Austin Berry was running for his life most of the night and the Rocket running game was stymied by Metcalfe's hard pressing attack at the line of scrimmage. In the game, Crittenden rushed for just 67 yards.

Gardner, the team's top ground gainer this season, was pinned for a minus-5 yards before he was hurt late in the second period. Guess, who is Crittenden's all-time leading receiver, set a single-game record for receiving with 170 yards on seven catches before he was knocked out of the contest. With those two out of the lineup, the Rockets were hobbled. It was the first time since the last game of 2003 that Crittenden was held to fewer than 21 points.

"When you lose your big playmakers, it not only affects the offense and defense, but it affects morale, too," Starnes said. "T.K. and Blake are a big part of our offensive scheme. Our offense is largely designed around their abilities."

Crittenden trailed 20-6 at the start of the fourth period, but rallied and was moving the ball when Guess went down. The Rockets maintained that drive and scored on a 17-yard pass from Berry to freshman running back Rodney Robertson. It was Berry's second TD pass of the night. He'd connected with Cory Hamby for a second-quarter strike. Robertson's touchdown brought Crittenden within striking distance, trailing 20-12.

With his top receiver and leading rusher out of the game, Rocket QB Berry was searching for offensive options late in the game. The hard-pounding Hornet defense didn't let up, however, and nailed down the win with a safety with four minutes to go by forcing Berry into an ill-advised pass from his own end zone. The throw drew a flag for intentional grounding.

Elsewhere around the district, Russellville beat Hancock County and McLean County knocked off Caverna. The loss at Metcalfe will mean an up-hill battle for the Rockets in their quest for a district championship.

"We were supposed to be the district favorite and Metcalfe knocked us off. Now, we're back at the bottom fighting our way back," Starnes said. "We have to focus on our next opponent, McLean County, which has proven it's a good football team."