Aug. 31, 2012 — Week three of high school football is here, and tonight the Rowan County Vikings will battle Mason County in front of this season’s first home crowd.
So, where does this leave Rowan County? Well, it would appear in very good position.
Last week’s trip to Somerset may not have ended with a mark in the win column for the green and white, but it showed a lot of positive signs for a team that has been scrambling to find its offensive identity.
Perhaps the most promising aspect of last week’s loss was the performance of sophomore quarterback Justin Graham, who appears to be growing stronger each time he takes the field.
Graham really began to show some true promise in the passing game, throwing three touchdown passes, while rushing for one, and contributing 144 yards of total offense. If Graham can maintain that type of presence this week against a reeling Mason County squad, fans could see some potentially high offensive numbers for the home crowd.
Keontae Moore and Chris Baker also continued to play strong for the big green, combining for more than 150 yards rushing.
When looking at the Royals game against Montgomery County last week, which also defeated Rowan County in week one, Mason’s biggest asset would have to be its passing game.
With an offense that struggled to move the ball on the ground against Montgomery, Mason County quarterback Jake O’Mara was the highlight of the night, completing 7 of 13 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
The Viking defense will not be subjected to a loaded backfield as it saw last week with the Maroons Ryan Goins, so the x factor of this game could depend on how well the white jerseys can stick to blue ones on the outside.
While the season is still in its early stages, this week’s matchup against the Royals could serve as a crucial one for Rowan County. A young team, looking for its first taste of victory could no doubt use a confidence booster to kick off a two-game home stand.
On paper, Head Coach Kyle Singleton and his crew appear to have the advantage over Mason on the offensive side of the football. The key is whether the Vikings can turn statistics into a functional formula for success on Friday night.
Tonight’s 2012 Rowan County football home opener will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. The Morehead News will have more on this game in Tuesday’s edition of sports.
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.
