TCMS Football Raiders Demolish GCMS Wildcats

      It was a great day for football, last Thursday, when the Gallatin County Middle School Wildcats arrived in Bedford to challenge the Trimble County Middle School Raiders. Coming off their worst defeat in years last week against KCD (46-14), the Raiders were eager to get back on the field, protect their home turf, and put on a show for their parents, teachers, and fans.

     Kicking off for the Raiders was Brayden Luckett, who is gaining popularity for his deep kicks. The Raiders defense went directly to work at dismantling the Wildcats and sent their offense off the field after big tackles for losses by Keegan May, Nick McCutchen, and James Pipes. Stevie Swanger was back deep for the Raiders to receive the punt. Swanger returned the punt almost 20 yards before being brought down by the Wildcats.

     The Raiders offense took the field with Quarterback Cole Wright leading the team. Wright was able to move the ball down the field by handing off to running backs Stevie Swanger and Reese Poe. Swanger used a burst of speed to score the first touchdown of the game for the Raiders. Running back Joe Pollock ran up the middle for a two-point conversion making the score 8-0 with 3:15 left in the first quarter.  The next drive for the Wildcats was just as futile as the first. The Raiders defense smothered the Wildcats forcing them to punt again. Swanger was back deep for the Raiders to receive the punt. Zig-Zagging his way down the field, Swanger returned the punt for the second Raider touchdown of the day. Poe scored the 2-point conversion, making the score 16-0 with just 51 seconds left in the first quarter.

     The Raiders defense did not let up in the second quarter causing the Wildcats to go three and out again before punting the ball back to the Raiders. The Raiders moved the ball down the field with precision that set up a 15 yard run by Joe Pollock for another Raider touchdown. Swanger scored the 2-point conversion, making the score 24-0.

   The game went on with Swanger, Pollock, and Poe each scoring a touchdown apiece lifting the Raiders to 46-0 before the Wildcats were able to break free and run for a 60 yard touchdown toward the end of the game. The final score was 46-8.

   The Raiders next home game will be Thursday, September 26 at the Trimble County High School at 6PM against the Owen County Rebels. 

Click here to see Images from the game.

New Football Field for the High School hits a Snag

New Football Field for the High School hits a Snag

     The Trimble County Board of Education met last Wednesday evening at the Trimble County High School for its regularly scheduled meeting. TCHS Principal Rachel Adams introduced students to the board to be recognized for participating in the Governor’s Scholar Program during the summer. The Governor’s Scholar Participants were Conner Ball, McKenna Ginn, Olivia Cooley, and Christian Apel. The students present told board members a little bit about the program that afforded them the opportunity to live on a college campus for five weeks over the summer break. Each of them was eager to express what a valuable learning experience it was for them.

     Trimble County High School Science Teacher, Angela Pacheco gave the board a presentation about an instruction strategy she has been using to help pupils learn better in her classes. Miss Pacheco introduced her plan as a revolutionary teaching tool and remarked, “This is the best tool I’ve seen in my eighteen years of teaching.”

     Miss Pacheco went on to explain the plan for instruction includes a “daily learning target inventory checklist” for all students. She added that with the checklist each student is able to communicate with her by responding to different questions on the daily checklist.  The students turn in the checklist to Miss Pacheco, then she goes through them thoroughly and provides feedback to the pupils. She said that this gives every student in the class a chance to ask questions he or she might not ask during class and helps him or her better understand the material he or she is learning.

     The big item on the agenda for board members was to discuss the bids they received for Phase 2 of the Athletics Project. Robert Haferman and Steve Eggers from K. Norman Berry Associates Architects, PLLC presented the board with bids for the project to update the football field and track at the high school as Phase 2 of the Athletics project. They reported that they received four bids, but one withdrew early leaving the board with only three bids to review.  The bidders for the project were MAC Construction, EH Construction, Louisville Paving, and Prodigy Construction. Prodigy Construction withdrew their bid. Unfortunately, all of the bids, except for Prodigy Construction, were an astonishing million dollars higher than expected.

     Mr. Haferman explained to the board several possible reasons why the bids came in so high. One reason was he felt that the bidders misunderstood the Base Bid requirements and included the latex track surface into their base bid. The alternative bid would be to have an asphalt track without the latex surface. Haferman added that the cost of sod that has seen an increase in cost of two and one-half times since the plans for the project was completed back in the spring. Another notable increase is the cost of concrete that is up nearly three times what it cost earlier.

     Mr. Eggers and Mr. Haferman offered some ideas to the board about revising the plans. They mentioned removing the public restrooms from the facility, shrinking the size of the plaza and parking lot, adjust the entry gates, as well as revising the drainage system on the field by pulling out the sub-drains on the field. Superintendant Marcia Dunaway and board members were quick to respond that public restrooms were a necessity. Dunaway offered the idea about combining the restrooms and the press box to save on expenses.

     The board voted unanimously to reject all bids. They also agreed to allow Haferman the chance to revise the plans and advertise for more bids once the revisions were made to the project. Haferman said these changes would only put the project about three weeks behind and will have revisions prepared to go out for bidding as soon as possible. Board member Don Scott said, “I look forward to see what alternatives you offer.”

The next board meeting will be Wednesday September 18 at 5:30PM at the Trimble County Board of Education administration office on Wentworth Avenue in Bedford. 

TCMS Football Raiders Suffer Humbling Defeat to KCD

  

     The Trimble County Middle School Football Raiders were on the road last Thursday when they played against the Kentucky Country Day Bearcats in Louisville, KY.  The game began with the Raiders kicking off to the Bearcats. The Raiders defense played tough early on, but a couple of missed tackles led to a Bearcat touchdown late in the first quarter. The Bearcat drive took 5:28 off the clock. Down 8-0, Raiders’ Cole Wright returned the kick-off to their 29-yard line. The offensive line of the Raiders were slow off the ball and allowed the Bearcat defense to hold running backs Stevie Swanger, Joe Pollock, and Reese Poe to minimal gains on their opening drive. The Raiders were forced to punt after three unsuccessful attempts at a first down. The Bearcats returned the Raider punt for a touchdown and score the 2-point conversion, which had the Raiders down 16-0 with just 21 seconds left in the first quarter. Raiders’ Cole Wright returned the Bearcats kick-off nearly 50 yards before being taken down around the 20-yard line of the Bearcats. Unfortunately, the Raiders couldn’t hold on to the ball and turned it over to the Bearcats.

     Just a play later, the Bearcats scored another touchdown on a pass play that brought the score to 24-0 just 7 seconds inside the second quarter. The Raiders offense fumbled again on their next possession setting up another Bearcat touchdown and extra point which put the Raiders down 31-0 with 5:40 left in the first half. Raider Joe Pollock picked up the Bearcat kick-off at the 22-yard line and ran the ball almost 40 yards before being wrestled down near the Bearcat 40-yard line. The Raiders offense were able to make some good runs to close out the half, but unable to get on the scoreboard.

    In the third quarter, the Raiders defense stiffened up and held the Bearcats to only one touchdown and an extra point. It was the fourth quarter that the Raiders appeared to wake up in a nightmare of a game being down 37-0. The offensive team of the Raiders started hitting on all eleven cylinders as they marched down the field with sense of urgency. Reese Poe broke through the line to run for a 60 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but the Raiders were unable to score any points after the touchdown. Trailing 37-6, and being exhausted from the heat, the Raiders had 6:32 left in the game to make sure KCD knew they were there. However, the Bearcats scampered their way to the end zone using almost three minutes of the precious time left. It wasn’t looking good for the Raiders when Cole Wright was stopped for a short gain on the kickoff return. Thank God, there is no quit in the Raiders. Coach Mike Isley put together one last offensive drive for the game that would allow the Reese Poe score one more touchdown for the Raiders with Nick McCutchen scoring the extra points that ended the game at 43-14 in favor of the Kentucky Country Day Bearcats.  The next game for the TCMS Raiders will be Thursday September 12 in Bedford at the Trimble County High School at 6:00. Come out and show your support of these young athletes in our community as they take on the Gallatin County Wildcats.

Click here for images of the game