Jared's World

Mercer was thinking upset minutes after beating Lincoln County last week, but the Titans didn’t have the firepower to take down the Maroons in the mud.

Mercer County came into Pulaski County with one win, a chance at a district upset and a better seeding for the upcoming playoffs.

Titans lose to Pulaski 25-47. For more information pick up a copy of your local Harrodsburg Herald.

Sophomore Isaiah Burrus had a big part in the win with plays on every side of the ball.

Burrus came through on the big stage on senior night with two receiving touchdowns, one rushing score, an interception and a 46 yard punt return score that was called back on penalty.

Mercer coach Bill Mason said Burrus has been showing that ability on the practice field and Friday’s breakout was due.

For more details on Burrus and coach Mason’s impressions from the game, check out this week’s Harrodsburg Herald.

Mercer took their homefield for the last time this season, picking up a win to keep their playoff dreams alive and well.

The Titans (1-8, 1-2 district) overcame some blows and exploited Lincoln’s miscues en route to a 35-9 win.

It was the Titans’ own mistakes they focused on early this week in the film room.

“We made it a point to point out where we didn’t do the things we were supposed to and ask, ‘is that acceptable?’ Here they are juniors and seniors, or whatever, and they are not doing what they’re supposed to and its costing their teammates,” head coach Bill Mason said.

The look in the mirror apparently worked as the Titans finished on top for the first time in 2009.

For the complete report on the game, check out this week’s edition of The Harrodsburg Herald.

With the Titans looking to answer back and tie the game at 14 late in the third quarter, a Southwestern defender ripped the ball away from Jamel Taylor in the endzone for a pivotal turnover in Mercer’s 19-7 loss last Friday.

Southwestern’s Dustin Powell was electric for the Warriors, with 24 rushes for 186 yards.

For the complete game report, including pictures, check out this week’s edition of The Harrodsburg Herald.

The Titans were one play away from a fourth quarter lead, but after lucky bounces through the game the luck swung back toward Marion in an eventual 35-15 loss.

Marion County (4-2) used a varied rushing attack proved to be too much over four quarters, while Mercer’s big-play ability kept them in the running.

For the complete story and a scouting report on this week’s opponent Southwestern, check out this week’s edition of The Harrodsburg Herald.

This article originally appeared in the September 24 edition of The Harrodsburg Herald

It’s no secret that the Titans are 0-5.
They’ve been beaten by an impressive selection of talent from around the state in what a fellow journalist opined was a murderer’s row of a non-district schedule. Those five games are behind them and now Mercer has bits and pieces from each that they can use to put together a good run through what I call the second season, their district games.

The Titans learned the importance of sound special teams after costly return scores against Breathitt and Tates Creek. They hung with Anderson County for a half of football before the Bearcats hit their rhythm. They were shut out at home against Boyle, but kept fighting for drives. Can the team take these lessons and put them together? The next five games on the slate will tell.

As coach Mason said before the season, due to the uncertainty during the early summer, this team had to learn its lessons on the run. The 21 new starters on both sides of the ball, and a returning quarterback adjusting to new targets, isn’t an excuse for the losses. It’s more of a reason to expect improvement in the coming weeks as these players grow into their roles and take on more equal competition.

Mason told The Herald after he was hired as head coach that he believed in playing the toughest of schedules.

“It doesn’t look great in the win-loss column. But when you get to the playoffs, you can tell your kids that you played the best in the state and this is nothing,” Mason said.

Looking to the playoffs, the Titans will have to make it through a wide-open district narrowly led in record by Pulaski County 3-2. Mercer’s four district opponents have an 8-11 combined record in 2009. Compare that with the 16-8 record of Mercer’s first five opponents and it’s hard not to see room for improvement in the second half of the season.

The high school football season can almost be split in two. Mercer has emerged from it’s non-district gauntlet without many major injuries and could secure a playoff spot with a string of wins in the districts.

Overall record aside, it’s the next five games that could determine what kind of memory this year’s Titans leave behind.

Rees McShara burned Mercer for 215 yards on five carries in the first half.

Boyle County had no possessions longer than four plays and only two that didn’t result in a score.

Mercer coach Bill Mason said after the game that he’s seeing improvement in each of the team’s games that will bode well soon come district play.

For a complete report, check out next week’s issue of The Harrodsburg Herald.

Click here to view the gallery from the game.

After controlling the clock in the first half, the Titans were beaten through the air in the second. Anderson’s offense took off after halftime and Mercer couldn’t stick with them.

For a complete game report with stats, check this week’s edition of The Harrodsburg Herald. Come back for pictures Monday.

Everyone and their mother has heard of Anderson County’s quarterback Jacob Russell at this point. Number fifteen is one of the only boys in the state to advance to the final sixteen in post season play for his football, baseball and basketball teams in one year.

The guy’s a good athlete.

But there are a lot of pieces on the Bearcat roster that Mercer fans should know about before the big game on September 11. For all the info and a scouting report on Anderson County, check out this edition of The Harrodsburg Herald.

The Titans weren’t able to savor their home opener for long, falling behind early in a 28-7 loss.

Lafayette (2-1) scored in a hurry, racking up three touchdowns with three short drives in the first quarter.

The Generals had 21 points on 14 plays before cooling off in the second quarter.

For more info on the game, check out this week’s edition of The Harrodsburg Herald. For pictures, check out The Harrodsburg Herald’s Flickr page.