Allen County-Scottsville wide receiver Jacob Lighfoot is tackled by Greenwood defensive back Maddox Burr on Sept. 2, 2017, at Warren East.  (Matt Lunsford/photo@bgdailynews.com)

SCOTTSVILLE – The Allen County-Scottsville football team has had some postseason success recently, but the one thing that has eluded the Patriots is home football in November.

ACS hasn’t played a home playoff game since 2012, but nearly had the chance last year before losing by four points to Warren East.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had that game here,” Allen County-Scottsville coach Brad Hood said. “We got used to it there for a couple of years to where we played several home games here. It’s always a goal and last year we were one or two plays away from having a game here right off the bat. Just getting that community support and paying them back with home playoff games is something we strive for every day.”

Allen County-Scottsville hopes to take that next step this season, but will have to replace some key contributors from last year’s team that finished 7-4.

On offense, the biggest question will be replacing quarterback Chase Wilson, who threw for more than 2,600 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Hood has three options in the mix to replace Wilson – sophomores Trace McIntyre and Brandon Baxter and junior Zane Ward, who saw very limited action last season.

“It’s funny with those three guys, they all do some things really, really well, but none of them do the same things really, really well,” Hood said. “They all do some things really, really poorly, because of their youth, but they don’t all do the same things poorly. In any situation, any one of three can be successful. We just have to figure out which one of them can be successful in our situation with the players we have now.

“I’ll be honest with you, we are 13 days before our first game and I don’t have a clue which one is gonna walk out of that tunnel and be the starting quarterback next Saturday.”

The person who wins the quarterback battle will have some experience around him. Senior wideout Jacob Lightfoot had 1,273 yards receiving and 15 scores. Senior Cayden Ross, who Hood said is one of the most underlooked players in the state of Kentucky, tallied 747 yards receiving and 12 scores.

Senior Dakota Harrison is a possession receiver who also figures to be in the mix.

Senior running back Kelly Weger will look to lead the way in the backfield after rushing for 211 yards on 28 carries last season. Hood calls Weger a spark plug, adding they are going to “ride like a prized horse this season.”

“We are going to have to rely on all those guys, and Cayden and Kelly especially, to get the running game going again,” Hood said. “We built this program on running the football and the last couple of years we couldn’t run it through a ghost. We feel like if we can give (our quarterback) some kind of running game right off the bat then that will make us a better football team in the long run.

“We still want to be able to throw the ball, but I think running the ball is important and that has been one of our downfalls the last couple of years.”

There are even more questions on the defensive side.

With Ross the only returning starter, Hood said the defense will be younger and smaller but the competition in camp has led to some promising options as the season approaches.

Ross said he’s liked what he has seen from his defensive teammates.

“We don’t have a lot of experience there, so I am excited to lead those guys,” Ross said. “They are working hard every day. They are ready to go. They are not discouraged because they don’t have any experience. They are ready for it.”

And if the questions can be answered, Ross said he hopes it leads to success that can lead to that elusive home playoff game.

“That’s the ultimate goal,” Ross said. “We haven’t had a home playoff game since I’ve been in high school. That’s what we want to do.”

That may be the goal, but Hood said it won’t come easy – especially in this district.

“Our district is so tough and it has been very, very competitive over the last nine or 10 years,” Hood said. “To me, Franklin is still the team and until they get beat I believe they are the No. 1 team in the state in 4A. Warren East is going to be even better than last year. If Warren Central played a lot of other teams’ schedule around here they would have won a couple of ballgames last year. They got better and they improved. We’ve got to be prepared for everybody because top to bottom we have a very strong 4A district that will rival anybody in the state.”

2018 Allen County-Scottsville Schedule

• Aug. 18 – vs. Adair County

Aug. 24 –at Barren County

Aug. 31 – Greenwood

Sept. 7 – at Glasgow

Sept. 14 – vs. Pulaski County

Sept. 21 – Grayson County

Sept. 28 – at Franklin-Simpson

Oct. 6 – OPEN

Oct. 12 – Warren East

Oct. 19 – Warren Central

Oct. 26 – at Monroe County

• – Forcht Bank Bowl, Campbellsville
• {&end}