If it wasn’t bad enough that the Ironton Fighting Tigers have to go back on the road, they’re facing an early wake-up call and long bus ride.

Thursday, September 14, 2000

If it wasn’t bad enough that the Ironton Fighting Tigers have to go back on the road, they’re facing an early wake-up call and long bus ride.

Instead of the usual Friday night routine, Ironton (3-0) plays at Dayton Belmont on Saturday in a 1 p.m. kickoff. That means the Fighting Tigers Greyhound bus will leave the parking lot at 7 a.m.

"It’s always tough to play on the road, but the longer the bus ride the more concerned you become," Ironton coach Bob Lutz said. "It not only wears on you physically, but it can affect your mental condition."

Ironton will need to stay focused against the Bison who are just 1-2, but feature some solid talent such as quarterback Daniel Perdue, fullback Matt Scott, and tailback Alonzo Haggins.

Perdue is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior, Haggins is 6-3, 175, and Scott 5-11, 200. Haggins is a junior and Scott a senior.

"Their quarterback is a good athlete. He plays middle linebacker, so that gives you an idea of his mentality. He’s going to run hard and stand tall in the pocket," Lutz said.

"They’ve got a nice fullback, but their tailback is a good runner. He looks like he runs well in the open field."

Another area that concerns Lutz is Belmont’s overall size. Ironton has big offensive and defensive lines, but Belmont has the size to rival the Fighting Tigers including a 300-pound lineman, junior defensive tackle Jim Walls (6-1, 330).

"Their size will be a factor," Lutz said. "They’re used to playing on turf, and it’s always a little hotter on turf than on grass. Playing in the middle of the afternoon means the temperature will be a little warmer, so we have to keep people fresh and not let them wear us down."

The offensive line has Johnny Wright at center (5-9, 200), Colin Booher (6-00, 260) and Armon Holt (6-3, 260) at the guards, and Brandon Huntley (6-3, 280) and Delvin Perkins (6-3, 275) at the tackles.

Defensively, Walls and Perkins are the tackles, Jeremy Harm (6-2, 200) and Huntley the ends, and Darren Brown (6-0, 200), Perdue, and Scott are the linebackers in the 4-3 alignment.

The corners are Cliff Elder (6-2, 160), Dono Barksdale (6-1, 180), while the safeties are Rondell Dixon (5-10, 160) and Mike Singleton (5-10, 185).

The status of Ironton running back Josh Harmonremains uncertain for Saturday. Harmon suffered a sprain knee in last week’s 26-10 win over Gallipolis.

"We’re not going to force the issue, especially on Astroturf. That kind of surface is a lot harder on the knees," Lutz said.

Directions

Ironton fans attending Saturday’s game may take the following route:

State Route 52 west to Portsmouth, then 23 north to Chillicothe, then 35 west to Dayton, and 75 south to Edwin Moses Boulevard. Welcome Stadium is at this exit.