The Scribe
11-06-2007, 04:30 AM
Class 1A Football Playoff Preview
District 1
Since dropping down to Class A in 1995, Mayfield has an impressive 51-1 record in regular-season district games.
The one “L” was this season, a 36-19 loss to upstart Fulton City that took home-field advantage away from the Cardinals, who are pursuing their 28th state semifinals berth in the last 33 seasons.
Nevertheless, Mayfield remains the odds-on choice to win the rematch. The Cardinals were without quarterback-linebacker Logan Armstrong and center Trevor Williams for the Fulton City — both were ejected from a shocking 40-7 loss to Calloway County the previous week, but both should be on the field when Mayfield makes the drive to Fulton for the district championship game.
Armstrong, a senior, is a force on both sides of the ball. In his first year as the Cardinals’ quarterback, he’s an adept passer and provides a solid running threat. He’s a four-year starter on defense, as is linebacker Brent Simpkins.
Mayfield also has a stable of young, talented skill-position players, including sophomore tailback Tyrese Murrell, who often shares time with senior Andy Trevarthan and freshman DeCole Noonan. Senior tight end Jared McCuiston gives the Cardinals a reliable receiver, and Trevarthan’s speed makes him a big-play threat.
Tommy McNutt handles the kicking and punting duties and gives the Cardinals an advantage over most Class A clubs.
The question mark is a young secondary that has five underclassmen among its top five players. That youth was a factor in Mayfield’s stunning late-season three-game losing streak, but the secondary was solid in containing Caldwell County’s spread offense in a 25-6 win to close out the regular season.
Fulton City can match big-play capability with nearly anyone in Class A with tailback DaeRon Williams and quarterback Aaron Wilson, and they showed it in the win over Mayfield, scoring three times in the final 90 seconds — the last two off turnovers – to rally from a 19-16 deficit against Mayfield.
The Bulldogs’ quick, athletic defense is led by linebackers Jacquise Lockett and Antwain Porterfield, with Williams and Wilson heading the secondary.
District 4
Frankfort’s E.J. Fields has gotten loads of publicity, and justifiably so, thanks to his heroics and recent commitment to the University of Kentucky. But the publicity bonanza has some casual observers thinking the Panthers a veritable one-man show. Nothing could be further from the truth.
That myth was laid to rest after Fields was out of action, nursing a sprained ankle, when Frankfort rolled into Danville for a late-season game and left town with a surprising 20-19 win over one of Class 2A’s top ballclubs.
It was the second consecutive year that Frankfort had beaten Danville, a former district rival, during the regular season. Frankfort was ripped by Danville in the playoffs last season, but the Admirals don’t stand in the way of a potential playoff march anymore.
Led by Fields, running backs Quan Weaver and Jordan Morgan and receiver Mico Wells, the Panthers can match speed and athleticism with anyone in Class A. Fields, who is projected as a defensive back at Kentucky, also is among the state leaders in interceptions.
Frankfort figures to roll through its district competition. The Panthers waxed #2 seed Gallatin County 68-8 earlier this fall, and Trimble County (a solid #3 seed) lost its biggest weapon when two-way star David Bird went down with an injury in October.
Fields and Co. will keep an interested eye on the District 1 final. Frankfort would host Mayfield in the quarterfinals but would have to make a long road trip to Fulton City.
Regional finals prediction: Frankfort 20, Mayfield 16
District 2
Louisville Holy Cross has been an enigma all season. The Cougars are 5-5, with four of the losses coming to teams in bigger classes and two on the road to ranked teams in Pikeville and Elizabethtown.
They dominated their district competition, though, beating #2 and #3 seeds Kentucky Country Day and Bethlehem by two touchdowns apiece.
Led by quarterback Jimmy Nauert, receiver Chad Hazelwood and defensive stars Nick McNeil, Jimmy Schum and Ryan McDermott.
District 3
Beechwood has been BGP’s #1 team wire-to-wire this fall, and with good reason. The Tigers have a senior-dominated line corps that looks like the best in Class A, hands down, and have been tested by their typically rugged schedule.
Their 8-2 record includes two wins against ranked teams, Dixie Heights and Prestonsburg, both on the road. Their only two losses are to ranked teams, defending state champions and northern Kentucky rivals Covington Catholic and Newport Catholic.
Quarterback Cody Elliott and running backs Tommy Bankemper and Neico Teipel lead the offense, running behind a line anchored by seniors Chris Hoffman and Pat Kazen. Bankemper missed a couple of games during the regular season, with Teipel filling in well in his stead, running for more than 400 yards in his first two starts.
Bankemper, a linebacker, is also a standout on defense behind a standout front five that includes Hoffman, Drew Davis, Kory Bailey and big rangy ends Dominic Mainello and Jake Beese.
Dayton and Bellevue were both in the BGP Top 10 at one time this season, and Dayton remains ranked even after a late-season loss at Carroll County in which some banged-up starters were held out of action. The Dayton-Bellevue matchup is probably Class A’s best in the first round, but Dayton appears to have the edge.
Nevertheless, it will take a monumental upset to knock off Beechwood.
Regional finals prediction: Beechwood 34, Louisville Holy Cross 7
District 5
It’s a repeat of last season. Lexington Christian has a young, explosive team that earned the top seed in the district playoffs, but Raceland is lying in the weeds and plotting an upset.
That’s the way it happened last season, and it can’t be ruled out again.
Lexington Christian has been on the brink of establishing itself as an elite team in Class A, but has come up short in the games that would have given the Eagles that signature win they’ve been seeking. Corbin and Breathitt County went into Lexington and rolled past LCA, and the Eagles also laid an egg in a 41-21 loss at Hazard in the season finale.
Still, an explosive club led two sophomores, quarterback Lucas Witt (nearly 2,500 yards rushing and passing) and tailback Domonique Hayden (nearly 1,400 yards rushing and receiving) is the district favorite.
Raceland was hit hard by injuries when it lost to LCA 42-7 during the regular season, but managed to secure the #2 seed by beating Fairview. Still, they’ve been through bouts of inconsistency, as evidenced by losses to East Carter and West Carter. The Raceland-Fairview battle is one of Class A’s most intriguing first-round games.
District 8
Pikeville is another team with high expectations and preseason rankings that lacks the win that stamps them as a top-level state contender. The Panthers acquitted themselves well in an early-season loss to Lexington Catholic, but was later trounced by archrival Belfry in a much-anticipated midseason meeting.
The Panthers still have the talent to make a run to Louisville, though, with an offense led by running back Daniel Harmon and twins Tim and Ted Honaker. Tim Honaker is a dual-threat quarterback and Ted is a running and receiving threat. Tim was sidelined by a midseason concussion and replaced by Blake Branham and is yet to return to action.
Paintsville is the #2 seed but will be a big underdog against Pikeville, which beat the Tigers 20-0 in mid-October.
Regional finals prediction: Pikeville 27, Lexington Christian 22
District 6
This is the hardest district to call. Lynn Camp was the favorite but suffered a huge blow when two-way star Joe Roskopf was felled by a knee injury in a 40-34 loss to Williamsburg. Campbellsville meets Lynn Camp in the first round eager to atone for a 47-14 loss to the Panthers way back in early September.
Williamsburg steps into the breach with an explosive offense triggered by quarterback Ryan Moses and tailback Will Moses. When the Yellow Jackets take the field, the scoreboard starts humming ... they’ve scored 376 points in 10 games and allowed 384.
District 7
Unbeaten Hazard has its doubters, thanks to a soft schedule, but the Bulldogs have posted some impressive wins — Letcher Central in the season opener, a midseason romp of Cumberland and a 41-21 romp over Lexington Christian that ran their record to 10-0. They also struggled to beat a Joe Roskopf-less Lynn Camp club.
Quarterback Tyler Olinger has posted some impressive numbers (over 2,900 yards passing with 29 touchdowns and three interceptions and over 800 yards rushing) and leads a balanced attack that also features running back Greg Adams and three receivers — Josh Kidd, Joey Meehan and Michael Campbell — with at least 30 receptions.
Cumberland is the top challenger and will be playing with plenty of emotion, as the Redskins will close up shop next spring as part of the Harlan County consolidation.
Regional finals prediction: Hazard 48, Williamsburg 26
Semifinals: Beechwood 28, Frankfort 19
Hazard 40, Pikeville 24
Championship: Beechwood 37, Hazard 21
District 1
Since dropping down to Class A in 1995, Mayfield has an impressive 51-1 record in regular-season district games.
The one “L” was this season, a 36-19 loss to upstart Fulton City that took home-field advantage away from the Cardinals, who are pursuing their 28th state semifinals berth in the last 33 seasons.
Nevertheless, Mayfield remains the odds-on choice to win the rematch. The Cardinals were without quarterback-linebacker Logan Armstrong and center Trevor Williams for the Fulton City — both were ejected from a shocking 40-7 loss to Calloway County the previous week, but both should be on the field when Mayfield makes the drive to Fulton for the district championship game.
Armstrong, a senior, is a force on both sides of the ball. In his first year as the Cardinals’ quarterback, he’s an adept passer and provides a solid running threat. He’s a four-year starter on defense, as is linebacker Brent Simpkins.
Mayfield also has a stable of young, talented skill-position players, including sophomore tailback Tyrese Murrell, who often shares time with senior Andy Trevarthan and freshman DeCole Noonan. Senior tight end Jared McCuiston gives the Cardinals a reliable receiver, and Trevarthan’s speed makes him a big-play threat.
Tommy McNutt handles the kicking and punting duties and gives the Cardinals an advantage over most Class A clubs.
The question mark is a young secondary that has five underclassmen among its top five players. That youth was a factor in Mayfield’s stunning late-season three-game losing streak, but the secondary was solid in containing Caldwell County’s spread offense in a 25-6 win to close out the regular season.
Fulton City can match big-play capability with nearly anyone in Class A with tailback DaeRon Williams and quarterback Aaron Wilson, and they showed it in the win over Mayfield, scoring three times in the final 90 seconds — the last two off turnovers – to rally from a 19-16 deficit against Mayfield.
The Bulldogs’ quick, athletic defense is led by linebackers Jacquise Lockett and Antwain Porterfield, with Williams and Wilson heading the secondary.
District 4
Frankfort’s E.J. Fields has gotten loads of publicity, and justifiably so, thanks to his heroics and recent commitment to the University of Kentucky. But the publicity bonanza has some casual observers thinking the Panthers a veritable one-man show. Nothing could be further from the truth.
That myth was laid to rest after Fields was out of action, nursing a sprained ankle, when Frankfort rolled into Danville for a late-season game and left town with a surprising 20-19 win over one of Class 2A’s top ballclubs.
It was the second consecutive year that Frankfort had beaten Danville, a former district rival, during the regular season. Frankfort was ripped by Danville in the playoffs last season, but the Admirals don’t stand in the way of a potential playoff march anymore.
Led by Fields, running backs Quan Weaver and Jordan Morgan and receiver Mico Wells, the Panthers can match speed and athleticism with anyone in Class A. Fields, who is projected as a defensive back at Kentucky, also is among the state leaders in interceptions.
Frankfort figures to roll through its district competition. The Panthers waxed #2 seed Gallatin County 68-8 earlier this fall, and Trimble County (a solid #3 seed) lost its biggest weapon when two-way star David Bird went down with an injury in October.
Fields and Co. will keep an interested eye on the District 1 final. Frankfort would host Mayfield in the quarterfinals but would have to make a long road trip to Fulton City.
Regional finals prediction: Frankfort 20, Mayfield 16
District 2
Louisville Holy Cross has been an enigma all season. The Cougars are 5-5, with four of the losses coming to teams in bigger classes and two on the road to ranked teams in Pikeville and Elizabethtown.
They dominated their district competition, though, beating #2 and #3 seeds Kentucky Country Day and Bethlehem by two touchdowns apiece.
Led by quarterback Jimmy Nauert, receiver Chad Hazelwood and defensive stars Nick McNeil, Jimmy Schum and Ryan McDermott.
District 3
Beechwood has been BGP’s #1 team wire-to-wire this fall, and with good reason. The Tigers have a senior-dominated line corps that looks like the best in Class A, hands down, and have been tested by their typically rugged schedule.
Their 8-2 record includes two wins against ranked teams, Dixie Heights and Prestonsburg, both on the road. Their only two losses are to ranked teams, defending state champions and northern Kentucky rivals Covington Catholic and Newport Catholic.
Quarterback Cody Elliott and running backs Tommy Bankemper and Neico Teipel lead the offense, running behind a line anchored by seniors Chris Hoffman and Pat Kazen. Bankemper missed a couple of games during the regular season, with Teipel filling in well in his stead, running for more than 400 yards in his first two starts.
Bankemper, a linebacker, is also a standout on defense behind a standout front five that includes Hoffman, Drew Davis, Kory Bailey and big rangy ends Dominic Mainello and Jake Beese.
Dayton and Bellevue were both in the BGP Top 10 at one time this season, and Dayton remains ranked even after a late-season loss at Carroll County in which some banged-up starters were held out of action. The Dayton-Bellevue matchup is probably Class A’s best in the first round, but Dayton appears to have the edge.
Nevertheless, it will take a monumental upset to knock off Beechwood.
Regional finals prediction: Beechwood 34, Louisville Holy Cross 7
District 5
It’s a repeat of last season. Lexington Christian has a young, explosive team that earned the top seed in the district playoffs, but Raceland is lying in the weeds and plotting an upset.
That’s the way it happened last season, and it can’t be ruled out again.
Lexington Christian has been on the brink of establishing itself as an elite team in Class A, but has come up short in the games that would have given the Eagles that signature win they’ve been seeking. Corbin and Breathitt County went into Lexington and rolled past LCA, and the Eagles also laid an egg in a 41-21 loss at Hazard in the season finale.
Still, an explosive club led two sophomores, quarterback Lucas Witt (nearly 2,500 yards rushing and passing) and tailback Domonique Hayden (nearly 1,400 yards rushing and receiving) is the district favorite.
Raceland was hit hard by injuries when it lost to LCA 42-7 during the regular season, but managed to secure the #2 seed by beating Fairview. Still, they’ve been through bouts of inconsistency, as evidenced by losses to East Carter and West Carter. The Raceland-Fairview battle is one of Class A’s most intriguing first-round games.
District 8
Pikeville is another team with high expectations and preseason rankings that lacks the win that stamps them as a top-level state contender. The Panthers acquitted themselves well in an early-season loss to Lexington Catholic, but was later trounced by archrival Belfry in a much-anticipated midseason meeting.
The Panthers still have the talent to make a run to Louisville, though, with an offense led by running back Daniel Harmon and twins Tim and Ted Honaker. Tim Honaker is a dual-threat quarterback and Ted is a running and receiving threat. Tim was sidelined by a midseason concussion and replaced by Blake Branham and is yet to return to action.
Paintsville is the #2 seed but will be a big underdog against Pikeville, which beat the Tigers 20-0 in mid-October.
Regional finals prediction: Pikeville 27, Lexington Christian 22
District 6
This is the hardest district to call. Lynn Camp was the favorite but suffered a huge blow when two-way star Joe Roskopf was felled by a knee injury in a 40-34 loss to Williamsburg. Campbellsville meets Lynn Camp in the first round eager to atone for a 47-14 loss to the Panthers way back in early September.
Williamsburg steps into the breach with an explosive offense triggered by quarterback Ryan Moses and tailback Will Moses. When the Yellow Jackets take the field, the scoreboard starts humming ... they’ve scored 376 points in 10 games and allowed 384.
District 7
Unbeaten Hazard has its doubters, thanks to a soft schedule, but the Bulldogs have posted some impressive wins — Letcher Central in the season opener, a midseason romp of Cumberland and a 41-21 romp over Lexington Christian that ran their record to 10-0. They also struggled to beat a Joe Roskopf-less Lynn Camp club.
Quarterback Tyler Olinger has posted some impressive numbers (over 2,900 yards passing with 29 touchdowns and three interceptions and over 800 yards rushing) and leads a balanced attack that also features running back Greg Adams and three receivers — Josh Kidd, Joey Meehan and Michael Campbell — with at least 30 receptions.
Cumberland is the top challenger and will be playing with plenty of emotion, as the Redskins will close up shop next spring as part of the Harlan County consolidation.
Regional finals prediction: Hazard 48, Williamsburg 26
Semifinals: Beechwood 28, Frankfort 19
Hazard 40, Pikeville 24
Championship: Beechwood 37, Hazard 21