The Scribe
11-06-2007, 03:50 AM
Class 2A Football Playoff Preview
Class 2A doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite as any one of five to seven teams could advance to Louisville and hoist the title trophy after the championship game.
Newport Central Catholic (9-1) is the defending Class 1A champion. The team they beat, Danville (8-2), also jumped to Class 2A.
Fort Campbell (8-2) and Corbin (9-1) are two teams that may be playing the best football of anyone and could make a deep run.
The new alternating district matchups at the region level should also make for some potential barnburners heading into the state semifinals.
District One – Caldwell County (7-3) will host playoff games in Princeton as long as they are winning. The Tigers and their Tony Franklin-style offense won seven straight games before a season finale hiccup saw them lose to Mayfield 25-6.
Quarterback Will Barnes has thrown for close to 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns this year, but Caldwell’s defense has held three of their last five opponents to single digits.
The Tigers will host Heath (4-6), a team they spotted 13 points to before running away with a 41-27 win in Princeton on Sept. 14.
Chad Wright leads the Pirates in rushing with over 2,000 yards but has been bothered by a shoulder injury. The senior back rushed for 228 yards in the first game between the teams, but Heath must improve their defense after allowing Caldwell to run for 278 yards.
Heath will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak in the first round of the playoffs dating back to 1995.
Trigg County (7-3) scuffled late in the season, losing three games in a row for the first time in eight years. One of those losses was to Caldwell County, which relegated them to a two seed.
The Wildcats dusted the cobwebs off their passing game last week as junior Donald Bush threw for 291 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns in a 66-6 win at Fulton County.
Trigg has been banged up on defense throughout the season and may just decide to pin their ears back and put eight in the box throughout the playoffs.
The Wildcats face Murray (5-5), whom they beat Murray 49-6 back on Sept. 14, rolling up over 400 yards in the win. Trigg has won seven of their last eight first round playoff games, while Murray has won 10 straight first round games (all in Class A) dating back to 1996.
The Tigers enter the playoffs on a three-game winning streak and winners of five of their last six dating back to the loss to Trigg County.
The focal point of Trigg will be to stop Murray’s junior running back Jamie King, who has rushed for over 1,700 yards and has over 400 yards in receiving.
Quarterback Jordan Garland, who was picked off four times by Trigg in their first meeting, appears to have settled into the offense, throwing for over 1,300 yards.
The top seeds should prevail, setting up a rematch between Trigg County and Caldwell County in Princeton. Caldwell hammered Trigg 41-14 on Oct. 19, holding the Wildcats to under 100 yards rushing for the third straight game in the series.
While Trigg County should have a better game plan against the Tigers this go-around, the Wildcats have struggled against no-huddle teams, which will again be their nemesis in a 21-14 loss.
District Three – Green County (10-0) is the lone unbeaten team in Class 2A, rolling over their opponents by an average margin of 33 points a night.
The Dragons are making their first playoff appearance since 2002. The 2000 squad also entered the playoffs with a 10-0 record, advancing to the region title game before losing to Corbin.
The current Dragons rely on a strong ground game, led by Zeth Rogers and Jessie Underwood, who have combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards and score 35 touchdowns this year.
Quarterback Justin Pendleton has thrown for over 1,100 yards and added 733 on the ground as the Dragons average 44 points and 431 yards of offense a night.
However, Green County boasts a defense that gives up less than 190 yards of offense and has held eight of their 10 opponents to two touchdowns or less.
Green County will face a 2-8 Monroe County team they drummed 53-6 back on Oct. 19.
The Falcons have dropped three straight first round games, including last year when they were the #1 seed and lost to #4 seed Glasgow.
Monroe County will need to fix their defense in a hurry if they are to turn the tables on Green County this year.
Glasgow (8-2) enters the playoffs with a four-game winning streak and has won eight of their last nine first round playoff games.
Like Green County, the Scotties have a balanced backfield between Corey Witcher and Lamar Howard.
Glasgow will host a Metcalfe County team they beat 21-14 on Oct. 19.
The Hornets (8-2) have outscored their last two opponents 118-7 since their loss to Glasgow three weeks ago.
If the Hornets can give quarterback Will Warf time to throw the football, they may be able to steal one from the Scotties in Glasgow.
Warf has thrown for over 1,300 yards on the season. The Hornets should also have the services of leading rusher Daniel DeLeon, who has been hobbled by injuries throughout the season.
Green County and Metcalfe County should square off for the district title in Greensburg, where the Dragons posted an exciting 32-24 win between the schools back on Oct. 5.
Metcalfe County, who made it to the region title game in Class 1A the past two years, has only allowed three opponents to reach double figures in scoring. Two of those teams were district foes Green County and Glasgow.
The Dragons appear to have too much firepower for Metcalfe County and should complete the season sweep with a 34-14 win.
District Two – Fort Campbell (8-2) may be the hottest team in Class 2A as the Falcons ride an eight-game winning streak into the postseason.
The Falcons have overcome some key injuries to their skill people, with four different players rushing for over 100 yards in a game this year.
Sophomore Troy Turner is the main cog of the Falcon offense, rushing for over 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Dexter Durrante and Tre Powell are two other players that can line up just about anywhere for the Falcons, who are second to Green County in scoring in Class 2A at 42 points a game.
Quarterback C.J. Croft has thrown for 1,200 yards and added 400 more on the ground in leading the Falcon offense.
On defense, Fort Campbell’s ball-swarming defense has held four of their last five opponents to under 10 points.
The Falcons will face an outmanned Todd County Central Rebel squad that they beat 56-20 on Sept. 21 without two starters.
Todd County (1-9) is in the playoffs for the first time since moving to Class 2A in 2001 and since 1999 overall. Todd’s last postseason win came in 1996.
Owensboro Catholic (5-5) limps into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak, but has won 14 of their last 18 playoff games.
The Aces have been inconsistent on offense, averaging just nine points in their five losses.
Evan Walker has returned to the quarterback slot to pass for over 900 yards and seven touchdowns.
However, OCath has been prone to put the football on the ground and put their opponent into prime scoring position several times throughout the year.
They host Hancock County, who they trounced 34-0 on Sept. 21.
The Hornets (4-6) are back playing in the Class 2A postseason for the first time since playing for the region title in 1998.
Taylor Wall has rushed for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns, but the Hornet defense, which is giving up 25 points a game, will be forced to find a way to stop the Aces’ offense, which they couldn’t do in their first meeting.
Fort Campbell and Owensboro Catholic will meet for the district title on the army installation, with the Falcons ending the Aces’ run of four straight region titles with a 28-13 win.
Region Four – The last time Danville competed in Class 2A, they were in the 1998 state title game against Caldwell County. Since then, the Admirals won 30 of 35 playoff games and three Class 1A state championships.
Back in 2A, they face a tough road back to Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.
But not in the first round.
The Ads (8-2) have bookend losses to their season and had last week off to heal and prepare for Fort Knox, who they crushed 57-7 earlier in the season.
Expect the Admirals to ride their playmakers Antwoine Simon and Leonard Macon as far as they can in the postseason.
Fort Knox (0-10) is the only winless team to make to 2A playoffs.
Danville, who hasn’t lost a first round playoff game since 1982, should get another week of rest to get ready for a rematch with Bardstown.
The Tigers (4-6) have played one of the toughest schedules in Class 2A, and first year head coach David Clark hopes it pays dividends in the postseason.
Like Danville, Clark will use his playmaker, Kebbie Scott, in just about any formation if it means reaching the end zone.
The Tigers will put their streak of six straight first round wins on the line when they host Washington County, who they beat 42-0 back on Sept. 21.
The Commanders (4-6) likely saw their chances at a third straight winning season vanish with a three-game losing streak to end the season.
Washington County has lost six straight first round games going back ten years.
Danville and Bardstown should square off again for the district title.
Danville won the first game this year 20-14 back on Oct. 5 and should sweep the season series with a 27-20 win in two weeks.
District Five – At first glance, DeSales and their 5-5 record doesn’t strike fear in the hearts of football followers from outside the Louisville area.
However, closer inspection shows the Colts have lost five games to teams that are a combined 28-23. Throw out a head-scratching loss to Waggener and that record improves to 25-16.
Mark Sander’s club has shown signs of having an explosive offense behind the three-pronged rushing attack of Myles Poole, Andrew Beeler, and Nick Bohn. The trio has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns.
However, DeSales must get better on defense, especially guarding against the pass where they allow over 157 yards a game through the air.
DeSales plays Owen County (1-9) in a rematch of their 42-0 win on Sept. 21.
The Rebels are in the postseason for the first time since 2001 and will be making only the school’s second postseason appearance in the past decade. Their last playoff win came in 1980 against Paris.
Christian Academy-Louisville (7-3) wrapped up the second seed in the playoffs and come into the postseason on a three-game winning streak.
The Centurions have been getting the job done through the air behind Aaron Joss, who has thrown for 2,056 yards and 20 touchdowns.
They will meet Carroll County (2-8), who surprised Dayton 13-7 last week.
The Panthers have struggled on both sides of the football and will be hard-pressed to overturn the 42-7 outcome CAL won by earlier in the year. A fourth straight first round exit is likely in the cards for Carroll County.
DeSales took advantage of four turnovers to edge CAL 27-21 Oct. 5 to claim the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Colts missed the playoffs last year after winning the region title in 2005. Look for DeSales to get back to the region championship with another 27-21 win over CAL for the district title.
District Seven – Prestonsburg (7-3) appeared set to make a long playoff run until a couple of weeks ago when quarterback Bobby Hughes was injured. Since then, the Blackcats have sputtered a bit on offense.
While they have enough to win the district, it could make things hard down the line.
Of course, it’s not like there isn’t a Plan B, C, or D for head coach John Derossett.
Allen Craynon has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Seth Setser has added 800 more.
Michael Burchett is running the P’burg offense in the absence of Hughes, who had over 700 all-purpose yards before his injury.
The Blackcats have won six of seven first round games and should extend that streak after a first round game with Morgan County.
The Cougars (1-9) have only one playoff win in school history. That came three years ago. Prestonsburg won the earlier matchup 51-7.
By virtue of their 21-13 win over Bath County on Sept. 21, Shelby Valley locked up a first round home game against the Wildcats. A win over Bath County would give Shelby Valley their first-ever playoff win in nine appearances.
Stopping Jonah Justice (700 yards and seven touchdowns rushing) and quarterback Tyler Johnson (1,200 passing yards) will be the cornerstone of Reed Fields’ game plan.
The second year coach at Bath County has one of the area’s best rushers in Blandon Clemens, who has rushed for 1,419 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Bath County (7-3) has won five straight games since the loss to Shelby Valley. The Wildcats are making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in nine years and should get their first playoff win in a decade.
Prestonsburg had no trouble with Bath County earlier in the year, winning 38-7. While the outcome will be the same, the score will be a little closer. Knock off ten points and call it a 28-7 Blackcat win.
District Six – After winning two straight state titles in Class 1A, Newport Central Catholic (9-1) appears poised to win their third straight championship overall and their first Class 2A title since 1984.
Wins over rivals Covington Catholic and Beechwood have the Thoroughbred faithful gearing up for another title run.
Head coach Bob Schneider will trust the NewCath offense to Robby Kues, who continues to make the clutch play all season. Kues has thrown for 1,727 yards and 18 touchdowns and added nine more scores on the ground.
The ‘Breds host Newport in the stadium the two schools share. NCC won the Oct. 5 meeting 40-0 and should have no trouble duplicating the same score in the return contest this weekend.
Newport has struggled to a 1-9 record in Jim Hyder’s first season as head coach.
Both Covington Holy Cross (5-5) and Lloyd Memorial (3-7) have lost three straight first round playoff games. The good news is one of the teams will see that streak end. The bad news is, Newport Central Catholic looms in the second round.
The Indians ended the season on a strong note, despite just a 3-2 record. They held Beechwood to 17 points and shutout a good Knox Central team.
The defense gives them the edge over a Lloyd team that has been plagued by turnovers and inconsistency.
Holy Cross beat the Juggernauts 38-28 earlier in the season and should do so again by the same margin.
Holy Cross played NCC to a 14-0 game back on Sept. 21, and appear primed to knock off the defending state champion. However, Kues has shown the ability to carry the ‘Breds late in games, which means a 27-7 win and another district title for the Thoroughbreds.
District Eight – Corbin is in the playoffs for the 19th straight season and the favorites to win another district championship.
The Redhounds have one of the best one-two offensive punches in Class 2A in quarterback Clint Cashen and running back Ryan Fritts.
Cashen has thrown for 1,789 yards and has shown uncanny accuracy, throwing for 21 touchdowns against just three interceptions in 172 attempts. He has also completed 63-percent of his passes.
Fritts burst onto the scene early in the season and has rushed for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Corbin’s tendency to give up points (17.8 ppg.) should be a concern for head coach Steve Jewell. But not in their first game against Knott County Central, who they beat 47-8 on Sept. 21.
Middlesboro (7-3) puts their 13 game winning streak in first round games on the line when they host Leslie County, who hasn’t won two games in the same postseason since the Tim Couch days of 1995.
The Yellowjackets are led by quarterback Hunter Adams, who has veered his way to 995 rushing yards and 641 passing yards, accounting for 20 touchdowns in the process.
Leslie County (2-8) got thumped 50-8 by Middlesboro earlier in the season and this week should be no different.
Corbin’s balance should be too much for a Middlesboro team who has trouble defending teams with a potent offense. The Redhounds should claim the district with a 44-14 win.
Region One – Caldwell County hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since winning the 1998 state title. Green County hasn’t won a region title since 1975 when their 12-0 team lost to eventual state champion Scott County in the Class 2A playoffs.
The Dragons are a good story as the friendly folk in Greensburg have been pointing to this senior class for some time.
While Caldwell County has a potent offense of their own and home field advantage, they just won’t have enough to overcome the Dragons as Green County wins 34-14.
Region Two – There will be no shortage of athletes on the field when Danville and Fort Campbell hook up on post.
While the Falcons have had several Division-I players come through their system, it has not equaled long runs in the playoffs. In fact, Fort Campbell hasn’t won a region title in a dozen years.
Danville is Danville and always tough in the playoffs. But they have struggled against teams who can match them athlete for athlete as losses to Madison Central and Frankfort have shown.
This one goes to overtime before Fort Campbell wins 21-20.
Region Three – Prestonsburg would have to make a long trip to Louisville to play DeSales for the region title.
A month ago, the Blackcats would have been considered the favorite to win this game and advance, but injuries and a lackluster offensive showing the last two weeks even this one up.
There may not be 15 passes total thrown in this game, and the team who controls the ball wins. DeSales in the upset 18-14.
Region Four – Newport Central Catholic and Corbin would have made a great semifinal matchup by the new rotation by the KHSAA has them squaring off for the region title.
The schools last met in the playoffs in the 1986 semifinals, won by NewCath 28-6.
While the margin will be smaller, NewCath finds a way to limit the Redhounds to 20 points in a 34-20 win.
State Semifinals – Green County 38 Fort Campbell 35
Newport Central Catholic 35 DeSales 7
Championship – Newport Central Catholic wins their third straight state championship and ends Green County’s Cinderella season with a 28-16 win at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.
Class 2A doesn’t have an overwhelming favorite as any one of five to seven teams could advance to Louisville and hoist the title trophy after the championship game.
Newport Central Catholic (9-1) is the defending Class 1A champion. The team they beat, Danville (8-2), also jumped to Class 2A.
Fort Campbell (8-2) and Corbin (9-1) are two teams that may be playing the best football of anyone and could make a deep run.
The new alternating district matchups at the region level should also make for some potential barnburners heading into the state semifinals.
District One – Caldwell County (7-3) will host playoff games in Princeton as long as they are winning. The Tigers and their Tony Franklin-style offense won seven straight games before a season finale hiccup saw them lose to Mayfield 25-6.
Quarterback Will Barnes has thrown for close to 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns this year, but Caldwell’s defense has held three of their last five opponents to single digits.
The Tigers will host Heath (4-6), a team they spotted 13 points to before running away with a 41-27 win in Princeton on Sept. 14.
Chad Wright leads the Pirates in rushing with over 2,000 yards but has been bothered by a shoulder injury. The senior back rushed for 228 yards in the first game between the teams, but Heath must improve their defense after allowing Caldwell to run for 278 yards.
Heath will be looking to snap a seven-game losing streak in the first round of the playoffs dating back to 1995.
Trigg County (7-3) scuffled late in the season, losing three games in a row for the first time in eight years. One of those losses was to Caldwell County, which relegated them to a two seed.
The Wildcats dusted the cobwebs off their passing game last week as junior Donald Bush threw for 291 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns in a 66-6 win at Fulton County.
Trigg has been banged up on defense throughout the season and may just decide to pin their ears back and put eight in the box throughout the playoffs.
The Wildcats face Murray (5-5), whom they beat Murray 49-6 back on Sept. 14, rolling up over 400 yards in the win. Trigg has won seven of their last eight first round playoff games, while Murray has won 10 straight first round games (all in Class A) dating back to 1996.
The Tigers enter the playoffs on a three-game winning streak and winners of five of their last six dating back to the loss to Trigg County.
The focal point of Trigg will be to stop Murray’s junior running back Jamie King, who has rushed for over 1,700 yards and has over 400 yards in receiving.
Quarterback Jordan Garland, who was picked off four times by Trigg in their first meeting, appears to have settled into the offense, throwing for over 1,300 yards.
The top seeds should prevail, setting up a rematch between Trigg County and Caldwell County in Princeton. Caldwell hammered Trigg 41-14 on Oct. 19, holding the Wildcats to under 100 yards rushing for the third straight game in the series.
While Trigg County should have a better game plan against the Tigers this go-around, the Wildcats have struggled against no-huddle teams, which will again be their nemesis in a 21-14 loss.
District Three – Green County (10-0) is the lone unbeaten team in Class 2A, rolling over their opponents by an average margin of 33 points a night.
The Dragons are making their first playoff appearance since 2002. The 2000 squad also entered the playoffs with a 10-0 record, advancing to the region title game before losing to Corbin.
The current Dragons rely on a strong ground game, led by Zeth Rogers and Jessie Underwood, who have combined to rush for more than 2,000 yards and score 35 touchdowns this year.
Quarterback Justin Pendleton has thrown for over 1,100 yards and added 733 on the ground as the Dragons average 44 points and 431 yards of offense a night.
However, Green County boasts a defense that gives up less than 190 yards of offense and has held eight of their 10 opponents to two touchdowns or less.
Green County will face a 2-8 Monroe County team they drummed 53-6 back on Oct. 19.
The Falcons have dropped three straight first round games, including last year when they were the #1 seed and lost to #4 seed Glasgow.
Monroe County will need to fix their defense in a hurry if they are to turn the tables on Green County this year.
Glasgow (8-2) enters the playoffs with a four-game winning streak and has won eight of their last nine first round playoff games.
Like Green County, the Scotties have a balanced backfield between Corey Witcher and Lamar Howard.
Glasgow will host a Metcalfe County team they beat 21-14 on Oct. 19.
The Hornets (8-2) have outscored their last two opponents 118-7 since their loss to Glasgow three weeks ago.
If the Hornets can give quarterback Will Warf time to throw the football, they may be able to steal one from the Scotties in Glasgow.
Warf has thrown for over 1,300 yards on the season. The Hornets should also have the services of leading rusher Daniel DeLeon, who has been hobbled by injuries throughout the season.
Green County and Metcalfe County should square off for the district title in Greensburg, where the Dragons posted an exciting 32-24 win between the schools back on Oct. 5.
Metcalfe County, who made it to the region title game in Class 1A the past two years, has only allowed three opponents to reach double figures in scoring. Two of those teams were district foes Green County and Glasgow.
The Dragons appear to have too much firepower for Metcalfe County and should complete the season sweep with a 34-14 win.
District Two – Fort Campbell (8-2) may be the hottest team in Class 2A as the Falcons ride an eight-game winning streak into the postseason.
The Falcons have overcome some key injuries to their skill people, with four different players rushing for over 100 yards in a game this year.
Sophomore Troy Turner is the main cog of the Falcon offense, rushing for over 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Dexter Durrante and Tre Powell are two other players that can line up just about anywhere for the Falcons, who are second to Green County in scoring in Class 2A at 42 points a game.
Quarterback C.J. Croft has thrown for 1,200 yards and added 400 more on the ground in leading the Falcon offense.
On defense, Fort Campbell’s ball-swarming defense has held four of their last five opponents to under 10 points.
The Falcons will face an outmanned Todd County Central Rebel squad that they beat 56-20 on Sept. 21 without two starters.
Todd County (1-9) is in the playoffs for the first time since moving to Class 2A in 2001 and since 1999 overall. Todd’s last postseason win came in 1996.
Owensboro Catholic (5-5) limps into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak, but has won 14 of their last 18 playoff games.
The Aces have been inconsistent on offense, averaging just nine points in their five losses.
Evan Walker has returned to the quarterback slot to pass for over 900 yards and seven touchdowns.
However, OCath has been prone to put the football on the ground and put their opponent into prime scoring position several times throughout the year.
They host Hancock County, who they trounced 34-0 on Sept. 21.
The Hornets (4-6) are back playing in the Class 2A postseason for the first time since playing for the region title in 1998.
Taylor Wall has rushed for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns, but the Hornet defense, which is giving up 25 points a game, will be forced to find a way to stop the Aces’ offense, which they couldn’t do in their first meeting.
Fort Campbell and Owensboro Catholic will meet for the district title on the army installation, with the Falcons ending the Aces’ run of four straight region titles with a 28-13 win.
Region Four – The last time Danville competed in Class 2A, they were in the 1998 state title game against Caldwell County. Since then, the Admirals won 30 of 35 playoff games and three Class 1A state championships.
Back in 2A, they face a tough road back to Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.
But not in the first round.
The Ads (8-2) have bookend losses to their season and had last week off to heal and prepare for Fort Knox, who they crushed 57-7 earlier in the season.
Expect the Admirals to ride their playmakers Antwoine Simon and Leonard Macon as far as they can in the postseason.
Fort Knox (0-10) is the only winless team to make to 2A playoffs.
Danville, who hasn’t lost a first round playoff game since 1982, should get another week of rest to get ready for a rematch with Bardstown.
The Tigers (4-6) have played one of the toughest schedules in Class 2A, and first year head coach David Clark hopes it pays dividends in the postseason.
Like Danville, Clark will use his playmaker, Kebbie Scott, in just about any formation if it means reaching the end zone.
The Tigers will put their streak of six straight first round wins on the line when they host Washington County, who they beat 42-0 back on Sept. 21.
The Commanders (4-6) likely saw their chances at a third straight winning season vanish with a three-game losing streak to end the season.
Washington County has lost six straight first round games going back ten years.
Danville and Bardstown should square off again for the district title.
Danville won the first game this year 20-14 back on Oct. 5 and should sweep the season series with a 27-20 win in two weeks.
District Five – At first glance, DeSales and their 5-5 record doesn’t strike fear in the hearts of football followers from outside the Louisville area.
However, closer inspection shows the Colts have lost five games to teams that are a combined 28-23. Throw out a head-scratching loss to Waggener and that record improves to 25-16.
Mark Sander’s club has shown signs of having an explosive offense behind the three-pronged rushing attack of Myles Poole, Andrew Beeler, and Nick Bohn. The trio has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns.
However, DeSales must get better on defense, especially guarding against the pass where they allow over 157 yards a game through the air.
DeSales plays Owen County (1-9) in a rematch of their 42-0 win on Sept. 21.
The Rebels are in the postseason for the first time since 2001 and will be making only the school’s second postseason appearance in the past decade. Their last playoff win came in 1980 against Paris.
Christian Academy-Louisville (7-3) wrapped up the second seed in the playoffs and come into the postseason on a three-game winning streak.
The Centurions have been getting the job done through the air behind Aaron Joss, who has thrown for 2,056 yards and 20 touchdowns.
They will meet Carroll County (2-8), who surprised Dayton 13-7 last week.
The Panthers have struggled on both sides of the football and will be hard-pressed to overturn the 42-7 outcome CAL won by earlier in the year. A fourth straight first round exit is likely in the cards for Carroll County.
DeSales took advantage of four turnovers to edge CAL 27-21 Oct. 5 to claim the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Colts missed the playoffs last year after winning the region title in 2005. Look for DeSales to get back to the region championship with another 27-21 win over CAL for the district title.
District Seven – Prestonsburg (7-3) appeared set to make a long playoff run until a couple of weeks ago when quarterback Bobby Hughes was injured. Since then, the Blackcats have sputtered a bit on offense.
While they have enough to win the district, it could make things hard down the line.
Of course, it’s not like there isn’t a Plan B, C, or D for head coach John Derossett.
Allen Craynon has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, while Seth Setser has added 800 more.
Michael Burchett is running the P’burg offense in the absence of Hughes, who had over 700 all-purpose yards before his injury.
The Blackcats have won six of seven first round games and should extend that streak after a first round game with Morgan County.
The Cougars (1-9) have only one playoff win in school history. That came three years ago. Prestonsburg won the earlier matchup 51-7.
By virtue of their 21-13 win over Bath County on Sept. 21, Shelby Valley locked up a first round home game against the Wildcats. A win over Bath County would give Shelby Valley their first-ever playoff win in nine appearances.
Stopping Jonah Justice (700 yards and seven touchdowns rushing) and quarterback Tyler Johnson (1,200 passing yards) will be the cornerstone of Reed Fields’ game plan.
The second year coach at Bath County has one of the area’s best rushers in Blandon Clemens, who has rushed for 1,419 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Bath County (7-3) has won five straight games since the loss to Shelby Valley. The Wildcats are making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in nine years and should get their first playoff win in a decade.
Prestonsburg had no trouble with Bath County earlier in the year, winning 38-7. While the outcome will be the same, the score will be a little closer. Knock off ten points and call it a 28-7 Blackcat win.
District Six – After winning two straight state titles in Class 1A, Newport Central Catholic (9-1) appears poised to win their third straight championship overall and their first Class 2A title since 1984.
Wins over rivals Covington Catholic and Beechwood have the Thoroughbred faithful gearing up for another title run.
Head coach Bob Schneider will trust the NewCath offense to Robby Kues, who continues to make the clutch play all season. Kues has thrown for 1,727 yards and 18 touchdowns and added nine more scores on the ground.
The ‘Breds host Newport in the stadium the two schools share. NCC won the Oct. 5 meeting 40-0 and should have no trouble duplicating the same score in the return contest this weekend.
Newport has struggled to a 1-9 record in Jim Hyder’s first season as head coach.
Both Covington Holy Cross (5-5) and Lloyd Memorial (3-7) have lost three straight first round playoff games. The good news is one of the teams will see that streak end. The bad news is, Newport Central Catholic looms in the second round.
The Indians ended the season on a strong note, despite just a 3-2 record. They held Beechwood to 17 points and shutout a good Knox Central team.
The defense gives them the edge over a Lloyd team that has been plagued by turnovers and inconsistency.
Holy Cross beat the Juggernauts 38-28 earlier in the season and should do so again by the same margin.
Holy Cross played NCC to a 14-0 game back on Sept. 21, and appear primed to knock off the defending state champion. However, Kues has shown the ability to carry the ‘Breds late in games, which means a 27-7 win and another district title for the Thoroughbreds.
District Eight – Corbin is in the playoffs for the 19th straight season and the favorites to win another district championship.
The Redhounds have one of the best one-two offensive punches in Class 2A in quarterback Clint Cashen and running back Ryan Fritts.
Cashen has thrown for 1,789 yards and has shown uncanny accuracy, throwing for 21 touchdowns against just three interceptions in 172 attempts. He has also completed 63-percent of his passes.
Fritts burst onto the scene early in the season and has rushed for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Corbin’s tendency to give up points (17.8 ppg.) should be a concern for head coach Steve Jewell. But not in their first game against Knott County Central, who they beat 47-8 on Sept. 21.
Middlesboro (7-3) puts their 13 game winning streak in first round games on the line when they host Leslie County, who hasn’t won two games in the same postseason since the Tim Couch days of 1995.
The Yellowjackets are led by quarterback Hunter Adams, who has veered his way to 995 rushing yards and 641 passing yards, accounting for 20 touchdowns in the process.
Leslie County (2-8) got thumped 50-8 by Middlesboro earlier in the season and this week should be no different.
Corbin’s balance should be too much for a Middlesboro team who has trouble defending teams with a potent offense. The Redhounds should claim the district with a 44-14 win.
Region One – Caldwell County hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since winning the 1998 state title. Green County hasn’t won a region title since 1975 when their 12-0 team lost to eventual state champion Scott County in the Class 2A playoffs.
The Dragons are a good story as the friendly folk in Greensburg have been pointing to this senior class for some time.
While Caldwell County has a potent offense of their own and home field advantage, they just won’t have enough to overcome the Dragons as Green County wins 34-14.
Region Two – There will be no shortage of athletes on the field when Danville and Fort Campbell hook up on post.
While the Falcons have had several Division-I players come through their system, it has not equaled long runs in the playoffs. In fact, Fort Campbell hasn’t won a region title in a dozen years.
Danville is Danville and always tough in the playoffs. But they have struggled against teams who can match them athlete for athlete as losses to Madison Central and Frankfort have shown.
This one goes to overtime before Fort Campbell wins 21-20.
Region Three – Prestonsburg would have to make a long trip to Louisville to play DeSales for the region title.
A month ago, the Blackcats would have been considered the favorite to win this game and advance, but injuries and a lackluster offensive showing the last two weeks even this one up.
There may not be 15 passes total thrown in this game, and the team who controls the ball wins. DeSales in the upset 18-14.
Region Four – Newport Central Catholic and Corbin would have made a great semifinal matchup by the new rotation by the KHSAA has them squaring off for the region title.
The schools last met in the playoffs in the 1986 semifinals, won by NewCath 28-6.
While the margin will be smaller, NewCath finds a way to limit the Redhounds to 20 points in a 34-20 win.
State Semifinals – Green County 38 Fort Campbell 35
Newport Central Catholic 35 DeSales 7
Championship – Newport Central Catholic wins their third straight state championship and ends Green County’s Cinderella season with a 28-16 win at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.