The Scribe
11-06-2007, 04:01 AM
Class 5A Football Playoff Preview
We are excited to bring you a preview of what may be the most competitive class in KY with the new Six Class realignment.
Not only is 5A loaded at the top with traditional powers like Highlands and Bowling Green, but it also has more depth than nearly every other class.
We are going to preview the Intra-District first and second rounds, moving down the bracket, and then offer our predictions for the remaining District Winners as they advance towards Louisville.
This 5A tournament sets up to be a great one.
District 1
9-1 Owensboro should have no problem kicking off their post-season by defeating 4-6 Ohio County. Joe Prince’s Owensboro team has only a loss at 6A Meade County on their resume’ for this year. Their road win at 6A Boone County in September highlights their 9 wins.
The other half of District 1 will be among the most competitive first round games in the state: Christian County at Hopkinsville. Hopkinsville took the regular season match-up on the road, and we expect them to repeat that feat at home on Friday.
That will set up a re-match of a one-sided affair from October 19 when Owensboro beat Hopkinsville 34-0. While we expect the game to be much closer, we look for Owensboro to survive and move forward as the District 1 Champion.
District 4
Perhaps the best story in KY this fall has been the re-birth of Anderson County under alumnus Mark Peach. Anderson Co. enters the post-season with an unblemished 10-0 record, however, without a marquee victory on their schedule they remain a question mark.
We expect their first-round game with South Oldham to be closer than most 1/4 games on Friday, but we also expect Anderson Co. to survive.
The other side of the bracket will see a struggling Jeffersontown (losers of 5 straight) squad hosting Oldham County. J-town handled them in the regular season 36-13 on the road, but we expect to see Oldham County pick up the road win on Friday night.
The second round game should be as exciting as the first (won by Anderson Co. 35-31), but we look for Coach Peach’s Anderson Co. team to emerge as District 4 Champions.
District 2
Kevin Wallace’s Bowling Green Purples enter the post-season as the favorite to make it to Papa John’s out of the West. They had an impressive 9-1 regular season and will have no problem dismantling Grayson County on Friday night.
The other half of the district tournament will see Warren Central hosting Barren County, a re-match of a one-sided affair won by W.C. back in October.
Warren Central should handle the re-match nearly as easily and set up a second round date with cross-town rival Bowling Green. The Purples’ man-handled Warren Central back in September 62-6 and you know that game hasn’t been forgotten by Coach Cox’s troops.
This re-match will be far more interesting than the regular season tilt, but when the dust settles, the victor will be the same. Bowling Green will advance as District 2 Champions.
District 3
John Hardin entered the season, after having been in the rugged 4A in years’ past, with very high expectations. Their 10-0 campaign has done nothing to change that; they enter the playoffs as a formidable team with their sights set on Papa John’s. They will have no problem getting their post-season kick started with a win over Iroquois.
The other half of D3 will see Doss hosting Waggener. Doss handled Waggener easily in the regular season (54-20) and we expect more of the same on Friday.
The rematch between Doss and John Hardin will closely resemble the October game, won by J.H. 42-14, and John Hardin will advance as District 3 Champions.
District 5
The State’s #1 ranked 5A team, the Highlands Bluebirds, enter the post-season with a 10-0 record and a bulls-eye on their back as the team to beat.
Dale Mueller’s 2007 edition blew through the regular season scoring 391 points and surrendering only 113 (second fewest in 5A to Owensboro’s 72).
They will have no problem with Coach Casey Fisk’s Scott team on Friday.
The other side of D5 sports probably the best first-round match-up in the state: Covington Catholic at Dixie. Both teams are ranked in the Top 10 in 5A in addition to being neighborhood rivals. The game in Edgewood (at Dixie) will see CovCath gain revenge on their regular season defeat and nip the Red Colonels.
That will set-up another installment of CovCath/Highlands in Ft. Thomas, however, this one won’t be as competitive as the match-ups typically are and Highlands will easily advance as District 5 Champions.
District 8
Another of the season’s surprises this year is Coach Hillard Howard’s Letcher County Central squad. They enter the post-season 9-1 and winners of 9 straight. They open the post-season on Friday hosting 2-8 Whitley County in a game that will not prove to be as exciting as the first meeting (won by LCC in overtime).
The other half of D8 sees Clay County traveling to Perry County Central. PCC won the first meeting in one of the most exciting games of the season, 68-57. While we expect a little more defense this time around, we also expect Clay County to turn the tables and move on.
That will set up Clay County heading to LCC looking to gain some measure of revenge after falling 40-37 in September – and getting it. We see the 3rd seed Clay County squad led by Coach Aaron Stepp advancing as surprise Champions of District 8.
District 6
Woodford County stumbles into the playoffs after finishing off their 8-2 regular season with a home loss to red-hot 6A Meade County. They will have no problem getting back on the beam versus 7-3 Montgomery County on Friday.
The bottom-half of D6 will be a beauty as Oliver Lucas’ Byran Station team travels down the Mountain Parkway to face a Johnson Central team reeling from their defeat to 3A Belfry to end the season. Coach Matney’s J.C. team handled B.S. comfortably on the road back in September, and while Station has improved dramatically since then, we expect J.C. to advance to the District Championship game in a close one.
Woodford Co. escaped Paintsville with a 43-22 victory earlier in the season and we see the District 6 Championship game going similarly in Versailles. Woodford County advances as District 6 Champions.
District 7
Our final 5A district to preview begins with 8-2 Lincoln County hosting 5-5 defending 2A State Champion Mercer County. This should be the best 1/4 match-up in 5A on Friday night as Mercer County looks to settle a score with Lincoln County who knocked them off in a good one, 12-7, back in September.
Coach Larry French’s Lincoln Co. team is playing great football with only a 2 point loss to 6A powerhouse Scott Co. on their resume’ since September 1st, and they’ll stay hot in beating Mercer Co. for the 2nd time this year.
The other half of D7 has a surprising Pulaski Co. team led by Coach John Hines knocking off South Laurel.
That sets up a great D7 Championship game between Pulaski Co. and Lincoln Co. LC won the regular season match-up comfortably 28-0, and while this one will be closer than that, it’ll have the same victor. Lincoln County advances as the District 7 Champion.
3rd Round
Anderson County at Owensboro
As good a season as Anderson County has had they’ll have a hard time containing the athleticism of Owensboro. O’boro sports the stingiest defense in 5A and they’ll advance to the 5A Final 4 comfortably over Anderson Co. ending their magical season at 12-1.
We look for a final score in the 31 – 13 area. They’ll await the winner of John Hardin and Bowling Green.
Bowling Green at John Hardin
What a tremendous 3rd Round match-up in Elizabethtown. 10-1 Bowling Green, ranked 2nd in the state in 5A will be facing 11-0 John Hardin, ranked 3rd in the state. Bowling Green enters the playoffs averaging over 50 points a game and surrendering only 12.
John Hardin, led by Coach Mark Brown, only has one victory all season by a margin of less than 14 points. This one really could go either way and we look for home-field to be the difference, 27 - 24. John Hardin escapes with a big win over Bowling Green and advances to face Owensboro in the Final 4.
Clay County at Highlands
Clay County advances to the Elite 8 as a 3rd Seed and is rewarded with KY’s best 5A team / program. This trip to Ft. Thomas won’t be a pleasant one for Clay Co. as Highlands will easily advance to the Final 4 and another step closer to a State Championship.
We look for Highlands to advance by a score of about 49 – 13.
Woodford County at Lincoln County
Two evenly matched teams meet up in Stanford. Woodford Co. enters the post-season scoring 29.5 per game and allowing 15.3. Lincoln Co. enters the post-season scoring 25.7 and allowing 14.7. Lincoln Co. is playing as well as anyone in 5A since September 1st, and that, combined with being home, should be enough to allow Lincoln Co. to escape with a 20 – 17 victory.
4th Round
Owensboro versus John Hardin
Should be a classic match-up with the winner advancing to the State Championship game in Louisville. John Hardin, coming off their mild upset over Bowling Green, to face the athletic and defensive minded group from Owensboro. We expect John Hardin to win this ball game in a close, hard fought battle, and advance to the Carpet! We look for a final score in the 21 – 10 area.
Highlands versus Lincoln County
Highlands has been the top-ranked team in 5A all season, they’ll enter this game at 13-0, and they’ll continue to flex their muscle against a very solid and well coached team from Lincoln County. While we don’t expect this one to be quite as close as the other semi-final, we do think it’ll be competitive and interesting to watch. We look for Highlands to win the ballgame by a score in the vicinity of 39 – 20.
State Championship
Friday, December 7, 2007: John Hardin versus Highlands!
Highlands, a team that has tallied a truck-load of 2A and 3A state titles versus an upstart John Hardin team that has spent the last few years being competitive in 4A (at the time, the largest classification).
Highlands has spent the majority of the season ranked at #1 while John Hardin has been nipping on their heels from the #3 spot. Highlands has had only two regular season games decided by 9 points or less, John Hardin only one.
It truly sets up for an outstanding finale in Louisville. However, when the dust settles on a chilly December Friday night, we expect the fist ever Kentucky 5A Championship to go to…
Highlands! We look for them to defeat John Hardin by a score of 27 – 17.
We are excited to bring you a preview of what may be the most competitive class in KY with the new Six Class realignment.
Not only is 5A loaded at the top with traditional powers like Highlands and Bowling Green, but it also has more depth than nearly every other class.
We are going to preview the Intra-District first and second rounds, moving down the bracket, and then offer our predictions for the remaining District Winners as they advance towards Louisville.
This 5A tournament sets up to be a great one.
District 1
9-1 Owensboro should have no problem kicking off their post-season by defeating 4-6 Ohio County. Joe Prince’s Owensboro team has only a loss at 6A Meade County on their resume’ for this year. Their road win at 6A Boone County in September highlights their 9 wins.
The other half of District 1 will be among the most competitive first round games in the state: Christian County at Hopkinsville. Hopkinsville took the regular season match-up on the road, and we expect them to repeat that feat at home on Friday.
That will set up a re-match of a one-sided affair from October 19 when Owensboro beat Hopkinsville 34-0. While we expect the game to be much closer, we look for Owensboro to survive and move forward as the District 1 Champion.
District 4
Perhaps the best story in KY this fall has been the re-birth of Anderson County under alumnus Mark Peach. Anderson Co. enters the post-season with an unblemished 10-0 record, however, without a marquee victory on their schedule they remain a question mark.
We expect their first-round game with South Oldham to be closer than most 1/4 games on Friday, but we also expect Anderson Co. to survive.
The other side of the bracket will see a struggling Jeffersontown (losers of 5 straight) squad hosting Oldham County. J-town handled them in the regular season 36-13 on the road, but we expect to see Oldham County pick up the road win on Friday night.
The second round game should be as exciting as the first (won by Anderson Co. 35-31), but we look for Coach Peach’s Anderson Co. team to emerge as District 4 Champions.
District 2
Kevin Wallace’s Bowling Green Purples enter the post-season as the favorite to make it to Papa John’s out of the West. They had an impressive 9-1 regular season and will have no problem dismantling Grayson County on Friday night.
The other half of the district tournament will see Warren Central hosting Barren County, a re-match of a one-sided affair won by W.C. back in October.
Warren Central should handle the re-match nearly as easily and set up a second round date with cross-town rival Bowling Green. The Purples’ man-handled Warren Central back in September 62-6 and you know that game hasn’t been forgotten by Coach Cox’s troops.
This re-match will be far more interesting than the regular season tilt, but when the dust settles, the victor will be the same. Bowling Green will advance as District 2 Champions.
District 3
John Hardin entered the season, after having been in the rugged 4A in years’ past, with very high expectations. Their 10-0 campaign has done nothing to change that; they enter the playoffs as a formidable team with their sights set on Papa John’s. They will have no problem getting their post-season kick started with a win over Iroquois.
The other half of D3 will see Doss hosting Waggener. Doss handled Waggener easily in the regular season (54-20) and we expect more of the same on Friday.
The rematch between Doss and John Hardin will closely resemble the October game, won by J.H. 42-14, and John Hardin will advance as District 3 Champions.
District 5
The State’s #1 ranked 5A team, the Highlands Bluebirds, enter the post-season with a 10-0 record and a bulls-eye on their back as the team to beat.
Dale Mueller’s 2007 edition blew through the regular season scoring 391 points and surrendering only 113 (second fewest in 5A to Owensboro’s 72).
They will have no problem with Coach Casey Fisk’s Scott team on Friday.
The other side of D5 sports probably the best first-round match-up in the state: Covington Catholic at Dixie. Both teams are ranked in the Top 10 in 5A in addition to being neighborhood rivals. The game in Edgewood (at Dixie) will see CovCath gain revenge on their regular season defeat and nip the Red Colonels.
That will set-up another installment of CovCath/Highlands in Ft. Thomas, however, this one won’t be as competitive as the match-ups typically are and Highlands will easily advance as District 5 Champions.
District 8
Another of the season’s surprises this year is Coach Hillard Howard’s Letcher County Central squad. They enter the post-season 9-1 and winners of 9 straight. They open the post-season on Friday hosting 2-8 Whitley County in a game that will not prove to be as exciting as the first meeting (won by LCC in overtime).
The other half of D8 sees Clay County traveling to Perry County Central. PCC won the first meeting in one of the most exciting games of the season, 68-57. While we expect a little more defense this time around, we also expect Clay County to turn the tables and move on.
That will set up Clay County heading to LCC looking to gain some measure of revenge after falling 40-37 in September – and getting it. We see the 3rd seed Clay County squad led by Coach Aaron Stepp advancing as surprise Champions of District 8.
District 6
Woodford County stumbles into the playoffs after finishing off their 8-2 regular season with a home loss to red-hot 6A Meade County. They will have no problem getting back on the beam versus 7-3 Montgomery County on Friday.
The bottom-half of D6 will be a beauty as Oliver Lucas’ Byran Station team travels down the Mountain Parkway to face a Johnson Central team reeling from their defeat to 3A Belfry to end the season. Coach Matney’s J.C. team handled B.S. comfortably on the road back in September, and while Station has improved dramatically since then, we expect J.C. to advance to the District Championship game in a close one.
Woodford Co. escaped Paintsville with a 43-22 victory earlier in the season and we see the District 6 Championship game going similarly in Versailles. Woodford County advances as District 6 Champions.
District 7
Our final 5A district to preview begins with 8-2 Lincoln County hosting 5-5 defending 2A State Champion Mercer County. This should be the best 1/4 match-up in 5A on Friday night as Mercer County looks to settle a score with Lincoln County who knocked them off in a good one, 12-7, back in September.
Coach Larry French’s Lincoln Co. team is playing great football with only a 2 point loss to 6A powerhouse Scott Co. on their resume’ since September 1st, and they’ll stay hot in beating Mercer Co. for the 2nd time this year.
The other half of D7 has a surprising Pulaski Co. team led by Coach John Hines knocking off South Laurel.
That sets up a great D7 Championship game between Pulaski Co. and Lincoln Co. LC won the regular season match-up comfortably 28-0, and while this one will be closer than that, it’ll have the same victor. Lincoln County advances as the District 7 Champion.
3rd Round
Anderson County at Owensboro
As good a season as Anderson County has had they’ll have a hard time containing the athleticism of Owensboro. O’boro sports the stingiest defense in 5A and they’ll advance to the 5A Final 4 comfortably over Anderson Co. ending their magical season at 12-1.
We look for a final score in the 31 – 13 area. They’ll await the winner of John Hardin and Bowling Green.
Bowling Green at John Hardin
What a tremendous 3rd Round match-up in Elizabethtown. 10-1 Bowling Green, ranked 2nd in the state in 5A will be facing 11-0 John Hardin, ranked 3rd in the state. Bowling Green enters the playoffs averaging over 50 points a game and surrendering only 12.
John Hardin, led by Coach Mark Brown, only has one victory all season by a margin of less than 14 points. This one really could go either way and we look for home-field to be the difference, 27 - 24. John Hardin escapes with a big win over Bowling Green and advances to face Owensboro in the Final 4.
Clay County at Highlands
Clay County advances to the Elite 8 as a 3rd Seed and is rewarded with KY’s best 5A team / program. This trip to Ft. Thomas won’t be a pleasant one for Clay Co. as Highlands will easily advance to the Final 4 and another step closer to a State Championship.
We look for Highlands to advance by a score of about 49 – 13.
Woodford County at Lincoln County
Two evenly matched teams meet up in Stanford. Woodford Co. enters the post-season scoring 29.5 per game and allowing 15.3. Lincoln Co. enters the post-season scoring 25.7 and allowing 14.7. Lincoln Co. is playing as well as anyone in 5A since September 1st, and that, combined with being home, should be enough to allow Lincoln Co. to escape with a 20 – 17 victory.
4th Round
Owensboro versus John Hardin
Should be a classic match-up with the winner advancing to the State Championship game in Louisville. John Hardin, coming off their mild upset over Bowling Green, to face the athletic and defensive minded group from Owensboro. We expect John Hardin to win this ball game in a close, hard fought battle, and advance to the Carpet! We look for a final score in the 21 – 10 area.
Highlands versus Lincoln County
Highlands has been the top-ranked team in 5A all season, they’ll enter this game at 13-0, and they’ll continue to flex their muscle against a very solid and well coached team from Lincoln County. While we don’t expect this one to be quite as close as the other semi-final, we do think it’ll be competitive and interesting to watch. We look for Highlands to win the ballgame by a score in the vicinity of 39 – 20.
State Championship
Friday, December 7, 2007: John Hardin versus Highlands!
Highlands, a team that has tallied a truck-load of 2A and 3A state titles versus an upstart John Hardin team that has spent the last few years being competitive in 4A (at the time, the largest classification).
Highlands has spent the majority of the season ranked at #1 while John Hardin has been nipping on their heels from the #3 spot. Highlands has had only two regular season games decided by 9 points or less, John Hardin only one.
It truly sets up for an outstanding finale in Louisville. However, when the dust settles on a chilly December Friday night, we expect the fist ever Kentucky 5A Championship to go to…
Highlands! We look for them to defeat John Hardin by a score of 27 – 17.