Bluegrasspreps
11-05-2009, 12:30 PM
Class 2A Football Playoff Preview
Region 1
Fort Campbell is trying to do something no other team in Kentucky football history has done – win three straight Class 2A titles.
Given their performance through 10 games, the Falcons may be the biggest favorite to win a 2A title since Chuck Smith’s teams at Boyle County before they moved up to 3A.
Fort Campbell has won 39 of 40 games dating back to the third game of 2007 and rolls into the playoffs on a 15-game winning streak.
The numbers are astounding. Fort Campbell is averaging nearly a point a minute on the football field. The Falcons are also averaging 22 points in the first quarter while allowing just one touchdown in the opening frame all season.
One player putting up huge numbers is quarterback Antonio Andrews, who is closing in on 3,000 rushing and 3,000 passing yards for his career. Because Fort Campbell’s average halftime score is 39-2, Andrews rarely plays in the second half. He has thrown for 960 yards and 16 touchdowns and has rushed for 1,188 yards and 25 touchdowns. Incredibly, one of every four carries for Andrews is a touchdown, while one of every three pass completions also results in a score.
Defensively, the Falcons have given up 67 points, with just 28 of those in the past seven games.
There is no team in the western half of the state with as much playoff experience as Fort Campbell, which should bode well for their return to the region title game.
The Falcons’ first round opponent is Caldwell County, who upset Mayfield 14-10 in the muck last week but isn’t expected to play giant-killer twice in a row.
One of Fort Campbell’s toughest challenges to date could come from a Murray squad that posted their first 10-0 regular season since 1993.
The Tigers have enough beef up front to try and throw a ball control scheme at the Falcons, should they meet.
Running back Brandon Wicks has topped 1,000 yards rushing, while fullback Matt Deese has added 900 more yards.
Hancock County surprised Owensboro Catholic to lock in the two seed and will host Heath in the first round.
Like Murray, Hancock County features a bruising style rushing attack led by 1,000-yard rusher Josh Newton. However, Hancock County isn’t as stout as the Tigers on defense.
The most interesting first round matchup has Owensboro Catholic traveling to Trigg County, a team they have eliminated from the postseason five of the last six years. Trigg carries a five-game winning streak into the playoffs. During that streak, they have held five straight opponents to less than 50 yards rushing.
The winner gets Fort Campbell in the second round.
Projected Region Final – Fort Campbell 43 Murray 7
Region 2
A second straight season of Danville mediocrity has left the region wide-open yet again.
Last year, Monroe County won the region and challenged Fort Campbell for three quarters before falling in the state semifinals.
Monroe County could make it back that far again, although the road to the region title will go through Greensburg.
The Dragons meet a suddenly hot Fort Knox team in the first round. The Eagles have won two straight games after ending a three-year losing streak.
Green County averages nearly 300 rushing yards a game, led by Chavis McDermott (112 ypg.) and quarterback John Stone, who has accounted for over 1,000 yards of total offense. Ricky Garrett adds 810 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns to the offense.
Fort Knox last won a playoff game in 2002 when they beat Green County.
Danville and Glasgow square off in a battle of programs trying to rebound from a recent fall from glory.
The Admirals have won three straight games following a five-game losing streak. Freshman Devonta Alcorn has shown he can move the football, while Will Dunn carries the workload in the backfield. Danville’s defense has also improved after struggling during their losing streak.
Glasgow started hot but has been inconsistent down the stretch alternating wins and losses the last five weeks.
Parker Cash and Tavion Parrish will be a tough combo for the Ads to stop on defense.
The last time Danville failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs in three straight seasons was 1981-83 when they competed at the 3A level.
Bardstown and Monroe County are expected to advance past their first round matchups and meet in the second round.
Bardstown features running back Ricky Harper, while Monroe County has Tanner Kendall in their backfield. The difference will be on defense where the Falcons allow just 16 points a game, while Bardstown allows 30.
Projected Region Final – Monroe County 14 Green County 12
Region 3
Newport Central Catholic has appeared in four straight title games (two each in 1A and 2A) but could face their toughest challenge in the way of DeSales.
The Colts have three close losses to larger Louisville-area schools and is looking to avenge last year’s 31-3 loss to NCC in the region final.
Andrew Beeler (106 ypg.) leads a potent DeSales rushing attack that averages 267 yards and 35 points a game. Ryan Johnson has thrown 10 touchdowns and kicked eight field goals for the Colts.
Covington Holy Cross potentially awaits DeSales in the second round, having never won more than two playoff games in a single season.
Quarterback Markel Walker has over 1,000 yards rushing and passing for the Indians.
Reports of the demise of Newport Central Catholic are premature as the Thorobreds carry a four-game winning streak into the playoffs, including a win over rival Beechwood.
Chris Kelly again leads the NCC offense with 1,451 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, the ‘Breds will only go as far as their defense takes them. NCC gives up 23 points and 176 passing yards a game.
Christian Academy-Louisville has quietly put together an 8-2 season in a district overshadowed by DeSales. If the Centurions get past Lloyd Memorial in the first round, they would travel north for their first-ever playoff meeting with Newport Central Catholic.
Projected Region Final – Newport Central Catholic 21 DeSales 14
Region 4
Corbin and Prestonsburg appear to be the clear favorites to meet for the region title, but upstart Shelby Valley has every intention on crashing the party.
2008 left both the Red Hounds and Blackcats feeling empty, with Corbin ending Prestonsburg’s season before falling to Newport Central Catholic in the semifinals.
Caleb Watkins has put up monster numbers for Corbin, rushing for 1,498 yards and 23 touchdowns, while averaging over 10 yards a carry.
Ryan Fritts has added over 500 yards rushing, and Roman Mitchell has thrown for over 800 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Corbin’s offense averages over 37 points a game, but their opportunistic defense will hold the key to their playoff run.
Prestonsburg is one of three unbeaten teams in Class 2A (Fort Campbell and Murray) and have more wins than the other three teams in their side of the bracket combined.
The Blackcats feature a very balanced and diverse offense (177 rush per game, 195 pass per game) that scores over 40 points a game.
Quarterback Michael Burchett has thrown for over 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns, while three backs have each rushed for over 400 yards.
Defensively, the Blackcats give up just 13 points a game.
If there is a Cinderella in the bunch, it’s Shelby Valley, who has won just one postseason game in the school’s history.
The Wildcats have a pair of 1,000 yard rushers in B.J. Roberts (1,533 yards, 17 TDs) and Dillion Hughes (1,397 yards, 10 TDs). Both backs average over 10 yards a touch and key a Shelby Valley rushing attack that averages over 400 yards a game.
If Shelby Valley advances past Leslie County in the first round, a likely trip to Corbin looms in the second round.
Projected Region Final – Prestonsburg 28 Corbin 20
Projected State Semifinals – Fort Campbell 41 Monroe County 13
Prestonsburg 22 Newport Central Catholic 16
Projected State Championship – Fort Campbell 34 Prestonsburg 15
Region 1
Fort Campbell is trying to do something no other team in Kentucky football history has done – win three straight Class 2A titles.
Given their performance through 10 games, the Falcons may be the biggest favorite to win a 2A title since Chuck Smith’s teams at Boyle County before they moved up to 3A.
Fort Campbell has won 39 of 40 games dating back to the third game of 2007 and rolls into the playoffs on a 15-game winning streak.
The numbers are astounding. Fort Campbell is averaging nearly a point a minute on the football field. The Falcons are also averaging 22 points in the first quarter while allowing just one touchdown in the opening frame all season.
One player putting up huge numbers is quarterback Antonio Andrews, who is closing in on 3,000 rushing and 3,000 passing yards for his career. Because Fort Campbell’s average halftime score is 39-2, Andrews rarely plays in the second half. He has thrown for 960 yards and 16 touchdowns and has rushed for 1,188 yards and 25 touchdowns. Incredibly, one of every four carries for Andrews is a touchdown, while one of every three pass completions also results in a score.
Defensively, the Falcons have given up 67 points, with just 28 of those in the past seven games.
There is no team in the western half of the state with as much playoff experience as Fort Campbell, which should bode well for their return to the region title game.
The Falcons’ first round opponent is Caldwell County, who upset Mayfield 14-10 in the muck last week but isn’t expected to play giant-killer twice in a row.
One of Fort Campbell’s toughest challenges to date could come from a Murray squad that posted their first 10-0 regular season since 1993.
The Tigers have enough beef up front to try and throw a ball control scheme at the Falcons, should they meet.
Running back Brandon Wicks has topped 1,000 yards rushing, while fullback Matt Deese has added 900 more yards.
Hancock County surprised Owensboro Catholic to lock in the two seed and will host Heath in the first round.
Like Murray, Hancock County features a bruising style rushing attack led by 1,000-yard rusher Josh Newton. However, Hancock County isn’t as stout as the Tigers on defense.
The most interesting first round matchup has Owensboro Catholic traveling to Trigg County, a team they have eliminated from the postseason five of the last six years. Trigg carries a five-game winning streak into the playoffs. During that streak, they have held five straight opponents to less than 50 yards rushing.
The winner gets Fort Campbell in the second round.
Projected Region Final – Fort Campbell 43 Murray 7
Region 2
A second straight season of Danville mediocrity has left the region wide-open yet again.
Last year, Monroe County won the region and challenged Fort Campbell for three quarters before falling in the state semifinals.
Monroe County could make it back that far again, although the road to the region title will go through Greensburg.
The Dragons meet a suddenly hot Fort Knox team in the first round. The Eagles have won two straight games after ending a three-year losing streak.
Green County averages nearly 300 rushing yards a game, led by Chavis McDermott (112 ypg.) and quarterback John Stone, who has accounted for over 1,000 yards of total offense. Ricky Garrett adds 810 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns to the offense.
Fort Knox last won a playoff game in 2002 when they beat Green County.
Danville and Glasgow square off in a battle of programs trying to rebound from a recent fall from glory.
The Admirals have won three straight games following a five-game losing streak. Freshman Devonta Alcorn has shown he can move the football, while Will Dunn carries the workload in the backfield. Danville’s defense has also improved after struggling during their losing streak.
Glasgow started hot but has been inconsistent down the stretch alternating wins and losses the last five weeks.
Parker Cash and Tavion Parrish will be a tough combo for the Ads to stop on defense.
The last time Danville failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs in three straight seasons was 1981-83 when they competed at the 3A level.
Bardstown and Monroe County are expected to advance past their first round matchups and meet in the second round.
Bardstown features running back Ricky Harper, while Monroe County has Tanner Kendall in their backfield. The difference will be on defense where the Falcons allow just 16 points a game, while Bardstown allows 30.
Projected Region Final – Monroe County 14 Green County 12
Region 3
Newport Central Catholic has appeared in four straight title games (two each in 1A and 2A) but could face their toughest challenge in the way of DeSales.
The Colts have three close losses to larger Louisville-area schools and is looking to avenge last year’s 31-3 loss to NCC in the region final.
Andrew Beeler (106 ypg.) leads a potent DeSales rushing attack that averages 267 yards and 35 points a game. Ryan Johnson has thrown 10 touchdowns and kicked eight field goals for the Colts.
Covington Holy Cross potentially awaits DeSales in the second round, having never won more than two playoff games in a single season.
Quarterback Markel Walker has over 1,000 yards rushing and passing for the Indians.
Reports of the demise of Newport Central Catholic are premature as the Thorobreds carry a four-game winning streak into the playoffs, including a win over rival Beechwood.
Chris Kelly again leads the NCC offense with 1,451 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, the ‘Breds will only go as far as their defense takes them. NCC gives up 23 points and 176 passing yards a game.
Christian Academy-Louisville has quietly put together an 8-2 season in a district overshadowed by DeSales. If the Centurions get past Lloyd Memorial in the first round, they would travel north for their first-ever playoff meeting with Newport Central Catholic.
Projected Region Final – Newport Central Catholic 21 DeSales 14
Region 4
Corbin and Prestonsburg appear to be the clear favorites to meet for the region title, but upstart Shelby Valley has every intention on crashing the party.
2008 left both the Red Hounds and Blackcats feeling empty, with Corbin ending Prestonsburg’s season before falling to Newport Central Catholic in the semifinals.
Caleb Watkins has put up monster numbers for Corbin, rushing for 1,498 yards and 23 touchdowns, while averaging over 10 yards a carry.
Ryan Fritts has added over 500 yards rushing, and Roman Mitchell has thrown for over 800 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Corbin’s offense averages over 37 points a game, but their opportunistic defense will hold the key to their playoff run.
Prestonsburg is one of three unbeaten teams in Class 2A (Fort Campbell and Murray) and have more wins than the other three teams in their side of the bracket combined.
The Blackcats feature a very balanced and diverse offense (177 rush per game, 195 pass per game) that scores over 40 points a game.
Quarterback Michael Burchett has thrown for over 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns, while three backs have each rushed for over 400 yards.
Defensively, the Blackcats give up just 13 points a game.
If there is a Cinderella in the bunch, it’s Shelby Valley, who has won just one postseason game in the school’s history.
The Wildcats have a pair of 1,000 yard rushers in B.J. Roberts (1,533 yards, 17 TDs) and Dillion Hughes (1,397 yards, 10 TDs). Both backs average over 10 yards a touch and key a Shelby Valley rushing attack that averages over 400 yards a game.
If Shelby Valley advances past Leslie County in the first round, a likely trip to Corbin looms in the second round.
Projected Region Final – Prestonsburg 28 Corbin 20
Projected State Semifinals – Fort Campbell 41 Monroe County 13
Prestonsburg 22 Newport Central Catholic 16
Projected State Championship – Fort Campbell 34 Prestonsburg 15