I've had conversations with folks this summer that have all but sworn only Boyle County can win the 3A state championship. Others have told me the top four in this week's BGP preview (http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-football-high/bluegrasspreps-com-class-366977.html) - Boyle, Central, Belfry, and Corbin are far ahead of the rest of the pack. Others around the state certain hope their team can make a run. So my question is: who can win Class...

1. Boyle County (2017: 14-1; Class 3A State Champions) Why Yes: After falling to Central in the second round of the playoffs in each of their first two seasons back in Class 3A, the Rebels roared to their eighth state championship in school history in 2017, losing only one game in the process. Now the Rebels look to make it back-to-back titles, something they last accomplished in 2009 and 2010, and will do so with a ton of returning offensive...

Last year was a triumphant return to coaching at Larue County for Josh Jaggers. The Hawks went 10-2 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Now they must replace several key starters but behind Louisville commit Anthony Adkins some think Larue could be even better in 2018. The season starts with a home game against a Marion County team that went 0-10 and only scored 100 points in 2017.

After playing all of last season at road or neutral sites, Barren County finally gets to play a home game at their new stadium and man is it a beauty! The Trojans, who are playing as an independent this season before moving up to 6A in 2019, will host the Casey County Rebels. Casey County has emerged as a consistent top-10 program in Steve Stonebraker's second stint in Liberty. Can the new digs help Barren pull off the upset or does Casey...

Two of the most consistent programs in western Kentucky again face off in the season opener. Caldwell County has proven to be the class of the far west in 3A, but it hasn't necessarily translated into deep postseason runs. Christian County lost several key players from last season, including their quarterback to UK, but rarely are the Colonels outside the top 10. Who wins this matchup?

Both Elizabethtown and Franklin-Simpson enter 2018 with lofty rankings but there are some questions that must be answered. Can E-town replace the high levels of skill players lost to graduation? How does Franklin-Simpson improve on a state championship squad from last year? Both teams have questions but both programs are rarely down. This should be a premier game for opening week.

Two teams with a lot of questions face off at the Roy Kidd Bowl at Madison Central. Lexington Catholic returns star quarterback Beau Allen, but the Knights also have a new coach, former defensive coordinator Nigel Smith. Madison Southern advanced to the 5A state championship game last season but lost several of their key players. Who gets off to the better start in 2018?

Two rivals from not too far apart face off in the season opener. Corbin returns a good bit from their 3A runners-up in 2017 but must replace their quarterback. Whitley County lost a lot on offense but returns quite a bit from a defense that was pretty solid last year. Can the Colonels pull the upset or are the Hounds too much?

Big game in Louisville on opening night as city powers Manual and Central face off. This has been a good rivalry in recent years. A win by Manual might show them capable of competing at the highest level in 6A. A win by Central could confirm what many believe that the Yellowjackets will be a force in 3A. Who wins this one?