article BluegrassPreps.com Football Rankings (8/21)

Class 1A

While the Class' two top teams took Week 0 off, the rest of the class saw plenty of action. Paintsville, Kentucky Country Day, and Raceland all opened by defeating schools from larger classifications. Russellville and Louisville Holy Cross each took losses against quality competition in very tightly contested games. As we move forward to Week 1, the match-ups get even tougher. Pikeville, Kentucky Country Day, and Raceland all draw ranked foes, while Beechwood and Hazard will both be tested with stiff bouts of their own.

 

1. Beechwood at 2A Lloyd

2. Hazard vs. 5A Harlan County

3. Paintsville at Harlan

4. Kentucky Country Day vs. 2A #8 Walton-Verona

5. Williamsburg vs. 2A #10 Somerset

6. Raceland at 4A #8 Ashland

7. Russellville vs. 3A Fort Campbell

8. Louisville Holy Cross vs. 4A Valley

9. Pikeville vs. 2A #3 Lexington Christian Academy (8/26)

10. Bracken County vs. Ludlow

 

 

Class 2A

Most everyone expected the top of Class 2A to be stout, and Week 0 did nothing to hurt that belief. All five teams took on top notch competition and passed with flying colors, including a few margin of victories that shocked even the most ardent football followers. Newport Central Catholic and Owensboro Catholic also held serve making it 7 for 7, but both teams will take on even stiffer tests in Week 1. The only casualty of the Top 10 was Somerset who watched a lead slip away to 4A Bourbon County. This week it will be a battle of pecking order between the two smallest classes as Lexington Christian Academy, Walton-Verona, and Somerset all draw ranked foes from Class 1A.

 

1. Danville vs. 4A Knox Central at Corbin (8/26)

2. Christian Academy- Louisville vs. 6A Eastern

3. Lexington Christian Academy at 1A #9 Pikeville (8/26)

4. DeSales vs. 6A Butler

5. Mayfield at 4A #6 Hopkinsville

6. Owensboro Catholic vs. Reitz (IN)

7. Newport Central Catholic vs. 6A Cooper

8. Walton-Verona at 1A #4 Kentucky Country Day

9. Glasgow at 3A Bardstown

10. Somerset at 1A #5 Williamsburg

 

 

Class 3A

Class 3A had some muscle flexing of their own in the opening weekend. Out of the Top 7, not a single loss was found and teams like Elizabethtown, Boyle County, Central, and Lexington Catholic all made statement wins. One of the Top 7 teams who did not play was the defending champion Belfry Pirates, as they will open against one of West Virginia's top teams. Corbin will also take a similar route, taking on Tennessee powerhouse, Alcoa. Lexington Catholic will look to stay in-state for another huge game as they draw 5A Covington Catholic.

 

1. Belfry vs. Huntington (WV)

2. Corbin vs. Alcoa (TN) (8/26)

3. Elizabethtown -- OPEN

4. Central at 4A Western

5. Lexington Catholic vs. 5A #2 Covington Catholic

6. Boyle County vs. Waggener (8/26)

7. Russell vs. 4A Greenup County (8/26)

8. Caldwell County vs. 5A Graves County

9. Paducah Tilghman vs. Liberty Tech Magnet (TN)

10. Western Hills vs. Estill County

 

Class 4A

The class with the most uncertainty after Week 0 would have to be Class 4A. Though the Top 3 seemingly held form with two wins and a BYE from #1 Johnson Central, teams ranked 4 thru 7, the middle of the Top 10, took it on the chin by a combined margin of 71-180. Mercer County and Shelby County each made substantial moves in the rankings as a result of these losses, and both have an impressive Week 0 showing of their own. Johnson Central's season opener against powerhouse Capital (WV), and a Southern Kentucky showdown between Wayne County and Pulaski County are the highlights of the state.

 

1. Johnson Central vs. Capital (WV)

2. Wayne County vs. 5A Pulaski County

3. Collins vs. Moore

4. Franklin-Simpson at 2A Monroe County

5. Mercer County vs. Franklin County at Boyle County (8/26)

6. Hopkinsville vs. 2A #5 Mayfield

7. Shelby County vs. 5A Atherton

8. Ashland vs. 1A #6 Raceland

9. John Hardin at 6A North Hardin

10. Rockcastle County vs. 5A Lincoln County

 

Class 5A

Covington Catholic and Highlands did not live up to the high expectations set for them in the 2016 season. Both teams made it a point to open the 2017 campaign on a high note with dominating wins over 6A teams from Northern Kentucky. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was South Warren taking a ranked 4A Hopkinsville to the wood shed, a win that has spring boarded them into the Top 10. The Week 1 slate is going to be a challenge for a class that seems to be on the rise. Christian County and Owensboro each face stiff out of state tests, while Bowling Green, Fern Creek, and Covington Catholic draw tough foes. The best game featuring two teams from the same class may be Doss and South Oldham squaring off.

 

1. Bowling Green at 6A Pleasure Ridge Park

2. Covington Catholic at 3A #5 Lexington Catholic

3. Christian County vs. Rossview (TN) at Hopkinsville

4. Owensboro vs Mater Dei (IN) (8/26)

5. Fern Creek vs. 6A Manual

6. Doss at #9 South Oldham

7. Greenwood vs. 4A Warren East at WKU (8/26)

8. Southwestern vs. 6A Paul Dunbar at Lafayette

9. South Oldham vs. #6 Doss

10. South Warren vs. 4A Warren Central at WKU (8/26)

 

Class 6A

Trinity, Male, and St. Xavier are no strangers to being flag bearers for the State of Kentucky. The three tradition rich programs carried the banner once more with a trio of eye opening wins against some of the best competition the Hoosier State has to offer. Trinity enjoyed it so much they will now take on traditional power Warren Central (IN). Everything wasn't all daisies for the remainder of the Class 6A Top 10 as DuPont Manual, Ryle, and Ballard all took L's to lower class competition. One of the best rivalries to blossom in recent years has been Scott County and Lafayette. Those two will clash for potential regular season supremacy for the Central Kentucky region.

 

1. Trinity at 5A Warren Central (IN)

2. St. Xavier -- OPEN

3. Male at Ballard

4. Scott County at #5 Lafayette

5. Lafayette vs. #4 Scott County

6. Simon Kenton at Bryan Station

7. Pleasure Ridge Park vs. 5A #1 Bowling Green

8. Tates Creek at Frederick Douglass

9. Butler at 2A #4 DeSales

10. Manual at 5A #5 Fern Creek

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