article Bluegrasspreps' Eastern Kentucky Power Rankings 9-9

1. Corbin Redhounds (3A, 4-0)- Redhounds get some revenge and take care of business against 1A's top-ranked team. Corbin will get a much needed week off before jumping back into action against another heavyweight.

2. Johnson Central Golden Eagles (4A, 2-1)- Even lightning could not delay the Central onslaught as they put a hurting on South Charleston. Moore makes the long trek from Louisville and brings their 4-0 record with them.

3. Belfry Pirates (3A, 2-1)- Belfry had 2A Newport Central Catholic beat after running three Offensive plays. The Pirates will take a substantial step up in class against rival Pikeville.

4. Ashland Tomcats (4A, 4-0)- Ashland's perfect season continues as they romp rival Russell. The rivalry tour continues with Ironton, OH next and expect Ashland to remain undefeated.

5. Pikeville Panthers (1A, 3-0)- Pikeville left no doubt by handling Paintsville in almost every facet. Connor Roberts is a bonafide star and they will need him to shine in this week's big clash with Belfry.

6. Southwestern Warriors (5A, 4-0)- Southwestern was able to hold off Henry Clay and in the process make amends for a loss suffered last year. Madison Southern also handed the Warriors a loss in 2017, but Southwestern should definitely flip the script in 2018.

7. Raceland Rams (1A, 3-1)- Raceland needed two days to polish off rival Greenup County, but they got the job done cementing their place as the team to beat in Northeastern Kentucky small school football. The Rams draw Ohio Counterpart Lucasville-Valley next.

8. Knox Central Panthers (4A, 2-1)- The Panthers made a statement by using some forced turnovers to pound Harlan County. Expect Knox Central to keep rolling against an over-matched 2A Green County team.

9. Bell County Bobcats (3A, 3-0)- Bell County got to rest and scout. The Bobcats will be back in action against Whitley County as they look to keep the winning ways going.

10. Somerset Briarjumpers (2A, 3-1)- Somerset rebounded nicely from their loss against Beechwood to keep Hazard at bay. They will make the short trip don Route 80 and try to claim a 5A victim against North Laurel.

11. Wayne County Cardinals (4A, 2-2)- The Cards' tough schedule claimed them as a victim for the 2nd time as they were no contest for an excellent Boyle County team. The Cardinals will try to keep Harlan County down and out.

12. Paintsville Tigers (1A, 2-2)- Paintsville simply could not match up with Pikeville and now must go back to the drawing board to figure out how they can close the gap. Their first order of business is beating another solid 1A team on the road at Williamsburg.

13. Hazard Bulldogs (1A, 2-1)- Hazard could not find a rhythm and were knocked off by a stout Somerset squad. The Bulldogs will take the week off before calibratin on what it will take to challenge Pikeville down the road.

14. Greenup County Musketeers (4A, 3-1)- Greenup tasted defeat for the first time as they could not find the Offense to challenge Raceland. The Musketeers will hit the road looking for a bounce back against Lawrence County.

15. Pulaski County Maroons (5A, 2-2)- Pulaski got exactly what they needed when they kept the game in control against 2A Danville. The Maroons cannot rest on their laurels though as Allen County- Scottsville is not a bad team.

THE NEXT FIVE:

16. Perry Central Commodores (5A, 4-0)

17. Montgomery County Indians (5A, 3-1)

18. South Laurel Cardinals (5A, 3-1)

19. Bath County Wildcats (3A, 2-1)

20. Powell County Pirates (3A, 3-1)

...Four More Making Moves (No Particular Order):

Lynn Camp Wildcats (1A, 3-0)

Williamsburg Yellowjackets (1A, 3-1)

Phelps Hornets (1A, 3-0)

Rowan County Vikings (4A, 3-1)

...Four That Are Sliding (No Particular Order):

Rockcastle County Rockets (4A, 2-2)

Prestonsburg Blackcats (2A, 0-3)

Harlan County Black Bears (5A, 0-3)

Middlesboro Yellowjackets (2A, 1-3)

Player of the Week:

QB Connor Roberts, Pikeville

The Panther Quarterback single handily had Paintsville in tears throwing for 193 yards and 2 TD's and adding 231 yards and 3 TD's on the ground in ONLY 11 carries.

Game of the Week:

#3 Belfry Pirates at #5 Pikeville Panthers- The Real Pike County Bowl has probably not been as highly anticipated as this one in over 15 years. Pikeville looks to have one of their better teams in recent memory and Belfry is still a formidable buzzsaw. Expect some heavy hitting and every broken tackle to have significance.