2019 Class 5A Teams - Kentucky High School Football

CLASS 5A

District 1- Breckinridge County, Graves County, Grayson County, Muhlenberg County, Ohio County, Owensboro

District 2- Bowling Green, Christian County, Greenwood, South Warren

District 3- Bullitt Central, Doss, Fairdale, Iroquois, Western

District 4- Atherton, Jeffersontown, North Bullitt, Seneca, South Oldham

District 5- Boone County, Conner, Cooper, Covington Catholic, Highlands

District 6- Frederick Douglass, Grant County, Great Crossing, Montgomery County, Scott County

District 7- Collins, East Jessamine, Madison Southern, West Jessamine, Woodford County

District 8- North Laurel, Pulaski County, South Laurel, Southwestern, Whitley County

I couldn't find anything on cross-bracketing for the playoffs next season. But if I had a vote I would want District 1 vs District 2 (Region 1); District 3 vs District 6 (Region 2); District 4 vs District 5 (Region 3); District 7 vs District 8 (Region 4). That sets up some great second round games and Regional Finals. Thoughts?

The cross-bracketing through 2022:

https://khsaa.org/football/regionrotationandcrossbracketpairingsfinalthrough2022.pdf

So for 2019 it is D1 v D3, D2 v D4, D5 v D7, D6 v D8

In other words, the games you're really going to want to see are the state semis on the bottom half and the state finals. With a chance that the state semis on the top will be worth watching as well.

Thanks DF! For the top half of the bracket Region 1 Owensboro looks like the favorite.

In Region 2 you could have second round games involving South Warren, Bowling Green, and South Oldham. Regional finals will be awesome.

Region 3 second round games possibly involving CovCath, Highlands, Collins, Montgomery County.

Region 4 with second round games with Frederick Douglass, Scott County, Southwestern, Pulaski County.

And who knows what teams surprise us next year. Looking forward to next seasons games already!

Using CalPreps ratings from this year, this is what this 5A would have projected like for second round matchups (Great Crossing I left out since we have no rating for them)

Region 1:

D1 #3 Graves County (over Doss) at D1 #1 Owensboro (over Western)

D1 #2 Grayson County (over Fairdale) at #3 #1 Bullitt Central (over Breckinridge County)

Region 2:

D2 #3 Christian County (over North Bullitt) at D2 #1 South Warren (over Atherton)

D2 #2 Bowling Green (over Jeffersontown) at D4 #1 South Oldham (over Greenwood)

Region 3:

D5 #3 Conner (over Madison Southern) at D5 #1 Covington Catholic (over Woodford County)

D5 #4 Cooper (over West Jessamine) at D5 #2 Highlands (over Collins)

Region 4:

D8 #2 Southwestern (over Montgomery County) at D6 #1 Scott County (over Whitley County)

D6 #2 Frederick Douglass (over South Laurel) at D8 #1 Pulaski County (over Grant County)

Yes, I realize we have a head to head from regular season Scott County/Frederick Douglass, but I elected to do it strictly by the ratings here.

Region 4 is the only one that would have projected to play out straight chalk, as each region had some imbalance in favor of one district, especially Region 3, where the worst team in District 5 (Boone County, -4.4) has a higher rating than the best from District 7 (West Jessamine, -6.4).

Projecting even further, the projection would be host Owensboro over Grayson County in the Region 1 finals, host South Warren over Bowling Green in the Region 2 finals - both of which saw upsets of the #2 seed from the more dominant district over #1 from other - host Covington Catholic over Highlands in Region 3 (which happened), and host Scott County over Frederick Douglass in Region 4 (a 6A second round matchup that did happen). South Warren over Owensboro in one semi-state (a region final that happened), Covington Catholic over Scott County in the other, and then the exact 5A title game we actually got this year, with South Warren over Covington Catholic.

But seriously, that potential District 5 vs. District 6 game in the semistate (CovCath against Scott County/Frederick Douglass), that's going to be ridiculous.

Using CalPreps ratings from this year, this is what this 5A would have projected like for second round matchups (Great Crossing I left out since we have no rating for them)

 

Region 1:

D1 #3 Graves County (over Doss) at D1 #1 Owensboro (over Western)

D1 #2 Grayson County (over Fairdale) at #3 #1 Bullitt Central (over Breckinridge County)

 

Region 2:

D2 #3 Christian County (over North Bullitt) at D2 #1 South Warren (over Atherton)

D2 #2 Bowling Green (over Jeffersontown) at D4 #1 South Oldham (over Greenwood)

 

Region 3:

D5 #3 Conner (over Madison Southern) at D5 #1 Covington Catholic (over Woodford County)

D5 #4 Cooper (over West Jessamine) at D5 #2 Highlands (over Collins)

 

Region 4:

D8 #2 Southwestern (over Montgomery County) at D6 #1 Scott County (over Whitley County)

D6 #2 Frederick Douglass (over South Laurel) at D8 #1 Pulaski County (over Grant County)

Yes, I realize we have a head to head from regular season Scott County/Frederick Douglass, but I elected to do it strictly by the ratings here.

 

Region 4 is the only one that would have projected to play out straight chalk, as each region had some imbalance in favor of one district, especially Region 3, where the worst team in District 5 (Boone County, -4.4) has a higher rating than the best from District 7 (West Jessamine, -6.4).

 

Projecting even further, the projection would be host Owensboro over Grayson County in the Region 1 finals, host South Warren over Bowling Green in the Region 2 finals - both of which saw upsets of the #2 seed from the more dominant district over #1 from other - host Covington Catholic over Highlands in Region 3 (which happened), and host Scott County over Frederick Douglass in Region 4 (a 6A second round matchup that did happen). South Warren over Owensboro in one semi-state (a region final that happened), Covington Catholic over Scott County in the other, and then the exact 5A title game we actually got this year, with South Warren over Covington Catholic.

 

But seriously, that potential District 5 vs. District 6 game in the semistate (CovCath against Scott County/Frederick Douglass), that's going to be ridiculous.

Wow DF, insightful post, thank you!

We can also rank the teams in this thread and then we can break down what 2019 may look like in arguably the strongest class for Kentucky High School Football.

I will start.

Tier 1

South Warren

Covington Catholic

Scott County

Frederick Douglass

Tier 2

Highlands

Owensboro

Bowling Green

South Oldham

Tier 3

Pulaski County

Conner

Cooper

I thought SW lost most of their talent?

I thought SW lost most of their talent?

I will make this comment don’t count South as being down next year.

Yes they lose a lot. But the guru can tell every time we think South is down they are strong.

IE 2013 the year they had multiple shut outs and turned the corner they had 12 seniors that had played since the school opened and graduated everything.

The next year in 2014 they went to the semifinals then won it all in 2015 in 4A.

2016 they aged back to 9-4 and lost in regionals to FS. Graduated everything including their QB.

Was supposed to be down last year and needed up losing to Cov Cath in semis and then won it all this year.

Personally I think they will come back to the pack some in the first part of the year but be ready come the end of the year.

They return Issac Young who is on defense line that returned the blocked quick kick to the 10. They return Jantzen Dunn who scored the TD he will be a JR. Veltkamp will be the QB in all likelihood. Some believes he throws a better ball than Spurrier.

But we will have to wait and see

Fredrick Douglas is going to have to pick up a few more wins of consequence to be considered Tier I. they lost to a Scott Co. team that got manhandled in the Finals.

I just say that in respect to putting BG, a team that has won 5 of the last 8 5A State Titles in the Tier II group.

I think 5A will be fascinating...

Cov. Cath is coming back to earth a bit....

South will have to reload quite a lot, but has shown they can do this....

Highlands appears to have finally stopped the bleeding....

BG has a Tisdale, but what else....

Is Fredrick Douglas for real or the product of playing Lexington teams...

What happens to Scott Co. when Great Crossings opens....

Pulaski Co. never seems to be out of the mix...

Collins is always a potentially dangerous match up...

Christian Co?....

Owensboro showed that they are coming back to life...

Cooper....Conner...one of them will likely be pretty good...

I mean seriously, top to bottom, what an awesome collection of teams to duke it out in 5A. Reminds me of the old 3A in the 80's and 90's. Should be fun!

I will start.

 

Tier 1

South Warren

Covington Catholic

Scott County

Frederick Douglass

 

Tier 2

Highlands

Owensboro

Bowling Green

South Oldham

 

Tier 3

Pulaski County

Conner

Cooper

HHS will be as good as anyone in 5A. You need to reevaluate based on what some of those teams will loose from last year. For the first time in 3 years, HHS will have as much (or more) talent on the field than Cov Cath. Yes, CCH will have Mayer and Jones, but across the board, the Birds will be loaded. They return 2 of 3 D-line starters (Zell, Lewin), 3 of 5 o-line starters (Huber, Dierig, Turner, Likely the best RB in NKY (Buten), Hollingsworth at QB, 2 of 4 LB's (Huddy and Schwalbach) and 2 of 4 DB's (Noe and Brass), Plenty of talent at receiver in Ahfeld, Weyer, Deshler, Vinson, and Houzz. I'll put them against anyone in 5A next year. Jack Delgrange sat out this past year due to injury, but I hear he might come out again... The kid is a BEAST and would make this VERY good team even better.

Does Cov Caths entire OLine return again? Still trying to understand how that happens every year.

On paper to me how does Douglas and Scott Co not run this class? Do SR and JR players go to Crossings this year? Seems unlikely. Cov Cath and SW will both be taking a step back.

Does Cov Caths entire OLine return again? Still trying to understand how that happens every year.

Nope, but they will return two beasts on the line in Mayer at TE and Jones at tackle.

Who steps up at RB for the Colonels this year? To me that is THE question mark for the Colonels this year. Don’t remember anybody else running the ball last year when it mattered.

Who steps up at RB for the Colonels this year? To me that is THE question mark for the Colonels this year. Don’t remember anybody else running the ball last year when it mattered.

Felix got some good carries last year. I believe he'll be a senior. The CCH faithful may have a few other names to throw out. I don't see any touching the effectiveness of #2 though. He's a 1 every 10 years kind of back. CCH also tends to run their sweep to the WR in motion, so the receivers may help make up for some of the loss. I GUARANTEE Eddie will get the ball into Mayer's hands as much as he can.