Wanted to stir the pot a little. Purples are 55-2 (two losses by total of 8 points) going into the upcoming season. They have an uphill climb to get back to the top but I think they are on their way there. Pulaski (I give them credit for winning it last year) will be good again but I am not sure they can beat Highlands, Covington or Bowling Green when push comes to shove. I hate that Purples had a collapse against Graves and couldn't go for the 4 in a row but it is what it is.

 

Admittedly, I do not know a lot about Covington (I know they are good!) and think they may have a great shot at getting to the finals. Highlands is Highlands but hear they are missing some pieces on the defensive side of the ball. It should be interesting.

 

Bowling Green will, I think, surprise some folks this year. I know all teams that get on field with them will take them very serious. I would be shocked if there were a better backfield in the state than the Purples. I see a lot of wins this upcoming season for the Purples coming from rushing touchdowns.

 

I guess what I am geeked up about is the next few years for the Purples. I said it last year; if you beat the Purples it better be in 2014 and in the 2015 season. I understand that the Highlands camp is saying the same thing about their squad for the upcoming seasons.

 

5A should be fun to keep your eyes on. What do fans from other 5A schools across the bluegrass think about the Purples this year? What are you hearing?

 

Remember, when you play BG this year you will be playing against 12 rather than 11. RIP Purplehaze!

It will be tough to win state. With the addition of powerhouse FT Highlands and Cov Catholic, not to mention Southwestern and the champs ( Pulaski Co ). Now I must say your west side is light compares to the east side of the state, so BG might be playing in the championship game vs. the teams I mention.

Let's see.... Purples lost all 3 of their leading receivers, their starting QB, and most of their offensive and defensive lines... I don't know but it definitely sounds like a rebuilding year to me; granted they will have a nice 1, 2 punch at running back and a talented speedster in Wilson that could play anywhere from QB to RB or WR, but there are just too many spots to be filled for them to be as dominant as they have been in years past. I look for them to have a winning season, but I feel that they will likely end the season with 2-3 losses...

QB development is where it's going to be at for Bowling Green. I wouldn't worry about the receivers, the line, the running backs, or the defense. But the QB, they're going to need some development. The advantage is that these guys typically have learned the system well and they have a great line always blocking for them.

 

As for the record, I don't see a loss on their regular season schedule after Week 4. I think X is possible, maybe even probable, but then we've been there before. Christian County on the road is intriguing, as the Colonels are a team that's coming up and have given BG trouble in the past. I don't know what Owensboro is returning, but that could be a good game. I highly doubt a loss outside of those games and I'd be hard pressed to think they'll have more than 1. I consider 0 far more likely than more than 1 loss in the regular season.

Cant wait to see Central Hardin host Bowling Green in September. I am not sure that Central Hardin can pull off an upset but with coach Tim Mattingly entering his second season at the helm, Central Hardin players seem more familiar with the offensive and defensive schemes and seems to have more depth on both sides of the ball and will have a one of the top defenses in the state, a trade mark of coach Mattingly, going back to his days as defensive coordinator at Meade County. I am being told that this is Central Hardins most talented group in a long time.

I think Christian County will be a team to reckon with for the next several years.

I doubt Bowling Green falls too far in 2015. The machine has been running well oiled for 25+ years now. But I do believe 5A in the west will be tougher with Owensboro moving up. I've posted this before but OHS returns like 15 starters overall. Biggest loss will be at QB IMO. Replacing the 3 year starter in Locher will be key. The Red Devils do return their leading rusher(TJ James),best defender(Jakovey Gardner),& get one of the top WR's in WKY transferring in from Apollo(Rates Lewis) thgh. Owensboro also has a talented Sophmore class moving up. This group of kids beat Bowling Green twice last year in freshman ball. Hopefully Owensboro's rookie head coach knows what he's doing....there's definitely some talent to work with on Frederica St.

It will be tough to win state. With the addition of powerhouse FT Highlands and Cov Catholic, not to mention Southwestern and the champs ( Pulaski Co ). Now I must say your west side is light compares to the east side of the state, so BG might be playing in the championship game vs. the teams I mention.

 

I can get behind Highlands and Pulaski is loaded to the teeth, but Cov. Cath and Southwestern are not teams BG would struggle with. This ain't Cov. Cath of 2006, player or coaching wise.

I believe the Purples might have 2 losses after week 5.... A loss to Saint X and a loss to Owensboro. I believe their is a slight chance they could lose to Grayson County as well later in the season, but that will be a stretch. The big question is how far will they make it in the Playoffs? For what it's worth, I believe 5A is still pretty weak as a whole, and The Purples should make it to the Regional Final. From there it is a toss up!

I believe the Purples might have 2 losses after week 5.... A loss to Saint X and a loss to Owensboro. I believe their is a slight chance they could lose to Grayson County as well later in the season, but that will be a stretch. The big question is how far will they make it in the Playoffs? For what it's worth, I believe 5A is still pretty weak as a whole, and The Purples should make it to the Regional Final. From there it is a toss up!

Grayson County? There is no chance of BG losing to Grayson. St. X, Christian, Owensboro, Central Hardin, and McCracken are games that will challenge BG. BG will be 9-1 / 8-2.

Owensboro returns a good deal including some excellent RBs...BUT they lost two very important things:

1. An experienced Head Coach

2. Their QB

 

...don't be surprised to see them struggle without those two factors.

I think as far as the overall number of teams is concerned, there's a lot of evidence to support the 5A division being considered the best division for top-notch football in the foreseeable future. Without a doubt, there are great teams in all of the other divisions, but there are so many great teams that will be battling it out in 5A for the next few years...

Even though the game means little in 5A, I have to say the BG better watch out for Central Hardin. As talented and physical a team that they will see all year.

I believe Central Hardin is Wing T...Wing T teams have not fared well against the Purples.

For the life of me, I can't find anything on this Covington team. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!