Who you got as a Favorite to win it all or has a shot?

 

We all know Beechwood is going to be a name mentioned in this thread and I will agree as they are my pre season #1 . But I want to hear what you have to say? I will give my opinion later and a couple teams to keep an eye on?

I've posted it before, I think we are all highly over valuing the Tigers. They lost a ton. Lost three fantastic seniors on the OLine, and perhaps the best player on the team and a fourth OL starter has decided to not play his senior year. Yes the skill kids are really good and have played a lot of football, but four new starters on that OL will be tough to overcome. On D, they've lost the majority of the DLine, with only a part time kid from last year back. No starters. Only Slusher returns at LB, and they've lost the entire defensive backfield. One player does not make s team I know, but the Combs kid would really change things if he would have a change of heart and come back. This team has far too many unknowns for me to name them the overwhelming favorite. They start the season with road trips to Lloyd, Somerset, and Ironton. All those are potential Ls, then come home to play Cov Cath who might be a bit angry? I think this is the year a team from the East wins it, whether that's Raceland or Pikeville or someone else.

I've posted it before, I think we are all highly over valuing the Tigers. They lost a ton.

 

I thought they returned more, I may have to rethink my take on 1A, I had already gave them the trophy

The only class with a "hands down, no questions asked LOCKED IN" favorite.

 

Beechwood and then the rest of the class in 1A

I think Russellville will be good. Can they beat Beechwood? I don't know. Russellville lost several key (QB and main RB) players from last year. But they are well coached and have a decent chance this year. I know Rocket16 likes Crittenden County. Don't know a ton about them but they come down from 2A and should make their district game with Russellville pretty interesting.

Beechwood

Give me Pikeville. While they did lose some key contributors, they also return some talented skill kids and linemen from a team who was arguably the best 1a had to offer for the majority of last year.

Give me Pikeville. While they did lose some key contributors, they also return some talented skill kids and linemen from a team who was arguably the best 1a had to offer for the majority of last year.

 

They lost in the playoffs to Paintsville and Paintsville has more coming back than Pikeville, including D1 prospect Kash Daniel. Why would you take Pikeville over Paintsville?

 

I had not thought much about Crittenden County. I don't see how they could make the leap to a favorite in 1A from where they were last year.

 

The two teams returning the most in 1A look like Raceland and Paintsville to me. Everyone else has a lot of holes to fill, including Beechwood.

I think Purple88 may have overstated my comments on Crittenden County ... i dont think they are in the discussion state wide i do however think they will give Russellville all they want and maybe make a run in the playoffs not to state but a few rounds in...They do have a senior heavy team with 12 and all but maybe 2 will see lots of field time.. they have been playing in the Murray Caldwell dominated district for their whole high school careers and had to play alot of 4A and up teams to fill out the schedule so they learned alot and were overmatched alot but now back down in 1A should give them that confidence they need to win some ballgames

They lost in the playoffs to Paintsville and Paintsville has more coming back than Pikeville, including D1 prospect Kash Daniel. Why would you take Pikeville over Paintsville?

 

I had not thought much about Crittenden County. I don't see how they could make the leap to a favorite in 1A from where they were last year.

 

The two teams returning the most in 1A look like Raceland and Paintsville to me. Everyone else has a lot of holes to fill, including Beechwood.

 

The argument there if it needs to be made is Paintsville caught Pikeville flat footed and severely overlooking them (which is definitely true to some extent)

 

Pikeville had beat Paintsville 62-8 and between Paintsville simply outplaying Pikeville and a couple key banged up Panthers it ended up being a 78 point swing... something I am not sure I have ever witnessed.

 

In my mind Pikeville was probably the 3rd or 4th best team in 1A... and the gap between them and #2 (or for that matter in hindsight #1 ) was pretty minimal when they were on their game...just laid an egg.

 

 

 

 

Now with that said, Pikeville's graduations losses are heavy. Though they return their workhorse..you don't lose a QB like Austin Charles who had ran the offense for three years and your best all-around played Cody Estep and not take a step back as a 1A team. They also lost their best lineman, their excellent LB Maynard, and a pretty daggone effective kicker.

 

I think it is more than fair to consider Paintsville and Pikeville equals with a slight edge to Paintsville because of Kash Daniel.

The argument there if it needs to be made is Paintsville caught Pikeville flat footed and severely overlooking them (which is definitely true to some extent) Pikeville had beat Paintsville 62-8 and between Paintsville simply outplaying Pikeville and a couple key banged up Panthers it ended up being a 78 point swing... something I am not sure I have ever witnessed. In my mind Pikeville was probably the 3rd or 4th best team in 1A... and the gap between them and #2 (or for that matter in hindsight #1 ) was pretty minimal when they were on their game...just laid an egg. Now with that said' date=' Pikeville's graduations losses are heavy. Though they return their workhorse..you don't lose a QB like Austin Charles who had ran the offense for three years and your best all-around played Cody Estep and not take a step back as a 1A team. They also lost their best lineman, their excellent LB Maynard, and a pretty daggone effective kicker. I think it is more than fair to consider Paintsville and Pikeville equals with a slight edge to Paintsville because of Kash Daniel.[/quote']

 

Couldn't have broken it down any better. At this point, without watching either team play yet, I would put them dead even. Kash Daniels is good, we all know that, but he can't do it by himself. Some Paintsville players have to step up and provide a secondary role when Kash isn't available.

 

All in all, I think Pikeville beats Hazard and Williamsburg and takes the district championship. I think Paintsville gives Raceland a scare but Raceland takes their district. I think Hazard looms in the shadows in the playoffs and plays Pikeville until the last whistle but Pikeville comes out on top by two or three. The same with Raceland, Paintsville edges closer but doesn't have enough horsepower to propel them to the semis. I think it's a Raceland/Pikeville semi-final.

I'm a little disappointed this thread hasn't took off yet.

I'm a little disappointed this thread hasn't took off yet.

 

What is missing from the discussion so far that would cause the thread to take off?

What is missing from the discussion so far that would cause the thread to take off?

 

Agree. 1A competition took off with Mayfield going to 2A. Beechwood's to lose. Case closed.

Class 1A

District 1 – Crittenden County, Fulton City, Fulton County, Russellville

District 2 –Bethlehem, Campbellsville, Caverna, Fort Knox

District 3 – Eminence, Frankfort, Holy Cross (Louisville), Kentucky Country Day

District 4 – Beechwood, Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow

District 5 – Berea, Bishop Brossart, Bracken County, Nicholas County, Paris

District 6 – Fairview, Paintsville, Raceland

District 7 – Harlan, Lynn Camp, Pineville, Williamsburg

District 8 – Hazard, Jenkins, Phelps, Pikeville, South Floyd

5th place team from District 8 as the 4th place in District 6 for playoff brackets

5th place team from District 5 will not advance to playoffs