Pikeville is a very strong 1A team. Just would liked to have seen their offense evolve some over the season. I know some will holler the change at QB has totally changed their offense but Pugh was handed the ball like 35 times in the first game against Paintsvilles and like 30 times this last game so kinda sounds the same. They need to rely on Pugh just not SO much! The kid throws well so if they actually go to that more I see them doing better in this game. Won't take long for BW to close off the middle and Pikeville QB won't have as much time to run around like last game. As long as Pikeville Gets rid of the ball quicker, doesn't allow BW D to pop the ball lose and they utilize Pugh less but at more opertune times and Pikville can take this game conviencly!

 

With respect, there is not a Runningback like Pugh in all of Class 1A. Every game he plays against a 1A team he is a matchup problem. If he averages 7 yards a carry why not force feed it to him 30 times?

 

Hard to argue with results... by riding their mule it has brought them to the State Finals and they LEAD THE STATE IN POINTS SCORED.

 

If Pikeville suddenly came out throwing 25 times and handed it to Pugh 15 times and they lost to Beechwood that would be a tough pill to swallow at night wondering "Would it have changed if I just gave my best player the ball?"

Lol. There is not one person in this thread that I know of is a coach, a player, a cheerleader, or anything else connected to this team. I have no ties what so ever to the current team. How are we supposed to know how they feel, or are you one of those that thinks fans really make a difference? We don't. I will tell you this. BW has the best QB in 1A. They have IMO the best player in 1A. They have a great coaching staff that has put them in this position. Why wouldn't they feel great? There are 12 teams in the state still playing, and they are one of them. Exactly what else are you looking for? Ask a silly question.......

 

I will agree that Beechwood has the best QB in class A. But IMO the best player in class A or even Kentucky is Kash Daniel and he was unable to play in his last game. Every team in the state finals should feel good.

I will agree that Beechwood has the best QB in class A. But IMO the best player in class A or even Kentucky is Kash Daniel and he was unable to play in his last game. Every team in the state finals should feel good.

 

Hard to not agree. Kash is special and had he played we may be getting ready to watch Paintsville play. I still like my guy, especially watching what he's had to do the last two weeks to carry his team. But Kash did same all year.

I just realized NCC didn't beat Desales, Mayfield did. ooops!

 

But they did beat Danville, which is probably not as difficult but still quite impressive

Pikeville is a very strong 1A team. Just would liked to have seen their offense evolve some over the season. I know some will holler the change at QB has totally changed their offense but Pugh was handed the ball like 35 times in the first game against Paintsvilles and like 30 times this last game so kinda sounds the same. They need to rely on Pugh just not SO much! The kid throws well so if they actually go to that more I see them doing better in this game. Won't take long for BW to close off the middle and Pikeville QB won't have as much time to run around like last game. As long as Pikeville Gets rid of the ball quicker, doesn't allow BW D to pop the ball lose and they utilize Pugh less but at more opertune times and Pikville can take this game conviencly!

 

I think at this point Pikeville is aware of what their QB can do, but if they can hand it to pugh and win by 19 against Paintsville, why not? why show more to your next opponent than necessary? just look at BW, even when they were struggling against LHC, they knew they could win with their gameplan, no need to show off or intimidate your next opponent by running up the score with plays you would rather keep hidden. I think both teams will be tested to present those plays in this game. execution will be everything for both of these teams.

If you care to visit KHSAA stats Pugh has had a lot less carries than most backs. He is averaging about 11 yards per carry and a touchdown every 4.5 carry. The object is to win the football game. The pikeville staff has done a good job of when teams load the box to stop the run passing with a high percentage

Kash Daniel is one fine athlete. Had he played against Pikeville, he would have made a difference, I'm sure. But NO, not a 19 point difference. The Panthers could have put up another six, or seven points in this game as they were driving the ball down field, but chose not to, and just took a knee. You got to remember too, Pikeville had Paintsville beat in the first game, but handed it to them. Pikeville has the weapons this year to win it all, and I believe they will. Jmo.

No doubt Pikeville is a good football team, BW gonna have to be at the very top of their game. I think BW played a far superior schedule, read on here that not one team that Pikeville beat in regular season won a playoff game. Is that a fact? That's kind of hard to believe. BW on the other hand played and beat a 2a state finalist in NCC, an Ohio playoff team in Ironton, a 2a regional finalist in Lloyd, and beat them all handily. They are certainly more battle tested and have played and or scrimmaged much larger schools Conner, Dixie, and Cov Cath, so it won't be the first good line they've seen. Jacob Smith is as good a back as there is in the state, and while I have no idea how he compares to Pugh the Tigers allowed him one 60 yard run then shut him down. So, let's line em up. Sounds like the Eastern Ky folks have placed BW on running clock notice, so that's good. Tigers aren't used to being the decisive underdog.

With respect, there is not a Runningback like Pugh in all of Class 1A. Every game he plays against a 1A team he is a matchup problem. If he averages 7 yards a carry why not force feed it to him 30 times?

 

Hard to argue with results... by riding their mule it has brought them to the State Finals and they LEAD THE STATE IN POINTS SCORED.

 

If Pikeville suddenly came out throwing 25 times and handed it to Pugh 15 times and they lost to Beechwood that would be a tough pill to swallow at night wondering "Would it have changed if I just gave my best player the ball?"

 

Its hard to measure having scored the most points in the state as an attest to how good Pikeville is vs. how bad their schedule was. all in all thought it's probably a bit of both. But what that does speak is Pikeville doesn't play with their food. they get the job done when expected.

No doubt Pikeville is a good football team, BW gonna have to be at the very top of their game. I think BW played a far superior schedule, read on here that not one team that Pikeville beat in regular season won a playoff game. Is that a fact? That's kind of hard to believe. BW on the other hand played and beat a 2a state finalist in NCC, an Ohio playoff team in Ironton, a 2a regional finalist in Lloyd, and beat them all handily. They are certainly more battle tested and have played and or scrimmaged much larger schools Conner, Dixie, and Cov Cath, so it won't be the first good line they've seen. Jacob Smith is as good a back as there is in the state, and while I have no idea how he compares to Pugh the Tigers allowed him one 60 yard run then shut him down. So, let's line em up. Sounds like the Eastern Ky folks have placed BW on running clock notice, so that's good. Tigers aren't used to being the decisive underdog.

 

Not seen any posts on this site, or the other where anyone has made any comments about a running clock in this game. That would be totally insane to even think that. Panther fans feel good about this team, and think our chances are good to bring home the title. First appearance in twenty four years, so yes we are excited; but again, that statement has not been made by any Pikeville fan. Sounds more like hype or rumor to me. Not much difference between the two imo..

Is the game being broadcast on tv/radio anywhere? Where are Rengering/Wilson/Hopkins and the boys when you need them?!?

As I look over the records of these two teams, there are a couple scores that make me think. These teams have no common opponents, but they do have an opponent connection to consider.

 

Beechwood 31 Newport Central Catholic 14

Belfry 28 Newport Central Catholic 10

Belfry 34 Pikeville 8

 

A look at those scores can cause you to wonder ...

 

Beechwood looks as good as Belfry, and Belfry had no trouble with Pikeville ... so is Beechwood going to beat Pikeville by the same margin Belfry did? Are we looking at a 3 TD win for Beechwood? Why not?

 

What has Pikeville done since the Belfry game that shoots down that thought? Did they change QB's after that game? Did Pugh play in the Belfry game? If he did, why did Pikeville's powerful offense only score 8 points?

 

I would like to hear Belfry fans compare New Cath and Pikeville. I would like to hear New Cath fans compare Beechwood and Belfry.

I'm not real big on game comparisons, especially ones from early September. If you want to do that, though, you should know that Belfry's offense was hampered in the NewCath game. Belfry was without their starting QB and best RB in that game as they were serving a team suspension. Those two guys are game changers.

 

NewCath vs Pikeville? From what I've seen of both I think it would be a pretty even battle between them. I'd pay the price of admission to watch that game. Offensively I would call it a wash at the time Belfry played them, but with Pikeville's development of Battaile at QB the Panthers might hold the edge now. NewCath probably had the better defense, but it was hard to judge because Belfry's offense was not the same vs the two.

^^ What about Pugh running the ball against Belfry? What happened at the line of scrimmage in that Belfry Pikeville game? How many carries and yards did Pugh have against Belfry?

 

Beechwood 31 Newport Central Catholic 14

Belfry 28 Newport Central Catholic 10

Belfry 34 Pikeville 8

 

A look at those scores can cause you to wonder ...

 

Beechwood looks as good as Belfry, and Belfry had no trouble with Pikeville ... so is Beechwood going to beat Pikeville by the same margin Belfry did? Are we looking at a 3 TD win for Beechwood? Why not?

 

What has Pikeville done since the Belfry game that shoots down that thought? Did they change QB's after that game? Did Pugh play in the Belfry game? If he did, why did Pikeville's powerful offense only score 8 points?

 

I would like to hear Belfry fans compare New Cath and Pikeville. I would like to hear New Cath fans compare Beechwood and Belfry.

 

-One thing you have to consider with Belfry vs. NewCath is Belfry was without QB Noah Corbett and HB Xondre Willis that game as they were suspended. They had a Freshman QB starting for them. I won't say browning struggled that game, but he made some critical Freshman mistakes in the 1st Half that helped that score stay closer than it should have. Willis has proven to be one of the most efficient RB's in the state. For comparison sake imagine if Beechwood played NewCath without Slusher.

 

It's also worth pointing out that NewCath's lone TD came following a muffed punt and Belfry allowed a grand total of 22 yards in the 2nd Half.

 

- As a Belfry fan I will say that the Pikeville score was both accurate and mis-leading at the same time. It was accurate in the fact that Belfry was 4 TD's better than Pikeville. It was inaccurate in the fact that the score could have been much closer.

 

Belfry didn't exactly bring their A-game against Pikeville in the 2nd Half and left points off the board. They went brain dead with penalties and execution errors once the game was in hand.

 

With that said, Pikeville lived behind the 8 ball that game. Belfry's average starting field position was essentially midfield as Belfry dominated the Special Teams game and forced 3 INT's. There are not many teams in Kentucky that can beta Belfry when they are starting inside their 20 and Belfry is always starting at midfield.

 

- Pugh played and struggled against the Pirate Front. He finished with 20 carries for 82 yards, but most of his damage was done on the First Drive of the game where he had a couple nice runs including a TD and at the end of the game in trash time. Outside of that time he was probably in the neighborhood of 13 carries for maybe 30 yards.

 

I will say this about Pugh though... this was right in the midst of him playing a stretch of games where he was noticeably playing hurt. Anyone who watched the first Paintsville game could see Pugh did not finish the game like he started, some type of upper leg/hip injury took place. Pikeville held him out the next week and against Belfry he simply didn't have the explosion or ability to plant his foot like normal. I would say he was about 80%. They lightened his load against South Floyd and he played at 80% against Hazard before they were able to get him healthy against their paltry District schedule.

 

- Belfry game was the first game of making the switch to Bataille at QB. It caught Belfry off guard at first trying to adjust, but Bataille also had first game jitters. Once Pikeville was down and Pugh was basically neutralized they started taking more chances trying to close the gap and he threw 3 INT's.

 

Since the Belfry game: Battaile is 56/63 for 1059 yards, 17 TD, and 0 INT's. Granted outside of Hazard twice and Paintsville this was essentially the Sisters of the Poor.... but that is simply outstanding. That's a QB rating of 158.33.

 

Just to illustrate it further, only if you took their three hardest games mentioned above since Belfry in those two Hazard games and Paintsville.

 

24/26, 425 yards, 6 TD's

 

- As for comparing NewCath and Pikeville... once again hard to be fair here because NewCath didn't see Belfry's Offense at it's best

 

-NewCath was much bigger and deeper than Pikeville. NewCath only has a couple guys playing both ways and Pikeville has 5 or so asked to pull double duty.

 

- Pikeville is much quicker than NewCath and more skilled on Offense. Bataille is a considerably more accurate passer than Henschen and Pikeville's WR's are a little more skilled. Pugh and Smith, for when they played Belfry, were a wash. Two completely different style of backs... that was Smith's game fully back from injury and as I said Pugh wasn't 100%.

 

- NewCath was the more physical team. The Belfry game was ugly in a lot of senses with lots of extra curricular activity. The First Half was like a MMA match, to NCC's credit they never backed down.

 

- Pikeville has a solid Front 7 on Defense but I liked NewCath's a little more. Pikeville doesn't have a Maleek Lawrence type of game changer.

 

- Special Teams big edge to NewCath. Pikeville is not strong in the kicking game.. Belfry dominated them and changed the game here.

 

- All in all it is hard to say which team is "better". NewCath matched up a little better because they were bigger and Belfry couldn't control Field Position. Pikeville, though they scored less points, was the better Offensive team.

 

If I had to assess if both teams played each other right now I would call it a toss-up and maybe lean towards NewCath simply because of Special Teams. TIFWIW.