The 2015 Class 3A State Championship will be a contrast of styles and will feature two teams unfamiliar with one another for a change.

 

On one hand you have Lexington Catholic, a private, Catholic, city school in Lexington. They run a modern, spread offense that has efficiently produced over 2000 rushing yards and about 2900 passing yards between 3 different quarterbacks. They are dynamic and explosive.

 

On the other hand, Belfry is a rural, public, county school about as far removed from any city as you can be in Kentucky. They run, and run, and run an offense that is built more for power than speed. They are big and physical. They have rushed for over 4200 yards and thrown for only 550

 

Lexington Catholic features one of the states best receivers in JJ Ogbogu. Belfry features one of the states best defensive linemen in RayQuan Horton.

 

Each team's weakness plays into the other team's strength. Lexington Catholic has allowed over 2700 rushing yards and Belfry has allowed over 1600 passing yards.

 

Who will be able to control this game and impose their own will? Will it be the ground and pound Pirates or the more balanced and dynamic Knights? The country boys or the city boys? Corvette or Coal Truck?

 

Lexington Catholic (11-3) Schedule and Results

 

[TABLE=width: 515]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]21-Aug-15[/TD]

[TD]Boone County[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]51[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-13[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]28-Aug-15[/TD]

[TD]Ryle[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](L)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]24[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-31[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]4-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Johnson Central[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](L)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]28[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-42[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]11-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Covington Catholic[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]15[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]18-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Madison Central[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]41[/TD]

[TD=align: right]0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]25-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Cooper[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](L)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]0[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-28[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]9-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Western Hills[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]49[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]16-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Boyle County[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]31[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-24[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]23-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Garrard County[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]28[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-16[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]30-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Southwestern[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]43[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]6-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Bardstown[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]55[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-13[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]13-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Garrard County[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]59[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-26[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]20-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Central[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]14[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-13[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]27-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Elizabethtown[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]35[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

 

Belfry (13-1) Schedule and Results

[TABLE=width: 529]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]28-Aug-15[/TD]

[TD]Tates Creek[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]55[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-38[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]4-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Harlan County[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]43[/TD]

[TD=align: right]0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]11-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Newport Central Catholic[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]28[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-10[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]18-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Pikeville[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]34[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-8[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]25-Sep-15[/TD]

[TD]Knoxville Catholic, TN[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]38[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]2-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Cabell Midland, WV[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](L)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]7[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-49[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]9-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Lawrence County[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]27[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-23[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]16-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Sheldon Clark[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]52[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-6[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]23-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Pike County Central[/TD]

[TD]away[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]49[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-16[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]30-Oct-15[/TD]

[TD]Johnson Central[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]41[/TD]

[TD=align: right]0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]6-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Bath County[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]62[/TD]

[TD=align: right]0[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]13-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Russell[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]42[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-12[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]20-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Lawrence County[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]52[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-12[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]27-Nov-15[/TD]

[TD]Corbin[/TD]

[TD]home[/TD]

[TD](W)[/TD]

[TD=align: right]42[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-14[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

There's not a poll but I am rooting for and predicting a Belfry Win.

 

Belfry by 8

Now there is a poll.

No clue. Flip a coin. This game should be awesome. Good luck to both teams. Leave it on the field.

Belfry by 20

Belfry by 20

 

I love it.

I love it.

 

Oh I wasn't being a wise guy, that's my actual score prediction

Oh I wasn't being a wise guy, that's my actual score prediction

 

 

I know you were being serious, and I still love that prediction.

As a Belfry fan I have tremendous respect for Louisville Central, so do not take this the wrong way. This is also not intended in any form or fashion as a slight to LexCath either.

 

I am kind of glad LexCath beat Central.

 

Belfry and Central are always great games but a little new blood in the Finals has me more excited for this game than maybe any of Belfry's previous State Finals except maybe 2003.

 

The contrasting styles Tusi mentioned is another thing that has me excited. I almost feel as if Belfry and Central scouted each other so well it kind of took some of the luster off some of the game, because you knew it would be a game that ultimately was decided by one or two plays and by and large would be filled with punts and field position battles.

 

LexCath, to me, scares me to death...but they also have me salivating at the same time. The Knights are playing at a very high level and whatever early season struggles they were enduring are well beyond the horizon of their rear view. Belfry has allowed some long TD's and noone in Class 3A can do the home run ball better than the Knights.

 

At the same time, Belfry is a different kind of monster than LexCath has seen in a long time. Knights fans were raving about Johnson Central's run game after the first meeting. When comparing to JC's Offense: Belfry is bigger up front, Belfry is faster, Belfry Has More Options, and Belfry has quite possibly the most efficient RB the Knights have seen all year.

 

LexCath reaches this game earning their birth by advancing out of the Region of Death. Belfry's playoff path was nowhere near LexCath's in terms of difficulty, but Belfry's pedigree is unquestioned having navigated possibly the toughest regular season slate of any smaller school team.

 

I am truly nerding out thinking of researching this matchup all week!

 

Going to be a dandy and well deserving Final for one of the State's Best Classes this year.

Belfry big. Johnson Central dominated Lexington Catholic on both sides of the line. I expect Belfry will do the same. Central bottled up Jones at RB completely. Lex Cath's speedy receivers will get loose a couple of times for big plays, it's gonna happen. They'll score some points. But I think Belfry gets enough pressure in the backfield, they force bad throws and turnovers. Brumbaugh didn't have time to breathe for most of the JC game, all their successful pass plays were quick drops and screen where they got the ball out of the QBs hand ASAP and the receiver was out in open space. They got nothing vertical. And Lex Cath can't stop the run. Do what you do, Belfry. You'll be fine.

This will be an interesting game and is a tough one to pick. Good luck to both teams.

Belfry 34

Lex Cath 21

When Legend got injured against Covington Catholic every poster was ready to bury this LC team that started out 1-2. Injury bug was running wild and some questioned if the coaching hire was hurting the program. Time and time again the polls and messages were posted on what this team couldn't do and yet they continued to fight.

 

At Boyle County do you remember the poll that was 55 to 3 in favor a Boyle. There was even 1 guy who voted for Catholic by mistake, and yet we still won on their field.

 

Who can forget the post of what team will only win 1 game in the playoffs this year in the region of death. Everyone and I mean everyone had us out after Round 1 of the postseason. The Louisville Central game was the game everyone said we would be dominated in the trenches and in the speed department, but we walk off their field victorious.

 

Against Elizabethtown I feel it was a split of people saying we weren't going to win down there either.

 

This LexCath team has earned their shot at against Belfry. And I hope it's a game where the polls say 64 to 10 cause we like it that way. Rest assured though we are not practicing this week thinking about losing, we are thinking about playing our best 4 quarters of the year and letting the rest sort itself out.

 

Congrats to Belfry on advancing

 

- LEX

The Knight family knows who will be on their side Sunday...

 

 

Belfry is a different kind of animal. They haven't lost in Kentucky this season and rolled against 1A finalist Pikeville , 2A finalist NCC and 4A finalist Johnson Central.