It’s cliché, but I felt like the out of class teams were Oprah Winfrey this week against their 4A counterparts. “You get a loss, and YOU get a loss. Everybody gets a LOSSSSSSSSSSSS!” To say this week went poorly for 4A football would be a massive understatement. Of the top ten teams, seven lost, all to out of class teams. Several teams that are on the fringe lost as well. It was an ugly week that left everyone thinking – who in 4A is all that great?

 

The most likely to be considered great in 4A is Johnson Central, but even they were tested further than one would think in a 40-28 decision at Henry Clay. The Golden Eagles actually trailed at one point in the third quarter, and led just 32-28 entering the final frame. It marked the second straight game that the defense allowed over 20 points, a mark that they allowed twice all last season. The signs are clear that Johnson Central is not as dominant as last year, though they are still widely expected to be clear of the rest of the class. Stud RB Joe Jackson is still missing in action with an injury, a loss that can’t be understated. Perhaps Johnson Central may look mortal now, but less so if/when Jackson returns.

 

#2 Wayne County likewise found the sledding a bit more difficult than anticipated when they made the trip to Bowling Green to take on the surprising Warren East Raiders, fresh off of a win over 5A Greenwood. The game was played in the remnants of Hurricane Harvey which seemed to knock off Wayne County’s passing rhythm, and East helped them along with an immediate touchdown on the first offensive play from scrimmage, taking a 7-0 lead just 18 seconds into the game. The game was just 20-16 Wayne County at the half before the Cardinals pulled away, keeping their status as the most likely contender to the throne behind Johnson Central safe for another week.

 

Of the losses, the most notable (in a positive way) was Collins against 6A Ballard. Ballard is now the #10 ranked team in 6A, and always a formidable and talented foe from the state’s largest class. Collins continued to get stellar play from JR Lucas who accounted for three touchdown passes and the only rushing score for the Titans, as they led Ballard 14-13 at the half and 28-21 late in the third before faltering down the stretch to lose 34-28. It’s not as good as a win, but especially compared to the rest of the class, it was a strong effort that establishes them as a slight favorite in the region.

 

 

 

Other games of note:

-Franklin-Simpson had a few drives come up empty against South Warren that may have changed the momentum of the game – including the game’s opening drive deep into Spartan territory – but there’s no sugar coating a running clock 36-7 loss to their former district rival. The offense has struggled to establish themselves in their two losses, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier for last year’s state runners-up.

 

-Mercer County took a surprising 21-19 loss to Anderson County, fresh off a 48-0 shellacking by Meade County. Shelby County went straight to the source and got a 58-13 whipping by Meade County as well. At the bottom of the ranks Bourbon County was pasted by 37-7 by Madison Southern. Anderson County, Meade County, and Madison Southern were and are unranked.

 

-Rockcastle County notched the other victory by a top ten team this week, coming back from a 35-21 deficit to knock off Whitley County 43-35. That’s a deceptively strong victory. While Whitley County is not ranked, they battled a very strong 3A #1 Corbin team to a 14-0 loss in the first game of the year. Rockcastle County’s offense hit the ground running (literally) with 453 rushing yards on 62 attempts against Whitley County, led by Jaden Payne (18 rushes/139 yards/3 TDs) and Brent Lovell (14 rushes/114 yards/3 TDs).

 

-Hopkinsville has set their claim to the coveted “Best 0-3” team in the state as they took another loss to a highly ranked team, this time a 28-21 loss to 3A #7 Caldwell County. The Tigers will continue to wonder what might have been with Jalen Johnson, but once they get past the wood chipper in their first four games and get a chance to settle in, they could really round into form by the playoffs.

 

-Allen County-Scottsville reeled in their first win over Greenwood since 2010, starting 3-0 for the first time since that same year. Like Warren East, ACS has thrown their hat in the ring for district and region contention with a win over the Gators, who began the year in the top ten of 5A. The west is completely wide open, and there is no shortage of contenders for that crown.

 

 

Upcoming Game of the Week

 

Wayne County travels to Boyle County this week to take on the #6 team in class 3A. As detailed above, out of class games haven’t exactly been going great for class 4A, and Boyle County is a pure bred program. The Rebels are coming off a very tight loss to Danville, and haven’t lost at home since an early September loss to Danville last season. This will be a great measuring stick for the Cardinals, and we’ll also get a good read on how far Collins sits behind Wayne County when Boyle County visits Collins next week.

Great post Dragon. It was for sure a bad week but everyone gets a chance to bounce back.