Week two was a rough week for class 5A, with four of the top 10 teams taking losses, as well as nearly everyone in the 11-15 range dropping an L as well. Most of the top 10 losses were expected with Bowling Green, Highlands and Pulaski County all playing teams that were expected to win those games by most. One game that makes me scratch my head though was Fern Creek and Central. No doubt that Central is good and it was expected to be a close game regardless of who won, but the Tigers laid an egg losing 29-0 versus 3A #4 Central.

 

Covington Catholic solidified why they have worked their way into the top spot early in the season with a 41-0 win over 6A Cooper. The Colonels managed 358 yards of total offense in this game while only allowing Cooper 140 total yards. This week however the Colonels will face a much, much tougher opponent as cross the pond to take on Kings, Ohio. This will be the toughest test thus far for the number one ranked Colonels.

 

Bowling Green, as mentioned above suffered a loss versus 6A #3 Saint Xavier. This was the second loss in a row for the Purples and I believe this is the first time I’ve ever had to type that. Early on this game looked to be a complete blowout with the Purples having a hard time getting anything going, while Saint Xavier kept on marching down the field. The Purples showed a lot of fight in the second half however, working their way back into a winnable game in the fourth quarter. Bowling Green gave up 314 yards on the ground in this one, while only managing 73 of their own. That was the deciding factor in this game and it has been a statistic that has been an issue for the young Purples this season. They will need to establish a running game if they want to be the top dog in 5A this season and Owensboro will certainly test their ability to do that this Friday.

 

Christian County and Southwestern both took care of business against 6A opponents and remain unbeaten this season, with Christian County beating Henderson County in a closer than expected game, winning 20-14. Southwestern handled Madison Central 24-14. This week will be a tough test for both schools however as Christian County takes on 4A #10 Hopkinsville and Southwestern will face 6A Henry Clay.

 

Fern Creek laid an egg in week two losing to Central but this week they have a chance to redeem themselves at 6A #6 Butler. The Tigers only mustered 84 yards of offense versus Central while their defense gave up 302 yards of offense in that game. The Tigers are better than that and that’s what leaves me scratching my head on this one. Is Central that good? Did Fern Creek just have a really bad night, I dunno?

 

Owensboro and South Warren had the most impressive wins in week two, with both winning impressively versus ranked teams. Owensboro avenged their loss from last season with a 47-12 win over crosstown rival Owensboro Catholic. The Red Devils, as usual controlled the ground game amassing 312 rushing yards while only allowing the Aces 83 yards. The Red Devils have a lot of momentum going for them coming into their game versus Bowling Green Friday. This will be a really interesting game and to be honest, if the Red Devils can slow down the Purples passing attack, look for the Red Devils to shock the state and force the Purples to drop three straight.

 

South Warren has been a pleasant surprise this season in class 5A. Most, myself included expected this to be a down year for the Spartans. Everyone knew the defense would be solid, but most of us questioned the ability of the offense to put points on the board. Gavin Spurrier, the grandson of Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier has answered that question for us. Spurrier completed 11 of 18 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the Spartans win over 4A Franklin-Simpson. The Spartans future in 5A football is looking to be much brighter than most expected in the near future. Not that most expected South Warren to just collapse after moving up to 5A. Seemingly it should have taken more time for them to solidify themselves as a top ten team, however. The Bowling Green, South Warren rivalry that is in the making is going to be a fun one to watch as it progresses. We will all have to wait on that rivalry though as the Spartans visit 6A Central Hardin this week and close out their district schedule versus the Purples on October 20th.

 

Highlands and Pulaski County where the other two teams in the top 10 that suffered losses in week two. Highlands couldn’t get anything going versus 6A Scott county losing that one 71-20 and giving up 564 yards of total offense in the process. Somewhat shocking, but honestly it was a really bad matchup for the work in progress that is the Highlands defense. The Pulaski County loss wasn’t so bad on paper losing to the top team in 3A, the Corbin Redhounds 36-7. However the Maroons couldn’t get anything going on offense while giving up 316 yards to the Redhounds. This week Pulaski County will face another tough test versus 2A #2 Danville. Highlands get a home game versus 6A #9 Ryle, which rival Covington Catholic beat 49-17 in the opening week of the season.

 

Some may be wondering why Highlands and Pulaski County remained in the top ten after their losses. Well, four of the five teams ranked in the 11-15 range all had losses as well, with North Laurel being the only winner of the five. While North Laurel is certainly knocking on the door, their 36-0 win over a 2-3 East Jessamine team fell just short of getting it done. Unfortunately the Jaguars strength of schedule is hurting their chances to get into the top ten, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep an eye on them. They are one of one of seven remaining undefeated teams in class 5A.

I'll go ahead and apologize for the timing and effort on this one. I didn't have much free time to work with this week on the article so I essentially just threw it together. Next week should be much better.

I'll go ahead and apologize for the timing and effort on this one. I didn't have much free time to work with this week on the article so I essentially just threw it together. Next week should be much better.

 

Still great work!

It's not easy putting all that together. Terrific job!

 

Hope my Purples can pull it out tonight in the 5A Game of the Week!