BluegrassPreps Football Rankings (9/21)

[TheDeuce]

Class 1A

Pikeville made it very clear they are the team to beat once again in 1A with a strong win over 3A #1 Belfry. The top challengers at this point are the Paintsville Tigers. Their long road trip to play #6 Crittenden County fell victim to virus concerns, giving both teams an unwanted week off. The team to keep an eye is Louisville Holy Cross. They have impressed in their opening two games. Class 1A stalwarts Raceland and Hazard took it on the chin and have cast doubts on how strong this years version of each is. The big move of the week was another long time 1A stalwart Russellville. The Panthers were a perennial Top 10 team in 1A for years but fell off the past couple years. This past week they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the state by beating 4A Franklin-Simpson. There are some good challenges in this weeks schedule that should give us more clarity on how 1A will look at playoff time.

1. Pikeville - OPEN

2. Paintsville vs. Hazard

3. Kentucky Country Day at 6A Seneca

4. Newport Central Catholic at 2A Newport

5. Louisville Holy Cross vs. Providence (IN)

6. Crittenden County vs. 2A #9 Murray

7. Raceland at 3A Greenup County

8. Williamsburg vs. 2A #2 Lexington Christian

9. Russellville vs. 2A #1 Somerset

10. Bethlehem vs. Lynn Camp

 

Class 2A

In small school prep football, a kicker is a dangerous weapon. Lexington Christian Academy has benefited from the booming leg of their kicker for a pair of statement wins to start the year, the latest a walk off field goal to claim private school bragging rights in Fayette County over Lexington Catholic. LCA now travels to Williamsburg, a team Somerset rolled over on Friday. Beechwood came up short in their battle for respect, but by taking defending 5A champion Covington Catholic to the wire they substantiated that they are a team to be reckoned with. The Tigers look to get back on the winning track against 6A Ryle. Danville and Murray both took care of business but have stiffer tests upcoming. Caldwell County was the only other Top 10 team to lose aside from Beechwood in a last minute addition game against an excellent Hopkinsville squad. District games begin to sprinkle into the mix this week with perhaps the biggest being perhaps for the District 8 title when West Carter visits Shelby Valley.

1. Somerset at 1A # Russellville

2. Lexington Christian Academy at 1A # Williamsburg

3. Beechwood vs. 6A Ryle

4. Mayfield vs. 3A Union County

5. Breathitt County vs. Knott County Central

6. West Carter at Shelby Valley

7. Danville vs. 4A #8 Wayne County

8. Murray at 1A #6 Crittenden County

9. Caldwell County vs. Ballard Memorial

10. McLean County vs. 4A Hopkins County Central

 

Class 3A

Another week of exciting football unfortunately left more questions than answers in Class 3A. Top-ranked Belfry fell to county rival Pikeville, the #1 team in Class 1A, 20-14. The loss was enough to push the Pirates from the top perch as they are replaced by DeSales. Quarterback Jayden Scroggins passed for one touchdown and ran for three as the Colts romped over Cooper, 42-14. Third place Christian Academy of Louisville stayed put despite taking a thumping from 4A power Boyle County. CAL was competitive for much of the first three quarters before succumbing late. Fourth ranked Bell County picked up their first win of the season defeating Whitley County 20-7. It wasn't enough, however, to push the Bobcats into the top three. Russell and Elizabethtown both made it two wins in two outings this week and maintained a hold on their respective spots, while seventh ranked Ashland has still yet to play due to Covid restrictions but will return to action this week. This weeks biggest mover is Bardstown, who continue to impress, this time rolling Spencer County 49-7 and jumping from the tenth position to number eight. Glasgow topped district foe Hart County while Paducah Tilghman picked up their first win, easily besting Calloway County, 41-14.

Week Three is rather ho-hum in Class 3A, but games to keep an eye on include Christian Academy-Louisville at Mercer County and Bardstown at Larue County. Depending on the results, one or both could result in a reshuffling of the Class 3A deck. The best games involving out of class opponents include Ashland at Bourbon County, where the untested (and unplayed) Tomcats look to prove a late start doesn't hurt their championship chances. Meanwhile, Glasgow travels to Class 5A stalwart South Warren in hopes of garnering a huge south central Kentucky victory.

1. DeSales at Henry County (9/26)

2. Belfry at Magoffin County

3. Christian Academy-Louisville at Mercer County

4. Bell County vs. McCreary Central

5. Russell at Fleming County

6. Elizabethtown vs. Nelson County

7. Ashland at 4A Bourbon County

8. Bardstown at Larue County

9. Glasgow at 5A #5 South Warren

10. Paducah Tilghman vs. Trigg County

 

Class 4A

Through two weeks, the top four teams in 4A remain unchanged, even though the order of the top two flipped after the first week.  Johnson Central and Boyle County have not lost a step, with Boyle County putting a 35 point beating on 3A #3 Christian Academy - Louisville this week.  Franklin County is humming along as well, and Central - well, let's see if they can get a game in finally next week.  

The next four remain static from last week, with Hopkinsville remaining impressive in a big 27 point win over 2A #7 Caldwell County.  Corbin won a heart stopper over Dixie Heights when Cameron Combs hit Treyveon Longmire for a 74 yard score with just 34 seconds remaining.  Lexington Catholic wasn't as fortunate, failing to make a 13 point fourth quarter lead stand up against a tough Lexington Christian squad, losing on a 37 yard field goal as time expired.  Wayne County bounced back with a 42-0 drubbing of Harlan County.  Scott exits the rankings after an overtime loss to Boone County where they also blew a lead, while Logan County just holds on after a 22-21 loss to Greenwood, falling on a fourth quarter two point conversion.  Knox Central takes advantage to jump into the rankings, surviving a two point conversion with 31.5 seconds left to eke out a 34-33 win over Bourbon County.  That conversion may well have decided the final member of the ranks.

1. Johnson Central vs. 6A #9 Simon Kenton

2. Boyle County at 5A #10 Highlands

3. Franklin County vs. Shelby County

4. Central vs. 6A Meade County

5. Hopkinsville at Calloway County

6. Corbin vs. 2A Leslie County

7. Lexington Catholic at 6A Tates Creek

8. Wayne County at 2A #7 Danville

9. Knox Central at 5A #7 Southwestern

10. Logan County - OPEN

 

Class 5A

We appear to be in the midst of a game of hot potato with the top ranking in 5A. For the third week in a row, we have a new #1, following another too-close-for-comfort win by Covington Catholic. Beechwood made the Colonels and their fans uncomfortable right up until Caleb Jacob picked up a victory sealing first down on a keeper. A rose by any other name is still a rose, but the scent from this win wasn't pleasant enough for the Colonels to hang on at the top for another week. As of right now, CovCath isn't anywhere near their level of the previous three years.

With Covington Catholic struggling to impress for a second straight week, the door was left open for Bowling Green to leave its mark on voters. They didn't exactly kick that door in with authority, but a second consecutive triumphant road trip to Louisville combined with what unfolded in Park Hills was enough to earn the Purples a return to the spot they held almost continuously from 2011-2016.

The turnover bug and a stubborn Daviess County squad pushed Owensboro to the brink, but the Red Devils were able to fend off the Panthers behind the arm and legs of Gavin Wimsatt. Through two games, the offense has proven itself dynamic, but this is clearly not the stifling defense of a year ago.

On the reservation, Southwestern scored one of the class' biggest wins of Week 2, with a two point edging of GRC, ranked #10 in 6A at the time. A win over a very solid Knox Central side this week could set the stage for a memorable run through the regular season for the Warriors.

The Dragons of South Oldham proved that, despite heavy graduation losses, they still have some fire in their belly by downing Oldham County for the tenth straight time. Meanwhile, a threat to their district supremacy continues to rise in the North (Bullitt). The Eagles have rolled through two games, but now face a titanic test of their mettle when Manual pays a visit this Friday.

Highlands clings to the back end of the Top 10 by the slimmest of margins after the youthful legs of sophomore quarterback Charlie Noon helped spur a Highlands comeback against Ryle. Will the youth movement continue with Boyle County waiting in the wings?

1. Bowling Green -- OPEN

2. Covington Catholic at Cooper 

3. Frederick Douglass at #6 Scott County 

4. Owensboro vs. Ohio County 

5. South Warren vs. 3A #9 Glasgow 

6. Scott County vs. #3 Frederick Douglass 

7. Southwestern vs. 4A #9 Knox Central 

8. South Oldham at Jeffersontown 

9. North Bullitt vs. 6A #4 Manual

10. Highlands vs. 4A #2 Boyle County

 

Class 6A

Trinity cemented the top spot with impressive win over Male and now turns their sights on rival St. Xavier on the road. Male remains number two as few teams could score 14 points on Trinity. Male will now travel to fellow traditional school Butler. North Hardin put in an impressive defensive performance shutting out rival John Hardin. North Hardin travels to take on Bullitt East. Manual was competitive with Ohio power La Salle and now travels to 5A #9 North Bullitt. St. Xavier is coming off a week of rest and welcomes rival Trinity to campus for the first time in decades as the game will not be played at Cardinal Stadium. Ballard made a statement in shutting out Fern Creek but now must host a good George Rogers Clark team who was recently ranked. McCracken County coasted pass Marshall County but steps up in competition by hosting Apollo. Fern Creek had a disappointing offensive performance against Ballard and looks to get things going on the road at Eastern. Simon Kenton rolled over smaller Walton-Verona but steps up this week with 4A power Johnson Central. Bryan Station moves in as the new kid on the block after following a impressive close loss to Scott County with big offensive performance defeating Tates Creek. Bryan Station looks to make it two wins in a row hosting Lafayette.

1. Trinity vs. #5 St. Xavier

2. Male at Butler

3. North Hardin at 6A Bullitt East

4. Manual at 5A #9 North Bullitt

5. St. Xavier vs. #1 Trinity

6. Ballard vs. George Rogers Clark

7. McCracken County vs. Apollo

8. Fern Creek at Eastern

9. Simon Kenton vs. 4A #1 Johnson Central

10. Bryan Station vs. Lafayette