South Warren BGP #3 in 5A at 5-0 will travel around an hour and a half north to Radcliff, KY to take on North Hardin the #3 6A team in the BGP polls this Friday night.  Of course there is always a Covid overtone on games now that they might not play, but if this one goes, it should be the game or at least top 5 game in the State this Friday night!

South Warren did not play last week on a natural bye week in their schedule.  North Hardin decisively won a district home game vs rival Central Hardin (1-4) 23-0 behind a very strong defensive effort from one of the states best defensive teams.

South Warren's offense is led by UK Recruit JR QB Caden Veltcamp who is 72 for 116 pass completions on the year for 991 yards 11 TDs vs only 2 INTs.  JR RB Kobe Martin may be short in stature, but he it a load to bring down and usually gets better as the game moves along.  Kobe has 68 carries on the year for 407 yards and 7 TDs.  At WR, South Warren has several options (including bringing Star Jantzen Dunn in for a couple plays when needed) but Arvin Bell leads the team with 12 receptions for 155 yards and 2 TDs.  I think a hidden gem for South Warren at WR is the young man formerly from BG in Christian Conyers who does a little bit of everything (WR, DB and returns kicks) and all very well.  He has 5 receptions for 127 yards on the year and 1 TD.

North Hardin's offense doesn't get as much of the accolades as the defense, but they got some dudes as well!  JR QB Manie Wimberly is a very solid QB with 102 for 154 pass completions on the year for 1,036 yards and 7 TD vs only 2 INTs.  Their star is UK bound SR RB Lavell Wright who has 107 carries on the year for 733 yards and 10 TDs.  North Hardin has 4 WR with over 15 catches on the year with Marcus Harris leading the team with 33 catches for 462 yards and 2 TDs.

The Spartan defense is one of the best defenses in the state IMO.  On the DLine SR Julian Boley and JR Jake Jackson make plays and cause havoc.  And JR LBs Luke Burton and Tyler Snell have both played really well this year.  In the defensive secondary, Arvin Bell sees time back there, but Ohio State commit SR Jantzen Dunn is back from an early season injury and IMO the best player on the Spartan roster.  Ohio State doesn't pass scholarships out like Christmas cards you know!

The Trojan defense is also one of the best defenses in the state.  SO AJ Rugerio is one to keep your eye on as the young man has 5 sacks on the year already.  LB Michael Lunz leads the team with 66 tackles and 8 tackles for a loss.  But their leader is SR Jordan Lovett, who is also headed to Lexington to suit up for the Wildcats on Saturdays next season!

I look for a very low scoring game in this ball game.  I know a lot more about the Spartans than I do about the Trojans and that will likely bias my predictions here.  In the easiest statement of this thread, the team with the least turnovers will win this game.  I have not seen North Hardin play this year, but have South Warren.  I just feel South has had this game circled for a very long time and been planning for it for that long as well.  The South defense will take Lavell Wright away for the most part.  Can Manie Wimberly make the plays to win the game for North?  Honestly, the question is, can Wimberly not make the mistakes to put South Warren in prime field position for the South offense.  I think North Hardin will take Kobe Martin away for the most part as well, but I look for South to go back to him later in the game.  Classic and effective Spartan strategy.  

North Hardin has played a more difficult schedule in winning at Frederick Douglass and still paying the gas bill for their trip to Belfry.  South Warren won a great game at Bowling Green and that's pretty much it.

It could also come down to the kicking game.  Spartan JR Eldar Dervisevic is a good kicker with 17-20 XPs but only 1-3 in FGs.  But Eldar is also very athletic; watch the fake punt because he is also a WR with 9 catches for 115 yards and a TD on the year!

For the Trojans, JR Cayden Logsdon is a very good kicker as well going 17 for 20 on  XPs, but is 4 for 5 in FGs including the 25 yard winner at the buzzer in maybe the game of the year at Frederick Douglas!

In the end, I'm going with South Warren 13 - North Hardin 10

I was told this game has been cancelled!! True?!?? 

9 minutes ago, Purplepride said:

I was told this game has been cancelled!! True?!?? 

I saw it on the KHSAA Website this morning; so I assumed it was still on as of now, but I certainly could be wrong.  

I live in Warren County and I have not heard about a cancellation. But it wouldn't surprise me if SW wanted out of the game.

SW 17-7

 

1 hour ago, Killowatt59 said:

I live in Warren County and I have not heard about a cancellation. But it wouldn't surprise me if SW wanted out of the game.

LOL, I can assure you that SW definitely didn’t  won’t out of this game. They’ve been looking forward to this game all year.

Welp it appears North Hardin backed out due the Warren County being a "Red County" on the COVID list, my sources have informed me.

15 minutes ago, Killowatt59 said:

Welp it appears North Hardin backed out due the Warren County being a "Red County" on the COVID list, my sources have informed me.

I really don’t understand, because they have been Red several days now themselves. 

8 minutes ago, Koolbreeze81 said:

I really don’t understand, because they have been Red several days now themselves. 

This is what I was thinking too.  But they may now be getting outside pressure from others (school board members, etc.) is the only thing I can think of.

3 minutes ago, Purple88 said:

This is what I was thinking too.  But they may now be getting outside pressure from others (school board members, etc.) is the only thing I can think of.

They may believe it is not worth the risk with the playoffs looming and they are looking at a deep run. With JCPS revisiting what they are going to do with the playoffs, who knows how all this will play out. So the combination of pressure and risk/reward may be in at with the decision.

I was really looking forward to watching this game, but I get it. 2020 strikes again. 

 

 

 

I’d like to see South Warren play St.X. Apparently St.X having trouble finding anyone to play them which I’m sure red county and travel a factor.

No way South Warren plays them

12 minutes ago, Killowatt59 said:

No way South Warren plays them

I’ll tell you first hand that I know the players would love to play them. 

9 minutes ago, Koolbreeze81 said:

I’ll tell you first hand that I know the players would love to play them. 

It ain't the players. They don't control the schedule.