Bluegrasspreps Class 2A Playoff Preview

[ImJustHere]

3 hours ago, Footballmom2 said:

I understood it that when it gets to semi-state it will be ranking both east and west by RPI and 4 plays 1 and 2 vs 3.  With that being the case, and Somerset beats LCA then Beechwood would travel to War Memorial and Somerset would travel to West Carter.  If LCA wins then LCA would host Beechwood and Mayfield would travel to West Carter. I know they did it like that last year.

Also how I saw it. RPI resets in semis so 1v4, 2v3. 

[ATLCat]

ROUND 1 RESULTS:

#7 Murray 35  #8 Caldwell County 28

#10 Hancock County 36  Todd County Central 0

Owensboro Catholic 40  McLean County 22

Edmonson County 26  Clinton County 12

Metcalfe County 34  Monroe County 6

#3 Somerset 48  #5 Danville 14

Walton-Verona 41  Shawnee 8

Carroll County 46  Gallatin County 9

Lloyd Memorial 20  Newport 13

#9 Breathitt County 66  Knott Central 26

#6 West Carter 36  Prestonsburg 6

Shelby Valley 29  Martin County 22

Teams Advancing Via Bye or No Contest:
#1 Lexington Christian Academy

#2 Beechwood

#4 Mayfield

Leslie County

 

Round 1 Thoughts:

- The Murray/Caldwell County game once again lived up to the hype. Two very evenly matched and competitive teams went to battle until the final horn but Murray was able to prevail. Murray RB Charvelle McCallister was a monster finish with 194 yards from scrimmage on 20 touches with 2 TD's.

- Owensboro Catholic exacted revenge on McLean County for last season's upset in a very un-Ace type of way. The Aces, widely known for their wide open passing attack, lit the scoreboard up by rushing the ball 39 times for 328 yards and 5 TD's. QB Braden Mundy and RB Hunter Monroe combined for 273 of those yards and four of the scores.

- Somerset simply out-classed Danville after a competitive First Quarter. The Briarjumpers looked healthy and withstood Danville's initial effort. Once the Jumpers were able to open up the lead behind Kaiya Sheron's magnificent performance (386 passing, 91 rushing, 5 total TD's), the Admirals desperation led a free fall resulting in the lopsided win. All told Somerset gained well over 600 total yards.

- Jacob Davidson and Amari Riley accounted for all but six of Lloyd Memorial's 304 total yards as the Juggernauts earned a hard fought win over Newport on the road. 

- Shelby Valley was nearly the lone notable upset of Round 1 as Martin County gave the Wildcats all they wanted before falling in defeat. The Cardinals used a powerful ground game that gained 375 yards led by Logan Procter and Kolby Sparks who both eclipsed the Century mark, but Shelby Valley was able to fend off the challenge thanks in large part to a 99-yard PIck 6 by Ethan Bentley which proved the difference.

 

Round 2 Current Lineup:
#7 Murray at #4 Mayfield

Owensboro Catholic at #10 Hancock County

Metcalfe County at Edmonson County

#3 Somerset at #1 Lexington Christian Academy

Carroll County at Walton-Verona

Lloyd Memorial at #2 Beechwood

Leslie County at #9 Breathitt County

Shelby Valley at #6 West Carter

 

[ATLCat]

RPI Implications for Round 2:

** Overall RPI Rank in (parenthesis) **

 

WESTERN SEMI-STATE

1. Lexington Christian Academy (1)- .74357

2. Mayfield (3)- .67770

3. Somerset (5)- .63045

4. Hancock County (6)- .62305

5. Murray (9)- .59584

6. Owensboro Catholic (11)- .58905

7. Metcalfe County (14)- .53563

8.  Edmonson County (17)- .50922

 

EASTERN SEMI-STATE

1. West Carter (2)- .68421

2. Beechwood (4)- .67171

3. Shelby Valley (10)- .58927

4. Breathitt County (12)- .58646

5. Lloyd Memorial (18)- .50354

6. Walton-Verona (19)- .49113

7. Leslie County (24)- .47617

8. Carroll County (28)- .45980

 

[Pacman69]

1 hour ago, ATLCat said:

RPI Implications for Round 2:

** Overall RPI Rank in (parenthesis) **

 

WESTERN SEMI-STATE

1. Lexington Christian Academy (1)- .74357

2. Mayfield (3)- .67770

3. Somerset (5)- .63045

4. Hancock County (6)- .62305

5. Murray (9)- .59584

6. Owensboro Catholic (11)- .58905

7. Metcalfe County (14)- .53563

8.  Edmonson County (17)- .50922

 

EASTERN SEMI-STATE

1. West Carter (2)- .68421

2. Beechwood (4)- .67171

3. Shelby Valley (10)- .58927

4. Breathitt County (12)- .58646

5. Lloyd Memorial (18)- .50354

6. Walton-Verona (19)- .49113

7. Leslie County (24)- .47617

8. Carroll County (28)- .45980

 

Assuming all the higher ranked teams win this week, am I correct in having the understanding that the following games will be for region championships?

 

Metcalfe County @ LCA

Hancock County @Mayfield

Walton-Verona @West Carter

Breathitt County @Beechwood

[ATLCat]

2 hours ago, Pacman69 said:

Assuming all the higher ranked teams win this week, am I correct in having the understanding that the following games will be for region championships?

 

Metcalfe County @ LCA

Hancock County @Mayfield

Walton-Verona @West Carter

Breathitt County @Beechwood

You are correct.

 

Obviously Murray and Somerset have legit chances to upset that plan in the West the most (OCath & Edmonson to a lesser level), but I would be very surprised if this is not your Eastern Regional Final pairings.

[Pacman69]

1 hour ago, ATLCat said:

You are correct.

 

Obviously Murray and Somerset have legit chances to upset that plan in the West the most (OCath & Edmonson to a lesser level), but I would be very surprised if this is not your Eastern Regional Final pairings.

Agreed.

[ATLCat]

Regional Finals:

Metcalfe County ( RPI # 14) at Lexington Christian Academy (RPI # 1)

Walton-Verona (RPI # 19) at West Carter (RPI # 2)

Breathitt County (RPI # 12) at Beechwood (RPI # 4)

Owensboro Catholic (RPI # 11) at Murray (RPI # 9)

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Metcalfe County at Lexington Christian Academy- The Eagles knew that defending Champion Somerset would not go quietly into the night, and it was par for the course that those two teams battled to the very end in an absolute gem of a game. LCA has been the hardest luck team in Class 2A over the past five seasons seeing their season come up by the slimmest of margins to a powerhouse in the same District, but Coach Charles and his staff finally got the last laugh and now have all their goals ahead of them.

Metcalfe County is a streaking team and culminated a promising 2020 season by outdueling a game Edmonson County squad for the District Title. Metcalfe displays great balance for such a small roster, but this is a tall task for any small school in Kentucky. LCA checks every box and has legitimest ate gamebreakers littered around the field. Expect Metcalfe to make the Eagles a little uncomfortable early as LCA shakes the cobwebs from the emotional week, but LCA should be able to roll with big play ability after the initial ramp up.

 

PREDICTION: Lexington Christian Academy 49  Metcalfe County 12

 

Walton-Verona at West Carter- Truth be told their were probably only three teams that people would have been shocked not to see in the Regional Finals, and these two teams account for 2/3 of those options. Walton-Verona does not lose District games and this season was no exception as the Bearcats white washed Carroll County. Of all the teams remaining W-V is the most enigmatic. Their last two losses suggest they are not quiet at the level as some of Coach Barth's past teams, but they also have shown flashes of being a very complete team.

West Carter had lofty expectations for a veteran team entering the 2020 season and the Comets have lived up to the hype. The Comets have a wealth of experience at key playmaking positions and have been brilliant at times. LeeTavious Cline is a legit superstar and even their role players have the ability to turn the game around. 

These teams share a common opponent in Boone County. The Rebels defeated Walton-Verona 12-8 while West Carter won their meeting 26-13. That 17 point margin should be pretty telling for anyone expecting a blowout. Walton-Verona knows how to scrap and have been here under Barth before. Expect them to limit possessions and force West Carter to do some things they are uncomfortable with, but at the end of the day the Comets simply have too much.

PREDICTION: West Carter 28  Walton-Verona 13

 

Breathitt County at Beechwood- Beechwood is on a roll. The Tigers coasted past Lloyd Memorial without ever having to shift gears. The Tigers outscored their District foes a combined 191-13 and were that third team you had to know would be here once the playoffs started. Beechwood is a complete team and are clearly locked in for a long run.

Breathitt County bounced back from an eye-opening loss to Pike Central in their last regular season result to take care of business in the playoffs against District competition culminating with a romp of Leslie County. Offense has not been Breathitt's issue, the Bobcats are averaging over 40 points per game for the season.

If this were 2019 this would be a marquee game. The reality is, these are ships heading in different directions. Beechwood looks every bit the part of a team more than capable of hoisting yet another trophy, while Breathitt looks a like a team who has thrived in a sub-par District. Beechwood will outclass the Bobcats and Cameron Hergott will turn heads.

PREDICTION:: Beechwood 54 Breathitt County 12

 

Owensboro Catholic at Murray- Noone is going to argue with two tradition rich programs meeting up in this game, but it certainly feels different that Mayfield is not one of the delegates remaining from the Western side of the State. Murray had the honor of ending Mayfield's reign of terror in a heart pound 3OT thriller when Dijon Miles slid over to intercept Mayfield's final hopes. The Tigers are not some Cinderella-esque feel good story. They have earned their right to be here surviving a tough District and are led by a trio of 2A's best players in Miles, Charvelle McCallister, and Sebastian Lawrence.

Owensboro Catholic had to win their District the hard way. The Aces for once was not the team everyone was chasing and they had to go on the road to a game Hancock County squad to eek out a single point victory. For a team accustomed to putting up record setting passing stats, 2020 has shown the emergence of an Ace rushing attack that has carried them to this point. Braden Mundy is one of the more underrated players in the Class and will be vital to any hope of success or further advancement. 

This one may very well be the Creme de la Creme of Regional Final games. Both teams enter playing very good football and fresh off sharpening their iron in nail-biter games. Both defenses have the ability to make plays and both offenses have the ability to dent the scoreboard in a multitude of ways. In the end, Murray has to wonder where they would be historically if not for all the years they could not get over the Mayfield hump and now they have their future to take hold of.

PREDICTION: Murray 28  Owensboro Catholic 26

[Jason Bucklen]

33 minutes ago, ATLCat said:

Regional Finals:

Metcalfe County ( RPI # 14) at Lexington Christian Academy (RPI # 1)

Walton-Verona (RPI # 19) at West Carter (RPI # 2)

Breathitt County (RPI # 12) at Beechwood (RPI # 4)

Owensboro Catholic (RPI # 11) at Murray (RPI # 9)

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Metcalfe County at Lexington Christian Academy- The Eagles knew that defending Champion Somerset would not go quietly into the night, and it was par for the course that those two teams battled to the very end in an absolute gem of a game. LCA has been the hardest luck team in Class 2A over the past five seasons seeing their season come up by the slimmest of margins to a powerhouse in the same District, but Coach Charles and his staff finally got the last laugh and now have all their goals ahead of them.

Metcalfe County is a streaking team and culminated a promising 2020 season by outdueling a game Edmonson County squad for the District Title. Metcalfe displays great balance for such a small roster, but this is a tall task for any small school in Kentucky. LCA checks every box and has legitimest ate gamebreakers littered around the field. Expect Metcalfe to make the Eagles a little uncomfortable early as LCA shakes the cobwebs from the emotional week, but LCA should be able to roll with big play ability after the initial ramp up.

 

PREDICTION: Lexington Christian Academy 49  Metcalfe County 12

 

Walton-Verona at West Carter- Truth be told their were probably only three teams that people would have been shocked not to see in the Regional Finals, and these two teams account for 2/3 of those options. Walton-Verona does not lose District games and this season was no exception as the Bearcats white washed Carroll County. Of all the teams remaining W-V is the most enigmatic. Their last two losses suggest they are not quiet at the level as some of Coach Barth's past teams, but they also have shown flashes of being a very complete team.

West Carter had lofty expectations for a veteran team entering the 2020 season and the Comets have lived up to the hype. The Comets have a wealth of experience at key playmaking positions and have been brilliant at times. LeeTavious Cline is a legit superstar and even their role players have the ability to turn the game around. 

These teams share a common opponent in Boone County. The Rebels defeated Walton-Verona 12-8 while West Carter won their meeting 26-13. That 17 point margin should be pretty telling for anyone expecting a blowout. Walton-Verona knows how to scrap and have been here under Barth before. Expect them to limit possessions and force West Carter to do some things they are uncomfortable with, but at the end of the day the Comets simply have too much.

PREDICTION: West Carter 28  Walton-Verona 13

 

Breathitt County at Beechwood- Beechwood is on a roll. The Tigers coasted past Lloyd Memorial without ever having to shift gears. The Tigers outscored their District foes a combined 191-13 and were that third team you had to know would be here once the playoffs started. Beechwood is a complete team and are clearly locked in for a long run.

Breathitt County bounced back from an eye-opening loss to Pike Central in their last regular season result to take care of business in the playoffs against District competition culminating with a romp of Leslie County. Offense has not been Breathitt's issue, the Bobcats are averaging over 40 points per game for the season.

If this were 2019 this would be a marquee game. The reality is, these are ships heading in different directions. Beechwood looks every bit the part of a team more than capable of hoisting yet another trophy, while Breathitt looks a like a team who has thrived in a sub-par District. Beechwood will outclass the Bobcats and Cameron Hergott will turn heads.

PREDICTION:: Beechwood 54 Breathitt County 12

 

Owensboro Catholic at Murray- Noone is going to argue with two tradition rich programs meeting up in this game, but it certainly feels different that Mayfield is not one of the delegates remaining from the Western side of the State. Murray had the honor of ending Mayfield's reign of terror in a heart pound 3OT thriller when Dijon Miles slid over to intercept Mayfield's final hopes. The Tigers are not some Cinderella-esque feel good story. They have earned their right to be here surviving a tough District and are led by a trio of 2A's best players in Miles, Charvelle McCallister, and Sebastian Lawrence.

Owensboro Catholic had to win their District the hard way. The Aces for once was not the team everyone was chasing and they had to go on the road to a game Hancock County squad to eek out a single point victory. For a team accustomed to putting up record setting passing stats, 2020 has shown the emergence of an Ace rushing attack that has carried them to this point. Braden Mundy is one of the more underrated players in the Class and will be vital to any hope of success or further advancement. 

This one may very well be the Creme de la Creme of Regional Final games. Both teams enter playing very good football and fresh off sharpening their iron in nail-biter games. Both defenses have the ability to make plays and both offenses have the ability to dent the scoreboard in a multitude of ways. In the end, Murray has to wonder where they would be historically if not for all the years they could not get over the Mayfield hump and now they have their future to take hold of.

PREDICTION: Murray 28  Owensboro Catholic 26

The Tigers vs the Bobcats would have been a fun matchup to watch in the late 90’s when both of them were winning state states. 

[Tkinslow]

I would be shocked if the winner was anyone outside of  Beechwood or LCA.

[ImJustHere]

23 minutes ago, Tkinslow said:

I would be shocked if the winner was anyone outside of  Beechwood or LCA.

I don’t think based off of RPI it is possible for them to meet prior, but I am thinking in my opinion that will be your state finals game, unless some miraculous happens. 

[ATLCat]

9 minutes ago, ImJustHere said:

I don’t think based off of RPI it is possible for them to meet prior, but I am thinking in my opinion that will be your state finals game, unless some miraculous happens. 

They can only meet in the State Finals.

[ImJustHere]

2 hours ago, ATLCat said:

They can only meet in the State Finals.

Yeah that’s what I meant if I didn’t come off that way!