7 hours ago, Mr. Neutral said:

Hopefully it’s Somerset so if Mayfield wins we can get our revenge.

Actually, our win in 2019 was revenge for losing to Mayfield in the 1978 finals!

22 minutes ago, Jumper_Dad said:

Actually, our win in 2019 was revenge for losing to Mayfield in the 1978 finals!

The 2019 title game was one of the wildest finishes in state championship game of all time!

5 hours ago, BEChargers said:

Owensboro Catholic is pretty darn good !

I agree. Atwell is going to be a nightmare for whoever wins this game. And he has a great supporting cast as well.

2 hours ago, Astro Domino said:

The 2019 title game was one of the wildest finishes in state championship game of all time!

Umm I was part of one of the wildest finishes of all time in a state game. ??

29 minutes ago, Jason Bucklen said:

Umm I was part of one of the wildest finishes of all time in a state game. ??

I remember that game very well.

Woke up feeling dangerous, changing my  55-46 Beechwood prediction to tigers by a million! 

Gameday. Here we go. These are my keys to the game:

- Turnovers...this should be at the top of the list of every football game. Both teams are excellent at taking care of the ball. Mayfield QB Cartwright has been great throughout his career limiting INT's and has only thrown 2 INT's all year (both in the Paducah Tilghman loss). Beechwood's defensive backfield is #2 in the KHSAA with 22 interceptions. All four Beechwood DB's have 3 or more INT's led by safety Talon Linder at 5 INT's. Linebacker Xavier Campbell adds 2 INT's. Can Beechwood get a needed edge in this game with an INT, or two?

- JuJu...As seen in the LCA win, Mayfield RB JuJu Starks can change a game in an instant. He has the ability to score every time he touches the ball, no matter where Mayfield is on the field. In last year's title game, Beechwood held Starks to 104 yards. However, there were 2-3 plays that Starks was one tackle by a Beechwood DB from a long TD run. That was a great Beechwood defense. This year's Beechwood defense struggled early in the year stopping the run. The Tigers defense has been tested the last 4 weeks by run focused teams and has shut those teams out, but those teams are not Mayfield and those RB's are not JuJu Starks. Has the Beechwood defense figured out how to defend the run and can they contain Starks again?

-Speed...It is always about speed when you play Mayfield. Beechwood supporters will tell you that this year's Beechwood team has speed also. And we have proof they are right. Beechwood WR/CB Luke Erdman beat JuJu Starks in the 100 at this spring's track meet. Freshman WR/S Tyler Fryman might be faster than both of them. There will be speed all over the field from the lines on back. Both teams are similar in lines with speed over lines with size. The speed factor will be something to watch tonight.

-Flying Tigers...The speed topic brings us to the ultimate key for Mayfield. Can the Cardinals slow down the Beechwood passing game? Beechwood QB Clay Hayden is putting his name in the KHSAA record books with the season he is having. Hayden has it all. Arm strength, accuracy and great decision making. Hayden's current season completion percentage of 75.5% is the second best all time in KHSAA history. Hayden has 46 TD's and only 5 INT's accumulating 3,490 yards for the year. Most of those yards are spread among 5 targets led by the above mentioned flying Tigers Erdman and Fryman, who are both over 900 yards. Jr. WR James Cusick has 39 catches, 600 yards, 12 TD's and Sr. Linder has 22 catches for 400 yards. RB Chase Flaherty is also a receiving threat with 30 catches for 362 yards. This is not a dink and dunk passing game. Hayden and his receivers average a gaudy 18.9 yards per catch, the top average in the KHSAA. Those speedy Tigers will go right by you, grab a 45 yard bullet from Hayden in stride and take it to the house. All four receivers average over 16 yards per catch led by Erdman 23 yards per catch and Fryman 22 yards per catch. Can the Mayfield pass rush get pressure on Hayden and disrupt this high powered offense?

-War Memorial...Cardinals nation flies the home banner higher than perhaps any other team in the commonwealth. Is War Memorial really that big a factor? I would argue first that it is a factor not because of the field or the fans but because of the Cardinals. They have put teams together year after year that would be winning big no matter where they play. However, I do think War Memorial is a factor for two big reasons. One, bermuda grass. Beechwood plays almost all their games on turf. Getting their shoes right and feeling good about running on bermuda is going to be a different feel for the Tigers. Two, the crown. War Memorial has the highest crown of any field I have ever been on. The drop from center of the field to the sideline is very noticable. Hayden will have to adjust to keep from throwing those sideline passes over receivers' heads. It is a factor. I have seen it happen.

Countdown to kickoff has started. We get the answers to those questions in this blue blood rivalry tonight. Good health to all players. Safe travels to Tigers nation. Let's play some football!

5 hours ago, Astro Domino said:

The 2019 title game was one of the wildest finishes in state championship game of all time!

The local radio play by play call of that last play is my ring tone. ? 

3 minutes ago, Jumper_Dad said:

The local radio play by play call of that last play is my ring tone. ? 

The Somerset version I am sure.

I made about seven Mayfield games this season.  I have only watched two Beechwood game online (CCH & Simon Kenton).  I think these two teams match up really well.  There are so many angles to analyze this game from where either team has the advantage and could come away with a win.

Mayfield has had some tough tests in the last two rounds.  Murray played their best game of the season two weeks ago against Mayfield.  We saw what happened last week against LCA.  I have questioned the toughness of this Cardinal team throughout the season.  They haven't played the cleanest ball, and their only loss (PT) was a game where they had opportunities to grab the bull by the horns, and couldn't make it happen.  Having said that, they are peaking at the right time.  Starks is a home run waiting to happen.  Cartwright is looking like a real field general with his decision making and confidence.  Defense has really stepped it up in the playoffs.  My one concern, is that a game like last weeks will be hard to replicate.  Those battles can emotionally drain a team (even when they win), and leave the victor feeling overconfident.  Are they gonna bring the same juice this week?  They have all the pieces to get a ring, they just have to tie it together.

We all know the Beechwood pedigree.  This year is no different.  They mirror Mayfield with their only loss being to an undefeated team.  Their defense might not be as good as last year, and they might not run the ball very much.  But they are REALLY good at what they do (passing) and will be coached up the same as Mayfield.  Mayfield will have to find ways to make their QB uncomfortable.  I feel like that will be the key to slowing them down.  Again, I think both teams are built the same.  Not very big but VERY skilled.

GO MAYFIELD.

Good luck Mayfield tonight get the W and be playing next Friday for a championship!

What are the track conditions?  Any updates?

3 minutes ago, LoudenSwain said:

What are the track conditions?  Any updates?

From weather.com:

7:00 pm, Cloudy, 44°, 1%, NNE 9 mph
Feels Like 39°

Great weather to travel through Kentucky. Kentucky has to be one of the most beautiful states in the US.