Two undefeated cross-town rivals square off Friday when Bardstown makes the 5-minute drive over to Bill Broaddus Field at Nelson County.

The Cardinals (3-0), under first-head coach Josh Boston, have gotten off to an impressive start, posting home victories against Shelby County and a romp Friday night against Thomas Nelson, sandwiched around a surprise victory on the road against Desales.  In doing so, Nelson County has turned to a trio of veteran seniors, led by QB Kam Morley, WR/DB Jacob Reynolds, and RB Grant Cox.  Morley, in his third year as the signal-caller, was 16-25 for 238 yards, 2 TD's and 1 INT entering Friday's contest, but it has been his legs that have also given defenses fits, the Cardinals second-leading rusher with 110 yards and 4 TD's before Friday night.  Both of his TD passes entering last week were to lanky senior wideout Reynolds, who also has paced the defense with 2 INT returns for scores.  Cox, last year's second-leading rusher, is the bell cow back with a workmanlike 169 yds and 2 TD's before Friday.  The Cardinals defense tallied 6 sacks against Desales paced by Juniors DE/LB Deken Minter and DT Lucas Coy.

Bardstown (3-0), under second-year head coach Justin Grundy, put together its most complete game of the season in a 35-10 Friday night victory over John Hardin.  While the Tigers got another fine performance from Senior tailback Sevyn Hamilton, it was the emergence of the aerial attack that took center stage Friday, with Junior QB Carson Riley throwing for over 200 yards and 3 TD's, 2 to emerging sophomore star Chi Poynter, and another to Swiss-army knife dual threat Junior Tylan Spalding, who with Riley, each ran for a TD as well. The Tiger defense, led by Senior LB's Lucas Kiser and Devin Newsome and Junior Lucas Wilcher, stymied Mr. Football candidate Cavalli Pittman.

This has the makings of a very solid contest. Bardstown prevailed last season46-20 on the strength of 115 yards from Hamilton and 2 TD passes from Riley.  In fact, Bardstown has beaten Nelson County for 15 straight years, with the Cardinals last coming out on top in 2010, a fact that sticks in the craw of local Cardinal faithful.

Is this the year the Redbirds finally get the Tiger off their back, or will the suddenly-balanced Tigers continue their winning ways?

Who do you all think is favored in this game? Bardstown could easily be 1-2, if it wasn't for their special teams making big plays in their first two games a long with three bad snaps in the second game the Tigers would be 1-2. Now they did take a big step forward last week controlling John Hardin but are the Tigers the clear favorite? Nelson is undefeated but with wins over teams that just aren't very good. I will say that Nelson's new Coach Josh Boston has them looking real sharp and disciplined. They play hard and do not stop until the whistle, they have an edge to them that hasn't been at Nelson County in a while they are not gonna just let Bardstown come in and spoil their Homecoming. The town is buzzing that this is Nelson year to get some respect back. Tiger fans aren't as Prideful as years in the past  to stop the buzzing.   

I haven’t seen Nelson up close yet, so no hard verdict there. I was on the sideline for Bardstown–John Hardin, though, and I came in expecting a dogfight. It wasn’t. Bardstown owned the night. John Hardin couldn’t stack first downs, and Carson Riley kept carving them up. Quick rhythm stuff, shots downfield, the whole menu. The Tigers stayed clean: few flags, crisp operation, no panic. I expected more resistance from John, and I probably undersold Bardstown. If they play anywhere near that level again, I’m rolling with the Tigers of Old Town by three scores.

Welcome to BGP @100ProofTruth!

22 hours ago, 100ProofTruth said:

Who do you all think is favored in this game? Bardstown could easily be 1-2, if it wasn't for their special teams making big plays in their first two games a long with three bad snaps in the second game the Tigers would be 1-2. Now they did take a big step forward last week controlling John Hardin but are the Tigers the clear favorite? Nelson is undefeated but with wins over teams that just aren't very good. I will say that Nelson's new Coach Josh Boston has them looking real sharp and disciplined. They play hard and do not stop until the whistle, they have an edge to them that hasn't been at Nelson County in a while they are not gonna just let Bardstown come in and spoil their Homecoming. The town is buzzing that this is Nelson year to get some respect back. Tiger fans aren't as Prideful as years in the past  to stop the buzzing.   

Welcome 100Proof Truth, good to have some locals on here with me.

I disagree that "special teams" and "three bad snaps" were the difference in games 1 and 2, which I witnessed. The Tigers fell behind early and then dominated the second half against Elizabethtown. They did knock a kickoff loose and return it for a TD, but the tide had already well-turned by that time.  Bardstown was sloppy against Fern Creek, and there was some concern on the final drive by Fern Creek that they were driving and a bad snap put them in third and long, but to extrapolate and assume they would have scored is a reach, at best. There was never a moment in which anyone felt that Bardstown was not the better team. The sloppiness was then put to rest against John Hardin, and here we are.

I also have not noticed any dip Tiger fans have in the "pride" of their team, in fact, the coaches have confided that the collegiality of this group is as good or better than its been in a long time.

That said, I agree with you that there is no expectation that Bardstown will just waltz in and spoil Nelson County's homecoming. Wins are earned.  Noone understands that better than this year's blue-collar crew. Nelson has some good players and they go hard and do appear to be more disciplined under Coach Boston, and morale is high.  That is good for local football.  As I said, I expect this to be a solid football game.

I like the potential for what Nelson County can accomplish under Boston's direction, but I expect Bardstown to keep its boot on the throat of the Cardinals for at least one more year.

I know Coach Boston's family and therefore pull for him.

New coach with a new team; it's good to get a few easier games under your belt before you face a really tough team.  Well, that happens on Friday.  I think Bardstown is a very solid team with nice athletes on both sides of the ball.  While I expect Bardstown to come out on top, I don't know by how much.  I think this group from Nelson will fight to the end.  Not sure that's been the case in the near recent past.

The more Nelson can check the boxes below will allow them to hang around and be dangerous:

1. Win the turnover battle.

2. Be more disciplined.  Fewer flags than Bardstown (Oh it could get a little chippy!.

3. Have more rushing yards than Bardstown.

4. Nelson is really unlikely to win the special team's side of things, but nothing to the house.

5.  Limit Bardstown's chuck plays (20 or more yards).  They will have some.  Fine, just not 10.

This should be a great high school football game.  In the City my Grandmother is from.

Hope all have a great Friday evening!  No injuries!

I do want to put it out there that I believe the Tigers come out on top and if they do not come out flat it may be by 3 scores. Nelson is moving in the right direction with coach Boston, I just do not believe they have enough this year. 

Key to this game is the defensive line for the Cardinals. If they can pressure Bardstown QB Carson Riley they will have a chance. Also in this rivalry, the longer its stays close the more I like the Cardinals. But if Bardstown jumps out to decent lead, it will be a long night for the Cards. Boston has done a great job from what I have seen from afar. With Seniors Cam Morley and Jake Reynolds, this is the best shot for the Cards. But I think the defensive and offensive line play will have a huge factor in the outcome, and in that area I think Nelson is better. 

NFHS Video:

https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/nelson-county-high-school-bardstown-ky/gamd6aa6766a3

1 hour ago, Purple88 said:

2. Be more disciplined.  Fewer flags than Bardstown (Oh it could get a little chippy!.

This is incredibly important for Nelson County.

It's not hard to envision hotter heads prevailing if/when the tide of this game rolls Bardstown's way. It can happen to anyone.

You've got a very one sided rivalry between schools that are ten minutes apart. The aggrieved party is off to its first 3-0 start in fifteen years and believing, with every fiber of its being, that this is the night they end the losing streak. Suddenly, it's not going their way. One flag becomes two, then it snowballs. 

I don't expect it, but I've seen that scenario unfold numerous times before.

6 minutes to go, 1st Q, no score. Tigers drove to Nelson 20, but turned over on downs.

Bardstown 7 Nelson County 0 late 1st qtr. Riley to Chi Poynter TD pass.

Bardstown 14 Nelson County 0. Sevyn Hamilton 78 yd. TD run. 9:04 to go 1st half.

Bardstown 14 Nelson County 7, 1:05 to go 1st half. Kam Morley 7 yd. TD run following Tiger fumble.