The Central Yellowjackets are heading north to Park Hills to take on the Covington Catholic Colonels this Friday.

The Yellowjackets are currently sitting on a 2-3 season record after the KHSAA determined that they forfeited their game this past weekend. Central was hosting the Bullitt East Chargers this past Friday night, and with the game tied 0-0 roughly 3 minutes into the 3rd quarter officials suspended the game due to lightning. Weather prohibited the game from being resumed on Friday, and although Bullitt East continued to express interest in resuming the contest, Central did not negotiate a time or place to pick up where the game had left off, thereby forfeiting the game. The Yellowjackets had a 37-6 loss to Manual in Week 1, a 28-14 loss to Belfry in the Pike County Bowl in Week 2, a 56-0 shutout over Butler in Week 3, and a 58-0 shutout over Shawnee in Week 4.

Central QB Phillip Baker, a senior, was 29-58 (50.0%) passing for 460 yards, 5 TDs and 3 INTs in their first 4 games of the season. The Yellowjacket offense is slightly pass-oriented, with 491 total yards of passing (122.75 YPG) in their first 4 games compared to 345 total yards rushing (86.25 YPG) in those games. Junior wideout Damontre Cherry is the top receiver with 14 receptions for 217 yards (15.5 YPR) and 2 TDs, and the #2 receiver is senior Jaden Perry with 7 receptions for 171 yards (24.4 YPR) and 3 TDs. On the ground, senior Destin Basemore is the primary rusher for the Yellowjackets with 27 carries for 136 yards (5.1 YPC) and 2 TDs, and junior Kevins Gervais is their #2 rusher with 7 carries for 101 yards (14.4 YPC) and 1 TD. Destin Basemore is the leading tackler on the defensive side of the ball with 31 solo tackles and 8 TFL from his position at linebacker, while senior Rashad Johnson and junior Shane Stikes - also linebackers - both have 16 solo tackles a piece.

The Colonels are coming into their 6th game of the season with a 3-2 record after beating Ryle 50-6 in Week 1, Simon Kenton 42-7 in Week 3, and Dixie Heights 56-7 in Week 4. They lost 56-20 to Elder (OH) in Week 2 and lost 42-35 to Beechwood this past Friday.

Junior QB Dylan Courtney is currently 51-84 (60.7%) passing for 1169 yards, 11 TDs and 4 INTs in the first half of the Colonels' regular season. Senior wideout Mac Cogswell, who unfortunately left last Friday's game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury, leads Cov Cath's receiving corps in yardage with 8 receptions for 269 yards (33.6 YPR) and 1 TD. Senior WR Jason Fedor has 5 receptions for 206 yards (41.2 YPR) and 2 TDs, sophomore RB Kiyan Miller has 10 receptions for 166 yards (16.6 YPR) and 2 TDs, and sophomore WR/RB Jamir Kirtley has 8 receptions for 149 yards (18.6 YPR) and 2 TDs. On the ground, sophmore Kiyan Miller is the team's rushing bell-cow, with 509 total yards rushing and 11 TDS rushing, including two 100+ yard rushing games in his first 5 starts for the Colonels. Miller has produced a total 675 yards (135 YPG) combined rushing/receiving, has 13 total touchdowns, and is averaging 9.4 yards per touch. On defense, Cov Cath is led in solo tackles by junior linebacker Cash Myers with 23 tackles plus 1 INT. Senior defensive lineman Jonny Lind has 19 solo tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Owen Pitzer is the #3 tackler with 18 solo tackles, 2 TFL and 1 sack.

What are your predictions for the game this week?

I'm gonna be missing the game this week for the St. Agnes Oktoberfest taking place this weekend a few hundred yards away from Cov Cath, so unfortunately I won't be able to provide updates during the game.

The St. Agnes Oktoberfest also will have the parking lots of the office buildings on the opposite side of Dixie Highway from the church all reserved for use by festival patrons only, so those won't be available to anyone coming for the football game, unfortunately.

Anybody who wants to stop up at the festival after the game, though - or at any point this weekend - is more than welcome! Tons of really solid bourbon bottles up for raffle/auction and also available to win via our game booths.

Cov Cath should win going away.

CCH takes this one.

Give me the Colonels.

Cov Cath wins with running clock.

Hate to see injuries - Spencer Clukey got rolled up on pretty bad in the endzone vs Beechwood - but this opens up some opportunity for a couple really good sophomores.

Parker Payne on defense as a nickel/sam - was right there on mph with Jamir Kirtley this summer and was all over the field for the freshman team last year on defense.

Carson Grainger on offense as a TE - really smooth big bodied pass catcher.

I also think that the QB play plus coach is good enough to make it work with just about whoever is out there playing WR. Brandon Smith looks like he's at maybe 60% with his knee injury, the other top WR is out - Mac Cogswell, one of your really good TEs is out - Spencer Clukey, the other is too inconsistent right now and I still think CCH is going to put up a lot of points on just about every team they play.

Getting cooked on defense by Elder and Beechwood is going to happen to almost every team.

Tyler Fryman and Nathan Pabst touching the ball almost 50 times is a better combo than maybe anyone in the state plus you add an ACC QB to the mix distributing it. That's a big problem unless the OL is overwhelmed and committing a bunch of penalties, which Beechwood was not and did not do.

Kaden Estep plus a huge OL plus a G6 receiver at Elder is going to score over 30 on everyone they play as long as the weather cooperates. They're number 1 in Ohio for a reason.

We'll see how it looks vs Highlands and Cathedral, but I think it's more of elite local talent carving them up than the unit being bad.

2 hours ago, CCHFC said:

Getting cooked on defense by Elder and Beechwood is going to happen to almost every team.

Tyler Fryman and Nathan Pabst touching the ball almost 50 times is a better combo than maybe anyone in the state plus you add an ACC QB to the mix distributing it. That's a big problem unless the OL is overwhelmed and committing a bunch of penalties, which Beechwood was not and did not do.

Kaden Estep plus a huge OL plus a G6 receiver at Elder is going to score over 30 on everyone they play as long as the weather cooperates. They're number 1 in Ohio for a reason.

We'll see how it looks vs Highlands and Cathedral, but I think it's more of elite local talent carving them up than the unit being bad.

Agreed.

🐯 TP94 Power Ratings (9/24/26)

🇫🇮 Cov Cath 92.60

🐝 Central 56.44

Looks like less than ten fans in the visitors stands.

Remember everyone, CWB is unavailable tonight so we need someone to step up, please.

Long run by #22 CCH on the first play.

CCH to the 20, 0-0.