4A Franklin County (5-4) at 5A Bowling Green (5-4)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN-EVE WEEK SPORTS FANS!!!

It’s the Flyers turn to make the 2.5-hour trip southwest to the Home of the Corvette to take on the Bowling Green Purples fresh off a final district win over Grayson County 54-7, which clinched the 5A District 2 Title for BG.  The Flyers come into this game off their bye week and two straight wins over Grant County and Western Hills by a combined score of 119 to 7.  So, I think it’s fair to say Franklin County has been preparing for Bowling Green for about a month now. 

This will only be the second meeting between the teams with Franklin County leading 1-0 thanks to last season’s 28-18 win in Frankfort.  This was a frustrating game for the Purples as they just couldn’t find any rhythm offensively being outgained 450 Franklin County yards to 215 for BG.  It was 14-10 Franklin at the half (7 of BGs points was on a busted play).  Franklin would score the next 14 points in the second half to ice the game.  Franklin County played really well getting the ball to their playmakers (Jack Oldham running and Delano Collins passing), but the real unheralded stars were the Flyers defensive unit. 

Franklin County would go on to the 4A State Championship game falling to perennial power Boyle County 34-0.  Bowling Green would go on to fall to a good Atherton team in the Regional Final Round 49-21.  Onward to the Flyers and Purples!

Franklin County Flyers Information (TP94 Rating:  47.02)

Coach James has done a super job off East Main Street in Frankfort.  Now in his 10^th campaign for the Flyers, he has a record of 93 wins and 28 losses for roughly a 75% winning percentage.  Well done!  In the last 6 seasons (beginning in the 2020 Covid Season), Franklin County has been to at least the semi-finals every year and they made the finals in 2020 (falling in heartbreak fashion to Boyle County in OT) and 2024 (falling to a memorable Paducah Tilghman squad) and last year.  Impressive!

The Flyers were undefeated this time last year and they graduated some terrific football players.  But the cupboard is not bare.  They are led by undervalued JR QB Knox Barrett, who has taken the Flyers to Kroger Field in his FR and SO seasons and looking to go back again.    He has near 6,400 passing yards in just under 3 seasons with 71 TDs vs 17 INTs!  Impressive!  SR RB Chris Stallings is the main ball carrier with over 600 yards on the year and 9 TDs.  The top WR is SO Aaron Jones with 38 catches for over 800 yards and 8 TDs.  Defensively, FR Preston Schaffer has over 70 tackles on the season for the Flyers. 

Bowling Green Purples Information (TP94 Rating: 62.60)

Bowling Green comes into this game with more momentum than they have had in the past 2 years.  But they didn’t play well last season at Franklin.  Plain and simple.  Did Franklin have something to do with that?  100% they did, but BG must improve here.  I expect BG to be more focused this year at home and try to end the year on the uptick with a winning record.  There has been so much upheaval in the past 2 calendar years from Highs (2024 State Championship) to Lows (first 0-4 start in over 65 years) and it has been difficult to navigate such an unlevel time.  But I have seen improvement in the past two weeks (opponent aided surely, but better fundamentally all around).  Now it is time to play a team that should have a chance to punch back as this Flyers bunch is physical and athletic and will be ready to play 4 quarters (something BG hasn’t done for the past 3 games – but neither has Franklin).   

For the Purples offense, I thought SO QB Anthony Davis (AD) played his best game of the season on Friday, but he only has 1 INT the entire season and BG hasn’t played slouch teams.  AD had a memorable run in the second quarter to extend a drive, and he was 15 for 16 on the night for over 200 yards and 2 TD passes.  Very solid for 1 half of work.  SR RB Nick Graham continued his fine play with over 50 yards in the first half, but BG is spreading that RB load out.  And another good night for the BG Oline, which is really important.     

Defensively, BG seems to be turning the ship around from some early season lapses.  The Purples D caused 3 turnovers and 2 of those were returned for TDs.  LB Moran, S Dotson and DT Byers all had good games for BG among others.  But Franklin County will be a great test to really see where the Purples D is at right now. 

Game Preview

It will be Senior Night at Bowling Green High School on Friday night.  That is always a special ceremony!  It will be important for BG to enjoy that but reset to game mode as Franklin County will be ready to go!

For Franklin County, you should be well rested and focused for this game.  Looking at the schedule, it looks like you have beaten the teams you should beat (PRP, Shelby County, Lincoln County, Grant County and Western Hills) and lost to teams you should lose to (Scott County, Bullitt East, LCA, and Spencer County).  This seems like a chance to change that.

For Bowling Green, it’s one thing to have a great game against teams you are expected to beat and it’s another to have a great game vs a team that expects to compete with you.  And that is what we have in this game here.   

Safe trip down for my friend @Flyer_Fan87 and all the Franklin County faithful.  Should be nice weather!  Hoping for a big crowd!  Should be a really fun game to watch!

Who wins this game and why?

Great job, 88!

Two seasons of frustration coming into week 10 with a small glimmer of hope of some newfound momentum.

What has been so difficult for me, is although the King cannot always stay on the hill, we have literally fell off the cliff! That is not BGHS football. From back to back state champions to last seasons collapse, along with some of the most embarrassing losses in program history this year, has certainly been a head scratcher for diehard, purple and gold fans.

We have a legit D1 quarterback.

It is safe (for me) to say that the Purples need to play their best game of the season Friday night. We need to be peaking, beginning Friday.

Some may disagree with this, but I think if Bowling Green was just 50% better last year, that they could’ve won (or at least competed) state. I stand by that statement for this season as well. No disrespect to the Red Devils, but I think 5A is as low as it has been in decades last couple of years.

Although watching not near as strong of a product as we are accustomed to seeing, high school football is still hard to beat.

Last year and this year, when people ask me about what in the world is going on with BG, I simply say that the Purples are the most Christlike team in the state the past couple of years. We are putting other teams first.

I hope this changes beginning Friday night!

6 hours ago, PurpleTim said:

Some may disagree with this, but I think if Bowling Green was just 50% better last year, that they could’ve won (or at least competed) state. I stand by that statement for this season as well. No disrespect to the Red Devils, but I think 5A is as low as it has been in decades last couple of years.

I can see how you feel this way. When your reign at the top has lasted so long anything other than your team being #1 would normally feel like a down season. I would challenge that and say 5A wasn’t down just BG and Cooper were down from their top tier spots. SC, Woodford and Pulaski were all their usual selves with a new team in the picture being Atherton. As long as I can remember 5A is usually 5-6 team deep that can make a run.

15 minutes ago, Devils Fan said:

I can see how you feel this way. When your reign at the top has lasted so long anything other than your team being #1 would normally feel like a down season. I would challenge that and say 5A wasn’t down just BG and Cooper were down from their top tier spots. SC, Woodford and Pulaski were all their usual selves with a new team in the picture being Atherton. As long as I can remember 5A is usually 5-6 team deep that can make a run.

That is very fair, and probably true.

@Purple88 Great analysis! I've never been to BG for a football game and I'm looking forward to the trip! It's going to be an uphill battle for the Flyers, last year the seniors were the play makers, this year it's the youngsters but I believe these young guys will be eager to face a great program like BG! Looking forward to a great night of football!! It's been fun watching these guys grow this year and they should be solid next year but so is their schedule as they make the move to 5A. County will have their hands full but I believe they will be physical and give it all they got!

5 hours ago, Devils Fan said:

I can see how you feel this way. When your reign at the top has lasted so long anything other than your team being #1 would normally feel like a down season. I would challenge that and say 5A wasn’t down just BG and Cooper were down from their top tier spots. SC, Woodford and Pulaski were all their usual selves with a new team in the picture being Atherton. As long as I can remember 5A is usually 5-6 team deep that can make a run.

No South Warren, No Freddy D, Cov. Cath and Highlands both down in 4A. I agree that it has been down compared to most years. Regardless winning a state championship is hard to do and OHS went out and did exactly what it needed to do to bring home the Title.