Central won the 3A Championship in exciting fashion in 2007. They were arguably bigger, stronger and faster than all of their 3A opponents. And they were well prepared and well tested because of their tough schedule.

 

They return a nucleus from their championship team, 2 or 3 D1 players, including maybe the best defensive lineman in the state.

 

Coach Scroggings will have an entire off season and spring to prepare them and they will be settled into his system instead of learning it from scratch.

 

I assume they will have the same scheduling philosophy that served them well in 2007, playing the best of the best to prepare them. So they will be road tested and used to tough competition.

 

So who can beat them?

Alot of kids can get banged up with a tough schedule, if they are healthy I think they are surely the favorite.

It will always be their's to lose, with that kind of talent there is no match for them. State championship, they should have won by 20 to 30 points, all they had to do was give the ball to Taylor and watch him run.

Not quite sure anyone can to be honest.

 

Central's defense was impeccable last season and their speed superior to the other 3A schools. Belfry absolutely dominated the Eastern semi-state going 14-0 and defeating Breathitt County 62-28 in the state semi's... but even the Pirates couldn't stop Lou. Central.

 

Here are IMO your closest competition:

 

2. Paducah Tilghman played Central to the wire and return alot of talent from last season. Tilghman will have a new head coach though, and the Blue Tornado's offensive production was spotty at times last season.

 

3. Belfry returns alot including an excellent offensive line and quite a bit of experience in the backfield. The Pirates will have a three year starter at QB and a pair of the state's better defensive players in LB Charlie Dotson and DE Ivan Lee. BUT, the Pirates had no match for the Central speed advantage and the Central defense gave that very good Pirate line a ton of trouble. Belfry also loses Dustin May who ran for over 100 yards in the game against Central.

 

4. Breathitt County- The Bobcats were stock full of young talent last season but clearly not on the level of Befry and Central. Bretahitt returns an excellent RB in Fugate, and numerous key contributors at the skill positions, but they will have to rely on a new QB. It was also obvious to me that Bretahitt didn't have the team speed and depth to hang with Belfry, let alone Central.

 

5. Russell- The Red Devils, just like so many other 3A teams, return oodles of starters from last season including what should be a monster of a backfield led by Drew Abrams. Russell always has a quality line and a stingy defense. Their physical style of play is a necessity to battle the Pirates or Yellowjackets, but Russell was a good 3-4 TD's away from Centrla last season IMO, that's alot of ground to make up.

State championship, they should have won by 20 to 30 points, all they had to do was give the ball to Taylor and watch him run.

 

You weren't watching the same state championship as everyone else.

You weren't watching the same state championship as everyone else.

 

Sure I was, Central had 5 turnovers in a championship game, you dont have five turnovers and win by ten points, also when Central threw they just threw it up, the could have thrown a hitch all night and watched the reciever brake a tackle and run to the end zone, because Belfy played 10 yds off at the corners because of there speed. :thumb:

You weren't watching the same state championship as everyone else.

 

I will be the first to say, I have seen Lou. Central play tough and I have seen them roll over.

 

Overall, they are tough. Even with all the losses they had last year, for the most part they played everyone competitively, except for the Johnson Central loss.

 

They can be beat, but now they will play with a little more confidence...or at least they should.

To echo others, Central has to be the favorite. That said, I looked it up after the championship game last season and Central graduates the QB, RB, FB, WR, TE, and 2 OL. Most of those players were two way impact type guys.

 

I'm sure there is plenty of talented kids who can step in, but I don't think it would be unusual to expect a little drop off. For anyone close to the program, who will be filling these key positions?

For the record. I expect Belfry to return to the finals and face either Central again or Paducah Tilghman. PT gave them all they wanted last year, but I do not know what they return either.

Sure I was, Central had 5 turnovers in a championship game, you dont have five turnovers and win by ten points, also when Central threw they just threw it up, the could have thrown a hitch all night and watched the reciever brake a tackle and run to the end zone, because Belfy played 10 yds off at the corners because of there speed. :thumb:

 

I just don't see how in a game that Belfry outgained Central 282-232, in which Central's ultimate victory came by direct result of Belfry's two turnovers (The pick 6 at the end of the half, and the fumble when Belfry was driving to ultimately take the lead and win the game), that one could say Central should have won by the margin you mentioned.

 

We can go back and forth on what the final score should have been. You can mention how Belfry played so far off the DB's, I can mention the costly dropped passes Belfry had on their offensive side of the ball. The bottom line, Central executed, Central played harder and more physical, and Central came up with the big plays in the clutch to win the title.

Central has three studs back, but I believe they lost just about every other starter. I know they will have some athletes, but I don't know about their numbers. Obviously, with the three guys coming back they just need to be average or a little above average around them to be competitive in 3A.

Really Westsider?

 

I am not saying your wrong, but I don't recall anyone getting any snaps in the championship game other than #6 at RB and #24 at fullback.

If I'm surmising this correctly, Central returns four offensive starters (three on the O-line) and six defensive starters, including three big-time Division I prospects. I suspect that Central will have enough speed and athleticism to adequately fill the gaps.

Really Westsider?

 

I am not saying your wrong, but I don't recall anyone getting any snaps in the championship game other than #6 at RB and #24 at fullback.

 

Not "three stud backs", but "three studs back". HAHA

 

I think he was referring to Cobble, Patterson, and Wilson all returning.

Not "three stud backs", but "three studs back". HAHA

 

I think he was referring to Cobble, Patterson, and Wilson all returning.

Good call ...