ATLCat

JJ Austin with 138 rushing yards this Half. Belfry now forcing Rockcastle to burn their timeouts in Rocket territory.

Cayden Varney playing a great game at DB and recovers the onside kick. Belfry needs a couple first downs.

Not sure why you go for two there? Get the XP and worry about if you want to go for the win if you get it back. Now you are playing for a tie.

Hole was there by FB stumbles shy and Belfry will have to punt.

Belfry holds on 4th Down after a long Rock drive inside the red zone. Belfry in position to put this away on this drive.

I have mixed feelings on this for sure. One one hand, the WV playoff system is a trainwreck. Having seen it for years, there is traditionally no rhyme or reason to how it seeds teams and it unfairly hurts teams for stepping out of state to schedule quality opponents. When your state isn't exactly a powerhouse for football as it stands, this has hindered a lot of smaller teams from achieving a higher level because they have not had the confidence to challenge themselves for fear they get left in the cold. Best way to describe the WV playoff system is take everything we question about the RPI (with even less transparency), but seed your entire state using the RPI and force teams to travel starting Round 1. On the flip side, this is kind of weak sauce and sets a bad precedent to do this right now. If this drags out you put the hard earned efforts of kids in jeopardy and uncertainty they can even play their most important games all for teams who most likely would have never made it two rounds anyway.

Breathitt has came a long way and is improving every week it seems. If you ran back their game against Somerset right now I think Breathitt might beat them. Not your normal 2nd Round playoff opponent. With that said, Breathitt is not on Beechwood's level. Tigers by 4 TD's.

I am in the camp this will be a closer game than most. I don't have much trust in the Belfry defense. I think Rock will get theirs and put up points and keep this very competitive. I do think Befry's offense will give Rockcastle more than they want and Belfry's team speed will be a problem for the Rockets. With that said, it is kind of ironic that Rockcastle is proudly riding charter buses to Belfry when the criticism of them they are trying to buck is they have taken the easy and comfortable path to their success. Ultimately the question entering the game comes down to "Is the Rock really soft?" Belfry 35 Rock 26

Here is my unbiased and honest Pikeville assessment: 1. As mentioned, once Pikeville reaches the post season there is no one in 1A that gives them a challenge they haven't already seen with the schedule they have played. 2. Pikeville is not particularly healthy right now. Their two-way mule Anthony is playing banged up. Isaiah Stanley is hurt. The Panthers are still hanging in with some tough teams with several key players either missing action or playing at less than 80% effectiveness. 3. Defensively, Pikeville is probably a better team than their losses seem to imply. If I saw a team that gave up 22, 35, 37, 40, & 48 respectively in their losses I would be inclined to say they are a questionable defense. Truth is I think that 22 that Corbin scored is probably closer to what Pikeville brings to the table. We will get to this point a little more down the list as to why some of those point totals were so high.The defense showed up in their two wins. 4. When looking at them as a 1A Team, the only team with a Starting 22 I think in the same realm may be Campbellsville. Pikeville has talent, size, speed, and skill. We have also seen that when healthy Anthony can take over any playoff game. Now for some light criticism... 5. Pikeville's rule of 1A coincides with the fact that outside of Beechwood during their run there has been no other team consistently able to win the LOS. Pikeville has dominated both sides of the LOS and they are capable of doing so again. The issue is this Pikeville team does not have the depth that previous teams have had and also isn't quite as big as some past teams. Pikeville is a couple key injuries away from seeing their greatest asset neutralized. 6. The QB Duty is a capable talent with a big arm and sneaky athleticism. When he is on the Panthers are tough. With that said, between Charles, Battaille and MacNamee, the Panthers have had QB's during their run who prized possession of the football and opened up the entire playbook for the Pikeville staff. I get the impression watching Pikeville that they still have guard rails for Duty when it comes to the passing game. A lot of single read or pre-determined passes. Duty has the ability to do more with his feet than his predecessors at QB but with that has also came with some fumbles at key moments. And now the heavy criticism... 7. Pikeville's Special Teams are at best described as questionable and probably best described as worrisome. Belfry is not a good Special Teams squad.. Pikeville made them look like they were playing Beamer Ball. Pikeville has struggled in every capacity of Special Teams. They have missed kicks, they have shanked punts, they have fumbled kicks, they have given up big returns. Belfry and Ironton are two shining examples where Pikeville's defense played much better than the point totals surrendered. Belfry and Ironton each had multiple kicks either returned for scores or deep into Pikeville territory that led to scores. Both teams also capitalized on Pikeville gaffes. All told you can essentially credit 6 TD's in those two games along as having Special Teams have an immediate impact. Pikeville has never been an elite Special Teams unit... but in most year's past they have typically been solid if not at an obvious advantage over 1A teams. Any 1A team who poses a semblance of being solid in Special Teams or having capable athletes who can bust a return (Campbellsville... I see you) have a chance to have a decided advantage in this capacity. TLDR Summary: Pikeville is talented, experienced, and still have a very stout team at the LOS and the battle testing their schedule has provided will make them the favorite. Pikeville also seemingly lacks the overall depth of previous teams and are maybe a bit more predictable on offense. The Panthers are very vulnerable in Special Teams and their struggles in this capacity strains their defense and makes an Offense that already is not the most efficient we are accustomed to seeing have to work a little harder. If this was a vintage 1A with Beechwood, Mayfield, strong Hazard, etc... I would say Pikeville may be in trouble. As it stands they may be be more capable of an upset, but outside of Campbellsville there aren't many teams capable of making them pay.

FINAL Belfry 49 Lawrence County 12

LC gets on the board then JJ Austin takes the ensuing kickoff to the house for Belfry. Belfry 49-6 in the 4th.

CAL is big time. I think anyone not named Boyle County may be competing for second in any class not labeled 6A that they are competing in.

Belfry starting to get that look about them. Offense has played well all season and the defense is starting to play more confident and starting to play more aggressive. Not ready to label them a team able to compete with CAL, but this is a team starting to look like what you expect a Belfry team to resemble.

Pirates continue to pour it on. They take the opening drive and score with ease capped off with Hunter Hylton getting rewarded for his defensive domination with an offensive score. 42-0 Belfry on a running clock in the 3rd.

Squib kick hits an LC player and Belfry recovers as the Half ends. Bulldogs have turned it over five times now with two turning directly into defensive TD’s. The last thing Lawrence County could do when they have a noticeable talent gap and speed gap was turn it over.

LC drive continued when Belfry has 12 men on the field on a punt. LC throws a pick 6 after right before the horn. 5.1 seconds remaining in Half. Belfry 35-0

Pirates march the ball down the field to make it 21-0 then a strip sack leads to a scoop and score. Belfry 28-0 late in the 2nd.

22 yard TD pass from Chase Varney to Cayden Varney on 4th Down to make LC pay for a lost fumble. Belfry 14-0 10:43 in 2nd

7-0 Belfry late in the 1st

Closer than some expect. Lawrence County staff knows how to coach to play Belfry tight. Lawrence also brings their best effort when Belfry is across the field. I don't think Lawrence has as many horses as they have had the past couple years, but I think they have enough to make it competitive. I'll take Belfry 35-14 in a game they have to score a late TD or two in order to close it out.

35-0 Belfry in the 4th.

Half Belfry 21 Magoffin 0

Yup... The RPI is such a busted system. Until there is a true Strength of Loss or true Strength of Victory all this system represents is bonus points for winning against bad bigger schools or beating teams who also beat other bad teams. Louisville Central and Belfry are shining examples of the failures of the shortcomings of the RPI system.

This is a very telling result for me. I mentioned when Belfry played GRC that the expectation for a 3A team who wants to be in the mix is they can play a middle of the pack 6A team and compete to the final whistle. If a 3A team beats a middle of the pack 6A team usually it translates that they are going to be firmly in the title race. Bullitt East is more than a middle of the pack 6A team. They are a legitimate Top 10 caliber team. For Central to beat them by 2 TD's tells me that Central should definitely be short listed with CAL when talking about the 3A frontrunners and in a class above the rest of the field.

Most of these were the product of the now and a product of Class Alignment outside of the historical geographic rivalries. The Boone County ones make me smile. Boone County vs. Bryan Station was the biggest of the "prisoner of the moment" stretches he took. In regards to the non-historical rivalries that still have some meat on the bone: Belfry vs. Ashland has somehow kept some embers to that flame. The two programs have not played much, but they had a handful of very competitive and memorable regular season games when they played each other as non-district foes... it has also led to a handful of high stakes post season games as well over the past decade. It's funny to know what programs have risen and fallen since the article was produced. The Boyle County legacy being chief above all. Beechwood vs. Mayfield has been a tremendous rivalry in the post season. Johnson Central's rise under Matney probably would have serious merit on this list. Louisville Central has had one heck of a run since this list as well. Then it very modern eras, South Warren and Frederick Douglas would have an impact. One team that had a lot of history and witnessed their own meteoric rise and fall after this article was Breathitt County. Scott County might even apply in a similar context.