ATLCat

Mercer is the team I ding a little more than the rest. That blowout loss to Southwestern also looms large as I weight it more than their Week 0 win over Taylor County. If those two scores occurred in a flip flop of dates I would probably feel differently, but we are splitting hairs. I think I put them just a tick outside that second tier of teams, but at the front of the next tier. For that reason I think #10 is their rightful spot. I think it is a tossup between Franklin-Simpson, Hart County, and Union County. Two are undefeated, but F-S & Hart County basically have the same resume except F-S played a team capable of beating them in a solid 5A Greenwood. Union's undefeated record doesn't really have a signature win. Hart at least has a win over Glasgow. Both F-S and Hart went to Glasgow and won in successive weeks but the F-S win was a little more impressive. That leaves the three Eastern teams.. You have to put Rock ahead of Bell due to the head to head win at Bell. Rock's loss to Paris isn't quite as nice now that Raceland clubbed the Greyhounds. Bell has a solid win over North Laurel early in the year and a bad win over Boyd County that foreshadowed an underlying issue on defense. Rock really does not have a quality win outside of beating Bell. The other thing I will say about Belfry is the final score of their Pikeville and GRC games are a bit mis-leading. Belfry had a three score lead on GRC before a hook and lateral before the Half. Belfry then fell apart late (which is the knock on this team as they don't have a ton of depth). The Pikeville game was back and forth for Three Quarters but a couple key turnovers mixed with a couple big plays from Pikeville made that gap wider than the game was. I would probably go: 4. Franklin-Simpson 5. Belfry 6. Hart County 7. Rockcastle County 8. Union County 9. Bell County 10. Mercer Whoever wins the F-S/Hart County game deserves the #4 spot.

Yikes. Not so sure about that thought process. That Johnson Central win doesn’t have the luster as most years but it is still a better win than anyone behind them can tout in terms of margin and quality opponent and a loss to Southwestern where a blown call proved the difference in the score is also a better loss than any team behind them can tout as well. I thought you were always a big SOS guy? Outside of the clear Top 3 teams Belfry has the best SOS in 3A according to Calpreps (in terms of teams competing for a legitimate Top 10 ranking). Belfry’s win over JC also is the best second best win outside of the Top 3 against a team from non-district play. Mercer County owns the best win according to Calpreps but that is also the same Mercer County team who lost to Southwestern 42-7.

Not saying I disagree with the current placement at all, but it is funny to see Belfry fall a spot the week after needing only like 5 offensive plays to get a running clock going while Union County was on a BYE. 😁 The Top 3 in this class seem to be in their own stratosphere right now. I think all three could beat each other on any given night. Teams 4-9 all seem to be on similar footing as well, but not sure I would expect any of them to hang within two scores of the Top 3. Mercer County is in at 10 and I think they lead the next cluster along with Lawrence County, Glasgow, and a full strength Lloyd Memorial. I don't see any of these teams competing with the Top 3, but all of these teams can give the second tier fits on any given night and with the help of a couple injuries or turnovers.

Thoughts: 1. Props for doing smoothing different. Not really my cup of tea, but I do appreciate the risk taking. 2. You will always know when you are flying over Ludlow. 3. Would like to see those trees cleared out a little to allow sightlines overlooking the Ohio River. 4. I like the way the home bleachers and press box look in the previous thread linked. Think that was a really solid way to modernize one of these old concrete Corps of Engineers style stadiums.

You hear people talk about NFL backs not having any tread left on their tires after four or five seasons. As much as Dudley Hilton runs poor Daniel Thomas I am afraid he won't have tread left on his tires before he hits 20. Dudley been riding that kid harder than a Myrtle Beach rental scooter.

Is there a team in the State we know less about this late in the season than Lloyd Memorial? They are the biggest wildcard I can think of... I honestly cannot determine if they are a team who can easily reach the Semi-Finals or a team who may be at risk of a 2nd Round stinker. There is something to be said about easily handling lesser competition though, especially when that lesser competition is bigger schools, so I know they are at least a solid team.

It's nice seeing optimism in Mount Vernon again. Been too long since the Rockets were a factor. That offense can score some points! The thought of a potential LexCath vs. Rock game in the playoffs could blow up a scoreboard.

Final. Belfry 14 Lawrence County 6

Incomplete pass. 4th and 24. Flea flicker knocked down and Belfry should hold on.

Pollard sacked for a 14 yard loss. 3rd and 24.

Big return deep into Belfry territory but block in the back moves it a little. Still LC scrimmages in Belfry territory.

LC defense holds and will force a Belfry punt.

3:24 to go and LC using timeouts. Belfry trying to secure the win.

Open receiver overthrown. Belfry takes over. I apologize it is 4:35 left, I mis-spoke earlier. Only Belfry’s 3rd drive of the Half. They marched it 82 yards before fumbling on their first and threw an INT after a nice drive the second time.

3rd and 7 at B26. LC fumbles but recovers, now facing 4th and 10.

LC tries to hard count Belfry but jumps themselves to make a 4th and 7. LC surprises Belfry with a run up the middle. Chains extend and LC gets it.

14-6 Belfry. Lawrence facing a 4th and short in Belfry territory. Around 3:30 to go in the 4th.

Belfry 14 Lawrence 0 HALF Belfry defense has stonewalled LC to only 59 total yards. Belfry has utilized a balanced attack for a TD rushing and passing. Pirates with around 100 rushing yards and around 80 passing.

Way to get it done Rams!

Nice performance by Belfry all things considered. Belfry was not only without their star Sophomore QB Chase Varney, they also didn’t have their backup QB as well. Belfry had to move Woolum from his dangerous slot back position to QB. Southwestern is a quality 5A team and made some big plays and some key stops to win this.

Belfry without QB Chase Varney tonight by the way, will probably be out a few weeks with a knee injury.

Probably not. CovCath isn’t exactly the small rural county school who doesn’t get to have a generational talent and Jones came from a different state so the interest probably wouldn’t be the same for Matewan, WV.

After the Johnson Central game I thought no team in 1A stood a chance to keep it respectable. Now that Johnson Central has since lost again in convincing fashion to Belfry and Pikeville has taken one on the chin to LCA, I think this is a proving ground whether the Panthers are vulnerable or whether the gap is still too wide.

Looking at the results, and this needs to be a game where Hart makes a statement if they are legit. Etown does not appear to be very good. Anything less than a 3-4 TD victory means Hart still has some proving left to do.

Yes, their loss to Shelby Valley has them on the outside looking in it appears.