DevilMayCare

Weather delay in Winchester.

They're a little too reliant on Kasen Brock for my liking, but they've looked strong so far. The freshman quarterback has played with poise beyond his years.

North Laurel Nation is a YouTube account dedicated to NL sports. They should stream tonight's game. https://youtube.com/@northlaurelnation?si=JAXxdbba4Qa30EmB

One of the things I love about this rivalry is that Beechwood is always punching up, but CovCath is never punching down. The Tigers are always a worthy opponent and both sides benefit from this game. Queen and Fryman will get their shots in, but I think the Colonels prevail in a what could be remembered as a classic in the series.

Hype level 💯.

Mountain Top Sports will be streaming this one.

His hatred of Pikeville has consumed him.

This was the best rivalry in that part of the state for thirty years, but the fire went out long ago. This hasn't really been a big game on Ashland's side for many years now after winning 19 of the last 21, mostly blowouts. Hopefully Russell can get back to that level at some point and help restore the rivalry to its former glory. At its peak, it was the biggest game on the calendar in NEKY.

What do we make of Darrian Tomlin only playing defense this year for Wofo? I can't say that I'm a fan of this strategy. I'm cool with lightening his workload if you've got depth at running back, but he was a main cog in the offense last year and his impact has been cut in half.

This is one of those games where the traditional power is seemingly down and out and the long suffering upstart is the trendy pick. Then the game plays itself out and BG either kicks Barren's teeth in or they break Barren's heart at the end. Either way, the Purples' pedigree wins out. I kinda want the Trojans to pull this one off, but I have too many doubts. I feel compelled to roll with Bowling Green.

I don't think Franklin-Simpson can run with the Tornado this week. Tilghman by 5+ scores. It would be nice to see the Wildcats return to statewide relevance. I enjoyed the run they had in '17-'18.

Photo by Katie Barker for the Carter County Times.

Here's a link to a podcast about the rivalry. The original barrel was a nail keg purchased from a hardware store in Grayson and presented to East after winning the first game in 1973. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rwYZUPWLPy0&pp=0gcJCSQMAYcqIYzv

Nothing went Scott County's way last year. They were sloppy with the ball, threw a couple of picks, and MC had a scoop and score. If they clean up the mistakes, this offense hums like a well oiled machine. I'm not counting on them slowing the Tribe's offense, I'm counting on the Cards outscoring them in another shootout. This is one of the week's must-see games, especially if you love physical, fundamentally sound precision blocking. The two offensive lines can put on a clinic. The trench war is probably the thing I'm looking forward to most.

This has been the definition of a streaky series. Madison Central won ten in a row from 1980-1999 before Jim McKee turned Scott County into arguably the state's best "big school" program outside of Jefferson County. The Cards reeled off eleven straight from 2004-2024. The Indians halted that streak last season.

WBON TV on YouTube streams Madison Central home games. They won't have a direct link available untill close to kickoff. Here's the link to their account: https://youtube.com/@wbontv4353?si=HJKAO-CmzroVNu2d

The three week stretch of Scott County, North Laurel, and Woodford County will help dictate where he inevitably lands in this competition. The numbers are incredible, but he needs to show that he can elevate his team to that higher plane where Scott and Woodford live. Until then, he's a stat machine and a great player, but not yet the transcendent star that wins Mr. Football.

A Beechwood win coupled with a high impact performance from Fryman would give his candidacy a huge boost, but it won't matter if he doesn't perform up to the standard we've come to expect. I think the Tigers winning and a great night from Fryman go hand in hand. He has to play well.

📰 Headlines 🗞️ - Zane Johnson went out on his shield in a marquee game of national interest. In a matchup of Top 25 teams, Johnson carried the Trinity offense, attempting a career high 43 passes and throwing for 330 yards and three touchdowns, plus one more with his legs. Unfortunately, the Rocks' oft impenetrable defense was no match for the incomparable David Gabriel Georges. - The stat line of the week was no contest. Kade Goodin went off on Oldham County with a career night: 25/32 for 383 yards and 5 touchdowns with another 152 and three scores on the ground. Collins will likely have to win some shootouts to contend for the district, so another game or two like this could be on the horizon. - Pulaski's steamroller offensive line flattened turf and Redhounds alike. Kasen Brock enjoyed the view from behind the wheel, as the Maroon Monsoon paved the way for Brock's nearly 200 yards and all three Pulaski touchdowns. c092fdc6_480 (1).mp4 - The state's best QB/WR duo took the top off Simon Kenton's defense with this beautiful pitch and catch. 👇 Queen threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Fryman accounted for 143 of those yards, the touchdown reception above, a rushing score, and forced a fumble. - Dre'Mail Carothers helped the Aces lock down city and county bragging rights after accounting for three touchdowns - one passing, two rushing - as O-Cath dominated Senior High. - Timmy Emongo added three more touchdowns on five carries against PRP. He's been a model of efficiency so far, scoring twelve touchdowns on his 35 carries this season. He's averaging a staggering 19 yards per carry, but the competition ramps up this week. ‼️Milestone‼️ - Ja'Hyde Brown caught eight balls for 108 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Ryle. The two scores moved him into first place on the career touchdown reception ledger at CAL. He's left behind Centurion greats like Milton Wright, Easton Messer, and Connor Hodge. - Tayden Lorenzen ran for a score and caught another as Highlands took down Driver-less Boyle County. One to watch - South Warren's Cam Page is coming on strong after shredding Bowling Green's secondary for 333 yards and three scores on 12/16 passes.