VF111

Scott Co. and Atherton are too low. Woodford at #1 is silly. Atherton is the only team on this list other than BG that I can see holding St. X to 27 points. 5A is wildly up for grabs.

I thought BG did what they needed to do in this game, which was figure a few things out. The BG defense continued to play well, doing so against an X team with considerable offensive ability. The BG offense found some spark in the 2nd Half and did so with a FR at QB and a FR at RB at times... against St. X. That's saying something about those two!

I think ranking 5A at this point is somewhat silly. I would put them like this: Class 5A Cooper - Best QB in 5A has got to count for something Owensboro - Much like BG, there are some obvious warts. They have a lot of upside and a favorable schedule after Week 2 to really climb in the RPI. I'm gonna predict they beat Catholic. Bowling Green - Banged up and have some issues to iron out. I wouldn't want to play them as any of the other 5A teams come November if BG is healthy Scott Co. - They have yet to prove that they are ever going to really recover from Great Crossing. Atherton - Kings of the bad schedule. I know they have some dudes, but I'm not buying it. They'll get their chance against Manual. Woodford - Same as Atherton... but without a Manual on their schedule. Pulaski - Unknown, may be the sleeper South Oldham - The "Oldham's" have never fared well in rounds three and four against the establishment MNH - Best RB in 5A, maybe.

BG played this game tonight without: #1 Ethan Kirkwood - Their 6'3 starting WR and occasional S #2 Jaxon Smith - Arguably the most versatile player on the team, and starting OLB and Slot #3 Trevy Barber - A legit Mr. Football candidate How long those guys are out remains to be seen, but it makes for a hard way to go against an O-Cath team that hasn't lost a regular-season game since September 2022. BG has a tough road ahead with X, then Scott Co, then South Warren, then CAL two weeks after. Getting the above guys healthy is priority #1. And while that is happening, the Purples have the chance to see how a lot of these other younger guys respond to adversity against some of the best in KY. I still like a healthy Purples team's chances late in the season.

This.

To their credit, no one is going to be able to say that they didn't give Hampton the ball... so there's that.

So far, this is not even remotely competitive

Yes.

I think Highlands will just line up and run FD over...

I honestly believe that some players come along who, when they are playing against other High School players, it is just not fair. They are like a legit "get out of jail free" card that a coach can play at any time, and there is absolutely nothing the other team can do about it. Some that come to mind are Michael Mayer, Antonio Andrews, James Quick, and Rondale Moore. Montavin Quisenberry was one of those guys. Without him, I think Boyle is still very much a State Champion contender... but there is no more "get out of jail free" card for them to play when the O, D, or Special Teams are just having an off day.

After what X did to Douglass and after watching the Owensboro passing game and run game after the first series against South, I'm gonna say that Owensboro has a nice team, and they're gonna be tough in 5A, but... X - 42 Owensboro - 7

I'm taking Cov. Cath in this one. Great first game for both teams.

It's one of them. The Boys' Sweet Sixteen is the highest revenue event, earning around $1.3 million. It could be estimated that the six football games earn between $850k and $1.1 million.

None of this will be cleaned up so long as the top levels of the sport (NFL/Power 4 NCAA) continue to allow it. Kids emulate their idols. None of this will be cleaned up either so long as a significant contingent of parents continue to advocate for their children in a role of friend/agent, rather than acting as their parents. There are a few bad apple coaches as there are a few bad apples in all professions. But largely, HS coaches are doing all they can to lead young men and women down a positive path. In general, a coach’s guidance cannot supersede a parent’s. A coach’s guidance struggles to supersede the influence of the prominent and glorified highest-level examples. And the worst of it all… strife and conflict sell much better than character and sportsmanship.

I think looking towards the scrimmage with South and X games as actual indicators of where OHS is, is wise. I would argue that Mayfield seems to be WAY down, and, in a lot of ways. A top Owensboro team should handle a very good Mayfield team. A top Owensboro team (as this year appears to be) should massacre a meh (by Mayfield standards) 1A Mayfield team. These next two opponents are much closer to what Owensboro will have to be able to play with to have a chance to win 5A.

Remember that dad who made the car video about everything he was going to expose and how he was taking em all down? Good times.

From the looks of this school, I would say their NIL budget is Arbys coupons.

Hard to see this as anything but a brutally bad decision. Look the school up. It looks like a nice Church Campground. I've attached a pic of the gym. Can you imagine going from the energy of playing in the 7th Region to this... woof.

Highlands ran the ball 36 times against Ryle and averaged 5.5 yards a carry. I wouldn’t exactly say Ryle stonewalled the Birds.

I would rate Highlands as the #1 "run you over" team in KY. They are not the best team in KY, but in terms of having what it takes just to run you over, I would put them #1.

I feel like Highlands will just run over Male.

I voted that Cooper will learn more since they lost so much on offense, but now, thinking about it, CAL has the more challenging position to replace... QB. I think Cooper is going to be much better than people may realize, so long as QB1 is healthy. I also think we all know that CAL is going to be really good... but what will their ceiling be?

I know it's a scrimmage, but this seems like a scrimmage in which both fan bases' old guards will be looking at very closely (and critically) to see what the programs come out of the gate looking like.

Some good football has come out of the Oldham Co. area under the tutelage of Coach Reed over the last couple of years, which has crossed paths with the Purples. BG has faced Coach Reed twice in Regional Finals while he was the coach at South Oldham, defeating the Dragons in 2019 and again in 2022. It will be interesting to see what Coach Reed can now do with the Colonels' program.

Lots of great information and history on the BGHS Football Webpage