diamondog

The game is hosted by Calloway this year and will be played at MSU. Hopefully, with the new turf, the game will continue to be there in the future.

An earlier poster made an excellent point about Top 10 lists. It's impossible to compile a true "Top Player's List" without breaking it out by position. So, let's break it down that way. Who are your pre-season KY Top 5 in each of the following positions - QB, RB, REC, DB, OL, DL, P/K? Let's go just 5 deep because it will take time to get a list on some of these positions...

Naw, it just shows that gas prices have hit Rivals too. Their travel budgets have been hit by the high gas prices too. They can't travel outside of Louisville/Lexington.:lol:

Is this the official list for next two seasons? I was told by one of their coaches that Murray would be going back to 1A in 09-10. I think they were the smallest of the 2A schools. But, any enrollment changes might be reflected up and down the line and the cutoff simply remaining at their spot. Anybody know, please confirm.

Brockman has a rep for good on-field instincts and football knowledge according to west Ky coaches. Looked for more after seeing the Youtube clip and found http://www.caseybrockman.com. Also has great grades. With a good bunch of receivers he could put up big numbers again this season and would think have at least IAA interest. He's listed at 6-2/185.

Don't know about Campbellsville, but Calloway should be solid. Their many returnees have been well documented already on this board. Hopkins Central will be very good as well. Unless Brown throws it to himself just don't see that many weapons for Lone Oak. And their home field has not traditionally been a big advantage. Don't think that really changes after one successful season.

Could be a breakout year for Calloway with excellent Sr class. Everyone keyed on RB Tyrrell Willis last year and that forced the passing game to mature fast. Lakers should be able to score on ground or air this year. Willis is a beast and a DI caliber talent (6-2/235) and only a Jr. Sr QB Casey Brockman has a talented bundle of returning receivers to choose from this year to improve on 31 TDs and over 2500 yds last year in first as starter. Sr WR George Garner has DI size and ability and might improve on 17 TD catches last year. WRs Dobbins, Dial, and Jrs Hargrove and Seay all capable of big games. Sr RB Jordan Bumpus was most improved last year and could also breakout this fall in tandem with Willis. Like earlier poster said, defensive consistency is the key to Laker run in 08.

Great for the young man. Centre's a tremendous school that will serve his career well. However, you don't sign any athletic letter of intent with a D-III school. So technically, North Oldham still doesn't have a signee, just an alum playing college football.

Only if QB Brown's gonna throw the ball to WR Brown. That would be impressive.

Everybody's got opinions. Calloway's got everyone back and a season of tasting some success under the belts. Think they'll be hungry. Again, I think Catholic and Bell Co. are much the best. Boyle Co. has to make a believer of me like Calloway has to make a believer of you. Just speculation by any of us at this point. That's what makes it fun.

Top 5: 1) Lex Catholic 2) Bell Co. 3) Warren East 4) Calloway Co. 5) Boyle Co. May be a big dropoff from 1-2 to the rest.

Only upside is to show your kids how hard they have to work. There are a ton of kids at each of these events and so it gives a visual to the competition in both level and sheer numbers of kids wanting to play college ball. Other than that, meat markets.

I guess everything west of I-65 constitutes west? Give some more specific boundaries please.

From far western KY: 1A - Fulton City, Crittenden Co. 2A - Trigg Co., Caldwell Co. 3A - Paducah Tilghman 4A - Calloway Co., Hopkins Central 5A - Hopkinsville 6A - nobody, down season

There's another pretty good receiver in WK, Calloway's George Garner. He'll be surrounded by a steady corp of good receivers this fall, like Brown was last year. Brown's good, without question. However, I agree with ya Cynical that this season will be very different for Mr. Brown and Lone Oak. Time will tell who comes out of the far west.

Read on another board that Murray's John Bell is possibly going to Heath as OC. Which other Murray staff will stay and which will go? Seems it's tough to get help at Murray right now with their financial crunch. With Jamie King in the backfield and a suspect passing game do you think MHS might go back to Rick Fisher's running philosophy? Seems like a good time to do it with the avalable talent.

My observation is that basketball is the most anti about sharing athletes with other sports. Seems football-baseball do it well since the seasons don't overlap. Football-wrestling are a natural combo. The basketball programs tend to want the kids year-round. Anyone else see this trend? Also, do any of you see football coaches in your school who feel they should not lower themselves to asking kids to come out, that the kids should want to do this on their own, or that indicates they don't have the commitment level?

A Calloway win mandates a score similar to the first game - say 35-28. The Lakers will need to establish a respectable running game. Not dominant, but better than the last time. That will keep the the LO offense off the field. Calloway is very capable of scoring on the Flash through the air. Telltale signs on how the game is going will be if Lone Oak puts QB Robinson in on defense like they had to the first game to slow down the passing game, and if Willis is having a strong game at RB for Calloway. Both teams have improved in six weeks. We'll see if Lakers' stiffer competition reaps benefits and flips the score.

Great thought. NEVER happen. Host schools want the home field advantage and the $ from the concessions. I thought the entire playoff gate went to KHSAA, but maybe not. Heard that Lone Oak was charging a premium for their tickets in Round 1, so that tends to make me think that the host school also keeps at least part of the gate. If the homer does keep part of the gate that further cements that a MSU DH would never happen. Any clarification on gate split, and what the ticket prices will be at LO this Friday? I don't think regular season passes, student passes, faculty etc passes are honored at any of the playoff games.

LOTS of motivation on both sides. Interestingly now, the pressure's on Lone Oak, not Calloway. Everyone's expecting a LO win since they've posted such big numbers, so they've got everthing to lose with an undefeated season on the line. Biggest factor in the first game was Calloway's beast Tyrrell Willis going out of the game near the end of the 3Q, weakening the CC defense considerably at a crucial time. Everyone seems to have forgotten that. Willis is a huge catalyst on defense for the Lakers and Calloway was in a completely new defensive alignment for the first time that week and Willis' absence completely threw the Lakers into defensive meltdown the rest of the game. And, he has been playing like a man among boys at RB since the Lone Oak game. Weapons? Lone Oak has two big guns to matchup with Calloway's three. Lone Oak: Robinson and Brown the mainstays (yes other solid receivers, but NO RUNNING BACK, PERIOD). Calloway - QB Brockman (29 TDs passing, only two INTs in the last six games vs. 19 TDs), WR Garner (school-record 16 TDs receiving), soph RB Willis (avging about 110 rushing yds per game since LO loss). Dobbins and rest of Lakers receiving corp match up very well with Lone Oak receivers. This is going to be a very good game. Lone Oak is a good team. Lakers are a much-improved team that has sharpened against much better competition since the Lone Oak game. Finally, Lakers admit they play better on the road (5-1). Friday night's gonna be great!

Calloway scores in the upper 30s to mid 40s. The question becomes how much their def can stop Central. Calloway 45, Hop Central 28.

Graves worked Calloway, especially in the 4Q. However, Lakers rallied from 17-0 and trailed just 30-27 entering the 4th quarter. A botched on-side kick seemed to take remaining energy out of Lakers and Graves rolled after that with 21 pts in 4Q. Graves was bigger and better overall (no surprise on the size). Calloway passing game was off a bit, with several uncharacteristic missed throws and dropped balls. Willis was a beast for Lakers with 3 TDs (two rushing and one receiving). The talented sophomore could be a big difference maker for Calloway entering the playoffs vs. Hop Central and Lone Oak. Willis is very hard to stop when he runs north-south instead of east-west. Towery was strong for Graves. Good luck to Graves and Calloway in the playoffs.

Tyrrell Willis at Calloway. He's already on the recruiting boards of major D-I's across the country. Playing RB/MLB for Lakers but would probably project at DE in college. Has all the tools at 6-2/220.

LO has shown absolutely no ground game all season, except for Robinson scrambling. Rain would make things very interesting for sure.

The X factor for this game is the weather. If it's raining hard the LO passing game could have problems. It will be interesting to see what LO turns to for offense. Rain could tip this one in favor of Fulton City.