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District 1 #4 Fort Campbell Falcons (1-9) at #1 Mayfield Cardinals (9-1) Previous Meeting: Mayfield 42-0 on 9/27 Let's not waste words on this one. The Falcons are just happy to be here after winning their way in against Ballard Memorial, but this one is going to be over early. The Cardinals have their eyes on greater things and should be able to impose their will from the jump in all disciplines. Prediction: Mayfield 49 Fort Campbell 0 #3 Murray Tigers (7-3) at #2 Caldwell County Tigers (8-2) Previous Meeting: Caldwell County 42-40 on 10/18 The first meeting of these two teams was one of the best match-ups featuring two teams in Class 2A as the back and forth tussle came down to the very end. Murray may not be with their star QB Hunter Utley who was superb in the previous meeting before getting injured the next week versus Mayfield. Without Utley the Caldwell County Tigers are certainly the team to beat. Prediction: Caldwell County 36 Murray 28 District 1 Championship Projected District 1 Championship: #2 Caldwell County at #1 Mayfield Previous Meeting: Mayfield 45-7 on 10/4 District Championship Prediction: Mayfield 42 Caldwell County 20 District 2 #4 Todd County Central Rebels (6-4) at #1 Owensboro Catholic Aces (8-2) Previous Meeting: Owensboro Catholic 48-24 on 9/27 When these two teams collided in September, Todd Central entered on their highest water mark and played with great confidence early. Ultimately, Owensboro Catholic just had way too many weapons and pulled away. The Rebels have had some confidence bruisers along the way and although O'Cath enters still smarting from a rough loss to Apollo, the Aces should take care of business here. Prediction: Owensboro Catholic 56 Todd Central 14 #3 Hancock County Hornets (3-7) at #2 McLean County Cougars (6-4) Previous Meeting: McLean County 34-13 on 10/25 McLean County has turned their season into a solid showing very quietly and enter November with wins in 6 of their last 7 games. The Cougars three headed rushing attack has found their footing and will continue to propel them in Round 1 against a Hancock County team seemingly going the wrong way. It may not be Halloween anymore, but Andrew Munster will be mashing the Hornets. Prediction: McLean County 40 Hancock County 14 District 2 Championship Projected District 2 Championship: #2 McLean County at #1 Owensboro Catholic Previous Meeting: Owensboro Catholic 55-21 on 10/4 District Championship Prediction: Owensboro Catholic 48 McLean County 28 District 3 #4 Green County Dragons (1-9) at #1 Edmonson County Wildcats (4-6) Previous Meeting: Edmonson County 39-8 on 10/18 In the wild and dramatic District 3, it was Edmonson County who came out on top. The Wildcats had a shocking loss to Metcalfe County but outside of that went undefeated against the other teams. QB Jon Smith may have a plain name, but it will be his skill-set that determines how far the Wildcats go. Expect Smith to take care of business against Green County. The Wildcats simply are the better team. Prediction: Edmonson County 33 Green County 6 #3 Clinton County Bulldogs (6-3) at #2 Monroe County Falcons (5-5) Previous Meeting: Monroe County 28-14 on 9/20 Monroe County really wishes they could have October 3rd back. The Falcons laid an egg against Edmonson County and the game wound up being much worse than it should have been. Since that night the Falcons have played pretty good football and seem to have found a nice offensive rhythm. The receivers have really started to develop timing with QB Curtis Petett and it should give them enough to overcome a pretty stout challenge from Clinton County. Prediction: Monroe County 28 Clinton County 20 District 3 Championship Projected District 3 Championship: #2 Monroe County at #1 Edmonson County Previous Meeting: Edmonson County 33-0 on 10/3 District Championship Prediction: Monroe County 28 Edmonson County 26 District 4 #4 Washington County Commanders (5-5) at #1 Lexington Christian Academy Eagles (9-1) Previous Meeting: LCA 36-0 on 10/11 LCA may be one of the hottest teams in Kentucky. After losing in Week 2 at Belfry, the Eagles have been flying high and lighting up the scoreboard in the process. LCA boasts the top overall seed in the RPI and have homefield advantage at their disposal. The Commanders have great pieces, but a brutal schedule has taken the wind out of their sails as they enter November. Perhaps no team wishes the old system still existed more than Washington County, as a sweep of District 3 would be a real possibility if so. Prediction: Lexington Christian Academy 42 Washington County 6 #3 Danville Admirals (3-6) at #2 Somerset Briarjumpers (9-1) Previous Meeting: Somerset 40-21 on 10/11 Is this a trap game? Somerset has been one of the elite teams in Class 2A all season and are entering the playoffs as a top threat to take home the Title. Well... if they can avenge their loss to LCA and win District 4. Danville may be the most improved team in Class 2A from the start of September until now as their young team is getting battle hardened each week. This is a game Somerset needs to play in the present instead of looking forward to what may come in Round 2. If Somerset stays to task they win. Prediction: Somerset 38 Danville 20 District 4 Championship Projected District 4 Championship: #2 Somerset at #1 Lexington Christian Academy Previous Meeting: LCA 35-24 on 10/18 District Championship Prediction: Somerset 34 Lexington Christian Academy 28 District 5 #4 Gallatin County Wildcats (1-9) at #1 Walton-Verona Bearcats (6-4) Previous Meeting: Walton-Verona 48-0 on 9/27 Walton-Verona is the clear cut above in this District and have been in recent years as well. Gallatin County just do not have the horses in their barn to match up at the line of scrimmage and will struggle to stop the Bearcats' "ground and pound". Prediction: Walton-Verona 42 Gallatin County 0 #3 Owen County Rebels (3-7) at #2 Carroll County Panthers (7-3) Previous Meeting: Carroll County 48-18 on 10/18 Carroll County is quietly 7-3 and have done a very good job of navigating their light schedule. Dual-Threat QB Andre Mumphrey has been consistently solid all season and in the previous meeting he orchestrated a game-plan that resulted in three Panthers rushing for over 100 yards. Owen County should be able to keep this within reach through the first 3/4 of the game, but expect Carroll to simply deliver too many body blows to a Rebel team lacking depth. Prediction: Carroll County 38 Owen County 14 District 5 Championship Projected District 5 Championship: #2 Carroll County at #1 Walton-Verona Previous Meeting: Walton-Verona 33-14 on 10/4 District Championship Prediction: Walton-Verona 28 Carroll County 14 District 6 #4 Covington Holy Cross Indians (2-8) at #1 Beechwood Tigers (5-5) Previous Meeting: Beechwood 68-6 on 10/11 Of all the First Round mis-matches, no team probably welcomes the opportunity more than Beechwood. The Tigers used the first meeting to springboard their offense and carry them with newfound confidence through District play after sputtering all season. Beechwood took a tough luck loss in the season finale to 1A Newport Central Catholic in a game where old habits reared their head. The Tigers need to get back to feeling good about themselves against the porous Holy Cross defense. Prediction: Beechwood 56 Covington Holy Cross 13 #3 Newport Wildcats (7-3) at #2 Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts (6-4) Previous Meeting: Lloyd Memorial 26-7 on 10/11 The first meeting ended up being a three score margin, but it was a nip and tuck affair until the 4th Quarter. The Juggernauts made the big plays and just seemed to be the more battle tested team. Kaleal Davis was rendered to being a non-factor while Lloyd RB Jacob Davidson ground out yardage and key scores. The Wildcats have the luxury of a Week 11 BYE entering this game while Lloyd took a tough loss in a physical game against a stout 3A Elizabethtown. Call me crazy, but in a Class where First Round upsets seem unlikely, this might be a shocker. Prediction: Newport 20 Lloyd Memorial 16 District 6 Championship Projected District 6 Championship: #3 Newport at #1 Beechwood Previous Meeting: Beechwood 38-0 on 10/25 District Championship Prediction: Beechwood 37 Newport 6 District 7 #4 Knott County Central Patriots (2-8) at #1 Breathitt County Bobcats (10-0) Previous Meeting: Breathitt County 56-8 on 10/18 Welcome to the Breathitt County Sacrificial District. Much like the regular season where it was seldom seen a game where Breathitt did not have the game firmly in hand by the end of the 1st quarter, expect more of the same for the first two rounds. The Bobcats will begin their tour of terror by over matching Knott Central. Prediction: Breathitt County 54 Knott Central 6 #3 Leslie County Eagles (5-4) at #2 Middlesboro Yellowjackets (7-3) Previous Meeting: Middlesboro 28-27 on 10/4 This should be a fun game for an opener. The Yellowjackets were a single point better in Hyden the first go round in what has proven to be a watershed for a Middlesboro team who had lost a ton of games in recent years. Leslie County has the ability to win this game, but with the battlefield set for Middlesboro, this will be a tough task for the Eagles. Prediction: Middlesboro 36 Leslie County 28 District 7 Championship Projected District 7 Championship: #2 Middlesboro at #1 Breathitt County Previous Meeting: Breathitt County 57-7 on 9/27 District Championship Prediction: Breathitt County 56 Middlesboro 14 District 8 #4 Bath County Wildcats (4-6) at #1 West Carter Comets (7-3) Previous Meeting: West Carter 26-6 on 10/4 The two class droppers had different fortunes in their inaugural 2A campaigns. West Carter rode their defense to the top seed following the regular season as Bath County's defense never could get them enough stops. The Comets are a bit of a sleep team if they can continue to win against their District foes. If they compete like they did against 3A Russell in their season finale they may be in position to surprise someone. Prediction: West Carter 33 Bath County 0 #3 Martin County Cardinals (7-3) at #2 Shelby Valley Wildcats (8-2) Previous Meeting: Shelby Valley 41-12 on 10/11 Regardless of the outcome it has been a feel good type of season for the boys from Inez. Martin County dropped to 2A and exceeded expectations en route to a winning season. Unfortunately, they just don't match up well with the bigger and more physical Wildcats and the yard churning offense it creates. Shelby Valley has a chip on their shoulder after getting embarrassed by West Carter and should take care of business here. Prediction: Shelby Valley 46 Martin County 20 District 8 Championship Projected District 8 Championship: #2 Shelby Valley at #1 West Carter Previous Meeting: West Carter 33-7 on 9/27 District Championship Prediction: West Carter 20 Shelby Valley 7 Projected Remaining Teams- West (Round 3 Projections): (4) Monroe County- 0.45121 at (1) Mayfield- 0.75316 (3) Owensboro Catholic- 0.64483 at (2) Somerset- 0.75279 Projected Remaining Teams- East (Round 3 Projections): (4) Walton-Verona- 0.54003 at (1) Breathitt County- 0.65959 (3) West Carter- 0.58113 at (2) Beechwood- 0.62970

The Undercard: Caldwell County at Murray Key #1- Keep it Balanced, Keep it Moving Murray is a team with great Offensive weaponry, particularly in the passing game led by hunter Utley and his dynamic receivers Tommy Waldrop, Jaiden Jackson, and Jorden Duffy. There is no question the Tigers have the proficiency to win a game through the air, but on Friday it may be prudent to be mindful of their running game. Caldwell County has allowed almost equal yardage in both the run and passing games and in both of their losses the run game being established helped to open up the pass and keep Caldwell off balance. Charvelle McCallister is more than capable of moving the sticks and every 20 yards he gains may equate to opening up a 20 yard pitch and catch. Key #2- Take BIG Chances Any hope of a Caldwell County upset begins and ends with taking risks, specifically risks deep. The boys from Princeton simply cannot get into a shootout with Murray and their Offense has not shown enough consistency to maintain drives and and sustain success. Caldwell may not have the elite athleticism they have displayed in the past on the outside, but there is still talent there and Murray's biggest vulnerability has been to teams capable of taking the top off their Defense. Caldwell will need to show some new wrinkles and dialing up the big play may give the best chance to steal points and keep them in the game. Key #3- Covet Thy Football Each team relies heavily on creating turnovers with their Defense to mask issues. Both defenses are very adept at creating opportunities and have each capitalized when those chances are before them. Murray to this point has done a very good job of protecting the football whereas Caldwell has had some issues with leaving empty possessions. Simply put, if the turnover margin is even or favors Murray it will be very difficult for Caldwell to win this game. The Blue Tigers need a positive turnover margin and moreover needs at least one of those turnovers to directly lead to points. It is also worth noting that if Caldwell turns it over it cannot be a Defensive TD the other way. With Murray's great athletes sudden points could be killer. The Pre-Cursor: Beechwood at Lloyd Memorial Key #1- One Dimension or None Dimension Neither team enters this game on the verge of breaking Offensive Efficiency records. Both Head Coaches would be quick to point out that their teams have struggled at times to find or maintain an identity and have had stretches in nearly every competitive game where their Offense has put the Defense behind the 8-Ball. With that said, both teams also subscribe to the theory of forcing balance even when that balance is struggling to be established. This is a game with serious long ranging ramifications so it is important to "scratch the itch" when it presents itself. Both Defenses are solid and in a game where 3rd and Distance will be hard to consistently overcome, the team who find what works on Offense and sticks with it may very well have the upper hand. Key #2- Make Them Sweat As previously alluded, it will not be easy for either team to consistently piece together 10+ play or long sustained drives due to both the Defensive ability of the opponent and the inconsistent nature of the Offenses. Both teams have to use this to their advantage and also capitalize when the few opportunities for a "shot" play presents itself. For Lloyd, use Treshawn Cody's length to try and create a mis-match and flip the field with a single jump ball. For Beechwood, set up some designed deep routes on play action out of the R.P.O. look. Lloyd will be heavily keyed on Hergott's legs and intermediate passing ability, force them to play deep. Key #3- Be Special in the Third Phase Field position and not leaving points off the board will be paramount. The team who can consistently shorten the field and subsequently force the opposition to have to gain an extra two or three First Downs will have a major advantage in this game. Prudence and patience on 4th Down may very well be a game changer and play every bit the role of a turnover. One huge advantage entering this game is at the Place Kicker position and it leans toward Beechwood. Colin Graman gives Beechwood a consistent ability to make the most of extra points and also gives them the freedom to post three points when drives stall in opposing territory. Lloyd Memorial has lived and died by the 2-point conversion and the 4th Down conversion, only attempting 8 PAT's with Half of those failing and no Field Goals. The Main Event: Somerset at Lexington Christian Academy Key #1- Contain and Maintain This is a game with an abundance of talent. There is no denying that and anyone who has followed Class 2A should know that at this point. In a game where weaponry is nothing short of locked and loaded, it is often who uses the most understated parts of their arsenal that often benefits the most. Both signal callers are well known for their passing ability, but it may very well be their ability to extend plays and make something out of nothing that proves the biggest key. Both QB's have the ability to put up sneaky rushing stats and in their biggest Offensive performances this rushing ability has proven vital to their success. With both defenses keyed up and desperate for the big play, it is very important to maintain fundamental football and keep contain. A missed sack opportunity could be a net difference of twenty to thirty yards if they allow either Sheron or Barnhardt the ability to scramble for the sticks and get to the second level. Key #2- Adapt, Improvise, Overcome Perhaps the most impressive thing on film about these teams this season has been each team's respective coaching staff's ability to game-plan and then subsequently pivot on that game-plan once the advantage has ran it's course. Both staffs have an incredible aptitude and do schemes that are more advanced than typical High School teams run. The chess match in the film room and then the overflow to the pressbox will play almost as big of a role as the great talent taking the field. At this point there are no secrets to what either team wants to establish and where they go when they need a big play, so it will be very curious to see which team comes out with the better recipe and then subsequently which team is the first to make a crucial adjustment. One particular aspect that will be especially telling is if Somerset can make strides in their RB production from last week. In the wake of the Alex Miller injury they relied on a heavier dose of Cam Austin against Danville and the Admirals actually did a pretty solid job of keeping him contained, only allowing around 3.3 yard per carry. The Briarjumpers need at least a 5 yard average from the RB spot this week. Key #3- Don't Lose Yourself in the Moment It's easy to fall into a trap with both of these Offenses. Seeing the explosion, individual talent, and big play ability it is easy to scheme for the worst case scenario or do things to try and prevent it from happening. The truth of the matter is in a game with two very good teams, it often comes down to the team who does the basics the best. Block, Tackle, Hold on to the Ball, and Do Your Job. Dearious Smith and Xavier Brown can toast you one on one or make a highlight reel play out of nothing. Kaiya Sheron may make a perfect deep ball to Kade Grundy after evading pressure. Big players make big plays. What you can't do though is help them do those things by simply playing bad football. The team who simply calms down and plays fundamental football the sooner will be the team most prepared to jump to an early lead. Furthermore, the under stated Defensive stars may play the biggest role on a night filled with Offensive superstars. Jase Bruner and Mikey Garland for Somerset and Andrew Long and Mattie Lebryk for LCA.

QB1 is Storyline Number One Class 2A has not exactly lacked for solid QB play in recent years, but it has never been as deep and rich in talent as what we will see in 2019. In fact, you can argue there might not be another class in all of the commonwealth with the wealth of riches that will be on display at the signal caller position from Mayfield to Jackson. Speaking of Mayfield, what better place to start than with the Cardinals' Jayden Stinson. Stinson threw for just a hair shy of 3,000 yards and had a stellar 35 to 4 ratio of Touchdowns to Interceptions. With Coach Morris’ offensive system, it is a pretty safe bet you may even see those numbers show a slight improvement. Stinson turned heads at the State Finals but came up just short. Beechwood’s Cameron Hergott also announced his presence at Kroger Field, but it was in the Class 1A Finals. Hergott led his Tigers to a comeback victory and made countless big plays with his arm as well as his feet. Expect Hergott to torment teams on the eastern side of the bracket as the perennial power Tigers make the jump up this season. While we are discussing dual threat QB’s, there are no shortage of them ready to make their mark this season. Somerset QB Kaiya Sheron made an impression on the University of Kentucky staff earning the Junior an offer. Sheron had over 2,300 yards of total offense last season and will benefit from a veteran team surrounding him. Newport’s Kaleal Davis is also getting some D-1 offers following this summer, and will be a slippery proposition for opposing defenses. Breathitt County is amid a major program reversal of fortune as they make the drop from 3A, leading the charge is Braxton Ohara who accumulated 28 TD’s with 15 coming on the ground. For those that prefer the more traditional gunslinger, you still have a bounty of options to choose from. It seems every year Owensboro Catholic is producing a stat filling machine at the QB1 position. Drew Hartz was only bested statistically by Stinson, as he will return for his Senior campaign following a season where he threw for over 2,600 yards and 32 TD’s. As good as Hartz was, his season came to an end at the hands of Murray in a game where he was not the best QB on the field that night. Hunter Utley was huge in that 41-32 upset and will be back looking to make himself more of a household name. Last season Utley stood tall in the pocket en route to throwing over 2,400 yards. Lexington Christian Academy has high hopes for Jayden Barnhardt. The 2,000 yard passer threw for 26 TD’s a year ago and will have the luxury of returning some of his favorite targets. To this point we have listed a lot of pretty well-known programs with loads of historical success. The beauty of small school football is sometimes when the right guy is leading a team, even some of the lesser known schools can make a deep playoff push. No player may mean more to their team Darian Clay will mean to Hancock County. Clay posted over 1,800 yards from scrimmage a year ago and account for 31 of his teams’ 40 total scores. Washington County was perhaps the most underrated 2A team last year, but their fortunes were limited by a brutal district. The Commanders break free from their captors and Jatavion Churchill may be the guy to make heads turn. Carroll County feels like they can make some serious ground up in their district thanks to the return of Andre Mumphrey. Last season, Mumphrey threw for over 1,400 yards and posted nearly 900 rushing yards and posted 30 Touchdowns to his credit. The season may prove predictable or it may prove to be wide open, but one certainty is the gunslingers will rule Class 2A. Buckle up folks! The Realignment Syllabus Most professors or educators prefer giving a syllabus before class gets kicked off to set expectations, introduce the subject, and generally eliminate potential confusion. If you have not heard, there have big some big changes to the Kentucky Prep Football landscape, and it begins with realignment. Without outlining every single change or move, here are the highlights of what has happened and what to expect. MOVING OUT: - The biggest change is Christian Academy of Louisville and DeSales are now part of Class 3A. The Centurions were the reigning 2A Champions and DeSales was one of the elite teams of the Class. - Perennial strongholds Glasgow and Newport Central Catholic have also left the building and with them several District and Regional Championships. MOVING IN: - Beechwood headlines the additions. The small school superpower has won the last three Class 1A titles and by default enter with the longest current winning streak of any 2A team at 10 games. - Caldwell County and Breathitt County headline the most notable droppers in classification. The Tigers of Caldwell have been a perennial Top 10 team in Class 3A and were among the strongest Class 2A teams when they departed previously. Breathitt County has fallen on hard times in recent years but appear to be in the midst of a major program renaissance. The Bobcats have plenty of hardware in their trophy case and can be an interesting change if they regain their form. - West Carter and Edmonson County are both class droppers who will benefit from the change. Bath County also comes down but have to prove they can exist in life after their star player graduated. SHAKING UP: - The biggest dynamic shift will be the powerhouse Central Kentucky District (now District 4) will be slotted to spend most of their playoff lives in the western semi-state as opposed to the eastern semi-state. No one is more relieved to see this than the teams in District 8 which has seen Somerset, LCA, and Danville feast on them in recent years. - One of the biggest changes will be a new playoff system tweak. Starting with the Regional Finals each semi-state will be seeded. Teams will play within their district the first two rounds, but the two teams who consequently win their district will then get seeded based off a RPI formula. This will help eliminate some of the imbalance in regions we have seen in recent years. The earlier rounds still allow for limiting travel expenses for lower seeded teams, something that does play a significant role when considering the budgets of 2A schools. The Rankings: 1. Mayfield Cardinals (14-1, Class 2A Runner-Up) Mayfield is always good. It is a general rule of thumb you can come to appreciate and expect. When Mayfield returns an experienced Senior Quarterback and solid core of weapons at his disposal and role players along the remainder of the team, well they are an especially even more scary commodity. This is where Mayfield falls entering 2019. QB Jayden Stinson is a Mr. Football dark horse and with the sure handed WR Kade Neely, WR Diaz Perry, and explosive ATH Alonzo Daniel back, the Cardinals are poised for a monster year after coming up just short a year ago. The Cardinals also expect Kylan Galbreath to take the starting HB spot and run with it. LB Markeacio Jackson and DB Travon Halliburton are both solid Defensive stalwarts to build around on the other side of the ball. If there is a chink in the armor, it may be up front. The Cardinals did not necessarily scare people getting off the bus, but their offensive and defensive lines both did an admirable and consistent job a year ago and both units have been hit hard by graduation. Tre Arnold will anchor the offensive side of the ball with his veteran presence. Will Mayfield run away with the title? That is way too bold to proclaim but entering the year they appear to be the heavy favorite to advance out of the west and you can rest assured they will put up video game type of numbers with the skill they return. 2. Beechwood Tigers (12-2, Class 1A State Champions) It is safe to say that the Beechwood dynasty is back thanks to Coach Noel Rash. Mike Yeagle built the Tigers into a state-wide powerhouse and though the Tigers never really fell from grace, their dominance did see worthy challengers that even got the best of them for a handful of years following Yeagle’s retirement. Coach Rash has the Tigers rolling and as they make the move from Class 1A they bring along with them a three-peat of championship trophies. Beechwood has their hands full this year. Not only will the new classification bring new challenges including Mayfield, a team they formed a rivalry with when both were in Class 1A, but the Tigers have some significant holes to fill left by departing Seniors. Logan Castleman, John Odom, Adam Derry, Luke Bolger, and Duncan Baugh are massive losses for a small school to rebound from. Each were instrumental in their victory over Pikeville in last year’s State Finals. Don’t feel too bad for the Tigers though, they didn’t lose all their play makers as QB Cameron Hergott will return for his Junior campaign and has the potential to be a special talent. Certain programs have last names that you can basically pencil in for stardom anytime you see them on the field. Beechwood and “Slusher” has been a great combo over the years. Though Junior DE Luke Slusher may not be related to the Tiger stars by the same surname, the Holy Cross transfer will help on the D-Line. Expect RB Cole Stammer to make major strides as he gets more touches this season. Josh Derry also can be expected to increase his workload at FB and LB. 3. Somerset Briarjumpers (11-3, Lost to Christian Academy of Louisville in Semi’s) The Somerset trophy case just doesn’t seem right. Few programs in the State of Kentucky can match the consistency and success that the Briarjumper program has showcased over the last 40 or 50 years, yet they have had a suspicious lack of State Finals appearances and are still searching for that elusive State Championship. During their run of success Somerset fans will point to specific teams that either suffered misfortune or simply deserved a better ending. The 2019 edition may be trending in that direction. Somerset has had to fight through a daunting playoff path in recent years highlighted by an especially stout District but have come out on the right end of it with a veteran team loaded with skill and toughness. The Jumpers have every reason to be optimistic when looking at their offense. Expect QB Kaiya Sheron to raise his stock around the state and improve on already solid numbers posted in 2018. Alex Miller flies under the radar despite being a 1,000 yard rusher. Kade Grundy showed flashes of brilliance at the WR spot and will have the role of being a primary threat along with 6’5" transfer Jayden Gilmore who migrated north from Florida. Somerset will be tough up front on offense with great size for a small school. Drew Johnson, Chase Cimala, and Ben Simmons are as good of a returning core to build around as you will find in the class. Defensively, the Jumpers should be stout. Jase Bruner is a beast and a ball hawk, expect Bruner to resume as one of Class 2A’s toughest defenders from his MLB spot. Ethan Harper is an imposing stalwart along the D-Line and Tate Madden is a consistent player in the secondary. Somerset held seven teams to either a TD or less and 10 of their 14 foes only mustered 14 points or less. Expect more of the same in 2019. 4. Lexington Christian Academy Eagles (9-4, Lost to Somerset in Regional Finals) The Eagles almost had a Class 2A rarity. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, it appeared LCA would boast a starting O-Line that featured three different D-1 prospects. Unfortunately, two of those star linemen chose to attend Frederick Douglass and another moved to another state. The Eagles were a team building toward 2019, but those losses will put a damper on their title hopes. The cupboard is not completely bare. Jayden Barnhardt has a breakout year at QB and will be back for his Senior season as one of Class 2A’s top signal callers. Barnhardt’s success can be directly linked to a pair of dynamic threats in WR Dearious Smith and all-purpose back Xavier Brown. Anthony Johns, Josh Livengood, and Nathan Boggs will have an increased importance on their roles along the offensive line, if Barnhardt and company can get time the points and yards will come. Defensively the Eagles will see a lot of guys pull dual action such as Smith and Brown. Andrew Long was arguably their most important defensive player a year ago and will return at his DE spot for his Senior Campaign. Tyler Morris and Dustin Wheatley will be asked to disrupt offenses as well from their edge positions. 5. Walton-Verona Bearcats (11-3, Lost to Mayfield in Semi’s) Coach Barth and Walton-Verona just keep taking steps forward. The program which was started in 2008 has just kept moving the right way. It started with winning their first playoff game, then winning their first district title, then last season they claimed their first regional title by shocking Glasgow on their home field. To keep the momentum going, the Bearcats will have a difficult task awaiting in 2019 as the addition of Beechwood certainly makes Northern Kentucky and the eastern semi-state a bit trickier. The Bearcats do have to feel good about their prospects if for no other reason than RB Peyton Smith is back. Smith checks every box for what you want out of a wing back, his athleticism has college scouts looking deeply at him, and you can expect an increased workload this season. Josh Walton and Logan Boone will be clearing the path from their TE and T positions respectively. Walton-Verona does not throw often, but when they choose to this season, they have one of their best offensive weapons back in Travis Brauer. Brauer has big play ability and great hands, so you may see Barth come up with unique ways to get him more involved in the game plans. Trsitan Padgett may also see some meaningful snaps on offense as well, but his primary method of impacting the game is as a kicker. The Bearcats do have major question marks on defense from a unit that posted seven shutouts and held 11 of their opponents to 14 points or less. Walton-Verona will be searching for answers and did not necessarily have a huge depth chart as it stood a year ago. Dawson Catlett and Gavin Knight gives sound experience at LB, but the loss of tackling machine Grant Grubbs wills be very difficult to overcome. Expect a minor setback in production on the defensive side of the ball during the regular season. A slightly more difficult schedule will challenge Dub-Vee. 6. Murray Tigers (8-5, Lost to Mayfield in Regional Finals) That’s the Murray team we are more accustomed to seeing! After a pair of seasons which were atypical for the proud program, Murray found their footing a bit in 2018 and made a solid playoff run before running into the Mayfield buzz saw. The Tigers sure have some lethal skill talent to feel optimistic about. They will be led by QB Hunter Utley who really turned heads and played a great brand of football down the stretch. Jaiden Jackson epitomizes the ATH distinction and makes plays all over the field. The Tigers lost an underrated player in RB Mark Thompson, but they feel Junior Dijon Miles will soften that blow. Jordan Duffy and Kayden Rogers are both back as supplemental pieces at WR, making a very imposing crew with Utley’s talent. Up front, Noseguard Sebastian Lawrence is a problem for opposing defenses and returns as the leading tackler along with the aforementioned Jackson. DB Tommy Waldrop both had fine seasons and will only be better with another year under their belt. Though the Tigers have plenty of experience back, it is the defense that ultimately must feel the pressure in 2019. Mayfield scored 120 points in their two meetings with the Tigers and if Murray hopes to have any shot at an upset, they must improve leaps and bounds 7. Breathitt County Bobcats (8-4, Lost to Bell County in Round 2) Suddenly Jackson is where it must be. Breathitt County has benefited from some key transfers over the past few seasons that has bolstered the once powerhouse program back onto the scene, and Kyle Moore hopes that 2019 and a drop in classification proves to leave a memorable season. Charles (C.A.) Collins shook the entire 2A scene when he chose to return to the school district he grew up in. Collins has been one of Kentucky’s most prolific rushers and comes by way of 5A schools Montgomery County and Anderson County where he put up huge numbers against lesser competition than he will face at Breathitt. Breathitt also added one of Hopkinsville’s top linemen in William Long. Expect the stocky Long to significantly improve the Bobcats along both lines of scrimmage. The Bobcats’ excitement is not simply from the new faces on the roster. Breathitt returns their biggest weapons from last year’s District Championship team. Braxton Ohara is one of the better dual threat QB’s in Eastern Kentucky and Brandyn Slaughter had an excellent 2018 campaign catching his passes. Jacob Noble adds a proven second option at WR and also doubles as a solid DB. With Collins arrival, also look for the Bobcats to find a way to utilize Dalton Manns in a different role. On the defensive side of the ball, Ethan Moore is a very large building block to try and improve the defensive line around. Donavan Turner and Ladaniel Whitaker each will bring improvement in the second level of the unit. Slaughter and Noble will spend time in the secondary after doing admirable jobs in 2018. 8. Owensboro Catholic Aces (8-4, Lost to Murray in 2nd Round) Owensboro Catholic is not used to starting their year ranked this far down, especially when they return one of the better statistical QB’s in Western Kentucky. The Aces saw their dreams come up short last year with an earlier than expected exit due to a 2nd Round shootout. Drew Hartz returns to lead the offense after a 2,600 yard season, but the Aces have some work to do to replenish his battery mates. Hagan Edge will assume the role as Hartz’s security blanket after being the team’s second leading receiver a year ago. Braden Mundy saw action both in the backfield and at WR, and will see his offensive role increase. Harold Hogg will be asked to step in for Vonn Williams who had a very productive career at RB. The Aces must replace four of their six top scoring threats though, with Edge and Hogg being the lone holdovers. Graduation was equally unkind on the defensive side. The Aces lose more than half of their starters including some of their better play makers from a defense that wasn’t exactly the Steel Curtain as it stands. Chris Boarman will be the heart of the defense after an impressive Sophomore year at the mike. Jack Hamilton will play OLB and be asked to disrupt opposing backfields. Edge is solid in the secondary, but along the defensive front and surrounding edge, the Aces will need to rely on unproven talent. 9. Caldwell County Tigers (8-4, Lost to Larue County in 2nd Round) Realignment may have came a couple years too late for Caldwell. As the Tigers make the drop from Class 3A, they have some work to do to compete with the likes of Mayfield and Murray in the west. Caldwell loses some very talented athletes from a Top 10 team last season. DeEric Hollowell was the leading rusher for the pass-heavy Tigers, but with the graduation of QB Joby Jaggers expect the running game to take on more of the heavy lifting in 2019. The Tigers not only lose the man who threw for almost 2,900 yards, they lose nearly all of the guys who caught the passes. Only Hollowell’s receiving contributions return from that large chunk of yardage. Caldwell will have enough defensive skill to allow their offense a chance to catch up. You always want your defensive line to have some experience and between NG Layton Davis and DE’s Elijah Shaheen and Devin Kilgore, Caldwell definitely checks that box. Russ Beshear was one of the most consistent tacklers at LB , Max Ashley and Tate VanHooser both should have solid years in the Defensive Backfield. 10. Danville Admirals (5-7, Lost to Somerset in 2nd Round) The wind was taken out of the sails of the Admirals in 2018. After substantial losses to graduation at the skill positions, Danville never could recover against a brutal schedule and never found the firepower to advance out of a very tough Region. Unfortunately for Danville, things are not looking much better in 2019 as Danville loses a massive Senior class that will leave them with meager 600 yards of so of returning offensive production. It will be a rebuilding year for Coach Clevenger as he will turn to what appears to be a stout Sophomore group and hope they can gel enough to make some noise later in the year. One Senior that will be back is also one of 2A’s top players luckily. Darrian Bell is a sensational LB and on the short list of the better ‘Backers in the Commonwealth. Seth Gosser will contribute on both sides of the ball and will be asked to provide leadership to such a young team. Expect Danville to take some lumps. Their schedule is littered with teams who should be winning lots of games and without the depth the Admirals are accustomed to, it may be a short stay in the Class 2A Top 10 if the youth does not step up early. Close But Just Shy: Newport Wildcats (6-5, Lost to DeSales in Round 1) Newport expects to take a big step forward led by explosive dual threat QB/DB Kaleal Davis. Davis has the luxury of returning leading rusher RB Giaunte Jackson and 2nd leading receiver Simon Keating as well. Defensively JT Daniels and Jahmaree Cosby return to anchor a defense capable of improvement. Lloyd Juggernauts (7-5, Lost in 2nd Round to Christian Academy of Louisville) Lloyd has some work to do in 2019 to remain at the level they are accustomed to. The Juggs lose all but a meager 584 yards of total offense from last year’s team, including their do-everything RB Travon Mason. QB Dakota Thiel returns but may be slated for a position change as Lloyd is excited about Junior QB Austin Daniels. Lloyd also expects 6’5" Treshawn Cody to make the transition from basketball to Wide Receiver and offer some assistance. Defensively, the Juggs should be solid. Lloyd returns SS Joe Murone, LB Isaac Abdon, DB Keesean Crim, and DE Trevon Ramey from a unit that showed promise last season. Washington County Commanders (5-6, Lost in 1st Round to Lloyd) It speaks volumes towards the job that Coach Sagrecy is doing that Washington County graduated a player the caliber of Jbias Dawson and are still on the cusp of Top 10 discussions to open the season. Washington County is quietly becoming a consistently competitive program and with CAL and DeSales moving to Class 3A, the new alignment should foster further growth. The Commanders have one of the better 1-2 punches in the class with talented athletes Javontae Wright and Jatavian Churchill returning. Even with Dawson getting the heaviest load, those two still return over 1,300 yards, 17 TD’s, and a whopping 10 INT’s of production. Washington County also returns all three staring LB’s including Miguel Alcantara who will also factor into their offensive plans. Shelby Valley Wildcats (10-2, Lost to Lexington Christian Academy in Round 2) Shelby Valley posted a 10-win season and rolled to a district title riding their run heavy offense. The Wildcats say goodbye to one of the most productive RB’s in Class 2A this past decade in Seth Johnson and will look to find his heir apparent as their district mates look to close the gap. Dalton Meade is a safe bet to be a 1,000 yard rusher now that he will get an increase in carries. The Wildcats have a massive offensive line to run behind led by 6’2" 305lb Peyton Blackburn, 6’3" 250lb Michael Compton, 5’9" 250lb Trevor Thompson, and 6’1" 240lb Johnathan Hopkins. Meade will pull double duty where he serves a stellar LB and will be joined by Christian Lowe. Leslie County Eagles (3-8, Lost to Danville in 1st Round) Coach Melton’s program had become one of the more consistent commodities in Class 2A, but the Eagles were forced to field a young team in 2018 and took some lumps as a result. By season’s end, the Eagles were starting to gel and pushed Shelby Valley before eventually losing in a high scoring game. Leslie County returns QB Zack Parker who should improve on his 1,537 yards of passing with three of his top four receivers returning. Defensively, Leslie has one of the better LB’s you have not heard about yet in Preston Spurlock. Joining beside him is another tackling machine in LB Spencer Napier as well. McLean County Cougars (8-4, Lost to Mayfield in Round 2) Cougar fans cannot complain about 2018. McLean posted an 8-win season, hosted (and won) a home playoff game, and posted a five-game winning streak until meeting up with a great Mayfield team. Peyton Caraway is a load of a RB and should get some colleges looking at him after posting a 1,000 yard season last year. Landen Capps will join Caraway in the backfield and should see his stats rise as well. The big question for the Cougars will be reconstructing their Line. Andrew Munster will anchor their defense from his LB position. West Carter Comets (6-5, Lost to Waggener in Round 1) Keep West Carter in the back of your mind. The Comets might not be ready to take Class 2A by storm, but the move down from Class 3A will eventually prove fruitful for a program that is starting to establish a solid baseline for their fortunes. Leetavious Cline was very good as a Sophomore but expect him to begin transcending to star level in his Junior campaign. Hancock County Hornets (5-6, Lost to Mayfield in Round 1) If you want a dark horse candidate keep an eye on the Hornets and their star ATH Darian Clay. Hancock County returns four of their top five tackles, but more importantly return Clay who accounted for over 1,800 all-purpose yards and 28 TD’s a year ago. They will be expected to finish 3rd in their district, but if the Hornets can mature, they certainly should close substantial ground on both McLean County and Owensboro Catholic. Edmonson County Wildcats (4-7, Lost to Caldwell County in Round 1) District 3 is ripe for the taking with Monroe County basically having to rebuild their offense, and potentially the team best equipped to swoop in and take it is class dropping Edmonson County. The Wildcats certainly has experience on their side with several starters back including QB Jon Smith and his top two receivers. Defensively, they have a nice core back as well and should be well positioned to improve their record and chances of a home playoff game. Five More to Watch: Carroll County Panthers (7-5, Lost to Glasgow in Round 2) Andre Mumphrey is a dynamic player and will help the Panthers close the gap on Walton-Verona. LB Clayton McAllister return after a big 2018 season as well. Expect Carroll to be the “best of the lot” outside of Walton-Verona and to show marked improvement. Monroe County Falcons (4-8, Lost to Walton-Verona in Round 2) Monroe County will be happy to see Glasgow leave and should benefit from a new district Alignment, but first they have to rebuild a bit. The Falcons only return around 600 of total yards and will need to trot out some youth and watch them grow. Todd County Central Rebels (5-6, Lost to Murray in Round 1) After a tremendous 2017 campaign, Todd Central was expected to come to earth and did to some extent, but the Rebels still showed they have come a long way by falling back to a .500 regular season mark. QB Bryce Nolan and RB JaTwan Graham give them enough firepower that they may be able to threaten for a home playoff game again. Prestonsburg Blackcats (2-9, Lost to Lexington Christian Academy in Round 1) Brandon Brewer’s first year of Head Coach certainly had its low points with the Blackcats essentially choosing to build for the future. The good news is Prestonsburg has plenty of starters and experience back, the bad news is they have a lot of ground to catch up and lost their best offensive weapon as well as their best defensive player to graduation. Bath County Wildcats (7-4, Lost to Bardstown in Round 1) Coach Poynter did a good job taking Bath County from a basement dweller to a team who was legitimately competing for district titles. Unfortunately, most of that success surrounded a Senior class led by two-way superstar Landan Swartz that has since departed. The new digs in 2A should soften the blow, but Bath County has an uphill slope to reach a winning record. Pre-Season Class 2A Top 25 Players 1. QB Jayden Stinson, Mayfield 2. RB Charles Collins, Breathitt County 3. QB Cameron Hergott, Beechwood 4. QB Kaiya Sheron, Somerset 5. WR Kade Neely, Mayfield 6. ATH Kaleal Davis, Newport 7. QB Jayden Barnhardt, LCA 8. LB Jase Bruner, Somerset 9. RB Peyton Smith, Walton-Verona 10. ATH Jaiden Jackson, Murray 11. LB Darrian Bell, Danville 12. QB Drew Hartz, Owensboro Catholic 13. ATH Dearious Smith, LCA 14. ATH Jatavion Churchill, Washington County 15. ATH Alonzo Daniel, Mayfield 16. ATH Xavier Brown, LCA 17. ATH Darian Clay, Hancock County 18. ATH DeEric Hollowell, Caldwell County 19. ATH Dalton Meade, Shelby Valley 20. QB Hunter Utley, Murray 21. RB Alex Miller, Somerset 22. DE Andrew Long, LCA 23. LB Preston Spurlock, Leslie County 24. QB Braxton O'Hara, Breathitt County 25. ATH Javontae Wright, Washington County

The popular Netflix show "13 Reasons Why" covers controversial topics. As we look back at some of the defending 2017 State Champions as they head into a new season, we will give 13 Reasons Why they will either hoist the trophy again, come up short, or just generally be worth following. Danville will win the 2018 Title Because: Reason #1- Clay Clevenger is on fire and has the Ads playing like those teams of yester-year. Danville is 39-5 the last three years and under Clevenger have developed an Offense that is both consistent and lethal. Reason #2- Title Town is Back. When Boyle County is up, it seems their cross-town rival Danville is up as well and the Rebels are certainly cooking with gas right now. Reason #3- Zach Thornton returns at QB. Thronton grew into the signal caller position last season and threw for a remarkably efficient 2576 yards and 37 TD's. He only threw 5 INT's all season. Thornton also showed flashes of brilliance tucking the football as he ran for almost 500 yards and 9 more score son the ground. Reason #4- Darrian Bell has superstar written all over him. As a Sophomore the LB was all over the field. He was the Ads' leading tackler and also right in the middle of forcing several turnovers. At 6'2 210 expect some colleges to start noticing Bell. Reason #5- The Ads should still be solid up front. The skill spots were hit heavy by graduation, but Danville still has some experience and talent along the lines. Pierce Haines and Jaylon Brashear will both be back to settle the interior Offensive Line. Ryan Jackson will be strong outside. James Patton was superb on the Defensive side of the ball and Kishon Bartleson was very disruptive. Brashear served very well on Defense in dual action. Reason #6- LCA will not be nearly as strong as last year and Danville opens the playoffs paired with District 8. With respect the the District 8 teams, none should be able to hang within 3 TD's of Danville. The Semi-Finals will be tough thanks to cross bracketing, most likely seeing either CAL or DeSales, but if that game happens it most likely will take place on Danville's home field. Danville Will Not Win the 2018 Title Because: Reason #7- One does not simply replace Dmauriae VanCleave. The Economy Sized speedster was Mr. Football and possibly the most valuable player in all of Kentucky. VanCleave was a true gamebreaker in Special Teams, Defense, and both running and catching the ball. Reason #8- VanCleave is not the only key departure. Don Harris was a two-way stud and the primary rushing threat. Christian Hill was a stalwart on Defense and Tanner Ford had a standout season. Reason #9- Even though Thornton returns, all his favorite receiving targets are gone. VanCleave was a 1000 yard receiver, but losing Jaleel Warren and David Walker may hurt just as much to their passing game. Danville completed 190 passes, only 6 of those were to players returning, one of which was to Thornton! Reason #10- Even though they may have homefield advantage, the addition of Class 2A District 4 to the Eastern Semi-State is a tough road to walk. CAL won the Title two years ago and will be a Pre-Season Top 3 team led by Milton Wright. DeSales is always tough and would be a worthy Semi-Finals opponent. Last year Danville's primary hurdles were thier own District Competition to reach the Finals. Oh, by the way, even if they do reach the Championship.... Reason #11- Mayfield will be loaded. If the Cards are waiting the Ads will be playing a veteran team chock full of experienced playmakers and Coached by a guy who doesn't like making a habit of losing to the same team twice in a row. Most will crown Mayfield as the Pre-Season favorite for good reason. Regardless Danville Will be Fun To Follow: Reason #12- Yes the Admirals are going to have very few guys with substantial Varsity reps at the Offensive skill spots, but keep in mind most of those Seniors they lost were three or four year starters. There is no doubt talent is on the roster, it is just simply talent that has had to wait it's turn. Will the next Harris or VanCleave be ready to step up and make their name known? Reason #13- If nothing else that August 31st trip across town has "must See" written all over it. Danville beat the 3A Champions on a dramatic last second Field Goal in a phenomenal football game. The Ads have won the past two against Boyle County and you know Chuck Smith has this one circled.

Big Time Recruits Dominate Small Class Football Landscape It is not uncommon for Class 2A to have some of the best players in the Bluegrass State, but 2018 seems to be a special year as four different players have spent their summer collecting offers and taking visits to many high-profile Division 1 schools. Newport Central Catholic RB/LB Kyle Kelly exploded with offers to basically a “Who’s Who” of MAC schools. Kelly recently committed to Ohio University, the first school to get on board with an offer, and is expected to play Linebacker at the next level. Christian Academy- Louisville has a pair of blue chip standouts on their roster in Junior Linemen John Young and Senior Athlete Milton Wright. Young has exploded onto the national scene and has already earned a 4 Star ranking in the Class of 2020. Young has already picked up offers from both in-state flagship programs as well as Purdue, Tennessee, Iowa State, Syracuse, and Vanderbilt. Wright may be the early favorite for Mr. Football as he looks to put a capstone on a sensational career. The Wide Receiver/Safety/Swiss Army Knife remains in the All-American discussion and has an All-American offer sheet to match. Among the most prestigious offers are Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan State, and South Carolina. Though Wright has the best chance to capture post season accolades as a skill player, Glasgow’s Tanner Bowles may win the award for most eye-opening offer sheet. The mauler in the trenches is on his way to play for Nick Saban at Alabama, but prior to his commitment he owned an offer sheet filled with teams who have been accustomed to playing at the very top of college football. Notable schools were Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, LSU, Penn State, and Georgia. These four players certainly lead the way entering the 2018 season, but don’t be surprised to see Class 2A produce a few more Division Signees before the end of Winter. The Carousel Finally Comes Around It is becoming an alarming trend how the coaching tree sheds it leaves at the end of every season. For the most part Class 2A has seen stability in recent years while chaos reigns elsewhere, but at the end of the 2017 season three of the Class’ top programs all saw a change at the Head Coach position. John Edge leaves Owensboro Catholic to cross the river to the Hoosier State where he will take over at South Spencer. He will be replaced by Jason Morris. Morris was promoted from within after being an assistant at O’Cath the past two seasons. Prestonsburg has parted ways with John Derossett after 22 seasons at the Blackcat helm. Brandon Brewer led Powell County on a surprise playoff run last season and will take his talents down the Mountain Parkway to take over. Early reports are that his enthusiasm has brought a fresh breath of air to the proud program. At Newport Central Catholic, Dan Wagner departs after a five-year run that was ripe with success. Stephen Lickert will transition from 6A Campbell County where he was responsible for making the often-downtrodden Camels a respectable program in recent years. Expectations will be high at the flagship program for Northern Kentucky success in Class 2A The numbers behind these three departing coaches are staggering: - The three combined to coach in 22 Regional Finals. - The three led their respective teams to 10 Regional Championships. - The three accounted for 7 State Finals appearances. All three coaches will be missed after leaving their mark, but in all three cases the community is excited for the winds of change to blow and for the anticipation of something new. The Rankings: 1. Mayfield Cardinals (13-2, State Runner-Up) It is time to face the realization, if you haven’t done so already, that Joe Morris is just a winner. Much like his legendary father, Joe has proved that no matter how many players graduate off the Mayfield roster, the Cardinals are always going to be a factor in the landscape of winning the State Title in whatever class they are in. It would be unfair to say Mayfield was an afterthought in the Class 2A picture last year, but most considered them to be playing catch up to a loaded pack in an extremely “up” year. When the dust settled Mayfield was playing for a State Title and giving mighty Danville all they wanted before eventually falling 35-21. Mayfield has some work to do to rebuild an Offensive Line that consistently got the job done despite being undersized, but outside of that the Cardinals should be loaded for bear and firmly in contention once again. Jayden Stinson grew up in a hurry at QB and showed a ton of poise and efficiency. Kent Trey Matthews took the keys as the feature back and threw up a 1,000-yard season, while youngsters Travon Halliburton and Kylan Galbreath each shined in their limited action and will be a year stronger, faster, and more explosive joining alongside in the backfield. Matthews was also superb catching the ball and will continue to get opportunities in the passing game. Alonzo Daniel and Diaz Perry will also catch their fair share of targets. Defensively the Cardinals have a true playmaker in DE Brady Smith to build around. It Is an especially strong year for DE’s in Class 2A as the top teams are littered with stars with prototypical size, and Smith may be as good if not better than all of them. Connor Guthrie and Daniel are both exceptional DB’s and Markeacio Jackson should be expected have a breakout year in his Junior Campaign. If 2017 was a bridge year for Mayfield, watch out in 2018. It may take a little time for the Offense to hum as they cycle in new starters on the O-Line, but the Cards should be flying high and will definitely be a tough out once more. 2. Christian Academy- Louisville Centurions (11-3, Lost to Mayfield in Semi-Finals) For a time, last season, the mighty CAL Centurions were starting to be written off. Two times over a three game stretch Christian Academy- Louisville saw another 2A team celebrating after the final horn, one of which was a humbling 21-3 loss to rival DeSales. The Centurions were down a QB, their Offense was sputtering, and their Offensive line was struggling to keep teams from penetrating. Coach LeFors’ squad did not go gently into the night, instead rallying to beat Walton-Verona and Desales on the road before losing an extremely hard-fought game to Mayfield in the Semi-Finals. It was a bittersweet loss for the 2016 Champs, but at the same time far from a disappointing one as CAL had managed to hush doubters who thought they would not even make it to Thanksgiving. As the calendar flips, expectations will once again remain high buoyed by the sheer elite individual talents the Centurions return, if nothing else. John Young should be an All-State contender at Offensive Line and has major FBS programs salivating. Brandt Babin shined as a Freshman and will tote the rock as the primary rusher. Nate Clark will be a solid threat catching the ball along with Luke Leeper. Defensively CAL will be solid if not great. Austin Collins and Luke Paulson make it very difficult for any team to get outside of the tackle box while Jake Taylor patrols the interior from his MLB spot. Braden Hafling is also underrated and routinely can find the football. Elijah Smith barely missed the Top 20 list and is one of the better DB’s in the Class. Oh, and we forgot something. Back for his Senior year is Milton Wright. Wright will open as perhaps the early favorite for Mr. Football and legitimately does it all. Not only is he the top Defensive Back in the State, he may be the top WR, and is a dynamic threat anytime he touches the ball. As rival DeSales learned, even when you can contain the rest of the CAL team, it only takes two or three plays for the Centurions to beat you with their Defensive prowess and Wright’s game breaking ability. CAL will look to fill the shoes of Austin Carr who has transferred to Ballard and will hope to do it without having to move Wright to the spot full-time. If CAL can find a QB, the sky is the limit for their potential. 3. DeSales Colts (12-1, Lost to Christian Academy- Louisville in Regional Finals) For twelve weeks everything was going to plan. DeSales was undefeated, they were in the driver seat in their District, and their Defense was flat wearing teams out. Entering their November 17th game with CAL, DeSales had allowed 9 points in total over a seven week stretch. Then, Milton Wright struck, and after two Offensive TD’s and a Special Teams score, the Colts were sent home with a 24-3 defeat. The Colts have big dreams again and have the depth and weapons to make them come true. QB Aaron Pfaadt returns under center and has several key members from his stable of backs to hand it to. Savion Stivers and Carlos Ordway should pick up where they left off in 2017. Expect the Colts to continue to ground and pound teams. The Colts do have some holes to fill on the line, but by and large it should be expected that the Offense should show certain improvement. Defensively is where a Harold Davis team makes its presence felt, and the 2018 DeSales squad should be right in line with some of the better teams he has had. Demetddri Scott is a physical specimen and will be tough to stop off the edge. Amos Griffith and DeJuan Watkins are both going to be forces to contend with on the line as well. Shawn Kaufman is a solid defender in the back half of the Defense. The biggest question mark will be replacing some big losses at LB, but you can rest assured that DeSales will be clicking with little incident once the temperatures start to fall. We also should learn a lot about the strength of DeSales from the starting block. DeSales opens with powerhouse St. Xavier. 4. Danville Admirals (15-0, State Champions) The Defending Champions lost a superb Senior Class that went to three Semi-Finals appearances, earned a Title and a Runner-Up, and collected a Mr. Football award in the process. Danville will have to replace nearly every top receiver and rusher on the team, while also having to fill major holes throughout a Defense that carried them throughout the playoffs. Coach Clay Clevenger certainly has his work in front of him after a three-year run that has Admiral fans reliving the glory days of Sam Harp and Tom Duffy. With that said, don’t just proclaim Danville lost at sea just yet. There is still plenty of powder in their cannons to go to battle with. Having your QB back is always a great starting point, and Zach Thornton may be the best returning QB in Kentucky small-school football. The Admirals also return a budding superstar in Junior LB Darrian Bell, a lockdown CB in Brennen McGuire, and three strong linemen in Pierce Haines, Jaylon Brashear, and Kishon Bartleson. Danville’s fortunes will turn in the development of their Offensive skill players where they basically must work off a clean slate after losing a veteran crew that racked up yards and TD’s with ease. If Danville can find a "Ying" to Thornton's "Yang" in the running game, and can develop receivers to catch accurate balls, expect Danville to once again be right in the thick of the race to the Finals. 5. Glasgow Scotties (10-4, Lost to Danville in Semi-Finals) There is something to be said for peaking at the right time and Glasgow demonstrated that in 2017 when the young Scotties hit their stride en route to a somewhat surprising Semi-Finals appearance. Glasgow has plenty of punch returning. Nick Mitchell and Donta Oates are both excellent play-makers and will be one of the better 1-2 backfields in the classification. Tanner Abernathy will take over the QB spot full-time and has two things on his side. First of all, it always helps having Alabama Commit Tanner Bowles protecting your best interest up front as well as excellent Guard Peyton Gibbons. Additionally, a QB’s best friend is a tall WR who can go up and get the ball and 6’6 Jaden Franklin and 6’4 Kris Horn are both that prototype. The Scotties will need to improve on Defense. No question about that. Glasgow had some ups and downs against some solid Offenses and will lose some key pieces. Ryan Jones pulled a team high 4 Interceptions and will be a welcome return to build around. 6. Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (6-6, Lost in 2nd Round) It’s a new day in Newport. Dan Wagner stepped down after five seasons following a disappointing finish to 2017 where the Thoroughbreds failed to win the District Title and failed to reach the Regional Finals. Two things that are foreign for the proud program. Stephen Lickert’s pedigree suggests that Newport Central Catholic can see improvement on Offense immediately. He has been especially strong at developing RB’s, and with Kyle Kelly returning this could be a recipe for instant success. The bruising back averaged just shy of 100 yards rushing per game against a stout schedule and will be the focal point of the Offense. The Breds have a backfield stacked with young talent as well to supplement Kelly. Paul Kremer returns at QB and will have one of his favorite targets back in Aubrey Posey. Hunter Cain emerged as one of the most consistent players on a Defense that struggled at times last season. He will get help from Daniel Craig anchoring the LB spot and Tanner Daunt at DE. Expect to see a noticeable Defensive improvement with such a veteran core returning. 7. Owensboro Catholic Aces (8-5, Lost to Mayfield in Regional Finals) Speaking of new days, perhaps the biggest mystery in Class 2A for 2018 may be what to expect from Owensboro Catholic. When the Aces take the field against Daviess County, two noticeable pieces will be missing that many expected to see wearing green starting the 2018 season. Coach John Edge will be coaching on the other side of the Ohio River, and Veteran Quarterback Will Warren will be taking the field down the road for Owensboro High School instead. The Aces have talent, depth, and experience to be counted on. Vonn Williams and Drew Hartz will both return as Catholic’s primary bread winners. Hartz did a solid job taking over for Warren early in the season and should show improvement in year two at the trigger position. Williams’ numbers dipped after a superb Sophomore season as he failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark. Expect him to round back in form a bit. The Aces’ have one of the top receiving threats in 2A in Nick Mills back as well. You can argue Mills was their most consistent player in 2017 with 968 yards and 14 scores. Yaya Gray will be called upon to take a bigger role on both sides of the ball after a respectable campaign. Noah Todd will anchor a Front 7 that will miss the graduation of a pair of tackling machines in LB’s Nick Blair and Josh Sloan. 8. Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts (8-4, Lost in 2nd Round) What is the value of a playmaker? The answer to that question may very well decide if Lloyd Memorial can win a District Title for a second consecutive season or if Newport Central Catholic can return to their catbird seat. Travon Mason is dynamite in a small package and hopes to assume the role of this years’ Dmauriae VanCleave. Though Mr. Football aspirations may be a bit of a stretch, there is no denying the dynamic Mason is poised for a monster season after running for a hair below 1,500 yards last season. Jonathan Williams and Keesean Crim both should see their roles and production increase. Anthony Hall is a sleeper prospect at DE with D-1 measurables. These three guys will have to play their supporting roles to perfection as Mason shines. The big question for Lloyd Memorial iremains who will take over at QB after the dynamic dual threat Jordan Fann graduated. If the Juggs look to go to a more traditional QB, Junior Austin Daniels makes the most sense, but if they want to keep the rushing threat in place, which Fann excelled in, then the competition this Late Summer will be vital. 9. Somerset Briarjumpers (7-5, Lost in 2nd Round) If any team was pulling for a reprieve from District Competition with the next alignment, it would have been Somerset. The Jumpers had a team who might have contended for a Regional Title, or even a Finals appearance most years in Class 2A’s Eastern bracket over the past two seasons. Unfortunately, they were stuck with two excellent teams in their District, relinquishing them to a 3rd Seed and early playoff exits. The bad news is they can expect their District to remain intact. The good news is they should pick up a little ground, thanks to graduation at both LCA and Danville. The Jumpers have some graduation issues of their own to address, but returning MLB Peyton Hatcher will keep the stat sheet stuffed on Defense. Joining him to create a formidable unit will be DE Trevor Lipscomb and S Treavor Brock. Offensively Kade Grundy and Chance Stayton will be solid at two of the skill spots, while Junior RB Alex Miller will give them enough firepower to compete in nearly every game. 10. Monroe County Falcons (9-4, Lost to Glasgow in Regional Finals) Monroe County is one of those teams that just seems to come out of nowhere every few years and makes a playoff push as they hit their stride at the right time. Very few people gave the Falcons a shot as they drove all the way to Northern Kentucky to take on red hot Lloyd Memorial last season, but the Falcons took care of business 35-20 to earn a Regional Finals appearance. Much like the Juggernauts mentioned above, Monroe has a major vacancy at the QB spot after losing one of the best dual threat QB’s in the Classification, when Ty Mink accepted his diploma. What Monroe will utilize to fill the void are a pair of “Jack of All Trade” standouts who will make plays all over the field. Braden Murphy can run it, he can catch it, he can tackle it, and he can also disrupt it as Monroe’s leading tackler. Landon Stinson is his running mate at LB and almost equally as dangerous with his nose for the football. Jholdi Brooks should take on an increased role on Offense. Jamison Geralds will be asked to do the same after a solid season on Defense. Lexington Christian Academy Eagles (11-2, Lost to Danville in Regional Finals) Lexington Christian’s Senior Class in 2017 took the Eagles to some significant heights, but in the end LCA fans must be wondering “What might have been”, had their run not coincided with Danville’s phenomenal crop of talent. In the past two years, LCA has only lost to one team, but that team was Danville. The Admirals took down the Eagles three times in total, including a pair of Regional Final losses. LCA regularly exploded scoreboards and will now search to fill nearly all of that Offensive firepower. Between Dillon Wheatley and Logan Nieves, they lose over 4800 yards of Offense alone. LCA will have to start their re-build around Defense this time around. Blane Hardin and Xavier Strothman, as well as Dustin Wheatley, all have prototypical size at their OLB and DE spots. Deairious Smith will be the cornerstone of the secondary. If the Eagles can develop some youth on Offense and can take care of business, they should be able to avoid some of the hangover. However, sharing a District with Danville and hungry Somerset means that LCA will have to grow up VERY fast. Murray Tigers (5-7, Lost in 2nd Round) It is rare to see a Murray team finish with a losing record as the Tigers did in 2017. Murray simply could not stop teams on Defense. The Offense showed promise at times and did their part. The Tigers will welcome RB Chase Merriss and versatile ATH Mark Thompson back after combining for over 2500 all-purpose yards. The only RB in 2A who had more TD’s than Merriss’ 22 was Dillon Wheatley from LCA. Hunter Utley had his ups and downs as a Sophomore under center, but also showed very positive development and will only improve in 2018. At the end of the day though, it will be the Tiger Defense that will have to show monumental improvement. The Tigers gave up an average of 44 points in their 7 losses and will need to cut that number in half to have a shot at making a playoff push. DB Tommy Waldrop returns but by and large, Murray will have a lot of maturing to do. Prestonsburg Blackcats (7-5, Lost in 2nd Round) When you are parting ways with your Head Coach of over twenty seasons it is always a time of both anxiety and anticipation. Returning a star in RB Ethan Varney always helps with that transition. Varney has posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and eclipsed the 1500-yard mark last year. The Blackcats should be the District favorite but will struggle to find the depth needed to compete deep into playoffs. Winning the District will be a must to secure a home playoff game and significantly lighten the First-Round game awaiting them. Walton-Verona Bearcats (9-3, Lost in 2nd Round) Walton-Verona certainly had what most would consider to be a solid season winning 9 games and giving CAL a stiff test before succumbing. The Bearcats lose a strong Senior class including most of their top skill players. FB/LB Micah Alford will have to step up in his role, as will RB/DB Peyton Smith. Walton-Verona should still enter as the favorite in District 5, but the field should make up some ground after the Bearcats made short work of them in 2017. Washington County Commanders (7-5, Lost in 2nd Round) It is a tough gig to share a District with Christian Academy-Louisville and DeSales, a lesson the Commanders learned all too well in 2017. Washington County was still able to move their program forward by going on the road in Round 1 to knock off Owen County. Washington County loses QB John Floyd but returns one of the more underrated players in Class 2A in Jbias Dawson. Dawson is a load to bring down and had a breakout year hitting the Century mark on the ground. Mike Ellery is a promising looking player who made plays as a Freshman and will see his role increase. Miguel Alacantara had a big year at LB and will be asked to play big for a Defense that will be tested often. Others to Watch: Ballard Memorial Bombers (3-8, Lost in 1st Round) The team who may see the greatest improvement in 2018 may be Ballard Memorial. The Bombers really struggled with a young team in 2017 but return most of their key players. QB Erick Marinelli threw for 2802 yards and 33 TD’s, he will return his favorite target Drew Cox who had nearly 1400 receiving yards and a remarkable 19 TD’s. Hunter Bray and Dequin Donlow also return as well as leading rusher Bryce Haynes. There is no doubt that Ballard Memorial will score points, but can they stop a team on Defense? Leslie County Eagles (4-7, Lost in 1st Round) The Eagles have been a team consistently in the running for a 2A home playoff game and have reason for optimism in 2018. Leslie was very young in 2017 and took a step back, but they should rebound led by talented Sophomore LB Preston Spurlock. The big question for Leslie is if QB Darron Whitaker will play football or focus on other sports. If he returns they become a contender for the District Title, without him it may be tough to catch Prestonsburg or Shelby Valley. Shelby Valley Wildcats (6-5, Lost in 1st Round) RB Seth Johnson finished as Class 2A’s leading rusher by over 50 yards per game as he clipped the 2,000-yard mark. The Wildcats have a legit shot at a District Title but will have to get through Prestonsburg. RB Dalton Meade nearly hit the 1,000-yard mark and will have to have a bid season to take the pressure off Johnson. DL Peyton Blackburn had to lead the State in Fumble Recoveries with seven. Todd County Central Rebels (6-5, Lost in 1st Round) Todd County Central was one of the best feel good stories in the State as they went from an extensive losing streak to a competitive 6-5 season and a winning regular season. The Rebels will have some work to do to repeat that accomplishment as they lost their Head Coach and their two top Offensive weapons. QB/DB Asa Young does return after a solid season, specifically on the Defensive side of the ball where he intercepted an impressive seven passes. Pre-Season Class 2A Top 20 Players 1. ATH Milton Wright, Christian Academy- Louisville 2. OL Tanner Bowles, Glasgow 3. RB/LB Kyle Kelly, Newport Central Catholic 4. OL John Young, Christian Academy- Louisville 5. QB Zach Thornton, Danville 6. LB Darrian Bell, Danville 7. RB Vonn Williams, Owensboro Catholic 8. RB Travon Mason, Lloyd Memorial 9. DE Brady Smith, Mayfield 10. ATH Braden Murphy, Monroe County 11. ATH Donta Oates, Glasgow 12. QB Jayden Stinson, Mayfield 13. WR Nick Mills, Owensboro Catholic 14. DE Demetri Scott, DeSales 15. ATH Ethan Varney, Prestonsburg 16. RB Jbias Dawson, Washington County 17. RB Seth Johnson, Shelby Valley 18. DE Austin Collins, Christian Academy- Louisville 19. LB Peyton Hatcher, Somerset 20. LB Landon Stinson, Monroe County

Franklin-Simpson opened their 4A title defense with a revenge win over Elizabethtown, 44-20. It was a turnaround from a 55-23 decision a year ago that saw the Wildcats embarrassed by a running clock. Meanwhile, Monroe County fell 34-20 to a Trigg County team they'd beaten by 18 a season ago. This appears to be a matchup between two teams moving in opposite directions from a game that Franklin already won 48-0 last season. Can we expect more of the same?

Breaking Down The Top Teams' Title Chances: MAYFIELD Why Mayfield Will Win the Title- The Cardinals check every box you want. They have a balanced and explosive Offense that is equally adept at putting together long scoring drives as well as big play strikes for sudden points. They have an opportunistic Defense capable of making plays in the backfield. Why Mayfield Will Not Win the Title- The Cardinals have to take their show on the road and will most likely have to play three of the Top teams in the State away from War Memorial Stadium. Perhaps their stiffest test short of the Finals will be a potential Regional Finals trip to Owensboro Catholic to take on the surging Aces. CAL Why CAL Will Win the Title- The Centurions have Title Experience, they also have the best individual talents in the Class. CAL may very well have the best Special Teams threat, best Athlete, and best Defensive Back.... and that is all the same player! Throw in perhaps the most dominant Offensive Lineman and an excellent RB and the Centurions simply cause gameplan nightmares. Why CAL Will Not Win the Title- The question for CAL is always the same. Can they score enough to overcome a night their Defense does not play their best? CAL gets the job done on Offense, but they are far from the most efficient unit in Class 2A. Their Defense typically carries them and the Offense does what is needed, but when they face a team like Mayfield it begs the question if they can score enough if the other team pops a couple big plays. DESALES Why DeSales Will Win the Title- The Colts still have a complete team and a Defense capable of making key stops. DeSales has kind of hobbled down the stretch, but for the better part of the season the Colts were able to make the claim they were one of the best teams in all of Kentucky, let alone Class 2A. With a clock-eating ball controlling Offense, and a very stiff Defense, the Colts are capable of shortening any game and giving themselves a shot. Why DeSales Will Not Win the Title- DeSales will have to abandon their friendly confides and hit the road following the First Round most likely. This will include road games at CAL and most likely Somerset, two of the better Defensive teams in the Class. The Colts' Offense has just simply plateaued in recent weeks and seems to have lost their ability to generate explosive plays. Subsequently, the Defense has dealt with some bumps and bruises and are yet to show they can totally lock the other team's Offense down completely. OWENSBORO CATHOLIC Why OCath Will Win the Title- The Aces are red hot and kind of hanging out off the radar. After losing their first two games to open the season the Aces have been on fire including a win over a very good 5A Owensboro team that looks better every week. Catholic gets Mayfield at home, and if they can win that game they will be a favorite in the Regional Finals. The Aces have a very balanced Offense that has made great strides in protecting the football. Why OCath Will Not Win the Title- Simply put, until Catholic can get over the Mayfield hurdle it is hard to see them representing the West. Mayfield has outscored the Aces 92-26 and have eliminated each of the past three seasons. As good as Catholic has been, the Aces have not faced an animal like Mayfield all season and the Ace Defense has not exactly been the Steel Curtain against the better teams they have seen. In their four toughest games the team in Green has surrendered a whopping 150 points. SOMERSET Why Somerset Will Win the Title- The Briarjumpers are playing excellent Defense and should at least be able to give themselves a fighting chance in a potential Semi-Finals game against either CAL or DeSales. As mentioned above, neither Louisville team is exactly lighting up the scoreboard on Offense and with the potential game being played in Somerset, there may be no better shot at an upset for Somerset. Why Somerset Will Not Win the Title- Somerset played a host of Class 1A's top schools and held their own, but with losses to Beechwood and Raceland it is clear that if Somerset were a Class 1A team and the playoffs started today they would be probably the fourth or fifth most likely pick to win the Title. Class 2A is arguably one of the State's strongest classes 1-5 and this does not bode well for Somerset's shot. As good as Somerset has been on Defense, their Offense has struggled to find it's identity. Can they score enough? We'll see. GLASGOW Why Glasgow Will Win the Title- Chaos and homefield advantage. Glasgow is a solid team that does many things well, but nothing about their resume suggests they will be a favorite against any of the Top 4 teams. Glasgow needs some upsets, specifically Mayfield to lose, and then need to capitalize on a potential home Semi-Finals game to get to the Finals. Once in the Finals they once again need to hope someone not expected to be there is waiting. Why Glasgow Will Not Win the Title- The water may just be too deep. Glasgow's SOS is nowhere near that of the other Title Contenders. The only team the Scotties played that is expected to contend for a Regional Title was Franklin-Simpson. The Wildcats not only handed Glasgow their only loss, they did so in dominating fashion. Most likely Glasgow will need to beat three straight Top 10 teams to win a Title and that seems a tall task indeed. NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC Why NewCath Will Win the Title- If they can survive their Region, they can survive anything. By winning their District the Breds' assure that both DeSales and CAL would have to travel to NKY, a huge advantage compared to what Runner-Up Lloyd now must endure. Considering CAL has already beat NewCath 31-0, the odds of the Breds coming out of the Region are slim, but the kids on the roster do know the feeling of seeing CAL walk off the field at Newport Stadium with their heads down. Why NewCath Will Not Win the Title- Simply put, there are not many teams in Kentucky that could beat DeSales and CAL back to back. Home or not, this is a monstrous hurdle and a likely path to a Title means NewCath will have to beat 4 of the Top 5 teams in the State. .... as for the rest. Walton-Verona- You have to love and respect where Coach Barth has brought this relatively young program. With that said, Walton-Verona simply does not have the firepower to take down the elite teams in this class. DubVee was no match for LCA, and the Eagles will be a longshot in their own right. LCA- See above. LCA righted their ship after a rough start to the season to rally for a 2-seed and give themselves a fighter's chance to win their Region, but considering how over-matched the Eagles were in their three loses, anything beyond a Regional Title seems unlikely. Shelby Valley- Assuming the Wildcats when against Boyd County and knock off Middlesboro in the First Round, they may be the quietest 10-1 team in the State. There is a reason for that. The Wildcats have only played one team with a pulse in Ridgeview, VA and were running clocked. Drawing District 7 at least gives them a chance at a Regional Title, but their chances of anything beyond that are fleeting at best. Lloyd- Simply put, the odds of Lloyd losing in Round 1 at home to Washington County are probably higher than their chances of beating CAL on the road in Round 2.Any chance Lloyd has revolves around a series of the most shocking playoff upsets we have ever seen. Danville- The Defending Champs finished with a 4-6 regular season and a 3-seed in District 7. The Admirals have not had the play making or chemistry they needed all season. As a 3-seed they may have the best chance of making run of anyone in Class 2A, but unless Danville circles the wagons and shows us something more than what we have seen the last half of the season, the chances are better that they make a 2nd Round Exit than they even remotely challenge for a second straight title.

The Cardinals blasted Marion County 62-6, setting a season high for points scored in moving their record to 8-1. They host 2-7 Green County, a team whose most notable accomplishment this year seems destined to be using an ineligible player against Caverna, allowing Caverna to snap a long losing streak by administrative forfeit. Nevertheless, last season a 7-2 Taylor County team fell 30-28 to Green County in a stunner. Can Green County pull an encore?

The Cougars bounced back from their first regular season loss in two years to drop the hammer on Calloway County 44-7, and earned a home playoff game. This week they visit Todd County Central, where the Cougars finally kicked their losing streak two seasons ago. Todd County has had a solid season for them, carrying a 5-4 record. This game was a 34-6 Cougar win last season. What happens this year?

“Well That Escalated Quickly” Let’s face it, we all knew Class 2A was stacked in 2017, but we all looked at the Week 0 matchups and figured a the Top 10 would take a few casualties. There were athletic 6A teams, there were last years’ Semi-Finalists from other classes, there were larger schools with multiple Mr. Football candidates, there was even an Out of State powerhouse. Instead the Top 10 rattled off a 9-1 combined record, the lone loss by Somerset in a game they led most of the night. The Top 5 was especially stellar. Both Danville and DeSales looked very impressive against highly regarded 6A competition. Danville thoroughly dismantled 6A Frederick Douglass behind a dominating Defensive performance. The uber-athletic Broncos were held under 125 total yards, the Ads also added a pick 6 by the dynamic Dmauriae VanCleave. DeSales’ biggest question mark heading into the season was their Offensive ability after struggling at times in 2016. The Colts gained almost 325 total yards from a balanced backfield led by Tyrell Watkins. Watkins found pay dirt twice and ran the ball for 73 yards. DeSales also had a Pick 6 of their own by Santonio Hickman. LCA and doppleganger CAL both won with relative ease against larger foes many thought would play them tougher. CAL kept South Oldham, a 5A Semi-Finalist last season, at arm's’ length all night behind a stingy defense. Milton Wright also made an impact on Offense rushing, receiving, and even throwing. Wright scored a rushing TD but his 3/3 passing performance, including a TD, may have been the most alarming for other Class 2A teams. LCA was a bit shaky against 3A Waggener early on, but found their rhythm in a big way and showcased one of the State’s most balanced Offenses. Five different Eagles found the endzone in a multitude of ways as LCA gained over 400 Total Yards. What was the scariest part of the night? LCA’s dynamic RB Dillon Wheatley actually had an uncharacteristic “off-night” gaining only 49 yards on 11 carries. Cardinals Downgrade Tornadoes To A Mild Shower It’s easy to take what Mayfield did this weekend and lose perspective. Running clock wins by Mayfield are pretty common sights for one of the State’s top programs pound for pound. Union City, TN is not your average cupcake though. One of Tennessee’s strongest small school programs, Union City was confident that they could open the season against a Mayfield team many expected to have to replace several key players and multi-year starters. Mayfield ambushed Union City and never tapped the brakes handing the Golden Tornadoes one of their most lopsided losses of the past decade. Connor Guthrie was an unknown commodity for the Cardinals taking over for one of the program’s most prolific QB’s in Landon Arnett. Though Guthrie may not have the dominant arm of Arnett, he proved that he could make up for it with his versatility. Guthrie was a breakout performer with his dual threat ability, he also was all over the field on Defense. Bearcats VisitNich And Leave 1-0 Walton-Verona has higher expectations this year than any season in the school’s brief history. The veteran squad travelled to East Jessamine for the headliner matchup of the VistiNich.com Bowl against the host 4A Jaguars. East Jessamine was an 8-4 team last season so many expected this game to be a measuring stick to see if Walton-Verona will in fact be a legitimate Top 10 level team. After falling behind 14-0 early on the Bearcats made some adjustments and the Offense began rolling behind a mix of ball control and explosive plays. Once the dust had settled the Bearcats had outscored the Jaguars 43-6 over the last three quarters en route to the 23 point victory. Perhaps the most surprising note of the night was a Bearcat passing game that was very effective. Walton-Verona only threw for approximately 325 yards all of last season. Friday alone the Bearcats nearly accounted for a third of that production on the back of Garrett Jones. Even more surprising, W-V never threw a single passing score over the span of 2016. Jones checked that box Friday with a 25 yard toss to Zach Clinkenbeard. Around the Class -Perhaps one of the most surprising scores was Butler County taking it on the chin 42-24 to 4A Logan County. The Cougars held the State’s longest losing streak until ending 2016 with a win over Todd County Central, Butler County had defeated them soundly 53-14 a year ago. Speaking of Todd Central, the Rebels ended an 11 game losing streak with a 14-6 win over 4A Breckinridge County. Their next two games against Fort Knox and Caverna are certainly winnable as well and Coach Broady’s squad may have a chance at a surprising 3-0 start. -Owensboro Catholic took the field with their expectation tank full against 6A Daviess County. The Aces left the game with a 1-0 record, but the going was not exactly smooth. Daviess County threw for 370 yards and Marquel Tinsley torched the Catholic secondary routinely. Owensboro Catholic came through in the clutch, but the porous pass defense will certainly be something worth monitoring in a class full of potent Offensive teams. -One of the best shootouts of the opening weekend was Washington County’s 46-36 win over 1A Campbellsville. The Commanders not only boast one of Kentucky’s top nicknames, they also best one of the state’s most under the radar QB talents in John Floyd. Floyd threw for 136 yards and 2 TD’s and tacked on 103 a score on the ground. On Deck: Somerset at 1A #5 Williamsburg- No rest for the weary Jumpers as they try to rebound from a Week 0 loss by travelling down I-75. It’s hard to say a Week 1 game may be a turning point, but with Somerset’s upcoming schedule this may be the most winnable game until the season finale. Newport Central Catholic vs. 6A Cooper- NewCath was far from sterling in their season opening victory against 4A Scott. The Breds stumbled out of the starting gate and struggled to maintain consistency on Offense, but were able to rely on a tough Defense to hold the day. Cooper has handled NewCath in recent years, but the Jaguars seem to be a bit lower in their talent pool. A win by NewCath will go a long way toward keeping them in the same breathe of the Class’ top tier of teams. Lloyd Memorial vs. 1A #1 Beechwood- Anytime you take on the #1 team it deserves a second glance. LLoyd looked good in their season opener over West Jessamine but the defending Class 1A Champs will surely be a much stiffer test. Worth A Closer Look: Monroe County vs. 4A #4 Franklin-Simpson- The Falcons are flying well below the horizon after a pair of disappointing seasons, but Monroe looked sharp by vanquishing 3A Trigg County in relative ease. Ty Mink is a star and plays all over the field. Franklin-Simpson, last year’s 4A Runner-Up, is still smarting from a beat-down at the hands of Elizabethtown and if Monroe County can jump out quick they may be able to make the wildcats uncomfortable.

The Firm Five Lexington Christian Academy was seemingly starting to slip a little in the eyes of some. The Eagles had not surrounded themselves with the toughest schedule of the Top 5 teams in Class 2A, and had a couple games where they seemingly allowed lesser competition to hang around before hammering the nail in the 2nd Half to pull away. Lexington Catholic was supposed to be the game that told us if LCA was going to keep pace with the front runners of the class. Lexington Christian Academy hushed the doubters in resounding fashion. The Eagles crushed the 3A Knights 56-36 and may have secured the title of "The Best of Lex" in the process. The Top 5 teams (Christian Academy- Louisville, Danville, DeSales, Mayfield, and LCA) are now a combined 19-0. Here is how their impressive wins can be broken down: vs. 1A- 3-0 (3-0 versus foes either ranked at the time or currently ranked) vs. 3A- 6-0 (5-0 versus foes either ranked at the time or currently ranked) vs. 4A- 3-0 (2-0 versus foes either ranked at the time or currently ranked) vs. 5A- 1-0 (1-0 versus foes either ranked at the time or currently ranked) vs. 6A- 6-0 (2-0 versus foes either ranked at the time or currently ranked) That is correct folks 13-0 against foes who were either ranked at the time in their respective class, or are currently ranked. So it begs the question: Who will flinch first? Here are each of the team's next four games. #1 Christian Academy- Louisville @ Newport Central Catholic @ 6A Meade County vs. DeSales @ Shawnee Analysis: CAL's next four games will not necessarily be an impossible feat, but it is also far from a walk in the park. Newport Central Catholic is a ranked foe but CAL should be able to outclass them. Meade County has been playing good ball as of late, but over the past few years the Louisville 2A powerhouses have had their number. Shawnee will be a no contest if they can get by DeSales. That is a mighty big "if" though. The two rivals will have perhaps the most anticipated Class 2A game to date when they meet. Chance of Remaining Undefeated: 60% #2 Danville @ 3A Waggener vs. 3A Garrard County vs. 6A Tates Creek @ Somerset Analysis: The Ads should get their legs stretched against a pair of decent 3A teams, but don't expect either to really threaten Danville. Tates Creek is playing some of the best ball of any of the Lexington 6A Public Schools, with that said Tates Creek took a "L" to the same Frederick Douglass that Danville crushed in their season opener. Somerset is becoming an interesting team. The Jumpers' Defense is rounding into form and they will be tough at home, regardless Danville should be favored in each of their next four. Chance of Remaining Undefeated: 85% #3 DeSales vs. 5A Fern Creek @ 3A Lexington Catholic vs. 6A North Hardin @ Christian Academy- Louisville Analysis: The Colts have without a doubt the toughest road over the next four games. All four teams are capable of beating DeSales if the Colts have an "off night". DeSales should enter as a favorite in each of their first three games, but their margin for error is significantly less than their other competitors. Even if DeSales does survive we still have the elephant in the room by way of a road game against the Defending Champs. Chance of Remaining Undefeated: 40% #4 Mayfield vs. 5A Graves County vs. 3A Corbin (neutral site) vs. Murray vs. Ballard Memorial Analysis: Unlike the other teams on the list, Mayfield doesn't have a tough District game to navigate. The Cardinals should overwhelm both Murray and Ballard Memorial. Any chance for a Cardinal loss over the next four games will have to come from the two no-district foes. Graves County is showing a positive trend, but the Eagles historically have not been able to compete against the cross county rival. Graves will be competitive, but anything short of a Mayfield win would be a huge surprise. The Cardinals stiffest test will come from a 3A Corbin team on a neutral field at Austin Peay University. Corbin was looking like a tall hurdle, but after 1A Beechwood puts the Hounds in the dog house, this game now seemingly seems a toss-up at worst, and Mayfield as a slight favorite most likely. Chance of Remaining Undefeated: 70% #5 Lexington Christian Academy vs. Walton-Verona @ 1A Kentucky Country Day @ Middlesboro vs. Somerset Analysis: If this were 2015 or 2016 this schedule would seem extremely favorable. Unfortunately for LCA in 2017 they will now get arguably the best Walton-Verona and Kentucky Country Day teams in school history, and Somerset seems to be trending upward in a hurry. Lexington Christian Academy will no doubt enter each of these games favored, but all but the Middlesboro game wreak of being a potential trap or misstep if the Eagles do not keep laser focus. The KCD game is especially one to watch out for. The Bearcats are in need of a statement win to prove they can go toe to toe with Beechwood and a home game against a highly touted Class 2A team is the perfect stage. Chance of Remaining Undefeated: 70% Around the Class - Christian Academy- Louisville (4-0) got the test they wanted from 3A Elizabethtown. The Centurions trailed for the fist time all season before rallying for a hard fought 24-9 win over the veteran Panthers. Tyler Harris and Milton Wright were both exceptional and provided the Offensive balance to come from behind. Harris eclipsed the 100 yard mark on the ground while Wright did it by way of the air. - Somerset (2-2) split their season series against the 2016 Class 1A State Finals delegates. After losing only 7-0 to #1 Beechwood, the Jumpers rallied from a 9-7 deficit entering the 4th Quarter on the road to knock off #2 Hazard 20-9. Ty Tevis was the star of the night for Somerset rushing for 105 yards, he also added a pair of TD's including the go ahead score in the 4th Quarter. - Owen County (3-1) took a hard fought 12-6 win over 1A Fairview to move to 3-1 on the season. The Rebels Defense bent but never would break as they turned the Eagles over three times. Kirby Young had a nice night catching the football as he secured four balls for 75 yards and a crucial TD. Owen County will take this week off, but will return to action against Walton-Verona in what should most likely be the defacto District Championship game. On Deck: - A pair of showdowns between Top 10 ranked teams within Class 2A will highlight this week's slate. Christian Academy- Louisville (4-0) will travel to Newport to take on Newport Central Catholic (2-2). The Breds are reeling after a pair of tough losses to higher class competition, after starting the year with dominating performances on the ground they are now struggling to find their footing. The biggest clash of 2A teams will take place in the shadow of Fayette Mall as LCA (4-0) welcomes Walton-Verona (3-1). Walton-Verona is hungry to make a statement that they are capable of competing with the best in Class 2A and this will be their best shot. If the Bearcats can pull off the upset a 9-1 finish is probable but it will be a tall order. Lexington Christian is riding high after crushing 3A Lexington Catholic and have a chip on their shoulder of their own. - Todd County Central (3-0) kept their surprising undefeated season alive by surviving 4A Hopkins County Central 6-0. The Rebels will look to make it 4-0 against 1A Fulton City this week. If the Rebels can get to 4 wins it will be something of note in itself. The last time Todd County Central won four games in a SEASON was 2010 when they went 4-7. Since 2000, the Rebels have only won 4 games twice and during that time period have never won five or more. With a winnable game against Caverna on their schedule five wins is definitely a tangible goal, if they can somehow knock off either Hancock County, McLean County, or Butler County it is even possible that the Rebels can secure at worst a .500 season. Worth a Closer Look: - After dropping their season opener Metcalfe County has rallied to move to 3-1 and are entering this week fresh off a 18-12 win over 3A Adair County. Metcalfe will challenge 3A Edmonson County next. The Wildcats enter at 3-1 as well after suffering their first defeat of the season last week.

..And Then There Were 3 Entering the weekend five teams still held firm with flawless records in Class 2A: Danville, DeSales, Mayfield, Lexington Christian Academy, and surprising Todd County Central. Once the smoke cleared from this weekend's action two have since fell by the wayside. Most expected Todd County Central's streak to end sooner rather than later. The Rebels simply could not get enough firepower to hand with Hancock County as the Hornets bested Todd Central 28-8. It is still worth applauding what Todd Central has already accomplished and with three winnable games on their schedule, it is not out of the picture that a team who went winless a year ago could at the very least finish .500 for the season if not with a winning record. The other victim this weekend was the mighty Mayfield Cardinals who lost a hard fought 20-17 decision against a very good 3A Corbin squad at Austin Peay University. For the first three quarters Mayfield was well positioned to earn a very nice feather in their cap, unfortunately Corbin QB Camron Sizemore built on his legacy with a pair of 4th Quarter TD passes and the Cardinals simply could not rally enough to win. A late interception iced the game and handed Mayfield their first loss. LCA Offense = Kind of a Big Deal Lexington Christian Academy is pretty good at this thing called "Football Offense". The Eagles latest victim was the #2 ranked team 1A Kentucky Country Day. In a game that was a back and forth shootout for a Half, LCA eventually pulled away in the Second Half to win convincingly 69-38. For stat aficionados Lexington Christian is kind of the gold standard this year in Class 2A. Through six games the Eagles are averaging a remarkable 50 points per game and a nice matching 500+ yards per game of Offense. Dillon Wheatley will most likely eclipse the 1000 yard rushing mark next week when they open District Competition against Middlesboro. For those monitoring, if Wheatley can stay healthy there is a very strong chance he can push for nearly 7000 career rush yards at this pace. If this comes to fruition this will rank him among the Top 10 career rushing marks in State History. As good as Wheatley has been, Logan Nieves is looking equally impressive this season as a dual threat option. Through six games Nieves is accounting nearly 300 all purpose yards per game and has accounted for 23 TD's. With these two leading the way, and a host of talented supporting players around them, there is no wonder that LCA is still undefeated and firmly in the discussion for Title contenders in Class 2A. Class 2A vs. 6A, By the Numbers One of the most surprising stats of this season has been the number of games that teams from the Class 2A Top 10 have played 6A foes. In past years it was always a bit of anomaly for one of the smaller schools in the State to challenge schools from the largest classification with enrollments typically 3 or 4 times their size. This weekend three more times will we see this inter-class competition continue: Danville vs. Tates Creek DeSales vs. North Hardin Christian Academy Louisville vs. Meade County To date there have been ten different games between the Top 10 of Class 2A and foes from 6A, Class 2A has equipped themselves very well going 8-2 in those games with the only losses both coming to Newport Central Catholic (Campbell County and Conner respectively). If the smaller class can hold serve this week the 11-2 record would definitely be a good indicator of the level of competition this class provides as well as the balance. Around the Class: - Somerset (4-2) continues to shine since a late Defensive collapse in their season opener. The Briarjumper earned a hard fought win over a highly ranked 4A Rockcastle County team 12-6 for their third win over a ranked for in consecutive weeks. Since allowing 36 points in their debut performance, Somerset has bounced back to an allow an average of just 8.8 points a game in the 5 games following. Even in their other loss, to 1A #1 Beechwood, the Jumpers' D still did their part holding the Tigers to 7 points. With two explosive Offenses int heir District in LCA and Danville, being the team built on the solid rock of Defense could be advantageous once District play begins. - Glasgow finished a stretch of three consecutive games against solid Class 4A foes by losing to Franklin-Simpson 35-19. The Scotties went 1-2 in their stretch of Southern Kentucky 4A squad, defeating Warren East and losing a narrow decision to Allen County-Scottsville in the other two. The Scotties begin District competition this week welcoming a surprising 4-2 Green County club. On Deck: - If most were asked which two 5-1 Class 2A teams were playing this week, it would be no surprised if they could not pin point Monroe County travelling to Metcalfe County. The Falcons have flown under the radar all season and appear poised to contend for the District Title. The Falcons are led by QB Ty Mink who has been equally as effective running as has been passing. Both teams enter off narrow wins, Metcalfe escaped a surprising challenge by Clinton County 29-26, meanwhile Monroe secured a 15-14 win over a solid Warren East squad. - District 8 will most likely be on the line when Leslie County (3-3) travels to Prestonsburg (2-3) to take on the Blackcats. Leslie enters with a win over East Ridge but have not quite lived up to their expectations this year. The Blackcats had a chance to make a statement against 1A Hazard but fell short. With three title contenders in District 7, a loss would be dangerous to the health. Homefield advantage for the First two Rounds and a favorable 4-seed is a welcome reward with an already daunting task potentially waiting in the playoffs. Worth a Closer Look: Washington County (5-1) at 3A Western Hills- Washington County is off to one of their best starts in school history but will take a major step up in competition to square off with a ranked 4-1 Western Hills squad. The Wolverines will test the Washington County team speed thanks in large part to RB WanDale Robinson who is a legit D-1 prospect. if the Commanders can hang tough this will give them confidence with CAL and DeSales looming in their District.

The Butler Win Did It DeSales is no stranger to playing 6A teams. They have made a habit of taking on the State’s largest classification during their sensational run over the past decade. When DeSales took down 6A Ballard in their season opener it caught everyone’s attention, still yet fans of the Colts tempered expectations waiting to see how their team would fare against a Butler team that had began to get some Top 10 consideration. The Colts found themselves in a good ole fashioned tug of war in what would be one of Friday’s most exciting and well played games from across the State. The Colts would eventually take the victory 28-27. The Colts trailed 14-6 at the Half but quickly asserted themselves right out of the gate (despite not receiving the kickoff ) thanks to a pair of Butler miscues setting them up on a short field. The key play of the game came with DeSales clinging to that 28-27 lead with under 5:00 to play following a Butler Touchdown pass. The Bears opted to go for two but the Colts’ defense held setting what would be the final margin. The drama wasn’t exactly over yet. After DeSales milked the clock before having to punt the Bears had one last surge left. They advanced into DeSales territory before the game seemingly ended on a 4th and 10 with a hard hit on the Quarterback. A controversial flag was called for a personal foul on the hit leaving a final untimed down. The Colts’ would dial up pressure and hit the QB on the throw and the pass sailed incomplete. Jaguars Cooper-ate With Giving Breds A Second Signature Win Over the past four seasons 6A Cooper has been a thorn in the side of Newport Central Catholic. The Jaguars were 4-0 in those games and had defeated the Bred by a combined score of 36-142. After beginning the season with a hard-fought win over 4A Scott, NewCath had a chance to make a strong statement taking on their foe from the big boy class. Coach Eviston’s crew answered the call winning 29-7 in a game they controlled throughout. Junior RB Kyle Kelly was superb toting the mail 25 times for 138 yards and the games opening TD. The Breds also found a luxury in Senior Kicker Logan Muck. Muck connected on three Field Goals and added a pair of extra points, all vital in extending the lead and keeping pressure ona Cooper team that struggled to move the ball on a stingy NCC defense. Newport Central Catholic showed a much more consistent flow on Offense and this now makes their second straight game that the Defense played lights out against a larger NKY foe. The Breds will face their stiffest test of the early season Friday when they take on another 6A foe in Campbell County. Jumping With Joy; Briarjumpers Snag A Win at Williamsburg A watershed is defined as, “an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs.” It is not fair to say that any game in August could be a watershed moment, but for Somerset Friday’s win over a ranked 1A Williamsburg Yellowjacket team at the very least was a levee that may have stopped a potential flash flood. With a downright brutal schedule lying ahead for Somerset it is safe to say that getting a win and some confidence was exactly what the doctor ordered after allowing a come from behind victory in the opening week to 4A Bourbon County. Somerset maintained consistent success on the ground throughout the night, churning up 403 yards. For all their success, the Jumpers couldn’t get out of their own way in the First Half leading only 6-0 at the break thanks to a pair of Chance Stayton Field Goals. The Jumpers finally found the endzone when standout Sophomore RB Alex Miller raced 52 yards on the opening drive. Miller would have a breakout performance rushing for 205 yards. Quarterback Mason Reese and Ty tevis each got in on the fireworks. Reese scored twice and Tevis hit the century mark. All-State candidate Josh Cornett added a pair of Interceptions. Somerset cannot rest on their laurels for long. The Jumpers gets to taste the best Class 1A has to offer taking on the defending State Champs and Runner-Ups in successive weeks. Up next is a visit from 1A powerhouse Beechwood. The Tigers beat Somerset by 3 TD’s last year. Around the Class: - CAL (2-0) continues to roll in their first year as reigning champions. CAL outclassed 6A Eastern 33-9 in a game that was never in doubt. Milton Wright caught 5 passes for 109 yards and a TD and held the Eagles to a meager 195 total yards. - Mayfield (2-0) proved their season opening Offensive explosion was no fluke by punishing 4 Hopkinsville 49-20 in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score would indicate. The Cardinals led 42-7 before the Tigers added a pair of scores late. Mayfield’s run defense was superb holding the Tigers under 50 yards on the ground most of the night. - Washington County needed overtime, but eventually improved to 2-0 with a 29-22 win over a gritty 1A Bethlehem team.It’s the first time the Commanders have started the season 2-0 since 2010 when they won their first 8 games. A third win is going to be a good bit more difficult, up next is a ranked 1A Kentucky Country Day who looks poised to be the biggest threat to Beechwood in the West, - Speaking of 2-0 starts, The Notebook would like to give a big shout out to Todd County Central who defeated Fort Knox 26-6. The Rebels have went from 0-10 to 2-0 and have three winnable games on the horizon against Caverna, Hopkins Central, and Fulton City. On Deck: - Title Town is starting buzz again. For a first time in nearly a decade both Boyle County and Danville are legitimate contenders for a State Title in the same season. The Admirals and Rebels will renew one of the State’s most anticipated rivalries as Danville hosts Chuck Smith’s crew. Danville is fresh off a convincing win over 4A Knox Central where they didn't exactly play their crispest. Boyle County enters after pulling away from Waggener late. - CAL has already stepped up in class to take on a 6A foe, but Friday they step up in competition as they load up to face Central Hardin. The Bruins have started fast and may be the best team in 6A-West outside of Jefferson County. Central Hardin is built to churn yards on the ground and will be stiff test for a CAL Defense who was hit the hardest along their D-Line. - Walton-Verona came up just short in a comeback bid against Kentucky Country Day. The Bearcats dug themselves into a deep hole but fell 21-20, they will look to bounce back hosting 4A Holmes. Meanwhile in District 5 Owen County hosts Newport in a 2A cross-district showdown. - Lexington Christian Academy will take a lengthy road trip to Vincennes, Indiana to take on Lincoln High School. Lincoln is 2-0 thus far, but the most interesting thing about the school from close to the Illinois border is their nickname. The Notebook wishes they had a great story for why the Lincoln Alices (yes… the Alices) came to be. Unfortunately there is no concrete evidence that suggests where the nickname came from. One theory is a book written in the 1700’s, the other more accepted theory is when Lincoln made their first State Finals appearance in basketball in the 20’s after an unexpected run they were compared to “Alice in Wonderland” Worth a Closer Look: Hancock County (2-0) is a team to keep an eye on. The Hornets have outscored their first two opponents 101-14 and Senior FB Gage Gray appears poised for a big year. Hancock travels to 6A Ohio County (2-0) looking to avenge a hard fought 42-28 loss they suffered last season. If Hancock can pull out the win they may begin to get some Top 10 consideration in the weeks to come.

From deep in the heart of Booger Branch, KY comes The Swami. Last year he honored us with his presence as he predicted individual outcomes for team's seasons. This year he has agreed to dust off his crystal ball and share his weekly predictions for Class 2A each week. If you have a specific 2A game that is not included, feel free to ask and we can see if the Swami can calibrate his sooth saying and offer a bonus pick just for you. Remember folks, this is all in fun... knowing the future can be hard to handle. So please save all hate mail, bomb threats, and general ill wishes until the Swami returns to Booger Branch at season's end for his yoga and meditation. Without further ado.... #1 Christian Academy- Louisville at 6A Central Hardin A 6A foe is not a foreign match to C-A-L, Yet a team with Semi-Final potential is a much tougher nail. With a big and talented front, the DLine must do their jobs. Otherwise they will be seeing a huge night out of Jacob Hobbs. Don’t fear too much, Milton Wright comes to the rescue. CAL pulls out a nail-biter on the Cecilia, KY fescue. PREDICTION: CAL #2 Danville vs. 3A Boyle County When a rival comes calling there’s no time to clown. The Rebs are charging in the Battle of Title Town Danville has speed and has had Boyle’s number, Walker and Harris on Defense must bring the lumber. Boyle makes them work and gives them a fright, But in the end Danville survives to take the night. PREDICTION: DANVILLE #3 DeSales vs. 1A Louisville Holy Cross It’s not easy being a private in a city with X and T These rivals renews for Southside Tuition School supremacy. Holy Cross is no joke, one of their better teams in a while. Unfortunately for them, DeSales is stacking foes in a pile. The Colts make it ugly and control the line against the Cross, The Cougars tail gets bobbed, they leave with a lopsided loss. PREDICTION: DESALES #4 Mayfield at 3A Paducah Tilghman The Cardinals have a thing for schools on the Fujita Scale, They already bested a Gold Tornado, now it’s the Blue’s tale. Tilghman is showing promise, their Defense has been so strong. Mayfield has been rolling on Offense, their receivers go long. Tilghman plays with pride, may even take a lead on a 4th Down they go for. The Cards aren’t alarmed at all and soon the storm blows over. PREDICTION: MAYFIELD #5 Lexington Christian Academy at Vincennes-Lincoln, IN These Alices will soon learn this is no Wonder Land. LCA is coming to take no prisoners, not even sparing the band. Wheatley will pound the rock and Burden goes over the top. Lincoln soon finds out that Nieves and his crew are too much to stop. A long bus ride is never fun, unless it’s after a big rout. LCA sings karaoke all the way home while bragging how they are so stout. PREDICTION: LCA #6 Newport Central Catholic at 6A Campbell County The Breds are two for two against bigger schools in the Northern panhandle Up next are the humped alpacas that they wish to manhandle. The NCC D has been balling, they are tough to put up points on. Campbell County let it slip away against Highlands, they don’t want their momentum gone. If the Breds could pull this out their ego would be in the clouds, Unfortunately the Defense finally breaks under the pressure of Alex Dowds. PREDICTION: CAMPBELL COUNTY #7 Owensboro Catholic at 5A Owensboro The way was not friendly when Catholic crossed the border. A shutout and beatdown to Reitz was not their favorite order. The road doesn’t get easier, rival Owensboro is next in line. After two pedestrian performances, they need Vonn Williams to shine. Most will side with the boys from the final level of Dante’s Inferno. I would be careful with that prediction or your may get burned though. PREDICTION: OWENSBORO CATHOLIC #8 Glasgow vs. 3A Fort Campbell By beating Bardstown, The Scotties did the job, With a 3-0 start people will start screaming “FEAR THE DOG!” Fort Campbell has fallen on hard times since their Championship boasts. Glasgow runs all over them, 100+ yards for Dontavis Oates. This one gets ugly fast, watch the clock as it rolls. Glasgow steamrolls the Falcons running behind Tanner Bowles. PREDICTION: GLASGOW #9 Walton-Verona vs. 4A Holmes The comeback came short and they fell to K-C-D. A big bounceback victory is what the Swami can see. Holmes is doing good things, new facilities and a new field. This Friday that positive step forward will just have to yield. Dub-Vee rushes for over 300 hundred and score almost at will, A 4 TD margin gives the blue clad folks a mighty fine thrill. PREDICTION: WALTON-VERONA #10 Somerset vs. 1A Beechwood While other schools step up, the Jumpers step down. The second of three from 1A, but this one's the best around. The Tigers have balance, size, and also James Davis. By night's end the D-Line will be screaming “someone please save us” Somerset keeps it respectable, they mount some yards to their name The Beechies just are too sharp, they will comfortably win this game. PREDICTION: BEECHWOOD

For the first time since 2007, Class 2A will use a cross-bracketing procedure in the postseason. The KHSAA implemented this plan during the off-season but many are likely unaware who is playing who in the playoffs. This thread intends to outline the bracket and project favorites and contenders in each position. (Rankings listed are from the most recent Bluegrasspreps rankings) REGION I District 1 vs. District 2 Favorite: #4 Mayfield Contenders: #8 Owensboro Catholic Look Out For: Murray Entering the season optimism was pouring from the Owensboro Catholic camp thanks to a strong crop of returning skill talent and lots of turnover of skill talent at Mayfield. Through the first three weeks Mayfield has instead re-asserted themselves as the team to beat, meanwhile Catholic has struggled to find continuity. Mayfield appears poised to remain the team to beat. PREDICTION: Mayfield takes Owensboro Catholic's best shot as the Aces peak at the right time, but the Cardinals are too good at home. REGION II District 4 vs. District 5 Favorite: #1 Christian Academy- Louisville Contenders: #3 DeSales, #9 Walton-Verona Look Out For: Washington County, Owen County Sometimes you just get unlucky. Walton-Verona is fielding the best team in their young history, but due to realignment they get the unenviable task of drawing arguably the toughest playoff path possible for a District winner. Christian Academy- Louisville is the reigning State Champion and they have looked true to form early in the season with three quality wins. DeSales is more than capable of contending for a State Title and in Horse Racing terminology, the Colts seem to be stalking the pace. Walton-Verona definitely is showing they are capable of playing spoiler, but to be asked to beat two teams who may very well the top two teams in the class will be a tall task. PREDICTION: It's CAL vs. DeSales one more time. DeSales will make it an all out war, but the defending Champions CAL squeak by in razor thin fashion. REGION III District 3 vs. District 6 Favorite: #7 Newport Central Catholic Contenders: #6 Glasgow, Lloyd Memorial Look Out For: Monroe County The Region with the most parity between the Districts would have to be Region 3 thanks to Cross-Bracketing. It is almost fair to say that at this point Glasgow and Newport Central Catholic are Co-Favorites, and Lloyd Memorial and Monroe County seem to be level footed as the next in line. Glasgow may be a bit ahead of schedule. Their better days are still ahead of them with a load of talented underclassmen, meanwhile Newport Central Catholic is built a little better for the present and also have a bit more playoff experience. Monroe County and Lloyd Memorial are both dangerous teams as potential 2nd Round opponents and either can play spoiler. PREDICTION: Lloyd has been knocking on the door but unable to come through. The Juggs finally pull off an upset to re-match with Newport Central Catholic. In a back and forth battle the Breds return to the Semi-Finals after being a year removed. REGION IV District 7 vs. District 8 Favorite: #2 Danville Contender: #5 Lexington Christian Academy Look Out For: #10 Somerset Let's be honest here, this is basically the District 7 post-season revenge tournament. District 8 will most likely only have one team standing come the 2nd Round and their chances of taking down the 2nd Seed from District 7 seems unlikely at this time. Danville and Lexington Christian Academy treated us to a pair of "Instant Classic" games in 2016 as the two teams split. Ultimately it was Danville who won the game that mattered the most. Danville has looked a bit more crisp against a bit stiffer competition early on, although LCA has not necessarily looked anything but strong in their own right. Somerset is the wildcard, the Jumpers are the type of team that may be a tougher 2nd Round foe than even the Champion of District 8. PREDICTION: Exactly what you expect. Beautiful, beautiful chalk with the ranked teams winning as expected. Danville and LCA treat us to another epic showdown but the Admirals have just a few too many fast twitch fibers and make a key Defensive stop to survive and advance. *-Reminder: Since 2017 is an odd year, if two teams with the same seed meet in the regional final, the team from the odd district would host. SEMIFINALS Christian Academy- Louisville at Mayfield Danville at Newport Central Catholic How do you think it will play out?

Hazlett Has It: Ads Kick From Down Town for Bragging Rights in Title Town Showdown The consensus entering Friday's clash between #2 Danville and 3A Boyle County was that we were in store for a close game. I don't think anyone expected it to be as evenly matched as it ended up playing out, as both teams traded blows equally playing to a 7-7 tie late into the 4th Quarter. In a game that was defined by excellent Defense and missed opportunities, an unlikely hero emerged, err correct that, arrived. Nathan Hazlett did not arrive to the stadium until Halftime. Due to the game being re-scheduled to Thursday due to impending bad weather, Hazlett was actually across the town playing soccer and did not arrive until the Half when Danville trailed 7-0 and already had a missed Field Goal on the books. The Ads used a pass from Zach Thornton to David Walker to knot the score up in the 3rd frame. Both teams found some Offensive rhythm down the stretch, but both also found turnovers in the redzone. With the game on the line Thornton led the Admirals on a late drive with numerous key conversions. Facing a 4th and Long with only :40 left in regulation Coach Clevenger turned to the Kicker and Hazlett answered with the clutch 45 yard shot. Danville (3-0) cannot rest on their laurels for long. The Admirals now must travel to 5A Pulaski County (1-2) to take on the 5A Runner-Up Maroons. Centurions "Bogged" Down, Carried by Defense to Win Over 6A Central Hardin Nothing was pretty about #1 Christian Academy- Louisville's road trip to take on a solid 6A Central Hardin. With remnants of Hurricane Harvey causing monsoon conditions on the natural grass field and a stout Defense challenging them, the Centurions were fortunate to break the century mark for total Offense. Despite only averaging 2 yards per carry on the ground and a meager 5 yards per completion, CAL found a way to win and retain their winning streak. The key sequence of the game came right before the Half. Facing a 3rd and 8, Jaden Wilson got just beyond the sticks to continue the drive on a 9 yard run crossing midfield. Austin Carr then hit the longest play from scrimmage on the night as he found Nathaniel Clark for 28 yard gain down the seam. With only 5.3 second remaining in the Half it was time for Milton Wright to do what he does best. Carr found Wright for a 7 yard score giving CAL the 7-0 lead at the Half. The Centurions gave themselves what would be more than enough room on the opening drive of the 2nd Half. After forcing the Bruins to a three-and-out, the Centurions blocked a punt and set their Offense up inside the 5 yard line. Wilson was rewarded for his clutch earlier run with a 3 yard score setting the eventual final margin of 14-0. The remainder of the Half saw neither team able to establish any semblance of Offensive consistency. Central Hardin proved to be CAL's stiffest Defensive test of the season. The Centurions now will most likely face their stiffest Offensive threat as 3A Elizabethtown (3-0) comes calling. The Panthers are a veteran team with excellent Offensive efficiency. Small School Bragging Rights Coming Friday Night Speaking of Class 3A, Friday will be a headliner evening as two of the strongest performing classes in Kentucky on the early season will see several Inter-Class matchups. As previously mentioned, perhaps the headline match-up of the night will be #1 Christian Academy- Louisville taking on 3A's #3 team Elizabethtown. Two other games will feature ranked foes from each class. #5 Lexington Christian Academy takes on 3A #5 Lexington Catholic. The Eagles (3-0) have rolled so far on Offense averaging over 43 points per game. They will face by far their stiffest Defensive challenge so far from the Knights (2-1). Lexington Catholic is entering fresh off an impressive 28-0 shutout of the defending 6A Runner-Up Lafayette. LCA travelled all the way to Vincennes, Indiana and pulled away late to beat a solid Lincoln team 41-21. #7 Newport Central Catholic (2-1) will look to bounce back hosting 3A #2 Belfry. The Breds were beginning to establish themselves as a threat to join the rest of the Top 5 before things came to a halt against the Camels of 6A Campbell County. The four-time defending 3A Champion Pirates (1-1) showed signs of brilliance at 6A Bryan Station, but still have major growing pains on the Defensive side of the football. This will be the second consecutive year Newport Central Catholic has hosted this game due to a scheduling glitch. Last year Belfry won 41-8, but expect a much closer game this year. Around the Class: - #10 Somerset (1-2) almost had the statement win they were looking for. The Briarjumpers gave 1A #1 Beechwood all they wanted for three and a half quarters, but could not find the end-zone and watched as the reigning 1A Champs hit pay dirt with around 7:00 to go in the final quarter to take a 7-0 victory in the driving rain. Somerset has a chance for immediate redemption as they travel to Hazard (2-0) to take on the #2 Bulldogs, the defending Runner-Up. - Owensboro Catholic (1-2) got beat up by rival 5A Owensboro both figuratively and literally. The Red Devils controlled the game throughout en route to a 47-12 victory. The hitting was heavy and the Aces may have paid the toll with more than just a loss on the scoreboard. Sensational Junior QB Will Warren left the game prematurely after sustaining an injury from a big hit. Owensboro Catholic has surprisingly struggled this season to sustain success on the ground, Warren had been the most consistent Offensive producer this season hitting 63/101 of his passes for 581 yards and 4 TD's with no Interceptions. The Aces should be able to gain some confidence this week against a South Spencer (IN) team which they beat by 30 points last season. - After the conclusion of Week 2 only eight Class 2A teams remain undefeated. Last week we highlighted Todd County Central. The Rebels had an open week so obviously the remain 2-0, but the other team who has surprised people with their unblemished mark is the Green County Dragons. Green County (3-0) has outscored their competition 119-19. Green will look to keep their flawless mark going as they take on 1A Campbellsville (0-3) at the Eagles' homefield. On Deck: - Mayfield (3-0) continues to roll in very impressive fashion. The Cardinals completely outclassed a ranked 3A Paducah Tilghman squad 47-14. The most surprising aspect of Mayfield's dominant Offense (Averaging over 45 points per game) has been their balance. Eight different Cardinals have accounted for an Offensive TD in Varsity action. The Cardinals will now take on 6A McCracken County (1-2). Since McCracken County was formed in 2013 this rivalry has been separated by a total of one point. The teams have split going 2-2 so far and not a single game has had greater than a TD margin. - Glasgow (3-0) will face perhaps their stiffest test of the season at 4A Allen County- Scottsville. The Patriots bring their own unblemished record to the contest and have been one of the more surprising teams in Class 4A. Allen County- Scottsville is led by one of the state's most productive receivers on this young season in Jacob Lightfoot. The Junior already has 9 Touchdowns and nearly 500 yards receiving through three games. Worth a Closer Look: - Owen County (2-1) has a chance to earn some Top 15 consideration taking on 1A Fairview (1-1). The Rebels only blemish so far was stepping up in class against 4A Bourbon County. The Eagles enter fresh off a loss to Nicholas County and may be vulnerable for an upset. The Rebels would be well served to gather some momentum as they take on Walton-Verona in two weeks in a massive District 5 clash.

Winning Ugly Looks Oh So Good for Somerset; Danville Up Next Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and right now for Somerset fans they may be witnessing a work of art while other fans may be seeing a less than desirable score. Somerset relied on a stout defense and just enough Offense to outlast 1A Raceland 16-13 on the road to improve to 5-2. The recipe that led to victory is becoming a common one for the team with the gold-plated helmets. Somerset is averaging an underwhelming 13 points per game over their last six results, yet their Defense has rose to the occasion allowing less than 10 points per game in that stretch as the Jumpers have went 5-1 against teams that are all ranked in their respective classes when the Jumpers played them. Somerset’s identity is certainly taking shape and now they hope their unique personality may pay dividends in a 2A Class and more specifically a District where Offense has reigned supreme. Somerset will face arguably their stiffest test Friday as they host top-ranked Danville at the Briar Patch. Last season Somerset hung tough against the eventual State Final delegate before falling to the Admirals 25-7. Danville enters as one of only three undefeated Class 2A teams remaining. Danville is dealing with some injury woes right now and have had to rely on some 4th Quarter heroics to win two of their last three games. Danville came from behind to knock off 6A Tates Creek 27-24 thanks in large part to a beautiful pass from Zach Thornton to David Walker in what would amount to the game winning score. In the 2016 game Somerset had no answer for Admiral RB Donlevy Harris. Harris went off for 291 yards as he almost single handily willed the Ads to victory. Harris will be an anchor sized question mark heading into Friday after missing the Tates Creek game with injury Danville has the unfortunate luck of having to travel to both Somerset and Lexington Christian Academy this season for their District clashes. With a huge Class 2A showdown in Louisville, the attention of Class 2A will certainly be pulled in two different directions on Friday. Kind of a Big Deal; Colts and Centurions Re-New Hatred At this point in time you can use a Sharpie to write in that any time Christian Academy- Louisville and DeSales meets that it will be one of the “Must Watch” games in the Commonwealth. DeSales will load up the buses and take either of the Jefferson County by-passes to the Eastern edge of the City Limits to take on CAL in the latest installment in one of Kentucky’s hottest rivalries. Christian Academy- Louisville has not been the accommodating host for the Colts during the regular season in the rivalry’s recent past. The Centurions have won the last three regular season meetings off English Station Way, they also took the win at home last season in the Regional Finals 21-14. DeSales seems to be a bit of a different animal than their 2016 edition. Entering last seasons’ games the Colts were a team struggling to find an Offensive identity, DeSales was plagued with a lack of play making ability and at times seemed to even struggle to move the ball against the stiffer competition on the schedule. In 2017, DeSales has seemingly righted the ship and have found a nice groove. Aaron Pfaadt has emerged as an excellent game manager at the Quarterback position and the Colts rotate platoons of Running Backs that offer differing looks and skill sets. Tyrell Watkins has emerged as their big play back and has been superb this season. The Colts always have a stout Defense and this year has been no different. Ryan O’Shea and Santonio Hickman are both guys with the ability to turn a game with their big play ability on the other side of the ball. Christian Academy- Louisville will enter with some mystery. The Centurions are currently playing without Junior QB Austin Carr and missed him sorely two weeks ago when they lost to Newport Central Catholic, his availability for Friday’s game is unknown. Milton Wright is one of Kentucky’s top talents, let alone Class 2A, and he has been asked to pick up the slack in Carr’s absence. Against 6A Meade County Wright did just that as he ran the ball 18 times for 95 yards and 3 TD’s, for good measure he took a kickoff the maximum distance allowable in High School by racing 99 yards for a score. Taking on a Defense as formidable as DeSales, CAL will need to be more than a one man show to come away with the win. Regardless if Carr plays or not, Anthony Harris will have to come up big Friday. The Senior Back will have to establish an inside running game to free up Wright’s explosiveness outside. Whoever comes out on top may very well earn the distinction of the “team to beat” in the West. Most people anticipate that this will be the first of two times these teams will end up playing, so the ability to lock in home field for a potential November showdown will be a big deal. Around the State: - Monroe County may not be flying under the radar much longer after cruising past Metcalfe County 42-13 on the road. Ty Mink continued to impress and now the Falcons suddenly control their own destiny with a crucial battle with Glasgow looming after taking a week off. Glasgow crushed Green County 50-0. You can see the highlights from the Monroe County vs. Metcalfe County game below courtesy of WBKO: Football Friday Night Week Seven: Metcalfe County vs. Monroe County - Prestonsburg essentially locked up their District Title by defeating Leslie County with relative ease 36-17. The Blackcats improve to 3-3 with the win and should be able to gain some momentum the next three weeks. You can see the highlights from last night’s victory below courtesy of WYMT: HIGHLIGHTS: Leslie County vs. Prestonsburg - Todd County Central assured themselves a .500 record in the regular season and their most successful winning season since 1995 by defeating Caverna 58-24 to improve to 5-1. Asa Young is developing into a dynamic two-way threat and MaQuriem Mimms continued to build on his excellent season. If the Rebels can knock off McLean County Friday they will assure themselves a winning season. WBKO also has highlights of last night’s game here: Football Friday Night Week Seven: Todd County Central vs Caverna Worth a Closer Look: Hancock County (4-2) has been a pleasant surprise this season and will have a chance to upset the apple cart when they travel to take on Owensboro Catholic (4-3). The Hornets have the inside track to hosting a home playoff game and will all but lock up a District Title if they can pull off the upset. The success of Hancock County can be attributed to two different things. First, the running of Gage Gray. Gray has emerged as one of the tougher backs in Class 2A and averages over 100 yards per game. Secondly, Hancock County has been exceptional at turning teams over. The Hornets are turning teams over almost three times per game.

CAL Centurions (13-1) Head Coach Stefon LeFors STARTING OFFENSE LT #51 Soph Nathan Green, 6'2 218 LG #76 JR Luke Greene, 6'1 204 C #61 SR Michael Lagestee, 6'2 220 RG #57 JR Nick Olsofka, 6'3 270 RT #75 FR John Young, 6'3 230 FR TE #80 SR Jake Paulson, 6'5 250 QB #15 SOPH Austin Carr, 6'2 200 HB # 6 SR Anteneh Thompson, 5'9 180 WR #7 SR Jared Dupps, 6'3 182 WR #17 SR Nick Weaver, 6'3 195 WR #3 SOPH Milton Wright, 6'2 175 CAL OFFENSE: 5 Seniors, 2 Juniors, 3 Sophomores, 1 Freshman STARTING DEFENSE LE #80 SR Jake Paulson, 6'5 250 LT # 57 JR Nick Olsofka 6'3, 270 RT # 51 SR Michael Lagestee, 6'2 220 RE # 82 SR Kenneth Purvis, 6'5 215 LB #33 SR Christian Babin, 5'8 150 LB #24 SOPH Jack Payne, 5'8 180 MLB #55 SR Logan Young, 5'11 189 CB #2 JR Ryan Lagestee, 5'10 157 SS #5 SR Cade Sparrow, 5'10 165 FS #3 SOPH Milton Wright, 6'2 175 CB #9 SOPH Elijah Smith, 5'10 151 CAL DEFENSE: 6 Seniors, 2 Juniors, 3 Sophomores CAL Average O-Line: 6'2 232 CAL Average Offensive Skill: 6'1 186 CAL Average Front 7: 6'1 210 CAL Average Secondary: 5'11 162 Vs. KY Top 50 (using Calpreps Overall State Ranking): 5-1 #10 Simon Kenton L 41-14 #21 Mayfield W 48-24 #22 Central W 44-14 #25 DeSales W 12-7 #25 DeSales W 21-14 #48 Eastern W 34-11 Additional Losses Outside KY Top 50: None CPU Ratings: Calpreps #1 2A, #12 Overall Litkenhous #2 2A, #23 Overall Rushing Yards (Per Game): 2151 (153.6) Passing Yards (Per Game): 1674 (119.6) Points Per Game: 38.9 Rushing Yards Allowed (Per Game): 949 (67.8) Passing Yards Allowed (Per Game): 1505 (107.5) Points Allowed Per Game: 11.7 Danville Admirals (12-2) Head Coach: Clay Clevenger STARTING OFFENSE: LT JR #53 Christian Hill, 6'1 235 LG SOPH #57 Isiah Singleton, 5'10 270 C SOPH #73 Pierce Haines, 5'10 260 RG SOPH #74 Jaylon Brashear, 5'10 270 RT SOPH #56 Kishown Bartleson, 5'10 220 TE JR #4 Jaleel Warren, 6'0 200 QB SR #18 Zach Dampier, 6'3 185 RB JR #23 Donlevy Harris, 5'9 180 WR JR #3, David Walker, 6'0 175 WR JR #7 Dmauriae VanCleave, 5'7 160 WR SR # 13, Ellison Stanfield, 5'11 175 DANVILLE Starting Offense: 2 Seniors, 5 Juniors, 4 Sophomores STARTING DEFENSE LT JR #53 Christian Hill, 6'1 235 NG JR #51 Hayden Graves, 5'9 300 RT SOPH #22 James Patton, 6'0 195 OLB JR #4 Jaleel Warren, 6'0 200 OLB JR #14 Ethan Downey, 5'11 175 WLB JR #23 Donlevy Harris, 5'9 180 MLB JR #50 Keshawn Railey, 5'11 195 CB JR #7 Dmauriae VanCleave, 5'7 160 SS SR #13 Ellison Stanfield, 5'11 175 FS SOPH #15 Zach Thornton, 6'1 160 CB JR #3 David Walker, 6'0 175 DANVILLE Starting Defense: 1 Senior, 8 Juniors, 2 Sophomores DANVILLE Average O-Line: 5'11 242 DANVILLE Average Offensive Skill: 5'11 175 DANVILLE Average Front 7: 5'11 211 DANVILLE Average Secondary: 5'11 168 Vs. KY Top 50 (using Calpreps Overall State Ranking): 2-2 #20 Corbin L 28-7 #31 LCA W 34-28 #31 LCA L 42-40 #34 Southwestern W 35-34 Additional Losses Outside KY Top 50: None CPU Ratings: Calpreps #4 2A, #27 Overall Litkenhous #4 2A, #30 Overall Rushing Yards (Per Game): 1671 (119.4) Passing Yards (Per Game): 3498 (249.9) Points Per Game: 39.7 Rushing Yards Allowed (Per Game): 1509 (107.8) Passing Yards Allowed (Per Game): 1763 (125.9) Points Allowed Per Game: 17.0 CALPREPS PROJECTION: CAL by 10 LITKENHOUS PROJECTION: CAL by 6

I honestly think my wife is the only person I know who still watches ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Just yesterday she reminded me to be sure to set the DVR to ensure it records the season premier this week. In honor of my wife, and the compelling storylines of this past Friday's action I find it fitting to highlight all the McSteamy action we witnessed. Colts Pull Up Lame DeSales enjoyed the cat bird seat in 2A all by their lonesome for one week. Following the Mayfield loss to McCracken County last week the Colts were the unanimous choice in the Bluegrasspreps.com 2A Rankings. Between a very talented 5A Fern Creek Defense and some critical injuries including one to QB Austin Johnson the Colts were unable to find their groove and put up a goose egg on the scoreboard in their 14-0 defeat. Johnson played through injury but it is unclear the extent of what he suffered, The Colts also saw one of their starting HB's leave and unable to return. Suffice to say the BYE is a welcome relief to heal up. Cards' Future Not As Bright Anymore Mayfield rolled over rival 5A Graves County 46-14, but the storyline after the game was the injury to super star RB Trajon Bright. Bright departed the game with what appeared to be a substantial arm injury and early reports are he may be out for a good chunk of the regular season and possibly into the playoffs. What does this mean you may ask? For those not familiar with the Junior RB he is arguably the top back in 2A and rushed for nearly 2000 yards last season. Without Bright Mayfield loses by far their biggest home run threat and a kid who has a knack for coming up huge on the biggest stage. Mr. Smith's Discharge As possibly the top RB in 2A departs to the injured reserve, another exploded back into form. Newport Central Catholic opened the year 0-2 without Jacob Smith and earned a hard fought win over Campbell County despite Smith playing a limited role do to cramps. After a tough matchup with Belfry in his first full action, Smith put on full display the difference he makes at 100% as his Breds pummeled an improved 4A Harrison County. Smith exploded for 234 rushing yards and 4 TD's and NewCath gained 470 yards total in the 47-7 rout. For comparison sake in NewCath's first three games they scored a combined 35 points and gained a combined 212 rushing yards (49 of that total even being what Smith gained in his limited role in Game 3). Expect NewCath to quickly round into form with a healthy lineup. Walton-Verona's Defibrillator Moment Many, including the Bluegrasspreps' Staff, had almost put a toe tag on Walton-Verona following their 0-4 start. The Bearcats though got new life as they upset #8 Lexington Christian Academy and handed the Eagles their first loss of the season.Walton-Verona finally found the sweet spot between their inconsistent offense and shaky Defense to limit the explosive Eagles to 27 points. Walton-Verona is a scary team if they can find their footing and gain confidence. Sitting in Region 3-District 5 they have the potential honor of hosting the playoffs if they are able to secure a District Title. Let's see how they do now that their season has been resuscitated. This Week's Diagnosis - The matchup that gets rushed to the front of the line will be Owensboro Catholic and Butler County duking it out for District 2 Supremacy. This matchup will also tell us who the top QB in 2A is as well. - Mayfield's M.A.S.H. unit plays a rare mid-season Neutral site game at Lindsey Wilson College vs. a ranked 3A Corbin team. Outside of Bright the Cardinals have some additional bumps and bruises on Defense and Corbin is a team desperate for some momentum. - Lloyd Memorial hosts a ranked 3A Garrard County team. The Juggs Non-District schedule was significantly upgraded and this will be another nice piece of prep work to prepare them ultimately for Newport Central Catholic. - In a battle of two proud Western Kentucky teams who are firmly under the radar as Title Contenders Murray travels to 1A Russellville. These are two physical and talented teams and for someone needing a game to watch, this is one I would highly recommend.

First, Let's Start With The Lead Pony Though this week's notebook will be focused more on some of the teams outside of the Top 10, we would be doing a disservice if we did not address the biggest win of the Week. Mayfield looked like a juggernaut for a Half against #2 3A Corbin. The Cards jumped out to a big lead, even missing Mr. Everything Trajon Bright, before having to hold off fatigue and a late Redhound push in the Second Half. For the other 2A Contenders the Second Half has to serve as a ray of hope as Mayfield is uncharacteristically struggling to close out games. With that said, despite some heaving breathing and some hands on hips, Mayfield did what has been a hallmark of their legendary program and they won the game at closing time despite Uncle Mo trending the other way. Now On To The Darkhorses... Somerset Briar Jumpers (3-2)- Somerset has been a fixture on the tip of the Bluegrasspreps Class 2A Top 10 since Week 0. Somerset clearly has a tough team and their two losses have both been to solid ranked foes. BEST WIN? 33-15 over 1A Hazard BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 20-26 against 4A Rockcastle County BAD LOSS? None, though the 22 point loss to Beechwood could have been better CALPREPS S.O.S= 11, 1st of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: Oct. 14 vs. LCA I think most agree Danville may be too much right now, but LCA is a game that Somerset must view as a "Must Win" to avoid spending the playoffs on the road. Metcalfe County Hornets (4-2)-The team that has shown more in defeat than victory. Metcalfe's four wins have not came against high level competition but their two losses have. With Monroe County struggling a bit can they make a push? BEST WIN? 30-21 over 3A Edmonson County BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 28-37 vs. 3A Adair County BAD LOSS? None, Franklin-Simpson is the real deal CALPREPS S.O.S= -5.1, 2nd of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th @ Monroe County, If Metcalfe wants to get any respect it has to begin on the road against Monroe County. Butler County Bears (3-3)- The team with the great individual player but a tough District path. BEST WIN? 35-28 over 3A Edmonson County BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 42-50 against 1A Russellville, losing by a score to the #1 1A team... that's pretty stout. BAD LOSS? 29-33 vs. 5A Apollo, Apollo is usually one of those 5A teams you schedule to build confidence. CALPREPS S.O.S= -5.4, 3rd of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: 42-28 Loss vs. Owensboro Catholic. The loss certainly hurts their chances and potentially makes their playoff path much harder, but losing by 14 to the Aces also legitimizes Butler as a team with a "chance" to make noise. Leslie County Eagles (4-1)- The team with the best chance to finish 9-1 and still be on the outside of the Top 10. BEST WIN? 35-0 over 3A Knott Central, not really very impressive except the shutout stands out against a team that has put up a ton of points. BAD WIN? 16-13 over 1A Williamsburg, the Yellowjackets are not a bad team but only winning by three is not exactly overwhelming. BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? 18-22 against 5A South Laurel, the 3-3 Cards are usually one of 5A's weakest teams. CALPREPS S.O.S= -23.1, 7th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 7th vs. Prestonsburg, the Blackcats may be down but they remain the measuring stick of District 8 McLean County Cougars (4-1)- A Class 2A team with two wins over 4A teams, a 6A team, and their lone loss to an undefeated 6A Team. Hmm.... BEST WIN? 52-35 over 6A Ohio County, a bad 6A team..but a 6A team nonetheless BAD WIN? 16-7 over 1A Crittenden County, the Rockets aren't in peak condition and this margin probably needed to be more. BEST LOSS? 32-34 against 6A Muhlenberg County, a 2 point loss to a 5-0 6A team. BAD LOSS? None CALPREPS S.O.S= -17.6, 6th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th @ Owensboro Catholic, here's your stage McLean! With the Butler County already a loss down in the District McLean can control their own destiny with an upset. Allen Central Runnin' Rebels (5-0)- Three undefeated teams remain in 2A... Mayfield, LCA, and.... Allen Central? BEST WIN? None, the SOS has been painful BAD WIN? None, their wins are painfully "blah" BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? None CALPREPS S.O.S= -45.5, 8th and Last of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th vs. Leslie County, Allen Central really hasn't played a team with a solid chance of winning a playoff game. Here is their shot. Win and suddenly they become a bonafide threat to win their District and secure home field advantage. Gallattin County Wildcats (4-2)- The Metcalfe County of Northern Kentucky. BEST WIN? 31-27 over 1A Bracken County, the Polar Bears' only loss BAD WIN? 17-15 over 1A Ludlow, the Panthers are a very mediocre 1A team BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? 32-0 against Switzerland County, Indiana. The Swiss Pacers were one of Indiana's worst teams regardless of class in 2015. They may be improved but 32 points is a bad loss. CALPREPS S.O.S= -16.4, 4th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 21st @ Owen County, The Rebels have taken some losses against a slightly updated schedule and most likely will be the team to beat in District 5 Owen County Rebels (2-3)- Bad record but decent resume. BEST WIN? None BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 10-14 against 3A Henry County, Henry is not exactly a 3A Powerhouse but they are stronger than anyone in Owen's District so a four point loss is fairly solid. BAD LOSS? None, Western Hills is better than expected so the blowout doesn't hurt as much CALPREPS S.O.S= -16.5, 5th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 21st vs. Gallatin County, See Above.

First, Let's Start With The Lead Pony Though this week's notebook will be focused more on some of the teams outside of the Top 10, we would be doing a disservice if we did not address the biggest win of the Week. Mayfield looked like a juggernaut for a Half against #2 3A Corbin. The Cards jumped out to a big lead, even missing Mr. Everything Trajon Bright, before having to hold off fatigue and a late Redhound push in the Second Half. For the other 2A Contenders the Second Half has to serve as a ray of hope as Mayfield is uncharacteristically struggling to close out games. With that said, despite some heaving breathing and some hands on hips, Mayfield did what has been a hallmark of their legendary program and they won the game at closing time despite Uncle Mo trending the other way. Now On To The Darkhorses... Somerset Briar Jumpers (3-2)- Somerset has been a fixture on the tip of the Bluegrasspreps Class 2A Top 10 since Week 0. Somerset clearly has a tough team and their two losses have both been to solid ranked foes. BEST WIN? 33-15 over 1A Hazard BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 20-26 against 4A Rockcastle County BAD LOSS? None, though the 22 point loss to Beechwood could have been better CALPREPS S.O.S= 11, 1st of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: Oct. 14 vs. LCA I think most agree Danville may be too much right now, but LCA is a game that Somerset must view as a "Must Win" to avoid spending the playoffs on the road. Metcalfe County Hornets (4-2)-The team that has shown more in defeat than victory. Metcalfe's four wins have not came against high level competition but their two losses have. With Monroe County struggling a bit can they make a push? BEST WIN? 30-21 over 3A Edmonson County BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 28-37 vs. 3A Adair County BAD LOSS? None, Franklin-Simpson is the real deal CALPREPS S.O.S= -5.1, 2nd of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th @ Monroe County, If Metcalfe wants to get any respect it has to begin on the road against Monroe County. Butler County Bears (3-3)- The team with the great individual player but a tough District path. BEST WIN? 35-28 over 3A Edmonson County BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 42-50 against 1A Russellville, losing by a score to the #1 1A team... that's pretty stout. BAD LOSS? 29-33 vs. 5A Apollo, Apollo is usually one of those 5A teams you schedule to build confidence. CALPREPS S.O.S= -5.4, 3rd of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: 42-28 Loss vs. Owensboro Catholic. The loss certainly hurts their chances and potentially makes their playoff path much harder, but losing by 14 to the Aces also legitimizes Butler as a team with a "chance" to make noise. Leslie County Eagles (4-1)- The team with the best chance to finish 9-1 and still be on the outside of the Top 10. BEST WIN? 35-0 over 3A Knott Central, not really very impressive except the shutout stands out against a team that has put up a ton of points. BAD WIN? 16-13 over 1A Williamsburg, the Yellowjackets are not a bad team but only winning by three is not exactly overwhelming. BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? 18-22 against 5A South Laurel, the 3-3 Cards are usually one of 5A's weakest teams. CALPREPS S.O.S= -23.1, 7th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 7th vs. Prestonsburg, the Blackcats may be down but they remain the measuring stick of District 8 McLean County Cougars (4-1)- A Class 2A team with two wins over 4A teams, a 6A team, and their lone loss to an undefeated 6A Team. Hmm.... BEST WIN? 52-35 over 6A Ohio County, a bad 6A team..but a 6A team nonetheless BAD WIN? 16-7 over 1A Crittenden County, the Rockets aren't in peak condition and this margin probably needed to be more. BEST LOSS? 32-34 against 6A Muhlenberg County, a 2 point loss to a 5-0 6A team. BAD LOSS? None CALPREPS S.O.S= -17.6, 6th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th @ Owensboro Catholic, here's your stage McLean! With the Butler County already a loss down in the District McLean can control their own destiny with an upset. Allen Central Runnin' Rebels (5-0)- Three undefeated teams remain in 2A... Mayfield, LCA, and.... Allen Central? BEST WIN? None, the SOS has been painful BAD WIN? None, their wins are painfully "blah" BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? None CALPREPS S.O.S= -45.5, 8th and Last of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: September 30th vs. Leslie County, Allen Central really hasn't played a team with a solid chance of winning a playoff game. Here is their shot. Win and suddenly they become a bonafide threat to win their District and secure home field advantage. Gallattin County Wildcats (4-2)- The Metcalfe County of Northern Kentucky. BEST WIN? 31-27 over 1A Bracken County, the Polar Bears' only loss BAD WIN? 17-15 over 1A Ludlow, the Panthers are a very mediocre 1A team BEST LOSS? None BAD LOSS? 32-0 against Switzerland County, Indiana. The Swiss Pacers were one of Indiana's worst teams regardless of class in 2015. They may be improved but 32 points is a bad loss. CALPREPS S.O.S= -16.4, 4th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 21st @ Owen County, The Rebels have taken some losses against a slightly updated schedule and most likely will be the team to beat in District 5 Owen County Rebels (2-3)- Bad record but decent resume. BEST WIN? None BAD WIN? None BEST LOSS? 10-14 against 3A Henry County, Henry is not exactly a 3A Powerhouse but they are stronger than anyone in Owen's District so a four point loss is fairly solid. BAD LOSS? None, Western Hills is better than expected so the blowout doesn't hurt as much CALPREPS S.O.S= -16.5, 5th of the Darkhorses TALE OF THE TAPE GAME: October 21st vs. Gallatin County, See Above.

REGION I It is only fitting that when you begin to preview the teams in Class 2A moving from West to East, the top of the bracket begins with District 1 Champion Mayfield as the very first team on the bracket. The Cardinals have grown accustomed to being on top and as they begin their Class 2A Title Defense, they enter as the favorite. Mayfield has put the finishing touches on a 10-0 season and should hold court at home the first two rounds with limited resistance. The law firm of Bright, Arnett, & Lumson has lit up scoreboards all season and will continue their path of destruction through King Rex and Butler County. Awaiting them in the Regional Finals will be their first real test as Owensboro Catholic will host a re-match of a much-anticipated playoff game from last season. The Aces have a balanced Offense and a dynamic playmaker in RB Vonn Williams, but Catholic must play their best game of the season on Defense to hang with the Cardinals. Last year Catholic found the recipe to hinder Mayfield’s pace but could not sustain enough Offensive success to overcome the Cardinals. Neither team is quite as good on Defense as last season, but Mayfield has proven every bit as lethal on Offense and should be able to seal the game away late in one of those "Competitive but never in doubt" type of fashions. Region I Championship: Mayfield 33 Owensboro Catholic 14 REGION II In 2015 it was a two horse race for the Region II crown as heavy favorites Christian Academy- Louisville and DeSales went chalk with very little resistance. District 3 will put forth a little bit of a surprising delegate as Glasgow will look to close the gap on the two Louisville powers and try to run the gauntlet. Dessi Austin has been a revelation for the Scotties at Quarterback and has enough weapons around him to at the very least make DeSales a little timid in their 2nd Round meeting. The Colts have a Championship Defense, but have struggled to find their footing on Offense and could be an outside shot of an upset pick in Round 2 as they head to Southern Kentucky. Expect Glasgow to put a formidable fight up, but fate will once again align for yet another CAL vs. DeSales Regional Finals game. Stefan LeFors' band of Centurions benefited greatly by securing the one seed with their regular season win over DeSales. Not only do they get a more favorable path to the Regional Finals, they also get the advantage of Home Field Advantage over in Eastern Jefferson County. Expect CAL to make short work of an undermanned Metcalfe County to set up their date with destiny. We all know now that DeSales owns CAL come November. The Centurions have had teams capable of being State Champions but have yet to advance beyond the Third Round as DeSales has put a stranglehold in the re-match department. The first meeting between these two proved to be everything it was billed as, a defensive war won by a team just able to make enough big plays to win. Why will CAL finally overcome the DeSales hurdle? Milton Wright. The Standout Sophomore will be the most dynamic athlete on the field and will make enough plays for CAL to break their playoff curse and survive another “slobber knocker”. Region II Championship: Christian Academy- Louisville 21 DeSales 13 REGION III Welcome to the Newport Central Catholic Invitational Tournament! Make yourself at home, grab some hot chocolate, but don’t forget to take all your gear with you when you get eliminated. NewCath has made themselves accustomed to Thanksgiving football and will once again be the favorite to advance out of Region 3 once more. The Breds may not have the star player with the eye popping stats, but they make up for it with an overall efficient team with great size and grit that is hard for other 2A foes to match. NewCath got pushed a little by Lloyd Memorial toward the end of the regular season, but the Juggs look like a team with doubt and probably do not have the Offensive Firepower to get the job done in the re-match. The District 5 teams typically have a hard time handling the schools from closer to the Ohio River. Walton-Verona continues to show signs of being a young program with staying power, but the Bearcats were outscored by District 6’s 2nd and 3rd seeded teams a combined 82-0 to open the season. Covington Holy Cross will visit Bearcat Nation in Round 2 and I expect Walton-Verona to compete much better, but Barnes and Abernathy will simply have too much skill as Holy Cross wins a game that is never in doubt but never a running clock. Can the Indians get over the hump? Since the 6 Class System only one time has a team not named Newport Central Catholic represented the East, it was Holy Cross. The Indians learned some hard lessons in the regular season loss to the Thoroughbreds where they posted a donut in the scoring column. Expect some of those changes to help close the gap and make for a nip and tuck battle that comes down to the small details. In a game that field position is paramount and a Quarterback will be asked to make plays on 3rd and Medium, it will be the big leg of Trent Wrobleski and Patrick Henschen’s experience that prove the difference with a late drive on a short field. Region III Championship: Newport Catholic 22 Covington Holy Cross 20 REGION IV By now people are starting to forget that for about a 4 year stretch Lexington Christian Academy was one of Kentucky’s best small school programs. The Eagles have shown signs of flashes in recent years, but until LCA outlasted District foe Danville for a 42-40 win, LCA and their undefeated record was the Rodney Dangerfield on this season’s Class 2A season. Dillon Wheatley is getting hot at the right time after his production took a dip from 2015’s gaudy stats. LCA will need him to show up in the Second Round as the hard luck Briar Jumpers will seek revenge and a major upset. Somerset has struggled to close out the game for the big upset and expect more of the same as they will give LCA all they want before releasing the lead late. Danville rode momentum into the 2016 season and for the First Half of the season seemed to be the favorite by many to represent the East. The Admirals pass the look test and have a trio of skill players that nearly every 2A school would envy in the triumvirate of QB Zach Dampier, RB Don Harris, and WR Dmauriae VanCleave. The Admirals must feel as if there is work to be done after a narrow Semi-Finals loss in 2015 in a game they felt they should have won. The Admirals will out-athlete Allen Central and should be able to do the same against a pretty solid Leslie County team. Danville will need to keep their focus in Hyden as it is a tough place to play and Leslie County is an under the radar type of team who might be able to surprise the Ads early on if they are not prepared for the Eagles’ intensity. Danville though should be able to rally in the Second Half to secure the win in convincing fashion. Admiral fans had a bitter taste in their mouth following the loss to LCA in the regular season and some even chalked it up to being a fluke. What can’t be ignored though was the Eagles' balance on Offense and the success they sustained by keeping the Admiral Defense spread out and letting Wheatley pound for yards in the middle of the field. When simply squaring these teams up, it is hard to deny Danville looks the better team on paper, but there is something to be said for an undefeated team that still may not be getting the respect they deserve. Do not expect another score in the 80’s, but expect LCA to go stride for stride with the Admirals to the point that Danville fans have to wonder out loud “We should be winning this game!”. The game will be decided in the 4th Quarter by veteran leaders and this is where Danville finally gets the edge. Dampier makes the throws and the Ads survive an instant classic behind Fayette Mall. Region IV Championship: Danville 38 Lexington Christian Academy 34 STATE SEMIFINALS: Mayfield 28 CAL 16 Danville 26 Newport Central Catholic 10 STATE FINALS: Mayfield 36 Danville 19

We are now down to the Final 4, The Semi-Finals, The Fearsome Foursome, The Four Horsemen... but before we could get there an exciting week of Regional Finals first set the stage and in three of the Finals the driving factor was "REVENGE". (Insert Evil Laugh) Region I Championship: Mayfield 28 Owensboro Catholic 6 There was no revenge here, the Defending Champs battled a game Catholic squad to a 14-6 Halftime advantage in a hard hitting game that seemed to be hanging in the balance. As we have seen many times before, it was Coach Joe Morris' Halftime adjustments on Defense that set the tone in the second stanza and the Cards distanced themselves to pull out a "close, but not really close" 22-point victory. The game though did not have it's consequences for the Big Red. A controversial targeting call on the Cardinals defensive leader LB Kincer Arnett cost him an ejection and subsequent suspension for their Semi-Finals game. Region II Championship: CAL 21 DeSales 14 No victory had to be any sweeter than Christian Academy- Louisville's meat grinder of a win against rival DeSales. Much had been made of the streak of DeSales playoff wins and for the still fairly young CAL program this marked their first ever trip to the Semi-Finals. With a primarily young team as well, this may have also served as a bit of a changing of the guard in a rivalry that had previously featured the Colts holding the upper hand in bragging rights when it mattered. DeSales made the Centurions earn it. Despite nearly out gaining DeSales 3:1, it was not until just before the 2:00 mark in the 4th Quarter before the Centurions could get the key Touchdown from Senior Anteneh Thompson. The Centurions Defense was the star of the game holding the Colts to less than 50 total yards outside of a lone drive that resulted in tying the game at 14-14. Region III Championship: Covington Holy Cross 26 NewCath 21 They said they were going to do it, but most people refused to believe it. Despite bold claims from Indian fans , many doubted that Holy Cross would flip a 21-0 loss, but the Indians utilized a physical running game to churn out 304 yards on the ground to end the Thoroughbreds reign of terror on Region III competition. The Indians' dynamic duo of Abernathy and Barnes were sensational combining for the following stat line: 41 carries, 283 rushing yards, 2 Rushing TD's, 12 Solo Tackles, and a Pick 6. The Indians held NewCath's HB's to a meager 4 total rushing yards, but it was a controversial call that left everyone talking in the wake. NewCath scored what appeared to be the game winning TD on a fumble recovery and score following a kickoff, yet the call on the field was that the knee was down on the recovering player thus negating the score. Region IV Championship: Danville 34 LCA 28 In a game that lived up to the hype, Danville survived a gritty performance from LCA to avenge an "Instant Classic" regular season game and reach the Semi's for the 2nd consecutive season. Perhaps the game's most critical play was one of it's earliest plays. LCA looked to set the tone early with a drive to the Admiral goal line, but a Pick 6 but the Ads "Mr. Versatility" Dmaurae VanCleave gave an instant 14-point swing. The Junior speedster was sensational, and his highlights had only began. He added a 99 yard kickoff return TD as well, and for good measure went off for a team high 8 Catches and a vital 115 yards receiving. LCA would still churn up nearly 500 total yards behind bruising Dillon Wheatley and the sure handed WR Ryan Stucky, and the Eagles rebounded from a 2nd Half deficit to take a late lead. The Admirals though, as the Notebook predicted last week, turned to Senior QB Zach Dampier and the veteran gunslinger answered. Dampier led the Ads on one final drive that culminated with the eventual game deciding score. A Black (and Blue) Friday? With the Semi-Finals set., we now shape up to have probably one of the most anticipated Final 4's in recent years with quite possibly the best collection of game breakers and raw talent that we have seen on the Friday after Thanksgiving in Class 2A that I can remember. The theme of the week is going to be physicality though. All four teams enter after brutally physical Regional Final wins and all four teams have big hitters on each side of the ball that will add a little more pain on existing bruises. How The West Will Be Won? CAL Will Win If: The Centurions can win the turnover battle and can generate pressure on Cardinal QB Landon Arnett. The turnover battle is a must, but may be more within their control. The pressure? Well that's going to be a tough task against a Cardinal team that has mastered the art of a cohesive line and the use of quick intermediate passing. Simply put, if CAL doesn't force the hand of the Cardinals and find ways to turn them over or create momentum type plays, the Centurions Offense will struggle to put up enough points to outduel the Champs. Mayfield Will Win If: The Cardinals can establish Trajon Bright on Offense and can limit Milton Wright on Defense. As mentioned above, any path to victory for the Centurions will revolve around playing in the Cardinals' backfield and disrupting their timing. The easiest way to eliminate a heavy pass rush? Establish your big play HB in both the running game and as a receiving threat and force the Centurions to think before they bring heat. In a game filled with sensational individual talents, Milton Wright may be the best of the lot. He also may be the most valuable to his teams' success. CAL has not exactly been the Greatest Show on Turf on Offense and when a big play has been needed it has been Wight that they have turned to. If Mayfield can take away Wright, the CAL offense will struggle to find guys who can change the scoreboard lights. Who Will Win? Mayfield... but this one is going to be fun. If you are a fan of well coached, well executed, and Defensive-Centric football this will be down your alley. Who Will Emerge In The East? Danville Will Win If: The Ads can successfully swing for the fences. Region III was a lot of good things, but what they were not were a bunch of teams with elite level speed and athletes in the passing game. The Indians thrive best in a nasty game where every yard is hard to earn and they can win psychologically by battering you to death on Offense. The Admirals ability to take the top off the Defense in the passing game, or turn a routine 7 yard carry into a 70 yard carry, is ultimately their biggest advantage. Holy Cross has had issues defending the pass and Danville must take full advantage of this. Holy Cross Will Win If: They keep this game in the 20's or below. If the Indians can force the Ads to drive and can successfully ground and pound Danville they will be tough to beat in the 4th Quarter when fatigue starts to set in. As good as Danville's skill guys are, they are not the physical specimens that Barnes and Abernathy are and they are not best suited for a cold night when oxygen comes over burning lungs and lactic acid. Holy Cross needs to keep Danville's speed in front of them and tackle perfectly. On Offense the Indians have to keep the sticks moving, the clock running, and Zach Dampier's dangerous arm on the sideline as much as possible. Who Will Win? Danville... never underestimate a Senior QB who knows how to win games. The Ads also bring those X-factors in Special teams that can change a scoreboard with "bonus" points. Holy Cross is going to make this one a war and are very capable of winning, but Danville has just a few too many scoring threats for a Defense that hasn't been stellar against passing teams. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wayne County weathered through a couple of tough weeks in going 1-1 against Rockcastle County and Knox Central before leaning into the bye with a 59-30 pasting of Russell County. The Cardinals are a strong 7-2 entering this trip to Monroe County, a team the Cardinals edged 35-21 a season ago. Monroe County would appear to be a significant underdog this time around, snapping their four game losing streak with a win over Green County last week, and will be staring down the barrel of two straight brutal matchups, with DeSales waiting in the playoffs. The Falcons are just 3-6 on the season. Will Wayne County send them in with a 3-7 record?

As we enter the final week of the regular season the Class 2A District Standings have been finalized and the playoff brackets have been set. Though Class 2A remains as perhaps the deepest class in Kentucky, it is pretty apparent who the top contenders for the Title are as get set to enter November. Today we are going to give a quick view of each of these Top Contenders and break them down. All stats, Strength of Schedule, and computer rankings will be via what has been submitted to the KHSAA and Calpreps. Mayfield Cardinals Record: 9-0 Best Win(s): 3A #2 Corbin (35-34), 6A #14 McCracken County (46-41) Best Loss(s): None Worst Loss(s): None Biggest Strength: Balance and Offense. The Cardinals have been an Offensive Machine and have gotten it done both passing and rushing. Biggest Weakness: None Potential Weakness: It is hard to find fault in the Cardinals, but against their two stiffest tests Mayfield allowed 75 points and seemed to wear down toward the end of the game. CAL Centurions Record: 8-1 Best Win(s): #3 DeSales (12-7), 3A #7 Central (44-14) Best Loss(s): 6A #3 Simon Kenton (41-14) Worst Loss(s): None Biggest Strength: DEFENSE! Outside of the early season loss to a very good Simon Kenton the Centurions have average allowing a meager 9.75 point per game. Biggest Weakness: None Potential Weakness: In their two toughest challenges the Centurions averaged 13 points and struggled to consistently move the ball on the ground. DeSales Colts Record: 7-2 Best Win(s): 5A #10 Fern Creek (27-14), 6A #18 North Hardin (41-14) Best Loss(s): #2 CAL (12-7), 6A #12 Ballard (25-10) Worst Loss(s): None Biggest Strength: Defense, specifically Run Defense. The Colts have only allowed more than two Touchdowns once all season and sport five shutouts. They are allowing less than 70 yards rushing per game.The Colts definitely have a Championship Caliber Defense. Biggest Weakness: Big play ability and a "go to guy" on Offense. Austin Tharp is the closest thing they have but he doesn't even have 600 combined yards. The Colts have attacked by committee but have struggled to find the home run hitter in their two losses. Potential Weakness: Passing Game. The Colts have bounced between two QB's and have seemingly settled on Aaron Pfaadt. The bigger concern are the stats though. The two QB's have combined for a 40% completion percentage and have 6 Interceptions to 5 TD's. LCA Eagles Record: 9-0 Best Win(s): #5 Danville (42-40), #9 Somerset (41-28), #8 1A Kentucky Country Day (56-20) Best Loss(s): None Worst Loss(s): None Biggest Strength: Explosive Offensive Playmakers. Dillon Wheatley, Logan Nieves, Brayden Miller, Ryan Stucky, etc all have potential to go off on any given night. Biggest Weakness: Pass Defense. Danville lit the Eagles up for over 300 passing yards and Somerset found sustained success as well. Potential Weakness: The Eagles have made their payday playing down in class. LCA played no teams from Class 4A or Higher and will be a question mark when they finally face a team with great size and depth at the L.O.S Danville Admirals Record: 7-2 Best Wins: 5A #6 Southwestern (35-34), 3A # Boyle County (43-15), 2A #9 Somerset (25-7) Best Loss(s): #4 LCA (42-40) Worst Loss (s): 3A #2 Corbin (28-7) in a game that Corbin dominated throughout. Biggest Strength: Star Power! Zach Dampier, Don Harris, and Dmauriae VanCleave are as good of a trio as you will find in Kentucky. Biggest Weakness: Defending Balanced Offenses. Three times the Admirals have taken on High Level Offenses capable of running and throwing and three times they allowed 28 points or more. In those three games they averaged allowing 420 yards per game. Potential Weakness: Did Danville peak too early? Most had Danville as a top contender after the first three weeks but the Ads have not only seemingly came back to the pack, they may even be the third highest favorite in the East. Owensboro Catholic Aces Record: 8-1 Best Win(s): 5A #4 Owensboro (34-29) Best Loss(s): None Worst Loss(s): Evansville Mater Dei (54-20) (not a bad loss loss in terms of the team, but the margin is alarming) Biggest Strength: Offensive Balance. The usually pass happy Aces have went about it a little different. Behind standout RB Vonn Williams and consistent QB Will Warren you will be hard pressed to find a more balanced Offense as only 15 yards separate their rushing and passing totals. Biggest Weakness: Run Defense. The Aces have allowed nearly 1500 rushing yards despite a schedule filled with teams who prefer throwing the ball. Potential Weakness: Strength of Schedule, as compared to the other top contenders it is one of the weakest and the Aces have yet to see an elite level Defense comparable to the Top 3 Glasgow Scotties Record: 7-1 Best Win(s): None Best Loss(s): None Worst Loss(s): 5A # 5 Greenwood (45-12) Biggest Strength: QB Play. QB Dessi Austin has been outstanding. The Senior signal caller is completing 63% of his throws for 240 yards per game and has an eye popping 28 TD's compared to only 2 INT's. Biggest Weakness: Weak Strength of Schedule. Of the Top Contenders noone has played an easier schedule than the Scotties and to be fair it is not even close. With a brutal Region Path will they be able to rise to the challenge of potentially beating both DeSales and CAL? Potential Weakness: Rushing Defense. By and large Glasgow has done a pretty respectable job against the run, but against their lone toughest foe the Scotties were torched by Greenwood for over 400 yards on the ground. Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds Record: 5-4 Best Win(s): #10 Covington Holy Cross (21-0), #11 Lloyd Memorial (28-18) Best Loss(s): 6A #8 Conner 27-14, 6A #19 Campbell County (33-28) Worst Loss(s): 3A #1 Belfry (41-8), 6A #10 Cooper (45-14) Biggest Strength: Program Experience and Linebacker/DE Play. The Breds have became a fixture in the State Finals and always play a brutal schedule that allows them to peak late. As the Defending Eastern representative the Breds will be a tough out. They also have a very solid collection of DE's and Lb's with great size that will present matchup problems for msot 2A teams they face. Biggest Weakness: Lack of Big Play ability. NewCath has solid Offensive pieces and are well equipped to move the sticks, but do not have high level athletes with the ability to make sudden change points. In a class littered with players with home run ability and stingy defenses this could make a Championship difficult. Potential Weakness: Passing Efficiency. NewCath is averaging a passing TD per 25 attempts and only 7 yards gained per pass attempt average. By contrast they have throw two more INT's than TD passes. Covington Holy Cross Indians Record: 6-3 Best Win(s): #11 Lloyd Memorial (42-0) Best Loss(s): vs. 1A #3 Beechwood (40-33) Worst Loss(s): vs. # 8 NewCath (21-0), vs. Taft, OH (27-19) Biggest Strength: Two Dominant Two-Way Players. Xavier Abernathy and Derrick Barnes are elite level athletes and have bee dominant on each side of the ball. From a shear athleticism standpoint they are both probably Top 10 players in the Class. Biggest Weakness: Passing. The Indians have only mustered 69 passing yards per game and in their three defeats they completed 39% of their passes, averaged only 65 yards per game despite throwing it 54 times, and had as many INT's as TD's. Potential Weakness: Third Down Efficiency. Against Newport Central Catholic the Indians constantly struggled in 3rd Down situations after moving the sticks otherwise pretty well.