This Week's Games

OK, to understand how the Kentucky football playoffs work, it helps to realize that since the Commonwealth went to six classes, winning the state title means that you are the champion of somewhere between 32 and 41 teams:

Class 1A: 32 teams
Class 2A: 39 teams
Class 3A: 41 teams
Class 4A: 38 teams
Class 5A: 40 teams
Class 6A: 32 teams

Now remember that in each class, 32 teams make the playoffs. By contrast, the NFL -- which has 32 teams -- only allows 12 teams to make the playoffs. So usually, until you get down to the quarter-finals, you are looking at a lot of teams who are not really playoff-worthy.

This week, we have 16 teams playing in each class. So most of this week's games will not be very good. But there could be a few jewels in the mix. I am particularly interested in the Christian County/Warren Central game. Here are this week's playoff games in western Kentucky (home teams listed first). This is the last week we limit ourselves to our end of the Commonwealth. Next week, we'll look at all of the quarterfinals.

Class 1A:
Mayfield (11-0) v. Lou. Kentucky Country Day (9-2)
Lou. Holy Cross (10-1) v. Russellville (6-5)

Class 2A:
Murray (10-1) v. Hancock Co. (7-4)
Owensboro Catholic (11-0) v. Butler Co. (8-3)

Class 3A:
Paducah Tilghman (9-2) v. Monroe Co. (6-5)
Edmonson Co. (11-0) v. Fort Campbell (7-4)

Class 4A:
Lone Oak (9-2) v. Owensboro (5-6)
Franklin-Simpson (10-1) v. Madisonville-North Hopkins (9-2)

Class 5A:
Christian Co. (10-1) v. Warren Central (10-1)
Bowling Green (11-0) v. Greenwood (6-5)

Class 6A:
Henderson Co. (8-3) v. Lou. Pleasure Ridge Park (9-2)
Lou. Butler (9-2) v. Lou. Seneca (3-8)