OK, now there are only eight teams left in each class, so now we can have some real playoff games. This year, the western teams get home-field advantage in the quarters and semi-finals. That means that four teams in the Purchase get home games in the state quarter-finals this week. A huge week for the Purchase. Huge. For the record, I think the Purchase is the most underrated region of any state in America -- well above pretenders like the Eastern Shore of Maryland or the Texas Panhandle. GO PURCHASE TEAMS!!! REPRESENT!!!!
Home teams listed first. Private schools in italics:
Class 1A:
Mayfield (12-0) v. Lou. Holy Cross (11-1)
Frankfort (7-5) v. Beechwood (11-1)
Williamsburg (9-3) v. Hazard (9-2)
Fairview (12-0) v. Pikeville (10-2)
It's hard to avoid the conclusion that once again, this class will decided by a game between Beechwood and Mayfield. I would love to be at War Memorial Stadium in Mayfield when Beechwood rolls into town.
Class 2A:
Murray (11-1) v. Owensboro Catholic (12-0)
Glasgow (12-0) v. Lou. Christian Academy (8-4)
Newport Cent. Catholic (11-1) v. Cov. Holy Cross (9-3)
Somerset (8-4) v. Lex. Christian (6-6)
Lots of private schools here. I would love to see Murray get over the hump against Owensboro Catholic, but I don't think it will happen. Murray's team consists of kids who live in the Murray school district, which is one of the least-populated school districts in the Commonwealth. Owensboro Catholic, as far as I can tell, is effectively a Daviess County All-Star team, and Daviess County is one of the most-populated counties in the Commonwealth. It is beyond ludicrous that all-star teams like Owensboro Catholic and Newport Central Catholic are put in the same class as schools like Murray, Glasgow, and Somerset.
Class 3A:
Paducah Tilghman (10-2) v. Fort Campbell (8-4)
Lou. Central (9-3) v. Bell Co. (11-1)
Garrard Co. (11-1) v. Powell Co. (8-4)
Breathitt Co. (12-0) v. Belfry (11-1)
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Central will beat Bell County and it won't be close.
Class 4A:
Lone Oak (10-2) v. Franklin-Simpson (11-1)
Martha Layne Collins (10-2) v. Lou. Western (7-5) (at Shelby Co.)
Lex. Catholic (10-2) v. Boyle Co. (9-3)
Ft. Thomas Highlands (12-0) v. Cov. Catholic (10-2)
OK, so there used to be a Shelbyville High School in Shelbyville until it was merged into Shelby County. Years later, due to overcrowding, they built a new high school in Shelbyville. Did they bring back the old name? No. They named it after a mediocre former governor. Now they're trying to pass themselves off as simply "Collins." No way, Jose. You made that bed, you lie in it.
For the record, I would rather have no high school in West Paducah than have one named Julian Carroll High School that referred to itself as "Carroll."
I would also like to say that Mayfield would have a better chance of beating Fort Thomas Highlands than any of the teams in Class 4A will have.
Class 5A:
Bowling Green (12-0) v. Warren Central (11-1)
John Hardin (12-0) v. Lou. Jeffersontown (10-2)
Conner (7-5) v. Anderson Co. (10-2)
Southwestern (9-3) v. Harlan Co. (11-1)
If I could attend any game in Kentucky this weekend, I would go watch Bowling Green play Warren Central.
Class 6A:
Henderson Co. (9-3) v. Lou. Butler (10-2)
Lou. Trinity (11-0) v. Lou. St. Xavier (8-4) (at Cardinal Stadium, Louisville)
Lou. Eastern (10-2) v. Scott Co. (12-0)
Lex. Lafayette (9-3) v. Boone Co. (8-4)
This week Trinity and St. X (the Celtic and Rangers of Kentucky football) play their annual game for the Best Team in the Commonwealth. I'm picking the Rocks. Trinity has played only five games against Kentucky schools this year. Here are the scores of those games:
09/30/11: Lou. Trinity 41, Lou. St. Xavier 6
10/07/11: Lou. Trinity 58, Lou. Manual 7
10/14/11: Lou. Trinity 49, Lou. Male 0
11/04/11: Lou. Trinity 72, Simon Kenton 0
11/11/11: Lou. Trinity 55, Lou. Manual 0
For those of you not keeping score at home, that's a total of 275-13.
Here's my latest idea for dealing with Trinity. If the Shamrocks win their regular-season game against St. X by more than 21 points, then I think they should simply be awarded the Kentucky 6A title, and they can then go compete for a special 7A title against Murray State, Morehead State, and Eastern Kentucky.
By the way, here are the playoffs we should be having:
Championship of the Commonwealth Game:
Lou. Trinity v. Lou. St. Xavier
Division I Championship Quarter-Finals:
Owensboro Catholic v. Lou. Central
Bowling Green v. Warren Central
Lou. Butler v. Lou. Eastern
Ft. Thomas Highlands v. Scott Co.
Division II Championship Quarter-Finals:
Mayfield v. Paducah Tilghman
Lone Oak v. Glasgow
Beechwood v. Franklin-Simpson
Breathitt Co. v. Bell Co.
Now those would be interesting games that people could really get excited about.
How is it possible that Warren and Bowling Green can both be so good year after year?
ReplyDeleteFor one thing, there's no private school in Warren County to suck up a lot of the talent.
ReplyDeleteBut having said that, I personally would rank the big counties of Western Kentucky in order of athletic prowess as follows:
1. Warren
2. Christian
3. Daviess
4. McCracken
I'd say Covington Catholic playing Highlands to 5 points earlier this season is "close". Love Mayfield, but they would be pressed to play that competively with FTH. Boyle and Lex Cath would play as equals to Mayfield. Frankly, that side of the state is loaded in 4A. Johnson Central, Ashland Blazer, and a good Knox Co to boot. As for this side of the state, yes I agree, Mayfield would give a better game.
ReplyDeleteYou could be right about CovCath, which has its own unique rivalry with Fort Thomas Highlands. But I'm not that impressed with Boyle Co. or Lexington Catholic. FTH beat Boyle County 35-14, and I'd be surprised if they beat Mayfield by the same score.
ReplyDeleteThe main point I was trying to make is that it's a shame we have to deal with such silly class divisions. Mayfield is the best team in the state west of Bowling Green, and they're in Class 1A. Ft. Thomas Highlands could be the best team in the state outside of Louisville, and they're in Class 4A. Putting such powerful schools in such low classes is not a recipe for entertaining football.
Speaking of Christian County, freshman Anthony Hickey scored 17 this afternoon and helped Louisiana State whip Western Kentucky, 76-57.
ReplyDeleteUrgh.
I have to say that I really hated seeing that guy leave the Commonwealth.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me, too.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I have with the system is no handicap for the private & military schools(Highlands might as well be thrown in there too, it's all but private). Ft Campbell had the unfair advantage winning their 3 titles in a row, it's been stated they bring in players from other states by transferring military personel. Your right, 2A is a shame as well as 4A due to the loaded privates. As for 6A, not much you can do with the best of the biggest (Trinity & St.X). 1A, 3A, and 5A work out fairly well for this 4 year alignment. I say use the system in place and bump the "special" schools up one or two classes above placement. Exclude the fact Trinity is just a phenom this year (#1 in the country by SI)and consider the following. In '07 Lex Cath could've played with any of the 6A schools that year. Same said for Highlands year in and year out in 5A or 6A depending on them classified as a 3A (like last 4 years but volunteered to play 5A)or 4A. Newport Cath could compete in 4A at this point as well as Ft Campbell once they rebuild. Enrollment numbers that put schools on border of two classes just bump up one class would be fair(Owens Cath, Cov Cath, Lex Christian, and up and coming program Lou Christian Academy). Bottom line, there have been some real classic title games when absent of a loaded private school. Just need to even the playing field so we can get those match ups. BTW, the Central/Bell Co prediction seems bold.
ReplyDeleteAs for FTH, I think they beat Mayfield by 21. Not so sure they didn't call the dogs off against Boyle Co knowing the potential of seeing them again in the playoffs. In their real matchup they beat Franklin-Simpson, Lone Oak, or Collins by 40. Much like the Johnson Central game. Already beat Western 56-0 in season. IMHO
ReplyDeleteI agree with your notion of bumping the private and military schools. I would also bump up public schools in Jefferson County that control their enrollments through a magnet process, such as Louisville Central. Finally, I would go back to only four classes. Six classes is just too many for a state as small as Kentucky. It's absurd to be a "state" champion when you've only beaten 30 to 40 schools.
ReplyDelete