This Week's Games

Only two weeks left in Kentucky's football season. This week we have the semi-finals, as kids across the Commonwealth battle for the chance to go to . . . Bowling Green?

We still have two Purchase teams alive. Good luck to Mayfield and Murray!

Home teams first. Private schools in italics:

Class 1A:
Mayfield (13-0) v. Beechwood (12-1)
Hazard (10-2) v. Pikeville (11-2)

This is the third straight year Mayfield and Beechwood have met in the state semi-finals. In 2009, Mayfield won 38-0 at War Memorial Stadium. Last year, Mayfield won 38-14 in Beechwood. If the Cardinals get the hat trick, they will pick up their 29th win in a row. But they must really hate Mayfield up in Beechwood by now, and my guess is that the Tigers will be ready for this game. For once, I'm actually nervous for Mayfield.

Class 2A:
Murray (12-1) v. Glasgow (13-0)
Cov. Holy Cross (10-3) v. Somerset (9-4) (at Newport)

OK, I was wrong to pick Owensboro Catholic over Murray last week, and I'm going to be wrong again if Murray beats Glasgow. The Scotties have outscored their opponents 524-84 this year, and I think they'll just be too much for the Tigers.

Class 3A:
Fort Campbell (9-4) v. Lou. Central (10-3)
Gerrard Co. (12-1) v. Belfry (12-1)

The won-loss records here are very misleading. Fort Campbell and Central incurred most of their losses against bigger schools, and both are red-hot right now. And I want to say, once again, that Central -- as a pure magnet school that presumably can and does take kids from all over Jefferson County -- should not be put in the same class with public schools like Belfry that have a much more limited population base.

Class 4A:
Franklin-Simpson (12-1) v. Shelbyville (11-2)
Lex. Catholic (11-2) v. Ft. Thomas Highlands (13-0)

Yes, I know that the school I have listed as "Shelbyville" is technically known as Martha Layne Collins High School. But you know, technically the Bluegrass Parkway is the Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway -- and I still use the old name.

It is a real shame that Highlands dropped down from 5A to 4A this year. I would have really looked forward to a state title game between Highlands and either Bowling Green or John Hardin.

Class 5A:
Bowling Green (13-0) v. John Hardin (13-0)
Anderson Co. (11-2) v. Southwestern (10-3)

The folks in Bowling Green will see the only game this weekend between two undefeated teams. I'm picking the Purples, who have out-scored their opponents 622-109 and who are at home. But John Hardin has also been dominant, outscoring its opponents 598-126. This is the sort of quality game you should get in the state semi-finals.

Class 6A:
Lou. Butler (11-2) v. Lou. Trinity (12-0)
Scott Co. (13-0) v. Boone Co. (9-4)

OK, let's put the Butler-Trinity game in context. Butler lost to Male 13-10, and lost to Manual 40-35. Trinity beat Male 49-0 and beat Manual 58-7. In the other semi-final, I don't see a four-loss Boone County team beating Team Toyota in Scott County.