Kentucky high-school football, second round of playoffs

I went to a fantastic spiritual retreat a couple of weekends ago and met a very nice guy--a professional horse trainer--from Princeton. While he looked every bit somebody who works outside with animals (tan and fit) and I look every bit somebody who sits inside all day behind a computer (pasty and portly), we share a fair amount in common. We're both balding, middle-aged guys who are curiosities among our friends in that we spend a lot of our lives around mainline Protestant churches. Plus, we both love the Taco John's on old U.S. 62 in Princeton, and we're both products of western Kentucky high schools.

"I went to Heath, on the west side of Paducah," I said. Not sensing any sort of recognition, I added, "We used to be really great in football."

"I went to Caldwell County," he said. "We actually won a state championship in football while I was there."

"Oh ... 1985, right?" I replied.

I had both badly overguessed his age and confused his school with Crittenden County in Marion (Class A champs in '85), and I wonder whether he found my former or latter mistake more insulting.

"No," he said. "1998."

I felt like a fool.

I wish I had remembered that Caldwell had also won the 2A championship all the way back in 1963, which might've redeemed the whole conversation. But I didn't. I mentioned that Heath won the 1986 Class A championship, but, by this point, he didn't seem much interested.

Here's an early-bird, nod-to-the-past look ahead to this weekend's games in the KHSAA football playoffs (everything Friday night unless noted otherwise).

Class A

-- Louisville Holy Cross at Mayfield--The home-standing Cardinals lost, 24-6, to Hazard in the 2011 Class A championship. They were Class 2A state champs in 1977-78, 1985-86 and 1993 and Class A champs in 1995, 2002 and 2010.

-- Russellville at Louisville Kentucky Country Day--The visiting Panthers were Class A champs in 1980, '83 and '90.

-- Bellevue at Frankfort--Bellevue won Class A in 1977 and '79.

-- Paris at Fort Mitchell Beechwood--The home-standing Tigers made the Class A semifinals last season. Paris won state Class A titles in 1973 and 1981-82, and Beechwood won same in 1984, 1991-94, 1996-97, 1999, 2004 and 2007-08.

-- Harlan at Williamsburg

-- Pineville at Hazard--The home-standing Bulldogs won the 2011 Class A title.

-- Nicholas County at Westwood Fairview

-- Raceland-Worthington at Pikeville--The home-standing Panthers were 2011 Class A semifinalists and state champs 1987-89.

Class 2A

-- Hancock County at Caldwell County--As previously reported, the home-standing Tigers were state 2A champs in 1963 and 1998.

-- Murray at Owensboro Catholic--The visiting Tigers were 2011 Class 2A semifinalists, and they won Class A titles in 1961 and '74.

-- Bardstown at Glasgow--Bardstown won Class A state titles in 1967 and '70 and 2A crowns in 1981 and 2001, and the home-standing Scotties lost, 33-14, in the 2011 2A championship to Covington Holy Cross.

-- Louisville DeSales at Christian Academy-Louisville

-- Erlanger Lloyd Memorial at Walton-Verona--Lloyd Memorial was Class A state champ in 1965 and 3A state champ in 1976.

-- Covington Holy Cross at Newport Central Catholic on Thursday--The visiting Indians are defending 2A champs, and the home-standing Thoroughbreds won the 2A state title before that (as well as in 1984). NewCath also won Class A in 2005 and '06.

-- Lexington Christian at Somerset--Lexington Christian was champ of Class A in 2009, and the home-standing Briar Jumpers were 2011 2A semifinalists.

-- Danville at Prestonsburg--The visiting Admirals were 3A state champs in 1984; 2A champs in 1962, 1987, 1989, 1991-92 and 1994, and A champs in 2000-01 and '03.

Class 3A

-- Bowling Green South Warren at Fort Campbell--The home-standing Falcons made the 3A semifinals in 2011, and they won 2A state titles in 1979 and 2007-2009 and Class A championships in 1976 and '78.

-- Paducah Tilghman at Monroe County--The visiting Blue Tornadoes were 3A state champs in 1985 and 2009 and 2A champs in 1973.

-- Wayne County at Louisville Central--The home-standing Yellowjackets are the defending 3A champs (as well as 3A champs in 2007-08 and 2010-11).

-- LaRue County at Bell County--Bell County was 4A champ in 2008.

-- Garrard County at Bourbon County--The visiting Golden Lions made the 2011 3A semifinals, and Bourbon County was state 2A champ in 1997.

-- Fleming County at Mason County

-- Pikeville Pike County Central at Breathitt County--Breathitt County won 2A state titles in 1995-96 and 2002.

-- Lawrence County at Belfry--The home-standing Pirates made the 3A final in 2011, losing 15-14 to Louisville Central, and they won 2A championships in 2003 and '04. Plus, Belfry Middle won the state middle-school title this past weekend, beating 2011-champ Christian Academy of Louisville in the final.

Sweeeeeet! twitter.com/MrMattMercer/s…
— MrMattMercer (@MrMattMercer) November 4, 2012

Class 4A

-- Madisonville-North Hopkins at Owensboro--The home-standing Red Devils were 3A state champs in 1986 and 2A champs in 1974.

-- Lone Oak at Bowling Green Warren East

-- Louisville Doss at Shelbyville Martha Layne Collins--The home-standing Titans were 2011 4A semifinalists.

-- Nelson County at Louisville Western--Nelson County was 4A champ in 1996.

-- Barbourville Knox Central at Lexington Catholic--The home-standing Knights were 2011 4A semifinalists, 4A champs in 2007 and 3A champs in 2005.

-- Boyle County at Russell County--The visiting Rebels were 4A champs in 2009 and '10; 3A champs in 2001-03, and 2A champs in 1999 and 2000.

-- Ashland Blazer at Fort Thomas Highlands--Blazer won the 1967 state 2a title. The home-standing Bluebirds are the defending 4A champs (and they were 2007-10 5A champs; 1975, 1977, 1981-82, 1989, 1996, 1998-2000 and 2004 3A champs, and 1960-61, 1964, 1968 and 1970 2A champs).

-- Covington Catholic at Paintsville Johnson Central--CovCath was 3A state champ in 1987-88, 1993-94, 1997 and 2006.

Class 5A

-- Bowling Green Warren Central at Graves County

-- Christian County at Bowling Green--The visiting Colonels were 4A state champs in 1982 and '84, and the home-standing Purples are the defending 5A state champs (and were the 1995 3A champs).

-- Grayson County at Elizabethtown John Hardin--The home-standing Bulldogs were 2011 5A semifinalists.

-- Jeffersontown at Shelby County--The home-standing Rockets were 4A champs in 1987.

-- Union Randall K. Cooper at Crestwood South Oldham 

-- Hebron Conner at Franklin County--Conner was 3A state champ in 1983.

-- Whitley County at Pulaski County

-- Berea Madison Southern at Harlan County

Class 6A

-- Louisville Eastern at Henderson County

-- Oldham County at Louisville Ballard

-- Louisville Butler at Meade County--The visiting Bears, who had a bye in Round 1, were 2011 Class 6A semifinalists (and 4A champs in 1979 and 3A champs in 1970).

-- Elizabethtown Central Hardin at Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park

-- Independence Simon Kenton at Campbell County

-- Lexington Henry Clay at Scott County--Henry Clay was 4A champ in 1981, and the home-standing Cardinals lost, 62-21, in the 2011 state 6A final to Louisville Trinity. Scott County won the 1975 2A championship.

-- Richmond Madison Central at Louisville Trinity--The home-standing Shamrocks are the defending 6A champs (and were 6A champs in 2007-08 and 2010, 4A champs in 1976-77, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988-90, 1994, 2001-03 and 2005-06 and 3A champs in 1968 and 1972-73).

-- Louisville Male at Louisville Saint Xavier--The visiting Bulldogs were 4A champs in 1993, 1998 and 2000 and 3A champs in 1960 and 1963-64, and the home-standing Tigers were 6A champs in 2009, 4A champs in 1975 1978, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2004 and 3A champs in 1968 and 1972-73.

Previous reports:

-- Week 1 roundup, western Kentucky results and the Lexington Herald-Leader's preseason rankings

-- Week 2 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 3 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 4 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 5 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 6 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 7 roundup

-- Week 8 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- Week 9 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 10 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- Week 11 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- first round of playoffs