This Week's Games

High school football in Kentucky begins in August, during some of the hottest and most unpleasant weather you will find anywhere in North America.  It continues until early December, and the later games are often played in extreme cold under cloudless black skies.  But for a few weeks in October, Kentucky gives its people a few weeks of gentle weather unlike anything you see during any other parts of the year.  The usual bright skies give way to almost British-like clouds and fog.  The thick, heavy green of summer leaves gives way, day by day, to a panoply of yellows, oranges, and reds that glow against the gray skies and green lawns.  The humidity that is so oppressive during the summer becomes a hint of rain that encourages everyone to wear sweaters, windbreakers, and letter jackets.  Although it only lasts a few weeks, this magical weather is what almost all of us think of as "football weather."  Growing up in the 1970's, this was the time when kids would tumble out of doors to punt, pass, and tackle, until your mother would make you leave your muddy clothes in the utility room so that you wouldn't track up her nice clean house.

Walking through Lafayette Park this afternoon here in D.C., over 700 miles from Western Kentucky, I saw the leaves, the gray sky, and the puddles of water left by a morning rain, and was instantly transported back home to football season.  I could hear the drumlines, and smell the hot dogs, and hear the cheers.  It is a magical time in a magical place, and I hope everyone enjoys the games.

Here are the current standings in Western Kentucky:

Class 1A, District 1:
Mayfield:  1-0, 6-1
Russellville:  1-0, 6-1
Fulton Co:  1-1, 1-5
Fulton City:  0-2, 0-6

Class 2A, District 1:
Murray:  2-0, 5-2
Caldwell Co:  1-0, 7-0
Crittenden Co:  0-1, 3-4
Ballard Mem:  0-2, 6-2

Class 3A, District 1:
Trigg Co:  1-0, 4-3
Paducah Tilghman:  1-0, 3-5
Webster Co:  0-1, 1-6
Fort Campbell:  0-1, 1-6

Class 4A, District 1:
Owensboro:  2-0, 7-1
Madisonville-N. Hopkins:  1-1, 5-2
Calloway Co:  1-1, 1-6
Hopkins Co. Cent:  0-2, 0-8

Class 5A, District 1:
Hopkinsville:  2-0, 5-2
Graves Co:  2-0, 4-3
Christian Co:  2-1, 3-4
Ohio Co:  0-2, 0-7
Owensboro Apollo:  0-3, 1-6

Class 6A, District 1:
McCracken Co:  1-0, 6-1
Henderson Co:  1-0, 3-4
Daviess Co:  0-1, 2-5
Marshall Co:  0-1, 2-5

Here are this week's games (home teams listed first).  The Game of the Week is in Murray:

Calloway  Co. (1-6) v. Madisonville-N. Hopkins (5-2)
Christian Co. (3-4) v. Graves Co. (4-3)
Crittenden Co. (3-4) v. Ballard Mem. (6-2)

Fort Campbell (1-6) v. Webster Co (1-6)
Marshall Co (2-5) v. Henderson Co. (3-4)
Mayfield (6-1) v. Fulton Co. (1-5)
McCracken Co. (6-1) v. Daviess Co. (2-5)
Murray (5-2) v. Caldwell Co. (7-0)
Ohio Co. (0-7) v. Hopkinsville (5-2)
Paducah Tilghman (3-5) v. Trigg Co. (4-3)
Russellville (6-1) v. Fulton City (0-6)