Here is the schedule for the KHSAA Football Finals, with all games being played at UK's stadium in Lexington. All times are Central, and numbers in parentheses are MaxPrep rankings:
Friday, December 3, 2021:
11 A.M.: (39) Russellville v. (13) Pikeville (1A Final)
3 P.M.: (4) Lex. Christian v. (11) Beechwood (2A Final)
7 P.M.: (5) Boyle Co. v. (7) Johnson Cent. (4A Final)
Saturday, December 4, 2021:
11 A.M.: (28) Paducah Tilghman v. (41) Belfry (3A Final)
3 P.M.: (6) S. Warren v. (3) Lex. Douglass (5A Final)
7 P.M.: (1) Lou. Male v. (2) Lou. St. Xavier (6A Final)
It makes me very happy to know that the finals feature four top-11 matchups, that Tilghman has a decent chance to win it all, and that the last high school game of the year in Kentucky will feature the number 1 and number 2 teams in the Commonwealth.
WRUS 610 AM in Russellville is on the air from Lexington, and I, of course, most love the commercials. A furniture store, Crabtree's, has its own jingle, for which the opening line is, "Everyone needs a place to sit at the end of a long day."
ReplyDeleteThat's true.
That is true.
DeleteThis opening, Class A championship pits maroon-and-white Panthers (Pikeville) against black-and-gold Panthers (Russellville).
ReplyDeletePer the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources:
ReplyDeleteIn 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern cougar extinct. Based on its extensive research, the Service concluded this subspecies of big cat had disappeared from the east by the 1930s.
While mountain lions were once common in Kentucky, research shows the state has not supported a wild population of mountain lions for more than a century. In the landmark 1974 book “Mammals of Kentucky,” authors Roger W. Barbour and Wayne H. Davis noted there were no valid records of a mountain lion in the state after 1899.
Currently, the nearest wild population of mountain lions resides in Nebraska, more than 900 miles from Kentucky. A small population of panthers – fewer than 200 animals – also lives in southwestern Florida.
According to WRUS, the defensive strategy of the local Panthers' coach is to limit the opponent to no more than short gains on first and second downs (as opposed to longer gains), resulting in third-and-long situations. Sound approach.
ReplyDeleteThis is Russellville's first appearance in the final in 31 years.
ReplyDeleteWRUS says Russellville coach Mikie Benton says he doesn't believe Pikeville has athletes who can keep up with his team's athletes in space.
ReplyDeletePikeville returns a short opening kickoff to the Russellville 45.
ReplyDeletePikeville's first two plays from scrimmage nets three yards and then one yard. So it's third-and-6 ...
ReplyDelete... and Pikeville's pass in incomplete, and here comes the punter. So Coach Benton's defensive strategy absolutely worked on the game's opening possession.
ReplyDeleteThis game is being played at Kroger Field--or, as ex-UK Wildcat Benton still calls it, per Mark Story in the Lexington Herald-Leader, "Commonwealth Stadium."
ReplyDeleteI also still call it Commonwealth Stadium.
DeleteRussellville also is forced to punt on its first possession, and now Pikeville is facing fourth-and-3 from the Russellville 29 ...
ReplyDeletePikeville breaks a couple of tackles and runs to the Russellville 5.
ReplyDeletePikeville touchdown.
ReplyDeletePAT kick is no good, so it's 6-0, maroon-and-white Panthers.
ReplyDeleteRussellville runs a reverse; one of the black-and-gold Panther athletes get into space, and the play GOES FOR 63 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN!
ReplyDeleteKick is no good: 6-6.
WRUS's reporting on Coach Benton's analysis for this game has proven spot on.
WRUS: "We're at Kroger Field where we've got ourselves a ballgame."
ReplyDeleteFour minutes, 32 seconds to play in the first quarter ...
KHSAA Class A football champions:
ReplyDelete2020 Paintsville
2019 Pikeville
2018 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2017 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2016 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2015 Pikeville
2014 Mayfield
2013 Mayfield
2012 Mayfield
2011 Hazard
2010 Mayfield
2009 Lexington Christian
2008 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2007 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2006 Newport Central Catholic
2005 Newport Central Catholic
2004 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2003 Danville
2002 Mayfield
2001 Danville
2000 Danville
1999 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1998 Middlesboro
1997 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1996 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1995 Mayfield
1994 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1993 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1992 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1991 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1990 Russellville
1989 Pikeville
1988 Pikeville
1987 Pikeville
1986 Heath
1985 Crittenden County
1984 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
1983 Russellville
1982 Paris
1981 Paris
1980 Russellville
1979 Bellevue
1978 Fort Campbell
1977 Bellevue
1976 Fort Campbell
1975 Ludlow
1974 Murray
1973 Paris
1972 Trigg County
1971 Trigg County
1970 Bardstown
1969 Mount Sterling
1968 Lynch East Main
1967 Bardstown
1966 Dayton
1965 Erlanger Lloyd Memorial
1964 Elkhorn City
1963 Lynch East Main
1962 Versailles
1961 Murray
1960 Lynch East Main
1959 Lynch East Main
3:28, Q1: Pikeville 13, Russellville 6.
ReplyDeleteRussellville throws a bomb; one of the black-and-gold Panther athletes gets into space, and the play GOES FOR 44 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN!
ReplyDelete2:25, Q1: 13-13.
WRUS: "We're at Kroger Field where we've got a shootout going on!"
ReplyDeletePikeville throws a 53-yard touchdown pass!
ReplyDelete2:12, Q1: 20-13, Pikeville.
Apparently, Logan County and/or Russellville has privatized garbage collection. A commercial on WRUS for a waste company urges residents to move their garbage cans to within three feet of the curb the night before their scheduled pickup.
ReplyDeleteRussellville is forced to punt from midfield; the punter has to cover the fumbled snap, and now Pikeville has first-and-10 from the Russellville 39 ...
ReplyDeleteEnd of the first quarter.
ReplyDeleteIn Lexington.
DeleteLunch break in Madisonville.
Oh, my! Final: Pikeville 30, Russellville 27.
ReplyDeleteAfter I went to lunch, Pikeville scored the game's next 10 points to move ahead 30-13 late in the first half. Russellville then scored two touchdowns and reached the Pikeville 18 with about three minutes to play. But then black-and-gold Panthers lost several yards and were stopped on a fourth-and-22 by the maroon-and-white Panthers. Pikeville then was able to run out the game's final two minutes to win its third state championship since 2015. What a game!
ReplyDeleteSo, in conclusion, congratulations to the West Paducah Heath Pirates, 1986 Class A KHSAA football champions!
ReplyDeleteStill the only school west of Hopkinsville with state championships in football and boys' basketball.
DeleteIn the postgame show, WRUS runs a commercial for a local funeral home that explains, in sports, the final score never tells the whole story. "What about the great comeback or that heart-breaking play?" Then it says the funeral home prides itself on providing the services that help tell "the whole story."
ReplyDeleteThe timing of this commercial for the home crowd back in Russellville was pretty interesting, and I will have to say that I am interested to learn more than 30 seconds of the picture that the funeral home was painting about itself here.
Eric, you should listen to "Fun Home."
DeleteRussellville's final possession started at its own 7 before stalling out after reaching the Pikeville 18.
ReplyDeleteSweet. Now WRUS is reading the names of Russellville's senior football players.
ReplyDeleteWRUS: "This will eat at us for a while ... heartbroken today, but, long term, we'll think back, 'What a year 2021 was.'"
ReplyDeleteProgramming note: Beechwood and Lexington Christian are about 15 minutes from kicking off the 2A final, about the time I am heading out for a poetry reading.
ReplyDeleteKHSAA Class 2A state champions:
2020 Fort Mitchell Beechwood
2019 Somerset
2018 Christian Academy of Louisville
2017 Danville
2016 Christian Academy of Louisville
2015 Louisville DeSales
2014 Louisville DeSales (Murray)*
2013 Louisville DeSales
2012 Newport Central Catholic
2011 Covington Holy Cross
2010 Newport Central Catholic
2009 Fort Campbell
2008 Fort Campbell
2007 Fort Campbell
2006 Mercer County
2005 Russell
2004 Belfry
2003 Belfry
2002 Breathitt County
2001 Bardstown
2000 Boyle County
1999 Boyle County
1998 Caldwell County
1997 Bourbon County
1996 Breathitt County
1995 Breathitt County
1994 Danville
1993 Mayfield
1992 Danville
1991 Danville
1990 Fort Knox
1989 Danville
1988 Fort Knox
1987 Danville
1986 Mayfield
1985 Mayfield
1984 Newport Catholic
1983 Fort Knox
1982 Corbin
1981 Bardstown
1980 Corbin
1979 Fort Campbell
1978 Mayfield
1977 Mayfield
1976 Corbin
1975 Scott County
1974 Owensboro
1973 Paducah Tilghman
1972 Lexington Tates Creek
1971 Lexington Bryan Station
1970 Fort Thomas Highlands
1969 Elizabethtown
1968 Fort Thomas Highlands
1967 Ashland Paul Blazer
1966 Hopkinsville
1965 Hopkinsville
1964 Fort Thomas Highlands
1963 Caldwell County
1962 Danville
1961 Fort Thomas Highlands
1960 Fort Thomas Highlands
1959 Henderson
7:31 to go in the 4A final, and Belfry calls timeout with the Blue Tornadoes at the Pirate 10 … Belfry 27, Tilghman 21 …
ReplyDeleteTouchdown, Tilghman!
ReplyDeleteKick good!
ReplyDelete7:25,Q4: Tilghman 28, Belfry 21
ReplyDelete28-27 here
DeleteWKYX: “If you are just joining us, boy, have you missed a great game!”
ReplyDeleteBelfry faces fourth-and-7 … six minutes… hasn’t passed all game …
ReplyDeleteStill hasn’t … 61 yards around end and TOUCHDOWN!
ReplyDelete4:58 to go … Belfry up 33-28 and going for two …
ReplyDeleteFalse start …
ReplyDeleteStopped. Tilghman trails by five with kickoff coming …
ReplyDeleteTell them in fumbles the kick off return.
ReplyDelete3:11 to play … Belfry has third-and-5 at Tilghman 26 …
ReplyDeleteFoot short … Tilghman calls its last timeout…
ReplyDelete3:02 …
ReplyDeleteFirst down,Belfry
ReplyDeleteBelfry won, 33-28. Isaac Dixon, who came back to Belfry for one more year of high-school football after what would've been his senior season was hosed because of the virus, ran for 376 yards in the game. I'm pretty sure the Pirates never threw a pass against Tilghman. Belfry took the lead for good when Dixon ran 61 yards for a score on a fourth-and-7, and then it converted another fourth down on a possession that ran off the game's final five minutes. Just amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd Belfry has a 7-foot-3 kid on its boys' basketball team.
ReplyDelete