We pick the winners in Saturday’s games…
We are batting around 80% for the season. No one comes even close to getting it right as frequently as our staff at Kentucky Prep Gridiron and we have a penchant for only picking the games which aren’t foregone conclusions. When you get to the championships, few games will be considerable margins as these teams have all overcome so much to even get here. Here is our promised break down of the Saturday games.
HB Lyon, Director of Scouting, KPGFootball
"Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down Lord, forgive me for what I do But if you want out, well, it's up to you Don't let me down [Fancy] Now your mama's gonna move you uptown" Reba McEntire, 1990
In 1990, country music recording sensation, Reba McEntire, released a song entitled “Fancy.” It was about a young girl who grew up in poverty being turned out to work the streets by her mother, “for her own good.” This girl ended up achieving fame and wealth and recognized this was not a choice her mother wanted to make but rather one she felt was thrust upon her owing to the family’s circumstances.
The song charted well. It won the County Music Television award for the Performance of the Year.
There are some programs who will compete Saturday who may feel as though they aren’t getting the respect afforded some of the others. Some of these programs feel they are living in poverty in relation to the notoriety and publicity some others garner. There are some programs Saturday who will figuratively feel like they have been shoved into a tight-fitting dress and taken uptown to vie for a championship.
To those programs we would simply say; this is your shot for glory. Matter of fact, it may be your one shot, you never know. In the immortal words of one of country music’s brightest, all-time stars, “Here’s your one-shot, Fancy; don’t let me down.”
Here is how we see Saturday fleshing out and why.
Christian Academy-Louisville vs. Bell County
Christian Academy-Louisville has beaten a 5A semifinalist in Owensboro by 14-points, a 6A North Hardin team by 28, lost to Lexington Christian by two, before beating duPont Manual (6A) by 18 and Central (Lou.) for the regional title by 39. Bell County beat a pedestrian, Perry County Central, by four; lost to “The Rock;” beat Belfry by two, East Carter by two, and Hart County by two.
The agent in the area who contributed to this report put it this way, “It’s like watching a pick-up game of basketball. The victor always seems to win by two.”
Well put; great analogy. This guy has been with us several years. It is starting to show.
The point is, one of these two teams has been flirting with losing all year. The other has pounded almost all comers, even some “comers” who are legit teams, in much larger classifications.
Bell County has Dudley Hilton at the controls, one of Kentucky’s all-time great coaches and a running back (Daniel Thomas) who is Kentucky’s all-time, single season rushing champion (3,682-yards and 53-TDs on the ground in 361-rushing attempts). CAL has UofL’s former QB, Hunter Cantwell, coaching the Centurions and a QB committed to the FBS who has thrown for 3,870-yards and 55-TDs while gaining another 600-or so on the ground and scoring 7-TDs rushing (Cole Hodge).
Something has to give here, clearly. We are going to be blunt; Bell County is way more a one-horse race than CAL.
CAL, in addition to the big-time QB has some other big-time pieces. CAL has a 1,410-yard, 106-receptions, and 22-TDs WR who picked 11-INTs with 2-pick-sixes on the year on “the other side of the scrimmage line (Conner Hodge).”
CAL also has a couple defenders, Garyon Hobbs and Nathan Carlisle respectively, of considerable note. Hobbs has 23-TFLs and seven (7)-sacks while Carlisle, a DL, has registered eight (8)-sacks and 13-TFLs.
KPGFootball‘s prediction: We believe CAL to be the more complete team. We are picking them to roll over Bell County by 31-points, 48-17.
Cooper vs. Bowling Green
We have “agents” who watch games for us and call and tell us what they see located in virtually every nook and cranny of the Bluegrass. These are the guys you hear Scott Fitzgerald, at News Radio 840WHAS, reference when you hear him brag on the work of our “staff.”
These guys donate their time to us. We don’t give them a lot of crap as we appreciate their willingness to help increase consumer interest in high school football throughout Kentucky.
One of these “agents” is a huge Purples fan. He told us he believed two basic truths coming into the ’23 season…one, Bowling Green would play for another title in ’23; and two, this edition of the Purples was the most talent Coach Spader has assembled on a single roster since assuming the head coaching position at BGHS.
Fast forward into early December and all of that appears prophetic. The “Purples” (11-3) finished just 22-points shy of undefeated, losing to LCA by four, Bryan Station by three, and St. Xavier by 15.
Bowling Green hasn’t lost to a 5A team all season and are in the same district with Greenwood and South Warren and just beat Owensboro’s “Red Devils” in the semis. Cooper lost to Highlands in the regular season, 58-51, before overcoming the Bluebirds in a crazy semifinal in Ft. Thomas, KY last Friday night. An eight win Ryle squad sort of put it on Randy Borchers’ Jags, 28-10, to open September.
Bowling Green has been there so many times before, losing to Frederick Douglass in ’22 and winning the title in ’20, 17-7, over a really good Owensboro team. Cooper hasn’t been to the show in 11-years.
The last time Cooper was in the championship, the game was in Bowling Green at Feix Field, Houchens Stadium, on the campus of WKU. Who was the opponent then? It was Bowling Green.
The Purples won the 2012 championship game, 34-20. History has a way of repeating.
We got a text message from Coach Spader, post semis. Spader told us, “I am sorry you picked against my Purples.” Well, Coach that is one piece of history which will not be repeating.
KPGFootball‘s prediction: We like Bowling Green by three-points, 27-24.
Trinity (Lou.) vs. Bryan Station (Lex.)
These two teams opened the season against the other. On August 18, 2023, Trinity beat Bryan Station in Lexington 36-3 in a game I had picked Bryan Station to win.
Neither team is the same team it was on August 18.
Bryan Station beat Ballard by seven on September 8 and by three last weekend. Trinity beat the Bruins 44-10 on October 6. Trinity split with Frederick Douglass, losing to Douglass 17-14 in the season and beating Douglass 14-7 in overtime, Saturday night.
Bryan Station played Douglas on October 14 and was run off the field 34-14. Bryan Station also lost to 4A Franklin County, who Boyle just destroyed in the 4A semis, 41-14.
The point to all of this is it doesn’t matter whether or not we think Bryan Station can beat a top-flight program like Trinity. The only thing which matters is what do the Defenders think in their locker room?
Bryan Station has the roster talent to play with anyone. Still, to get by your Louisville Trinities of the world you have to believe; you have to KNOW!
KPGFootball‘s prediction: We are taking Trinity by 10, 27-17 over the Defenders
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
If you enjoyed this article and wish to gain full-access to the site, then subscribe monthly to Kentucky Prep Gridiron by following the prompts!
© The information contained on this site is the copyrighted intellectual property of KPGFootball. Any unauthorized dissemination of this material without the author’s express written consent is strictly prohibited!
Leave a Reply