The KYMSFA has announced its playoff brackets. KPGFootball thought it would be fun to break down some of the matchups and pick a likely D-2 State Champion. We broke down D-1 yesterday and got a tremendous amount of views. Like we promised, here’s our take on D-2.
Well, in the first Region everyone is playing in with the exception of the number one seed, Warren East. Hopkinsville Middle School, a number one seed in 2015 and 2016 in Region 1, before not participating last year, has the lowest seed in program history at number 6. In “normal” years, Warren East would be the sixth seed, and HMS would be the top seed in Region, but this season has been anything but “normal.” We believe Butler County will upset Russell on the road before losing to Warren East in Bowling Green in the second round. We also believe Hopkinsville will likely upended the 3 seed, Franklin-Simpson, in Franklin, Kentucky. As for the Hopkinsville pick, which may seem like a “homer” pick since the author of this article formally coached there, Franklin-Simpson and Hopkinsville have a common opponent in Division 1, Region 1, 2 seed Logan County. Logan beat Franklin-Simpson 38-6 and beat HMS 16-0. For this reason, and this reason alone, we take the Tigers in what would amount to a pretty big road upset, based on how the committee seeded the teams.
In a 2 versus 7 seed game, Adair travels to Elizabethtown to play TK Stone. Stone was a State-semifinalist in 2015, a State Champion in 2016, and a State semifinalist in 2017. If Stone were to emerge from Region I, it would be amount to four straight trips to the State semi-finals. If Stone were to get Hoptown in the second round, it would be the third time Stone has played Hopkinsville, in the last four years, in the playoffs. Stone beat HMS, in 2015, in the Regional Championship Game and beat the Tigers, again, in its championship run, 38-36, in the State Semis. We believe Stone beats whomever emerges from the HMS-Franklin-Simpson match-up and then faces Warren East for the Regional Championship where we expect Stone to emerge and advance to the Semis for the fourth consecutive year.
In Region 3 we like top-seeded Elkhorn to advance to the Regional Final to play a Lexington Catholic team which has been to the Big Show as they made the State Finals in 2016. At the Semis, Region 1 plays Region 3 this year in Lexington and that would be a re-match of the Title game in 2016, a game Stone won by two touchdowns. In Region 2, we have Taylor County. Taylor County is coached by a veteran head coach who has knocked on the door in previous seasons and appears poised to take another shot at knocking down the door, in Coach Marlon Hoskins. Coach Hoskins’ Cardinals will meet top-seeded Boyle County in the Regional Championship Game where we expect Boyle County will advance to the Semis. Down in Region 4, we have the defending State Champion, Corbin Redhounds. We believe Corbin advances to the Semis by beating Clay County, and soundly, in its Regional Championship Game.
In our bracket, we believe the State Semis will pit TK Stone (Region 1) versus Lexington Catholic (Region 3), while Corbin (Region 4) will play Boyle County (Region 2) on the other side. It is KPGFootball’s call that scenario will net a Championship matchup between TK Stone and Corbin, with Corbin repeating as the Division 2 State Football Champions. Well, sports fans, thanks for playing!
Reporting for KPGFootball, this is Fletcher Long reminding all of you ballers out there that #WeGotUCovered and to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.
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