KPGFootball handicaps the matchup between Lexington Christian and Pleasure Ridge Park High (Lou., 6A) (October 30, 2026)
You can’t take any opponent for granted. The fact remains that Pleasure Ridge Park is a dangerous ball club with a fine tradition and plays at the “Big Boy” level, Kentucky 6A. The second you take a game for granted, is the second you will deeply regret. LCA is coming off a thrashing of Washington County and has secured the top slot in the playoff from out of its district. The Eagles are seemingly rounding into championship form as they prepare to play PRP. LCA is 7-2 and the winners of six (6) straight. We will take a look at this match-up and predict a winner and a score. Hey, we’re still in the hunt here…act accordingly. Go Eagles…
Jumpin’-Jack Flash, Associate Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”
eCampus.com was built on a simple idea: make textbooks affordable, convenient, and accessible for every student. Founded in 1999 in Lexington, KY and backed by visionary investors like Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, the company has grown into a premier online textbook retailer for high school and college students nationwide.
Their mission has always been supporting student success both on and off the field through affordable access to the course materials they need. eCampus.com is excited to invest in our student-athletes through Kentucky Prep Gridiron (KPGFootball) which was founded to promote and assist young high school football players get promoted to “next level,” college football opportunities.
That is why eCampus.com sponsors the KPGFootball, Big Man on the eCampus series. This week we are doing something a bit different. In stead of giving you a feature, we are going to scout the Lexington Catholic Knights and lay out how we see The Holy War coming off this coming weekend.
We aren’t sure how many of you remember this, but KPGFootball may have been the only Kentucky-wide publication which came out on the record and picked the Eagles to win the title last season (2025). We didn’t panic when the team came out of the gates losing three of its first four. We aren’t panicking now with the team standing at 5-2 through seven of the toughest games any small school in Kentucky has perhaps ever started out playing in any singular season. This schedule has been brutal.
Iron sharpens iron. We knew the tough early season schedule would pay off dividends in 2025 when it got to playoff time. We were right and believe the similar course of action, in 2026, may well net a similar result.
The 2A classification will be a tough league in 2026 and boasts as many top-flight, top-notch teams as any other class in the commonwealth. There are literally 11-teams who could take home the title with four to five at the top capable of beating the other depending on factors as rudimentary as the location of the game.
Lexington, KY: The Eagles are (once again) rounding into playoff form at just the right time. We have a 2-7 group of Greyhounds we will be visiting and they must not be taken lightly. Paris has a fine, football pedigree and long history.
We beat Danville, 55-14, in a game where Danville was mourning the loss of a teammate and a friend. The Admirals came into that game 8-0 and left it 8-1 with the Eagles emerging 6-2 and getting ready for the home stretch.
We took care of Washington County and moved our record to 7-2. Friday night, we hope to move our record to 8-2 and maintain a high RPI, insuring us several rounds at home in the upcoming playoffs.
Playing a 6A team, when you compete at the 2A level, is a boon to RPI and therefore, helpful in upcoming playoff seedings. This should be a good win for the Eagles provided they can get it. Teams in 6A have a ton of depth and generally quite a bit of athletic talent.
We are going to kind of give you the tale of the tape between the two teams. Then, we are going to pick a score and a winner. Won’t this be fun?
Team Profiles & Records
| Detail | Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) Eagles | Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) Panthers |
| 2026 Record | 7–2 | 2–7 |
| Head Coach | Oakley Watkins | Keith May |
| Location | Away (Lexington, KY) | Home Panther Stadium, Louisville, KY |
Lexington Christian Academy Eagles
Offense
- Nash Whelan (Jr., QB): The reigning state championship MVP returns after throwing for 2,526 yards and 28 touchdowns while also rushing for a team-high 1,047 yards and 16 scores.
- Paxton Gray (ATH): Explosive player with a skill set which lends well to multiple phases of the game.
- Matthew Montgomery (Jr. OL): Montgomery is the definitive player along the OL in the 2A classification and beyond. Montgomery is a returning Big Ass Fans, Small School, All-Stater.
- Nick Greer (Jr. OL): Greer primary has played at center and is a returning All-Stater.
- Daven Hood (Sr., RB): A potent backfield weapon who averaged over 6 yards per carry, tallying 578 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
- Bennett Gudalis (Sr., RB): Provided a strong ground presence with 416 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns.
- Conrad Hart (Sr., TE): A towering 6’5″, 225-pound three-star recruit committed to Kentucky.
- Sam Pearson (Sr., WR): Returned 480 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
Defense & Linebackers
- Aiden Lyons (Sr., LB): Anchors the defense as the team’s leading returning tackler with 89 total stops and an interception.
- Thomas Sizemore (Jr., LB): Followed closely behind in tackles with 74 stops and 4 tackles for loss.
- Bode Darland (Jr., DL): A disruptive force in the trenches who recorded 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks.
Pleasure Ridge Park Panthers: [1]
- Jekari Hayden (Jr., QB/FS): The primary signal-caller tasked with moving the chains and navigating LCA’s aggressive defensive front.
- Calvon Mitchell (Sr., RB/SS): A senior leader who plays both ways and carries a heavy workload out of the backfield.
- Armoni Cheeks (Sr., WR/SS): A big 6’2″ perimeter target capable of stretching the field and picking up chunk yardage down the sidelines.
Game Handicap & Breakdown
- The Trajectories: The Class 2A power Lexington Christian Academy (7-2) enters this matchup on a dominant six-game winning streak. After a bumpy 1-2 start, the Eagles have hit their stride, scoring 40+ points in nearly all of their recent contests while securing their district title. On the flip side, 6A Pleasure Ridge Park (2-7) has dropped four consecutive games. While PRP found some life offensively last week in a 62-32 loss to St. Xavier, their defense has leaked points consistently against top-tier competition.
- The Matchup: Despite the difference in school classification size, LCA operates like an elite big-school program. Their high-octane offense matches up exceptionally well against a PRP defense that has struggled to contain explosive playmakers. PRP’s brutal schedule has tested them, but LCA’s offensive efficiency gives them a massive edge on the road.
Coach Oakley Watkins has the LCA Eagles firing on all cylinders. LCA has spent the last month demolishing opponents, most recently rolling past Washington County 50–14 and Danville 54–14. Their high-powered offensive system historically averages well over 40 points per game, and they hold a significant advantage in depth, line size, and postseason experience.
Pick & Predicted Score
LCA’s overwhelming offensive lines and seasoned backfield will likely establish dominance early on the ground. Expect the Panthers to make a few explosive plays using their speed at home, but they lack the overall roster/lineup talent to halt the Eagles’ continuous scoring drives.
- Winner: Lexington Christian Academy
- KPGFootball predicts: LCA 48, PRP 14
This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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