Projected winner/losers, week 2 of October (2020), in @KyHighFootball. @PrepSpin, @minguabeefjerky

In today’s day and time, under the chaotic mess the pandemic has made of high school football in Kentucky, we can never be sure whose playing and whose not. Often times, the games listed on the KHSAA schedule either don’t come off or the teams who are supposed to play are not the teams who do.

It makes writing an article like this really difficult. However, we have sixteen (16) matchups for you which appear (to us) to be getting played, tomorrow night, throughout the commonwealth. We will attempt to predict for you the winners and the losers and forecast what the score will be.

Game one: Lexington Christian at Frederick Douglass…

Anthony Johns

I suppose it should matter to us that LCA is a 2A team and Douglass is a highly regarded 5A squad. It doesn’t.

I suppose it should matter the game is a home game for Douglass in what is being dubbed, “The Battle for Lexington.” That doesn’t matter to us either.

Simply put, as good and talented as Frederick Douglass’s roster is, and they’re jokingly referred to around Kentucky as “Frederick Douglass University” because it is laden with division one college talent…we believe LCA has the most talented group of juniors in Kentucky, bar none!

This appears to be LCA’s year. This game figures to be a “pick ’em” point spread-wise.

KPGFootball prediction: LCA 28, Frederick Douglass 27

Game two: South Laurel at Mercer County in the “Little Caesars Ft. Harrod Bowl“…

The boys from Harrodsburg, Kentucky are known to be “tough customers.” This year isn’t too different though they were better last year than this. In spite of this, they are way too much for 5A South Laurel especially as the host of this bowl game. If you want to enjoy a contest, better wait until the second half of the first quarter to visit the concessions stand.

Mercer County big here. The clock figures to be running either by half or shortly after the 3rd-quarter commences.

KPGFootball prediction: Mercer County 55, South Laurel 7

Game three: Bourbon County at Anderson County

Parker Estes

The coaching staff at Bourbon County under Dave Jones has done a remarkable job at Bourbon County clawing back to respectability. Ashland Blazer showed them the Colonels aren’t there yet, but they are getting closer. Parker Estes is an All-State candidate at the TE spot and is a really good looking prospect.

Anderson County doesn’t figure to win a game this year. The Bearcats squandered its best chance dropping the game to Harrison County on September 18. They still boast the best DE in Kentucky in Darion Dearinger who every team just runs away from but are still unable to avoid. As for many of the other Bearcat defenders, they look confused about what the objective is out there much of the time.

KPGFootball prediction: Bourbon County 42, Anderson County 28

Game four: Henderson County at Appollo…

Henderson dropped its opener to a Hoptown team many believed would be pretty good in 2020. Then Hoptown went out and dropped a crap-stack in the middle of Murray, Kentucky at Calloway. Now, we don’t know what to think of Hopkinsville or of Henderson County.

Coming into the year, Apollo (Owensboro) hired well in getting John Edge to coach its football team. Logan Weedman and Parker Bates are much ballyhooed prospects who Apollo seems incapable of cashing in on, at least in the “wins” column. Apollo did beat a Meade County team which can be tough (and can also be inconsistent) and had some favorable moments the next week against McCracken, the class of that district.

This game will be closer than most people will predict. We still like the visiting Colonels.

KPGFootball prediction: Henderson County 28, Apollo 21

Game five: East Carter at Ashland Blazer…

Not much can be said here other than the wrong member of the “Carter” family is headed to Ashland, Kentucky to give the Blazers much of a game. Come to think of it, we aren’t sure West Carter could handle these guys. We’re big fans of Blazer and think they may well win the 3A Kentucky championship this year.

Blazer will run the clock here.

KPGFootball prediction: Ashland-Blazer 55, East Carter 10

Game six: McCracken County at Bowling Green Senior High…

Both of these rosters boast some of the best talent in Kentucky. BG and HFC, Mark Spader, beat St. Xavier 14-0 to open the year, skated by PRP, and then lost a pivotal district contest to South Warren, 10-7. The St. Xavier win sounds impressive but St. Xavier is winless this year.

We don’t care who St. X has played. “You are your record,” as people are fond of saying. The teams you schedule are on you.

McCracken pasted Mayfield. The cardinals are historically tough at any level of play, though they are Class 2A. Mayfield is a team which has beaten the Mustangs (historically) more times than not. This game is another “toss-up” from a perspective of handicapping.

We like the Mustangs.

KPGFootball prediction: McCracken County 21, Bowling Green Senior High 17

Game seven: Knox Central at Corbin…

Knox Central has played well this year and boast a great one-two punch in the backfield with Seth Huff and senior, Ethan Mills at RB. The Bourbon County staff couldn’t stop singing Mills’s praises when KPGFootball saw them a few weeks ago.

That said, division one college scouts are way more impressed with the talent on the Corbin roster than anything playing high school ball in neighboring Barbourville, Kentucky. Logan Smith, 2021 OL, is a punishing, athletic, and special player to have along any team’s front.

KPGFootball prediction: Corbin 35, Knox Central 21

Game eight: Bryan Station at GRC…

Coming into the year, we all thought George Rogers Clark would likely win District 8. We aren’t saying they won’t, but at 0-3, it is safe to say they aren’t as good looking today as they looked to us preseason. If they are to win District 8, they better win Friday night at home against District foe, Bryan Station. Unfortunately, they won’t.

KPGFootball prediction: Bryan Station 28, George Rogers Clark 10

Game nine: Caldwell at Glasgow…

Wells

The “Scotties” are perennially tough. This year is no different. Caldwell is a team which appears to get better and better as the year progresses. The problem with this year’s version of the Tigers from Princeton is which team is showing up when it travels to Glasgow, KY Friday night? Will is be the Tigers who got creamed and looked completely and offensively inept (plus turnover prone) when it went to Hopkinsville, Kentucky September 19th or the team which nearly upended Mayfield in Mayfield, Kentucky this past Friday? We don’t know; however, we believe Glasgow has the ability to beat any team which exits the bus.

This game figures to be a tight one. We like the “Scotties,” but could easily lose this one if the Tigers can find enough ways to let All-State candidate, Baron Wells, touch the football. Wells is a TD-machine and can hurt any team from a variety of different ways.

KPGFootball prediction: Glasgow 28, Caldwell County 24

Game ten: Christian County at Greenwood…

We were one of the first to jump on the “Christian County is back” bandwagon when they went to Madisonville September 11 and came away with victory. Then last Friday night happened. Then, Madisonville North-Hopkins lost to Hopkins County Central 40-35. Worse yet, they lost to “The Storm” at home.

L’Ray Coleman

County has been off in quarantine land and haven’t played a football game since September 11, which will be pretty close to a month ago once the 9th arrives. How much “rust” will the Colonels experience and what have they been doing to “get better” the last month? Guess we will find out Friday night.

Greenwood is 4-0 and have beaten both Logan County and Union County. Those are two teams which are, generally, pretty tough outs. Christian County’s L’Ray Coleman is a 240-pound, often overlooked and under-appreciated superstar we could see getting a D-1 scholarship to play in college somewhere. Coleman is an “off the radar” guy presently.

Coleman aside, we like the Gators in this one, largely because of the rust factor. Oh yeah, Greenwood is also at home. We call that the “bus factor.”

KPGFootball prediction: Greenwood 28, Christian County 14

Game eleven: Clay County at Letcher County Central…

Okay, who, besides us, has been really impressed with Letcher this season? Who, besides us, has been underwhelmed with Clay County’s seasonal performance thus far? Letcher will run the clock on the boys from Manchester, in our humble opinion, in Whitesburg, Kentucky Friday night. We would be of the same opinion if the game were being played in Manchester, for the record.

KPGFootball prediction: Letcher County Central 43, Clay County 0

Game twelve: Owensboro at Owensboro Catholic…

Any of you who go out and pick the Red Devils to roll here don’t know much about this rivalry specifically or football generally. Coach Fallon has never; NEVER, beaten Catholic at Catholic. We believe that changes this year. Hey, nothing last forever.

Gough

We believe Catholic may have the best coaching staff in Kentucky. I swear to you, if you saw what their players looked like in street clothes, particularly upfront, you would never give them much chance to beat anyone, much less the Red Devils from across town who have some of the best talent in the commonwealth.

Somehow, year after year, Catholic is winning tons of games, beating or playing with teams it shouldn’t, and challenging for the 2A, Regional Title. They are in contention for the whole enchilada yearly.

We will be the first to admit at KPGFootball, we didn’t think much of the Aces’ chances in 2020. We weren’t alone.

They were picked to finish second (we picked them 3rd in the district we are ashamed to say), preseason, in a district they own. However, that being said, they have dismantled both Todd County Central and McClean and have many of the same pundits, us included, wondering aloud, “Are they good enough to get to the semi-state, and by Mayfield, in a regional final?

Gavin Wimsatt is the real deal and Kentucky’s top regarded dual-threat QB and athlete and Austin Gough is someone KPGFootball believes to be Kentucky’s elite and definitive player, Kentucky-wide at the ILB position. Both prospects are wracking up D-1 offers every time one looks either’s way.

Sorry, Catholic; coaching can bridge many gaps but this one looks (to us) to be too wide to bridge successfully. Catholic will make a game of it.

KPGFootball prediction: Owensboro Senior High 35, Owensboro Catholic 28

Game thirteen: Martin County at Shelby Valley…

We don’t believe Shelby Valley is as good this year as last. Their performance, to date, would support this belief. Shelby Valley is 3-1 but lost to West Carter 53-14 on October 1. Losing to West Carter is no shame, they are really good, but 53-14? Can’t get beat like that and be taken very seriously on the commonwealth, 2A, stage.

However, the Wildcats are plenty good enough to handle a Martin County team, in Pike County Friday night. Martin County is 3-1; but that one loss was 52-8 to Magoffin County.

Martin letting Phelps (1A) score 40 on them in the opener, and beating a winless Bath County team 14-10, didn’t stir much confidence in us they win this game. A four-point win over a winless team doesn’t make the résumé pop.

KPGFootball prediction: Shelby Valley 43, Martin County 17

Game fourteen: Butler County at Todd County Central…

Rebel Horde

Coming into the year, we weren’t impressed with the Rebels prospects (Todd County). As they were picked to finish 5th in-district, preseason, behind Friday’s opponent, Butler County (picked 4th), our being doubtful about the team’s prospects was something shared by many of media pundits around the commonwealth. Well, between Catholic and Todd County we have been shown we don’t know much at all about Class 2A, District 2.

Todd County’s opening win over Hopkins County Central got “sexier” last Friday night when Central knocked off Class 4A semifinalist from 2019, North-Hopkins. Todd County making a game of the match-up with Hancock County, this past Friday night in Elkton, was also impressive. Translation…the Rebels are dangerous to have to play.

Okay, Rebels, we’re sorry for disrespecting you and we are going to pick you to win Friday night.

KPGFootball prediction: Todd County Central 43, Butler County 21

Game fifteen: Prestonsburg at West Carter…

Just who in 2A is playing any better than West Carter’s Comets? Leetavious Cline, RB, is pushing for “Mr. Football” consideration and All-District returning QB, Orry Perry, is also pulling the right levers.

Defensively, there are some definite stalwarts. Dylan Roe has been killing it (24-tackles, over his three games, with 7-tackles for loss, 1.5 QB-sacks, a forced fumble “FF,” and two fumble recoveries “FR”). Gavin Gibson leads the team so far with 2.5 QB-sacks and Isaac Bond has 25-stops, 3-TFLs, a sack, a FF, and 2 FRs. Gage Leadingham leads the team with two-interceptions.

West Carter will beat hapless Prestonsburg as badly as they wish to run its record to 5-0.

KPGFootball prediction: West Carter 63, Prestonsburg 0

Game sixteen: Madison Southern at Woodford County…

Woodford County’s best days are still ahead. Like, as in, not this year but certainly in the next three or so. Freshman transfer from Hopkinsville, Kentucky Andrew Nason has been getting considerable varsity run which will payoff for him, big-time in the future. We like him at KPGFootball and think him among the top 5 safeties in his graduating class pretty easily. Coach Johnson’s charges made a game showing against a Franklin County team we believe may challenge for the title in 4A.

Madison Southern’s only win is against East Jessamine, but they made a game of both Pulaski County and Collins, both of whom are considered way above the midline in the 5A classification. We like Madison Southern here but it will be a good game and could really go either way.

KPGFootball prediction: Madison Southern 24, Woodford County 14

These are our predictions of the sixteen (16) games we decided to feature. Friday night’s schedule suggests these games are ready for play this coming weekend. How many of them get played? That is anyone’s guess. We were 10-1 last week and hoping to keep up the “hot hand.”

This is Coach HB Lyon, reporting for KPGFootball, and we’re JUST CALLING IT LIKE WE SEE IT!

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About Henry Lyon 1210 Articles
Have coached at the high school and middle school level. Have worked in athletic administration. Conceal my identity to enable my candor on articles published by this magazine. Only members of the editorial board are aware of my true identity.

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