Well, for most teams in the Commonwealth, we have reached the mid-point of the 2017 High School Football Season and its now time to get to business as most teams are facing District opponents in games with playoff implications. Play time is over folks. In recognition of that fact, we here at Kentucky Prep Gridiron decided we would feature some significant games to be played tomorrow night. Enjoy!
Class 6A:
Well, we will start where most 6A State Championships of late have either begun or ended and that is with an out-of-District game between the Tigers of Louisville Saint Xavier from District 3 and the Shamrocks of Louisville Trinity in District 4. Between the two of them, they are 11-0 with Saint Xavier 5-0 and Trinity 6-0. Saint Xavier owns wins this year against Cathedral High School from Indianapolis, Indiana; Bowling Green (whom they spanked); and Pleasure Ridge Park (whom they also spanked). Trinity has become such a football power that it is almost a consensus it is the best football program in the Commonwealth and, maybe, in either the Mid-West or South. Trinity, 6-0, has wins over Carmel, Indiana (whom they murdered 31-3), Warran Central out of Indianapolis (whom they beat in Nap-town), Archbishop Moeller from Cincinnati (whose traditionally so renowned that if you haven’t heard of them please stop visiting this site, you don’t know enough about High School football to get anything from this page), Louisville Male (whom they routed 22-0) and Champagnat Catholic from Hialeah, Florida (whom they routed 28-7). Bottom line, no matter how good Saint Xavier is, and they are damn good, nobody, and I mean virtually nobody, beats Trinity.
KPG Predicted Winner: Louisville, Trinity
Class 5A:
Over in the 5A Classification, the Christian County Colonels travel to Owensboro to take on the Red Devils from Owensboro High School. This is a 5A, District 1, match-up with serious seeding implications. The Colonels have been criticized for both playing a weak schedule and for playing down to its competition. With most teams 5 games into the season, and some of them 6 games in, the competition is looking like they may have had something to do with the Colonels’ trouble and, not so much, some imagined malaise. Since losing to Christian County, 6A Tennessee team Rossview High School has reeled off four straight victories and Caldwell has won 5 straight. Heck, even HHS hasn’t lost since the County game, though it has only played once since. Playing the Colonels may not end up well for the opponent the night of, but it appears some type of tonic for the season to come, fingers crossed Marshall County. Owensboro (2-3), who we believe is the only team on the remaining schedule with the horses to beat the Colonels (presently 5-0), runs the ball very well and defends the run well with its big, strong, quick defensive front, headed up by Diamond Glover at NG, and super-frosh linebacker, Austin Gough. Owensboro, who dropped a surprise game before the bye week to Davies County whom the Devils may have overlooked, hasn’t shown me sufficient offensive balance this season for me to pick them. I just don’t think a one-dimensional offense can score enough to beat the Colonels as they both throw and run the football effectively and play stingy, unrelenting defense. Sorry Red Devils, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but…
KPG Predicted Winner: Christian County
Class 4A:
This next game should be an easy pick, right? After all, Madisonville North-Hopkins is 4-2 and coming off consecutive shellackings of District foes, Calloway County and Hopkins County Central by a combined score of 125-0. I mean the Tigers, Defending Class 4A, District 1 Champions the previous 2 consecutive seasons, are rebuilding and ripe for a Marooning. Haven’t the Tigers just won one other game and against a team which is 1-5 itself (Paducah Tilghman)? Digging a little deeper than the won-loss column might be a bit illuminating in this instance. Madisonville is 4-2 against opponents who have a combined won-loss record of 13-19. Madisonville has played one team with a winning record, Union County (Class 3A, 5-0) to whom they lost by two TDs and were also humiliated (41-19) by an Owensboro team which is, itself, only 2-3 on the year thus far. The four opponents Madisonville have beaten are a combined 7-16 on the year. Hopkinsville is 1-4 on the year and has only beaten 1-5 Paducah Tilghman, but the teams who have beaten the Tigers are a combine 21-2 on the year. In its last three outings, Caldwell County had to score twice in the final 4 minutes and convert a 4th and 17 to escape 28-21 and Christian County, ranked 4th in the 5A Classification Poll, had to lean on a safety and the Tigers missing 2 PATs to chalk one in the win column by the narrow margin of 15-12. Ask any coach in the Western Kentucky area, the Tigers are the best 1-4 football team in the 4A Classification and still considered a favorite to win the District inspite of Madisonville North-Hopkins being 4-2 and Logan being 6-0. One thing is for sure, with the young talent on hand in Hopkinsville, if you’re going to get the Tigers, better get them right now!
KPG Predicted Winner: Hopkinsville
Well, this was fun and I hope you all get out and support your local high school teams! This if Fletcher Long reporting for Kentucky Prep Gridiron reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
Leave a Reply