If Central wins, both teams would be 2-3 in district play
The stakes in Morton’s Gap, Friday night, couldn’t be any higher. We have had a lot of readers tell us the RPI is the only consideration when determining playoff inclusion and seeding. If that is the case in District 1, 3A; it would be one of the few districts to ignore “head to head” competition when determining who’s in the playoffs and who’s practicing basketball. Right now, Trigg is eliminated. Union County and McLean are both safely in the playoffs. Webster has beaten Central but lost to Hancock. Should Central beat Hancock, all three team would be 2-3, in district play with Hancock beating Webster but losing to Central, Webster beating Central but losing to Hancock, and Central losing to Webster but beating Hancock. Hancock’s winning eliminates all confusion, Webster and Hancock would take the remaining two slots. This thing may come down to an RPI analysis. For now, we need to force it to the RPI’s; because the other alternative is dribbling and shooting.
HB Lyon, Scouting Director, KPGFootball
Calpreps.com says: On a neutral field, Hancock County has a 53% chance of winning with Central at 47% and the score being 28-27
Morton’s Gap, KY: It is the very definition of “crunch time” around Morton’s Gap. We have gotten to the win or go home (for sure) point in the season.
Lose, and we start covering offseason exploits like what our players are doing in basketball, powerlifting, baseball, and Track & Field. Win, and we may still be home, depending on the RPI’s settlement, but we are still in it…we still have a chance.
Hancock County is a good football team which is well disciplined and well-coached. Coach Eubanks and his staff have proven they can coax extraordinary performances from athletes who don’t just jump off the page at recruiters.
Hancock has a reputation for being a pound the ground ball club. The statistics tell us a different story.
The first “statistic” we are considering is the fact the Hornets are 5-3 on the year and 2-2 in District 1 play. Hancock County closes with a Grayson County team which is 7-1 this year in 5A play, so this is the Hornets last, “good” chance to come away with the team’s sixth win of the season.
Hornets are 5-3, 2-2 in the district
KHSAA statistical website
The Hornets have scored 214-points on the year; but, have allowed 194-points to be scored on them. They are tough offensively but somewhat yielding on the defensive side of the ball.
The Hornets have rushed for 1,137-yards on the year. They have allowed opponents to rush for 1,492-yards on the year. I am feeling a McNary on the Carry type offensive game-plan here.
The Hornets have thrown for 1,419-yards, allowing 355. That is the statistical anomaly. The team reputed for being a pound the ground type attack, has thrown the football effectively and rather often.
Dylan Morris (No. 6, ‘25) has gotten the bulk of the reps at QB. Morris has been steady if not spectacular in spots. He is a game manager who keeps his team in games and is an adept ball handler in the backfield.
Morris makes good decisions. Morris has a high football IQ. Morris has to be contained.
On the year, Morris has completed 83 of 132 passing attempts for 1,389-yards and 9-TDs against 2-picks. Morris throws for 173.6 yards per game.
We can’t afford for him to just sit back there and pick us apart. We need to get some pressure on him and force him to make bad decisions and ill-advised throwing errors.
Dylan is not too much of a threat to take off with it. On the year, Morris has gained 121-yards, on 26-carries, and scored 4-TDs.
Weatherholt looked like a Heisman candidate against Trigg
Friday Night Fletch
Aiden Weatherholt (22, ‘24) is the leading rusher. We saw the game with Trigg County and Trigg made Weatherholt look like a Heisman candidate. His complete body of work isn’t has eye-popping as 174-yards and three (3) rushing TDs he compiled in Cadiz, Kentucky on September 22nd.
Weatherholt gains, on average, 54.6-yards per game and has 437-yards on the year through 8-games. Weatherholt has compiled 71-carries with 5-rushing TDs.
Chris Gillispie (38, ‘25) is the short-yardage and “around the goal line” guy. He has 4-rushing TDs.
Landon Garrison (21, ‘24) and Cooper Jones (7, ‘26) are the most reliable targets in the passing game. Garrison, also the team’s top scorer, has caught 24-passes for 395-yards and Jones has 15-snags to his credit for 291-yards. The pair have caught 5 of the team’s 9-scores through the air.
Jack Roberts (34, ’26) is a threat. He has missed a game but has caught 16-passes for 260-yards and 2-scores. The only other “through the air” TD-maker is Christian Yanez (13, ‘27) as he has a pair of TDs. Yannez is a freshman and on our “watch list” for our, end of the year, All-State freshman squad.
Aiden Weatherholt, the RB, is also the Hornets’ top defender at LB. Weatherholt has 109-stops, 8-TFLs, and 4-QB sacks. The top defensive lineman is Ross Powers (55, ‘26) with 92-tackles, 12-TFLs, and a sack. Hayden Shearn (2, ’25) has 56-tackles, 8 TFLs, and 3-sacks.
Cooper Jones is a third level guy to avoid. Jones leads the ball club in INTs (2) and IRNYs (interception return net yards) with 81.
This team goes for two a lot. The Hornets boast 13, two-point conversions on the year. This tells us the Hornets aren’t too confident in the PK. This may be the advantage needed to get the “W.”
Things go The Storm’s way tomorrow night; we may all become HUGE Falcon fans (Ft. Campbell)
Friday Night Fletch
Overall, this is a “winnable” game for The Storm and another opportunity to make a statement about where the program is. At 3-5, 1-3 in district play, getting to 4-wins going into the Trigg County game would be key. Trigg is a very winnable game and one in which The Storm will be favored.
We would like to get to 5-5 and see how the RPI falls. If Hancock beats 5A Grayson, we are likely toast; however, Webster County is just three spots above us, in the RPI, and finishes with Union County and Fort Campbell.
If we are 5-5, winning or last three (3) and Webster is 5-5 losing its last two (2), Then I think we can slide into the number four slot for the playoffs.
Union will beat Webster and soundly. As for Fort Campbell, the computer picks them as a 14-point underdog to Webster County, on a neutral field, but Webster has to play them in Oak Grove.
Our best hope is to beat Hancock, and then hope for Webster to lose out. Should that happen…
KPGFootball Prediction: Central 23, Hancock County 20
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