Watch out Sayre (11-0); here come the Paris Greyhounds in round two! @1776Bank @PrepSpin @KyHighFootball @kyhighs @HLpreps @MaxPreps @HopkinsCentral @840WHAS @sfitz_840whas @evans02_Mike 

Paris (10-1) headed to play Sayre (11-0) in epic, 1A matchup

We can’t think of a very recent time Paris High was any more potent than it has been this year. Tyquan Rice took over from Paris’ former head football coach, three years ago; and the trajectory for the program has been straight up ever since. Paris is coming off a 55-12 embarrassment of an Eminence program which turned around last year’s winless campaign to ’23 respectability with some very strong play. Eminence lost to Sayre, 12-8, on October 20. What does this mean for this weekend’s matchup? I suppose we shall all learn this answer together.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, KPGFootball

Calpreps.com predicts on a neutral field: Paris (KY) 27 (65%), Sayre (Lexington, KY) 20 (35%) 

Paris, KY: At the 1932 Democratic Convention, the emergence of a President we would simply come to know as “FDR,” Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was signaled via a song entitled, “Happy Days are Here Again.” If you are a Paris Greyhound fan, with your team sitting 10-1 heading into its second round matchup with Sayre (11-0), you are, undoubtedly, humming that song in your head as you read this.

The greyhounds are a program which has enjoyed some “Happy Days.” For those of you who don’t know, Paris High won state titles in 1973, ’81, and ’82. The Greyhounds were finalists in ’84 and won Regional Championships in 1963, ’70, ’73, ’74, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, ’87, and ’89.

Not too many programs can boast of a similar level of success. Still, the program, under a former coach, seemed (to some) headed nowhere which resulted in the hiring of Taquan Rice three (3) years ago.

Rice has done nothing but make the program progress ever since. Paris was 4-7 in Rice’s first season, 8-4 last year, and sit at 10-1 heading into a 2nd round showdown with Sayre and its scintillating, junior QB, Luke Pennington.

Pennington is having a tremendously efficient season, if not a spectacular one. Coach Pennington’s son has completed right at 70% of his passing attempts, thrown 37-TDs, and hadn’t suffered a single INT heading into the team’s first round playoff game with Harlan.

At the time of writing this piece, Sayre had not yet posted its statistics from the first-round game. Regardless, Pennington’s QB-rating has to be through the roof.

Paris has some impressive weaponry of its own. Freshman QB, Julius Gregory (’27), in Paris’ first-round conquest over Eminence 55-12, threw for 188-yards and four (4) TDs against no INTs.

Senior Jayden Holman (’24) gained 151-yards rushing and scored a pair of ground scores. Senior WR/DB, Jakari Ransom (’24), caught three (3)-passes, two (2) of which went for scores, and registered an INT on defense.

Cordre Patterson (’24, No. 60), had an efficient night but on defense as opposed to offense. The hulking DT, who doubles on the OL, registered five (5) tackles (all solo), three (3) TFLs, and two (2) QB-sacks.

Common Opponent: Eminence-Paris beat Eminence 55-12 on November 3; Sayre beat Eminence 12-8 on October 20
Friday Night Fletch

Eminence should have just handed him the football and let him run with it. Patterson was in the backfield all night long.

Now Paris has to travel to Lexington, KY to face a red hot Sayre squad sitting at 11-0 and coming off a throttling of Harlan in round one, 42-7. The last time a Paris undertook such a dangerous trip it involved the son of the King of Troy abducting the betrothed to a Greek Spartan King and fleeing back to Troy, woman in tow.

Interestingly, Sayre’s mascot is the “Spartans.” Perhaps the Paris Greyhounds will just leave Lexington with its ticket punched to round three; and won’t abduct a face worthy of launching a thousand ships.

Either way; this matchup, of these two teams, promises to be epic. The great, Greek poet, Homer, would be fiercely proud!

KPGFootball Prediction: Paris by three (3)

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!