With the upcoming KHSAA State Football Tournament, it’s time to take a look at some of the first round matchups. Ten local teams have made their way into the first round of the tournament, including all five teams in the Bowling Green area.
Class 2A
Washington County vs. Glasgow
The Glasgow Scotties start their road to the state title after a 9-1 regular season against Washington County. Glasgow had a fantastic season in 2013, finishing fourth in the Class 2A standings. The Scotties allowed 11.3 points a game this year, and pitched four shutouts. Washington County has had trouble scoring this season, so they will have an extremely difficult time finding ways to score on Friday night.
Class 3A
Webster County vs. South Warren
The South Warren Spartans continue their dream season against Webster County. In only their third year as a program, South Warren went 9-1, and 5-0 against region opponents. Adrian Middleton leads the top defense in Kentucky into their third consecutive playoff appearance. The Spartans won two games last season in the tournament before losing to Monroe County. This year’s team will look to advance even further. South Warren took off this year on both sides of the ball. Jay Eblen has been a consistent quarterback through the air and on the ground, and Julius Allen can carry the rest of the weight for their ground attack.
Trigg County vs. Monroe County
One season after a tough loss in the state semifinals, Monroe County is back for another run at a state title. The Falcons use a potent run attack, which will be tough for Trigg County to stop. This game is poised to be a shootout, as Monroe County scored 277 points and allowed 234. Trigg County scored 298 points and allowed 258 on the season, nearly identical to the Falcons’ stats. This game has an opportunity to have a lot of points scored, but Monroe should be able to pull away.
Class 4A
Hopkins County Central vs. Franklin-Simpson
After winning the district title, the Franklin-Simpson Wildcats will look to continue their successful season against Hopkins County Central. FSHS is one of the hottest teams in the area headed into the playoffs. The Wildcats have won four straight games after a rocky 2-4 start. Along with a successful end to the season, Franklin-Simpson also received a favorable draw in the tournament that could propel them to the state semifinals. Hopkins County-Central is winless on the year, and has only scored 52 points on the season. The draw for the Wildcats in the first round should be winnable, along with the next possible games through the playoffs.
Allen County-Scottsville vs. Madisonville North Hopkins
The Allen County-Scottsville Patriots are limping into the playoffs this season after three consecutive losses to end the regular season. Before the three losses, the Patriots were 4-3, and were looking at receiving a solid draw in the postseason. Even with the difficult losses to end the season, the Patriots still have an outstanding opportunity to advance.
Madisonville-North Hopkins has struggled mildly throughout the 2013 season. Coming into the playoffs, the Maroons are sitting at 5-5 on the year. This game could go either way, as both teams are having similar seasons and similar outcomes.
Calloway County vs. Warren East
The aggressive running attack of the Warren East Raiders has landed them in the postseason yet again. WEHS may be playing without their star running back Eli Brown early in the postseason. Without Brown, the Raiders would have to rely on junior Antonio Shields, who was the main contributor on the ground near the end of the regular season. The Raiders have won three straight games after beginning the season 3-4. The streak may continue as Calloway has struggled to stop the run this season. The Lakers allow an average of 205.5 rushing yards per game, a weakness that Warren East should exploit Friday night.
Class 5A
Barren County vs. Christian County
Barren County comes into the playoffs with higher hopes than in past years. The Trojans first round draw of Christian County could be dubbed as a “favorable upset”. The normally impressive Colonels fell to 4-6 this season, but went 3-1 in regional play to advance into the postseason. Barren County had a surge of success this season, winning the most games since 2011. Both of these teams finished 4-6, but the records come from different ends of the spectrum. Christian County is normally a powerhouse, but fell this season. The Trojans are coming off a 1-9 season last year, so a 4-6 record is a step in the right direction. Barren County will be looking to build on a solid season by winning at Christian County. The two teams are not strangers to each other, as they played every year from 2008 to 2011 in the first round of the playoffs. Each time the teams matched up, Christian County won. The Trojans will look to change their fortunes this time around.
Greenwood vs. Graves County
The postseason is an excellent way to put the past behind for a team. The Greenwood Gators will be looking to do that when they take on Graves County Friday night. The 2013 season held hope for the Gators, but the offense failed to produce. GHS scored only 139 points on the season, and their defense allowed 237. The offensive struggle handed Greenwood a 3-7 season, but the playoffs can change the year around quickly. Despite a rough season for his offense, Greenwood quarterback Josh Dyer can lead this team against Graves County. The Eagles struggled on defense this season, suffering blowout losses to Mayfield and McCracken County. The Gators may be able to exploit a defense that allowed 14 or more points in every game this season.
Hopkinsville vs. Warren Central
Coming off one of the best regular season finishes in the state, the Warren Central Dragons received a draw to play at home against the Hopkinsville Tigers. Behind quarterback Chris Porter-Bunton, Warren Central won five of their last seven games after losing their first three.
The Dragons offense looked fantastic against Highlands, scoring 69 points in a tough 71-69 loss. WCHS even found a way to frustrate Bowling Green, with Porter-Bunton using his feet to lead Warren Central. Despite a loss to Bowling Green, the Dragons still looked great against one the more talented defenses in the state. The Tigers defense has had a difficult time this season, and a team that had 917 yards of offense last week in the Dragons will look to dominate on the ground.
Apollo vs. Bowling Green
The two-time defending state champion Bowling Green starts their march to another title against Apollo on Friday night. The Purples will face Apollo in the first round for the second consecutive year, winning last season 62-6. Bowling Green is led by Western Kentucky commit Nacarius Fant and star quarterback Devin Hayes. A win against Apollo would give BGHS 40 consecutive wins over the last three seasons.
Have your own predictions or thoughts? Tweet us @sportingtimes to discuss the first round matchups.
