Two big games. Two district-determining showdowns. Two home team favorites with a recent history of making things go their way. Two challengers saying it’s time to step aside.
Only that’s not going to happen.
No one will be stepping aside. Covington Catholic and Beechwood are not going to go politely. Highlands and Lloyd Memorial will have to push them aside and take it from them.
Should be fun.
Take the Dixie Highway and stop in Park Hills or Ft. Mitchell. You won’t go wrong.
For our coverage of Simon Kenton beating Campbell Co. on Thursday, click here.
FRIDAY HIGH SCHOOL
Highlands (5-2) at Covington Catholic (6-1), 7 p.m.: One team scores at a 42.9-points-a-game pace. The other allows just 14.6 points a game. If you’re looking for that classic unstoppable force against an immovable object matchup, look no further than Park Hills where the high-flying Bluebirds, with the No. 4 offense in Class 5A, will try to soar past the tough-defending Colonels and their No. 7 defense. Together, these old rivals who have been playing since 1969, stumbled a bit out of the starting gate with a combined 0-3 mark, but then have won 11 straight between them. Highlands has a scoring edge of 20.6 points a game with Coach Bob Sphire’s multi-faceted, fast-paced attack led by all-purpose Charlie Noon, QB Brody Benke, running backs Cam Giesler and Dawson Hosea and placekicker Davis Burleigh’s eight of nine field goals and 40 of 40 PATs. But don’t think CovCath has all its hopes on the defense. Watch out for junior QB Evan Pitzer, a long, lean run-pass threat and compact workhorse running back Owen Leen on offense and top tacklers Aiden Jones, an edge rusher, and LB Tate Kruer on defense.
Lloyd Memorial (5-2) at Beechwood (6-1), 7:30 p.m.: Not bad warmups for this Class 2A district showdown between the two-time defending state champion Tigers and the under-the-radar Juggernauts last week with big wins over Holy Cross (55-3 for Beechwood) and Newport (44-22 for Lloyd). The Ft. Mitchell matchup will feature a pair of power-running 205-pounders in Beechwood’s Mitchell Berger and Lloyd’s Kaden Zulager, the Nos. 1 and 11 scorers in the state’s Class 2A with Berger at 148 points and Zulager at 72. Berger is the No. 4 rusher in 2A with 138 yards a game. Zulager is No. 7 with 111 per. So forget the finesse here for much of this one. But not completely. Beechwood has sophomore QB Clay Hayden back from a knee fracture and all Hayden did a week ago against Holy Cross was hit on 12 of 14 passing for 181 yards and three TDs. Lloyd has QB Isaiah Smith along wide receivers Elijah Collins, Yurii Collins Comer, and Tyler Copeland who can all carry it. The wild card factor could be Beechwood’s Antonio Robinson Jr., the speedy Wake Forest commit and Kentucky’s No. 2 college prospect, who has scored the ball by running, receiving, and returning it. Lloyd can’t afford to let ARJ get loose.
Ludlow (2-5) at Bellevue (0-7), 7 p.m. This game was forfeited by Bellevue, which canceled its season due to health and safety concerns as the team’s roster dipped to just 15 active player. An earlier version of this story was posted before the Bellevue announcement and this section was not corrected before the article was shared. LINK nky regrets the error.
Paris (6-1) at Bishop Brossart (6-2), 7:30 p.m.: Big Class A district ball game for the Alexandria-based Mustangs who have made winning close games their specialty the past three weeks with those three wins coming by a total of four points (Ludlow 10-9, Nicholas County 17-15, and Bracken County 7-6). Won’t be easy against the high-scoring Greyhounds who have hit for more than 50 a total of five times this season with seven games above 40. Paris currently is five places ahead of Bishop Brossart in the Class A RPI rankings although in a real shot at the validity of the KHSAA ratings system, so are Nicholas County and Bracken County, despite both having lost to Brossart.
Cooper (4-3) at Boone County (3-4), 7 p.m.: This is the kind of game backyards were made for. Both teams need to survive this Boone County 5A brawl between Florence and Union. With three wins in their last four games (with only a 14-7 loss to CovCath), an improving Cooper has the better case to make here. It also has a special freshman arm in QB Cam O’Hara, who has thrown for 12 TDs and 167.7 yards a game. A Boone team that has lost five of its last six (including a 43-0 romp by CovCath) also has a QB you’d better be able to stop in Jamarion Hocker, who totals more than 183 yards passing and rushing for the Rebels.
Newport Central Catholic (6-1) at Dayton (3-4), 7 p.m.: Both teams are coming off a one-sided Class 1A romp last week although NewCath’s 60-30 win at Ludlow is more impressive than Dayton’s 46-0 walkover against Bellevue in that rivalry game. But the challenge from NewCath’s offense with QB Kolton Smith, RB Demetrick Welch, and WR Luke Runyon will be a whole different animal for the Greendevils at Davis Stadium. Running back Landyn Hopper, with 1,088 yards (155.4 yards a game) and 14 TDs is the big story for the Greenies and someone NewCath had better be ready to stop.
Holmes (4-3) at Harrison County (2-6), 7:30 p.m.: It’s a bit of a trip down to Cynthiana for the Bulldogs but that shouldn’t be a problem in this Class 4A district game – if they show up ready to play. And as fans around here know for sure, that’s never a given as back-to-back district losses to a sub.-500 Rowan County as well as Boyd County the last two weeks prove. Get the ball to Curtez Hill (151.0 yards a game) with his 11 TDs and get out of the way would seem to be a good way for the Bulldogs to go against a 2-6 Thorobred team that gave up 54 points to Scott two weeks ago.
Dixie Heights (2-5) at Ryle (4-3), 7 p.m.: Forty-seven, 59, 37, 66. No, that’s not the play-calling cadence for one of these Class 6A quarterbacks, it’s the number of points the Dixie Heights’ defense has given up the last four weeks. For Ryle, it’s about taking advantage of that faltering defense as the Raiders, No. 4 in the state’s Class 6A, to get themselves ready for next week’s district showdown against Simon Kenton. QB Logan Verax with his 225.9 yards pasing-rushing continues to lead the Raiders’ offense coming off a stop-the-bleeding 35-20 win over Campbell County last week. Dixie, coming off those four straight losses, will look to Armani Gregg’s 186.8 yards passing-running to get them out of their losing ways.
Boyd County (5-3) at Scott (4-3), 7:30 p.m.: Another Class 4A district game where you just have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen or who’s going to show up. After beating up on Holmes 43-8 last week in Catlettsburg, it’s Boyd County’s turn to hit the road and bus on up to Taylor Mill where the Eagles fly. And with three straight wins while scoring 141 points (against the likes of Grant, Rowan, and Harrison County), Scott has it going behind RB Bennie Hills 1,149 yards and 14 TDs with QB Dasani Lane adding another 105.3 yards running and passing. Another flip-a-coin 4A game.
Louisville Shawnee (2-5) at Walton-Verona (6-2), 7:30 p.m.: A great opportunity for the unbeaten Bearcats to stay that way in this Class 2A district game with a struggling Shawnee team coming up from Louisville. With their 28-26 win over Carroll County two weeks ago, Walton-Verona is in a good place here as they follow the lead of QB Jackson Smith and his 169 yards passing and running a game.
SATURDAY HIGH SCHOOL
Holy Cross (1-6) at Newport (3-5), 2 p.m. (at Bishop Brossart): These two programs without a home field head out to Alexandria Saturday to meet at Bishop Brossart for this Class 2A district encounter where the two teams have combined for 10 losses in their last 11 games. Both teams need this one badly. Newport will look to the two-way play of Quincy Barber with the hope that the offensive combo of QB Kyle Lee and RB Mykell Martin can make it happen. Holy Cross will depend on QB Donovan Ambrocio and Landyn Phillips, who passes it catches it and runs it for the Indians.
SATURDAY COLLEGE
Cumberland (Tenn.) (3-4) at Thomas More (3-3), 1:30 p.m., Homecoming at Republic Bank Field: The Saints return home from Montgomery, Ala., and a 24-7 Mid-South Conference win over Faulkner for Homecoming Saturday and a chance to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season against a Cumberland team the Saints beat 10-3 a year ago. QB Blaine Espinosa tied a season high with three TD passes at Faulkner while punter Elgin Phillips hit for 48.8 yards a punt on his six kicks while earning MSC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. At 2-1 in the MSC, it’s a great opportunity for first-year coach Chris Norwell’s guys to move up in the league.
