KHSAA Football Playoffs Round Two Preview — Presented by Kroger

Round two of the KHSAA football playoffs are here as we step closer and closer to Kroger Field for the six state championship games. Here are some notable games ahead of week two’s playoff slate:

1A

Hazard (8-4) at Pikeville (10-2)

Pikeville finished a perfect 4-0 in KHSAA’s 1A division in the regular season, including a 17-0 shutout against Hazard just three weeks ago before going on to claim the District 7 crown.

The story of that matchup was, you guessed it, Blake Birchfield’s massive night on the ground. The junior, who doubles as one of the top running backs in KHSAA, compiled 193 rushing yards on 30 attempts while finding the end zone twice for the only two touchdowns of the night.

On top of Birchfield’s standout performance, sophomore defender Sam Wright tallied two interceptions that erased all hope of a Bulldog victory.

If Hazard quarterback Max Pelfry can clean up the turnovers and if the line can open up some holes for running back Max Johnson, Pikeville might have some trouble on their hands Friday night.

Other Notable Games:

Frankfort (7-4) at Kentucky Country Day (9-2)

Nicholas County (7-5) at Bishop Brossart (11-0)

2A

Murray (8-2) at Mayfield (10-1)

Two of the top-5 teams in KHSAA’s 2A division, this might be the matchup of the week in the second round of the playoffs.

Last month, these two district foes faced off in a battle that saw Murray come out on top 25-21. The loss is the only smudge on the otherwise perfect record the Cardinals put together during the regular season.

The Tigers’ offense showcased a complete rushing attack that saw four different backs (Rowdy and Gage Sokolowski, Kainoa Olive and Xavier Biggers) rush for 231 yards on 56 attempts. Rowdy Sokolowski was responsible for 91 yards and three touchdowns.

The lone bright stop for Mayfield came in the form of running back Kylan Galbreath, who carried the ball 20 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort.

Other Notable Games:

Danville (8-4) at LCA (11-0)

Hancock County (7-4) at Owensboro Catholic (6-5)

Breathitt County (4-6) at Middlesboro (11-0)

3A

Mercer County (9-2) at Christian Academy-Louisville (10-1)

In Mercer County’s only two losses, they were outscored a combined 73-0 against Bryan Station and CAL. Meanwhile, for CAL, their only loss came at the hands of 2A frontrunner LCA 37-14.

In their lone meeting, CAL quarterback Cole Hodge was responsible for 243 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the 42-0 shutout victory. The Centurions would amass 354 total yards on the night.

They held the Titans to just 70 yards (36 passing, 34 rushing) in the shutout. It goes without saying—that won’t be acceptable if Mercer County wants a 3A quarterfinal berth against either Bardstown or LaRue County next week.

Other Notable Games:

Taylor County (9-2) at Glasgow (10-1)

Ashland Blazer (7-4) at East Carter (9-3)

Paducah Tilghman (5-6) at Union County (10-1)

4A

Lexington Catholic (9-2) at Boyle County (10-1)

These two teams faced off in a defensive battle back on Oct. 8 which saw the Rebels edge the Knights 16-10; the lowest-scoring game either team was a part of throughout the KHSAA regular season.

Boyle County quarterback Jagger Gillis had a field day with the LexCath defense, throwing 18-25 for 265 yards, although he couldn’t find the end zone that night. His favorite target, Cole Lanter, caught six of those passes for 106 yards.

The real MVP of the game? Kentucky commit and Boyle County kicker, Jackson Smith. Smith made three field goals on the night, which were ultimately the difference in the final score. The lone Rebel touchdown came on the ground via Avery Bodner, who had 13 carried for 104 yards against LexCath.

Other Notable Games:

Central (7-4) at Franklin County (8-3)

Letcher County Central (7-3) at Johnson Central (9-2)

5A

Pulaski County (7-4) at Southwestern (8-3)

Three weeks ago, Southwestern handily defeated the Maroons 42-14. In their last seven games, however, Southwestern is the only blemish on Pulaski County’s record over that time period.

Pulaski quarterback Drew Polston has the reputation of being one of the most efficient passers in all of KHSAA—that simply wasn’t the case against the Warriors. Polston was sacked seven times during the game and went 13-18 through the air with just 83 yards and an interception.

For Southwestern, their offense is focused on a smash-mouth style of play that featured Giddeon Brainard, Tanner Wright and Dylan Bland combining for 236 of the Warrior’s 293 rushing yards on the night—something not many teams throughout KHSAA have been able to slow down this season.

The stakes are a little higher in this one, however, as the victor will take on either Woodford County or West Jessamine in the 5A quarterfinals.

Other Notables Games:

Conner (7-4) at Covington Catholic (8-3)

Fairdale (7-5) at Bullitt Central (8-3)

Bowling Green (6-5) at South Warren (10-1)

Scott County (6-5) at Frederick Douglass (10-1)

6A

DuPont Manual (8-3) at St. Xavier (10-1)

When these two 6A behemoths met in the regular season, St. X won—and they won big. The Tigers dominated their district rival 42-10 in a matchup of two then-top-10 teams.

Jack Sivori completed 19-25 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 20 yards and two more scores as well.

The biggest story coming out of that game, however, was the fact that JaWaun Northington was absolutely stuffed by the Tiger defense, carrying 17 attempts for just 53 yards. Manual’s only touchdown of the game was driven in by Northington in the final moments of regulation.

“That score is not going to be indicative of how we’ll play when we play them again in five weeks,” St. Xavier head coach Kevin Wallace said. “The turnovers obviously had a huge impact on the game. I’m proud of how hard we played.” 

Other Notable KHSAA Playoff Games:

Bullitt East (8-3) at Male (10-0)

Madison Central (8-3) at Bryan Station (10-1)

Henderson County (7-4) at Daviess County (10-1)

Dixie Heights (7-4) at Ryle (8-3)

Ballard (8-3) at Trinity (4-7)

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