Well it’s Labor Day, and we Americans are taking advantage by taking the day off…at least I am. Perhaps I need some extra time to get over that ballgame last night in Louisville, which was pretty depressing I must say. Anyway, there are nine teams across the Bluegrass that have plenty of work ahead of them. Here are nine teams that you wouldn’t expect to be 0-3…
Campbellsville: While district rivals Bardstown and Louisville Holy Cross have raced out to 3-0 starts, the Campbellsville Tigers have went the opposite way to start the year. However, the Tigers will have an excellent opportunity to right the ship this week against a struggling Pulaski County team.
Somerset: The Briar Jumpers have certainly tested themselves out of the gate, but three tough games have brought three losses, all of them to 3A teams. The road won’t get easier this week though, as Somerset heads north to take on Class A’s top team: Danville.
Glasgow: Of all the 0-3 starts, perhaps it is Glasgow’s that is most alarming. Blowout losses to Metcalfe County and Allen County-Scottsville, along with the first loss to rival Barren County since 1998, have caused alarm bells to ring among the Scottie faithful. It might be a long year for Billy Lindsey’s young team.
Owensboro Catholic: The defending Class 2A runners-up have run into trouble to start the season. A not-so-surprising loss to South Spencer, IN has been followed by losses to rivals Owensboro and Apollo. The Aces take on Daviess County next week, so the winless streak might be snapped this Friday.
Corbin: Meanwhile, Corbin has slipped out of the gate as well. Last Friday’s one-point loss to South Laurel sent the Redhounds to 0-3, this after losses to Rockcastle County and Oldham County. Corbin should be able to right the ship on Friday as they entertain Lexington Christian.
Paducah Tilghman: Everything’s Blue for the Tornado so far, as Tilghman has stumbled in their first three games. Despite being labeled a rebuilding year by many, the Blue Tornado scheduled tough to start the season and are still seeking that first win. It likely won’t come on Friday, as Tilghman travels to Henderson County
Franklin-
Simpson: Warren East has caught many eyes with their 3-0 start, but district rival Franklin-Simpson has caught mine with their 0-3 beginning. Like Tilghman, the Wildcats have scheduled tough and failed to bring home the first win. A trip to tough Russellville may produce that first victory, or it may not.
Dixie Heights: The Colonels haven’t just started 0-3. They’ve been pretty bad while doing it. While only scoring 16 points so far, Dixie Heights has allowed 111 points to Highlands, Beechwood and Covington Catholic. The Colonels take this week off, and then they’ll battle Scott, a game they should win.
Dunbar: While 5 of 7 teams in Class 4A’s 7th District are still undefeated, the Bulldogs of Dunbar are, well, defeated. Once again, scheduling plays a chief role in this record, as Dunbar has lost to PRP, Madison Central and Tennessee power Montgomery Bell Academy. This week’s match-up with Ryle could give Dunbar that first win.
So to part from the negativity, let’s focus on Class A, which picked up several impressive victories this weekend. How about Mayfield? A week after getting nicked by Marshall County, the Cardinals came back to beat the Hopkinsville Tigers in a thrilling 35-34 classic. Then Bardstown, which is off to a quick 3-0 start, smashed cross-town rival Nelson County 28-0. It seems the Tigers will be a force to be reckoned with, as usual, in Class A. Other good wins came from Louisville Holy Cross (beat DeSales), Crittenden County (beat Logan County), Lynn Camp (beat Perry County Central) and Bethlehem (beat North Oldham).
And then there was Danville, taking advantage of the scheduling change and taking down rival Boyle County 35-33. The game was moved from Boyle County to Admiral Field, albeit that’s not a huge travel difference, the atmosphere most definitely favored Danville, and Class A’s top team took down the Rebels.
What teams in each class have been most impressive so far? We’ve talked about Danville in Class A already. The Admirals have scored big wins over Boyle County and Southwestern, along with a blowout win against Pulaski County. In review, Danville has three wins, all of them against Class 3A competition.
In 2A, the new superpower (at least for a year) looks to be the Titans of Mercer County. They’ve only played two games, but wins of 63-0 and 53-6 (over Lexington Christian and South Laurel, respectively) proves that Mercer County can beat schools small and large, and beat them convincingly. Outside of a September 15th date with Boyle County, the Titans should breeze through their schedule.
I think 3A’s most impressive team so far has a loss already. Ashland Blazer dropped their opening game to Raceland, but the Tomcats have rallied by slipping past two Class 2A superpowers: Belfry and Russell. While Ashland probably can’t run with either Highlands or Bowling Green, the Tomcats have been impressive since getting stunned by Raceland.
And in 4A, how about the Tates Creek Commodores? After a miserable 2005 campaign, Tates Creek has come out firing in 2006, winning their first three games over tough 4A competition. Wins over George Rogers Clark, Ballard and Madison Central cement the Commodores as a contender in the Lexington 4A district, but like Ashland Blazer, they have a ways to go if they wish to challenge 4A’s big three: St. Xavier, Male and Trinity.
District play doesn’t start in earnest until week five, but I will release my power rankings for each class as I do their week four previews.
