Save the date: High school football’s biggest games and best rivalries this season
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2022 Kentucky high school football preview
The 2022 high school football season kicks off Friday, Aug. 19. High school sports beat writer Jared Peck is writing numerous stories in the Herald-Leader and on Kentucky.com previewing the season around the city, region and state and highlighting the top players, games and rankings. Click below to read all of his stories in case you’ve missed any of them, and watch for more in the lead-up to the season.
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There are some high school football games that get circled on the calendar every year by players, coaches and fans.
Maybe it’s a border war or a fierce district clash. Maybe it’s a city-county feud or a city-city feud. Whatever the origins, these are games everyone looks forward to. Beyond pride and another win, there’s sometimes even a trophy, a barrel or a stick on the line (yes, a stick).
And this year, the stakes could be even higher as the Kentucky High School Athletic Association once again will award district championships during the regular season instead of the playoffs as the postseason returns to a more traditional cross-district format for the first two rounds.
Here’s a list of what we think are some of the best contests in Kentucky high school football each week this season, plus when the playoffs and state finals begin. Top-10 games are according to the Herald-Leader’s preseason polls across all six classes and all times are local to the host site. Unless the game already has a name/bowl, we’ve categorized each matchup.
Get your red marker out.
Week 1: Aug. 19
Battle of Elkhorn Creek: Franklin County at Scott County, 8:30 p.m.
Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic: Pikeville at Corbin, 8 p.m.
Tobacco Stick Bowl: Edmonson County at Grayson County, 7 p.m.
ARH Bowl: Pulaski County at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 city rivalry: Bryan Station at Frederick Douglass, 6:30 p.m.
City vs. county: Mayfield at Graves County, 7 p.m.
Neighbor games: Powell County at Estill County, 7:30 p.m.; Caverna at Hart County, 7 p.m.; Ashland Blazer at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.: Collins at Shelby County, 7:30 p.m.
Week 1: Aug. 20
Rafferty’s Bowl: South Warren vs. Highlands at Western Kentucky University, 5 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. North Hardin at Western Kentucky University, 8 p.m.
City vs. county: McCracken County at Paducah Tilghman, 7 p.m.
Week 2: Aug. 26
Top-10 showdowns: Paul Laurence Dunbar at Madison Central, 7:30 p.m. Paintsville at Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.; Hopkinsville at Mayfield, 7 p.m.; Middlesboro at Williamsburg, 7:30 p.m.
City vs. county: Ashland Blazer at Boyd County, 7:30 p.m.; Whitley County at Corbin, 7:30 p.m.
Crosstown Classic: Murray at Calloway County, 7 p.m.
City rivalry: Male at Ballard, 7 p.m.; Ryle at Conner, 7 p.m.; Southern at Moore, 7 p.m.; Apollo at Owensboro, 7 p.m.
Public vs. private: Daviess County at Owensboro Catholic, 7 p.m.
Neighbor games: Leslie County at Clay County, 7:30 p.m.; Butler County at Edmonson County, 7 p.m.; Franklin County at Western Hills, 7:30 p.m.
Week 2: Aug. 27
Pike County Bowl: Covington Catholic at Pikeville, 6 p.m.; Pike County Central vs. Shelby Valley at Pikeville, 8 p.m.
Rebel Bowl: Mercer County vs. Lexington Christian at Boyle County, 6 p.m.; Bryan Station at Boyle County, 8 p.m.
Rail Cities Bowl: Russell at Raceland, 8 p.m.
Week 3: Sept. 2
Historic top-10 rivalries: Danville at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m.; Paducah Tilghman at Mayfield, 7 p.m.
Top-10 showdowns: Belfry at Lexington Christian, 7:30 p.m.; Hazard at Breathitt County, 7:30 p.m.; Corbin at Franklin County, 7:30 p.m.; Pikeville at Paintsville, 7:30 p.m.; Woodford County at Paul Laurence Dunbar, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 Catholic school duel: Covington Catholic at Lexington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Neighbor games: Madison Central vs. Madison Southern, 7 p.m.; John Hardin at Elizabethtown, 7:30 p.m.; Bourbon County at Harrison County, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 city vs. county: Russellville at Logan County, 7 p.m.
Top-10 public vs. private: St. Xavier at Male, 7 p.m.
City vs. county: Daviess County at Owensboro, 7 p.m.
Week 4: Sept. 8
Top-10 public vs. private: Newport Central Catholic at Walton-Verona, 7:30 p.m.
Week 4: Sept. 9
Whitaker Bank Game: Danville at Mercer County, 7:30 p.m.
Battle of Highway 32: Rowan County at Fleming County, 7:30 p.m.
Battle for the Barrel: East Carter at West Carter, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 city rivalry game: Paul Laurence Dunbar at Frederick Douglass, 6:30 p.m.
Top-10 showdowns: Franklin County at Ballard, 7 p.m.; Central at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.; Raceland at Highlands, 7 p.m.; Bowling Green at Hopkinsville, 7 p.m.; Bryan Station at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.
Neighbor games: Elizabethtown at Bardstown, 7:30 p.m.; Crittenden County at Caldwell County, 7 p.m.; John Hardin at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; Pulaski County at Corbin, 7:30 p.m.; Montgomery County at Clark County, 7:30 p.m.; North Oldham at South Oldham, 7:30 p.m.
Catholic school duel: Bishop Brossart at Covington Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Top-10 private school duel: Christian Academy-Louisville at Lexington Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Public vs. private: Owensboro at Owensboro Catholic, 7 p.m.
Week 5: Sept. 16
Lexington’s “Holy War”: Lexington Christian at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Army Bowl: Fort Knox at Fort Campbell, 7 p.m.
The Border War: Washington County at Marion County, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 showdowns: Boyle County at Bowling Green, 6:30 p.m.; Woodford County at Franklin County, 7:30 p.m.; Scott County at Paul Laurence Dunbar, 7:30 p.m.; Paducah Tilghman at South Warren, 7 p.m.
Top-10 city public vs. private: Male at Trinity, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 county rivalry: Belfry at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 public vs. private: Beechwood at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Neighbor games: South Fulton, Tenn., at Fulton County, 7 p.m.; Bourbon County at Great Crossing, 7:30 p.m.; North Hardin at John Hardin, 7:30 p.m.
City vs. county: Taylor County at Campbellsville, 7:30 p.m.; Floyd Central at Prestonsburg, 7:30 p.m.
Catholic school duel: Newport Central Catholic at Covington Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Week 5: Sept. 17
City vs. county: Christian County at Hopkinsville, 7 p.m.
Week 6: Sept. 22
County rivalry: North Laurel at South Laurel, 7:30 p.m.
Week 6: Sept. 23
Top-10 district clash: Frederick Douglass at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.;
Top-10 public vs. private: Lexington Christian at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.
City public vs. private: Newport vs. Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
Historic Catholic school duel: Trinity vs. St. Xavier, 8 p.m.
City rivalry: Ballard at Manual, 7:30 p.m.
County rivalry: West Jessamine at East Jessamine, 7:30 p.m.
Public vs. private/district clash: Christian Academy-Louisville at Mercer County, 7:30 p.m.
Week 7: Sept. 30
Battle of the Birds: Great Crossing at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.
Battle for Eagle Creek: Owen County at Gallatin County, 7:30 p.m.
District clash + top 10: South Warren at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.; Middlesboro at Breathitt County, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 showdown: Madison Central at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.
Week 7: Oct. 1
Top-10 showdown: Elizabethtown at Ashland Blazer, 5 p.m.
Week 8: Oct. 7
Battle for the Paddle: Dayton at Bellevue, 7 p.m.
Top-10 Catholic school/district clash: Bethlehem at Louisville Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
Top-10 district clash: Boyle County at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Catholic school/district clash: Christian Academy-Louisville at DeSales, 7:30 p.m.
District clash: Mason County at Fleming County, 7:30 p.m.; Nicholas County at Paris, 7:30 p.m.; Butler at Pleasure Ridge Park, 7:30 p.m.
Public vs. private/district clash: Manual at St. Xavier, 7 p.m.; Ballard at Trinity, 7:30 p.m.
Week 9: Oct. 14
Roy Walton Bowl: Tates Creek at Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.
Historic top-10 district clash: Highlands at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Top-10 district clash: Glasgow at Taylor County, 8 p.m.
Historic district clash: Williamsburg at Pineville, 7:30 p.m.
District clash: Hopkins County Central at Madisonville, 7 p.m.
Week 9: Oct. 15
Top-10 showdown: Russellville vs. Pikeville, 2 p.m.
Week 10: Oct. 21
Don Franklin Bowl/district clash: Southwestern at Pulaski County, 7:30 p.m.
Pride Bowl/district clash: Thomas Nelson at Nelson County, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 district clash: Madison Central at Bryan Station, 7:30 p.m.; Central at Franklin County, 7:30 p.m.; Mayfield at Murray, 7 p.m.; Hazard at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.; Paintsville at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.
Historic district clash: Pineville at Harlan, 7:30 p.m.
County rivalry/district clash: Apollo at Daviess County, 7 p.m.; Central Hardin at North Hardin, 7:30 p.m.
District clash: Crittenden County at Russellville, 7 p.m.
Week 11: Oct. 28
The Old Rivalry: Manual at Male, 7 p.m.
Top-10 city rivalry: Bryan Station at Paul Laurence Dunbar, 6:30 p.m.
Top-10 showdown: Frederick Douglass at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m.
Top-10 public vs. private: Beechwood vs. Newport Central Catholic at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.; Covington Catholic at Ryle, 7 p.m.; Lexington Catholic at Scott County, 7:30 p.m.; Bowling Green at St. Xavier, 7:30 p.m.
City vs. county: Western Hills at Frankfort, 7:30 p.m.
Playoffs Round 1: Nov. 3-5
New format-cross district: Regular-season district champions will host the No. 4 seed of their “sister district.” (Districts are grouped 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 in each class. So, the District 1 champion plays the No. 4 seed of District 2 and etc.). Likewise No. 2 seeds host No. 3 seeds of the sister district.
Playoffs Round 2: Nov. 10-12
Cross-district bracket continues: Second-round play follows the cross-district bracket established in Round 1.
Region championships: Nov. 17-19
RPI seeding begins: According to KHSAA rules in place since 2019, the highest remaining seed in districts 1-4 will host the fourth-highest remaining in districts 1-4; second-highest remaining seed in district 1-4 will host the third-highest remaining seed in districts 1-4; highest remaining seed in district 5-8 hosts the fourth-highest remaining in districts 5-8; second-highest remaining seed in districts 5-8 host the third-highest remaining seed in districts 5-8. This split is an effort to reduce travel at this stage.
State semifinals: Nov. 24-26
Region champions reseeded by RPI: The highest remaining RPI team in each respective class hosts the lowest remaining RPI team in that class and second-highest RPI team with host third-highest. Geographic location/travel is not a factor.
State championships: Dec. 2-3
Two day event: 2022 UK Orthopaedics State Football Finals at Kroger Field in Lexington. Times TBA.
Miss something? Do you know of a great rivalry or trophy game we missed? Alert digital sports writer Jared Peck on Twitter @HLpreps.
This story was originally published August 17, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
