Week 9 preview: Woodford County travels to Collins as district battles heat up
Here’s a look at some of the best high school football games of Week 9. All games are on Friday unless noted and all times are local to the home team. Top 25 rankings listed are by Dave Cantrall.
Games of the Week
▪ No. 13 Woodford County (7-0) at Collins (6-1), 7:30 p.m. One of Class 5A’s best defenses faces yet another Mr. Football candidate this week as the Yellow Jackets travel to Shelbyville to take on dynamic dual-threat quarterback Kenyon Goodin and district-rival Collins.
“He’s a really good player, and their line is definitely much improved from last year,” said Woodford County Coach Dennis Johnson, whose team faced a similar threat last week from West Jessamine’s Jacob Jones but was able to shut the Colts down in the second half in a 77-35 win. “He has the ball in his hands every play, and that’s what makes him so dangerous. … If the play breaks down, that’s what scares me. We could be in the right coverage and the right gaps and he can find a crease. We just have to be really sound.”
Goodin averages 201.3 yards passing per game with 15 TDs and 122.5 yards rushing per game with 12 TDs, marks good enough to put him among the best in the state. He’s also the team’s second-leading tackler, which is an especially rare thing for a QB in any class but especially 5A.
“The kid’s just fun to watch. He’s got something like 79 touchdowns in a year and a half playing quarterback,” said Collins Coach Jerry Lucas, who easily defends playing Goodin on defense. “When you’ve got a kid like him, how do you not play him? He’s so good on both sides of the ball.”
Woodford County ranks tops in Class 5A with 47.4 points per game and has four rushers who rank in the top 40 in Class 5A — Preston Stacy 496 yards, nine TDs), Andrew Nason (445 yards, six TDs), Leland Taylor (358 yards, four TDs) and Kenyon Maxberry (277 yards, six TDs). Sophomore QB Andrew Nason has 658 yards and nine TDs passing. Aden Nelson and Makhi Smith each have more than 300 yards receiving and five TDs.
“We’ve got four or five skill guys who can go, our quarterback’s playing well … if we don’t turn the ball over and just be sound, our offense has a good chance to be productive most nights,” Johnson said.
Lucas is looking to avoid the roller-coaster ride his Titans took last year in Versailles in this critical Class 5A, District 7 game. Collins spotted Woodford the first 21 points, rallied to tie it before the end of the half and then hit the big drop as the Yellow Jackets scored 43 unanswered to win the game.
“We weren’t in it. Then we were in it. And then we were back out of it,” Lucas said. “We know they have a lot of talent. We know we’re going to have to play good football, but our kids are excited about it.”
▪ No. 21 Pulaski County (7-1) at Bell County (6-1), 7:30 p.m. The Maroons step out of district to take on an exceptional Bobcats team and the two classes that separate these schools shouldn’t make much of a difference.
Bell County has a two-headed monster in the backfield with Daniel Thomas (1,175 yards and 15 TDs rushing , 275 yards and four TDs receiving) and Dawson Woolum (648 yards and nine TDs rushing, 101 yards and one TD receiving). Thomas’ numbers lead Class 3A in both rushing and scoring.
Pulaski County counters with Class 5A’s leading passer, Brysen Dugger, who averages 261 yards through the air with 29 TDs against only three interceptions. Receiver Chandler Godby (1,186 yards, 20 TDs receiving) tops the Class 5A yardage chart. Cody Nichols (344 yards, four TDs rushing) leads a backfield committee nearing 1,000 yards.
▪ Henry Clay (3-4) at Paul Laurence Dunbar (3-4), 6:30 p.m. A victory here not only gets the winner back to .500 on the season, it offers a leg up on the district championship, which is back to being a regular-season award under the new KHSAA postseason format. This is the most wins for Henry Clay since 2018.
The Blue Devils returned quarterback Blake VanHorn from injury last week and beat Lafayette by 20. Dunbar’s Ethan Teall has split time at QB due to injury, but backup Cole Colony started all of last year and the Bulldogs should be OK, regardless.
▪ Paris (6-1) at Bishop Brossart (6-2), 7:30 p.m. The Greyhounds have a shot at their first district title since 2018 but must go on the road to seal the deal against the defending champion Mustangs, a team Paris hasn’t beaten since that time. Paris QB Kaden Frederick has 1,289 yards and 16 TDs passing with only two picks. Jakari Ransom is closing in on 1,000 yards of offense and has 11 TDs. Both teams won close games against district-rivals Bracken County and Nicholas County.
▪ Clark County (5-2) at Madison Central (6-1), 7:30 p.m. After a bruising defeat to Bryan Station, the Cardinals must make a stand against Madison Central to stay in the race for one of the top two seeds. An Indians win could set up a winner-take-all game for the district title next week against the Defenders.
▪ Paducah Tilghman (3-4) at Union County (7-0), 7 p.m. The Blue Tornado have been off their state runner-up form of 2021. A win over the Braves fixes that.
Rivalries of the Week
▪ No. 15 Highlands (6-2) at No. 8 Covington Catholic (6-1) 7 p.m. The Colonels are on a nine-game win streak in this historic northern Kentucky rivalry that has been played for 55 consecutive years. That streak has included three playoff eliminations for the Bluebirds and this one will likely decide the district title. Highlands still holds the edge in the overall series 49-26, according to disputed records.
▪ Tates Creek (1-6) at Lafayette (0-8), 6:30 p.m. Lafayette looks for its first win while Tates Creek aims to salvage a season that’s had some hard-luck losses. Their annual Roy G. Walton Bowl honors the late coach who led both schools during a legendary career. He guided the Commodores to an undefeated season and state title in 1972.
Other Lexington games
▪ No. 2 Frederick Douglass (7-0) at Great Crossing (6-1), 7:30 p.m. A Broncos win could bolster their KHSAA RPI rating to No. 1.
▪ Bourbon County (2-5) at No. 3 Lexington Catholic (6-1), 7:30 p.m. The Knights can’t afford a post-Boyle County let down against a Colonels team more dangerous than their record suggests.
▪ Lexington Christian (3-4) at Somerset (4-4), 7:30 p.m. The Eagles’ redemption tour hits the road.
▪ Sayre (4-3) at Hazard (5-2), 7:30 p.m. Spartans looking to bounce back after suffering Pikeville blowout.
▪ Thursday’s late game: No. 23 Bryan Station (4-3) at Oldham County (0-7).
Should be a good one
▪ Belfry (4-3) at Lawrence County (6-1), 7:30 p.m.
▪ Williamsburg (4-2) at Pineville (7-0), 7:30 p.m.
▪ Glasgow (5-2) at Taylor County (3-4), 8 p.m.
Check Kentucky.com on Friday for the latest audio and video streaming information for your favorite team.
