Class 4A region title preview: Boyle, Corbin among five unbeatens in football class
For much of this season Boyle County, the three-time defending Class 4A state champion, had been ranked No. 1 by the media with the Corbin Redhounds, right behind at No. 2..
At the same time, the Herald-Leader’s Cantrall Ratings put Corbin in its top spot followed by the Rebels.
And while these two tradition-rich programs met in last year’s Class 4A championship game, this year, because of their lower ranking in the KHSAA’s RPI Standings, they will face off two rounds earlier for a region championship in Danville.
“You’ve got to beat somebody good to win it anyway,” Boyle County coach Justin Haddix said about having to face the Redhounds perhaps a little earlier than many expected. “Our mentality is that it doesn’t matter when you play them, you’ve got to beat somebody good to win.”
Boyle and Corbin each played one out-of-state opponent, which often can hurt a team’s RPI ranking because those kinds of games are worth less in the KHSAA’s formula.
Regardless, Class 4A is jammed with good teams — five undefeated teams to be exact — No. 1 Covington Catholic, No. 2 Franklin County and No. 5 Paducah Tilghman round out the rest.
Both Boyle (12-0) and Corbin (12-0) return many of the same key players from last year’s state championship with some notable additions. Boyle County has another big-time playmaker in Demauriah Brown to add to their stable of Montavin Quisenberry, Sage Dawson and Avery Bodner.
Meanwhile, Corbin picked up the state’s two highest-rated recruits, Kentucky commits Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith, twins who occupy either side of the Corbin defense and menace opponents with their size, speed and strength.
“There’s no doubt about it, they’ve definitely made them a lot better on the defensive side,” Haddix said of the Smith twins. “I like our team’s mentality right now. They’ve come out and done everything we’ve asked them. … I still don’t think we’ve played our best game.”
Class 4A region championships
All games are Friday with times local to the host site.
EAST REGION FINALS
No. 4 Corbin (12-0) at No. 3 Boyle County (12-0), 7:30 p.m. Will the four-star defensive standouts Jerod and Jacob Smith help the Redhounds overtake the three-time defending champs? It should be another great one.
No. 8 Johnson Central (9-3) at No. 1 Covington Catholic (12-0), 7:30 p.m. The Colonels beat Ashland Blazer 35-28 to reach this stage. Johnson Central topped the Tomcats 36-33 on Oct. 20. Those results indicate this could be a close one.
WEST REGION FINALS
No. 21 Bardstown (8-4) at No. 2 Franklin County (12-0), 7:30 p.m. The Flyers could be the least talked about undefeated powerhouse in the class. Franklin senior linebacker Jon Griffin leads the state in sacks with 18. Bardstown has district player of the year Tyleeq Williams who can score a number of ways.
No. 17 Spencer County (7-5) at No. 5 Paducah Tilghman (12-0), 7 p.m. Quarterback Jack James led the Blue Tornado to the Class 3A finals as a freshman in 2021. He’s a junior now and the state’s second-leading passer with 3,615 yards and 51 TDs. Spencer has made a great run after an 0-3 start, but Tilghman might be too much.
@HLpreps predictions for next week’s state semis: Paducah Tilghman at Covington Catholic; Boyle County at Franklin County.
