Class A football state championship preview: Pikeville vs. Raceland

It’s championship weekend for the 2023 UK HealthCare Sports Medicine State Football Finals. Here’s a look at Friday’s Class A state title game at Kroger Field.

Pikeville (11-2) vs. Raceland (11-3)

Kickoff: Noon Friday

RPI Ratings: No. 3 Pikeville (.75021); No. 6 Raceland (.69149).

Cantrall Ratings: No. 1 Pikeville (79.5); No. 2 Raceland (77.3).

Championship game history: Pikeville (7-4) — Seven titles, defending champs on the hunt for a three-peat; Raceland (0-2) — Runner-up to Beechwood in the 2017 Class A finals, runner-up to Pikeville last year.

Quick hits

Class A offense ranks: No. 3 Raceland (36.6 ppg); No. 6 Pikeville (32.9 ppg).

Class A defense ranks: No. 3 Pikeville (12.9 ppg); No. 8 Raceland (18.1 ppg).

▪ This game is a rematch of last year’s Class A state championship — which Pikeville won 41-9 — as well as this year’s Sept. 8 game at Pikeville, which Raceland won 7-6.

▪ According to Raceland play-by-play radio commentator James Collier of koolhits1057.com, Pikeville is 11-6 vs. Raceland all-time. The Rams have won back-to-back games against the Panthers only once — and there was a four-year span in between (2013-17).

▪ These two schools are separated by about 102 miles, or about a two-hour drive.

▪ Both the Panthers and the Rams boast the KFCA District Player of the Year in their respective districts: Pikeville LB/FB Brenden Anthony, a junior, was named the District 7 Player of the Year while Raceland senior RB/DB Noah Wallace was named the District 6 Player of the Year.

Mr. Football watch: Since the Kentucky Football Coaches Association took up naming the state’s Mr. Football in 2019, the award has never failed to go to a state championship game most valuable player who also had the career stats to back it up. The award is given annually to a player deemed to be the state’s most outstanding senior by the KFCA. Class A’s top candidates (with career marks) would be:

▪ Raceland’s Wallace (3,482 yards, 44 TDs rushing; 280 yards, 4 TDs receiving; 291 tackles, 2 sacks);

▪ Raceland quarterback Logan Lundy (6,274 yards, 83 TDs passing; 1,223 yards, 23 TDs rushing).

Standouts

Pikeville: Brenden Anthony, Jr. LB/FB (1,181 yards, 17 TDs rushing; 1 TD receiving); Tayvian Boykins, Sr. WR (304 yards, 2 TDs receiving; 597 yards, 4 TDs rushing); Isaac Duty, Jr. QB (1,244 yards, 13 TDs passing; 7 TDs rushing); Jeb Wilkerson Sr. WR/OL/LS (396 yards, 4 TDs receiving).

Raceland: Parker Fannin, Sr. WR/DB (896 yards, 10 TDs receiving); Jaxon Heighton, Sr. RB/LB (482 yards, 8 TDs rushing); Logan Lundy, Sr. QB (1,936 yards, 25 TDs passing; 356 yards, 6 TDs rushing); Noah Wallace, Sr. RB/DB (1,157 yards, 15 TDs rushing; 1 TD receiving).

@HLpreps pick

Raceland 15, Pikeville 14.

State championships

At Kroger Field in Lexington

Tickets: Available by advance sale digitally at KHSAAtickets.org. No walk-up paper tickets sold.

Streaming broadcasts: Subscription required for live video stream at KHSAA.tv. Pay-per-view live video at Go.PrepSpin.com. Free audio stream at KHSAA.net.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Class A: Raceland (11-3) vs. Pikeville (11-2), Noon.

Class 2A: Owensboro Catholic (14-0) vs. Mayfield (12-1), 4 p.m.

Class 4A: Covington Catholic (14-0) vs. Boyle County (14-0), 8 p.m.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

Class 3A: Christian Academy-Louisville (13-1) vs. Bell County (13-1), Noon.

Class 6A: Bryan Station (11-3) vs. Trinity (11-3), 4 p.m.

Class 5A: Cooper (12-2) vs. Bowling Green (11-3), 8 p.m.

This story was originally published November 29, 2023 at 10:39 AM.

Caroline Makauskas

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-9489

Caroline Makauskas is a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. She covers Kentucky women’s basketball and other sports around Central Kentucky. Born and raised in Illinois, Caroline graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Journalism and Radio/Television/Film in May 2020. Support my work with a digital subscription