Class 4A football playoffs: Is this where the most postseason intrigue exists?
Class 4A has probably been the most compelling football division this season, an opinion backed up by the latest Cantrall Ratings.
The top ten teams are separated by 17.9 points in the rankings, the second-lowest spread of any class (Tightest? The 13.1 points that separate Trinity from Conner in Class 6A). The top six teams are separated by just 6.9 points, the lowest spread by that measure. A mere 1.5 points seperate Johnson Central and Franklin-Simpson, teams No. 1 and No. 2 in the rankings.
A comforting thought for fans of Johnson Central? Of the first four teams ranked below it, it could only face one of them and that couldn’t happen until the state finals.
Johnson Central commanded the respect of media voters and numerical ratings for much of the season but lost some favor after falling 21-16 to Belfry at home to close out the regular season. The Golden Eagles lost at Belfry last year before reeling off four straight wins en route to their first championship-game appearance, where they lost 36-6 to South Warren.
A repeat trip would likely include a state semifinals home game against No. 6 Wayne County, whom Johnson Central edged on the road last season, 21-14. The toughest possible matchup before that would be against No. 10 Ashland Blazer in the regional round; the Golden Eagles defeated the Tomcats handily in October.
The road to the finals is much more harrowing for Franklin-Simpson, the only remaining undefeated team in Class 4A. It likely will meet either Hopkinsville or South Warren in the regional round, the former it hasn’t met and the latter it edged 30-24 at home earlier this season. Shelby County, which is tied with Hoptown for No. 3 in the state, is favored to host the Panthers in the semifinals.
Defending champion South Warren entered the season as a strong favorite to repeat but lost games at Greenwood and Franklin-Simpson, fighting multiple injuries to a 7-3 regular-season finish. Senior quarterback Ryder Litten played last week for the first time since injuring his ankle during the Franklin-Simpson game. The No. 5 Spartans have one more shot at a Class 4A title before moving up to Class 5A next season.
Josh Moore: 859-231-1307, @HLpreps
Class 4A football playoffs
First round: Nov. 4 (at high seed)
Second round: Nov. 11 (at high seed)
Regionals: Nov. 18 (at high seed)
State semifinals: Nov. 25 (at Region 2 and Region 4 sites)
State finals: Dec. 2 (at Western Kentucky University)
This story was originally published November 2, 2016 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Class 4A football playoffs: Is this where the most postseason intrigue exists?."