Who wins the LexCath-Boyle rematch? Predictions for every Class 4A district title.
It’s district championship week in the UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl featuring some Kroger Field-worthy games in just the second round of the playoffs.
They start handing out trophies this week and each week until the biggest trophy gets awarded in December.
Boyle County and Lexington Catholic bring some star power to their rematch with Division I commitments Beau Allen, Reese Smith and Landen Bartleson, but the Knights will need to find an extra gear if they are to turn around the 64-28 defeat they took on their last trip to Danville.
All of this week’s Class 4A games are regular-season rematches, adding drama and the potential for payback at the most crucial moment of the season.
Here’s an expanded look at the 4th District championship, plus a quick summary of the rest of Friday’s Class 4A slate with predictions. All rankings are according to the final week KHSAA RPI which will be used to seed the next round.
Featured matchup
4th District: No. 5 Lexington Catholic (7-4) at No. 1 Boyle County (11-0).
Last time: Host Boyle County won 64-28 on Oct. 11.
Why Lexington Catholic will win: They play the game of their lives. The Knights will have to get stops against one of the most unstoppable offenses in the state. LexCath’s Kentucky commit QB Beau Allen and his set of playmakers have proven they can score on anyone, but they will have to keep plugging and try to hold serve as much as possible against the Rebels and force some turnovers for things to go their way against Class 4A’s title favorites. The key might be to sustain long drives and try to keep Boyle County’s dynamic offense off the field as much as possible.
Why Boyle County will win: Superior offense, legitimate defense. The Rebels have so many weapons, starting with West Virginia commit Reese Smith, who might be the favorite for Kentucky’s Mr. Football even after missing the last two weeks with an ankle injury. Notre Dame commit Landen Bartleson has been easing his way back into a running back rotation that’s nearing 2,000 total yards even though he’s been out much of the year. And quarterback Reed Lanter has been averaging more than 200 yards per game with 29 TDs. Boyle’s scoring offense ranks No. 1 in the state at 51.8 points per game while their defense holds opponents to just a 10.1 average, good for 10th best.
@HLpreps pick: Boyle County.
The rest of the field
1st District: No. 7 Madisonville (9-2) at No. 6 Hopkinsville (8-3).
Last time: Visiting Hopkinsville won 20-18.
@HLpreps pick: Madisonville
2nd District: No. 25 Allen County-Scottsville (5-6) at No. 24 Franklin-Simpson (6-5).
Last time: Visiting Franklin-Simpson won 31-21 on Sept. 27.
@HLpreps pick: Franklin-Simpson
3rd District: No. 20 John Hardin (5-6) at No. 13 Moore (7-4).
Last time: Host Moore won 22-14 on Oct. 11.
@HLpreps pick: Moore.
4th District: No. 12 Central (6-5) at No. 3 Franklin County (11-0).
Last time: Visiting Franklin County won 14-12 on Oct. 25.
@HLpreps pick: Franklin County.
6th District: No. 18 Scott (7-4) at No. 15 Holmes (8-3).
Last time: Visiting Holmes won 50-38 on Oct. 25.
@HLpreps pick: Holmes
7th District: No. 9 Corbin (6-4) at No. 4 Wayne County (9-1).
Last time: Visiting Wayne County won 18-16 on Oct. 25.
@HLpreps pick: Corbin.
8th District: No. 8 Harlan County (8-3) at No. 2 Johnson Central (11-0).
Last time: Host Johnson Central won 56-6 on Oct. 18.
@HLpreps pick: Johnson Central.
This story was originally published November 14, 2019 at 7:59 AM.
