Class 3A football finals preview: Bell County vs. Belfry
It’s championship weekend for the 2019 UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl. Here’s a look at Friday’s Class 3A state title game at Kroger Field.
Bell County vs. Belfry
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
RPI ratings: No. 1 Bell County (.70365); No. 7 Belfry (.63774)
Cantrall Ratings: No. 7 Bell County (72.3); No. 3 Belfry (77.1)
Championship history: Bell County (2-0) — Last won a title in 2008. Belfry (6-7) — Last won a title in 2016.
How they got here: Bell County (14-0) defeated No. 14 Taylor County 46-28; Belfry (10-3) defeated No. 5 DeSales 15-14. The teams have no common opponents. The closest correlation is that Bell County defeated Knox Central 22-8 on Aug. 30. Knox Central lost to Ashland Blazer a week earlier by a score of 21-13. Belfry beat Ashland Blazer 41-7 in the regional finals.
Quick hits: Belfry won four straight Class 3A titles from 2013-2016 and lost in the finals the three years prior. Friday’s Class A and 3A title games each feature battles between Eastern Kentucky teams, a scenario nearly impossible before this year’s implementation of seeding via RPI because in the past such teams would have likely squared off in regional-bound state semifinals or prior rounds.
Bell County standouts: London Stephney, Sr. QB, Air Force commit (1,492 yards, 19 TDs passing, 1,140 yards, 15 TDs rushing); Brandon Baker, So. RB (1,404 yards, 17 TDs rushing); Jason Jones, Sr. WR (892 yards, 13 TDs receiving); Hunter Bailey, Jr. LB (124 tackles, one sack); Tyson Thomas, Jr. DE (92 tackles, five sacks).
Belfry standouts: Peyton Hensley, Sr. RB (1,371 yards, 18 TDs); Ben Bentley, Sr. RB, Youngstown State commit (1,110 yards, 13 TDs); Isaac Dixon, Jr. RB (967 yards, 10 TDs rushing, 184 yards, three TDs receiving); Brett Coleman, Jr. QB (228 yards, six TDs rushing, 393 yards, six TDs passing); Seth Mounts, Jr. LB (103 tackles, three sacks). Isaiah Birchfield, Sr. S (57 tackles, eight INTs).
@HLpreps pick: Belfry 28, Bell County 24.
State championships
At Kroger Field in Lexington
Friday
Class A: Paintsville (11-3) vs. Pikeville (13-0), 2 p.m.
Class 3A: Belfry (10-3) vs. Bell County (14-0), 7 p.m.
Saturday
Class 2A: Mayfield (13-1) vs. Somerset (13-1), 1 p.m.
Class 4A: Boyle County (14-0) vs. Johnson Central (14-0), 4:30 p.m.
Class 5A: Covington Catholic (14-0) vs. Frederick Douglass (14-0), 8 p.m.
Sunday
Class 6A: Male (14-0) vs. Trinity (12-2), 2 p.m.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 7:18 AM.
