These are the best Kentucky football Class 3A games each week in 2020
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2020 Kentucky high school football preview
The 2020 high school football season kicked off Friday, Sept. 11. High school sports beat writer Jared Peck wrote numerous stories in the Herald-Leader and on Kentucky.com previewing the season around the city, region and state and highlighting the top players and games and rankings. Click below to read all of his stories in case you missed any of them.
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It’s one thing to line up a difficult schedule to get your team prepared for the postseason. What Mercer County’s David Buchanan did for 2020 in Kentucky high school football’s Class 3A is something else.
“I know we’re going to have some tough games. But you know, I’m just glad we’re going to get an opportunity to play,” Buchanan said when asked about his lineup. His Titans went 8-3 last year. “Yeah, you’re right, We’ve got our hands full.”
There are no easy outs.
Week 1: Boyle County is a 2019 Class 4A state finalist and No. 2 team preseason.
Week 2: Taylor County is a 2019 Class 3A state semifinalist and a No. 9 team.
Week 3: 4th District play begins with a visit from No. 4 Christian Academy-Louisville, a team the Titans split with last year, losing in the playoffs.
No. 2 DeSales, a district opponent and another 2019 state semifinalist, awaits in Week 7
Then there’s the super-charged tilt against rival and neighbor Anderson County in Week 9 just before the playoffs begin.
The Class 5A Bearcats are 8-2 against Mercer in their last 10 meetings. Mercer has won two of the last four, including last year.
“We want to win every Friday night. There’s no doubt about that,” Buchanan said. “And that’s what we’re going to try to do. But what’s even more important to that — we want to get to November with the best football team we could possibly have.”
Here are some of the other best games in Class 3A this season against teams at or above these teams in Kentucky’s class division system. For 3A games against top Class A or 2A opponents, see those respective stories.
Week 1 (Sept. 11)
Game of the week: Johnson Central at No. 3 Bell County, 7:30 p.m. A dream game between two of Eastern Kentucky’s best. Johnson Central is No. 1 in Class 4A and the defending state champs there. The two haven’t played since 2010.
Pulaski County at No. 1 Belfry, 7:30 p.m. A late, pandemic schedule filler sets up Class 5A’s No. 9 Maroons, who are always tough and have Purdue commit Tristan Cox, against the 3A state champs.
No. 6 Elizabethtown at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m. Here’s your classic city-county rivalry. No. 9 Central Hardin coming off a tremendous season in Class 6A.
Mercer County at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m. The Titans, who received a number of votes in the Herald-Leader preseason coaches poll have a large task in front of them with the Class 4A No. 2 Rebels.
Week 2 (Sept. 18)
Game of the week: Boyle County at No. 4 Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m. The Centurions feel they have a strong defense with eight starters back.
Taylor County at Mercer County, 7:30 p.m. The Cardinals have won back-to-back 2nd District titles and have Class 3A’s top rusher from a year ago in Wes Oliver, who ran for 2,265 yards and 29 TDs.
Week 3 (Sept. 25)
Game of the week: No. 10 Glasgow at South Warren, 7 p.m. The Scotties almost pulled off a massive win against the Class 5A No. 5 Spartans last season, falling 21-20.
Russell at Fleming County, 7:30 p.m. This battle between two teams who got votes in the H-L preseason poll should show who’s real and who’s got work to do. Russell returns two-way standout Nathan Conley who led the team in rushing with 1,438 yards and 15 TDs and was among the team’s leading tacklers at linebacker. Fleming has more questions but returns its leading receiver in 6-4 junior wideout Logan Pinkley.
No. 5 Ashland Blazer at Bourbon County, 7:30 p.m. A win against a Class 5A opponent can do wonders for your RPI ranking. That could pay dividends in the playoffs. The Colonels should be improved under second-year coach David Jones.
No. 4 Christian Academy-Louisville at Mercer County, 7:30 p.m.
Week 4 (Oct. 2)
Game of the week: No. 7 Paducah Tilghman at No. 2 DeSales, 7:30 p.m. DeSales dominated this river city matchup last season, but the Tornado have 11 starters back and could prove more of a challenge.
Simon Kenton at Russell, 7:30 p.m. A tough midseason test for the Red Devils against Class 6A’s No. 8 Pioneers.
No. 3 Bell County at Rockcastle County, 7:30 p.m. District play begins and the Rockets must shake off last season’s two-game sweep to achieve their goals this season.
Week 5 (Oct. 9)
Game of the week: No. 4 Christian Academy-Louisville at No. 2 DeSales, 7:30 p.m. Schools: private. Size: medium. Interest: high.
Week 6 (Oct. 16)
Game of the week: No. 10 Glasgow at No. 9 Taylor County, 8 p.m. After losing home-field advantage in a regular-season Glasgow win, the Cardinals turned the tables in the district finals to split the 2nd District series at the most important time.
Russell at No. 5 Ashland Blazer, 7:30 p.m. The Tomcats swept this district matchup last year and have an outstanding running back in senior Keontae Pittman. Russell last won it in 2014.
Week 7 (Oct. 23)
Game of the week: No. 6 Elizabethtown at No. 8 Bardstown, 7:30 p.m. Why is it that some of the best teams in the state often have to knock each other off in district play? Herein lies yet another example of a district that propagates excellent football.
Week 8 (Oct. 30)
Game of the week: No. 1 Belfry at Johnson Central, 7:30 p.m. Another Eastern Kentucky dream matchup between the defending Class 3A and Class 4A state champions.
No. 3 Bell County at Harlan County, 7:30 p.m. Harlan County is no Class 4A pushover.
No. 10 Glasgow at Franklin-Simpson, 7 p.m. The Scotties step up in class again to face the Class 4A No. 10 team.
Week 9 (Nov. 6)
Game of the week: Anderson County at Mercer County, 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 2:44 PM.
