It’s that time of the year.
Regular season play is over which means it’s playoff time in the Bluegrass.
We continued our impressive season of picking games last week and posted a 9-2 mark while improving to 89-19 (82.4 percent) for the season.
We’ve got some big games this week, so hopefully we can continue our recent success.
Friday, Nov. 4
Class A
First Round
Lynn Camp (2-8) at Pikeville (7-2)
The Wildcats are 15-27 all time in postseason play while winning only three playoff games since 2007.
They’ll be going against a Pikeville team that possesss an impressive 102-37 record in postseason play. The Panthers own a 7-2 record against Lynn Camp with the last Wildcat win coming in the 2003 playoffs.
Who wins? Pikeville will roll in this one, 63-6.
Pineville (7-3) at Hazard (6-4)
The Mountain Lions will be looking to improve on their 11-29 playoff record. Pineville has been successful of late, posting a 2-2 mark the past two years.
The Bulldogs on the otherhand will be looking to continue their dominance against the Mountain Lions. Hazard has won 16 consecutive games against Pineville with its last loss coming way back on Aug. 20, 1999. The Bulldogs lead the series with a 20-3 mark.
Who wins? We gotta go with the home team. Hazard picks up a 35-20 victory.
Sayre (5-5) at Harlan (7-3)
The Green Dragons already own a 50-42 win over Sayre this season, can they repeat the feat?
Harlan, who has a career 14-28 mark in the playoffs, is searching for its first playoff win since 2015. This will mark the third time the Green Dragons have played Sayre with the series tied at 1-1.
Who wins? This is a tough one. The Green Dragons have been playing really good football, and we don’t see it ending Friday. Harlan will do just enough to pull out a 40-36 win.
Class 2A
First Round
Prestonsburg (8-2) at Middlesboro (7-2)
The Black Cats’ lone losses this season have been against Martin County and Shelby Valley. They started the season with six straight wins.
Prestonsburg’s career playoff record is 43-38. The Black Cats have lost three playoff games in a row and searching for their first postseason win since 2017.
Middlesboro possesses a 42-35 mark in postseason play, including going 3-1 last year. When it comes to playing Prestonsburg, the Yellow Jackets haven’t had much luck. They are 2-9 against the Black Cats with their only wins coming in 2005 (40-20), and 1991 (30-0).
Who wins? Look for Middlesboro to snap its current six-game losing skid to Prestonsburg by picking by up a 35-27 victory.
Class 3A
First Round
Powell County (3-7) at Bell County (8-2)
Powell County reaches the playoffs after turning in its fourth consecutive losing season. The Pirates have won 10 games during that time span.
Powell County possesses a career 6-15 mark in the playoffs with three of the wins coming since 2017.
Bell County holds a career 68-32 mark in postseason play while posting a 10-4 mark since 2018. The Bobcats have only played Powell County once, back in 2015, coming away with a 52-20 victory.
Who wins? This one should be over pretty quick. Bell County advances with a 56-0 win.
Class 4A
Harlan County (4-6) at Corbin (10-0)
The Black Bears face a tough challenge when they go up against a Corbin team that has went undefeated in regular season play the past two years which is a first in program history.
Harlan County owns a 16-13 postseason record with hopes of finding its first win in the playoffs since beating Clay County in 2019.
The Redhounds will be playing in their 122nd postseason game. Corbin is 79-42 all-time in the playoffs, and 21-8 since 2014.
Friday’s matchup will mark the first time these two teams have played.
Who wins? The key for Harlan County is to control the clock. We expect a good game but in the end the Redhounds will be too much. Corbin moves on, 49-7.
Clay County (7-3) at Wayne County (7-3)
It’s been a while but the Tigers are looking for their first playoff win since 2010’s 62-22 victory over Lincoln County. Clay County is 5-23 all-time in postseason play. The Tigers will also look to improve on its career numbers against the Cardinals. They are currently 1-5 against Wayne County with their only win coming in 2006 (28-27).
Who wins? We know it’s on the road, and it’s going to be tough, but we have faith in the Tigers. Clay County’s wins, 42-40.
Knox Central (5-5) at Letcher Central (7-3)
The Panthers possess a 14-22 mark in postseason play while going 4-4 since 2018.
Letcher Central is 7-13 all-time in postseason play while posting an 0-4 career mark against Knox Central.
Who wins? It’s gonna be a tough night for Knox Central if the Panther defense doesn’t step up. Look for Letcher Central to win at home, 49-35.
Class 5A
First Round
Whitley County (3-7) at Woodford County (9-1)
The Colonels possess a 13-29 record in postseason play. They’ve also played the Yellow Jackets three times in school history with Whitley County owning a 2-1 mark. The Colonels beat Woodford County in 1997 (29-6), and 2008 (47-0).
The Yellow Jackets are 19-29 in postseason play, including going 3-1 last year.
Who wins? We gotta go with Woodford County, 42-21.
North Laurel (5-5) at Collins (6-4)
The Jaguars will be playing in their 21st postseason game. They are currently 5-15 while losing their last four playoff contests. The last time North Laurel won a playoff game was in 2017 against Lincoln County (43-6).
Collins is 19-11 when it comes to postseason play. The two teams have never met on the football field.
Who wins? Both teams have struggled recently. The Titans are losers of three straight while the Jaguars are 2-4 during their last six games. North Laurel possesses the better RPI but we’ve got to take Collins at home, 28-17.
