Kentucky Football

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Preview: NKY 6A

By Dan Clasgens | Managing Editor

Tyler Durham has provided a spark to the Camels' offense since his move to quarterback.

It's been an odd year in Northern Kentucky’s 6A football. From injuries to suspensions, the district has been robbed of some of its best talent.

Campbell County won its first district title in 31 years by running off a three-game winning streak during the heart of district play. However, the Camels were 0-7 in there other games.

One thing has held true this season as the playoffs are set to begin as the race is wide open.

We look ahead to the opening-round matchups:

Tates Creek (3-7) at Campbell County (3-7) - Nobody expected Campbell County to be much of a factor this season. However, the team bought into first-year head coach Steven Lickert’s system and didn’t give up, even when they started 5-0. The move of junior Tyler Durham to quarterback midseason propelled the Camels as they finished 3-1 in district play. Despite the success though, Campbell County dropped its last two games of the regular season and lost some of its momentum.

The Camels’ defense is going to have to do a better job than the 25 points per game average they yielded during the regular season if they are going to string together any kind of run.

The Commodores dropped four of their last five games and has struggled to stop the run, allowing 197 rushing yards per contest. That bodes well for the Camels.

George Rogers Clark (3-7) at Ryle (6-4) - Injuries have plagued Ryle all season. After losing star running back Travis Elliott earlier in the year, the Raiders showed some resilience by going 4-2 over the first six games without Elliott. However, the Raiders played Highlands last week with 13 starters being sidelined due to injuries. The banged up Raiders hobble into the post-season with questions abound.

Head coach Bryson Warner will need to get a total team effort from this point on as several underclassmen will be asked to step up as the season’s most critical stretch.

Ryle is set to host George Rogers Clark, a team that has dropped seven of its last eight contests. Stopping Cardinals’ running back Pokey Harris, who ran for 1,761 yards and 18 touchdowns during the regular season, is a must for the Raiders if they hope to advance.

OTHER GAMES
Dixie Heights (3-7) at Lafayette (7-3) - Senior quarterback Zeke Pike’s senior campaign will likely end the way it started, with the Auburn-bound athlete on the sidelines due to a suspension. Talent alone doesn’t win football games and this Dixie team has displayed that like no other team in the Tri-state this season. Lafayette will look to pounce on the Colonels, who seemingly quit weeks ago.

Boone County (6-4) at Madison Central (5-5) - The Rebels’ offense has been more balanced than in years past with the emergence of quarterback Kameron Scwartz. Boone County still grinds out 172 yards per game on the ground though and that could spell trouble for Madison Central defense that has allowed 23.1 points and 172 rushing yards per contest.

Simon Kenton (2-8) at Trinity (9-0) - It has been a rebuilding year at Simon Kenton, leading to a long season for head coach Jeff Marksberry and his Pioneers. They may be wishing they didn’t stay in District 6 as the fifth team, at least this year. Their reward for a fifth-place finish is a trip to Trinity, who currently ranks as the No. 2 team in the nation in the latest RivalsHIGH 100. This is a perfect example of what’s wrong with the KHSAA playoff system.

*All games played on Friday, Nov. 4th at 7:30 p.m.

Dan Clasgens is a co-founder of TSF and serves as the President/Director of Media & Content for our parent company, GetSports Enterprises LLC. In addition to nearly a decade of experience in covering local high school football, Dan is a widely recognized as a fantasy football guru. He is both a local and national radio personality, including hosting a weekly show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. If you are interested in covering your team, please CONTACT US.