Kentucky Football

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Preview: NKY 1A

By Dan Clasgens | Managing Editor

Bellevue senior quarterback Jake Sparks has helped guided the Tigers to a 7-4 record.

The post-season actions continues on Friday night in Kentucky as teams continue to battle for their right to get to Bowling Green in the first weekend in December.

The Beechwood Tigers know all about title games, but they’ve failed to play in one each of the last two seasons. They have plenty of motivation this time around.

For Ludlow, Bellevue, and Frankfort this is the time to shine. Most expect Beechwood to roll through this part of the bracket, but these three teams could have something to say about it.

We preview this week’s Class 1A playoff games featuring Northern Kentucky teams:

BELLEVUE (7-4) AT FRANKFORT (6-5) - The Bellevue Tigers are getting hot at the right time. The team picked up its fourth straight win as they handled Bracken County with ease in Week 11, 53-6. The Tigers’ defense has allowed just 6.25 points per game during the current streak.

The offense has been paced by quarterback Jake Sparks and running back Jordan Fogelman. The classmates have combined to rush for 1,835 yards and 18 touchdowns. Much of their success can be attributed to the solid play up front. The Tigers’ offensive line has really gelled down the stretch.

Frankfort will not be an easy out. The Panthers wasted no time in disposing of Dayton by picking up a 49-0 win last week. It was their fourth win in their last five games. The team’s 6-5 record is misleading as they are 4-0 versus Class 1A opponents as they outscored their opponents 210-18 in those contests.

Running back Caleb Leach leads a power running attack for Frankfort. He finished with 109 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Panthers’ win last week in limited action.

LUDLOW (3-8) AT BEECHWOOD (10-1) - Despite injuries to many key players, the Beechwood Tigers continue to roll right along. The Tigers picked up their seventh straight win by breezing past Paris 60-7 in the opening round last week. Now they are set to host a Ludlow team that they beat 61-13 just three weeks ago.

Running back Cameron Vocke ran for 183 yards and four touchdowns on just six carries in the team’s last meeting versus the Panthers. The senior has tallied 1753 yards and 26 touchdowns on 149 carries for the season, averaging an amazing 11.8 yards per carry.

Equally impressive for the Tigers is the team’s defense. The unit has given up 16 points per game on the season, but has only yielded seven points per contest versus Class 1A teams. Most of those points have come during mop-up time.

Ludlow has an electrifying playmaker too in Chris Yates. The senior sparked the Panthers to a first-round win over Eminence as he caught three balls for 140 yards and three touchdowns, scored twice on the ground, added a fumble recovery and an interception on defense and had 119 return yards on special teams.

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.