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Best Bets: NKY/Indiana – Week 5

Week 5 features several games involving teams in rebound mode after extraordinarily bad starts and others like Beechwood and Scott that will attempt to bounce back from a sub-par Week 4 performance.

Walton-Verona opens Class 2A play on Friday, as does Scott in 4A.

Boone County at Dixie Heights are still looking for their first wins, and underachieving Highlands goes on the road to play unbeaten Simon Kenton, the top team in Northern Kentucky.

TriStateFootball takes a look at the Best Bets for Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana for Week 5:

Boone County (0-5) at Dixie Heights (0-4), 7 p.m. – Boone County has been trending downward for a couple of seasons, but Dixie Heights went to the state championship game last year. The Rebels have been outscored, 244-47, and it won’t get any easier for them, as they finish with Simon Kenton, Cooper, Campbell County and Highlands. Dixie Heights has at least been in games, dropping a one-point decision last week to Conner and a 42-28 tilt vs. Milford on Sept. 5. RB Jose Torres rushed for 121 yards last week and has 341 ground yards and three TDs for the season, but the Colonels have to improve on their 400.0 yards-per-game allowed.

Carroll County (2-3) at Walton-Verona (1-4), 7:30 p.m. – This will be the Class 2A opener for these teams. Carroll County has played in five blowouts – winning two and losing three. The Panthers have been held to eight points or less in all of their losses and have scored 118 points in their two wins. After an 0-4 start, Walton-Verona pulled off a one-point win over Lexington Christian last week. The Bearcats have been the opposite of Carroll County: Three of their games have been decided by one possession. RBs Noah Richardson and Paige Halsey have both gained over 500 yards on the ground for a Walton-Verona team that has been pretty one dimensional to this point.

Conner (3-1) at Newport Central Catholic (2-3), 7 p.m. – Conner has won by a point the past two weeks – 28-27 over Scott and 13-12 vs. Dixie Heights. Both wins were on the road, and so is this game for the Cougars. QB Kyler Padgett has thrown for 493 yards and four touchdowns, and he is Conner’s leader with 272 rushing yards. NewCath went 1-3 against its annual buzzsaw schedule before blowing out Harrison County last week. Any question as to weather RB Jacob Smith is 100 percent was put to rest last week when he rushed for 234 yards and four TDs vs. the Thorobreds.

Highlands (1-4) at Simon Kenton (5-0), 7 p.m. – Highlands’ point totals have gone down four straight weeks (38, 28, 24, 6). The Bluebirds’ defense has allowed 139 points in the past three games. These are very unusual stats for Highlands, and it faces one of its toughest opponents of the year this week. QB Austin Hergott did go 18-for-31 last week for 139 yards and a touchdown. That points-allowed stat for Simon Kenton in its last three games? Zero, seven and seven. The Pioneers have outscored opponents, 227-73 in 2015. Halfway through the season, RB Dillon Powell has 813 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Simon Kenton has help foes to just 84 rushing yards per game. Could be a running-clock game unless Highlands plays better football this week.

Holy Cross (2-2) at Beechwood (3-1), 7 p.m. – This is definitely not the 2014 version of Holy Cross that finished 1-10. The Indians have been in all four of their games – their average final margin is 10 points – and gave Scott all it could handle last week.

Beechwood QB Kyle Fieger (Cathy Lachmann/TSF).

Beechwood QB Kyle Fieger (Cathy Lachmann/TSF).

Holy Cross has three rushers over 200 yards, and all are averaging five yards per attempt or better – Xavier Abernathy, Hamilton Scott and Derrick Barnes. After three convincing wins, Beechwood was clobbered by previously-winless Covington Catholic last week, 41-21. Tigers QB Kyle Fieger has thrown nine touchdowns and just one pick, amassing 719 passing yards, and Ethan Stringer has seven TD runs and 521 ground yards. Beechwood is the favorite, but the Indians continue to improve and could give the Tigers a game.

Batesville (4-1) at Lawrenceburg (2-3), 7 p.m. – This is the premier game in Southeastern Indiana this weekend. Batesville suffered its first loss last weekend, 31-14 to East Central after winning its first four games by an average of 26 points. Zach Mears has rushed for 447 yards and seven TDs to lead the Bulldogs. Reid Strobl has thrown for nine scores and 817 yards to pace the Tigers. This will be Lawrenceburg’s final home game of the regular season until the final night when it hosts South Dearborn. The Tigers won this matchup, 14-7 last year and is 20-12 vs. Batesville since 1986.

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