Best Bets: N. Kentucky – Week 12

After a few close games and a number of blowouts in first week of the playoffs in Northern Kentucky, the postseason gets a lot more interesting on Friday.

This week’s slate includes five match-ups between local teams and two more (CovCath at Madison Southern and Scott at Ashland Blazer) that should be very close.

TriStateFootball takes a look at the Best Bets for Week 12 in Northern Kentucky.

Cooper QB Nathan Brown.

Conner (8-3) at Cooper (9-2), 7:30 p.m. – Conner barely escaped with a two-point win over Campbell County last week. QB Kyler Padgett was 16 of 19 in that game for 128 yards and a pair of TDs. He has thrown for 1,636 yards and is also the team’s leading rusher with 648 ground yards. Cooper has won six straight, opening its playoff season with a 40-0 win over Louisville Seneca. Nathan Brown has now passed for 1,818 yards and 20 TDs, and Dante Hendrix has 45 catches for 1,041 yards and 13 scores. The Jaguars’ defense is allowing just 75.4 rushing yards per game. Cooper won, 15-13 when these teams met in the regular season, and the Jaguars’ leading rusher, Jaden Jackson, piled up 164 ground yards in that game. Cooper should be a slight favorite in this one.

Dixie Heights (3-8) at Highlands (6-5), 7:30 p.m. – Dixie Heights extended its season with a 21-17 win at Montgomery County last week, but it has still been a down year for the Colonels, who made the state final last season. Dixie Heights averaged just 270 yards of offense during the regular season, with Jose Torres leading the way with 758 ground yards. Highlands started 1-5 but has won its last five, and its last three by at least 26 points. Nick Kendall is up to 879 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and scoring four times and piling up 122 yards last week vs. Woodford County. The Bluebirds’ defense has allowed just 12.0 points per game during their win streak after surrendering an average of 38.5 through six games. Highlands is rolling and should continue their playoff run with a multi-touchdown margin of victory this week.

Covington Catholic (4-7) at Madison Southern (5-5), 7:30 p.m. – CovCath had three 100-yard rushers last week – Anthony Best, QB A.J. Mayer and Casey McGinness – and tallied 379 ground yards and 527 yards overall while allowing just 119. The Colonels’ rushing success comes after they struggld to run the ball all regular season after Ben Darlington was injured in Week 0. Mayer has thrown for 1,656 yards and 14 scores. Madison Southern beat Grant County by one last week. The Eagles have four rushers with over 400 yards, led by Payton Skidmore, who has 712. QB Aaron Slone does not throw a lot but has had success in the air. This one is too close to call, and the winner will likely face Highlands next week in the quarterfinal round.

Ashland Blazer (9-2) at Scott (9-2), 7:30 p.m. – Blazer won its first eight games before falling to Johnson Central by one and Lexington Tates Creek by 19 before rebounding for a 21-point win over Bourbon County last week. The Tomcats have thrown 67 passes all season, so expect a lot of running from both teams. Quenton Baker is one of the state’s top rushers with 1,955 ground yards and 26 TDs on just 191 carries – a 10.2-yard average. Kurtlen Brown has added 835 rushing yards and also average double digits per rush. The Tomcats are allowing just 99.9 ground yards per game. Scott continues to set school records this season, having won nine games including last week’s first-round playoff game over Rowan County, 33-26. Roberto London is up to 1,102 rushing yards and 15 scores. Nelson Perrin and Deondre Pleasant have also reached the 500-yard threshold on the ground. As the Eagles advance and face tougher teams, it will be tougher to run nearly every play. Danny Fitzgerald has completed 62 percent of his passes but has thrown just 84 times for 751 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. Perrin leads the team with 386 receiving yards. This teams are very evenly matched, and this one could come down to the wire and is too close to call.

Holy Cross (6-5) at Newport Central Catholic (6-5), 7 p.m. – Holy Cross gave NewCath all it could handle when these teams met in the regular season, falling 20-13 on Oct. 9. Three of the Indians’ five losses have been by one score. Holy Cross is averaging 32.8 points per game, and its top three rushers – Xavier Abernathy, Derrick Barnes and Hamilton Scott – have all rushed for over 700 yards. Scott is 82-for-155 for 1,183 yards, 14 TDs and six picks. NewCath is doing its NewCath thing again this season, starting 2-4 and going 4-1 in its last five. The Thoroughbreds are allowing just 18.5 points per game and an average of 244 yards – 120 on the ground and 124 in the air. Jacob Smith appears to be 100 percent, and he has now rushed for 1,194 yards and 14 scores. This should be a close one and the Thoroughbreds should be able to come out on top.

Lloyd (8-3) at Walton-Verona (6-5), 7:30 p.m. – It seems another lifetime when Lloyd was 2-9, but it was just five years ago, and the upstart Juggernauts have won eight games three of the past four seasons. Lloyd’s offense seems to be hitting its stride at the right time, as the team has scored over 40 points three straight weeks and now averages 33.5 points and 384.6 yards per game. Justin Durham leads the team with 1,169 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, and Charles Gaines has been one of the area’s top receivers with 45 catches for 872 yards. Walton-Verona started the season 0-4 but is 6-1 since and has given up just 10.2 points per game in its last six. The good: The Bearcats have two 1,000-yard rushers – Halsey Page (1,466) and Noah Richardson (1,055). The bad: Walton-Verona has a one-dimensional offense, with fewer than 400 passing yards for the season. Lloyd has played the tougher schedule and has a more balanced offense, giving it an advantage heading into this game.

Frankfort (3-8) at Beechwood (10-1), 7:30 p.m. – It’s a rare down year for Frankfort, which still managed a 2-1 district record and No. 2 seed. This is the sixth straight season these teams have met in the playoffs, with Beechwood winning each season except 2013. The Panthers do not have a rusher with over 600 yards and have not have a lot of success throwing the ball, but Malik Frank has been a dangerous weapon at wide out, catching 23 passes for 535 yards and six touchdowns, more than half of Frankfort’s yardage total through the air. A win would give the Tigers their ninth straight berth in the state quarterfinal round. Stats update: Ethan Stringer has now rushed for 1,512 yards and 21 TDs, Kyle Fieger is 109 of 148 for 2,080 yards and 32 scores vs. just two interceptions. Beechwood has to be a heavy favorite in this game.

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