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Best Bets: Week 12 – N. Kentucky

Twelve area teams remain in the KHSAA playoffs, and eight of them will play each other this Friday.

The means at least four teams will advance to the state quarterfinal round, and as many as eight could move on.

Covington Catholic QB AJ Mayer (photo by Mike Noyes/TriStateFootball.com)

Covington Catholic QB AJ Mayer (photo by Mike Noyes/TriStateFootball.com)

Here are the Best Bets for the second weekend of the playoffs in Kentucky:

Class A

Louisville Holy Cross (7-4) at Beechwood (10-1), 7:30 p.m. – The Other Holy Cross sputtered offensively early in the season but is averaging 35.3 points in its last four games. Mario Convenuto went over the 1,000-yard mark with triple digits vs. Ludlow last week, giving him 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 carries. Speaking of scoring, Beechwood has scored 50.7 points per game in its last seven contests, and scored seven touchdowns on 27 plays last week vs. Eminence. Do-everything back Aiden Justice leads the Tigers both in rushing yards (743) and receiving yards (522), with 17 total TDs.

Class 2A

Lloyd (6-5) vs. Newport Central Catholic (6-5) at Newport, 7:30 p.m. – Lloyd gave NewCath a game when these teams met in the regular season but ultimately lost, 28-18. The Juggernauts threw for nearly 200 yards in that game, and Lashunn Townsend has been a force among the team’s receiving corps. The Thoroughbreds’ top rusher, Kyle Kelly, did not play last week, as Hunter Cain gained 115 yards, so if Kelly in unavailable again Cain could get a sizable workload again this week.

Holy Cross (8-3) at Walton-Verona (7-4), 7:30 p.m. – Holy Cross appears to be the strong favorite in this game, as the Indians routed Walton-Verona, 44-0 in Week 1 and have outscored their last four opponents, 209-24. Derrick Barnes has rushed for 1,247 yards to lead Holy Cross and ran the ball three times last week in the Indians’ blowout of Owen County. The Bearcats’ put behind them an awful start in which they were shut out in the first two weeks, allowing 82 points. Walton-Verona hammered Newport, 50-0 last week and has surrendered just 16 points vs. its last five in-state foes.

Class 5A

Doss (6-5) at Covington Catholic (8-3), 7 p.m. – A favorite of computer geeks everywhere, Doss did what CovCath has been able to do in past years: End Highlands’ season. The Dragons ran up 691 yards against the Bluebirds’ sieve-like defense in a 52-32 win, keyed by 311 rushing yards by Hamilton Wilson. CovCath boasts one of the most balanced offenses in the state, averaging 215 rushing yards and 197 passing yards per game. Casey McGinness has rushed for 1,147 yards, QB A.J. Mayer has thrown for 2,156 and has spread it out to six key receivers who have tallied at least 240 receiving yards. CovCath should be the favorite this week as it looks to make its deepest playoff run in some time.

Dixie Heights (6-5) at Fern Creek (9-2), 7:30 p.m. – Dixie Heights does not have a sexy record after 11 games, but four of its losses have come to Class 6A teams. The Colonels disposed of Louisville Southern by 25 last week and are led offensively by running back Jose Torres, who gained 1,232 yards on just 145 carries this regular season. Fern Creek, the top team in its district, took out Grant County in decisive fashion and has scored at least 40 points in each game during its current six-game winning streak. The Tigers only throw the ball 11 times a game are led by a dual backfield threat of Kyree Hawkins (1,089 yards) and Devon Blincoe (873 yards).

Class 6A

Cooper (7-4) at Ryle (11-0), 7:30 p.m. – What a game these teams played in the regular season. Ryle held on for a 49-42 win in that one on Oct. 7 in a contest that featured over 900 yards of offense, and this one could be a shootout as well. Jarod Lonaker has thrown for 3,015 yards and 31 touchdowns and completed passes seemingly at will vs. the Raiders, passing for 301 and four TDs. Jaden Jackson has rushed for 1,105 yards and makes this balanced offense so tough to defend. Along with Trinity, Ryle is one of only two unbeaten Class 6A teams in the state, and the Raiders have scored at least 31 points in all 11 of its tilts, averaging 40.5. They also have big passing numbers and a 1,000-yard rusher, as Tanner Morgan has rolled up 2,376 yards and 22 scores in the air while Jake Chisholm has amassed 1,344 yards on the ground, scoring 17 times, including 218 yards vs. Cooper.

Conner (9-2) at Scott County (9-2), 7:30 p.m. – Conner’s only two losses have come vs. Simon Kenton at Ryle, and the Cougars have held seven of their 11 opponents to single-digit scoring. Conner is fifth in all of Class 6A in scoring defense, allowing just 14.1 points per game. Armand Jackson has gained 1,231 yards on the ground, and QB Walker Buelow was a pinpoint 14 of 17 for 191 yards last week in a win over Lexington Paul Dunbar. Scott County’s resume against area teams is: Win over Highlands, win over CovCath, six-point loss to Elder. Its other loss was a forfeit vs. Lexington Lafayette. The Cardinals are a run-heavy team, led by Kendrick Hamilton and Brice Fryman, both of whom have gained over 700 yards on the ground.

Campbell County (4-7) at Simon Kenton (10-1), 7 p.m. – Campbell County had dropped six of seven heading into last week, when the Camels beat Madison Central by six on the road. Cameron Sandman was a key in the receiving game last week for Campbell County, ending the night with 115 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. But overall, the Camels average just 18.8 points per game, the lowest clip of any Class 6A team still alive in the KHSAA playoffs. Simon Kenton has outscored its opponents, 518-200 this season including a 50-20 win over Campbell County in Alexandria. It’s quite a show of depth that two Pioneers quarterbacks have thrown for over 1,100 yards (Cameron Racke 1,389; Matt Shearer 1,104) and three players have over 600 ground yards (Jon Sergent 697; Racke 633; Dylan Hampton 619). Simon Kenton should have no problem advancing.

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