[cougarpride08]

Here goes my picks.

1. Belfry: The defending state-runner up is looking to finish the job this year with a strong core of players returning. Lee is the next big thing at Pond Creek and Elkins and Varney give some more weapons to a tough team.
2. Bell: The Bobcats are coached by Hilton. That alone is enough to make the top 10, but playing in 4A means the road to Louisville goes thorugh Lex. Catholic. Bell will be as good as anyone when it matters most.
3. Hazard: They might be the best 1A football team in the state, and are definatley the best in the mountains. 1A makes for weaker schedules, but the Bulldogs will be as good as anyone next year.
4. Breathitt Co: Holcomb will have a team full of seasoned players with some good athletes. They will be looking to get that semi-final game taste out of their mouth and will be a tough out come playoffs.
5. Letcher Co. Central: Now this team made a run to the semi-finals last year, but I thought they had a pretty easy road. LCC will be able to not only compete, but possibly dominate the district and region in 5A. The problem is that Ft. Thomas Highlands team will always be waiting in the playoffs. Not saying they can't beat them, but I don't like their odds over an extended period of time.
6. Prestonsburg: The Blackcats are coached by Derossett, but you can't hold that against them. These kids can play and being in what I feel is the weakest class overall 2A they have a chance to make some noise.
7. Johnson Central: The Golden Eagles are a good football team and have more kids to pick from than any school in Eastern KY, but they did take a hit from graduation. Ian Welch may be one of the best athletes in the area, but it will take Matney many more athletes to win in 5A.
8. Sheldon Clark: The Cardinals lost some key players to graduation, but the cupboard is far from empty. They have some talented young athletes that will make them competative in 3A and Hager will be a tough out for anyone who plays them in the playoffs.
9. Clay Co: This one is because they have a stud at QB and will get more coverage than most teams because of it. They might not be the 9th best team, but when he is on they are as good as they come.
10. Harlan Co.: This team ha never been on the field together, yet they make the top 10? Two words. Tom Larkey. He will make them competative and be tough come playoffs. I am going out on a limb and saying that you will see the dreaded Bear-Crawl defense in Harlan Co. nxt year.

Just to clarify...the road wasn't easy to highlands. We earned it by beating a clay co team that was loaded. We played our district and we won our district going undefeated. Not a easy thing to do. We beat clay co at home.