[mysonis55]

It is now time for our first edition of the top ten 1a games of the week. I had to do a little extra research this time just to figure out who was playing. For this thread I will not list the dates or times due to confusion with some of the schedules not being posted. We do have a great week of competition in 1a starting right out of the gate. Please remember these are not the top teams in 1a it is just the top games in 1a for the week.

1) We start this one off with what I think could be a barn burner between what was two fairly competitive teams last year. We have Bellevue at 2a Walton Verona.
Bellevue had one of their regular good seasons for a 1a team last year. They finished second in their district to powerhouse Beechwood last year, with a record of 7-5 in the second round of the playoffs. They outscored their opponents by an average of 41-19 last year. They lost this game last year to Walton Verona in a barn burner by 1 point. Bellevue did lose 7 of their 22 players on the roster from last year. Walton Verona finished 2013 with a record of 9-3 in the 3rd round of the playoffs. They outscored their opponents on average by a score of 31-20. Walton Verona lost 9 of their 44 man roster to graduation this past year. This sounds like the makings of a game that could come down to the last play of the game.

2) 2a Prestonburg at Pikeville
This is a competition that features two very storied programs in the state of Kentucky. Both coming off of successful seasons in 2013. Prestonburg is coming off a 7-6 campaign in 2013 that ended in the 3rd round of the playoffs to Powerhouse Somerset. Prestonburg lost 3 of their 41 man roster to graduation last year. Pikeville is coming off of an 11-2 season that ended in the 3rd round to what many considered the favorite in the east of Raceland. Pikeville lost 6 of their 45 man roster to graduation last year. This game last year was won by Pikeville by 17 points in what was a closer than the score indicates type of game. This could be a very interesting game.

3) 3a Trigg Co at Russellville
This appears to be another great game between two storied programs. Trigg Co comes into this one off a disappointing 5-6 season that ended in the 1st round of the playoffs. They lost 12 of their 37 man roster to graduation. They outscored their opponents on average 30-27 on the year. They lost this game to Russellville last year by 3 touchdowns. I have personally seen them in action at 7 on 7 this year and they appear to have some really talented athletes this year. I think this could make a difference. Russellville comes into this one fresh off of a great 10-3 season that ended at the hands of the eventual state champions in Mayfield in the 3rd round. They lost 12 of their 39 man roster last year to graduation, including the wheel that turned the bus at qb. They outscored their opponents on average 40-13. With revenge on their mind the Trigg Co Cats could make this a very good game.

4) 2a Shawnee @ Ky Country Day
This also appears to be another very interesting game. Shawnee lost this one last year by 2 touchdowns at home. Shawnee finished 2013 at 3-6 and were outscored on average 22-29. KCD comes in off a disappointing 5-6 season. They were outscored on average 24-25 last year.

5) 3a Fort Campbell @ Mayfield
This can always turn into a great game. This game features to very storied Ky football programs. These two programs have combined for 7 state titles and 3 state runner up titles since 2000. These two programs always seem to have a stable full of speedsters at wide out, rb and qb. The Falcons come into this one off of a disappointing 5-6 season that ended in the 2nd round of the playoffs to a very tough So Warren team. The Cards won this one last year by 2 touchdowns, however it was close the entire first half. The Falcons have also lost their all everything back in Tristen Luke, who decided to go to Clarksville. They also lost 12 of their 42 man roster to graduation in 2013. The Cards also lost a bunch including their 3 year starter at qb. They lost 18 of their 61 man roster to graduation. They also lost a receiver to Graves County this year. They however gained one of their old rb's back from Graves Co this year. This game should feature a ton of talent inside the warm confines of War Memorial. This should be another exciting matchup.

6) Frankfort @ 5a Lincoln Co
This could be another great one in the making. Lincoln Co is an average 5a team by all accounts, in looking at last years results. Lincoln Co finished 2013 with a 5-6 record in the 1st round of the playoffs. They were outscored on average 21-35 per game. They however only lost 10 of their 59 man roster from last year to graduation. Frankfort jumped to the top of 1a last year with defense. The Panthers finished the year at 11-3 at the hands of the eventual state champions, in the semi finals, in Mayfield. They outscored their opponents on average 37-15 per game. They lost 7 of their 35 man roster to graduation and their defensive coordinator. They however have allegedly picked up around 5-6 talented transfers from local schools. This should be a game to help get an idea as to just how talented this years version of Panthers are.

7) Bishop Brossart @ Dayton
This is a match up of two struggling programs from last year that are looking to reach for the stars. Dayton won this matchup by a touchdown last year. Bishop Brossart finished 2013 with a record of 3-7 in the first round of the playoffs. They were outscored on average 16-30 per game. They however, only lost 9 of their 21 man roster to graduation. Dayton finished 2013 with a disappointing 2-9 record in 2013. Dayton only lost 6 off their 20 man roster to graduation in 2013. This one could come down to the wire again.

8) Harlan @ 2a Leslie Co
This game came down to the wire in 2013 at Harlan. Harlan was able to eek out a 5 point win against Leslie Co. Harlan however, finished the season with a 2-9 record after losing in the first round of the playoffs. They were outscored on average 16-38. To further problems they lost 10 off their 23 man roster to graduation. Leslie Co finished with a disappointing 3-8 record. They were outscored on average 22-34. They however appear to have lost less. They lost 13 off their 59 man roster from 2013. I look for a little revenge in the air in this matchup.

9) 2a DeSales @ Lou Holy Cross
This is another game between 2 teams with tradition. DeSales comes in off their best ever season. They finished 2013 with a record of 14-1 and a gold trophy. DeSales dominated this game last year shutting out the Cougars. The Cougars however are a private school with some pride and it is unknown exactly what adjustments they may have made to their roster. It was only 3 years ago that Holy Cross was challenging Mayfield for the right to be the best in the west. While DeSales clearly had the better of seasons, they lost a lot. The Mustangs lost 23 off their 2013 roster to graduation including some great skill players. Holy Cross finished 2013 with a disappointing 6-6 record in the 2nd round to eventual champions in Mayfield. They however did make the game interesting for about 1 half. They also were young, only losing 6 off their 40 man roster. This looks to be a tighter battle this time.

10) Raceland @ 3a East Carter
This is another matchup from last year. Last year Raceland dominated this one, but it should be a lot closer this time. E Carter finished 2013 at 4-6. They averaged getting outscored 21-36. They however, only lost 10 of their 59 man roster to graduation. Raceland however finished better than any in the recent past in the semi finals of 1a. They finished with a 11-3 record on the year. They however lost a ton. Raceland lost 12 of their 55 man roster to graduation and it was an important 12. They lost a wealth of talent in that group. I think this could make a big difference in this game this year. You can also expect the Raiders to be upset minded.

So there it is fellas. This is our first week of 1a football. Lets hear your thoughts on this.