osunut2

I hate to say it, but I don't see AC beating Karns or HVA, simply because they both have pretty good defenses.

I don't think OR should worry too much. Karns couldn't run the ball at all against Powell (they had negative rushing yards in the 4th quarter, before Powell put in JV/freshmen), so they became completely one dimensional and threw 7 interceptions. The final was 40-20, but the Beavers scored 14 points in the last 3 minutes of the game. The Karns defense is the real deal though.

I was shocked when I saw that Karns put up 49 against Halls, as much as their offense has struggled this year. When Stewart is able to run the ball, it really opens up their passing game. I still think OR should cruise, but kudos to Karns on one of their best seasons in a long time.

I think it is personnel-related too. They were completely overmatched against Powell two weeks ago. You could see it on Powell's very first offensive play - a 60+ yard TD run by Mobley around the left end. Two DBs had an easy angle on him (both could converge on him), but they completely ran away from contact. It was almost as if they didn't want a thing to do with trying to tackle Mobley. Granted, Mobley is a great running back, but he shouldn't have scored on the play.

No shock here. AC has absolutely no defense. Great job by OR tonight.

Imagine how good Central would be in this district if they had a decent offensive line to go along with Blanc and their impressive defense. Their D unit is one of the best in the area, but you won't hear about them because they can't score/win.

Great game by East, they clearly caught West off guard. The Trojans just looked like they were going through the motions for the majority of the game, but great teams find ways to win in situations like that. Makes you wonder if East was ready for the moment, particularly on West's final scoring drive (2 personal foul penalties and an offsides penalty for being lined up in the neutral zone). West only had to drive 27 yards on that drive, thanks to 35 East penalty yards.

Agreed.

It's been a really strange season for Central, from my perspective. Blanc essentially plays every down when he's healthy, and it has really affected his ability to run the football. He's had a great year at defensive back (quite a few INTs, including at least two pick-6s). He's clearly the best player on Central's roster. The Bobcats just don't have a lot on the offensive side of the ball. They don't have a very good offensive line, and they have shown zero ability to pass the football, so it's all on the shoulders of the QB/RBs to make something out of nothing, which also explains why Blanc hasn't done very much offensively this season.

He played last week against HVA, so I'm assuming he'll play against Clinton. He had a 70-yard TD run, but he continues to have trouble finding room to run the football (finished with 85 rushing yards and an interception).

From the TSSAA website: "If the two schools are the same seed, in odd-numbered years the top team in each bracket shall be the host team. In even-numbered years the bottom team in each bracket shall be the host team." That should mean that quads 1 and 3 would host this year.

Halls is starting to find their stride offensively, but still doesn't have much of a defensive presence. That might not be a major issue in this game, however, since the Beavers don't have the most dynamic offense. Karns' defense is both talented and fundamentally sound, and I think that will be the difference in this game. I'll take Karns by a TD.

With or without Zullinger, AC still has to face a tough OR defense, similar to the one they saw against Powell (much tougher than the unit they saw last week against Halls). AC still has to prove that they can play defense, something the Mavs haven't really done yet this season. The gameplan is "simple" - contain Rian Hall (if Zullinger doesn't play). I still think OR wins a close game, regardless of Zullinger's status.

Great point, Dragon. Eskridge left that game in the 2nd quarter, after getting a concussion. HVA led 17-0 at that point.

This looks like Powell's last big test of the regular season. Dy'shawn Mobley continues to impress, and he had another big performance last week against Karns (240 yards, 3 TDs). Hardin Valley has had an interesting season, to say the least. The Hawks offense hasn't set the world on fire, but they come into this game with a 4-1 record. HVA has begun to even out, but started out the season with night and day performances, opening with a 32-0 shutout win against Bearden, before falling 38-24 against Heritage the following week. Dorian Eskridge is a workhorse tailback, and I expect him to get the bulk of HVA's offense, as he has all season. If Powell wants to remain undefeated, they will have to slow him down tremendously. My prediction: The Panthers' offense battered a good Karns' defense last week, and I don't expect them to let down against the Hawks, even though the Hawks defense has pitched a couple of shutouts this year. Powell's defense has been an unsung group, and they will make life tough for Eskridge. Panthers roll, 35-14.

I think he may be referring to the last time that Karns finished the season with a winning record, which was 1974.

+1

Thanks for the correction, HTV. I didn't realize that TSSAA eliminated automatic berths outside of the top 2 in each district.

Hard to believe that as rough as it has been for both of these teams so far, both could still earn playoff berths. Assuming Powell continues to roll, that still leaves 2 more automatic 5A bids out of district 3-AAA. Looking at the bottom half of the district standings, AC looks like they should easily get one of those 2 spots. After last week's showing against Oak Ridge, Halls has to like their chances, especially when you just have to finish ahead of Clinton, Central, and Campbell County.

What a season Karns has had so far! Hard to believe that a 7-0 setback against South Doyle in week 0 is the only thing keeping the Beavers from a perfect 5-0 record thusfar. A win against Powell would also vault Karns into first place in district 3-AAA and give them even more confidence. But, that's MUCH easier said than done. Last season, Karns was the first team to find a way to slow down the Powell offense. The Karns defense, through 5 games, has only given up 24 offensive points - however, they've yet to hit the meat of their schedule. Karns' opponents have a combined record of 5-19, and they still have to play OR, AC, and HVA, in addition to Powell. Powell took out a year's worth of frustration on AC last week. The key to this game is just like last year's - Karns' defense vs. Powell's run offense. Karns held Powell to 28 offensive points in last year's contest, so it will be interesting to see what kind of gameplan Karns has for Powell this time around. My prediction: The Panthers are still too strong offensively for Karns, and let's not forget the unsung Powell defense, who saw the return of Tony Foster at NT last week. Powell wins, 34-7.

Lee Smith, tight end for the Buffalo Bills. Played TE/DE at Powell, TE at Marshall, and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 5th round of this year's draft.

Agreed. I'm not sure if they are better than any of these 10 teams.

Wow, tough night for the top 2 teams in 3A. CAK was upset by Grace, 32-31.

Wow, what a game. Grace wins 32-31.

24-7, AE wins. Wow.