Week 3 didn’t exactly shake up the Kentucky high school football landscape. The state’s heavy hitters mostly did what they’ve been doing all season: win, and win convincingly.
Trinity, sitting at No. 1, kept rolling with a 31-14 win over Moeller (OH) at home. That makes it three straight weeks of looking every bit the top team in the state, and it sets up a Week 4 meeting with Baylor School (TN).
Depending on the national poll, that one could land as a top 25 matchup. Baylor is 3-0, owns a Tennessee state championship, and is led by five-star running back David Gabriel Georges, who is committed to the Volunteers.
No. 2 Christian Academy-Louisville was just as ruthless.
The Centurions went on the road and blasted Lexington Christian Academy 66-21 in a top 20 game. No.
3 Boyle County handled its own top 25 test as well, beating Lexington Catholic 35-21. And No.
4 Frederick Douglass left no doubt against No. 5 DuPont Manual, winning 27-7.
The rest of the top tier followed the same script. No.
6 Corbin beat Bryan Station 26-18, while No. 7 Scott County survived a shootout with RV Bowling Green, 51-44.
No. 8 Covington Catholic overwhelmed Simon Kenton 42-7, and No.
9 Owensboro shut out Daviess County 49-0. No.
10 Pulaski County also posted a lopsided result, taking down North Hardin 51-7.
There were more ranked-on-ranked matchups sprinkled throughout the night. No.
11 St. Xavier cruised past No.
20 Male 37-7, No. 24 Belfry edged No.
25 Johnson Central 12-6, and No. 19 Paducah Tilghman knocked off RV Mayfield 40-17.
No. 23 Ashland Blazer got by Lawrence County 19-14, while RV Cooper blanked RV Ryle 11-0.
A few other ranked teams made their statements in a hurry. No.
12 South Warren beat Greenwood 42-7, No. 13 Beechwood rolled past Dixie Heights 41-3, No.
14 Woodford County shut out Great Crossing 42-0, and No. 15 Highlands beat Campbell County 55-14.
No. 17 Madison Central also posted a clean sheet, beating Madison Southern 42-0.
Elsewhere, No. 18 Owensboro Catholic outscored Apollo 63-41, No.
20 Atherton shut out Mercer County 60-0, and RV Murray beat Graves County 25-7. Jackson (MO) took down RV Ballard 42-6, and Kentucky Country Day survived a wild one, edging RV Spencer County 42-41.
In Other News...
Will Stein Gets An Early Kentucky Test Fans Will Obsess Over
The early part of Will Steins first season at Kentucky is about to meet the kind of barometer fans circle on the calendar. Alabama comes to Lexington in Week 2 as a 10.5-point favorite, with traders giving the Crimson Tide a 78% chance to win and the over/under sitting at 49.5 points, a number that suggests the matchup could still have plenty of movement if Kentucky can make it uncomfortable.
For Stein, the appeal is obvious. This is the sort of SEC test that can shape how a new coach is viewed in a hurry, especially against an Alabama program that has won eight straight in the series dating back to 2003. Kentucky does not need a miracle to make the game matter, but it does need a result that changes the conversation, and that is why this one will have fans watching every snap with a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Is Trusting Its Own Read On Alex Wilkins
Alex Wilkins arrived at Kentucky with the kind of rsum that invites debate. The 6-foot-5 guard showed real production as a freshman at Furman, scoring and creating for others in a way that made him an obvious transfer name, even as some of the broader analytics around his profile remained mixed because of his turnover rate and other red flags. That disconnect is part of what makes his move to Lexington interesting: Kentuckys staff did not simply chase the numbers, they layered them with scouting and their own eyes before deciding he was worth the bet.
For a program that lives under a microscope, trusting that internal read matters. Wilkins has already been the subject of the kind of analytical scrutiny that can follow a player from college to the NBA, with Jaylen Brown-style comparisons surfacing in the discussion, but Kentuckys evaluation leaned on more than spreadsheet debate. The Wildcats believed the fit was there, and now the question is whether that conviction holds up once Wilkins is asked to translate his skill set to a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Backfield Could Be A Real SEC Problem If It Holds Up
Kentuckys offense looked more like a group with answers than one searching for an identity in its win over Youngstown State, leaning on both the passing game and a steady ground attack to keep things moving. The backfield, in particular, stood out as a source of balance, with CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson both making their presence felt and Patterson finishing as the teams top rusher.
The bigger question is whether that kind of production can hold up once the schedule tightens and the physical toll starts to matter more. Will Stein sounded encouraged about the position group after the game, but he also knows the Wildcats need that depth to stay intact if they want the offense to keep looking this versatile against SEC competition. [Read more 🡒]