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Friday's Matchups

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No. 4 Frankfort vs. No. 8 Bellevue

at Sower Football Field

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Radio: Froggy 104.9 FM, pregame show starts at 7:10 p.m.

Records: Frankfort (8-3); Bellevue (8-3)

Last week: Frankfort defeated Bishop Brossart 16-7; Bellevue defeated Gallatin Co. 55-0

FHS notes: Last week’s effort against the Mustangs was less than inspiring. The Panthers will need a lot more to get past a tough Bellevue team. FHS will have to do it without Kyle Eskew – who was ejected last week – as well as Marcus Washington. Quarterback Dylan Quinn will return this week after recovering from a concussion against Danville. He will offer a welcomed second dimension to an offense that has been nothing but running over the last few weeks – due to his absence and poor weather. With Eskew out, Bellevue’s top running back Ricky Buckler will be that much more of a handful for the Panther defense. FHS will need to eliminate the early fumbles it has become known for and shut down Buckler if the Panthers hope to continue on. 

A look at Bellevue

Mascot: Tiger 

Class: 1A

Head coach: Dave Eckstein

Key players: Ricky Buckler, Richard Willis, Alex Hegge

Last year’s record: 7-4 (lost to Gallatin Co. 33-28 in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs)

Points scored: 416

Points allowed: 187

Notes: There are two words that strike fear in Class 1A defensive lines everywhere: Ricky Buckler. Buckler is not a big running back – 5-foot-8, 160 pounds – but he is still one of the top backs in the state with 2,468 yards on 302 carries and has scored a ridiculous 36 touchdowns. He is within 20 yards of breaking the school record for most yards in a season and 69 yards from breaking the school record for most career yards. Not to be forgotten, quarterback Richard Willis can do a little more than hand the ball off with 782 yards this season on 53-of-102 passing and five interceptions and six TDs. Alex Hegge is Willis’ favorite target with 21 catches for 413 yards and four touchdowns. Hegge is also a defensive presence in the secondary with six picks for 200 yards and a pair of TDs. 

No. 7 Western Hills vs. No. 3 Central

at Central (Louisville)

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.

Records: Western Hills (8-3); Central (6-5) 

Last week: Western Hills defeated Shawnee 34-22; Central defeated Spencer Co. 56-36

WHHS notes: The Wolverines had a good showing last week in their first playoff win in school history. WHHS hopes to keep its record-breaking season alive with what could only be called the biggest win in any sport at WHHS if the Wolverines were to pull off a win Friday at Central. It will take a balanced offense to beat the Jackets and with the weather on their side, the Wolverines look like they can deliver just that. Quarterback Dylan Curry has been a scoring machine the last two weeks, having a hand in eight of WHHS’ 11 touchdowns. The Wolverines will also need a big game out of the running duo of Justin Wright and Cody Hecker to make sure Curry has a chance to throw. 

A look at Central

Mascot: Yellowjacket

Class: 3A

Head coach: Ty Scroggins 

Key players: Anthony Wales, Chris King, Allen St. Gerard, Tim Patterson

Last year’s record: 11-3 (defeated Breathitt Co. 40-19 in the Class 3A championship game)

Points scored: 323

Points allowed: 303

Notes: Central’s record may not look impressive, but its competition certainly does. The Yellowjackets have played, and lost respectfully, to some of the best 6A schools in the state – such as  No. 1 St. Xavier, No. 4 Henry Clay and No. 5 Male. Central also beat No. 6 Ballard 32-29. The Yellowjackets are a running team with over 2,352 yards on the ground this season. Anthony Wales leads the way with 160 carries for 1,391 yards and 20 TDs. Quarterback Chris King is second on the team with 456 yards rushing but will throw the ball when he needs to. He is 53-of-109 passing with 886 yards and 10 TD completions. On the defensive side of the ball, Allen St. Gerard has three interceptions for a total of 35 yards while linebacker Tim Patterson has racked up a team-high 76 solo tackles along with 16 assists.