SBLive Kentucky Top 25 football rankings: Highlands makes major move

14 of the top 15 teams in last week's rankings posted victories in Week 9

By Mitchell Forde  

Most of the top football teams in Kentucky held serve during Week 9 of the regular season, with 14 of the top 15 teams from last week’s rankings all winning games, most in convincing fashion.

The big shakeup came in Northern Kentucky.

Highlands continued its recent surge by knocking off Covington Catholic for the first time in the past 10 meetings between the programs, 32-21. The Bluebirds have won seven straight games after an 0-2 start and have a real claim as the best team in Northern Kentucky.

Here’s our ranking of the top 25 teams in the Commonwealth, regardless of classification, after another week. 

1. St. Xavier (7-1)

The Tigers only threw for 21 yards but still cruised past Butler 38-6. The defending state champs scored five rushing touchdowns and held Butler to just 69 yards of offense. St. X will wrap up district play next week against Pleasure Ridge Park.

2. Frederick Douglass (8-0)

Another week, another lopsided win for the Broncos. Frederick Douglass beat Great Crossing 54-0 on Friday for their seventh win this season by more than 40 points. The Bronco defense forced five takeaways and scored three touchdowns, two on fumble recoveries by Brandon Brooks and Tashawn Benford and one an interception return by Isaiah Kenney. They will host Montgomery County this week before a huge season-ending showdown against Boyle County.

3. DuPont Manual (7-1)

The Crimsons bounced back from their first loss of the season and beat Pleasure Ridge Park 28-19. Running back ZahRon Washburn was the star, rushing for 236 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Manual hosts Butler this week.

4. Ballard (7-1)

The Bruins showed no signs of a hangover after their historic win over Trinity last week, cruising past Eastern 34-0. Jaden Minkins caught three passes for 67 yards and a touchdown and also returned a punt for a score. Ballard will face an intriguing test next week when it travels to face Scott County, one of the top teams in Class 5A.

5. Lexington Catholic (7-1)

The Knights kept rolling, beating Bourbon County 49-0. Max Mooring and Blake Foster eached rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Lexington Catholic travels to Anderson County this week.

6. Boyle County (7-1)

Speaking of Anderson County, the Rebels played host to them on Friday and cruised to a 36-0 victory. Quarterback Sage Dawson completed 22 of 29 passes for 346 yards and five touchdowns to five different receivers. Boyle County will conclude district play this week against Bourbon County.

7. Male (5-3)

The Bulldogs continue to look more like the team that made each of the past four state championship games, beating Fern Creek 50-0 last week. It marked the second straight game Male has scored 50 or more points while shutting out its opponent. Quarterback Kolter Smith completed 11 of 14 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. Male could be in for a shootout in this week’s matchup against Bullitt East.

8. Trinity (5-4)

Trinity responded to last week’s loss to Ballard in impressive fashion, beating St. Mary’s of St. Louis 34-13. Quarterback Drew Allen played much better than a week ago, throwing for 94 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 104 yards and a score. The Shamrocks will conclude their season on Friday at Eastern.

9. Bowling Green (7-1)

The Purples dominated district rival Greenwood 35-7 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Bowling Green out-gained Greenwood 437-177. Quarterback Deuce Bailey threw for 230 yards and four touchdowns. Bowling Green will conclude its season with consecutive road matchups, the first being at Christian County on Friday.

10. Woodford County (7-1)

The Yellow Jackets remained unbeaten with a 41-28 win over Collins. The Woodford County offense might have a claim as the best in the state, as it’s averaging more than 46 points per game on the season. Quarterback Andrew Nason and running back Preston Stacey were the stars in this one. Nason threw for 86 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 190 yards and two scores. Stacey turned 10 carries into 131 yards and three touchdowns. Woodford County hosts East Jessamine this week.

11. Henderson County (7-1)

Speaking of offense, the Colonels erupted for 73 points in a 73-35 win over Daviess County. That’s the third time this season they’ve topped 60 in a game. Running back Jordan Wright racked up 224 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Trajdon Davis accounted for four scores, as well, two on the ground and two through the air. Henderson County will play at McCracken County this week.

12. Christian Academy-Louisville (8-0)

The Centurions continued to dominate, rolling past DeSales 51-0. They have now scored 48 or more points in each of their past seven games while their opponents are averaging about six points during that stretch. Quarterback Cole Hodge attempted just 10 passes but completed nine of them for 239 yards and five touchdowns. CAL should have a good chance to keep its momentum rolling when it hosts Western Hills this week.

13. Southwestern (8-0)

The Warriors beat South Laurel 49-0 to stay undefeated. A defense that has been dominant all season held South Laurel to just 97 yards of total offense, and running back Tanner Wright rushed for three scores. The competition ramps up now, however. Southwestern will face a pair of top 25 teams to finish the regular season, starting with a home game against Pulaski County on Friday.

14. Corbin (8-0)

The Redhounds continue to own their district after routing Lincoln County 63-0 last week. Quarterback Kade Elam completed nine of 10 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns while Cole Stevens and Cameron Combs each rushed for a pair of scores. Corbin has another district matchup this week against Wayne County.

15. Highlands (7-2)

The Bluebirds committed five turnovers and trailed 21-17 in the fourth quarter, yet still managed to become the first team from Kentucky to knock off Covington Catholic this season. Charlie Noon totaled 93 scrimmage yards and a touchdown plus returned a kickoff for a score in the fourth quarter that gave Highlands a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The Bluebirds have now won seven straight games after starting the season 0-2. They will look to make it eight in next week’s season finale against Cooper.

16. Covington Catholic (6-2)

The Colonels’ loss to Highlands marked the first time in more than a year that they’ve been beaten at home by a team from Kentucky. They will look to bounce back next week with another home matchup against Conner.

17. Bullitt East (7-1)

The Chargers handled Southern to the tune of a 48-0 win last week, their seventh victory in a row. Quarterback Travis Egan threw three touchdowns on just six attempts and the Bullitt East defense held Southern to 76 total yards. Bullitt East will get a much more revealing test next week when it hosts Male.

18. Pikeville (6-2)

No surprise, the Panthers continued to roll against Class A competition, beating Russellville 42-7. Blake Birchield rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns on just four carries. Pikeville will wrap up its season this week with a home matchup against Hazard.

19. Madison Central (7-1)

Madison Central logged an impressive 27-14 win over a solid George Rogers Clark team on Friday. Running back Brady Hensley led the way with 180 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, plus another score as a receiver. The Indians will face a couple more tough tests to end the season, starting with a road game against the next team on this list on Friday.

20. Bryan Station (5-3)

The Defenders cruised past Oldham County 49-6 last week. Running back Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd continued his strong season with 112 yards and two touchdowns. This week’s aforementioned matchup with Madison Central will be a much tougher test, although Bryan Station enters with plenty of momentum, having won five straight games after an 0-3 start.

21. Scott County (7-1)

The Cardinals blitzed past Montgomery County with a 56-0 win. They rushed for a combined 342 yards and five touchdowns, with Thomas Feickert scoring three of those. Scott County will put its 7-1 record to the test this week when it hosts Class 6A power Ballard.

22. Central Hardin (7-1)

The Bruins continued their strong season with a 37-10 win over Meade County. Quarterback Zakery Spurrier played an impressive game, completing all eight of his passes for 66 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 53 yards and two scores. Central Hardin will travel to face North Hardin this week.

23. Ryle (5-3)

The Raiders put together their best offensive performance of the season in a 48-21 win over Dixie Heights. Logan Verax threw for 98 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 125 yards and two scores. As a team, Ryle rushed for 379 yards and six touchdowns. The Raiders will go on the road this week to face the next team in our rankings.

24. Simon Kenton (5-3)

The Pioneers make their debut in our power rankings after a 50-13 win over Campbell County last week, their second game in a row scoring 50 or more points. Chase Crone threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another one while Jayden Lawson scored three times on the ground. Simon Kenton will have opportunities to move further up the ranks with the aforementioned matchup against Ryle this week followed by a game against Woodford County to close the season.

25. Pulaski County (7-1)

The Maroons outlasted Class 3A foe Bell County for a 35-29 win on Friday. Wideout Chandler Godby caught five passes for 121 yards and all three of quarterback Brysen Dugger’s touchdowns. Pulaski County will end its season this week with a showdown against Southwestern in a matchup of two of the top teams in Class 5A.