[Stardust]

With just two weeks left in the regular season, a lot remains at stake for Northern Kentucky high school football teams.

For many teams, playoff seeding is on the line this week, with Oct. 21 and 22 games deciding District seeds. Some teams already know their first-round fate and are playing for momentum.

Other teams are angling for homefield advantage in the first round and beyond. The playoffs do not start until November, but a playoff atmosphere will be present at fields all over Northern Kentucky beginning on Friday night.

“This is the time of year where you really need to be sharp,” Holy Cross head coach Bruce Kozerski said. “You put yourself in position all year long to play at your best at this point in the season.”

Holy Cross (6-2, 3-0) and Newport Central Catholic enter Saturday’s showdown with matching 3-0 records in District play. The winner will earn the top seed in Class 2A and homefield advantage in the playoffs. Both teams are already assured of hosting a first-round playoff game. There is a good chance that the two teams could meet again in the postseason, giving the winner of this regular season contest an edge.

“We’d love to have that homefield advantage, that is a big, big plus for the winner of this game,” Kozerski said. “I think it will come down to us playing each other again.”

In other 2A action, Lloyd (3-5, 1-2) plays Newport Oct. 21 to determine who earns the three seed and who is the four seed. In Class 1A, Beechwood (7-1, 2-0) enters its Oct. 21 contest with Ludlow (2-6, 1-1) as the prohibitive favorite.

If Ludlow somehow springs the major upset, the Panthers will earn the top seed. If not, they will fall to the third seed, provided that Bellevue defeats Dayton as expected.

These next few weeks also give some of the area’s disappointed teams a chance to salvage their seasons. Dixie Heights (3-5, 2-1) entered the year with high expectations, but struggled through a tough schedule. Class 6A has been full of surprises this year, and the Colonels are still in position to earn the two seed and a first round home game. Dixie Heights and Ryle will battle on Oct. 21 with the winner earning the coveted second spot in the District.

“It’s always nice to play at home,” Dixie Heights head coach Tom Spritzky said. “At this point, it’s just a matter of winning each week and trying to get another home game.”

Simon Kenton (2-6, 0-4) is winless in Class 6A play, but still earns a playoff berth and will face national power Louisville Trinity on the road in the opening round.

In Class 5A, Scott (3-4, 1-2) could be playing for its seeding over the next two weeks. A win against Conner Oct. 21 would create a three-way tie behind District champion Cooper. A loss this week would send Scott to the fourth seed. With seeding and tiebreakers at stake in these final two regular season games, it is a challenge for coaches to keep players focused and treat each contest as just another game.

“6A has a lot of parity and a lot of us are jockeying for position,” Spritzky said. “It’s still about playing and performing. You don’t want to put added pressure on the kids. We just need to execute and do our job. If we win, we play at home; if we lose, we’re on the road.”

Kozerski echoed those sentiments of preparation.

“These next two games should really test us and get us prepared to play in the postseason,” Kozerski said. “The biggest challenge is to get ourselves physically and mentally prepared to play the next opponent.”

At this point of the season, the Indians are focused on improving themselves each day in practice. Less focus is given to the upcoming opponent and more time is spent working on self-improvement.

“It’s not about our opponents; it’s about us,” Kozerski said. “It is all about doing what we do and really focusing on our needs.”

For an underdog, an upset could shake up the playoff picture. Even a competitive loss could be a positive. Building confidence at this late stage of the season could lead to an early-round upset in the playoffs. Holmes is in position to play spoiler and is happy to be there in head coach Terry Liggin’s first season.

“For our program, we’re in a building position, so just the opportunity to play another week is exciting for us,” Liggin said. “It is a great opportunity for our program to be able to be in the playoffs.”

Holmes (4-4, 2-1) faces Covington Catholic (6-2, 2-1) on Saturday, Oct. 22, with a first-round home game on the line. The winner earns the second seed in Class 4A and will host its first round playoff game. The loser will be the third seed and be the road team in round one.

For a program building its identity, like Holmes, the opportunity to play a traditional power like CovCath with so much on the line this late in the season is a positive, regardless of the outcome.

“This will be a good measuring stick for our kids to see where we are at and where we need to go,” Liggin said. “I think our kids are excited to play another week.”

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/presspreps/2...into-view/