[Hoot Gibson]

I went back and looked and since 2017 LC has played Boyle within 8 points only twice.

If you are referring to my statement, then you are cherry picking to make a point. I can see why you stopped counting at 2017. Two of the past three games have been decided by 8 points or less, but if you start counting at 2011 instead of 2022, Lexington Catholic won 8 games during that period. (Now I am cherry picking.) Go back further, and Boyle County won more than it lost but there have been quite a few very close games over the years. The series has not been so lopsided that it can't be considered a rivalry. I don't think many people expected a 6 point Boyle County win in the regular season last year or in 2020. I expected Boyle to win both games by a wide margin, as they did in last year's playoff game.

I don't know how LC is this year but when JC played a two game series with them a few years ago, they struck me as a finesse team and JC dominated the LOS and time of possession. Based on scores it seems like the new coach has placed more emphasis on defense. I have always had the impression that in most years, LC had great athletes but preferred winning shootouts over working hard on defense but I admit that I've never followed Lexington area football very closely.

My point wasn't to downplay the rivalry.  It's probably Boyle's #1 Rivalry for sometime now. 

I didn't think I was cherry picking by going back 5 years.  It's just that many talk about the "closeness" of the rivalry but there has really only been 2 close games in the last 9 played.  If we want to go back 5 more, to 2012 then LC Dominates the Series something like 5-1.  5 years before that I think it was something like 6-4 Boyle. 

Either way, it's a great rivalry and yet I just don't see a validation that LC always plays Boyle close.  At least not in the last 5 years.

I agree with you, Hatz. My point was that some of the games have been surprisingly close, when I expected that Boyle County would deliver a beatdown to LC. Last year's 16-10 score was one of those games. The beatdown came in the playoffs. I hope that Boyle County trounces LC in two games this season. I don't know if there is anyway that an 8-2 Johnson Central team could meet Boyle County in the finals but that will almost certainly not happen if Lexington Catholic upsets Boyle County this week.

I picked BC by one in this week's Pick 'em because I assume that almost everybody will pick BC by a big margin and I need some longshots to pay off to move up in the standing before it's too late. I have said all season that I am skeptical that Lexington Catholic is a top 3 team in 4A, but they will have plenty of chances to prove me wrong.