[PHSForever]

I agree with Pikeville, honestly they should be the the preseason number 1 in single A. Only losing two kids on a state semi-finalist, just wow!

Raceland graduates a lot from what I read on this site and the gap between them and Pikeville was non-existent this year. A game winning field goal is as even as it gets.

Hazard I believe loses a lot as well.

Paintsville should have a really good group of freshman that will become sophomores that transferred from Floyd county to start this year. Would have to say they are rebuilding this year but will be good.

Williamsburg tends to be good every three or four years. Imagine they will be strong but the gap to Pikeville will be big.

Honestly... everyone but Pikeville is a pretender right now in my eyes. Not that we haven't heard this before, but Pikeville and Beechwood should be on a collision course.

Part of me wants to agree with you. But in all fairness, I can’t. It’s always been my thought, defending state champ is #1 til someone in the same class knocks them off. I stand by that. I DO think with what we have coming back, we should be top 3, probably 2 in preseason, but that’s my opinion. I believe most likely we will see Pikeville open the season somewhere inthe 3-5 range in the state wide polls. And if Raceland turns into Fairview North and starts getting transfers from across the river, they could be one of the teams ahead of us, based on being state runner up. I’m ok with that also, because no matter my thoughts on the game, Raceland was ahead on the scoreboard when the clock struck zero and got to go Krogering.

[RAMDAD50]

Don’t believe all that talk about trasnfers.....it never happens here and when it does 9 tines Out of ten it ends bad! The Adkins kid is the exception! If it happens I’ll be shocked! But unfortunately that seems to be the landscape in high school football right now! I bet you couldn’t find a roster this pasted weekend of all the teams playing at Kroger Field (I hate calling it that) that didn’t have at least one transfer on it! It is becoming the norm and I don’t like it at all!!

[RAM-A-DEVIL]

What do you mean it never happens here? 41% of our entire school population is out of district. If it wasnt for transfers we wouldnt survive as a school.

[RAMDAD50]

That’s not what I’m talking about ram....I mean when the season ends and a team has 10 juniors and when the next season starts they have 17 seniors! I’m I’m not talking about more kids coming out to play.A transfer....not a out of district kid that’s been there their whole life!!

[anotherfootballnut]

We live in Ashland send our kids to Raceland,

[WILDCAT NATION]

What do you mean it never happens here? 41% of our entire school population is out of district. If it wasnt for transfers we wouldnt survive as a school.

That's an interesting stat..........

[Blue_Bird96]

Paintsville should be right back in the mix. Receivers seniors James and Chris Allen. Junior’s JW Phelps and Jaylen Allen. Sophomore QB Hyden, along with C. Grimm, Z. Thompson, D Hall and a slew of other talent. The early regular season matchup with Pikeville will give us a good idea but expect it to be more of the same, hammer the Panthers and roll over the Ram’s in October for a 4th straight District Title! Kinda been the norm! Hopefully the Ram’s enjoyed their Regional title this year, The Tigers sure will in 18!!! :rockon:

[Blue_Bird96]

That's an interesting stat..........

I’d say 41% is about right WILDCAT, you know how those Ram’s do it!

[anotherfootballnut]

Paintsville should be right back in the mix. Receivers seniors James and Chris Allen. Junior’s JW Phelps and Jaylen Allen. Sophomore QB Hyden, along with C. Grimm, Z. Thompson, D Hall and a slew of other talent. The early regular season matchup with Pikeville will give us a good idea but expect it to be more of the same, hammer the Panthers and roll over the Ram’s in October for a 4th straight District Title! Kinda been the norm! Hopefully the Ram’s enjoyed their Regional title this year, The Tigers sure will in 18!!! :rockon:

The Rams have enjoyed 3 out of the last 5 region championships .

[anotherfootballnut]

I’d say 41% is about right WILDCAT, you know how those Ram’s do it!

Difference here there are plenty of students who transfer in and don’t play sports and most kids who transfer in do it very early like 3-6th grades not 9 from Prestonsburg as freshman

[PHSForever]

Paintsville should be right back in the mix. Receivers seniors James and Chris Allen. Junior’s JW Phelps and Jaylen Allen. Sophomore QB Hyden, along with C. Grimm, Z. Thompson, D Hall and a slew of other talent. The early regular season matchup with Pikeville will give us a good idea but expect it to be more of the same, hammer the Panthers and roll over the Ram’s in October for a 4th straight District Title! Kinda been the norm! Hopefully the Ram’s enjoyed their Regional title this year, The Tigers sure will in 18!!! :rockon:

We shall see who will hammer whom.

[Pupaw]

IMO,

1. Pikeville
2. Raceland
3. Hazard
4. Paintsville

[bac2369]

Paintsville will still be solid defensively from my numbers on them. Offense will be the question. Raceland will have the offense but defense is there question. So that should be a battle next year.

[bac2369]

Hazard doesn’t lose as much as many think.

Hazard loses 13 seniors. But 11 of them really played plus the Smith Twins only played 2-3 games so you your replacing 9 kids.

Hazard will return it’s starting QB plus 4 of its 5 lineman and a running back and 2 wideouts. Hazard had a kid start earlier in the year but I believe when Smith got hurt they moved the seniors to playing both ways. So basically your returning 9 kids on the offensive side.

The defense will return 3 linebackers and 3 defensive backs and 1 lineman. They do lose the big kids in Austin Combs and Kade Holland.

They will still be solid.

[Pupaw]

Paintsville will still be solid defensively from my numbers on them. Offense will be the question. Raceland will have the offense but defense is there question. So that should be a battle next year.

I think they return 7 starters on defense, so that will definitely be the strength heading into next year. The offense loses it's top 3 ball carriers. Along with a few linemen and a do it all guy in Stambaugh. They return some guys who have had carries, but no real significant experience. Gonna be interesting to see what they do on that side of the ball.

[bac2369]

I think they return 7 starters on defense, so that will definitely be the strength heading into next year. The offense loses it's top 3 ball carriers. Along with a few linemen and a do it all guy in Stambaugh. They return some guys who have had carries, but no real significant experience. Gonna be interesting to see what they do on that side of the ball.

My perspective is they should throw more. They have athletes just need to be used right...

[2000PHS]

My perspective is they should throw more. They have athletes just need to be used right...

Hand the ball to #22, let QB run some zone read/ option. Throw it to #10, #14. That alone will get them back to the Regional Title game.

Defense loses some pieces but they will still keep Paintsville in every game on their schedule.

[bac2369]

Hand the ball to #22, let QB run some zone read/ option. Throw it to #10, #14. That alone will get them back to the Regional Title game.

Defense loses some pieces but they will still keep Paintsville in every game on their schedule.

There defense returns almost exactly what hazard returns.

[Big Five-0-]

i believe if Hazard was healthy they would’ve had a great chance to be the team that came out of the east but I think that Beechwood still wins! They were a very good team.They converted 15 out of 18 this downs, and I’m pretty sure most of them were five yards or less! They played a very good game.Very well coached.Nobody from the east had anything for them this year!

I see your point , but what some overlook is if Pikeville had been healthy, the score in the Hazard game may have been by a larger margin. ie...Senior QB Wyatt Battaile, and DB Campbell Dawahare. Both lost for the season due to injuries.

[Big Five-0-]

Paintsville should be right back in the mix. Receivers seniors James and Chris Allen. Junior’s JW Phelps and Jaylen Allen. Sophomore QB Hyden, along with C. Grimm, Z. Thompson, D Hall and a slew of other talent. The early regular season matchup with Pikeville will give us a good idea but expect itto be more of the same, hammer the Panthers and roll over the Ram’s in October for a 4th straight District Title! Kinda been the norm! Hopefully the Ram’s enjoyed their Regional title this year, The Tigers sure will in 18!!! :rockon:

Gonna be fun watching Paintsville MAKING AN ATTEMT to hammer the Panthers. Not gonna happen blue bird.

[RAMDAD50]

What does everybodies numbers look like for the foreseeable future? With the lack of jobs in coal country I don’t think we have seen the full impact yet.Does every bodies feeder systems have good numbers down that way?

[2000PHS]

Gonna be fun watching Paintsville MAKING AN ATTEMT to hammer the Panthers. Not gonna happen blue bird.

It will be a great measuring stick for both teams. The winner has to feel good about their chances in the East. Even the loser will if the game is competitive.

[bac2369]

I see your point , but what some overlook is if Pikeville had been healthy, the score in the Hazard game may have been by a larger margin. ie...Senior QB Wyatt Battaile, and DB Campbell Dawahare. Both lost for the season due to injuries.

I’d love to see a full healthy game between those two.

[redstone1127]

Some overlook that had Hazard had everyone healthy the playing field looks totally different too.
I hate it but it happened to both teams and like I said earlier it changed everything.

[anotherfootballnut]

To go to state or win state you have to have a good team , good coaching and luck . Some of that luck has to do with staying healthy

[E's Army]

Pikeville will be the best in East next year. Hazard, Raceland and Paintsville will make them earn the chance to play Beechwood. Beechwood will roll through the west. Expect Pikeville to have a very special team next year.

[bac2369]

What I find funny is it seems the favorite has not made the title since 2014.

2015 Paintsville was favorite. But Pikeville went. Even though they where very close.

2016 Paintsville the favorite and Hazard went.

2016 Paintsville the favorite but Raceland went

Heck it wouldn’t surprise me to see Paintsville go in 2018 the way things have played out..

[E's Army]

Injuries played a big part this year. Hazard runs through East but for Smith's injury. Got to have a little luck and avoid bad luck.

[pjdoug]

Pikeville and Hazard are the teams to beat.

[anotherfootballnut]

Everyone keeps saying how young pikeville is what all they have coming back , you just might wanna look at Raceland they have a ton coming back