[#55PirateFan]

I like what Mercer is doing and I think this will be a good game but I think DeSales goes on the road and gets a nice road win...

DeSales 35
Mercer Co. 27

[mysonis55]

The offense for CAL isn’t much. The defense is how they win this year. Take out a starting lb and it makes a huge difference. We learned that in 2016.

[ColtPride]

Mercer had more rushing yards against CAL than Desales had in total offense against CAL. Desales is not a great passing team. Nobody has had much success running against Mercer this year either.

Everybody thinks DeSales can't throw the football. But they rank #11 in 3A in passing. When Scroggins is in there he will sling it around.

[ColtPride]

Desales is a great team and will be an extremely tough game for Mercer. I see above one big paragraph of excuses.

Look I'm certainly not going to speak for someone else, but I will say CAL was missing 2 important players from their defense when they played Mercer County.
I'm not even saying they would have won the game, but I don't think Mercer would have run the ball as effectively as they did. DeSales had them down 21-0 early, and absolutely went vanilla. It just about cost them. But again, I will say a DeSales/CAL game is much different than a Mercer/CAL game. You have to understand the rivalry.

I just hope for a good weather, and a injury free game for both teams. We as fans can talk and discuss what we think will happen, but it's up to the kids Friday night. Should be a good match-up, strength on strength.

[UK1]

Mercer has a ton of respect for Desales and CAL. They are both great teams that have proven over the last few years they can win the whole thing. Mercer has been the underdog in every big game they have played this year. Leading up to every big game they got no respect and after they beat those teams they have got nothing but excuses. It would not surprise me to see any one of these 3 teams win District a few weeks from now.

[UK1]

The offense for CAL isn’t much. The defense is how they win this year. Take out a starting lb and it makes a huge difference. We learned that in 2016.

Mercer had a starting corner out against CAL. Do we get to use that as an excuse as to why CAL had so much success passing against Mercer?

[Tica]

Mercer County 7-1 ...........RPI 0.684
DeSales...........................RPI 0.679

Paducah Tilghman RPI - 0.714

RPI means little other than being a statistical adornment.

[Tica]

DeSales is just Louisville Central still playing in 3A under a different name.

[turkeysalad]

DeSales is just Louisville Central still playing in 3A under a different name.

As a DeSales supporter, I would love for the Colts to be comparable to Central, but your statement is not remotely close to factual; Central, on all three phases, is predominately, historically, and traditionally better. If DeSales and Central played this season, I would expect a Colts' loss, and if they played ten times, I would possibly feel comfortable expecting them to win four times, at most.

[E's Army]

DeSales by 7

[64black&gold]

Mercer by a point.