Save the date: Kentucky high school football’s biggest games, best rivalries this season
Kentucky high school football has dozens upon dozens of top 10 showdowns, historic rivalries and other games that get neighboring communities riled up for bragging rights under the Friday night lights.
And yes, they play on some Thursdays and Saturdays, too.
Boyle County’s rivalry with Danville comes to mind. Then there’s Trinity against St. Xavier in Louisville and Paducah Tilgman’s more-than century-old feud with Mayfield in western Kentucky.
And don’t forget the “Battle for the Paddle” between Bellevue and Dayton or the “Tobacco Stick Bowl” between Grayson County and Edmonson County.
Here’s a list of what we think are some of the best contests in Kentucky high school football each week this season, plus when the playoffs and state finals begin. District games with trophy and playoff implications are marked with (*).
Our “top-10 showdowns and rivalries’‘ are according to the Herald-Leader’s preseason polls across all six classes. All times are local to the host site.
Week 1: Aug. 18
Battle of Elkhorn Creek at Great Crossing: Scott County vs. Madison Southern, 6 p.m.; Franklin County vs. Great Crossing, 30 minutes after conclusion of first game.
Tobacco Stick Bowl: Grayson County at Edmonson County, 7 p.m.
Hometown Showdown: Shelby County at Collins, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 rivalry: Raceland at Ashland Blazer, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Bryan Station at Trinity, 7:30 p.m.; Highlands at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.; Belfry at Breathitt County, 7:30 p.m.; Owensboro at Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m.; Ryle at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.; Pulaski County vs. Pikeville (at Corbin); Ballard vs. Southwestern, 7 p.m. (at Campbellsville); Cooper at Bardstown, 7:30 p.m.; Central at Manual, 7:30 p.m.; Greenwood vs. Hopkinsville (at Allen County-Scottsville), 7 p.m.
Rivalries: Graves County at Mayfield, 7 p.m.; Paducah Tilghman at McCracken County, 7 p.m.; Apollo at Owensboro Catholic, 7 p.m.
Week 1: Aug. 19
Top 10 showdowns: Lexington Christian vs. Bowling Green (at Western Kentucky University), 8 p.m.; Woodford County vs. Bullitt East (at Mercer County), 5 p.m.
Interstate powers: Frederick Douglass vs. Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) at Canton, Ohio, 4 p.m.; Boyle County vs. Gibson Southern (Fort Branch, Ind.) at Western Kentucky University, 5 p.m.
Week 2: Aug. 25
Crosstown Classic: Calloway County at Murray, 7 p.m.
Battle of the Birds: Scott County at Great Crossing, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 rivalries: Warren East vs. Greenwood (at Barren County), 6 p.m.; Covington Catholic at Highlands, 7 p.m.; Ballard at Male, 7 p.m.; Bowling Green at Owensboro, 7 p.m.; Walton-Verona at Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Frederick Douglass at Trinity (Louisville), 7:30 p.m.; St. Xavier at Central, 7 p.m.; Manual at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; Shelby Valley at Lawrence County, 7:30 p.m.; Hopkinsville at Mayfield, 7 p.m.
Week 2: Aug. 26
Top 10 showdowns: Bryan Station vs. Franklin County (at Boyle County), 6 p.m.; Lexington Christian at Boyle County, 8 p.m.; Johnson Central at Pikeville, 8 p.m.
Week 3: Sept. 1
Top 10 rivalries: Mayfield at Paducah Tilghman, 7 p.m.; Cooper at Ryle, 7 p.m.; Male at St. Xavier, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Corbin at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.; Johnson Central at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.; South Warren at Southwestern, 7 p.m.; Greenwood at Owensboro Catholic, 7 p.m.
Rivalries: Boyle County at Danville, 7:30 p.m.; Madison Southern at Madison Central, 7:30 p.m.; Owensboro at Daviess County, 7 p.m.; Hopkinsville at Christian County, 7 p.m.; Logan County at Russellville, 7 p.m.; Bullitt East at North Bullitt, 7:30 p.m.; Thomas Nelson at Bardstown, 7:30 p.m.
Week 3: Sept. 2
Top 10 showdowns: Bryan Station vs. Bowling Green (at Lexington Christian), 6 p.m.; Pikeville at Lexington Christian, 8 p.m.
Week Four: Sept. 8
Battle of Highway 32: Fleming County at Rowan County, 7:30 p.m.
Border War: Marion County at Washington County, 7:30 p.m.
Brotherhood Bowl: Shawnee at Jackson County, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 rivalries: Owensboro Catholic at Owensboro, 7 p.m.; Corbin at Pulaski County, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Bryan Station at Ballard, 7:30 p.m.; Lexington Christian at Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m.; Scott County at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m.; Southwestern at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.; Hart County at Elizabethtown, 7:30 p.m.; Breathitt County at Johnson Central, 7:30 p.m.; Raceland at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.; Ashland Blazer at Bardstown, 7:30 p.m.; Ryle at Highlands, 7 p.m.; Walton-Verona at Kentucky Country Day, 7:30 p.m.; Shelby Valley at Middlesboro, 7:30 p.m.; Murray at Union County, 7 p.m.
Rivalries: Mercer County at Danville, 7:30 p.m.; Bullitt Central at Bullitt East, 7:30 p.m.; South Oldham at North Oldham, 7:30 p.m.
Week 5: Sept. 15
Lexington’s “Holy War”: Lexington Catholic at Lexington Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Rail Cities Bowl: Ashland Blazer at Russell, 7:30 p.m.
Army Bowl: Fort Campbell at Fort Knox, 7 p.m.
Top 10 rivalries: Bardstown at Elizabethtown, 7:30 p.m.; Pikeville at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.; Covington Catholic at Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.; Trinity (Louisville) at Male, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Frederick Douglass at Corbin, 8 p.m.; Pulaski County at Woodford County, 7:30 p.m.; Breathitt County at Hazard, 7:30 p.m.; Central Hardin at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.; South Warren at Manual, 7:30 p.m.; Hopkinsville at Paducah Tilghman, 7 p.m.; Highlands at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.; Christian Academy-Louisville at Ryle, 7:30 p.m.
Rivalries: Oldham County at South Oldham, 7:30 p.m.; Bourbon County at Harrison County, 7:30 p.m.; Leslie County at Clay County, 7:30 p.m.
Interstate powers: Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) at St. Xavier, 7 p.m.
Week 6: Sept. 22
Battle for the Barrel: West Carter at East Carter, 7:30 p.m.
Pride Bowl: Nelson County at Thomas Nelson, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 rivalries: St. Xavier vs. Trinity (at L&N Stadium), 8 p.m.; South Warren at Greenwood, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Lexington Catholic at Boyle County, 7:30 p.m.; Hopkinsville at Warren East, 7 p.m.; Shelby Valley at Elizabethtown, 5 p.m.; Newport Central Catholic at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.; Central at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; Manual at Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m.; Corbin at Hazard, 7:30 p.m.
Interstate powers: Cathedral (Indianapolis) at Frederick Douglass, 7 p.m.
Rivalries: *Owensboro at Apollo, 7 p.m.; Hart County at Caverna, 7 p.m.; George Rogers Clark at Montgomery County, 7:30 p.m.; *Harlan at Pineville, 7:30 p.m.
Week 7: Sept. 29
Battle for Eagle Creek: *Gallatin County at Owen County, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: *Walton-Verona at Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.; Johnson Central at Corbin, 7:30 p.m.; *Central at Elizabethtown, 7:30 p.m.; Raceland at Hazard, 7:30 p.m.; St. Xavier at Ryle, 7 p.m.; *Lawrence County at Belfry, 7:30 p.m.
Interstate powers: Trinity (Louisville) at St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 7 p.m.
Rivalries: *Cooper at Conner, 7 p.m.; *South Laurel at North Laurel, 7:30 p.m.; *Pineville at Williamsburg, 7:30 p.m.
Week 8: Oct. 6
Battle for the Paddle: *Bellevue at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Top 10 rivalries: *Holy Cross (Louisville) at Kentucky Country Day, 7:30 p.m.; *St. Xavier at Manual, 7:30 p.m.; *Trinity (Louisville) at Ballard, 7 p.m.
Rivalries: *Holy Cross (Covington) at Bishop Brossart, 7 p.m.; *North Hardin at Central Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; Newport at Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.; *Estill County at Powell County, 7:30 p.m.; *Ashland Blazer at Boyd County, 7:30 p.m.
Week 9: Oct. 13
Roy Walton Bowl: *Lafayette at Tates Creek, 6:30 p.m.
Top 10 rivalry: *Bowling Green at South Warren, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: *Scott County at Woodford County, 7:30 p.m.; *Williamsburg at Middlesboro, 7:30 p.m.; *Paducah Tilghman at Warren East, 7 p.m.; *Central at Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m.; *Hart County at Glasgow, 7 p.m.
Rivalries: *East Jessamine at West Jessamine, 7:30 p.m.; *Boone County at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.; *Prestonsburg at Floyd Central, 7:30 p.m.; *Whitley County at Corbin, 7:30 p.m.; *Paintsville at Pikeville, 7:30 p.m.
Week 9: Oct. 14
Top 10 rivalry: *Frederick Douglass at Bryan Station, Noon
Week 10: Oct. 20
Top 10 rivalries: *Southwestern at Pulaski County, 8 p.m.; *Pikeville at Hazard, 7:30 p.m.; *Greenwood at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.; *Murray at Mayfield, 7 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: *Elizabethtown at Christian Academy-Louisville, 7:30 p.m.; *Ashland Blazer at Johnson Central, 7:30 p.m.; *Bullitt East at Male, 7 p.m.; *Kentucky Country Day at Campbellsville, 7:30 p.m.
Rivalries: *Western Hills at Franklin County, 7:30 p.m.; *Caldwell County at Crittenden County, 7 p.m.; *Mercer County at Garrard County, 7:30 p.m.; *Holy Cross (Louisville) at Bethlehem, 7:30 p.m.
Week 11: Oct. 27
The Old Rivalry: Male at Manual, 7:30 p.m.
Top 10 showdowns: Central Hardin at Bryan Station, 7:30 p.m.; Boyle County at Frederick Douglass, 7:30 p.m.; Scott County at Lexington Catholic, 7:30 p.m.; Lexington Christian at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.; Ballard at Woodford County, 7:30 p.m.; St. Xavier at Bowling Green, 6:30 p.m.; Hart County at Campbellsville, 8 p.m.; Union County at Greenwood, 7 p.m.; Glasgow at Somerset, 7 p.m.; Male at Manual, 7:30 p.m.
Rivalries: Frankfort at Western Hills, 7:30 p.m.; Daviess County at Apollo, 7 p.m.
Playoffs Week 1: Nov. 2-4
Cross-district round 1: Regular-season district champions will host the No. 4 seed of their “sister district.” Districts are grouped 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8 in each class. So, the District 1 champion plays the No. 4 seed of District 2 and etc. Likewise No. 2 seeds host No. 3 seeds of the sister district. (Exception: In Class 6A, Districts 3-5 and 4-6 are cross-bracketed in 2023).
Playoffs Week 2: Nov. 9-11
Cross-district bracket round 2: Second-round play follows the cross-district bracket established in Round 1.
Region championships: Nov. 16-18
RPI seeding begins: According to KHSAA rules in place since 2019, the highest remaining seed in districts 1-4 will host the fourth-highest remaining in districts 1-4; the second-highest remaining seed in district 1-4 will host the third-highest remaining seed in districts 1-4; the highest remaining seed in district 5-8 hosts the fourth-highest remaining in districts 5-8; the second-highest remaining seed in districts 5-8 hosts the third-highest remaining seed in districts 5-8. This split is an effort to reduce travel at this stage.
State semifinals: Nov. 23-25
Region champions reseeded by RPI: The highest remaining RPI team in each respective class hosts the lowest remaining RPI team in that class and the second-highest RPI team will host the third-highest. Geographic location/travel is not a factor.
State championships: Dec. 1-2
Two-day event: 2023 UK HealthCare Sports Medicine State Football Finals at Kroger Field in Lexington. Kickoff times TBA.
Miss something? Do you know of a great rivalry or trophy game we missed? Alert digital sports writer Jared Peck on Twitter @HLpreps.
