The Kentucky High School Athletic Association approved the final football alignment for the upcoming 2023 and 2024 football seasons at its Wednesday meeting. Some of the changes will affect the districts that are home to Logan County and Russellville.
The plan had been to set the alignments for the next four years. Logan County Athletic Director Greg Howard, who represents this area on the Board of Controls, explains, “We decided on a two-year course with the enrollment numbers being skewed by two years of Covid. After these two years, it will be set to a four-year rotation again.”
Because both Franklin-Simpson and Hopkins County Central have dropped down to Class 3A, Warren Central has jumped up two levels to Class 6A, Madisonville-North Hopkins has grown to 5A, and Paducah Tilghman has climbed from 3A to 4A, Logan’s Class 4A district will consist of Allen County-Scottsville, Calloway County, Hopkinsville, Logan County, Paducah Tilghman and Warren East.
The new district has six teams instead of the normal five, but that won’t last long. “In 2024 we will return to a five-team district as Hopkinsville will be consolidated with Christian County,” Howard says.
Logan is the two-year defending district champion, but the new district appears to be tougher that it has been.. Hopkins County Central is being replaced by Warren East, which went undefeated until the third playoff game, the same round in which the Cougars were beaten. Tilghman has a long history of football excellence, including being Class 3A state runner-up in 2021 and winning two playoff games this fall. The team is coached by Sean Thompson, who previously turned Crittenden County into a Class 1A power.
When reminded of that Blue Tornado legacy, Howard said, “Tilghman will be a challenge and in years past it would be worrisome, but now we expect to compete.”
In the last four years, Coach Todd Adler’s Cougars have put together a record of 34-14 overall, 25-6 in Class 4A, 18-3 in the district and 5-4 in the playoffs. They have won a regional championship in addition to the two district titles, reaching the Final Four in ’21.
Adler and his staff used 67 players in 2022, 26 of them appearing in 10 or more games. Since there were only 12 seniors on the team, 55 underclassmen saw action, including a three-year starter at quarterback, a flock of talented receivers, the leading tackler and interception specialist, and an All-SKY kicker. Offensive line coach Craig Bristow is going to have to replace all five starters, however.
Panthers’ district appears easier
Russellville’s Class 1A district seems to be very winnable. Ever since Mayfield moved up to 2A a few years ago, the district has been a two-team race. A year ago, the Panthers won the district on the way to the state finals. This year it was Crittenden County again, but the Rockers are moving up to 2A.
They are being replaced by Ballard Memorial, which went 0-10 and was outscored by an average of 50-16 per game while playing in Class 2A.
Also coming into the Panthers’ district is Caverna, which is struggling in many sports now. The Colonels elected not to play in a KHSAA district last year and went 3-7 as an independent. They replace Fulton City, which did not participate in KHSAA football at all this year. The Bulldogs apparently are sitting out the next two seasons, too.
The other team in the district appears most likely to be competition for the Panthers. That’s Fulton County, which got off to a good start this season before a key injury derailed their season.
Coach Mikie Benton used 32 Panthers during the season, and only seven of them are seniors. That means 25 players who saw action are eligible to return. Additionally, 22 of the 32 logged time in 9 or more of the 11 games the Panthers played this season, so the returnees are very experienced at just about every position.
Added to that, Coach Cocoa Darden’s Russellville Middle School team was highly successful, and many of them could see varsity action as freshmen.
Area teams face challenges
Some area teams have uphill battles ahead. Butler County is having one of its best overall sports years currently, but the Bears are moving up to Class 3A and now will be in the district with Franklin and Glasgow. The aforementioned Crittenden County Rockets now find themselves in a 2A district with perennial powers Mayfield and Murray.
Edmonson County has left 2A District 3 to move to District 2. They join Fort Campbell, Owensboro Catholic, and Todd Central.
For more information on the realignment, go to https://khsaa.org/2023-approved-final-football-alignment-for-2023-and-2024-playing-seasons/