Matthew Sparks: Teams dream of carpet in December
Aug. 26—The "Field of Dreams" game will be my favorite night on the Major League Baseball calendar going forward.
Every Kentucky high school player dreams of playing for a championship at Kroger Field in December and each week becomes a building block to make that dream a reality.
Most teams won't get to experience that special weekend in Lexington. A football season can feel like a marathon as each game takes on its own importance.
As much as players, teams and coaches want to remain consistent, one never knows when the ball might bounce their way.
Kevin Costner, better known as Crash Davis in "Bull Durham," also knows it might take a little luck to get to the desired destination.
"You know what is the difference between hitting .250 and .300?" Davis said. "It's 25 hits. ... That means if you get just one extra flare a week, just one, a gork, a ground ball. A ground ball with eyes! You get a dying quail, just one more dying quail a week, and you're in Yankee Stadium."
Hopefully, I find some luck with these picks. Kevin Costner movies will assist.
Week 2 Picks
Johnson Central 32, Fern Creek 14. The Golden Eagles can be referred to as "The Highwaymen" early in the season. Johnson Central won't see its home field until Sept. 16. The Golden Eagles continue to be road warriors as they ride into Lexington to battle the Tigers. Johnson Central has too much ground-and-pound for the Class 6A team.
Boyd County 27, Ashland 21. The Tomcats have won the last 19 meetings between the two rivals, but last year's 10-7 score was the closest margin of victory during that span. Will the Lions look for "Revenge" or will they simply look to build off last week's comeback victory over South Point? Ashland looks like it needs a few more weeks to mesh together. Boyd County looks to finish off another victory.
Beechwood 30, Paintsville 20. Harris Phelps will be the Tigers' "Man of Steel" this season, but the team still features several offensive producers. Paintsville will need a team effort to defeat the defending Class 2A champions on the road, who just blanked Fairdale, 36-0, in Week 1. Beechwood just keeps reloading.
Bracken County 19, Lewis County 17. It won't be "Dances With Wolves," but the Lions can expect a cold reception from the Polar Bears. Lewis County showed its moves in a big opening-week win in coach Gene Peterson's debut. The Lions are heading in the right direction but have to go on the road. Can Lewis County start 2022 with the same number of wins as it had in the previous 29 games?
Pineville 28, Fairview 12. It's a numbers game for the Eagles. Success might come slowly, but they are playing "For The Love of The Game." The Mountain Lions, however, will show them no love in Westwood.
Martin County 30, Greenup County 23. The Musketeers' Tyson Sammons had a big night at KCU last Friday. Fleming County "Let Him Go" for 236 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. Cardinals running back Dawson Mills racked up 244 rushing yards himself last week. Whose rushing attack will reign in Greenup County's home opener?
Ironton 16, Jackson 13. It would be "Criminal" to say that the Fighting Tigers aren't a contender for the Division V state title this year. You have to acknowledge that Jackson can present a challenge on its home field. Ironton only won this matchup by three points last season and the defense paves the way again tonight.
Betsy Layne 26, Morgan County 16. In "A Perfect World," we would know what the Cougars will do from week to week. The Bobcats are an improving program and take the victory in this cat fight.
Paris 32, Bath County 16. The Wildcats had a comeback win last week but there will be "No Way Out" against the Greyhounds. Bath County is experiencing changes within the program and will keep moving forward.
East Carter 26, Rowan County 20. The Raiders pulled a "Night Shift" at the Recreation Bowl. Mother Nature kept the game against Montgomery County going until early Sunday morning. East Carter needs to be wide awake in Morehead. I wouldn't sleep on the Vikings.
West Carter 27, Fleming County 20. There were no "Hidden Figures" for the Panthers last week. Fleming County's huge second half against the Musketeers went through the air, but the Panthers only recorded 59 rushing yards. The Comets get their coach back for a full week of practice after Daniel Barker's recent stay in the hospital. The ground game burns Fleming County again.
Raceland 36, Russell 17. "Rumor Has It" that the Rams will finally get to play on their new turf on Saturday. Raceland covered plenty of ground against the Tomcats at Wheelersburg last weekend and expect to move the ball downfield against the Red Devils. Russell can't afford turnovers against its rival in the Rail Cities Bowl.
Set Your Clocks
After your Friday night football fix, check out the sports talk show "Eleventh Hour" live at The Daily Independent's Facebook page at about 11 p.m., depending on our travel time. Zack Klemme and I break down the night's action and answer questions about your favorite area team. Post your queries to the comments section during the show.
Listen Up!
Tonight's radio coverage:
Johnson Central vs. Fern Creek (at Lexington Catholic): WSIP 98.9 FM
Boyd County at Ashland: WBVB 97.1 FM, koolhits1057.com.
Paintsville at Beechwood: WKLW 94.7 FM
Lewis County at Bracken County: WKKS 104.9 FM.
Pineville at Fairview: koolhits1057.com
Martin County at Greenup County: koolhits1057.com
Ironton at Jackson: WIRO 1230 AM
Betsy Layne at Morgan County: koolhits1057.com
Bath County at Paris: WKCA 97.7 FM
East Carter at Rowan County: WIVY 96.3 FM, koolhits1057.com
Fleming County at West Carter: WFLE 95.1 FM, wfle.fm, WUGO 99.7 FM
Saturday:
Russell at Raceland: koolhits1057.com
Reach MATTHEW SPARKS at msparks@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654. Follow @SparksWillFly35 on Twitter.
