Bowling Green running back Jamale Carothers will be a focus for the Fern Creek defense in Friday’s Class 5-A state semifinal game.

When it comes to Class 5-A football in Kentucky, no two teams have dominated more than Bowling Green and Pulaski County over the past five years.

A pair of Louisville-area teams will try to end that reign Friday in the state semifinals.

Fern Creek (11-2) will host Bowling Green (13-0) and South Oldham (12-1) will travel to Pulaski County (11-2) in a pair of 7:30 p.m. kickoffs. The winners will meet at 6 p.m. EST on Dec. 4 in the state final in Bowling Green.

Bowling Green has won four of the past five Class 5-A state titles and is No. 2 in the state (regardless of class) in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings. Pulaski County has reached three straight state finals, beating Graves County for the 2014 title and falling to Bowling Green in 2013 and 2015.

By contrast, Fern Creek is in the state semifinals for the second straight season after ending a 21-year drought last year. South Oldham is in the state semifinals for the first time in 24 years. Neither the Tigers nor the Dragons have ever reached a state final.

Fern Creek coach Josh Abell said he is playing up the underdog role with his squad.

“It’s like everybody knows we’re going to lose, but they’re all rooting for us,” Abell said. “I feel like the entire state outside of western Kentucky is hoping someone will take down big bad Bowling Green.”

MORE COVERAGE | Playoff scores, pairings for all six classes

Fern Creek was in this same position last year but had to travel to Bowling Green and lost 21-0. Now the Tigers will get the Purples at home, where they’ve won 13 straight games.

Abell said he showed his team the film of last year’s meeting with Bowling Green as a motivational tool.

“We got our (butts) kicked,” Abell said. “You don’t want them to have that in their mind. You want to show them having success. But you also want them to re-live that feeling they had last year.”

The Purples have the state’s longest current winning streak at 25 and have a powerful offense that averages 47.9 points per game.

Senior quarterback Clark Payne has completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 3,329 yards and 39 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Senior running back Jamale Carothers, a Navy commit, has rushed for 1,159 yards and 21 touchdowns, averages 7.8 yards per carry and ranks second on the team in receiving (37 catches, 761 yards, nine TDs).

“They’re not as big as they were before, but they’re faster,” Abell said. “They have a lot of team speed. That’s been our advantage in the playoffs the last three weeks is our speed compared to the Northern Kentucky teams. But Bowling Green is very, very fast, and they fly to the ball on defense.”

South Oldham rallied from a 42-28 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat North Bullitt 45-42 in last week’s Region Three final. Dragons coach Jamie Reed is hoping the momentum from that victory will carry over to Friday’s game at Pulaski County.

“Maybe it’s our time,” Reed said. “I sure hope it is.”

Pulaski County is led by senior wide receiver Jake Johnson, whom coach John Hines is pushing for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award. Johnson has a single-season state-record 110 catches for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s the state’s all-time leader in career receptions (385) and career receiving yards (5,237).

“He’s not just your traditional wide receiver because they’ll play him wide or at the slot or H-back and he also returns kicks and punts and plays defensive back,” Reed said. “He’s one that you put a circle around his number during the week and say, ‘Guys, if you see him on the field you better recognize where he is.’”

Reed said he’s well-aware of Pulaski County’s recent history but doesn’t want his players to be in awe of it.

“The biggest thing is that we’re not going down there to be a spectator,” he said. “We don’t want to be like, ‘Oh, we won a region championship and we’re just happy we go here.’ We’re trying to kick the door down and create some new traditions at South Oldham. It’s OK to be the new kid on the block.”

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

CLASS 5-A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Friday’s semifinals

* Bowling Green (13-0) at Fern Creek (11-2), 7:30 p.m.

* South Oldham (12-1) at Pulaski County (11-2), 7:30 p.m.

State final

* Sunday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m. EST in Bowling Green

Five matchups involving 10 of the top 14 boys basketball teams in the state highlight the first round of action for the Forcht Bank King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic.

The bracket was released Tuesday for the 36^th annual event scheduled for Dec. 16-20 at Fairdale High School.

Three first-round matchups will feature top-10 teams in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – No. 5 Covington Catholic vs. No. 10 North Hardin, No. 7 Christian County vs. No. 8 Fern Creek and No. 3 Paul Dunbar vs. No. 6 Ballard.

Other big first-round matchups will be No. 1 Bowling Green vs. No. 11 Doss and No. 2 Trinity vs. No. 14 Cooper.

The original time schedule has been altered so that none of the out-of-state will play on Sunday, Dec. 18, and so the tournament won’t overlap with the University of Louisville-University of Kentucky men’s basketball game on Dec. 21.

Here is the schedule:

* Friday, Dec. 16 – Fairdale vs. Franklin-Simpson, 6 p.m.; Trinity vs. Cooper, 7:30 p.m.; Ballard vs. Paul Dunbar, 9 p.m.

* Saturday, Dec. 17 – Chicago St. Rita vs. Ackworth (Ga.) Allatoona, noon; Huntsville (Ala.) Lee vs. Lilburn (Ga.) Berkmar, 1:30 p.m.; Christian County vs. Fern Creek, 4:30 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. Doss, 6 p.m.; Covington Catholic vs. North Hardin, 7:30 p.m.; St. Rita-Allatoona winner vs. Lee-Berkmar winner, 9 p.m.; St. Rita Allatoona loser vs. Lee-Berkmar loser, 9 p.m.

* Sunday, Dec. 18 – Quarterfinals and consolation-bracket games at 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m.

* Monday, Dec. 19 – Consolation-round games at 4:30, 6, 7:30 and 9 p.m.; semifinals at 7:30 and 9 p.m.

* Tuesday, Dec. 20 – Consolation final, 3 p.m.; fifth-place game, 4:30 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:30 p.m.

Several of the state’s top boys basketball teams and one of the nation’s top-rated recruits highlight the field set for the second annual Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic on Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 at Bowling Green High School.

The field includes six teams ranked among the top 25 in The Courier-Journal’s preseason poll of coaches – No. 1 Bowling Green, No. 6 Ballard, No. 7 Christian County, No. 11 Doss, No. 16 University Heights and No. 22 Franklin-Simpson.

Ballard will face Chalmette (La.) at 4 p.m. EST on Feb. 11. Chalmette features 7-foot center and Western Kentucky University signee Mitchell Robinson, who is rated by 247Sports.com as the No. 4 prospect in the nation in the Class of 2017.

Here is the complete schedule (all times Eastern):

* Saturday, Feb. 4 – Bowling Green vs. McCracken County (girls), 1 p.m.; Warren Central vs. University Heights, 2:30 p.m.; Franklin-Simpson vs. Christian County, 4 p.m.

* Saturday, Feb. 11 – Owensboro Catholic vs. Doss, 1 p.m.; Bowling Green vs. Male, 2:30 p.m.; Ballard vs. Chalmette (La.), 4 p.m.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Here are the coaches’ rankings of the top girls basketball players in Kentucky. Every coach in the state was given a ballot. A total of 67 responded. First-place votes in parentheses.

St. Xavier’s Desmond Ridder rushed for 203 yards and three TDs and passed for two more scores in a 42-26 playoff victory over Manual, earning himself The Courier-Journal Metro Louisville Athlete of the Week Award presented by Norton Sports Health.

Last week’s other nominees were Manual football’s Jaelin Carter, Sacred Heart swimming’s Brooke Forde and Central football’s Corey Johnson.

The Metro Louisville and Southern Indiana Athlete of the Week Awards are part of The Courier-Journal Sports Awards program presented by Norton Sports Health. Each week’s winners will be invited, along with a guest, to this summer’s Courier-Journal Sports Awards Ceremony. Stay tuned to courier-journal.com/SportsAwards for more details on the event, guest speaker and invitees.

Click here for a list of all previous Metro Louisville Athlete of the Week Award winners from the 2016-17 school year.

For more information on how to nominate athletes and vote for Athlete of the Week, visit this FAQ.

Central High School senior running back Corey Johnson breaks away from the defense to score against Waggener on Sept. 23. Courier-Journal file photo

Corey Johnson and Chereioun Jones used to be rivals. Now, the two are teammates with a common goal: getting the Central High School football team back to the state championship game.

The dynamic senior running back duo has carried the backfield load this season for the Yellowjackets (8-5), who will host Elizabethtown (10-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Class 3-A state semifinals. The two have combined to rush for nearly 1,700 yards and 23 touchdowns.

“We’re like a 1-2 punch,” Johnson said.

With their different running styles the two have helped Central KO several foes this season. Last Friday they knocked Lexington Catholic out of the playoffs by combining for 216 rushing yards (Jones 111, Johnson 105) and two touchdowns (both by Johnson) in the Yellowjackets’ 30-7 triumph.

“They complement each other real well,” Central coach Ty Scroggins said. “One can catch a little bit better than the other one, one blocks a little bit better than the other, but they both run as hard as they possibly can.”

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Johnson, who has run for 946 yards and 18 TDs, is a tailback who likes to use his speed and get outside the tackles. Meanwhile the 6-foot, 168-pound Jones, who has rushed for 753 yards and five TDs, is a fullback who prefers to run between the tackles while also relishing his role as a blocker.

“He makes terrific blocks and I’m able to execute and make plays off of it and vice versa,” Johnson said. “(And) we’re good teammates. We look out for each other.”

Indeed, the two are friends who go back awhile.

“We used to play against each other in little league,” Jones said. “He played for the Packers, I played for the Rams. We were both tailbacks.”

Added Johnson: “It was always a big matchup.”

In high school, however, the two have had different roles.

Last year Johnson was the team’s top rusher, gaining 558 yards and running for nine TDs on 90 carries, while Jones only had 69 yards on 16 total carries.

“Chereioun played last year, but he wasn’t in the rotation,” Scroggins said. “He was probably the third-string running back. He didn’t get a lot of reps. But this year he’s come back and he’s out for revenge. He comes out and he does the things he needs to do.”

Foremost among his duties is blocking for Johnson. It’s something Jones, a former middle linebacker in middle school, takes a lot of pride in.

“Chereioun blocks for him, and it’s his buddy,” Scroggins said. “He knows, ‘I’m going to get my buddy some yards.’”

This year, though, Jones has been asked to do more than just open holes. When Johnson got hurt during the middle of the season, Jones stepped in for him.

“Chereioun had to play tailback for us, which helped him out tremendously,” Scroggins said. “It helped his vision a whole lot more.”

It’s also helped the five-time state champion Yellowjackets, who were 3-A runners-up in 2014, get back to the state semifinals.

“Now that Corey’s healthy, now we’ve got two tailbacks in the backfield,” Scroggins said.

CLASS 3-A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Friday’s semifinals

* Elizabethtown (10-3) at Central (8-5), 7:30 p.m.

* Belfry (12-1) at Corbin (12-1), 7:30 p.m.

State final

* Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 p.m. EST in Bowling Green

One of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2017, Christian Academy’s Jake Paulson plays key roles at tight end and defensive end for the Centurions. C-J file photo

Jake Paulson is just living in the moment right now.

He and his other Christian Academy football teammates were treated to a heroes’ welcome Monday morning at school after the Centurions defeated visiting DeSales 21-14 to win the Class 2-A Region Two title Friday night. The senior tight end caught five passes for 49 yards in the win, which was CAL’s 12^th straight after opening the season with a loss against Simon Kenton.

Their first-ever regional title puts the Centurions just one game away from the state championship, but first they must knock off Mayfield, the No. 12 team in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, on Friday night on their home turf.

Despite the stakes Friday’s game offers, the mood around the Centurions has been a relaxed one. As practice concluded Tuesday night Michael Jackson’s “Pretty Young Thing” and “Thriller” were blaring from the public-address system, and some of the players were showing off their dance moves.

The practices have been tough, Paulson said, but the coaches have also worked hard to keep the players from getting too tight for Friday. This isn’t a new occurrence either for CAL as just a couple weeks ago coach Stefan LeFors took his senior players go-karting one night.

“Those are memories that you’ll never forget, and it’s just so much fun,” Paulson said. “All the memories you make in the locker room after games. It’s just great being with all my friends.”

LeFors said Paulson is a more reserved leader but one his team definitely respects. Speaking out isn’t necessarily his style, but when he speaks out – like he did last Friday against DeSales – the other kids listen.

“He’s always good for a joke and funnies and being goofy, and I love that about Jake, but when he steps in here between the whistles, he gets after it,” LeFors said.

At 6 feet 5, 245 pounds, Paulson provides a big target. He currently ranks second on the team in receptions, 22, and receiving yards, 293. In addition, Paulson plays on the defensive line, leading the team in tackles and anchoring a unit that ranks No. 11 in the state in average rushing yards allowed, 66.3.

Earlier this season, Paulson, who Rivals has ranked as the state’s No. 4 prospect, committed to Western Kentucky, but since then he’s pulled back that commitment. He said he couldn’t list his new targets because he doesn’t know right now, but he plans to take official visits to schools after the season ends.

“I owe it to my team to have my mind fully on high school football,” he said. “I can make my decision later in the year.”

According to Rivals, which ranks Paulson as a three-star tight end prospect, he’s received scholarship offers from such Power Five schools as Illinois, Minnesota and Pittsburgh.

LeFors, who starred at quarterback for the University of Louisville, has talked to his star player about the process and to not get worked up. LeFors said he knows whatever happens, it’ll work out well for Paulson and for the team that gets him.

“The physical ability that he has is obvious,” LeFors said. “The way he plays, he’s aggressive and strong … but he’s a better person than he is a player. That’s what I love about Jake.”

CLASS 2-A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Friday’s semifinals

* Mayfield (13-0) at Christian Academy (12-1), 7:30 p.m.

* Covington Holy Cross (10-3) at Danville (11-2), 7:30 p.m.

State final

* Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 p.m. EST in Bowling Green

Eastern High School senior guard Natalie Collins is a solid outside shooter who has signed with Alabama A&M University. Photo by Josh Cook, Special to The Courier-Journal

Natalie Collins is entering her fourth season as a starter for the Eastern girls’ basketball team.

As a freshman she helped the Eagles to an 18-9 record. As a sophomore she averaged 12.2 points per game while making a team-high 62 3-pointers for Eastern, which advanced to the Seventh Region title game for the first time in program history. Last season Collins took on the role of point guard and her scoring (6.3 ppg) and made 3-pointers (32) dipped as the Eagles went 21-7, finishing with a blowout loss to Manual in the Seventh Region semifinals.

This season the 5-foot-10 Collins will be back at her natural position (shooting guard) for Eastern.

Q: How long have you been playing basketball?

A: I’ve been playing for as long as I can remember. I was always just in the gym, always around it. My earliest memories are ones with a ball.

Q: You are known as a shooter. Where does your shooting ability come from?

A: I think it came with growing up, I always played up. I don’t think I played with my age group until I played with boys my fifth-grade year. I think always being the smallest one, I was a fourth-grader playing against sixth-graders, you kind of have to know how to step out and shoot or else you’re going to get clobbered. I think that’s where that came from. And just always being in the gym, always getting up shots, of course.

Q: What’s that like when opposing teams know you’re a shooter and game-plan for you?

A: It’s definitely fun to hear someone running at you yelling “shooter.” If the close-out is late and you end up getting it off anyways, that’s always fun to hear. But there’s more to me than just a shooter.

Q: What did you work on in the offseason?

A: Definitely getting stronger. I’m beginning to notice (that) as we play in scrimmages. Also, just tightening up my handle and that comes with getting stronger as you’re able to take bumps in traffic, and that’s definitely helped out a lot.

Q: You signed with Alabama A&M last week. Why did you choose A&M?  

A: I went down there for a visit and instantly just loved it. I was talking to Coach (Margaret) Richards about every day that week before I went down there. I loved the atmosphere and I got to meet basically all the important people at the school, all the coaches of course and the AD. By the time I got done it felt like I was supposed to be there. It felt like it was just meant to happen.

Q: What do you plan on majoring in?

A: Business management.

Q: What’s your career goal?

A: I’m going to minor in Criminal Law, so eventually, hopefully, one day I’ll manage a law firm.

Q: What are the goals for this season?

A: One of the goals for us is to just all be on the same page and helping each other out, which helps the team move forward. … One thing about this team, we just love helping each other out, that’s what makes this team, I think, one of the best teams that’s come through Eastern. And hopefully this season shows it.

Q: Has the team set the goal of making it back to the Seventh Region championship game?  

A: Most definitely. We weren’t happy with how last season ended. Not even just that one game, just the entire season, how it ended up going. So definitely that is one of the goals. I think we’ll get there if we stick to playing together and encouraging each other, then that will just come with it.

Q: You wear No. 22. Is there any significance to that?  

A: Yeah Cierra Ricketts, who went to Fairdale, (wore 22). I basically grew up in the gym with her.

NATALIE COLLINS UP CLOSE

School: Eastern.

Year: Senior.

Sport: Basketball.

Student-athlete: Natalie, who has a 3.7 GPA and is a member of the mock trial/debate team at Eastern, says her favorite class is law & justice.

Family: Natalie, 18, lives with her mom, Kari Peterson, and her younger siblings: brother Jaelen, 13, and sister Naomi, 11.

Eastern coach Josh Leslie says: “Natalie is an excellent leader, both in the classroom and on the court. She has always been willing to do whatever we need in order to benefit our team. I think that she is an excellent model of what we want all of our student athletes to be – dedicated, hard-working, coachable, team-oriented and dedicated to everything we do on the court, in the classroom and in the community. It has been my pleasure to coach her these last four seasons.”

Senior Jake Paulson plays key roles for Christian Academy at tight end and defensive end. C-J file photo.

MAYFIELD (13-0) AT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (12-1)

* Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

* Next week: Winner will face Covington Holy Cross-Danville winner in Class 2-A state final at 2 p.m. EST Sunday in Bowling Green.

* Mayfield: The No. 12 Cardinals have won four straight state titles and enter with the state’s second-longest current winning streak (24) behind Bowling Green. Senior quarterback Landon Arnett has passed for 2,856 yards and 38 touchdowns with just seven interceptions to lead an offense that averages 47.5 points per game. Senior running back Trajon Bright has rushed for 1,367 yards and 19 touchdowns and averages 10.2 yards per carry.

* Christian Academy: The Centurions are in the state semifinals for the first time in school history after beating rival DeSales 21-14 last week. Sophomore quarterback Austin Carr accounted for two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), and Anteneh Thompson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 2:04 remaining was the game-winner. Since a 41-14 loss to Simon Kenton in the season opener, CAL’s defense has allowed just 7.6 points per game during its current 13-game winning streak.

MORE COVERAGE | Paulson, CAL trying to stay loose entering first state semifinal

* Quotable: “It’s obviously uncharted territory for us,” CAL coach Stefan LeFors said. “We haven’t been here. We don’t know what it’s like to practice on Thanksgiving or all these three days off for these guys. So, we’re trying to keep it as routine as possible but, yes, stay loose. I understand on Friday the kids are going to be nervous. … Where we feel like we can get them to feel most comfortable is by putting all this work in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to when they get to Friday, ‘Hey, you’re prepared. Are you nervous? That’s fine, but you’re prepared.’”

* Pick: Mayfield 34-28.

Fern Creek’s Kyree Hawkins breaks loose against Bullitt Central earlier this season. Photo by Adam Creech, Special to The Courier-Journal.

BOWLING GREEN (13-0) AT FERN CREEK (11-2)

* Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

* Next week: Winner will face South Oldham-Pulaski County winner in Class 5-A state final at 6 p.m. EST Sunday in Bowling Green.

* Bowling Green: No. 2 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings, the Purples have won four of the past five Class 5-A state titles and own the longest current winning streak (25) in the state. Bowling Green averages 47.9 points per game and is led by senior quarterback Clark Payne (3,329 yards and 39 touchdowns with just four interceptions) and senior running back, a Navy commit who has rushed for 1,159 yards and 21 TDs and averages 7.8 yards per carry.

MORE COVERAGE | Fern Creek, South Oldham look to take down Class 5-A powers

* Fern Creek: The Tigers upset Covington Catholic 35-28 last week to advance to the state semifinals for the second straight year. Last year Fern Creek traveled to Bowling Green in the state semifinals and lost 21-0. The Tigers will lean on a pair of running backs in Kyree Hawkins (1,155 yards, 18 TDs) and Devon Blincoe (915 yards, nine TDs). Senior quarterback Shamar Bryant has completed just 49 of 122 passes this season but he’s thrown for 1,078 yards and 18 TDs.

* Quotable: “Bowling Green is arguably the best team in the state in any class, but I really don’t think our guys will be spooked at all or afraid,” Fern Creek coach Josh Abell said. “That’s mostly because of how confident we’ve become the last four or five weeks. But it’s a bit of downplaying Bowling Green. They’re human beings like us, not machines. They’re not perfect, and they can be beaten.”

* Pick: Bowling Green 28-20.

South Oldham junior quarterback Drew Zaubi has passed for 2,074 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. C-J file photo.

SOUTH OLDHAM (12-1) AT PULASKI COUNTY (11-2)

* Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

* Next week: Winner will face Bowling Green-Fern Creek winner in Class 5-A state final at 6 p.m. EST Sunday in Bowling Green.

* South Oldham:  The Dragons rallied from a 42-28 fourth-quarter deficit to beat North Bullitt 45-42 last week and clinch a spot in the state semifinals for the first time since 1992. Junior quarterback Drew Zaubi completed 19 of 30 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns and now has 2,074 passing yards and 28 TDs on the season. Senior Keanan John (30 receptions, 778 yards, eight TDs) is the top receiver and also is a leader on defense with 35 tackles (22 solo) and five interceptions.

MORE COVERAGE | Fern Creek, South Oldham look to take down Class 5-A powers

* Pulaski County: The Maroons are trying to reach the Class 5-A state final for the fourth straight year, having won the title in 2014 and losing to Bowling Green in 2013 and 2015. Wide receiver Jake Johnson is a top candidate for Kentucky’s Mr. Football award, having caught a state-record 110 passes this season for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson is Kentucky’s career leader in receptions (385) and receiving yards (5,237).

* Quotable: “We’re hoping this is the kind of game that will put us on the map and show South Oldham is a legitimate program that is doing things the right way,” Dragons coach Jamie Reed said. “We’re trying to build it up with our guys that this game is about us more than it’s about us playing Pulaski County.”

* Pick: Pulaski County 34-27.

Central senior running back Corey Johnson has rushed for 946 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. C-J file photo.

ELIZABETHTOWN (10-3) AT CENTRAL (8-5)

* Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

* Next week: Winner will face Belfry-Corbin winner in Class 3-A state final at 2 p.m. EST Saturday in Bowling Green.

* Elizabethtown: The Panthers rolled past Caldwell County 35-10 last week to advance to the state semifinals for the second straight year. Running backs Jay Becherer (1,118 yards, 14 TDs), Derek Smith (646 yards, nine TDs) and Kass Disney (525 yards, seven TDs) lead the Panthers’ rushing attack. Becherer played for Collins as a freshman before transferring to E’town. The Panthers’ defense is allowing just 12.8 points per game during the team’s current eight-game winning streak.

* Central: After missing out last year, the Yellowjackets are back in the state semifinals after whipping Lexington Catholic 30-7. Senior running backs Chereioun Jones and Corey Johnson (two TDs) both topped 100 rushing yards, and sophomore Ukari Baker hauled in four receptions for 121 yards and a score. Central was 10-0 vs. E’town from 2007-14 when the teams were district mates, winning by an average of 27.5 points.

MORE COVERAGE | Johnson, Jones provide ‘1-2 punch’ for Yellowjackets

* Quotable:  “All of their skill guys are a lot smaller than our guys, but they’re speedy,” Central coach Ty Scroggins said of E’town. “They’re not fast, but they’re quick. We’ve really got to contain (Becherer) and (Disney). If we don’t contain those two kids, it’s going to be a long night for us.”

* Pick: Central 35-21.

Trinity coach Bob Beatty, left, and St. X coach Will Wolford will meet again Friday when their teams face off in a Class 6-A state semifinal at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. C-J file photo.

Not wanting to overstate the significance of one single player on his deep and talented squad, Trinity High School football coach Bob Beatty hesitated a bit when asked about wide receiver Rondale Moore and likened him to “another tool in the toolbox.”

Then Beatty briefly let down his guard.

“He’s a pretty fast tool,” Beatty said, “and a pretty versatile tool.”

It’s been eight weeks since Trinity and St. Xavier last met, and there’s little doubt both teams have improved as they enter Friday’s rematch in a Class 6-A state semifinal set for 6:30 p.m. at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

But when looking for the single biggest difference in the teams from Sept. 30 – when the Shamrocks beat the Tigers 35-13 – until now, the discussion begins and ends with Moore.

A 5-foot-8, 170-pound junior, Moore initially was ruled ineligible by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association after transferring from New Albany but won and appeal and became eligible Oct. 25.

Moore had to complete 11 practices before becoming eligible to play in a game, and he’s been the Shamrocks’ leading receiver in both contests since. In a 49-0 victory over Eastern on Nov. 11 he had three catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns. In last week’s 63-20 victory over Ballard, Moore had five receptions for 136 yards and three scores.

That’s not a misprint – eight receptions, six touchdowns.

“He’s a guy you always have to know where he’s at,” St. X coach Will Wolford said. “As soon as No. 1 runs on the field, you’re going to point it out because he’s the fastest kid on the field. We’ve seen it before with Jaelin Carter at Manual and (Nate) Hobbs at Male and (B.K.) Smith at Male. But it looks like this kid may be even faster than them.”

The addition of Moore is, indeed, another weapon for a Trinity offense that already was efficient and is averaging 47.3 points per game.

Senior quarterback Spencer Blackburn is completing 69.4 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,168 yards and 31 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Senior running backs Roderick Thomas and Jovan Smith have rushed for a combined 1,646 yards and 23 touchdowns. Senior Noah Ellison has a team-best 39 catches for 474 yards and nine TDs.

Senior center Kyle Liebert said the offense is improving but still can get better.

“It’s just little things, like a run for 4 yards could have been 10 or a play for 10 could have been a touchdown,” Liebert said. “It’s just small things we can improve on to get us better.”

Beatty was most pleased with Blackburn in last week’s victory over Ballard, when the quarterback completed 11 of 17 passes for 276 yards and four scores.

“I really felt like last Friday night was maybe the most in tune I’ve been with him on the field the entire year,” Beatty said. “He was thinking ahead to the next play, knew what we wanted to call, knew what I wanted from him as far as leadership.”

Asked if he eventually feels that way with all of his quarterbacks, Beatty responded: “I’m not sure some of them ever get there.”

St. X’s offense also is clicking during the playoffs, as the Tigers have averaged 45.3 points and 320.3 rushing yards in victories over Muhlenberg County, Manual and Male.

Beatty said the key to defending St. X’s 1-2 rushing punch of quarterback Desmond Ridder and running back Sam Taylor is not picking one to shut down and ultimately making the Tigers throw the ball. The Tigers’ running game was held in check – 29 carries, 113 yards – during the regular-season meeting.

“You don’t stop one or the other,” Beatty said. “You have to limit their run game and get it in a controllable situation.”

The St. X-Trinity winner will face the Scott County-Lafayette winner in the Class 6-A state final set for next Saturday in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The Shamrocks have won four of the past six 6-A titles, but St. X hasn’t captured a state crown since 2009. Wolford knows Tigers fans are anxious to get back to the state final and to end Trinity’s recent dominance in the series, as the Shamrocks have won 11 of the past 12 meetings.

“We emphasize that this is playoff game No. 4 and this is the next step,” Wolford said. “We’ve gone from Manual to Male to Trinity, so it’s been a step up every week. And most of our kids went to Catholic grade schools and have heard about this rivalry since they were 5 years old. They know what this is about.”

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

GAME OF THE WEEK

* Who: St. Xavier (10-3) vs. Trinity (13-0).

* When: 6:30 p.m. Friday.

* Where: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.  

* Jason’s pick: Trinity 21-17.

* Tickets: All tickets are general admission and cost $10. Gates and ticket windows will open at 5 p.m.

* Parking: $10. Lots will open at 4:30 p.m. No tailgating will be allowed.

Here are the previews and picks for the state semifinals of the high school football playoffs. Home teams in ALL CAPS. Click links for game previews.

CLASS 6-A

Trinity 21, St. Xavier 17 (at PJCS)

Scott County 48, LAFAYETTE 42

CLASS 5-A

Bowling Green 28, FERN CREEK 20

PULASKI COUNTY 34, South Oldham 27

CLASS 4-A

Franklin-Simpson 28, JOHN HARDIN 21

JOHNSON CENTRAL 35, Wayne County 21

CLASS 3-A

CENTRAL 35, Elizabethtown 21

Belfry 35, CORBIN 27

CLASS 2-A

Mayfield 34, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 28

DANVILLE 31, Covington Holy Cross 30

CLASS A

BEECHWOOD 35, Russellville 23

Paintsville 30, HAZARD 21

Last week’s record: 4-4.

Season record: 219-46.

After losing to Male in the third round of last year’s playoff, Trinity is back in the Class 6-A state final after defeating St. X 24-14 on Friday. Photo by Matt Stone, The Courier-Journal.

Trinity High School football coach Bob Beatty has described senior quarterback Spencer Blackburn as a perfectionist, saying he has a bit of a “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” personality.

So even after Trinity’s 24-14 victory over St. Xavier on Friday in a Class 6-A state semifinal, it wasn’t a surprise to hear Blackburn be critical of his performance.

Shamrocks offensive coordinator Andrew Coverdale even spent a couple of minutes after the game encouraging Blackburn and telling him to make sure he enjoys the next few days as Trinity approaches the state championship game.

“I can think back on mistakes I’ve made, and I am a perfectionist,” Blackburn said. “I want to perfect those and get better and be the best team we can be.”

Blackburn completed 15 of 25 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s victory. He also carried 10 times for 13 yards and a score.

MORE COVERAGE | Trinity back in 6-A final after knocking off St. X

Blackburn may have had an issue with his 60 percent completion rate, a solid number but his lowest since going 7 for 12 (58.3 percent) in a 35-21 victory over Tennessee’s Brentwood Academy in the second game of the season.

Blackburn promised a better performance next week when the Shamrocks will face Lafayette in the Class 6-A championship game in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

“The win is satisfying, and to go back to Bowling Green is definitely a good feeling,” Blackburn said. “But that effort given tonight is below our standards. The effort wasn’t there. It was a very subpar performance on our part. It’s just not Trinity football.

“You’ll see a different team in Bowling Green.”

FERN CREEK’S ABELL SEES BRIGHT FUTURE

For the second straight year, Fern Creek saw its season end at the hands of Bowling Green in the Class 5-A semifinals. However, Tigers coach Josh Abell sees a bright future in store for his team.

“We lose 19 seniors, but we got 27 juniors coming back,” he said. “And a lot of juniors who had a lot of (playing) time in two seasons.”

Abell must find replacements for players like quarterback Shamar Bryant and running back/linebacker Kyree Hawkins, the team’s leading rusher. But junior Devin Blincoe also rushed for more than 1,000 yards this season, and junior Damon Durrah showed some explosiveness Friday night with a 53-yard kickoff return and his 25-yard touchdown catch.

“There’s a lot to build on,” Abell said. “If games like this and opportunities like this don’t make them hungrier, I don’t know what will.”

PURPLES RETURN TO FINAL

There were plenty of happy faces on the Bowling Green sideline as the clock wound down in its 34-7 victory over host Fern Creek on Friday, but one thing that didn’t take place was a wild celebration when the Purples received their trophy.

That’s by design, coach Kevin Wallace said.

MORE COVERAGE | Purples roll past Tigers

“We’ve won so much that there’s only one goal,” he said. “There’s only one thing you’re going to get really excited about. It’s a long grind, a long time to get here, but we’re finally down to that one game.”

And as Bowling Green gets ready for another rematch, this time against Pulaski County, the approach will be business as usual. With one week left in the season, Wallace said that’s not enough time to make someone a better blocker or better tackler. Rather, the Purples just need to make sure everyone’s ready and understands the game plan.

“This week is just a preparation week,” quarterback Clark Payne said. “We got a long week – we don’t play until the last game on Sunday – so we really got to keep our minds right, make sure we get everybody healthy. Just going out there and taking care of business. It’s the best week on football.”

CENTRAL’S UNIQUE STREAK REACHES 10 STRAIGHT YEARS

Need a sign as to whether Central will advance to the Class 3-A championship game? Simply look at what the Yellowjackets do in their regular-season finale.

Central clinched a spot in next week’s state final with a 21-14 victory over Elizabethtown. The victory came four weeks after the Yellowjackets lost to Pleasure Ridge Park 42-3 in their regular-season finale.

This marks the 10^th straight season that Central’s result in its regular-season finale has been an accurate predictor of whether it makes the state final – a loss meaning the Yellowjackets will reach the final and a win meaning they won’t get there.

MORE COVERAGE | Central rallies to beat E’town in 3-A semifinal

The streak started in 2007 and 2008, when Central lost to Highlands in their last game of the regular season before going on to win the state title. In 2009, 2013 and 2015, Central beat PRP in the regular-season finale but failed to reach the 3-A final. The Yellowjackets lost to the Panthers in the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 finales before going on to reach the state final.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

* Lafayette (13-1) stopped a two-point conversion run by Brice Fryman with 11 seconds remaining to secure a 48-47 victory over visiting Scott County (11-3) in a Class 6-A semifinal. Josh Davis’ 4-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Shepard had pulled the Cardinals within 48-47.

Lafayette quarterback Walker Wood, who has committed to the University of Kentucky, completed 15 of 16 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 96 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries.

Jacob Burton led Scott County with 154 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.

MORE COVERAGE | Pulaski County beats South Oldham in 5-A shootout

* Carlos McKinney rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown to lead Franklin Simpson (14-0) to a 27-7 victory at John Hardin (9-5) in a Class 4-A semifinal. The Wildcats’ defense held the Bulldogs to 11 yards of offense in the second half.

* Joe Jackson rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns to lead host Johnson Central (14-0) to a 51-0 victory over Wayne County (11-3) in a Class 4-A semifinal. The Golden Eagles led 31-0 at the end of the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way.

* Taveon Hunter rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns on six carries to lead Belfry (13-1) to a 42-17 victory at Corbin (12-2) in a Class 3-A semifinal. Down 17-7 at halftime, Belfry outscored Corbin 35-0 in the second half to advance to the state final for the seventh straight year.

* Zach Dampier passed for 256 yards and four touchdowns to lead host Danville (12-2) to a 42-35 victory over Covington Holy Cross (10-4) in a Class 2-A semifinal. Danville, a 10-time state champion, advanced to a state final for the first time since 2006.

MORE COVERAGE | CAL rolls in second half to knock off Mayfield in 2-A

* Brayden Burch completed 7 of 9 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns and Aiden Justice scored two touchdowns to lead host Beechwood (13-1) to a 35-0 victory over Russellville in a Class A semifinal.

* Cory Smith carried 39 times for 199 yards and two touchdowns to lead host Hazard (12-2) to a 20-7 victory over Paintsville (13-1) in a Class A semifinal.

POWER FIVE

Each week Jason Frakes will provide his ranking of the top five teams in the state, regardless of class:

* No. 5 – Lafayette (13-1). Quarterback Walker Wood accounted for all seven touchdowns (four rushing, three passing) as the Generals beat Scott County 48-47 in the Class 6-A semifinals. Up next: Faces Trinity (14-0) in Class 6-A state final Saturday.

* No. 4 – Male (10-3). Season complete.

* No. 3 – St. Xavier (10-4). Couldn’t overcome three turnovers and quarterback Desmond Ridder’s injury in a 24-14 loss to Trinity in the Class 6-A semifinals. Up next: Season complete.

* No. 2 – Bowling Green (14-0). Jamale Carothers rushed for 196 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Purples beat Fern Creek 34-7 in the Class 5-A semifinals. Up next: Faces Pulaski County (12-2) in Class 5-A state final Sunday.

* No. 1 – Trinity (14-0). Spencer Blackburn passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another in a 24-14 victory over St. Xavier in the Class 6-A semifinals. Up next: Faces Lafayette (13-1) in Class 6-A state final Saturday.

GAME BALLS

Corey Johnson, Central

The senior carried 29 times for 169 yards and a touchdown in a 21-14 victory over Elizabethtown in the Class 3-A semifinals.

Rondale Moore, Trinity

The junior had seven receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Shamrocks to a 24-14 victory over St. Xavier in the Class 6-A semifinals.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Two years ago, Male High School athletic director John Kelsey called Waggener AD Jamie Dumstorf with a proposal.

Football helmets hang on the wall inside an equipment room at Waggener Traditional High School. Nov. 18, 2016

Wanting to preserve the surface of the football field for his varsity squad, Kelsey asked Dumstorf if he would host the Male-Butler freshman football game at Waggener’s field.

Kelsey would pay all of the expenses and allow Dumstorf to keep the revenue from ticket sales and concessions. Dumstorf jumped at the opportunity and said he made about $3,000, the second-highest single-game revenue Waggener had during the 2014 football season.

“We were selling tickets and slinging hot dogs and nachos for a freshman game on a Monday night,” Dumstorf said with a laugh. “I gladly took the money because I needed it.”

The story illustrates the challenges Jefferson County Public Schools’ 21 ADs have faced in recent years as funding and revenue have decreased.

Male, for example, can count on football games with rivals Manual or Trinity to bring in more than $35,000.

Fans and cheerleaders cheer during the opening kickoff as Male High School’s football team faces Lexington’s Lafayette High School last December in the Class 6A championship game at LT Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky. Some JCPS schools, such as Male, have a large fan and booster base, which supplements the athletic department’s bottom line.

Waggener, on the other hand, brought in a total of $6,965 in ticket sales over its five home football games this season. That money goes back to more than just the football team – it’s often the main source of financial support for a school’s other programs.

“We’re not the cash cows people perceive us to be,” Dumstorf said. “Some of us are, but most of us clearly are not.”

And where there are fewer or less-profitable varsity programs, schools are limited in the overall number of sports, particularly at the junior-varsity level, they can support and are increasingly reliant on that financial support from parents and the community to operate those. That’s a frightening proposition for athletic directors, who cite studies that show participation in high school sports may lead to better grades, higher attendance, lower dropout rates, improved career opportunities and increased levels of mental and physical health.

“I know you’re not supposed to take your work home, but I lie in bed and think, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to make this work,’” Western AD Jared Baker said. “You want to be able to give your kids the same things that kids from Butler or Male have, the brand gear like Nike or Under Armour. But we’re just trying to make sure we have enough money for officials by the end of softball season.”

To cope, ADs have been forced to get creative with the ways they make ends meet as only a handful of JCPS high schools have the fan bases, booster groups and community support needed to fully fund athletic departments that receive little annual support from the district. Even safety is occasionally subsidized with grants from Norton Healthcare providing new football helmets and with Norton, ProRehab, KentuckyOne Health and Baptist Health covering the cost of certified athletic trainers across JCPS.

These struggles and the budget cuts that led to them aren’t unique to Jefferson County, which last school year provided athletic opportunities for 8,527 high school and 5,946 middle school students. According to a recent Cleveland.com report, athletes in Parma, Ohio, will be required to pay up to $250 to join a varsity squad. Several sports – including golf and tennis – were cut in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, this year. Middle school sports routinely are being eliminated around the country.

Jerry Wyman, director of athletics for JCPS, said Louisville “is one of the lucky communities” that hasn’t been forced to eliminate sports and doesn’t foresee that becoming an issue. But sports are surviving with reduced resources.

Athletic departments took a hit last year when – as a result of district-wide budget cuts – JCPS eliminated a vending-machine supplement it had provided since the 2006-07 school year, averaging more than $17,000 per high school a year. The supplement was meant to replace revenues that were lost after the district began restricting the sale of junk food and soda on school property in 2006.

Wyman, an AD at Doss from 1993-98, knows the impact of losing that money.

“Without that, I don’t know how I would have survived,” he said. “It’s amazing the work our ADs do. They work miracles. I tell those guys all the time that they’re the hardest-working guys in the district.”

Making it work

JCPS provides high schools with a yearly travel budget of $9,700 and pays stipends – ranging from $454 for a first-year bowling coach to $8,865 for a veteran AD – to a limited number of administrators and coaches. After that, it’s up to individual schools to figure out how to pay for everything else, ranging from facility maintenance and shoulder pads to athletic tape.

Schools such as Male and Ballard – with larger enrollments and long histories of success in athletics – have more resources but also have more expenses.

With booster clubs for nearly all of his sports and a large alumni base, Kelsey admits he doesn’t have to worry about financing his programs at Male.

“I’m blessed to be at a school that has a long history as one of the oldest schools in the country,” Kelsey said. “Everywhere you go, people say, ‘I graduated from Male High,’ and they’re interested in helping Male. And historically it’s a school that’s been so successful in athletics that it generates revenue to really do some things.

“… I don’t get to do all the projects I want, but there’s no question I don’t fret over it or worry about it. If there’s something our kids need, we’re going to find a way to get it.”

But Kelsey also has to spend more. Male has varsity, junior-varsity and freshman teams for nearly every sport offered, including 150 kids in a fledgling lacrosse program. That means more uniforms, more equipment, more officials to pay and more transportation costs. By contrast, Shawnee athletic director Dwight Bransford has just three junior-varsity teams (boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball and volleyball) and one freshman team (boys’ basketball) at his school.

Ballard AD Chris Kinney said the loss of the vending supplement has made times tougher than he can remember in his 13 years on the job.

Sponsor support, as seen here in the form of banners at Ballard, help support athletic departments.

“I’ve never seen us struggle this much,” he said.

Kinney said he’s fortunate to have the support of booster clubs and businesses who help fund his department. A quick drive through Ballard’s campus shows the amount of sponsorship support, as advertising signs crowd the fences on baseball, softball and field hockey fields.

But expenses are high, as Kinney estimates he spends around $50,000 a year on transportation alone. And as nice as it is when Ballard’s boys’ basketball team reaches the state tournament, Kinney estimates the department loses around $12,000 if the Bruins make a run to the state final.

Kinney said hiring extra assistant coaches for his programs could prove to be too much of a financial strain in the future.

“We’ve picked up our advertising revenue, but it’s not making ends meet,” Kinney said. “You’re putting more stress on the boosters. You’re asking them to do a little bit more. Obviously, we’re blessed at Ballard to have a good community and good boosters. But I can’t afford to put any more stress on them.

“… The misconception is that you have this certain amount of money to run your athletic program. In reality, you don’t have anything. You have to go out and do it yourself.”

ADs at some of the smaller high schools are getting inventive with their fundraising efforts.

Waggener Traditional High School athletic director Jamie Dumstorf looks inside one of the shower areas in the sports complex. Many of the former showers in the sports complex at Waggener have been out of commission for more than a decade. Today, they have become impromptu storage areas for much of the athletic equipment due to lack of space.

Waggener will begin installation of a new $250,000 track next spring after Dumstorf secured funds from the City of St. Matthews ($125,000) and several other outside sources. Part of the agreement, Dumstorf said, was that the track would be available for use by area residents.

“I hate to use the word begging, but I’ve become very strategic in my marketing,” Dumstorf said. “I’m in a tricky market in the heart of St. Matthews. I’m a driver and a wedge away from that other green-and-white occupant (Trinity) in St. Matthews.”

At Shawnee, which has no booster clubs and little financial support from the community, Bransford joined with Brown AD Justin Leonard to form an elementary-school basketball league.

Bransford said he made around “$12,000 to $15,000” off the league last year, a big boost for a department that sold just $2,700 worth of football tickets for three home games this season. Combining numbers for basketball during the 2015-16 season and football this year, Bransford said he lost more than $13,000 after paying expenses for travel, officials, security and other game crew.

Shawnee also hosts youth football and dance and step-show competitions to bring in extra income.

“It can be a little bit of a headache … but it helps financially,” Bransford said. “Sometimes there are some long Saturdays or an occasional long Sunday, but you have to do what you have to do.”

In his second year as Western’s AD, Baker said a beefed-up football schedule helped boost ticket sales this season. The Class 4-A Warriors hosted 6-A schools Butler, Manual and Male in an attempt to bring their larger fan bases to Western’s campus.

“Does it hurt our football team? Absolutely,” Baker said. “It’s tough on our school to play a 6-A schedule. … But it creates a budget for us.”

Dumstorf said an annual arts and crafts fair nets about $5,000 for Waggener’s athletic department, which used the proceeds to buy new bench chairs for the gymnasium last year.

“I can’t be an athletic director who accepts, ‘No,’ as an answer,” said Dumstorf, adding that the school’s current booster club consists of six parents. “If I see something that’s a critical need … I’m going to keep looking and keep searching. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve had a lot of people say, ‘Yes.’”

Indiana programs struggle, too

It’s much of the same for schools in Southern Indiana, where fundraising has become a key cog in revenue generation. Other than gate sales and other receipts from spectator sports, fundraising is the only source of income for area public schools.

School corporations cover coaching contracts and facility upgrades in the area, while the remaining expenditures – travel, equipment, concessions, entry fees, officials, etc. – are handled by the athletic departments.

Southern Indiana schools such as New Albany (pictured here during a boys basketball game against Jeffersonville), much like their Louisville-area Kentucky counterparts, have to be creative in funding their programs as athletic departments have become ‘self-sufficient.’

Fred McWhorter, the Chief Business Officer at the New Albany-Floyd County School Corporation, said athletic departments in Indiana and within Floyd County are “self-sufficient” in subsidizing as many as 20 varsity programs.

“It’s pretty decentralized,” McWhorter said. “Really the only thing the school corporation pays for, as far as athletics go, is we pay for the coaches’ salaries, and if we have any facility improvements. … But as far as running it – the concessions, paying for uniforms, paying for equipment, balls and bats and all that stuff – the athletic department raises those funds by themselves.”

Scottsburg athletic director Jamie Lowry remembers a time when fundraising wasn’t particularly necessary. When Lowry was in school, basketball shoes ran “nothing close to $100.” Last season, though, the Warriors’ boys basketball team required nearly $4,000 worth of equipment, which included shoes up to $200 per pair.

That inflation has forced athletic departments to get proactive in offsetting costs. Prior to many home basketball games last season, Scottsburg’s football and baseball teams held chili suppers to help fund the programs’ expenses.

“There’s a plethora (of fundraising opportunities),” Lowry said. “It just seems like there’s constantly a fundraiser by somebody going on at all times. There’s something always going on. Because, obviously, the school can’t fund everything that these kids need. The cost to compete is growing and growing.”

The future

Wyman said financial troubles are a bigger concern now than five years ago, but he’s confident schools won’t have to eliminate money-losing programs. Wyman and JCPS also are helping schools by securing sponsorships.

But that doesn’t allay ADs’ biggest concerns.

Dumstorf had to shut down his girls’ soccer program this season because of a lack of participation but also is concerned about its cost going forward. In a regular-season home match against Seneca, he sold six tickets for a total of $30. After paying three referees $52.50 apiece, he had lost $127.50.

Multiply that scenario over several games and several other sports that have little fan support and Dumstorf said he’s concerned about the future.

Jamie Dumstorf, the athletic director at Waggener Traditional High School, stands inside the football coaches office in the athletics complex. A milk crate suspended from the ceiling holds up a projector.

“That’s a conversation we’re starting to have more and more of: How do we weigh the cost-benefit to a sport that essentially runs the athletic department in the red every year?” Dumstorf said. “It’s tricky. … I can’t justify spending the money because I don’t have the money.”

Kelsey and Dumstorf expressed concern about the high turnover rate of ADs at some JCPS schools. Dumstorf said his five-year tenure at Waggener allowed him to develop relationships with potential sponsors, but other schools don’t have that advantage when ADs come and go.

“I go to our monthly AD meetings and there are some guys who have been in the room eight, 10, 12 years as ADs and there are some guys who have been in the room for six months and it’s safe to say they’ll be gone six months from now,” Dumstorf said. “In some places, there’s such a heavy athletic director turnover that it’s difficult for anybody to get their feet stuck in and gain any momentum for their school’s athletic department.”

As for solutions, ADs say they don’t see many as long as budget cuts continue and attendance for basketball and football games stagnates. Many schools are developing alumni associations and calling on parents to become more involved with the hope of bringing in more revenue and having to pay fewer people to run concession stands and scoreboards.

But, Wyman said, he and his athletic directors will do whatever they can to offer opportunities.

“If there are kids who want to play something – so far – we’ve been able to give them an opportunity to do it,” Wyman said. “If there’s ever an issue with a school that says we can’t afford to start this team because we can’t buy uniforms, the district has stepped up. We’re going to try to do everything we can to make sure kids have the opportunity to compete.”

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Courier-Journal Southern Indiana high school reporter Kyle Williams contributed to this report.

Shower handle corrosion inside the showers of the women’s basketball locker room at Waggener Traditional High School. Nov. 18, 2016

Chipping paint on the field goal post at Waggener Traditional High School. Nov. 18, 2016

An overview of the football field at Waggener Traditional High School. Last year, Louisville Male asked if it could host it’s junior varsity and freshman games at Waggener to preserve their own field for the playoffs. In return, Waggener could keep the funds from ticket sales and concessions. The Male freshman game ended up being one of the biggest money makers of the year for Waggener. Nov. 18, 2016

at Waggener Traditional High School. Nov. 18, 2016

The track at Waggener Traditional High School is scheduled to be replaced and currently has cracks running through the pavement in numerous areas. Nov. 18, 2016

December 5, 2015 — Bowling Green, Ky. — Louisville’s Male High School takes on Lexington’s Lafayette High School in the State Class 6A High School Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 at LT Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky. Male won the game 41 – 14. The team supports the 2015 State Championship trophy. (Photo by Tim Broekema)

December 5, 2015 — Bowling Green, Ky. — Louisville’s Male High School takes on Lexington’s Lafayette High School in the State Class 6A High School Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 at LT Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky. Male won the game 41 – 14. Team members of Male High School greet anxious fans as they leave the field after their victory. (Photo by Tim Broekema)

New Albany High School cheerleaders lead the team out on to the court for the second half. Jan. 8, 2016

Chains at all four corners of the court keep the crowds not in their seats from disrupting play. Jan. 8, 2016

Jeffersonville High School’s Ian Ellis cheers for his Red Devils to beat New Albany. Ellis grew up routing for Jeff, this game will be his 14th time attending the rivalry. Jan. 8, 2016

Members of the New Albany High School Navy Junior ROTC march to center court to present the colors for the national anthem. Jan. 8, 2016

Gerrin Moore (#23) and Kooper Faulkenstein celebrate during the Jeffersonville Red Devils’ introductions. Jan. 8, 2016

For the second straight year the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has revised its schedule for the state football finals because of a conflict with Western Kentucky University’s Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium.

With WKU’s victory over Marshall on Saturday, the Hilltoppers will host Louisiana Tech at noon EST Saturday in the Conference USA championship game. That will force the KHSAA to revise its original schedule of playing two championship games apiece on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s unfortunate for us that we were unable to stay with our originally planned schedule that had been worked out months ago in collaboration with WKU staff, but we congratulate coach Jeff Brohm … on the successful season and will work collaboratively with WKU to provide an optimal experience for the student-athletes, coaches, officials and all involved,” KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett said in a news release.

The revised schedule is as follows (all times EST):

* Friday: Class A, Beechwood vs. Hazard, 8 p.m.

* Saturday: Class 3-A, Central vs. Belfry, 6 p.m.; Class 6-A, Trinity vs. Lafayette, 9 p.m.

* Sunday: Class 2-A, Christian Academy vs. Danville, 1:30 p.m.; Class 4-A, Franklin-Simpson vs. Johnson Central, 4:45 p.m.; Class 5-A, Bowling Green vs. Pulaski County, 8 p.m.

“We have eliminated media timeouts and will closely monitor our time schedule to keep the integrity of the time schedule as a top priority,” Tackett said.

Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.

Here are The Courier-Journal’s high school football Litkenhous Ratings for Monday, Nov. 28:

Here are The Courier-Journal’s preseason boys basketball season previews and rankings:

STATEWIDE RANKINGS

Coaches pick top 25 teams in state

Coaches pick top 25 players in state

Coaches pick top 10 teams/players in all 16 regions

SIXTH REGION

Fern Creek looks to end Doss’ reign

21^st District previews (Beth Haven, Fairdale, Holy Cross, PRP, Valley)

22^nd District previews (Butler, DeSales, Doss, Iroquois, Western)

23^rd District previews (Bullitt Central, Evangel Christian, Moore, North Bullitt, Southern)

24^th District previews (Bullitt East, Fern Creek, Jeffersontown, Whitefield Academy)

SEVENTH REGION

Trinity among favorites for state title

25^th District previews (Central, Manual, Portland Christian, St. Francis, Shawnee)

26^th District previews (Brown, Collegiate, Male, St. Xavier

27^th District previews (Atherton, Seneca, Trinity, Waggener)

28^th District previews (Ballard, Christian Academy, Eastern, Kentucky Country Day)

EIGHTH REGION

Previews of Collins, North Oldham, Oldham County, Shelby County, South Oldham, Spencer County