KSR Game of the Week: No. 2 CAL hosts No. 22 Bell County in Class 3A semifinals

The road to Kroger Field is just one win away for 24 high schools.

With 12 semifinal games on the schedule for Friday night, the KSR Game of the Week is heading to Louisville as No. 2 Christian Academy-Louisville is set to host No. 22 Bell County at 7:00 p.m. ET in the Class 3A semifinals. These two schools previously met in the 2023 postseason, a dominant 41-16 victory for CAL in the 3A state championship. Bell County is seeking its first return to the title game since then, while CAL is searching for its fourth straight win in the finals.

Will we see a repeat performance of what happened a couple of years ago? The On3 Massey Ratings predict a 42-8 blowout win for CAL, but Bell County enters this matchup with one loss on the season for a reason. Here’s what you need to know about each team.

No. 22 Bell County Bobcats (12-1)

Led by head coach Dudley Hilton, Bell County has dropped only one game all year — and it came in overtime to close the regular season. The Bobcats were taken down by No. 18 Pulaski County, 35-34, but won 10 of their 12 games by multiple touchdowns. In the 3A playoffs, Bell County cruised past Powell County (44-0) and Knox Central (43-14) before sneaking out a 16-6 win over Lawrence County in the quarterfinals.

Lining up under center for the Bobcats is senior quarterback Blake Burnett. He’s thrown for 1,118 yards and 13 touchdowns without a single interception. He’s tacked on another eight touchdowns and 415 yards with his legs. But Bell County is led by a bell cow in the backfield. Senior Kaleb Miller has racked up 1,930 rushing yards and an astounding 29 touchdowns this season. He easily leads the class in total points scored at 206 on the season. Sophomore Nathaniel Saylor also helps out the run game with 583 rushing yards and seven touchdowns of his own. Senior Joseph Brigmon is Burnett’s go-to target with 512 receiving yards and nine scores. The Bobcats average 39.2 points per contest, sixth-best in the class.

Defensively, Bell County has recorded 94 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, 21 interceptions (four returned for TDs), and 12 fumble recoveries. Burnett and Brigmon have accounted for 14 of those picks combined. Senior Hunter Fuson leads the team in tackles with 108, one of five Bobcat players with at least 50 tackles on the year. This is a defensive unit that allows just 12.8 points per game, sixth-best in 3A. Their pass defense (just 68 yards given up per outing) is among the best in the class, as well.

No. 2 Christian Academy-Louisville Centurions (13-0)

Christian Academy-Louisville has been the state’s number two team for nearly the entire 2025 season. One look at their unblemished record will explain why. Head coach Hunter Cantwell, a former Louisville quarterback, is building a high school dynasty with the Centurions. CAL has won all 13 games to this point, including two shutouts and nine other games where the opponent scored seven or fewer points. To reach the semis, CAL smacked Mercer County (54-7), DeSales (48-3), and Union County (48-7) in order.

The Centurions dominate both sides of the ball. Sophomore quarterback Jackson Burke has been a star, throwing for 2,930 yards, 45 touchdowns, and just one interception in 13 games. Having a four-star wide receiver catching balls helps, though. Junior Ja’Hyde Brown has hauled in 84 receptions for 1,270 yards and 21 touchdowns. Not far behind is junior Gaines Howard, who has 920 receiving yards and 13 scores. Ball State commit Stone Perkins helps out as well with 378 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Seniors Jeffrey Vazzana (668 yards, 6 TDs) and Tyree Stoner (651 yards, 16 TDs) will handle the running back duties. No team in 3A has scored more points than the Centurions at 46.7 points per outing.

CAL’s defense has been just as impressive. As a whole, the Centurions have totaled six fumbles recoveries (two returned for scores), 33 sacks, 128 tackles for loss, and 10 interceptions (two ran back for TDs). Junior Micah Newsome paces the defense with 118 tackles while senior Jackson Settle isn’t far behind with 100 tackles of his own. The star on defense is sophomore Kellan Hall, who is currently ranked 11th nationally by Rivals in the 2028 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive lineman has 15 tackles for loss and six sacks in nine games this season. CAL gives up the second-fewest points per game in the class at 8.4.

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